NOVEL NEXT Chapter 28: Bar Fight
Digger's Pub was a popular spot in the slums of Carinthia. The city was one of the largest in the entire kingdom, so naturally the slums and lower-class made up most of the citizens living there.
Luca used to live on the very outskirts of the slums and knew the place well, but he chose to avoid it most of the time. The biggest reason for that was Vito and Jonny.
If they caught him there, they would wring him dry, and no one would step in. It was always safer to stay away and stop testing his luck.
Now, though, things were different. He had no reason to mess around. He probably had more power than they could ever hope for.
A thought crossed his mind.
'I'm still only as strong as a normal human being. I think the Count had some potion recipe to increase physical strength permanently.'
After all, he would not be able to use his spells in ordinary situations.
He pushed the thought to the back of his mind, storing it with a growing list of other plans and preparations. When the ball started rolling, everything would fall into place naturally.
Digger's Pub was a wide, single-story building. Though it was not tall, its inside was much broader than it appeared from the outside. Luca pushed the worn wooden doors open, the hinges creaking with a long, grating sound that drew every eye in the room.
The people inside looked just like the tavern itself. Rough and worn from years of hardship.
Most of them turned back to their drinks and conversations soon enough, but some eyed him with greedy looks as he walked toward the bar.
Luca no longer looked like a poor street rat. His long coat and new clothes gave him an entirely different appearance. He looked like someone else entirely.
He frowned, noticing the inconvenience. Still, it was the price of upgrading his presentation.
That did not mean he would let them think they could stare at him without consequence. He reached into his pocket, pulled out his dagger, and set it on the mottled counter of the tavern beside a few bronze coins.
"You got any rum, Diggz?" he asked.
The man behind the counter was dark-skinned and bald, the pub's owner. He wore a blood-stained white apron and plain clothes beneath it. He looked rough in every sense of the word, but when he spoke it was with a surprisingly soft voice.
"Eh, I didn't recognize you, Lu-Lu. What's with your getup?"
Luca grinned as the other man scratched at his beard.
"You know. Been working here and there. Decided to treat myself to some new clothes."
Digger grabbed two glasses, poured the rum, and set both down in front of him.
"You get 'em from Mina? Bold choice to come over here looking like that. These boys'll tear 'em off your skin."
Luca laughed, taking a sip of the strong rum.
"Well, I'd like to see 'em try."
Almost as soon as the words left his mouth, two familiar figures walked toward him. Luca raised his eyebrows. He had been thinking about them just moments ago.
"Vito. Jonny."
Vito grinned, his yellow teeth crooked and rotten.
"You're looking all fancy there, Lu-Lu. I'm guessing you've got some better stuff for us this time."
Without waiting for a reply, Vito dropped onto the stool beside him and downed the second glass that Luca had set out of courtesy for Erina.
Jonny, as always, said nothing. Luca wondered if he could speak at all.
But Luca was not the same man he had been before. He would not let Vito sit beside him and rummage through his pockets. He would not let him walk away with money and leave behind nothing but disrespect.
Looking back, it almost seemed laughable that his goals had been so small just a week ago. Now the hunger inside him was vast, threatening to swallow the world and even himself whole. And with that hunger came pride. Pride that no one was allowed to trample.
Least of all the fat pig, Vito.
"I'm afraid I have nothing for you, Vito," he said calmly, sipping his drink.
Vito froze. He had not expected that answer. He and Luca had been playing this game for so long that the sudden shift stunned him. Anger flooded his face.
"Eh? What did you say? I couldn't hear you clearly!" His voice rose, drawing silence across the pub.
Luca took another sip without replying.
"I said…"
He turned to face the large man, his blue eyes burning with cold energy.
"You will get nothing from me."
"You little—"
Luca wasted no time. He snatched up his dagger before Vito could move, lunging forward and cutting a sharp line across the man's ankles. He was not strong, but his speed and precision made him dangerous.
The cut was only the beginning. Chairs toppled as chaos erupted across the tavern.
Luca ignored everything but his target. He rolled across the floor after drawing first blood, rising to his feet as Vito screamed and stomped furiously, trying to crush him underfoot.
The mute giant, Jonny, joined in, reaching down to grab him. Luca dodged and slid backward, springing back up.
'I need to-'
"Enough!"
A calm voice rang out, carrying above the chaos and cutting it short.
The room fell silent. Even Vito and Jonny stopped, still glaring at Luca but unmoving.
Everyone's eyes turned toward Digger, who stood with the same neutral expression as always. But someone else was beside him, a girl who looked almost comically small next to his frame.
No one else recognized her, but Luca narrowed his eyes. It was Erina, dressed as a commoner, her hair hidden beneath a wide-brimmed hat.
"Remember, I have only one rule," Digger said, his voice level.
Everyone returned to their seats. His one rule was simple: no fighting in his pub. Anyone who broke it would be on his bad side permanently.
Digger pointed at Luca.
"You come with me," he said, winking quickly enough that only Luca saw. Then he disappeared behind the dark door behind the counter.
The patrons assumed Luca was being punished. But when he saw Erina follow right after, he knew better. Whatever Digger had behind that door, it was tied to what she wanted.
***
Thank you, Red_Monarch for the kind review, comments, and the power stone! The mass release will be fun... but i'd still like to reach 20 power stones ;)