Well-lit tavern here I come. Shamelessly acquired funding from subordinates. However, it is for a great cause! Tonight I drink! I'd do a drinking song right about now but I'm keeping it for later.

The light floods my vision. The extremely warm atmosphere makes me instantly feel at ease. I feel like I am returning home.

I survey the whole interior looking for a good place to sit.

Oh! That is a familiar face! The middle-aged man that brought me drinks before!

I walk toward him. He sits at a really big round table, alone.

[Hey friend it's been a while!]

"Haha indeed. I was wondering if you left town or something."

[I was training! For the past 2 months non-stop at that! How about you? How is life going?]

"Business is good, beer is excellent, and I have managed to become even fatter!"

[d(^_^) Nice !]

"Want to join me?"

We sit and drink. From time to time he tells me about his younger days. He used to be a rank 3 hunter along with that guild master and some guy. Apparently, the wife of the last one makes amazing pies….

Wait?!

They were all a party. The three of them? With Zero's father?

Damn. The world sure is small. Then again, I didn't leave town so figures.

He suddenly takes something out of his pocket.

He proudly declares.

"Let me show you something nice I bought a while back."

While grinning. he shows me a deck of cards.

[…oh? Alright let's play some cards!]

"You know what this is?! The merchant I bought it from assured me it was some exotic product! How dare he dupe me?!"

[I mean, where I'm from everyone has a few of those. But I haven't seen any recently to be honest]

"Alright, do you know how to play?"

[I do know the basic …]

"Alright each card has a value and whoever pulls the highest one wins! Simple enough?"

[That's it? You just want to compare the car number and call it a day? That's not how one plays card!]

"What?" *perplexed*

[*Sigh* Alright. Ever heard of poker?]

He shakes his head.

Guess he's about to be fucking enlightened right now.

I share my knowledge of the game with him.

Right now I feel like Prometheus giving fire to humanity. Developing civilization. One poker rule at a time.

At first, he is lost. Then stupefied. Finally, he becomes ecstatic.

A whole new world of possibilities just opened for him.

Only issue is we have no chips to play with.

He pats my shoulder and tells me that he'll take care of it.

He leaves his seat. Goes toward a hunter-looking guy. A few seconds afterward I see the later run away like his life depends on it. Guess my friend offered premium for the chips. He's probably motivated by the upcoming gain.

We wait for about 2 minutes. Until I can hear a loud rumbling coming our way.

What is this?!

A sea of people emerges out of nowhere. Muscular, tall, scary-looking hunters. All of them. Not. Some are leaner but still, they look deadly.

The tavern becomes so crowded suddenly I really don't know what is happening.

"BOSS EVERY SINGLE MEMBER IS HERE BESIDE THE FEW THAT WERE OUT ON AN EXPEDITION!" X50

They are all looking at my retired hunter friend.

"Listen up you pieces of shit! From now on this young man is a VIP of ours. Any that mistreat him will have his head shoved up his own ass! And it won't be attached to the neck either! Is it fucking understood!"

"YES BOSS!" X50

The shout of all these martial artists is enough to make the very walls of the building vibrate.

What's with the change in personality? The easy-going middle-aged dude just turned into a commander? And started cursing like there is no tomorrow. I gotta note that one about the head for future use.

"Alright young friend. Explain the rules of Poker to them. Anyone that doesn't listen will get a beating from me."

They look intently at me. Fixing me with stars in their eyes. Are they that excited about learning to play cards? That's as impressive as sad. How bored are they?

And thus begins the quite short lecture on how to play.

Kinda funny to see warriors armed to the teeth being that focused on playing cards.

It's just a game, you guys. No need to act as if a mistake will cause your doom haha.

We are having lots of fun.

"Uncle! I heard something happened!"

Comes running …the young master? The one that is a tax collector?

"Nephew hurry up and come here. You are late."

"Yes uncle what is ….YOU! IT'S MOTHERFUCKING YOU! YOU LITTLE SHIT HOW DARE YOU TRICK ME?! WERE YOU TRYING TO SET ME UP LAST TIME?!"

Wait what? Why is he yelling at me?

I never did anything to him right?

He approaches angrily. Swish gets his sword out and ….

*BAM* Headfirst into the ground! FATALITY! Or not.

But damn this probably hurts a lot. The young master is getting beaten by his uncle.

The wooden floor now has a big ass hole in it.

*BAM BAM BAM*

After a while the bashing finally stops.

That is a lot of blood around his mouth. Is it me or is he swallowing wood splinters?!

[I remember you! You are the guy that collected the city tax for a protection fee right? How surprising that you guys are related.]

"Oh. My Nephew dared to say he was representing the city eh."

*BAM BAM BAM*

A delicious wooden splinters meal. Or not. Looks painful.

Maybe I should de-escalate the situation.

[No you misunderstand, he didn't really say anything of the likes he just took my money.]

"Oh? So you didn't even explain properly?! How useless can you be?!"

I open my mouth again to provide some opportune help.

"P-pwease bwoter just shut up leawe me be! "

"What did you say, you unfilial nephew!"

And starts another round of beatings.

Oh well, it seems. I can't do anything about it. This family is weird.

I give him the most encouraging smile I can and then :

[Stay strong young man it will over before you know it]

Is it me or can I see hate in his eyes? No, I am probably just imagining it.