The Tavern

Scene: Inside the Tavern

The tavern was bustling with activity, filled to the brim with adventurers. Every seat was occupied by big, buff men armed with swords, claymores, crossbows, and more. They were all there for one mission: to dispatch the supply to the city.

"Sir, bring more drinks here!" "Here too!"

The adventurers were busy with their drinks and conversations when Harith and Charbel entered the tavern, trying to blend in unnoticed. They decided to crawl on the floor to avoid being caught.

"I call it 'Operation Snake,'" Harith whispered.

"But we're crawling, you idiot," Charbel muttered back.

Their stealthy approach was short-lived as they were quickly noticed by someone towering above them.

"What are you doing here, kids?" a gruff voice demanded.

They looked up to see Natan standing in their path. Realizing they were caught, they scrambled to come up with an excuse.

"Mr. Natan, er, we didn't mean to crawl like this. We were, uh—"

"We were looking for treasure on the floor! Look, a gemstone!" Charbel exclaimed, holding up a pebble.

"Charbel, that's a pebble," Harith sighed, facepalming.

Natan chuckled. "Hahaha, I'm just kidding. This isn't my tavern anyway."

Harith and Charbel felt relieved that Natan wasn't angry. Charbel gave Harith a light punch on the shoulder, blaming him for the ridiculous idea.

"But if you want to hear our conversation, stand up. You'll hear better," Natan advised.

Realizing there was no reason to hide, they stood up and finally listened to the bustling conversations around them. The adventurers were laughing, chatting, and showing off their weapons.

"Woah, we should enter like most people next time," Harith whispered.

"I wonder when next time will be," Charbel replied.

They abandoned "Operation Snake" and blended into the tavern, eavesdropping on the conversations.

"All my life, I've never heard such a ridiculous request. Seriously, moving through the forest just to carry supplies for the nobles in the capital. They don't even think about our lives here," one adventurer grumbled.

"Yeah, but the reward is quite tempting," another replied.

"And to think this much reward to be shared among everyone here, I'm sure there will be a bloodbath in the forest," a third added.

Their conversation was interrupted by Natan, who was walking by with a drink in hand. "There will be no such thing," he stated confidently.

"Why are you so sure, Natan?" someone asked.

"Because we have a descendant of the Hero with us," Natan replied, pointing to Harith.

Harith suddenly found himself the center of attention.

"What's your name, kid?" an adventurer asked.

Harith tried to stay calm. "My name is Harith Zashchitnik."

Everyone in the tavern was shocked.

"Zashchitnik?"

"Yes," Harith confirmed.

The adventurers started murmuring about his name. Suddenly, a big, scarred man stood up and approached Harith. Charbel was nowhere to be seen.

"Charbel? Damn it, Charbel, you traitor," Harith muttered to himself.

The big man reached Harith and asked, "So your father is Zashchitnik?"

Harith tried to stay calm, but his legs started trembling. "Yes."

"What do you think he is doing right now?" the man asked.

"Erm, right now, he's probably reading a book while lying on the bed," Harith replied nervously.

"He does slack off a lot these days, doesn't he?" the man chuckled.

"Probably," Harith said, trying to stay composed.

Meanwhile, at Zashchitnik's house, Harith's father was indeed reading a book while lying on the bed. Suddenly, he felt a strange unease. "Why do I feel pissed off right now?" he wondered.

Back in the tavern, the big man burst out laughing, followed by the rest of the crowd. Harith realized he had managed to diffuse the tension.

"Damn, dude, you did him dirty. Can't help it though, since he already did his part on duty."

"You're right. Now it's my brother taking up his place."

"That old man does like slacking off for real this time."

"You could say that," Harith agreed.

Meanwhile, back at Zashchitnik's house, Harith's father flinched as he reached for a drink, feeling uneasy again. "Why do I feel uneasy right now?" he wondered.

Back in the tavern, Harith continued, "Well, my father decided to retire as a guard. But he passed his knowledge to me and my brother so we could be his successors. He taught us not to take anything for granted. What a noble man he is, even as a commoner."

"Heh, he still has a noble heart despite being in a fallen—"

Their conversation was interrupted by a man who entered the tavern, known as the merchant responsible for the task.

"Alright, I see everyone is here. Now, let's talk about our route," the merchant began.

While the merchant explained the plan, Charbel returned, holding a flower he had picked despite there being no flowers nearby.

"Dude, where have you been?" Harith asked.

"Man, I've been battling my desires," Charbel replied, grinning.

They focused on the merchant's explanation. "As you can see, this is our path to the railway depot. We predict that the bandits will make their move here and here. That's why we will move in three positions: front, middle, and back. This way, we can handle any ambushes."

"My friend, if they break into our formation, what's your plan?" someone asked.

"That's why I chose the route near the Mist Forest. If they succeed in breaking our formation, we will use the forest route to prevent the supplies from being stolen," the merchant explained.

The plan was detailed and easy to understand, even for Charbel. As the merchant finished his explanation, another adventurer asked a question.

"So everyone understands?"

"Yeah, but what's your plan if we get attacked by something else?" the man asked, leaving the crowd in silence.

"What do you mean?" the merchant asked, confused.

"I'm talking about the rumors. About the myth—the Weeping Wolf."

The crowd gasped, and the atmosphere grew tense. Harith was curious, while Charbel seemed excited about the possibility of encountering another mythical creature.

"Let's hope we don't run into the Weeping Wolf," Harith thought to himself, feeling a mixture of fear and anticipation.