Chapter 56. The Meeting Place (2)
Chapter 56. The Meeting Place (2)
"Hey, bard! Give us something good!"
"Then I'll dance right alongside you!"
"Hahaha! Drink up, drink!!"
The tavern was in an uproar. The person I was watching, however, simply stared down at the table, gazing blankly at the mug in her hand.
I had no idea what she was doing, but since she was so absorbed in it, she'd be easy enough to monitor. I brought my own glass to my lips, taking the time to study the woman once more.
Her attire was exceedingly simple.
A hairband held her neat green hair in place, the ends reaching just past her shoulders.
A black cloak hid most of her clothing, but unlike the adventurers clad in armor, I could faintly make out comparatively light fabric garments underneath.
A shortbow was strapped to the backpack leaning against the table leg—a sniper, perhaps? Other than that, the one distinct thing about her was a certain charm utterly at odds with the typical rough-and-tumble adventurer.
Or rather, a taciturn, cold atmosphere that stood in stark contrast to the noisy chaos around her.
"......."
No, it wasn't just that she was quiet.
Normally, if someone came to a tavern, they'd at least pretend to nurse their drink or pick at the food. This woman, though, just stared silently down at the beer mug in her hand.
She kept at it no matter how much time passed. Even when it seemed like the surrounding ruckus might break her focus, her gaze remained fixed on the foam inside the mug...
"Hey there, miss. You here on your own?"
Just then, two men approached with clear interest in the woman.
Only then did her eyes leave the mug and drift toward the two men who'd come up to her.
Reasonably well-groomed men in a tavern overflowing with rough adventurers. The look on their faces was unmistakably what you'd call friendly.
"If you're not busy, how about hanging out with us a bit?"
Yeah, about as blatantly friendly as it gets.
Having lived my own life through acting, I instantly understood that these two were approaching her with an agenda.
Ah, right. A place like this makes it easy to hit on someone.
The Meeting Place was generally a spot for adventurers without comrades, and more than anything, with alcohol involved, steering things toward 'that kind of mood' would be simple enough.
But the woman, perhaps not catching their intent, just blinked up at them, saying nothing.
"She's not much of a talker."
"Could be. Some people just enjoy stewing in solitude."
"Nah, if that were the case, she wouldn't come to a place like this. Bet it's just 'cause you're ugly."
"What's wrong with my face, you bastard? Not like you're any different."
The two men snickered, pointing out each other's looks.
The way they bickered made it clear they were plenty close.
Though, to be precise, it was probably meant to make the person they were addressing 'see it that way.'
People unconsciously assume that if someone is on friendly terms with another person, even a stranger, that goodwill might extend to them too.
"Well, anyway, we were just looking for someone to have a drink with. Mind if we share your table?"
Using that conversational approach, the two attempted to close the distance with the woman I was observing.
Watching them, the woman still said nothing, just staring at them blankly.
That she was so utterly silent even when approached by strange men—something that should have triggered some wariness.
I almost wondered if she was mute, but after a slight delay, the woman finally gave a nod of assent.
"Ohhh, so sharing the table's fine? Then pardon the intrusion~"
"Meeting like this, let's share a drink and have a cozy little chat. If things work out, we might even end up as comrades..."
With those two men opening up, the woman began to melt into the surrounding din. The men still led the conversation, but at the very least, the woman didn't turn them away.
Just like when I first observed her, her target of attention simply shifted from the beer mug to them.
Her demeanor was so utterly unchanging that I almost wondered if she was observing them instead.
If that wasn't it... damn. I couldn't tell.
I'd never seen a woman so taciturn in my entire life.
Whether they like something or hate it, people typically show some change when spoken to—a shift in gaze, a flinch—but trying to crack this woman might just require preparing for a genuine expedition.
So, should I consider switching my target right now?
No, the women in this tavern were adventurers with naturally forward dispositions. Most had already found a partner or were actively hunting for one.
The only person in this entire establishment I could use to achieve my objective without messy repercussions was, in fact, that woman. For now, it was best to keep watching and wait for an opening.
"Hey there, blond fellow with the dark skin!"
My plans to continue the surveillance were short-lived.
From a distance came a voice summing up my appearance, and simultaneously, an enormous shadow began to fall over me.
An ambush?
"Why're you sipping alone over here!? You came where the people are, you ought to drink with them!"
Ah, no. Just an arm around my shoulder.
The weight of that arm was considerable enough to make me stagger a bit, but at least there seemed to be no hostile intent.
Lightly dressed as he was, the elbow guards and greaves marked him as a vanguard warrior. Behind him, I caught sight of a number of others who seemed to be his party members.
"Yeah, one drink with us can't hurt, right?"
"Perfect timing. This guy here was just about to start telling a funny story—come on over and listen with us."
"First time here? Then the drinks are on us, so drink your fill~! Oh, but only the cheapest barley beer, mind you? We're not exactly raking it in ourselves, so don't get your hopes up!"
...Well, I'll be damned.
Going so far as to call out to someone just because they're alone. Adventurers really are nosy bastards.
"Sure, I'll have just one, then."
Fine, whatever. Standing around on my own in a place like this was a perfect way to attract suspicion, so for the moment, I might as well play along.
"Just one!? Barkeep! Bring the biggest mug you've got!"
"Alright, initiation! Initiation! Let's see you chug it down!"
And just like that, I'd stumbled into an unexpected drinking session.
But I didn't think it was necessarily a problem.
Unlike humans, demonic races don't get drunk easily by nature, and I, who inherited my witch mother's blood, had a fairly strong tolerance even if I wasn't totally immune.
"Whoa! This guy can really hold his liquor!?"
"Alright! Let's settle this like proper drinkers! I'll challenge you first!"
"Hey pal, I called dibs first!"
"Ah, screw it! Everyone just drink!!"
Had my drinking prowess heated things up?
The boisterous atmosphere intensified in an instant, and the commotion began drawing the entire tavern's attention toward me.
Was that good, or bad...?
No, this was perfect. Under normal circumstances, lying low was preferable, but now that I had my abilities, concentrating everyone's attention in one place would make covering my tracks that much easier.
"Here, here, have some more!"
"Ahaha, you're not planning to stick me with the bill later, are you?"
"If you don't want that, best make sure you don't pass out! Otherwise, you might just get stuck covering the drinks for every last one of these bastards!"
...That's a damn brutal thing to say just to scare someone.
Of course, it also meant the mood was that overheated. Yet even amidst all that, a small handful of groups weren't looking my way.
People gambling over board games, or those who'd already formed parties and were discussing their future plans.
And then there were the sex-crazed bastards wholly absorbed in making their move.
"Hey, you alright?"
"......Hic."
When a brief lull hit after that heavy drinking, I took the opportunity to slip away from prying eyes and check on the target I'd been watching.
The green-haired woman in the headband and black cloak. The two men were still sitting with her, but her earlier stoic, unchanging demeanor had now grown considerably disheveled.
So she got swept up in the mood and drank after all.
Judging by how she was tipsy from cheap, low-proof barley beer, she didn't seem to handle her liquor well at all.
"Guess we accidentally got her drunk just offering drinks and chatting."
"Didn't think she'd be this much of a lightweight. Could this be her first time drinking?"
Muttering faintly audible amid the noise. From what I could gather, the woman at least hadn't rejected them.
She didn't turn away anyone who came to her, and when offered a drink, she went along with it enough to actually drink...
Yeah, I was starting to get it.
She simply didn't take the lead herself—the type to go along with the situation and match the other person's mood.
Standing there blankly because she didn't know what to do in an unfamiliar environment, then following the lead of those who seemed to know the ropes...
Introverted types who don't know how the world works always end up with that exact disposition. To put it bluntly, she was the perfect kind of person to mark as an easy target.
"Oh, by the way, this is late to ask, but what's your name?"
And I certainly wasn't the only one who'd noticed.
When the two men who'd been eyeing her the whole time smugly asked, the woman faced them through hazy eyes and answered with visible effort.
"......Heira."
"Ooh, cute name."
"How old are you?"
"...102."
"Pfft, 102? Don't be ridiculous. Even if I'm generous, you barely look twenty."
"Seems like she's seriously plastered."
The two men giggled and exchanged glances at her words.
"...Should be fine to start soon, yeah?"
"Yeah, everyone around us is deep into the drinking now, so..."
Ah. So now that she's drunk, they figure it's time to get started?
Well, fine. It was sooner than I'd anticipated, but no one here was hostile to me, and my presence had blended into this environment. It was about time I made my own move, too.
"Dave, what're you spacing out for! Drink up like before!"
"Sorry, I've got something to take care of, so I'll have to excuse myself."
"Got something to take care of? Don't tell me you've already hit your limit?"
"As if.
The appetizer was over. It was time for the main course."
-Snap!
The cheers and jeers echoing around me...
Ignoring it all, I snapped my fingers and spread my power. At that signal, the chaos of the tavern began to die down in an instant.