Chapter 1366 - Travelling Tavern (Part 2)
"Marchioness Distar knows that you're a cheapskate and she found a way to let you save money on mana crystals." Kamila chuckled.
"Yeah, I really appreciate that." "She has done a lot for me over the years both in front and behind the scenes. I owe Mirim a lot, maybe even more than I owed Trequill." Lith said, sighing at the painful memory of his dead friend.
"Then be a good boy and prepare a great gift for her. Like a full optional DoLorean built according to Grandma's suggestions." Kamila chuckled while walking arm in arm.
It still felt weird calling such a powerful being with a familiar nickname. The idea that Salaark might pop up unannounced for Lith's birthday only made things more amazing.
"Thanks for the suggestion, but I had already thought of that." Lith said while looking her in the eyes. "More importantly, I'm struggling to find a special gift for a very special person. Constables get a lot of magical trinkets and I hate gifting clothes.
"Are you sure you don't want a DoLorean as well?"
"Thanks, but no thanks. It's too big of a gift and I didn't do anything to deserve it." Kamila replied while looking away.
She appreciated the thought but she hated it when Lith failed to realize that he was offering her a betrothal gift. Especially since there was no intention of proposing to her behind it.
"We'll have to agree to disagree." Lith shrugged.
He had never forgotten the kindness and selflessness that she had showered him with the night of Lark's death. It was only thanks to her that grief had left no permanent scar and Lith was eager to find a way to return the favor.
Yet without Solus, he was oblivious to the implications of his own words. She would never follow them during their dates, hating the role of the third wheel.
Solus had remained in the tower with her friends to make the best she could of her own life.
"Where are you taking me tonight?" Lith asked after the silence lasted long enough to be awkward.
"It's a new establishment that one of my colleagues found by chance. He told me that they have a great selection of beers, all kinds of spicy foods, and reasonable prices so it should be your dream place." She giggled.
"He?" Lith stopped abruptly while holding her hand tight. "Should I be jealous?"
"Always. Never take me for granted." She looked him into the eyes before giving him a quick, soft kiss that was barely a peck.
"I never do." Lith returned it in a longer and more passionate fashion that garnered them a number of reproachful looks.
Public displays of affection were considered rude in the Desert as well.
"Stop it, silly. You'll get us arrested." She pushed him away with a giggle
"It would just give us a room for the night that I don't have to pay for. Are you threatening me with a good time?" He said with a chuckle.
"Pervert!" She laughed and dragged him away. "Thank the gods we've arrived. It will save me from further embarrassment."
From the outside, the establishment didn't look like much. A rectangular one-storey building made of stone with several squared windows and a door that sealed all the noise inside except for the brief moment when it was opened.
The most peculiar thing about it was a huge neon-like insignia that said: Haug's Travelling Tavern.
Once they stepped inside, Lith's expectations turned upside down. The floor and the walls were comprised of small hard wooden boards, giving the place a warm and cozy ambiance.
Most of the tables were taken and the place was full of people, but everything had been spaced so that it didn't feel crowded, leaving to each group of customers their privacy.
Equally comfortable padded chairs and barstools allowed people to choose between sitting in groups at a table or at the bar counter at the top right corner with the bartender as their only company.
In the top left corner, instead, there was a bandstand from which musicians were playing, reminding the couple of their second date. The song was good, but it made Lith cringe because it was about him.
It told about the exploits of Archmage Verhen that made him a source of both hope and fear for all the people of the Kingdom.
"Welcome to Haug's Travelling Tavern." The bartender said before Kamila managed to introduce herself and ask for their reservation.
"Miss Yehval, your reputation doesn't do your charms justice. It's always an honor to have such a lovely lady in my humble abode. Your presence makes him Lith Verhen. Feel free to sit down while my staff sets up your table.
"The first round of drinks is on the house to apologize for the wait. I always like to give first-time patrons a good reason to come back. Over the years, I discovered that hospitality is the best policy."
The two barstools right in front of him moved back on their own at a wave of the bartender's hand, making Lith give a second look at everything. The front of the tavern was as big as the whole building seen from outside, yet half of it was supposed to be taken by the kitchen.
The place was spotless, too much for a crowded restaurant during a busy night. Lith's enhanced sense of smell further boosted by his beast half picked up several odd scents the moment he managed to filter the smell of food and spices.
Much to Solus's dismay, he had even taken the time to train his nose.
'F.u.c.k me sideways. Undead, beasts, and even plants. This place is the full package. Yet no one bothered hiding their smell, this doesn't make sense.' Lith thought while staring at the bartender.
He was a man in his mid-thirties, about 1.8 meters (5'11") tall with brown hair, eyes, and a well-groomed beard. The orange and yellow streaks in his hair were hard to notice in the soft lights of the bar.
He had broad shoulders but due to the loose white shirt that along with the black pants, waistcoat, and bowtie that comprised his uniform it was hard to tell if he was thin or muscular.
"How do you know our names?" Lith said while making his eyes blaze with mana to hide the effects of Life Vision.
"You really are as paranoid as the rumors say. If I were your enemy, I wouldn't have gone to such lengths to bring you here just to reveal myself like that. On top of that, I thought that the song would set the mood right." The bartender replied.
"Only two things are infinite in this life, arrogance and stupidity. I don't even know your name, let alone if you're half as smart as you think you are." Lith said while slowly stepping back to the door, making sure that Kamila stayed behind him.
"Gods, what a party pooper. Fine, my name is Parmegianno Haug, elder of the human Awakened Council and owner of this fine establishment. Are you happy now or do you want to see my family tree as well?"
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