《Shadowlove (Lite)》Chapter 18: The Adventurer's Tavern
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As Yasu was trying to read the book she bought, her stomach would growl. Embarrassed, she buried her head in the book and lightly peeks up to see if anyone heard. No one was around with the exception of the White Reaper at that moment. "Guess I got too excited and drained all the food out of my system. Oh, this would be a good chance for me to try out food that everyone else gets to eat. Know a good place?" She would say as she waits for her selected tour guide to think over where they could possibly eat.
The place that the White Reaper would take her was a tavern with an inn on the second and third floor to house many people. It was near the front of the main gate, so many people would walk by or enter it. Yasuline and he would step inside at the busiest moment possible. Upon entry, Yasuline would gasp to see the many people sitting down and conversing with one another. She instantly knew who they all were. Adventurers. Just like the residents she walks past this whole day so far, the adventurers come in all kinds of variety. Some were huge and bulky with muscles that made it look difficult to move about. Others were slim but wrapped their bodies in fabrics. Most, if not, all of them still had their gear on, which excited Yasuline so great to see. She could see most of them have already been used greatly, thanks ot the dents and markings on them. Only a few didn't have such things, and those would be shining with the candlelights all around them, making it difficult to keep her eyes on them. The overall atmosphere in the room was addicting as they were all merry with one another. She and the White Reaper would take a seat down, a waitress would stop by them, leaving thick glasses of water and ice for them.
"I been working in this place for 12 years about now, and this is the first time I have ever seen the two of you before." She would say. The waitress looked a bit older than Yasuline, her skin didn't as well keep as hers or her mother, but she still radiated beauty and charm. Her ears would perk and twitch when they felt something buzzing near her. Her thick bushy tail would droop behind her legs.
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"Ah, yes. This would be my first time out. So I wouldn't really know much about how things work around here. Oh, but my friend here certainly has the money to pay for us." She would say nervously as she tries to figure out what exactly they should be doing.
"Ah, say no more. Well, tell me what you are in the mood to eat, and I'll see what on the menu would be good for you."
"Oh, thank you. Well, I haven't had any meat in a long while. What about you?" She would look over at the White Reaper, who was making sure his hood was on and covering his face. He would reply with a nod.
"Something meaty for the lovely couple huh. I have just the thing. It'll be ready in a few minutes." She would say with her popular smile and begins to walk away from them, tending to a demanding table.
Yasuline would sigh in relief that things went smoothly and began to look around them. The place had candles to light the entire room. It gives it a warm atmosphere. The walls were made of planks of dark wood and the pictures hanging on the walls had multiple people in a group photo. Many of them had armor and weapons on them, so it made Yasuline wonder if they were all adventurers too. Thinking of them, she recalls about her books and begins to skim through them. The lettering was a bit difficult for her to read, but thankfully for her, the book also had sketches and drawings of various things that it would be trying to talk about. One such thing was about the Lumines Labyrinth.
"Let's see. The Lumines Labyrinth is an underground location under the entire land of Lumines itself. The Labyrinth consists of many pathways that hover over a dark abyss that no one really knows how far deep it goes. The ancient Dragos used their magic to keep the surface of the land completely incapable of collapsing into the labyrinth and down as a favor for the deeds done by the 1st Lumines Ruler. The entrance to this mysterious and foreboding zone is scattered all throughout the land and maps have never been 100% on the exact locations of each one. Only leading from one entrance to a certain point of interest."
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Playfully, Yasuline kicks her feet around under the table. "Oh. This book must have information on all kinds of wonders of the world. And here I thought it was just going to be telling stories like the ones my father has in the library." The White Reaper would quietly sip his drink. As Yasuline tried to look for more things to read aloud, a commotion came up behind her and nearly bumped into her.
"Oh. Sorry about that miss." The person would say.
"Oh, it's not a problem." She turns to see that he along with a few other people were standing from their tables, gazing upon someone who had just entered the tavern. He looked like another magic user, like the ones already in the tavern. But what likely separated him from the others was a single scroll in his hands that he held up in the air.
That was also the time when the waitress would come back to Yasuline's table.
"Here you are, miss. Two Hearty Meals. Fit for adventurers and then some. If you can't finish 'em, we can always place them in containers t back home for the kids."
"Ah, easy there. We're not together like that!" Yasuline says flustered. She felt embarrassed by such a comment but was quickly distracted by the food placed before her. She rarely got to anything meat as the chefs typically pick what should be made. Unless they, the royal family, personally requested something. Yasuline barely does as she was mostly content with what she got. But on the rare occasions of when she got to eat meat, she adores it. As she would fantasize eating among other adventurers. And living that fantasy at that moment made the food taste as good as she anticipated it to be.
"So good." She would say with her mouth barely containing the grilled meat.
The waitress would chuckle as she hears such compliments on the food.
"Why thank you. I tend to think my daddy's cooking taste so good too. Now you two enjoy your date."
After gulping the first bite, she began to eat her meat into smaller pieces.
"I hope she doesn't do that all the time. Same for everyone else."
"Now speak up! Where did you get that map?" One of the adventurers in the room yelled, prompting Yasuline to draw away from her meal to look at what was going on.
Apparently the magic adventurer had made a bold claim that the scroll he had found was a map to a treasure hoard. Going even further to claim that it would lead to the Adventure King's treasure hoard he had hidden long ago.
"I just got it from some merchant down at Market Street!" The frightful mage answered.
The many adventurers began to murmur among themselves with this news.
"Ain't she the one who claimed she found an entrance to the labyrinth over a month ago?"
"Yeahhh. And she has been selling all kinds of stuff I never have seen before in my life."
"You think it was from the hoard?"
"If it was, she would have booked it and been a new noble family."
The conversations just kept on going, while Yasuline and the White Reaper kept on eating.
"So where does that map tell where the treasure is at."
"If you join my party, I'll tell you." He would try to say smugly but seemed to have easily backed off at the slightest resistance.
"I-it's within the labyrinth!" He would squeal. Such a reveal seemed to have caused an uproar when they all got up from their seat. Getting into the moment, Yasuline would also stand with them. Taking her plate up with her in her hands. Still digging through the meat and filling her mouth with some more meat mixed with some of the veggies.
"Sounds like we huntin' boys. The hunt to find the Adventure King's hoard of treasure is back on track!"
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