“Go, drive all the patrons outside away.”
Julius’s sword tip inched forward slightly, and a thin stream of blood immediately seeped from the fat innkeeper’s neck.
“Do as he says.”
Kyle’s voice was as cold as ice. “No tricks, or else…”
His gaze swept over the bottle on the table glowing faintly green. “I don’t mind letting you taste this stuff too.”
The innkeeper’s Adam’s apple bobbed violently, cold sweat soaking through his collar.
He trembled as he shouted to the barkeep Hank:
“Go, go tell the customers… just say there’s an emergency tonight and we’re closing early! The drinks—drinks are on the house!”
Hank cast a terrified glance at the short sword in Julius’s hand and scrambled towards the front hall.
Soon, disgruntled murmurs and the sounds of clattering chairs and tables drifted in from the front.
“What’s this? It’s barely evening!”
“I haven’t had enough yet!”
“Free drinks? Seriously?”
Hank kept smiling apologetically as he herded the patrons outside:
“Sorry everyone, the owner has urgent business tonight. Drinks are on us! Come back tomorrow, and we’ll make it up to you!”
About fifteen minutes later, the front hall finally quieted down.
Hank came running back, panting heavily, his face pale:
“They’ve all… all left…”
At that moment, the tavern door was gently pushed open.
Selina entered with Allen. The vampire girl’s sharp gaze quickly swept across the room before settling on the subdued innkeeper.
“Outside has been cleared.”
She reported succinctly and casually slid the door bolt shut behind her.
Now, six people squeezed into the small room.
The innkeeper and Hank leaned against the wall, eyes fixed on Allen standing nearby, his expression darkening, as if they had already figured something out.
“Al-Allen! You bastard actually—”
“Shut up!”
Kyle slapped the innkeeper hard, silencing him immediately. “I suggest you seriously consider whether you want to oppose our Church, the Demon Hunters, and the Duke.”
Faced with three grim interrogators, the innkeeper and Hank’s faces drained of color. They could only nod frantically.
“Good.”
Kyle pulled over a chair and sat down, his gaze like a blade slicing across the two captives. “Now, let’s have a proper talk about these…”
He nudged a wooden box under the table with his toe. It seemed to be filled with that same green potion.
“…Special Liquor Ingredients.”
The innkeeper’s lips quivered.
“I-I really don’t know anything! That man in the Black Cloak delivers a batch of ingredients every week, and I’m the one who mixes them into the drinks to sell… I don’t know anything else!”
“Describe the delivery man. How does he hand over the goods? When is the next delivery?”
Julius fired several questions in quick succession, the short sword still firmly pressed against the innkeeper’s throat.
“He… always comes at night, through the back door. Hooded, face obscured… but he has a deep Scar on the back of his right hand, like a centipede…”
The innkeeper spoke hastily. “I don’t know the next delivery time either! Recently, he said the Upper District also needs these supplies! So…”
“Upper District?”
Julius and Kyle exchanged a glance, both seeing surprise flicker in each other’s eyes.
“Exactly. My familiar just now overheard that man mention the Upper District.”
Selina suddenly spoke, her brows knitting slightly. “I’m afraid this stuff has already made its way to the nobility without us knowing.”
Kyle clicked his tongue, his expression turning even colder.
“If the nobility are involved… this will get even more complicated.”
His sharp gaze fixed on the two men. “Is there anything else you haven’t told us? This is your last chance.”
“N-no, really, nothing else!”
The innkeeper’s voice cracked from fear, his heavy body trembling uncontrollably.
“Nothing else?”
Selina raised an eyebrow, and suddenly a dangerous red glow flickered at her fingertips. “Need me to help you ‘remember’ properly? Like… certain notes that aren’t convenient to say aloud?”
The innkeeper flinched as if burned, hastily pulling a crumpled note from his greasy apron pocket and handing it to Julius with both hands.
“Also this! That man in the Black Cloak said… if the ingredients aren’t enough, I can go here to find him…”
Julius unfolded the note, squinting in the dim light to make out the handwriting:
‘Arnold’s Apothecary’?
“Y-yes! It’s in the dark alley three blocks from here!”
The innkeeper nodded quickly, sweat soaking his front. “I really don’t know anything else!”
The cellar fell into a dead silence, broken only by the heavy breathing of the two captives.
After a long moment, Kyle finally spoke in a steady, resolute tone:
“Julius, if I’m not mistaken, Lady Eleanor has granted you temporary authority to mobilize the city guards?”
“Yes.”
Julius nodded. “As long as it’s for this investigation, we can deploy part of the guard force at our discretion.”
“Good.”
Kyle’s gaze returned to the ashen-faced innkeeper and Hank. “From now on, the guards will secretly monitor this tavern. And you…”
The young man with red hair suddenly spoke with a dangerous edge:
“If you want to stay alive, keep the tavern running as usual, and don’t leak a single word.”
He stepped forward, looking down on the trembling two.
“When that man in the Black Cloak shows up again, it will be your only chance to redeem yourselves.”
“Understand?”
Julius carefully folded the note marked ‘Arnold’s Apothecary’ and gave one last look at the pale innkeeper and Hank.
“Remember what you’re supposed to do.”
His voice was low but made the two shrink back. “Any rash move will cost you dearly.”
Kyle patted Hank’s shoulder. The seemingly casual gesture made the barkeep shudder violently.
“Do your job well, and act like nothing happened today.”
Selina’s red glow faded from her fingertips, but her cold stare still made the two captives uneasy.
She said nothing, silently opening the door and leading the way out.
The four exited in single file, returning to the tavern’s main hall.
“Should I contact the Guard Captain in the Lower District to send men for round-the-clock surveillance of the tavern?”
“Yeah, go ahead. We’ll keep watch here for now.”
Kyle nodded at Julius’s suggestion, then fixed his gaze on Allen:
“By the way, that means Lord Allen can’t be left in danger either.”
“That’s right. You can’t go home for the time being.”
Selina propped her chin on her hand and glanced at Allen. “Should we bring him back to the Duke’s mansion?”
“Not really appropriate.”
Kyle shook his head, rejecting Selina’s proposal.
Just then, Julius suddenly spoke, sharing his idea:
“Then how about… I apply to Miss Eleanor for temporary protection from the Church for him?”
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