Chapter 69: Tales from the Durin Tavern

Re-written date: 7 / 17 / 2025

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Chapter 69: Tales from the Durin Tavern

Nosrick City–on the first floor of the Durin Film Production Company stood a small but increasingly famous place: the Durin Tavern.

Business has been booming lately, especially after the release of the new film Goblin Slayer. No matter the time of day, the tavern was always packed with moviegoers fresh out of the theater, still buzzing from the experience and eager to talk about it over food and drinks. The sudden surge of customers meant the tavern could no longer manage with just the usual staff, and as a result, several new faces had joined the team.

First was someone who hadn't been seen around for a while—Helena. After wrapping up her last film, she'd seemingly vanished, but now she was back in the South. With Edward busy shooting his next movie, Helena found herself with too much free time. So when she saw that the Durin Tavern needed help, she applied without much hesitation.

Of course, it wasn't just about killing time. Helena was a High Mage, not someone you'd expect to see waiting tables, but even a powerful magic user couldn't resist the absurdly generous wages offered by Viz, the tavern's somewhat clueless but well-meaning manager. As it turned out, Helena had received a sizeable performance fee for her role in KonoSuba, but given her many outstanding debts, that money hadn't lasted long. Her wallet empty once again, she reluctantly traded her staff for a serving tray.

Then there was Zat. After accompanying Winry on a brief return trip to Durin Castle, he'd ended up back in Nosrick. Castle life didn't really suit him, especially with Winry managing everything so flawlessly that he had nothing to do. And Edward didn't need a low-level swordsman like him hanging around the studio. So in the end, Zat found himself pitching in at the tavern too.

Technically, the tavern was a Durin Family business, so as a knight of the Durin Family, Zat figured he might as well do his part.

Where Zat went, Aya wasn't far behind. She joined not long after, though her work ethic left a lot to be desired. She spent most of her shifts slacking off, but her acrobatic stunts were a big hit with the customers. Before long, she'd been unofficially promoted to head of entertainment. Now, whenever the tavern was crowded, she could be found flipping, twirling, and generally showing off for an appreciative audience.

With the exception of the actress who played Darkness—who had returned to adventuring—most of the cast from KonoSuba had ended up working at the tavern in one form or another. It didn't take long for fans to catch on. Some diehards even treated the place like a holy site, showing up every day just to snap a photo or chat with their favorite cast members. Viz had completely lost track of the tavern's daily headcount by now—and while she technically couldn't get a headache, the stress was piling up.

As if the crowd wasn't enough, the release of Goblin Slayer brought even more surprises. Several patrons noticed a few familiar faces appearing regularly, including Saeki family and a certain freeloading duchess—Daphne. Neither made much effort to keep a low profile.

Daphne, in particular, had absolutely no shame about constantly mooching off the studio's food supply. She made herself comfortable without the slightest trace of guilt. Meanwhile, after Goblin Slayer wrapped, Saeki finally took Edward's advice and decided to move his family from the northern outskirts to the relative peace of Nosrick. He was still paranoid about being recognized up north and asked Edward to help relocate them discreetly.

The South suited them better anyway. There were fewer powerful figures down here, and most adventurers weren't skilled enough to detect the faint aura of undeath he carried. Granted, he still insisted on wearing full plate armor every day, which had to be miserable in the southern heat, but he never once complained. If anything, he seemed more relaxed.

With Saeki's arrival, the tavern now had two and a half undead working there. Viz, being the other full-fledged undead (and the manager), couldn't help but worry. What if someone from the Church came poking around? Sure, Edward had said he wasn't planning to expand his film screenings beyond the territory for now, but there was always a chance some high-ranking bishop might disguise themselves as a traveler and show up unannounced.

If that happened, it would be a real mess.

For now, at least, the Durin Tavern didn't need to worry too much about trouble. After all, leaving aside the fact that one of its regulars was a literal final-boss-tier Headless Knight, even the rest of the staff weren't exactly pushovers. Sure, Zat and Aya were basically mascot-tier when it came to combat, but if a bishop really did show up uninvited, they'd still be able to handle it.

No, what actually had Viz pulling her (metaphorical) hair out was something far more mysterious.

Namely: "Why is the number of customers constantly increasing, but the tavern is still somehow losing money every day?!"

Try as she might, she couldn't crack the mystery. For the undeath of her, it just didn't make sense.

...

It had been a full day of non-stop service, and at long last, the crowd had thinned out. The tavern, once packed shoulder to shoulder with excited movie fans, now held only a handful of night owls too lazy—or too tipsy—to head home. With the place finally calming down, Viz glanced around and decided it was about time to close up for the night.

That was when the sound of footsteps echoed from outside.

"Rhine! You little rascal! How many times do I have to tell you, there aren't any late-night showings left! Just come back tomorrow!!"

"But Master— you're the one who took forever to get here! We should've gone yesterday, and whose fault is it we didn't?!"

"Oh, and I suppose I was the one who dragged out the Southern Territory Grand Duke's never-ending, mind-numbingly boring banquet, huh?"

The usual bickering between master and apprentice played out at full volume. Walking just a step behind them, an older man with a calm, composed gait chuckled lightly.

"Now, now. If we missed it today, we'll catch it tomorrow. We're not leaving the South anytime soon anyway. What's more important is—ah, looks like we've arrived."

Before them stood a tavern that came highly recommended by locals and fans alike. General Wilhelm smiled and pushed the door open, flanked on both sides by Imperial Knight Commander Wycliffe and the young knight Rhine.

Inside the tavern, Saeki—who'd been helping Zat mop the floor—paused mid-swipe. Viz, who had just been heading over to greet the new arrivals, froze the moment she saw them.

As a lich, Viz could see a person's life energy at a glance. And what she saw in those three men wasn't normal. No—her instincts screamed danger. Her soul-sight told her the same: each one of them was strong. Exceptionally strong.

"Zat, take Aya upstairs. Now."

There was no time for explanations. With Belldia still out, Viz had no choice but to get the weakest links out of harm's way first. Daphne wasn't around either, which left her with just Saeki and Helena—thankfully, both more than capable in a fight.

Zat, quick on the uptake, grabbed the sleeping Aya (who was snoring in the corner as usual) and bolted upstairs without a word.

The moment the three knights stepped inside, the air changed. It was subtle, but unmistakable—like a taut string stretched to its limit. Every corner of the tavern suddenly felt ten degrees colder.

"C-Can I help you... with something?"

Viz did her best to smile as the oldest of the three knights—who also radiated the most intense life force—took a seat at the bar. Her one hope was that they wouldn't realize what she really was. If she could just serve them a drink, maybe they'd leave quietly. After all, unless someone was a priest attuned to holy light, most people couldn't detect undead at a glance.

The knights, for their part, gave no indication they'd noticed anything amiss. They took their seats and casually began flipping through the drink menu like ordinary customers.

Relief flooded Viz. It looked like her human disguise was holding up.

That was when the back door burst open.

"HAHAHA! I'm back, Viz!"

In strolled Belldia, head tucked under one arm, a barrel of beer slung under the other. His voice boomed through the tavern like thunder.

"This is the good stuff! I traded the extra premiere tickets Director Durin gave me for this baby! And this time, you're not getting anywhere near it! Not even a sip! Hahahaha!"

"..."

Silence fell like a guillotine.

The three knights' faces changed instantly. Viz's heart screamed in panic, and cold sweat began pouring down her forehead.

Even Saeki, across the room, tensed—ready to draw his weapon at a moment's notice.

You could've heard a pin drop.

The once-lively Durin Tavern had suddenly become the eye of a storm.