After nightfall, the streets of the Lower District quickly grew quiet.
Sparse magical lamps cast dim, yellowish halos at the alley entrances, which only made the shadows seem even darker.
Occasionally, a drunken figure would stagger by, their hoarse shouts echoing long and low through the narrow lanes.
Allen instinctively hunched his neck, the collar of his coarse cloth coat rubbing against his still-healing skin.
His eyes were anxious, every rustle of wind or movement making him tense up.
Kyle’s broad palm suddenly landed on his shoulder, the steady warmth pressing through the fabric.
“Relax, kid.”
His voice was low but carried a strange, soothing power. “You’re not about to do anything shameful.”
Julius walked quietly on the other side, casting a reassuring glance at the words.
His figure remained upright in the night, but his deliberately slowed pace allowed him to blend into the dim street scene.
Kyle leaned in slightly, his fingers brushing unobtrusively against the heavy pouch at Allen’s waist.
“Besides,” he said with a reassuring smile in his voice, “this time we’re coming with some real ‘backing.’”
Allen took a deep breath, his fingertips touching the rough Linen Coin Pouch.
Inside were the event funds Julius had applied for from Miss Eleanor—a sum enough to cover all the debts Allen owed at the tavern, plus enough to keep the innkeeper smiling at them.
“You’re right…”
Allen took another deep breath. The solid shape of the coins pressed firmly beneath the coarse cloth, easing his previously stiff shoulders slightly.
He tried to straighten his back, stepping with the loose gait Kyle had shown—making him look less like a nervous intruder and more like an ordinary laborer carrying his wages, ready to drown his sorrows.
The three of them tread over the damp cobblestones into a deep alley, where crooked houses cast overlapping shadows in the night.
The sign of the “Alley Tavern” flickered nearby, its dim yellow light making the surrounding walls shimmer with uneven brightness.
Kyle abruptly stopped and turned to Selina, who had been silently following behind.
“Lin, stay outside.”
His gaze swept over the piles of clutter and the tangled shadows on the rooftops by the tavern. “We need a pair of clear eyes here.”
“Understood.”
Selina’s voice was as light as a feather landing on the ground.
She took a half-step back and slipped into the darkness of a corner, the gray-white tips of her hair catching the faintest gleam before she disappeared completely into the shadows.
The remaining three, led by Allen, stepped through the tavern door.
No sooner had they crossed the threshold than a heavy stench of cheap ale and sweat hit them.
An old lantern swung under the blackened ceiling, casting a dim halo that stretched and shrank the silhouettes moving inside.
Before their eyes could adjust to the gloom, a rough, impatient voice snapped from behind the bar like a cloth slammed onto the table:
“Allen! You damn brat, why’ve you crawled back here again?”
Behind the bar stood a portly man wearing a filthy leather apron, glaring at them with hatred.
He gripped a wooden cup, furiously wiping it with a cloth so stained its original color was unrecognizable, his motion rough as if he were trying to snap something’s neck.
His gaze pierced through the noisy patrons, fixated on Allen with blatant disgust.
“Do you have enough for your drinks? Don’t come whining about next time again! And you still owe two thousand Sori!”
The innkeeper slammed the cup down hard on the wooden counter, the dull “thud” drawing the attention of several nearby drunken customers.
At that moment, Allen felt every gaze lock onto him.
He could sense the scrutiny in the innkeeper’s eyes, narrowed into thin slits by fat, and feel the solid presence of Kyle and Julius behind him.
Instinctively, he straightened the slight hunch his tension had caused and pressed his right hand against the heavy pouch at his waist.
Beneath the rough linen, the hard edges of the Gold Coins pressed firmly against his palm.
Allen’s chest heaved violently, a sudden, nameless fury rising in his heart.
He strode purposefully to the bar, his shoes thudding heavily on the sticky floor.
“Hmph! Don’t look down on me like I’m trash!”
He practically shouted, his voice loud enough to silence several nearby tables.
Under the stunned gazes, Allen slammed several Gold Coins onto the bar with a sharp clap.
The coins glittered seductively in the oil lamp’s light, rolling half a circle on the stain-ridden wood before coming to rest.
The fat innkeeper’s eyes nearly popped out.
His greasy face immediately twisted into a flattering grin, his thick lips stretching almost to his ears.
“Well, well! If it isn’t our little brother Allen! I knew you were a promising young man!”
As he spoke, his pudgy hands quickly gathered the coins in front of him with a dexterity that belied his size.
“Come, come, have a seat!”
The innkeeper wiped the bar with his sleeve and asked politely, “What’ll it be today? The usual?”
His gaze suddenly slid past Allen and landed on Julius and Kyle, a flicker of suspicion shining in his tiny eyes.
“And who might these two be? Don’t look familiar.”
Before Allen could answer, Kyle lazily leaned over, casually draping a hand on Allen’s shoulder.
“We’re Allen’s coworkers.”
He deliberately dragged out the last word. “We just landed a big job and made a bit of cash.”
The innkeeper’s eyes sparkled brighter, the fat on his face trembling with a smile.
“Well, congratulations then!”
He rubbed his hands together, his gaze bouncing among the three of them.
“Want to try our special blend? Guaranteed to make you feel right at home!”
“Sounds good. Allen recommended it to us too.”
Julius suddenly spoke, his eyes calmly sweeping the tavern’s interior, briefly glancing over the patrons.
The innkeeper’s squinted eyes darted back and forth between them, finally settling on Julius’s face.
“This young gentleman seems to know his stuff~”
He suddenly leaned in close over the bar, his voice dropping to a secretive, enticing tone.
“Between us, this special blend is our tavern’s pride and joy.”
His rough fingers drew circles on the wooden surface. “Many old customers come from far and wide just for a taste—”
Before he could finish, Julius smoothly picked up the thread, his gaze still casually sweeping the room.
“Absolutely. Allen kept saying it makes you feel great all over, like you forget all your troubles.”
The innkeeper’s smile deepened, wrinkles piling at the corners of his eyes.
“Then it’s settled, I’ll pour drinks for our three honored guests!”
Kyle waved carelessly at the innkeeper, slinging an arm around the other two as he found a seat in a corner.
Once seated, he lowered his voice toward the others.
“Don’t actually get drunk later, alright… and remember, act the part.”