### Chapter 186: Over This Mountain
(Extra Chapter!!)
That evening, Leon and his companions arrived at the bar where Victor was performing.
Now, this bar wasn’t exactly classy. The patrons were a motley crew, mostly from the lower rungs of the Empire’s social ladder.
People weren’t here solely for the drinks; there were trades, bounties, illegal fights, and all sorts of shenanigans going on.
Of course, compared to those shady gambling and drug lords backed by the Royal Family that Taige had taken down before, this place was somewhat toned down—at least they kept their crimes more in the shadows.
Leon and Rebecca stepped inside, while Taige stood outside keeping a lookout.
With the wanted posters of their Master plastered all over the Empire and the bounty being as tempting as a double chocolate cake, you could bet a few desperate souls might take a risk for that cash.
Best not to have the Master exposed too much, though.
As soon as they entered the bar, the cacophony of noise hit Leon’s eardrums like a lead weight.
The entryway to the dance floor was packed with people.
A sultry woman, cigarette in hand, puffed a cheeky cloud of smoke right at Leon’s face as he walked by.
“Hey there, big guy!” she purred, clearly trying to bring in customers—even if it was right at the door.
Leon wasn’t interested and kept striding forward.
“Hey, handsome! Where’s the fire? Come chat with me! I have… fun things!”
Smack!
Suddenly, Rebecca pulled out her g*n and pointed it right at the woman’s chin.
The woman zipped her lips and slinked aside, making way for Leon and Rebecca without a peep.
Just like that, the entryway became a lot less crowded.
Rebecca holstered her g*n, sidling up to Leon and lowering her voice.
“We’re not regulars here. The people at the door are the ‘quality control’ type. If you don’t give them a little scare, it’ll be tough to move around.”
Leon understood Rebecca’s ‘unspoken rules’—the gray areas have their own survival tactics.
What puzzled him, however, was why Victor ended up working in this decrepit place after leaving the Dragon Slayer Army. Was he wallowing in self-pity? Or was there something else going on?
Though a perennial second fiddle, Victor had his principles and dedication. He went all out for everything, always holding himself to high standards.
A guy like him should be miles away from this kind of establishment.
Guess he’d have to ask Victor directly once they found him.
Leon and Rebecca navigated through the dance floor and reached the bar.
“What can I get you two?” the bartender greeted them.
“A glass of water,” Leon replied, knowing his limits—and they weren’t here to drink, anyway.
“I’ll have a Black Moon!” Rebecca piped up, having a knack for these fancy drink names.
She claimed that booze helped her aim, but Leon had his doubts about that.
The bartender eyed petite Rebecca and said, “We don’t serve kids.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, Leon gulped down his own response, shifting sideways to avoid whatever might fly their way.
If Leon’s sore spot was his family…
Then Rebecca’s was her age.
“I’M AN ADULT! OPEN YOUR DOG EYES AND SEE, I AM, AN! ADULT!”
The little lady was standing on a bar stool, hands planted on the counter, looking ready to sh**t the place up if the bartender dared to say more.
Thankfully, the bartender was wise enough to nod vigorously. “Alright, alright! Black Moon coming right up!”
“Wait! I changed my mind! I want a glass of water too.”
“Sure, two waters coming right up!”
With that, Rebecca plopped back down, hands on her hips, glaring at the bartender’s back. “This is why I hate all bartenders!”
Leon just shook his head, chuckling quietly while scanning the crowd.
Suddenly, the lights in the bar flickered out, leaving a single beam spotlighting the stage.
Under the spotlight sat a tall, lanky man cradling a simple guitar.
He had a minimalist style, rough around the edges, with hair cascading down to his shoulders.
But the moment he took the stage, cheers erupted from the crowd.
“Victor! Victor! Victor!”
“Victor, sing ‘Riverside’!”
“‘Riverside’ was sung yesterday! Tonight we want ‘Evening Breeze’!”
“……”
They clamored for Victor’s name and shouted out their requested songs.
From across the dance floor, Leon watched his former right-hand man Victor.
Compared to Rebecca, Victor had changed a lot. Back then, he had short hair and looked way more put together.
“What happened to him?” Leon muttered.
“Artists, you know how they are,” Rebecca said, sipping her water through a straw.
Once the noise level dropped a bit, Victor took off the pendant hanging around his neck.
It was a guitar pick—except it was no ordinary pick, shining in a lovely ivory white, intricately crafted.
Under the lights, it stood out remarkably.
Plucking the guitar strings gently, Victor began to sing.
His singing wasn’t half bad—definitely high caliber for a bar like this.
Leon recalled how Victor used to sing by the campfire back in the Dragon Slayer Army—he had quite the fanbase because of it.
Though not quite as large as Leon’s.
“Perennial second fiddle,” that phrase seemed to haunt Victor, following him around like a bad smell no matter how hard he tried.
No matter his efforts, Leon remained an insurmountable mountain in his shadow.
Just then, from a nearby table, Leon overheard someone mention that the song Victor was performing was called “Over This Mountain.”
Funny, Leon never saw himself with the ‘mountain’ label.
To him, Victor was an incredibly reliable subordinate and vice captain—at least, that’s how he felt before the treachery during the Silver Dragon War.
But now, caught in the whirlpool of conspiracy within the Empire, who could escape unscathed?
Leon snapped back to the present, patiently waiting for Victor to finish his song.
Well, being a popular resident singer meant one song wouldn’t satisfy the audience.
For the next hour, Victor, guitar in hand, belted out several classic tunes—some he’d sung during their Dragon Slayer days.
Even Leon, with his absolute lack of artistic sense, thoroughly enjoyed it, nostalgia washing over him.
Meanwhile, Rebecca, sitting next to him, was nearly dozing off.
Leon turned to her and snapped his fingers right by her ear.
Startled awake, she jumped. “AH! Who—who’s shooting?!”
“Wake up! Go find Victor backstage.”
“Oh, right!”
The two of them maneuvered their way around the dance floor to the backstage area.
There were plenty of rooms back there, but thankfully, each was labeled with the names of bar staff.
They found Victor’s room and gave a polite knock.
“Tonight’s performance is over, come back tomorrow,” Victor’s voice called from inside.
“Hey there, big shot! You got so famous you can’t even meet up with your old teammates anymore?” Rebecca challenged from outside.
As soon as she said that, the heavy footsteps moved closer.
Creak—
The door swung open, revealing a thin, worn-out man standing there, eyes dropping as he looked down at the petite girl who was a head shorter than him.
“Rebecca, what are you doing here?”
“Just here to support the big superstar!”
“Stop joking; you must be here for something serious, right?”
Rebecca shrugged. “Well, I have a serious matter—but it’s not mine; it’s his.”
With that, she yanked the man out from behind the door.
Victor lifted his gaze and instantly looked dumbfounded.
xx
Extra chapter from the adorable God is brought to you!
The next round of advancement matches begins at midnight tonight, so don’t forget to support our Leon! You can collect free little hearts every day—give it a toss, arigato~
The Empire arc is expected to wrap up tomorrow or the day after, and finally, long-distance relationships will turn back into cohabitation!
