Seeing that Adam was a wealthy patron—or appeared to be—Hisashi did not hesitate to order abundantly. He instructed one of the servers to head to the kitchen and tell the cook to prepare a wide variety of food, as well as get a few bottles of sake.
The stout tavern owner was quite curious about Adam’s origins and the reason for his visit to this part of the continent. There were rarely any outsiders who ca to the western part of Yen-Lu, after all.
Soon, the table was filled with all kinds of aromatic and tantalizing food. Of course, there were also a few bottles of sake. When Adam observed the food on the table, he couldn’t help but feel greatly emotional.
There were yakitori, a type of skewered grilled chicken seasoned with tare sauce, agedashi tofu, a type of savory dish, gyoza, a type of pan-fried dumplings, and takoyaki, fried dough balls with octopus. And these were just the starters.
There was a bowl of ran, a plate of onigiri and donburi, sashimi, tempura, and finally a type of pickled vegetables known locally as tsukemono.
"Oh... oh, my!" Adam exclaid, his voice choked with emotion. "Lady luck is finally smiling upon . Oh goodness arcana! I’m blessed! After years of eating raw at and smoked at without any seasoning, I can finally enjoy the fine culinary arts. Oh, I’m blessed!"
Hearing his words, Hisashi couldn’t help but frown. "Raw at? Have you been living in the jungles?"
With his mouth stuffed with food, Adam blurted out, "How did you know?!"
Hisashi’s lips twitched. His eyes flashed with a peculiar light, and he leaned back in his chair. Finally, it was ti to get so answers out of the outsider.
"So the jungles, eh?" He asked, casually smoking from the pipe. "Crimson Bamboo Wilds? Or is it the Ironroot Jungle?"
Adam’s first instinct was to imdiately tell the truth. But right at that mont, the strangely familiar voice whispered in his mind:
"Be careful, old sport."
The following mont, the white-robed Adam appeared beside him and took a seat right next to him. He first glanced at Hisashi with a faint smile etched on his face. Then, he turned to observe the tavern and noticed that quite a lot of people were eavesdropping.
"Consider the dangerous situation we are in. Consider our goal. Do not divulge anything that might even remotely harm our plans. Lie through your teeth," he said with the sa smile on his face.
Adam first gulped the food, then took a large mouthful of sake. "I know, I know. You don’t have to tell that."
"...What?" Hisashi frowned.
Adam waved his hand. "No, I wasn’t talking to you."
The frown on Hisashi’s face deepened, and he asked, "Then... who were you talking to?"
Adam turned towards him and grinned. ", of course. Don’t mind . I have a habit of talking to myself. Talking out loud, that is."
With that said, he grabbed the sake bottle and emptied it in a matter of monts. "Anyway, what was your question again?" he asked nonchalantly.
There was a dark expression on Hisashi’s face, and it was unknown what he was thinking. Perhaps he was wondering if he had made a bad decision to host a complete madman at his tavern. Alas, his thoughts would remain a mystery.
"Where are you from?" he asked again, his voice low and steady.
"Hmm..." Adam scratched his chin, deep in thought. Then, he turned to the stout middle-aged man and answered with a wide grin, "From nowhere really. You see, I was born on a ship, and have been traveling the world for as long as I can rember."
"So you’re not from anywhere, but you’ve been everywhere?" Hisashi asked with narrowed eyes, taking a long drag from the pipe.
"Ahaha! Exactly! Man, you are smart," he said with a jovial laugh.
Hisashi remained silent for a few monts, watching the madman eat the food with great relish. At last, he asked, "So you spent your ti in the jungles before coming here?"
"Ah, yes, yes." Adam nodded. "The Crimson Bamboo Wilds. That’s where I was. You know, I was stuck there for a few years. It was only in the recent past that I made it out of the wilds."
"You spent a few years in the Crimson Bamboo Wilds, is it?" Hisashi asked with an arched eyebrow. "Quite a lot of Mana Core-level beasts out there. I’m surprised you’ve even made it out alive."
"Quite a lot of Mana Core-level beasts, yes." Adam’s lips curled into a wide, unnatural grin that made the tavern owner shudder. "I’ve killed a few of them, you know?"
"Heh." Hisashi sneered. "You must take for a fool, outsider."
Adam downed another bottle of sake. Finally, he asked what was on his mind, "What’s the deal with this whole outsider thing? You guys sure are xenophobic. In all my travels, I haven’t co across people who are so... prejudiced."
Hisashi’s expression darkened. "Let’s just say we have so bad history with the rest of the world."
"Is that so?" Adam scratched his charred chin. "How co you’re so hospitable to then?"
The stout tavern owner exhaled a plu of smoke to the side, then casually answered, "Otherwise, it’s bad for business. The Jade Lantern Inn is neutral ground. All are welco here. And most importantly, no fighting is allowed in here."
Towards the end, his voice went up a notch. Clearly, he was warning the other custors not to try anything funny while on the premises.
"No fighting, eh?" Adam flashed a wide grin. "Then I’d like to stay in your fine establishnt for a few more days and rest. You see, I’ve had a long and harrowing journey. I would like to freshen up before I depart for my next destination."
Hisashi observed Adam for a few monts. He then said in an even voice, "As long as you pay for our services, you may stay here for as long as you like."
He then leaned over, his voice turning cold. "But since you’re a newcor, I would like you to pay in advance. You see... I don’t quite trust you."
"Sure, whatever you say." Adam waved his hand nonchalantly.
"Hmph!" Hisashi leaned back in his seat, taking another puff from the pipe. He then asked, "What is your next destination?"
Adam’s following words not only stunned Hisashi, but every other patron inside the tavern.
The madman’s lips curled into a cold grin, and he said:
"Oh, why, it’s the Dark Valley, of course!"
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