Pentos City, a city with a population of 30,000, has both the rich and the poor. The wealthy are always a minority, while the common people are somewhat better off. However, many of the extremely poor, who can barely afford food, die of hunger every year.
In order to survive, some even sell themselves into slavery, while others take to the streets to beg. In this era, begging doesn't even guarantee enough food to survive; it's simply a desperate wish to not starve to death.
The disabled people on the streets are not injured by violence or robbed, but are victims of frostbite. When winter comes and they lack sufficient warmth, their exposed feet freeze and they die from it.
"Clop, clop, clop..."
Lucas's expression was cold as he walked ahead with Nicole and Mina, following Five. The group moved in silence, as the current state of Pentos City had a significant impact on the War Wolves and Nicole.
They finally realized what the outside world was really like. Especially Nicole, whose expectations of the outside world were completely shattered at that moment.
In her understanding, even if the cities outside were worse than Sedona City, they wouldn't be too different. She never imagined it would be such a vast difference.
Lucas and Mina didn't attempt to comfort her. This was something she had to come to terms with on her own. After all, there is only one Sedona City in the world.
"City Lord, we've arrived at the best tavern in Pentos City." Five said, standing in front of a stone and wooden house.
"Blang Tavern?" Lucas looked at the sign, raising an eyebrow. "The best and biggest tavern?"
"..." Nicole, Mina, and the others stared at the low building in front of them. Comparing it to the Drunken Night in their minds, a few words popped into their heads.
"Uh..." Five scratched his head. Blang Tavern was supposed to be the best and biggest tavern in Pentos City, or so he had been told. He hadn't expected it to look like this, and staying for one night would cost at least fifty copper coins.
"Let's go in and take a look." Lucas waved his hand. He hadn't seen a tavern from this world yet.
When they pushed the door open and entered, a damp, rotting smell immediately hit them, causing Lucas to frown. The place was dimly lit. To keep warm, the windows were covered with animal pelts, and there were only a few flickering candles inside.
Lucas scanned the room and noticed that the dozen or so tables were all occupied by people drinking barley beer and discussing loudly. When they saw Lucas and his group enter, they merely glanced at them before returning to their conversations.
"Guests, may I ask if you're here for a room or to eat?" A tavern worker hurried over and respectfully asked. The staff knew that anyone who could afford to stay at Blang Tavern was wealthy and of some status.
"Just a room." Lucas said calmly.
"How many rooms would you like?" The worker scanned the group and respectfully continued, "We have VIP rooms, standard rooms, and basic rooms."
"Five VIP rooms." Lucas replied in a calm voice.
"Certainly, please follow me." The worker said, surprised. They didn't even ask about the price, and they were giving the knights VIP rooms? This was definitely a noble, so they had to serve them well. Tips would surely be generous.
With that thought in mind, the tavern worker assigned five adjacent VIP rooms to Lucas and his group.
Creek…
Lucas pushed open the door to the VIP room. After scanning the space, he could only describe it with the word "poor." The room wasn't small, but the damp, rotting smell was intense. It was the kind of room where the desire to stay was immediately lost due to the unpleasant scent.
"Is this really the best room you have?" Lucas raised an eyebrow and asked.
"Yes, our City Lord even praised how good our rooms are." The tavern worker said confidently.
Nicole, Mina, and the others were stunned after hearing the worker's words. The lord of Pentos City praised this room? What kind of taste did he have?
"Pull down the animal pelts covering the windows and let some fresh air in. Then, light the stove." Lucas said helplessly.
"Yes, sir." One of the servants who was carrying boxes hurriedly put the boxes down, took out an iron stove from inside, and started lighting the firewood in the room.
The tavern worker stood there, stunned, watching the servant's actions. A self-provided stove? Made of steel? He cautiously glanced at Lucas, realizing that anything someone could bring and use on their own must belong to a true noble.
"Go ahead." Lucas waved his hand at the tavern worker. Mina tossed ten copper coins to the worker.
"Yes! If you need anything, just send a word." The tavern worker said respectfully, leaving with a smile.
"Alright, everyone, out. Let me handle the rest." Nicole said softly. She felt more at ease dealing with some of the finer details herself.
"Yes, ma'am." The servants respectfully responded, leaving after dropping off a few boxes.
"Chris, you can allocate the remaining four rooms among yourselves," Lucas gestured. "Also, send someone to gather information about the auction, especially regarding the 'Divine Heavenly Kingdom.'"
"Yes, my lord." Chris gave a military salute before leaving with his men.
Huff... Mina let out a sigh of relief, lifting her hood. Only when she was in the room did she relax; she had to be constantly on guard outside, with her nerves tightly wound.
"Actually, you don't have to dress like that," Lucas said gently, reaching out to pat the cat-eared girl's head. "I don't mind what others say."
"It's fine," Mina shook her head. "I just don't like the way some people look at me. I'm afraid I won't be able to resist the urge to hurt them."
She saw Nicole lifting the blanket and quickly stepped forward, saying, "Nicole, let me help."
"Okay, help me move all the blankets and things off the bed," Nicole said with a light smile. "I don't want any of these things. Who knows how many people have slept here. You can even see stains on the bed, and the sour, moldy smell is unbearable."
"Got it." Mina pulled the blankets and tossed them into the corner of the room. After finishing that, she helped open the boxes and took out their own blankets to spread them out.
"I'm starting to cook lunch. What would the young master like to eat?" Nicole turned to ask. She had no intention of eating at the tavern; cooking herself was much safer.
"How about some noodles? Didn't we bring a few packs of special noodles?" Lucas said with a light smile.
The so-called "special noodles" were essentially instant noodles. During this trip, Lucas had brought along plenty of items from Earth, and instant noodles were one of them.
"Alright," Nicole licked her lips. The special noodles were really delicious. She quickly took out pots, bowls, and some canned fish from the boxes and began preparing lunch.
Lucas watched the two of them busying themselves, feeling a sense of warmth. He turned and walked to the window, looking out at the people walking down the street.
Now, all he could do was wait for the intelligence from Chris and the others. Only after understanding the situation could they take action. Otherwise, diving in blindly might backfire. This "Divine Heavenly Kingdom" legend was truly a timely opportunity for them.
What he didn't know was exactly what they would be auctioning in the "Divine Heavenly Kingdom." That was the crucial piece of information he needed, and with the auction starting tomorrow night, today was the only time left to prepare.
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