■ Information Gathering □
Exhausted from the long journey, I had been lying in bed for a while when I realized I had dozed off just before dinner and quickly headed downstairs.
Like most inns, this one also combined dining with lodging. As I passed by, I glanced at the food on the tables, and it seemed the chef was quite skilled.
I sat down at an appropriately empty seat, and one of the female waitstaff, who had been bustling around the shop, approached me with a menu.
“What would you like to order?”
I briefly skimmed the menu she handed me and ordered without much hesitation.
“Hamburger, beer, and a selection of sausages.”
“Order received.”
In Hamburg, due to the influence of the Vulcan Mountain range, the weather is close to that of the polar regions, so beer, which warms the body moderately when consumed, is treated as a beverage.
This seems to be a culture established because of the frequent interactions with dwarves here, and as a result, wherever you go in the city, there are many people enjoying beer and sausages together.
However, eating only those might not fill your stomach entirely, which is why ordering a hamburger as an add-on is common.
The hamburger is one of Hamburg’s signature dishes, and its appearance and taste weren’t too different from the ones I ate in my previous life, except for a few differences: they use lamb patties, and the bread is enormous.
Perhaps it’s because this is a cold region where a high caloric intake is necessary.
As I sipped on the beer that arrived first, I looked around.
Given the nature of the inn, it was inevitable that there were more out-of-town guests than locals.
Among the visitors were noble families who came for nearby hot springs, wealthy merchants, high-ranking adventurers, mercenaries, and others, making the clientele very diverse.
If I had chosen a cheaper place, I might have ended up dealing with troublemakers, but this place was relatively classy, and most of the guests appeared polite.
“Ha-ha! Bring me more drinks! More drinks!”
…Of course, there are always exceptions no matter where you go.
I disdainfully watched the drunken mercenaries causing a ruckus and pulled out a magical tool from my pocket.
It was an artifact called “Thief’s Ear,” and its function was rather simple.
Once worn, it allowed me to eavesdrop on any table’s conversation, regardless of surrounding noise.
I planned to learn something about the human world before sneaking into the baron’s residence late at night. Since I had entered the land of the Demon Tribe, I hadn’t heard much about what was happening within the Kingdom.
After inserting the artifact, which resembled wireless earphones, into my ears, I scanned the room to decide which table to spy on first.
I settled on a group of merchants whose faces glistened with oil.
Since merchants are usually the most sensitive to rumors, they might possess valuable information.
I placed my hand over my ear and focused on their conversation.
“The atmosphere has been uneasy lately. Don’t you think it’s time we leave Hamburg?”
“You fool, don’t you know that every crisis is an opportunity? No matter how strong the Demon Tribe may be, the higher-ups won’t abandon Hamburg. If they give this place up, the capital will truly be in danger.”
“That’s true, but I still feel uneasy. The recent movements of the Demon Tribe are unsettling. We haven’t even heard about the Hero Party’s exploits anymore.”
“It’s winter approaching, so let’s consider that part of our fate. At least before spring arrives, the Demon Tribe will likely stay quiet, so try not to panic too much and make careful moves.”
The subject of these two merchants’ conversation seemed to revolve around the recent fall of the Hamburg fortress.
Even though it had never been breached in nearly 100 years, now it had fallen to the enemy, understandably causing anxiety.
One person was already planning his escape, while the other intended to capitalize on the situation for profit.
Their conversation was interesting, but disappointingly, it wasn’t useful information for me, so I decided to switch my eavesdropping target to another table.
“Maybe listening in on the nobles would be better.”
“Father, since Lord Sesibong’s party is two days away, wouldn’t it be nice to enjoy some hot springs in the meantime?”
“Not a bad idea. Do you know of any good places?”
“I’ve heard that the sulfur hot springs recently discovered near the iron ore mining site are excellent. People are coming from far away just to visit.”
“Then let’s go there tomorrow. It’s been a while since I’ve had a proper sweat bath.”
This was a typical father-son conversation.
Although it was heartwarming to see such familial affection among noble families, once again, there was no useful information.
Next, I turned my attention to the adventurers but paused when my eyes caught sight of the mercenaries who had earlier caused a commotion and drawn disapproving glances from others.
Despite their rough appearances, they seemed well-off, as the five-member mercenary group was loudly laughing and conversing.
“Captain, did you hear about the rumor regarding the master of the Emerald Tower in the capital?”
“You mean that eccentric old woman?”
“According to rumors, she recently ascended to the 7th hierarchy. That caused quite a stir in the capital, didn’t it?”
“And where did you hear that?”
“Well, I have an informant here, so I picked it up. Anyway, because of that, the Emerald Tower is packed with people every day now. It seems all the mages from across the continent have gathered in the capital just to witness a Hecta Spell.”
Upon hearing this, I involuntarily stood up.
Then, I approached the bearded mercenary who had been chatting casually with the captain a moment ago.
“Could you tell me more about what you just said?”
At this, the burly mercenary, who appeared to be the captain, abruptly rose from his seat.
“Huh? Who are you? What business do you have eavesdropping on our conversation?”
I restrained myself from resorting to violence reflexively.
Starting a pointless fight would surely bring the guards running.
Forcing a smile, I addressed the mercenary in front of me.
“What do you want? If you provide detailed answers to my questions, I’ll offer appropriate compensation.”
At this, the bear-like mercenary burst into laughter.
“Hahaha! This is ridiculous! To think we’re being underestimated like this by someone we’ve just met! Our Black Bear Mercenary Group must look pretty weak!”
At the mention of their name, the merchants and adventurers nearby began whispering.
“The Black Bear Mercenary Group is known for being made up solely of B-rank adventurers or higher—quite a renowned mid-level mercenary group!”
“They played a significant role in the recent family wars and were rewarded with a large sum of gold!”
“Doesn’t this guy look like a retired soldier? He might have picked the wrong people to mess with.”
They seem to be quite famous, more so than I anticipated.
Well, if they were ordinary mercenaries, they wouldn’t even consider staying at an inn that costs ten silver coins per night.
The burly man with a menacing appearance, referred to as the captain, looked down at me and said,
“If you apologize now, I’ll let you off easily. But if you ignore my words, you’ll regret it.”
“What if I insist on hearing the story?”
At this, the mercenary captain stroked his bandit-like beard with interest and replied,
“There are two ways. Either you fight me with this…”
He raised his right hand to reveal a massive battle axe capable of felling a towering tree in one strike.
“…or you beat me with this.”
He then pulled out something familiar from his coat with his other hand.
“I don’t want unnecessary bloodshed, so I choose the latter.”
“Hahahaha! You’ve got guts!”
The mercenary captain roared with laughter and instructed his subordinates.
“Hey! Get ready!”
The subordinates quickly sprang into action, setting up the arena.
“Ordinary folks, clear out immediately!”
“This inn will become a battlefield tonight!”
As the scale of the event grew, naturally, the number of spectators increased.
The inn staff, accustomed to such occurrences, calmly moved the drinks and food around.
Regardless, the burly mercenary captain, sitting across from me with a long table between us, boasted confidently.
“To be honest, I’ve never lost in any kind of combat.”
Hearing this, I shrugged.
“Then I’m sorry, but today will mark your first defeat in that unbeaten streak.”
“…Arrogant bastard.”
The mercenary captain growled threateningly at me.
But compared to the Demon King’s Army I’ve faced so far, he was nothing to me, allowing me to maintain my poker face.
The bearded man who volunteered as the referee alternated his gaze between me and the mercenary captain before explaining the rules of the match.
“The game will proceed in a best-of-three format. The loser must comply with the winner’s demands. Do both parties agree?”
I nodded.
“I agree.”
The same went for the mercenary captain.
“I agree.”
With that, the bearded man solemnly declared,
“The duel is hereby agreed upon.”
Soon after, both of us, holding our pride and souls in our hands, simultaneously shouted,
“DUEL!”
