Cleaver Of Sin

Chapter 523: On The House

Seeing the running mother, Asher shook his head in faint amusement as a small, almost imperceptible smile appeared on his face, the corners of his lips lifting slightly at the absurdity of the situation, and with that he continued his journey without another thought, because lingering over such trivial encounters held no value to him.

Asher wasn’t looking for just any pub, he was looking for one that was a bit crowded, lively enough to encourage loose tongues and careless chatter, not one that was empty or silent like a graveyard. Anyone he walked past, he would simply scan it with his Omni Perception, brushing over each building like a passing breeze, and if it didn’t meet his requirements, he would walk past it without hesitation or a second glance.

Soon, Asher came across one he felt met his condition, the noise spilling faintly into the street even before he reached the entrance, and without wasting a second, he walked towards it with steady steps.

As he got closer, he bent the light photons around himself as he made his cape, breastplate, vambrace, and greaves vanish from sight, their refined craftsmanship dissolving into invisibility as though they had never existed, then his clothes which screamed wealth and nobility changed into something just any commoner could wear, rough fabric and simple stitching replacing expensive tailoring, Virelass and his daggers still remaining on his waist as Asher didn’t hide those with his light illusion skill, because it was normal for everyone and anyone to carry a weapon here, and hiding them might ironically make him look more suspicious.

With his disguise done, Asher stepped in, the wooden door creaking open as he pushed it gently, the hinges groaning as though protesting the constant use, and the moment he entered, an overwhelming torrent of smell assaulted his nostrils. The smell of ale and alcohol was so thick in the air that to Asher it became a stench, heavy and suffocating, clinging to his senses like grime.

But that wasn’t all, as beneath the alcohol was the unmistakable odor of sweat, unwashed clothes, and stale air, and Asher couldn’t help but ask himself if everyone within this place had body odor or something, because the mixture was almost powerful enough to make even someone with his composure recoil.

Chatter filled the air as people were already laughing loudly and carelessly, their voices overlapping in a chaotic symphony, people clanging their wooden mugs together with drinks sloshing inside them, some already half-empty, others spilling onto the floor, and they all seemed to be drinking and having the time of their lives without the slightest concern for dignity or restraint.

A female bartender ran through the crowd serving mug after mug of ale with surprising agility. As the female bartender weaved through the crowd, some men would spank her ass with wide, shameless grins, and she would simply turn and wink at them with a playful smile as though she was already used to it and could sell more drinks that way, turning crude behavior into casual business with practiced ease.

The setting was exactly as Asher had imagined, numerous wooden chairs and tables scattered without order, loud noises crashing against each other, drinks everywhere, and men who were already drunk even though it wasn’t noon yet. Asher didn’t speak, he simply walked forward towards the two men and a woman at the counter who was taking orders, his gaze calm and observant as he quietly assessed everyone around him.

Asher sat on the wooden stool, and he couldn’t help but feel a bit uncomfortable as he was used to sitting on cushions that were perfectly tailored for nobles and designed purely for comfort, soft and supportive, not this hard, uneven piece of wood that dug unpleasantly into him, but he didn’t speak as he didn’t exactly care about the seat itself, since the discomfort was very much trivial.

"Hoo... a new customer, welcome to the drunken pub," the woman greeted as she flashed him a friendly smile and turned to face him fully. Asher wasn’t exactly surprised she knew he was a new customer, after all, pubs of this level usually knew all their customers like they were their children, recognizing faces through sheer repetition.

"I’m new in town, arrived just yesterday, saw your pub seemed to be the busiest, so here I am," Asher replied with a calm tone and a faint smile that appeared natural enough, "and I will be taking your special," he added casually.

"On the house then, since you will soon become a regular," the woman stated as she moved immediately with practiced efficiency, she took a mug and filled it with ale which foamed and bubbled as she poured it, the liquid sloshing noisily, "so, what brings you to the Thornvein County," she asked as she placed the mug before Asher.

Asher nearly paused for a fraction of a second at the name, mentally noting it.

"Lost my family during the regular monster invasion in a Barony a few weeks back," Asher spoke, his voice dropping slightly as he feigned subtle sadness, carefully controlling the tremor to make it believable but not exaggerated, "so I’m trying to return to my grandmother’s place at the Blackstone Village," he added, and with that, he lifted the mug and drank the ale.

Asher nearly frowned as he tasted the ale, because the flavor was harsh, bitter, and poorly brewed, and he couldn’t help but think how someone would dare call this their pub’s special, to him, this was no different from diluted urine. Yes, he was used to drinking expensive wines as the Wargrave family had an abundance of them, aged bottles with rich aroma and smooth taste that lingered pleasantly... but still, this taste was a bit... too much.

H had visited a pub in the past within the Wargrave territory, and theirs was way better than this, so much so that theirs wasn’t even a special but merely a regular drink. But Asher didn’t speak or change his expression, he simply smiled and commented, "this is good, the Barony I came from doesn’t have such ale," he lied through his teeth with effortless ease.

The woman smiled warmly, clearly pleased. "Which Barony did you come from?" she asked with a calm, curious tone.

"The Rivelle Barony," Asher replied without missing a beat as he placed the mug on the counter with a soft thud, he released a breath as though he had thoroughly enjoyed the ale.

"It seems you won’t be becoming a regular since you are heading to the Blackstone Village," the woman stated as she took Asher’s mug to fill it up with another ale.

"Well, I plan to return after seeing my grandmother, I only need to stay there for a week as I inform her about my parents’ death. I will return to the Thornvein County to start a new life as an adventurer, then maybe a few years later when I have enough money saved up, I will start a family of my own," Asher spoke with a gentle smile, his gaze distant as though he were staring into a hopeful future that didn’t truly exist.

’Damn, who knew I knew how to act and lie so convincingly,’ Asher thought to himself as he maintained the expression he was putting on, almost impressed by his own performance.

The woman gazed at him as though she could feel both his sadness and his dreams, her expression softening with sympathy, she smiled and then passed him his mug that was already filled, "this one is also on the house."

Asher’s lips twitched faintly as he didn’t want to drink whatever this was anymore, but he could only nod as he smiled at the woman and spoke, "thank you," and with that, he drank again as though he was enjoying it, but deep inside he felt like vomiting, forcing himself to swallow the unpleasant taste while keeping his expression perfectly composed.