"Do you feel better now?" Dilek asked, sitting in Marcus's room.
Marcus smiled softly. "Oh yea, thanks for checking in..."
"Must have been a lot. Take a rest, I told it to the guild."
"Wha—what about Nandita?"
"Oh well, she's with Hela. I think she'll be fine, she was just surprised, so she fainted."
"I see... I'm the weakest one, huh?" Marcus said, looking up.
SMACK—
Dilek punched his stomach as Marcus jerked up from the pain.
"Dude, you basically saw a human explode! Obviously you'll feel weak to it. Some people don't, but there's nothing wrong in feeling things like that. In case you feel uncomfortable, just tell me... no need to hide it inside you. Just let it out, and I'll get you out of there."
Marcus looked at Dilek and smiled. "Thanks. I'll take a nap for a while."
"Sure." Dilek got up and left the room, leaving Marcus sleeping on the bed.
The second he left the room, he came down and sat at a table in the tavern. Looking toward the counter, he saw Duja sitting beside it on a chair.
"Hey owner," Dilek called out. "I get that customers don't come every second, but ISN'T YOURS TOO EMPTY!?"
Dilek looked around— not a single soul in sight, every seat empty.
"Don't tell me that, I already know it," Duja said flatly.
"How come you haven't done anything? Under the budget? I mean, the day we first came the entire place was filled, wasn't it?"
"Oh, that day? Not really. It was empty," Duja answered lazily.
"Are you kidding me? Obviously it was full! All those guys were drinking beer and stuff!"
"That was a mirage."
"Mirage... like water in the desert? Huh? Like I saw people drinking and that was a mirage? Dude, you think I'm an idiot?"
"I do," Duja replied.
"Say that again and I'm throwing hands!"
Duja sighed as he explained. "My wife Hela attracts customers by showing there are people, with illusion magic. Well... she forgets to perform the magic daily."
Dilek looked at him. "So they leave because it's empty? Are you kidding me? That's stupid, isn't it?"
"Well... competition," Duja muttered.
Dilek stared. "Competition?"
"There are lots of taverns that have luxuries and are cheap."
"And?"
"And... we are neither luxury nor cheap," Duja said.
Dilek stared at him again. "Alright. Time to move out."
"Move?" Hela's voice came from behind Dilek.
Dilek slowly turned.
"Move somewhere? Where? You want to go somewhere?" Her eyes said if you say something wrong, you won't see tomorrow.
"I-I-IT'S TIME TO MOVE OUT AND GET CUSTOMERS!" Dilek shouted. "I'LL ATTRACT CUSTOMERS!"
Dilek ran outside as Hela smiled. "Oh my, what a good boy. He's helping us with the goodness of his heart."
Duja sighed. "Hela..."
"YOU HAG! YOU DARE THREATEN THE SAINT!? YOU THINK I DIDN'T SEE I—"
Her eyes turned slowly to Diego. "Hag? Did you just call me a HAG?!!"
Diego froze as she slowly approached him.
—
Diego was crying on the floor outside, sitting, while Dilek patted his back.
"It's alright, Diego. It must've been scary."
"BUT SAINT... I COULDN'T DEFEND YOUR NAMEEEE!" Diego bawled.
"It's alright, Diego. It's alright."
Diego hugged Dilek. "WAAHHHH!" he cried into Dilek's shirt.
Dilek patted him as Diego finally let go.
Diego looked at his shirt. "Thanks, Saint..."
Dilek just stared at his shirt. He wiped his snot...
"Diego, we need clothes," Dilek said as he got up. "Let's go. I have like 20 bisho since Nandita gave me some. It's enough to buy the three of us clothes."
"OH YES, WE SHOULD!"
—
Diego and Dilek approached the alleyway, looking menacing, as they approached a dark figure in a hood leaning on a wall.
Dilek and Diego leaned on the opposite wall.
"We'll take the regular," Diego said.
The figure smiled.
Dilek stopped Diego. "WAIT, WHAT ARE YOU DOING? WHAT DO YOU MEAN THE REGULAR?! DUDE, WE AREN'T BUYING CRACK—WE'RE HERE FOR CLOTHES!"
Diego looked at Dilek. "Saint, this guy actually gives clothes."
"OH YEAH? THEN WHY IS HE SLIDING SOMETHING INTO HIS POCKET?" Dilek said, watching the hooded man bend down to grab a bag.
The man handed it to Dilek. "10 bisho for the entire thing."
"10...?" Dilek looked at him. "If there's a bomb in this, I'll burn you."
The guy choked on his own spit. "OF COURSE it's clothes! Just go and take it... these are second-hand anyway. I fetched them cheap and since no one's buying, I'm selling."
Dilek stared a moment, then walked away with Diego, the bag in hand.
They sat outside the tavern.
Dilek handed the bag to Diego. "Go give Hela the bag, ask if she can wash it."
"Oh, okay!" Diego said, walking inside the tavern.
Minutes later, Dilek heard Hela screaming, "WHY SHOULD I DO IT?! YOU HAVE WATER, DO IT YOURSELF! I'M COOKING YOU FOOD!"
"Sorry, Diego, you'll have to clean the clothes," Dilek sighed. But for now... gotta advertise.
He stood up and walked toward the road, goal clear — introduce people to the tavern.
—
It didn't work.
Dilek sat on the road, slumped. "HOW COME PEOPLE AVOID IT THIS MUCH!? UNDER NO REASON SHOULD PEOPLE TRY TO AVOID THIS PLACE THAT MUCH!"
He had asked countless people — all of them ignored or laughed at him for even living there.
"How come no one wants to be here...? Clearly there's an issue... I don't see..." He sighed. Maybe... hmm... what to do... Wait, why the hell do I care? Why do I care whether anyone comes or not? Time to go homeeee.
Dilek stood up.
But as he was about to walk away, he heard a voice.
"Excuse me, you were advertising a tavern?"
Dilek turned. "Oh... oh yea, that's right! I was!" He smiled.
The girl, wearing a cloak, asked, "Can you tell me the name?"
"The name... the name..." Dilek froze. 'Oh shit... I just realized they don't have a name. I've been saying 'come to our tavern' all day without even saying the name. They don't have a name, do they? What do I tell this girl...'
"Uh... I actually don't know. But I can show you the place if you'd like."
The girl looked at him. "Please lead the way."
Dilek looked at her before saying, "Sure," and guided her to the tavern.
After five minutes, they reached it. Duja sat with Marcus, Diego, Nandita, and Hela, eating food at the table. All of them turned as Dilek and the girl walked in.
"I have a customer," Dilek said.
"YOU DO??" Hela stood up, wiping a bit of broth from her lips. "Welcome, lady! Would you like to stay for a week?"
The girl entered and removed her cloak.
Her light yellow hair fell on her shoulders — short, as if she had cut it in a hurry. Her eyelashes were the same color, but her eyes... her eyes were green. She wore normal clothes, yet they looked high-class. She seemed like a runaway.
"Five months," she said. "I'm here for five months."
Hela and Duja were shocked. The others kept eating.
Hela hurried. "What's your name, lady? I'll add it to the register."
"Call me..." The girl stopped and looked at Dilek. "Hey, what's your name?"
"Huh? My name? Dilek."
"Surname?"
"Uhh... Lugner? Why so?"
She looked at Hela. "Fine. My name is Kelid Rengul."
"Huh?" Dilek blinked.
Marcus's food slipped out of his mouth in surprise, splashing broth onto Nandita. She snapped out of her shock and punched Marcus in the shoulder.
"Uh, lady... you just reversed my name..." Dilek muttered.
"No, I didn't. Now write it down and hand me the key," she said.
Hela quickly handed her a key.
Kelid walked upstairs and entered her room.
Everyone just stared silently.
As the night came, the tavern was loud tonight.