Chapter 12

Bartender--

The tavern slowly returned to a semblance of normal, though the day wasn’t over yet. So much had happened in such a short time. My eyes fell on the damaged section of my establishment. The counter was crushed and split in two, the floor wrecked by the impact of a war hammer. The sign was gone, though I knew it was nothing new. Nothing ever changed, not really. I'd seen my fair share of fights over the years—and even caught myself in a few. It was all part of the job, I suppose.

I grabbed the cup and plate that had been left at the counter where that man had been sitting earlier.

No one ever came to this place, except the occasional drunk or those looking for information. I grabbed a rag and started cleaning the cup, the motion almost automatic.

And yet, I couldn’t shake the thought of what that man had requested of me. I kept replaying the conversation in my mind.

I could still hear his words clearly, just as if he were still sitting there.

“Turning yourself in? Are you mad?!” I yelled, shocked by his absurd request.

“Why so surprised?” he replied, his tone casual as he took another bite of the meat from his plate. “I killed two people. I want to turn myself in.”

I couldn’t believe it. “Do you even understand what they’ll do to you? Have you heard anything I said earlier?” I snapped, my voice rising, like a father scolding his child. But he didn’t flinch. He just kept eating, as if nothing was wrong.

Pulling myself together, I turned away and tried to distract myself by cleaning the silverware. But then, for some reason, the words just started spilling out.

“They do not let us leave this place you call a kingdom,” I muttered, not sure who I was speaking to anymore.

I sighed and continued as if the words had a life of their own. “I had a son. He was always talking about how one day, he and I were going to leave this godforsaken place and start a traveling merchant business…”

I stared into the glass mug, seeing only my reflection, and for a moment.

“Then, a war broke out. The kingdom snatched up any soldier they could find. And then they started taking the young men from here. They went as low as taking children.” My hands trembled at the thought. “No training. No guidance. Nothing. They just handed them weapons and sent them into battle…”

I swallowed, my voice cracking.

“In the end, it was all a waste of life... pointless. I wonder to myself why I’m even still running this bar in the first place,” I muttered, the words filling the air.

“Then why don’t you...?”

I looked up, more surprised than anything. I turned to face the man. “You still remember his dream, right? I bet he’d be happy that you can still remember it.”

His words hit me harder than I expected.

“If you have nothing left, then what’s holding you back?”

I spun around, about to argue, but as I looked for him, the man had already left.

I opened my eyes, as if waking from a dream, and looked around, only to stare at the same old things once again. I grabbed a bottle and placed it back where it belonged.

I heard the door creak open, but I didn’t even bother to turn and see who had entered.

A dozen or so footsteps echoed in, and I started to speak without thinking. “I’m sorry. We’re closed due to repairs—”

My blood ran cold. Standing before me were a dozen knights, but these weren’t the knights of this kingdom.

“The church,” I muttered under my breath.

A woman stepped forward, her movements fluid and graceful as she approached the bar. Her gaze was locked onto mine, sharp and unblinking—like a hawk zeroing in on its prey. She had long golden blonde hair cascading down to her hips, and her dull gray eyes never left me. She wore a mix of armor on her upper body, with robes draped around her waist, giving her a regal yet intimidating presence.

Beside her stood another girl, but something was different about her—her ears. They were pointed, resembling those of a wolf or a fox.

A beastman? I thought, the words catching in my throat. I was too afraid to speak them aloud. She had short, snowy white hair and wore armor and robes similar to the woman in front of me. Her sharp, sky-blue eyes bore into me with an unnerving intensity.

“We received reports from nearby civilians about a man entering this particular bar,” the blonde woman said, her voice cold and precise. As she spoke, she pulled out a piece of paper and placed it on the counter with a single, fluid motion. With a flick of her wrist, she spread it out before me.

My eyes drifted to the paper, curiosity quickly turning to dread as I stared at it. Concern must have shown on my face because I could feel their eyes watching me, waiting for my reaction.

WANTED

DEAD ONLY

It was a wanted poster, and at its center was a drawing of a man with a pair of horns. Was it him? I wondered, my mind racing. But the closer I looked at the picture, the more doubts crept in. This man seemed much younger—barely a teen.

My brow furrowed in confusion. The face was similar, yet different. Could it be the same person? And if so, why did he look so young in this image?

I glanced up, meeting the cold, expectant eyes of the two women. It felt like they scrutinized every flicker of emotion on my face, searching for a sign that I knew something.

“Have you seen this man?” the female knight’s voice cut through the thick silence like a blade. “He was seen entering your establishment.”

I forced a smile, trying to mask the fear crawling up my spine. “I see a lot of faces, my lady,” I replied, my voice barely steady as my heart pounded in my chest. “Travelers, merchants, soldiers... They come and go. Hard to keep track of them all.”

Her eyes narrowed, though her expression remained cold and unchanging. “I suggest you try harder,” she said, her tone dropping to something low and dangerous. “This man is a dangerous criminal, wanted by the church for crimes against the four great…” She paused, her gaze sharpening. “...the three great kingdoms. Harboring him would be considered an act of treason.”

As I opened my mouth to speak, I hesitated, unsure if I was about to tell the truth or something else entirely.

Suddenly, a deafening BOOM shook the bar, cutting off any words I might have said. “An earthquake?!” I exclaimed, the words slipping out before I could think.

Bottles hanging from the shelves rattled loose, crashing to the floor and shattering on impact. I slammed my hands onto the counter to steady myself, struggling to maintain balance as the entire room seemed to sway violently.

Then, like the passing of a storm, the shaking began to subside. My arms trembled as I steadied myself, dust and debris drifting from the ceiling. For a moment, I thought the entire building was going to collapse.

A knight, whom I hadn’t seen before—likely standing guard outside—burst through the door. His eyes were wide, and he was shouting at the top of his lungs.

“THE TOWER IN THE CASTLE—IT’S BEEN SET ABLAZE!” the knight shouted, his voice trembling with panic. He waved his arms wildly as if the gesture could somehow convey the enormity of the explosion.

The remaining knights struggled to regain their composure. Some were still on their knees, clearly shaken by the sudden rumbling. Dust clung to their armor as they tried to steady themselves.

The woman standing before me was now facing away, her gaze fixed on the commotion outside. Despite the chaos, the violent tremors hadn’t affected her. She stood there, unyielding, like a statue carved from stone.

“No doubt,” she muttered, her voice cold and certain, “that’s him.”

With a wave, the blonde woman commanded, “We are leaving.” Without skipping a beat, she strode toward the front door. “Follow!” she barked, her voice sharp and commanding.

Like soldiers following a general, the remaining knights scrambled after her. Even those still on the ground quickly rose to their feet, stumbling to keep up as they marched out of the bar.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. “I thought I was dead,” I muttered under my breath. What was that sudden earthquake just now? And why do I feel like this kingdom is on the verge of collapse? “I wonder if he’s doing okay—”

My words caught in my throat as my eyes locked onto the girl with white hair and piercing blue eyes. Her tail—something I hadn’t noticed before—swayed slowly from side to side. She stood still, her gaze fixed on me, sharp and predatory.

It was the look of a predator watching its prey, ready to strike at the slightest movement.

D...did she hear me just now? The thought sent a shiver down my spine as I froze, unable to move under her unrelenting stare.

Without a word, she slowly turned away, her piercing blue eyes never breaking contact with mine. Her movements were deliberate, almost unnervingly calm as if she wanted to ensure I felt the weight of her gaze until the very last moment.

Then, with effortless composure, she walked out of the door, her tail swaying behind her.

And just like that, I was alone in the bar again. The silence that followed was deafening, the kind that crawls under your skin and lingers.

End of chapter 12