Perhaps Garet should have gone straight to the Purple Lantern, but either his hunger or his desire to learn more about the Iron Gate led him to a tavern in the middle of the noisy streets, even under the cover of night.
Garet stopped in front of a tall wooden building with iron pillars as supports and windows lit up on all sides.
The most notable feature was the signboard — a yellow duck with a fierce look and flames bursting from its beak.
For every resident of the Iron Gate, especially those based on the first floor, the Flaming Duck was a popular gathering place, and nighttime was the main time for this establishment.
"Damn!" Garet banged his fist on the bar counter, unable to contain his delight. "How delicious."
The kitchen door opened as a girl in a black and white outfit and shoulder-length crimson hair placed a tray of hot, flame-red ribs in front of him.
"Here, this is the spiciest item on our menu. Be careful." Marra smiled as she watched Garet stuff one sandwich after another into his mouth.
Garet waved his hand, washing it down with a cold, minty drink that only increased the spiciness in his mouth.
"That's not a problem, the spicier the better!"
"Yeah, as long as the food doesn't become too spicy for you. When you can't taste anything but the spiciness, that's a problem. You're not enjoying your food, and not only is your money wasted, but so is the chef's effort."
She pointed to the large red pepper icon next to the ribs on the menu.
"That's why we warn you about it, young man."
"I'm satisfied." Garet shrugged. "By the way..."
He turned and pointed to the side.
The Flaming Duck was a fairly large tavern, but it was popular not only for its food and drink, but also for something else.
At a large table in the center of the hall sat two men, each of whom was an Awakened, which in itself attracted the attention of those around them who were not here by chance, but had been waiting for this, and many even came to the Flaming Duck to watch such confrontations.
"Come on, show me what you're capable of!" The man put his elbow on the table, looking at his opponent.
The young man responded as a tremor ran through the iron core of the table. Soon, they would clasp their hands together to find out who was stronger.
"Oh, this?" Marra purred with a slight smile. "Nothing special, just arm wrestling."
"Hm? Arm wrestling?" Garet raised an eyebrow, simultaneously turning his rib into bare bone. "Is it some kind of fight?"
"Well, you could call it that. Ordinary people can participate too, but as you understand, it's not as spectacular, and this table is specially reinforced so it won't break under pressure. Also, anyone who wants to can place bets."
Garet nodded, looking at another girl standing next to the reinforced table. Unlike the other employees, she wasn't serving drinks and food around the hall, but was taking bets and writing them down in the chart in her hands.
"Can you make money on this?" Garet asked with a gleam in his eyes.
The food was delicious, but now he understood what Franz had meant when he warned him about the high prices. For a few sandwiches, baked potatoes, two drinks, and ribs, he paid 50 coins!
'Damn, now I understand why Korona hunts. She killed the Azure Bull for its horns, but how much meat it has! Not as tasty as these ribs, but still!'
"Earn?" Marra glanced at him. "Of course. The minimum bet is 10 coins, the maximum... Well, it depends on the table. There's no point in betting a huge amount and getting almost nothing for winning while risking everything."
THUMP!
At the same moment, the man slammed the young man's hand down on the table with a loud thud.
"YES!"
"Here! My money!"
"FUCK! I knew I shouldn't have bet on him!"
Joyful and not-so-joyful exclamations were not long in coming.
The young man bit his lip as he slapped the table. "One more time! I just didn't have time to react!"
However, the man was not interested.
"Nah, nothing personal, but I don't want to rob you or those who decide to bet on you, you'll just lose. Maybe later, for fun, but not now."
Realizing that he would not be able to change his mind, the young man frowned and left.
"Hey! Who's next?" The man exclaimed, looking around.
Marra's eyes flashed with a predatory gleam.
"Want to give it a try?"
Garet shook his head, not looking up from his ribs. "No, I understand the principle, but I don't think I can handle it. I don't know how strong he is, but he definitely has more experience."
"Smart."
"Also... I understand that abilities can't be used, right?"
She nodded. "Correct. However, if you do decide to take the risk, I've heard that many Awakened use some kind of trick involving energy."
"Hmm? What does that mean?"
"This..." Marra muttered, crossing her fingers. "It's hard for me to explain, I'm not like you, you know? But after the rounds, many people came to the bar and I had a lot of conversations. From what I understand, you can use energy in one place to amplify it. Like... Initial acceleration after a jump, something like that."
Unexpectedly, Garet would receive advice on how to control his power from a regular bartender. He might have learned this from someone else very soon, but the sooner the better.
'During the test at Thornspie, I got a pass on energy control. Maybe I should try it?' Garet thought as the energy wandered through his body, gradually approaching his hand at his will.
While Marra watched the hall, he made a few test swings and broke a couple of ribs, testing his new power at his fingertips. With each swing, his eyes grew deeper.
"Hey! Doesn't anyone want to try?" the man exclaimed, throwing his arms out to the sides. "The night is still young! It shouldn't end like this!"
Marra leaned on her hand. "Looks like the show is over for today, right, Garet?"
She turned around as she stumbled.
A shadow fell across the table, someone's figure blocking the light from the bright lamp.
"I want to try."
All attention turned to the young man with black hair and eyes, but a combative look.
"What's the minimum bet for a player?"
The man smirked. "You're a beginner, right? For you, it's 10 coins!"
Garet nodded and hung his coat on a chair before sitting down.
"I'm only willing to play if there are three rounds."
The man hesitated for a moment, but seeing the eagerness in the eyes of the audience, he quickly dismissed all doubts.
"Of course! Let's get started!"