Ethefelis and I wandered around for quite a while before we finally found the tavern called "Tiger." I glanced at Ethefelis, who was still underage.
"Ethefelis, you're still a kid. You can't enter a tavern, so put on the transparent coat."
"Okay."
"If someone follows me later, kill them."
That was exactly why I brought Ethefelis along. The organization would definitely want to investigate my identity and send someone to tail me. If that happened, I'd make sure those lackeys never returned.
Next, I removed my gear and dressed like an ordinary civilian. That should lower their guard.
After Ethefelis turned invisible, I stepped into the tavern. There weren't many customers inside—probably because it was still daytime. Even though these people were poor, they could still afford alcohol. Of course, the quality of the drinks probably wasn't great.
Behind the counter, a man was wiping a glass. He was likely the owner. I walked over, sat at the counter, and spoke the code phrase.
"It's getting dark."
"It's still noon."
"Huh?"
The owner's reply caught me completely off guard, and I let out a confused sound. Was he not the owner? Or had the bearded man lied to me? Maybe he actually wanted to die.
Then the man—apparently the owner—suddenly burst out laughing.
"Hahaha! Just kidding. First drink's on me."
So it was a joke. Did he mess with every customer like this? Still, he really was the owner. He poured a glass of alcohol for me.
I quickly raised my hand apologetically.
"You're quite humorous. But sorry, I don't drink."
"What a shame. Tello, take this guest to restroom number three."
After responding with regret, the owner called over a worker who had been sweeping the floor and told him to bring me to the restroom. When did I say I needed to go to the restroom? And why specify the restroom number? Was that part of the code?
After giving the order, the owner drank the glass that had originally been meant for me. I stared at him in disbelief. Sure, he ran a tavern, but drinking on the job?
The employee walked over and gestured for me to follow.
"Yes. Come with me."
Ethefelis—still invisible—and I followed the worker into the kitchen. Only then did I know the tavern served food as well; it wasn't just a place for drinking.
The worker led us to a door and turned around.
"I need to inform them. Wait here."
"Alright."
He went inside. After a short while, he came back out, opened the door, and pointed inside.
"You may enter."
Then he had me go in alone while he returned to the front counter. I looked inside the doorway and saw a staircase leading downward. So there was a basement.
We stepped inside and closed the door behind us.
At the bottom, I found what was clearly a gang hideout. The boss sat on a chair smoking, while a row of subordinates stood behind him. Off to the side, someone covered in wounds lay on the floor. He must have messed up and gotten "educated."
"Customer, are you very interested?"
The boss called out to me. Had I stared too long? I sat down across from him and replied.
"A little."
"This brat led a group to handle a job and came back the only one alive. Useless."
"I see."
That useless subordinate sounded just like the bearded man from before. But where was that bearded man? Had he run away?
"So, what do you want to commission? As long as you have money, we can do anything."
As expected, it was an organization that did anything for money. I was quite satisfied.
"That's perfect. I want to ask about the identity of a certain employer."
"Sorry, we don't reveal our clients' identities."
"I can give you twice what that client paid. Would you tell me then?"
The boss didn't answer immediately. Instead, he hesitated between principle and money. What a disappointment. If they truly worked purely for money, he should've accepted without hesitation.
"...Speak."
In the end, money won. Pathetic. Well, how terrific could a dangerous organization really be?
I continued by describing the target.
"This employer hired you to capture a black-haired male merchant guard from Aimebissalon."
"Oh, that commission paid 50 gold coins."
Why was he suddenly telling me the fee? Did he expect payment first? But one hundred gold coins was a lot—I couldn't just pull that out. That employer must be crazy, spending that much just to capture me.
So I took out a transparent stone the size of a fish ball and placed it in front of the boss.
"I didn't bring that much money. Can I use this instead?"
"What is it?"
"A diamond. Its purity and quality are higher than what you'll find on the market. If you don't believe me, you can test it. I can wait."
I had chipped this diamond off while fighting a Diamond Land Turtle on Level 80 of the dungeon. Luckily, I picked it up.
But diamonds weren't money—you couldn't directly buy things with them. You had to sell them first. So I didn't feel too conflicted about handing it over.
The boss picked up the diamond and examined it before looking back at one of his men.
"Go find out how much it's worth."
"Yes."
The subordinate took the diamond and walked toward a nearby door. So there was a back exit.
The boss turned back to me.
"Do you have any other commissions or questions?"
Next was the matter about Lixia.
"Who commissioned you to capture Lixia Ethe?"
"Lixia Ethe... the blue-haired count's daughter?"
Although Lixia was the second target, it seemed she hadn't made much of an impression. The boss thought for a while before remembering.
"That's right."
"Both commissions came from the same employer, but the payments were separate."
"How much?"
"25 gold coins."
My bounty was fifty, Lixia's was twenty-five. That made seventy-five total. Double would be one hundred fifty. But diamonds were expensive precisely because they were rare, so it should sell for a good price.
"Diamonds are extremely valuable. It should sell for a high price. In that case, could I ask you to cancel both commissions?"
"That's not possible. Canceling would damage our organization's reputation. People would say we can't get the job done."
"Aren't you supposed to work for whoever pays more? There's nothing wrong with choosing the higher bidder."
"That depends on how much your diamond is worth."
"Then we'll have to wait until your man comes back. But waiting is boring. Want to chat?"
I did say I came here to chat. The boss seemed interested as well.
"About what?"