The night is getting late, but the conversation is still not over.
Instead, their conversation got deeper and deeper about what happened while they didn't et.
Alice says that life is getting harder and harder. Many of the people living in this harbor have died since the last ti Erend and Billy visited. Which is what happened a few years ago before the war.
Erend also doesn't really know much about the residents of this harbor. So he couldn't sympathize with them.
But even so, he still listened to Alice's story.
"As life gets harder, they choose to beco criminals to be able to feed their families or themselves," Alice explained. "I feel very lucky that there are rich people who like my ale."
Yes, that's how Alice and her father live amid this very pressing adversity.
There was a wealthy businessman in the city area who liked the ale Alice's family made.
They bought up so much of the ale every month at a pretty high price.
Alice and her father were able to live without worrying about what they would eat tomorrow because of that rich businessman.
Luck was on their side. But the residents of the harbor are not as lucky as they are.
Of course, they had pressured Alice and her father into giving them the recipe for their ale.
The reason, is so they can make it to continue their life.
However, no matter how hard they tried, his father would never give them the recipe.
Alice's father had a good reason for that. It was because he had promised his mother.
Perhaps his father's actions sounded cold and heartless. He looks like he doesn't care about the troubled people around him and sticks to that promise.
That's because his father knew, the people in this harbor would imdiately turn around to stab them in the back after he gave them the recipe.
Why doesn't anyone dare to take the recipe by force from this family? They have of course tried.
However, Alice's father was no ordinary person. He was a tall, well-built man with a huge strong body.
He towered over two ters tall with a body full of tattoos and scars. That was not known when it was created and due to what event in his previous life, it happen. Before he finally settled in.
Alice continued her story. Her father, Mr. Barry, once made a man collapse with just one punch.
He said it was a warning.
'You guys can try ganging up on together but the result will only be the sa. You should save your money for food than for treating wounds caused by your stupidity.'
That's what Mr. Barry said that ti.
From then on, the people in the harbor didn't even try that stupid thing anymore. And just enjoying ale for a lot less than they sell those rich people.
Alice's family certainly wasn't that heartless. They also often provide food aid and even forget about debts the people have owed them.
It's just, to give away their special ale recipe, that would never happen.
"Wow, I didn't know such a story existed."
Erend and Alice turned when they heard Billy speak.
Billy is already looking better. It seed he had been awakened from the effects of the ale he was guzzling down greedily.
"You okay?" Alice asked in a tone that was more curious than concerned.
She wondered how soone could co back like that from the effects of a hangover without first going through the fainting stage.
However, Erend wasn't surprised anymore now that he had seen it happen before.
"Why? Am I disturbing your intimate chat?" Billy said.
Then he grinned and poured the empty ale bottle in front of him.
When nothing dripped from it, Billy asked Alice for more ale.
"Are you sure you're still drinking?" she asked.
But she too had stood up and walked to get the ale.
"Of course!" Billy said.
Alice placed another bottle in front of him. By now, Billy had four bottles of ale in front of him. Three of which were empty.
After downing his ale, Billy continued. "You better not tease Erend. Or his Elf girlfriend will curse you."
As the words left Billy's mouth, several people who were close enough to hear turned their heads.
Alice looked at Billy with a surprised look.
"What do you an?" she asked. "He has an Elf girlfriend?"
Erend sighed. "Don't mind him. He's still drunk."
"It's true," Billy said flatly.
Maybe because he was still half drunk so he didn't bother to elaborate on it to Alice. Or everyone listening around them.
"Hey, I know that this might be a problem you don't want to talk about here. But I'm also really curious about what you guys were doing on... Uhh.. the other side," Alice said while looking at Erend with curious eyes.
Erend returned his gaze. "It's like you said. This is not a matter we wish to discuss here. At least not now."
Erend moved his eyes left and right as if signaling Alice.
Alice imdiately understood that as a hint indicating that this place was indeed too crowded to talk about that.
"Yeah. Of course, you can't tell now," Alice said.
Alice felt she couldn't ask any further even though she was still curious.
She did know the news circulating about the three of them. But, she also knows how governnt works. They must still have a lot of things hidden from the public.
Alice expected that Erend and Billy would tell her about it. But she wasn't sure they wanted to tell her.
The crowd could have been just an excuse not to tell her.
When the night had entered eleven o'clock, so of the visitors to this bar began to disappear.
So thanked Alice before leaving. But so of the others just disappeared, leaving behind ale bottles and dirty dishes.
"So they still don't pay," Billy comnted as he looked at the last visitor to leave through the door.
"Of course not," Alice replied. As if that was an obvious thing.
When he was about to drink his ale, suddenly Erend felt the sa rush of a hunch as that stormy night.
'That feeling again.'
The bottle stopped midair before it reached his mouth.
~~~
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