NOVEL NEXT Chapter 057: God Hunters Saloon
I was finally at the place, I assume at least, but I have got to admit that the terrifying female knight at the front door is maybe not the best when it comes to attracting business?
Even I didn't want to enter!
Both their hands were wrapped around the handle of a lance that they had firmly planted on the carpet adorned pavement. Landing right between their equally armoured feet as they stood there without so much as curiously turning their head a little. At their waist were even two more weapons, what looked like sheaths fit for a rather long sword as well as a knife, though strangely the sword had a flat tip.
For a while I just twiddled my hands with a totally not nervous look on my face as I considered what I should do to get in. Looking around to see if there was maybe another entrance - specifically one which didn’t have such a scary looking bouncer. Sadly that appeared to, evidently, be a pointless endeavour.hide behind honest feedback. Instead hiding behind some fancy language that tells me a lot of nothing.
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<< Woman Up >>
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“Yeah I will… Just give me a minute.” I mumbled silently to my ever helpful personal system; always willing to tell me the most obvious things like I didn’t already know them. All the while refusing to go in depth on far more enticing or important topics.
No doubt teasing it with all the smugness a monotone robot voice can manage.
What I hated most was how right they were - looking at the eerily still figure made me subconsciously wonder if maybe they were just a statue. Staring a little more at the knightess who indeed didn’t move a single inch. Something that was slowly starting to convince me that I was an idiot since there was no way they wouldn’t twitch even a little bit if they were alive.
Finally reassured that it was merely a prop, taking a deep breath, I finally moved toward the door in order to pass by the clearly ornamental armour-
“State your business.” An authoritative female voice was twisted by a metallic helm to become something far more fearsome than anyone could prepare themselves for. More terrifying still was that the colossal metal lance (that was previously pointed between their feet) was now being held in one hand as it barred me from entering the place. In fact it was a little uncomfortable as it pressed against my chest yet I also wasn’t exactly willing to move an inch in case they took that as a sign of aggression.
Part of me thought about sneakily whipping out my six-shooter yet I am at least self aware enough to realise that I may not have the firepower needed to puncture through that armour. This was not the world of earth but a place with metals that I had never heard before. Certainly the faintly metal one was something I couldn’t place which would have made me excited to study any other time.
Nervously gulping I decide it’s best just to be honest while making no sudden movements. At first I thought about taking out the note so that I could prove my words… But then I realised that the note wasn’t from that woman but the captain so all I could do was hope for the best. “I was invited to meet someone here.”
The knightess’ eyes couldn’t be seen through the helm yet I suddenly felt as if her eyes had finally turned to me which resulted in a pressure that I could only compare to my teacher & their friend. A friend that I have never seen nor will ever interact with. It felt like the knightess could see through every inch of my body as the non-existent blood in my body boiled under their studious gaze.
“You may enter, my honoured lady.” Shockingly the knightess was actually rather respectful toward me, a realisation that brought embarrassment, making me think that I maybe should have just spoken up. They didn’t just step aside but turned their lance into their body as they moved in such a smooth fashion that it seemed natural that the door was in their hand & pulled open for me to enter.
I was somewhat bewildered, nevertheless I was more than used to controlling myself. Stepping inside the building to find a constant hum of elegant music filling the room - although it still had that basey quality that was expected in a place where you drink alcohol away from prying eyes. And away from prying eyes was most certainly what this place was.
This was in no way a dingy seedy bar but a proper high-class establishment with even the iconic stench of alcohol not being present. There also weren’t the sticky floors from constant spillages. Instead it was a dim yet respectful operation that had one main open bar with many semi-closed compartments for more discrete customers to rest or discuss among each other.
Though the source of the music wasn’t discrete; literally just being an ancient looking radio sat upon the counter.
Having a sleek black marble look that was finished with sleek azure accents that gave it a wealthy but not gaudy feel.
There were a few tables littered about however it was obvious that most of the business was occurring outside of the public place. Of course there were still quite a few people wandering about the place with all of them wearing what can be considered upper-class apparel. Though I could also tell that some of them were more here for the buying & selling of information based on how their eyes followed me.
Similarly to what I imagine is in the adventurers guild; there is actually a mission board placed on the right wall even if it could be summarised as an organised cork board with paper hanging off it. I didn’t want to focus on that too much, for now, though. As I didn’t want to keep my host waiting for me any longer.
I didn’t even need to ask around nor look very hard to find the woman who invited me - mostly because she was at the open bar with an empty glass in one hand & a cleaning cloth in the other. She was cleaning the glass but it was hard to see her as a mere bartender despite that fact. Between her teeth she even had a tooth pick which she skillfully flicked about along her ever so alluringly full lips.
Her singular eye was instantly locked onto me as soon as I walked in. It was with such accuracy that it almost felt like she actually may have been following me through the wall itself. Howbeit; I wasn’t truly crazy enough to truthfully believe something like that.
Regardless, I decided it wasn’t in my nature to leave a beautiful woman waiting so I promptly approached the bar without minding any of those around. My outfit wasn’t too far away from what could exist in a time period like this yet I could tell from lingering stares that the amount of skin was… At least something that made it hard to not stare (apparently).
Sitting in front of the woman who didn’t immediately speak - leaving a surprisingly comfortable silence as suddenly nobody was talking about my ass. Something I hadn’t even managed to achieve in my real world let alone this world of fantasy & no clear identity for myself. “What even is the age of consumption in the world or country you herald from?”
My brow rose at her acknowledging me to be a player yet I didn’t even get a chance to answer.
“Well I suppose it doesn’t matter for someone like you.” She said in that same monotone voice that I should have been expecting. Her voice followed along with the same exact fashion that she had spoke when she first came over to invite me.
Wasting no time as she quickly fixed up a simple drink of rum & some lemonade; strangely it was a green can that I instantly recognised. Although I couldn’t help furrow my brow as I wondered if she had chosen it based on the name and the relation it has to my own race. “Is the age of legal drinking in public not 21 like in America?”
“I’m above the laws of mere mortals.” She snorted as she placed the drink in front of me before leaning back against the small wooden walls that separated one shelf from another. Showing absolutely no worry that she may accidentally knock one of the countless expensive bottles off as she crossed her arms under that wonderfully bountiful chest that made me gulp.
“I believe it is time to talk.”
“Huh?”
“I acknowledge you know little about this job so let me ask you an important question… Have you seen anything particularly unnatural on your way here?” Tilting her head which caused her vivid blue hair to fall aside slightly; previously it covered her eyepatch but now it reminded me that she indeed was lacking an eye just like me.
Either way, her question made me think for a second.
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<3rd PoV>
Roaming through the backstreets of the port city; all around there were people with vibrant purple energy dying their eyes as they looked around for anyone who was unlike them. It didn’t matter if they were previously a neighbour, a brother or a parent… They would mercilessly drag them out their hiding place and the hidden hunter had no care about what happened to them after that.
Strangely it seemed that children were completely left unharmed, however there was also the obvious question of what would happen to those children after those controlled people finish their task.
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The sound of bells rang as the only thing she managed to see, before being consumed by darkness, was piercing violet eyes.
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Dodging water was surprisingly difficult (on account of it being both transparent & affecting the light that travelled through it through the various “fraction” family of phenomenon). Still the girl tried her best to snake-like streams of water that constantly curled around her. Leaving very little room to work.
In the distance the little goddess just laughed while clapping her hands - it was almost cute if not for her essentially bullying the taller girl. The latter was slowly managing to dodge more as time went on yet it was hard to say that she was dodging everything that came at her. She was most definitely dripping wet.
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The howling of the world was joined with the bloody figure of a malevolent beast holding the severed head of a once powerful man. Like all things in the universe; his life had to come to an end and it was this monster that delivered it to him. In all regards, the end did not care for the consequences, it simply did as it was supposed to.
It ended things.
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<Armor-Cordis PoV>
“Nope.”
“... I suppose that’s the smart answer.” The blue haired woman said as she watched me take a sip from the drink she offered; I didn’t really drink alcohol but I felt like I understood a lot about its use now.