Chapter 113 - The Enchanted Mug (Patreon)

The final week of classes before the New Year celebrations and the Sword and Book Tournament was by far the easiest of the entire semester.

The Masters spent their lessons reviewing material they had already covered, assigned no new exercises for future classes, and even Vizimir announced that he had private matters to attend to, canceling their evening training sessions.

Arien decided to make use of his first free weekend in a long time.

Together with Will, he set out to visit Sari and see how she was doing. Over the past few months, it felt as though she had been writing to him less and less. Whenever he asked, she blamed endless work and a million things that needed doing around the tavern, but he was starting to worry.

Getting through the crowded streets of Wayhold was no easy task.

The New Year always brought a flood of visitors to the city, and the capital was already bursting at the seams during winter. Snow hadn't fallen yet this year, but the nights could still be bitterly cold. Of course, it was nothing compared to Three Meadows or Ribenne. Thanks to its proximity to the sea, the capital enjoyed a much milder climate.

Following behind Will, who was clearing a path through the crowd, Arien watched the people around them with interest.

They had just passed a Ten-Person Party consisting of an elf, three humans, an orc, two dwarves, and three beastfolk. It had to be a powerful group. Their equipment looked expensive even without Mana Sense, while to Arien their weapons, clothing, and armor practically overflowed with magical energy.

They weren't the first such party he'd seen that day either.

He wondered whether it had anything to do with the Supreme Priest of Sul's Blessing or whether an entire week of concerts, balls, festivals, and celebrations simply attracted anyone eager to forget the burdens of the passing year.

Eventually, they reached the address. Or at least Arien assumed they had.

The front of the building looked completely different. The porch had been renovated and furnished with tables, comfortable chairs, and burning torches, while the sign above the entrance now genuinely resembled a golden goblet with white mist curling from its rim.

What caught Arien's attention most, however, was the amount of mana everywhere, which explained why the torches produced no smoke, why the sign seemed to draw the eye, and why stepping onto the porch carried them through an invisible barrier into noticeably warmer air.

How much had Sari spent on all of this?

At least business seemed good. Every table was occupied, and a waiter hurried between them carrying an enormous tray piled high with empty mugs.

Arien recognized him almost immediately. The former bartender. The young man now wore a stylish uniform similar to those used by the servers at the Pheasant's Wing, but the acne and patchy mustache were unmistakable.

“Excuse me!” he called while rushing past.

The tray looked heavy enough that Arien doubted he could lift it himself, let alone weave through a crowd while carrying it.

He glanced at Will in confusion, he merely shrugged.

Together, they headed for the open front doors.

A wave of conversation and soft, cheerful music greeted them inside. The melody reminded Arien vaguely of festivals back in Three Meadows.

He stopped just beyond the threshold.

When Sari had mentioned renovations, he'd imagined a few new tables and perhaps better lighting. Instead, almost everything had changed.

The bar counter was the only part he recognized. The wooden partitions and booths were gone, leaving the common room much larger and more open, with tables and benches arranged for groups ranging from two people to an entire Ten. Burning torches cast a warm orange light across the room, while a massive fireplace occupied one corner. Beside it, a musician sat on a tall stool playing the local equivalent of a flute for a group lounging on sofas and armchairs near the hearth. Arien doubted anyone on Earth could produce such a complex melody with a single instrument.

Sari had even added a low mezzanine in one corner of the tavern. At that very moment, an entire Ten-Person Party was climbing the stairs toward it, and at a glance Arien guessed they were at least Silver Rank, perhaps even Gold.

“Move, Arien. You're blocking the entrance.”

Will's voice pulled him back to Erador.

"You wouldn't believe what this place used to look like," Arien said, still stunned. "And the customers. So many customers!"

Every single table was occupied.  Shaking his head, he pushed through the crowd toward the bar.

"Hello," he said to the bartender once they finally managed to reach the counter.

The older man studied him carefully. He seemed to have left both his youth and middle age far behind. Yet despite the wrinkles and gray hair at his temples, he stood perfectly straight, and the veins running along his forearms hinted at hidden strength.

A former Explorer, perhaps?

"Whatever would the young masters like?" the man asked without stopping his work, drawing beer from a barrel into a mug. "Juice? Hot chocolate? Perhaps some pumpkin pie?"

"Is Sari around? I don't see her anywhere," Arien said.

The bartender studied him thoughtfully for a moment.

"You're Arien?"

"Yes," he replied, slightly surprised. How did the bartender know his name? Sari must have warned him he might come.

"Miss Sari stepped out a while ago, but she should be back soon. So then, juice?"

"Juice for my friend. Wine for me."

"I'm afraid we do not serve alcohol to anyone under sixteen years of age. I recommend the juice."

Arien stared at him, baffled. What kind of strange policy was that? He could understand it in the Port, where they might want to keep younger students from drinking too heavily, but in a regular tavern?

Legally, he'd been an adult since turning ten and losing the Child trait. True, Wyndor's laws required sixteen years of age to marry or enlist in the army, but nobody usually cared how old you were when ordering alcohol.

The bartender, however, was looking at him with the sort of expression that made it clear there was no room for negotiation.

"Fine. Juice."

"Excellent." The man smiled. "I recommend the apple and pear blend. Very good for strengthening one's resistance during winter."

"Sure."

"Coming right up. That'll be four silvers."

"How much?!" Arien exclaimed, almost shouting.

And why did he have to pay? Wasn't this his sister's tavern?

A quiet chuckle sounded beside him as Will tossed four silver coins onto the counter. They vanished in a single swift motion of the bartender's hand.

"Arien, I think you're supposed to support your sister's business," Will said.

"Four silvers? That's robbery! Besides, look around. She doesn't exactly seem to be struggling for money."

"And how much do you think it costs to maintain all of this?"

"Fine, fine," Arien grumbled. "But I'm getting myself some kind of discount card."

"I'm afraid discount cards are only available to Silver-Rank patrons and above," the bartender interrupted while handing them tall glasses of juice. He'd even decorated them with greenery and slices of peeled pear. That was probably where the extra silver had gone. 

Well, Will's silver.

Still, after the first sip, Arien had to admit it was quite good.

“Guess who!”

Hands landed on Arien's shoulders before he could turn. He jerked away on instinct, spilling half his juice across the counter.

“Sari! How many times have I told you I hate that?” he growled, grabbing the cloth the bartender immediately offered him.

“I thought you were some mighty warrior who's always aware of his surroundings. You train enough, supposedly.”

Laughing, she wrapped him in a hug before pulling back to look at him properly.

“You've lost weight. And you don't look particularly healthy. Will, are you making sure he eats properly?”

"He never had problems with that before," Will replied. "But lately he's been practicing magic even during meals."

"Arien!"

"What? I told you the fifth year was madness. Besides, look at yourself. I don't remember those dark circles under your eyes last time."

Though she looked happy, Sari's face seemed thinner than before.

"Miss Sari truly works too much," the bartender unexpectedly agreed. "She insists on handling every matter herself."

"Ben! I told you, I feel perfectly fine!" she protested. "Oh, right. This traitor is Ben Markson, my right-hand man. Ben, this is my brother, Arien."

"Yes, we've already met the young master," Ben said. "He tried to buy alcohol."

"And I couldn't! Is this how you treat customers, Sari? Do you have so much money that you can afford to deny a thirsty traveler a drink?"

"Come on, boys. Let's sit by the fireplace. My legs are killing me after all the running around today."

She led them toward the sofas near the hearth. Every seat was occupied. Sari simply approached one of the couches tucked away in a quieter corner, greeted the two men sitting there, and whispered something into one of their ears.

The man looked around the room in disbelief before immediately standing up, taking his companion with him while thanking Sari on the way out.

"What did you tell him?" Arien asked as he settled comfortably into the seat.

She laughed. "That two beautiful women sitting at the bar have been staring at them for the last half hour and would probably be delighted if someone bought them a drink." Arien followed the departing men's path and saw them already chatting with two rather attractive women, each wearing a long dagger at her hip.

"Incredible," he commented. Then he looked around once more. “And Sari... I'm impressed. At first, I honestly thought we'd come to the wrong address.” Arien looked around the crowded room again. “You've changed everything.”

“I'm glad you like it, even if we don't serve alcohol to minors.”

Her smile softened a little. For all the teasing, Arien could tell his approval meant something to her.

“It looks like a tavern straight out of a storybook. The porch, the music... Why does it remind me so much of the festivals back in Three Meadows?”

"Oh, you noticed? It's actually a popular melody from the eastern part of the kingdom, but I always ask musicians to play it."

"I like it too," Will said quietly. "It feels like the sort of place where I'd want to relax after a long journey and tell people about my adventures."

"Will! That's exactly the feeling I was aiming for when I designed everything. You're growing into such a charming young man. If only I were younger..."

"Ugh!" Arien cried. "Don't you have thousands of potential victims already? Leave Will alone."

"Is my little brother jealous? Don't worry, you'll always be my fav—"

"Okay, that's enough."

Arien cut her off before she could gain momentum.

"So tell me. How's business? Is today's crowd normal, or is it just because of New Year’s?"

"More because of New Year's," Sari replied. "At this hour it's usually not this crowded yet. But I'm not complaining. At first I thought I'd be pouring money into the business for the entire first year, but if things keep going like this, I might start breaking even in a few months."

"You're joking, right?" Arien asked, looking around the packed common room. Three waitresses dressed in charming uniforms reminiscent of servant attire, though admittedly a bit more daring, were barely keeping up with the flood of orders.

“I may have gone a little overboard with the renovation...” Sari admitted. “Then there were the magical devices, contracts for food and drink deliveries, advertising, musicians, compensation for breaking some of the staff's previous contracts, city taxes, wages, licenses... You have no idea how badly my hands were shaking when I did the books for the first month. But as you can see, things are happening.”

As Sari answered, Arien looked around the tavern again. The packed tables, uniformed staff, musicians, artifacts, suppliers, and contracts hadn't appeared by themselves. He'd always thought of his sister as cheerful, flirtatious, and still searching for what she wanted to do with her life.

Apparently, she'd found it.

“Compensation for broken contracts? Couldn't you just hire people who were unemployed? I thought there were plenty of youngsters in the nearby villages.”

“Maybe if I wanted to run some second-rate tavern on the edge of the city,” she replied. “I'm aiming for a higher class of clientele. For that, you need good food, good drinks, and good service.”

"So what about that former bartender who's serving people on the porch?"

"Ah, Leisy. That's a special case. I felt a bit bad firing him, and the boy has some potential. More importantly, he gives everything he's got, and that counts for something."

"Fair enough. And those customers, are they Explorers?"

"Mostly. But I'd like to attract Silver-rank parties and above. See the mezzanine?"

She pointed toward the raised platform.

"It has an artifact that prevents eavesdropping. I had no idea that sort of thing mattered so much to some people, but several Gold-ranked Tens come here regularly now to discuss important business. That was Ben's idea, actually."

"And this Ben is...?"

"He used to be an Explorer. I found him in the Three Cups tavern. The moment I saw him, I knew I wanted to hire him. Then I learned his entire family had been killed near the eastern border a few years ago, and I knew it was fate. Just don't ever ask him about it. He hates talking about it. But he's invaluable as my deputy. Though he does fuss over me a bit too much."

"Looks like you've got everything figured out, Sari," Will commented. "When I finally join a Ten, this will definitely be our home base."

"Didn't you hear?" Arien cut in. "She doesn't want children or Bronze-ranked parties in here. Maybe you should look for a tavern on the outsk—"

"Ow! What was that for?!"

He rubbed his shin while glaring at both of them.

"Will will always be welcome here," Sari declared. "I'll even give him a special Friend of the Tavern discount. You, on the other hand, I'll charge double."

"Hey! I'm your brother!" Arien protested. "Besides, I've already sent several customers your way. Did any of them show up?"

"Oh yes, thanks for that." She smiled, though she did not retract the threat of charging him double. "Actually! Weren't you two supposed to be participating in some tournament? Is that why you came today?"

"We would've come anyway. The Masters finally gave us a bit of breathing room before the end of the year," Arien explained. "But yes, we're competing. I even got you a good seat in the stands if you'd like to come."

“Oh, I'd love to!” she exclaimed.

Then she looked around at the packed tavern.

“I'd really love to...” she repeated more quietly. “I'll try to stop by, even if only for a little while. When do you fight?”

"Our first match starts in three hours."

"First match? Didn't the tournament start yesterday?"

"It did," Will answered, "but thanks to our rankings we automatically qualified for the third stage."

"I didn't even know that was possible. Are you really ranked that high?"

"Will is in the Sixth Division," Arien said. "I'm in the Seventh."

"Though the divisions are different between the two Houses," Will added modestly. "The House of the Sword starts its Arena competitions in the fourth year, so I've had more time to climb."

“I'm sure both of you are incredible,” Sari said, standing and brushing off her skirt. “I'll talk to Ben and figure something out. But if that's the case, I need to get back to work now.”

She smiled.

“Good luck!”

Two fights tomorrow! :) I also hope it'll become clearer why Will tends to fade into the background during group conversations.