Neutral City, Xinyela.
This city was established by a Sword Saint from a fallen nation.
Although it is located in a desert, due to its foundation atop an oasis, the city is completely self-sufficient. Any shortages could be compensated for through trade with the Ginas Kingdom and Leiblu Kingdom, making life here not inconvenient or impoverished.
However, Xinyela is not exactly a utopian city.
Because it belongs neither to the Ginas Kingdom nor the Leiblu Kingdom, sandwiched between the two powers and surrounded by deserts creating a natural barrier, it beca a refuge for those unable to survive in the aforentioned kingdoms, including but not limited to wanted criminals of great significance.
If it weren’t for Xinyela’s City Lord, a Sword Saint, who has always maintained order and suppressed the influence of nefarious characters, Xinyela would have likely turned into a lawless area long ago.
Due to the influx of fugitives, Xinyela hasn’t beco a lawless land, but it still appears sowhat chaotic.
There are rcenary groups here that subsist by hunting monsters in the desert.
There are also underground organizations conducting illegal businesses.
Occasionally, soone will take a dangerous risk, including but not limited to robbery, ho invasion, murder, or deals involving hazardous contraband.
In other words, Xinyela is a city of neutral stance with its internal order also tending toward neutrality, where good and corrupt deeds each take up half the space, and the good and bad people also each take up half, forming a very delicate balance.
In such a city, there stood the Sunset Tavern.
The Sunset Tavern had a significant reputation within Xinyela.
Because it operated as a very special interdiary.
It is said that the owner of the tavern had so connections with the City Lord of Xinyela, thus the city officials would delegate assignnts to this tavern, which then introduced them to local rcenary groups, sending them to hunt dangerous monsters near the city.
It is also said that the owner of the tavern had his own network in the Underworld, so it also secretly brokered so illegal deals.
In short, this place was favored in both legitimate and illicit circles, having mixed with both sides thoroughly.
Thus, many rcenaries and criminals from the Underworld frequented this place, none of whom were simple characters, yet none dared to cause trouble here.
This evening, just as usual, the Sunset Tavern was crowded with fully ard rcenaries and cloaked dangerous figures, either drinking and chatting here or heading into the rooms inside to engage in so activities.
Thanks to this, the interior of the tavern was bustling and noisy, with a strong aroma of alcohol filling the air, masking the slight sense of dust and blood.
At one mont, soone pushed open the tavern’s door.
Outside, two travel-worn figures entered.
They were both cloaked, clearly just having co from outside the city.
One was tall and the other short, one bulky and the other slender, their silhouettes obviously male and female but their faces hidden by their hooded cloaks, making it impossible to discern their features or origins.
Inside the tavern, many glanced surreptitiously at them, then casually looked away.
In a place like this, there were too many people in such attire; there was nothing about these two that warranted special attention. Only so hot-blooded brutes couldn’t help but let their eyes wander over the smaller girl, eyeing her shapely figure not entirely concealed by the loose cloak, their gazes filled with a crude lasciviousness.
The girl seed sowhat nervous and uncomfortable, walking stiffly.
On the other hand, the young man leading the girl entered in an unhurried manner, the handle and sheath of a long sword barely noticeable beneath his cloak, making many restrained the lascivious curiosity in their eyes.
Before long, the two seated themselves in a corner.
Shortly after, a sowhat scruffy middle-aged man also ca over.
"What’ll it be?"
Apparently, he was a staff mber of the tavern, yet his attitude was anything but polite, more like he was performing a routine duty.
"Dining? Staying overnight? Or taking on a mission?"
Since it was a tavern, naturally, it also managed usual tavern businesses, otherwise there wouldn’t be so many people here drinking and chatting.
However, its main business was still interdiation, completely overt, allowing people to choose as if ordering from a nu.
"Let’s start with dinner."
Unconcerned by the staff’s deanor, the evidently dominant young man also spoke.
"Bring us so water and so food."
Upon hearing this, the staff mber raised his eyebrows.
"Looks like money is no object for you," said the staff mber, half-smiling, "In that case, how about I bring you the most expensive dish we have? We don’t have water here, only alcohol and Snake Blood Wine, which costs a hundred Gold Coins a cup, how about that?"
The staff mber’s words caught the attention of several nearby tables, causing them to look in this direction.
"Snake Blood Wine?" The young man seed curious, asking, "What kind of wine is that?"
"You don’t know Snake Blood Wine? You must be a newcor to Xinyela," the staff mber’s half-smiling face grew more pronounced as he explained, "It’s a strong liquor brewed from the blood of the dangerous Two-tailed Snake Monster found in the perilous deserts. It’s a special magic wine only available in this city. One cup can knock out a vigorous warrior of Swordsman level, and a fragile Magician can hardly take a sip without risking burns to their throat."
"Oh?" The boy seed even more curious, asking, "Is it that strong?"
"This is the favorite drink of strong warriors, but unfortunately, not many of them are willing to buy a cup." The waiter shrugged and said, "But this is a magical drink brewed personally by a magician skilled in constructive magic. If you can withstand it, it can nourish your body and slowly enhance your physical abilities."
"Is that so?" The boy nodded in realization and said, "No wonder it’s so expensive."
"You can’t find this kind of drink anywhere else. Here in Xin Ye Le, it’s a special offering—usually sold only to the City Lord. The rest are either sent to the capital of the Ginas Kingdom as tributes for the palace, or to the army of the Leiblu Kingdom as rewards for the brave and skilled warriors. It’s truly a scarce item in high demand."
The waiter chuckled.
"Just yesterday, our tavern received a new shipnt of Snake Blood Wine. You can still order it now, guest, but in a few days, the owner will take it to entertain important guests."
Hearing this, the boy pondered for a mont before nodding again.
"Then I’ll have a glass," the boy said blandly. "And bring her a glass of fruit wine."
"No problem," the waiter’s eyes flickered with unusual emotions before he continued, "After finishing the al, is there anything else you would like to order, sir?"
"Indeed, there is," the boy tapped his finger on the table and then said, "I have so inquiries. Can you help with them?"
"That depends on what they are," the waiter said unchangingly. "If it’s sothing quite secretive, I’d suggest you go to the room inside. They conduct the business of selling information there."
"If it’s nothing serious and sothing I can answer, I don’t mind enlightening our respected guest."
"Only that..."
The waiter left his sentence hanging, but it made the expression under the boy’s hood turn into a sly smile.
"How about this?"
The boy then tossed a few Gold Coins.
"Of course," the waiter caught them with lightning speed, his smile finally turning sincere as he said, "What would you like to inquire about, sir?"
"I want to know about sothing," the boy stated nonchalantly. "I’ve heard that there was an ancient ruin discovered near Xin Ye Le."
"I want to know about that ruin."
As these words left the boy’s lips, sothing eerie happened.
The smile on the waiter’s face froze.
The people around who were eavesdropping also went silent.
The tavern’s previously noisy atmosphere suddenly cooled down, becoming so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Everyone present turned their gaze toward them, their expressions and eyes growing strangely complex and intense.
"Hmm..."
The usually quiet girl seed startled by this sudden change and couldn’t help but tighten her grip on the weapon she was carrying under her coat.
The boy glanced around calmly and looked toward the waiter.
By then, the smile had disappeared from the waiter’s face, replaced by a very unpleasant expression.
"...I don’t know what you’re talking about."
The waiter said so, his attitude becoming very cold, and he threw the Gold Coins he had just pocketed back to the boy.
"I’m sorry, you’ve got the wrong person, and there’s no need to go into the room either. We won’t sell that kind of information here," the waiter said stiffly.
"If there’s nothing else, I’ll be leaving," he stated, then turned and left, seemingly eager to escape the place.
The guests around still watched the young boy and girl in the corner with peculiar, complex, intense looks, whispering among themselves.
"...Who are those two?"
"How dare they ask about that here?"
"Are they planning to touch that taboo?"
"They really are courting death."
As these murmurs reached their ears, regardless of the girl, the boy’s eyes under the hood sparkled.
It wasn’t long before the boy muttered,
"It seems, this won’t be so easy to resolve."
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