The dim lighting cast a hazy yellow glow over the small tavern, the air thick with the scents of alcohol and tobacco, mingled with a faint, elusive sweetness that made one inexplicably uneasy.
“Guests, here’s the tavern’s signature—our special cocktail.”
The owner smiled kindly as he pushed three glasses filled with a strangely green liquid toward them.
The drink swayed slightly within the glasses, scattering tiny halos of light across the tabletop.
“Oh? Looks pretty high-end.”
Kyle smirked, lifting a glass in a mock-serious manner and bringing it close to his nose to inhale.
“Thank you.”
Julius took the glass, but his mind tightened with suspicion.
Was this the poisonous liquor meant to harm them?
Even from a distance, it gave off a strange fragrance, as if tempting one to take a sip.
Allen silently lifted his glass, gently pressing his lips to the rim, fighting the urge to drink, trying to appear contemplative.
Their movements seemed natural, but not a single one let the liquid truly touch their lips.
“Don’t actually drink it.”
Kyle lowered his voice, his eyes teasing but carrying a serious edge.
Julius nodded slightly, placing his glass down.
Seizing the moment when the owner and other patrons weren’t paying attention, he quietly pulled out a small bottle from his pocket, about half the size of his palm.
Taking advantage of the distraction, he tilted the glass gently, letting the emerald liquid flow slowly into the bottle, filling it just past the marked line.
“Done.”
Kyle absentmindedly tapped the table with his finger, as if to cover Julius’s subtle maneuver.
The tavern remained noisy—drunken men bickering over cards, the bartender lazily polishing glasses but glancing their way from time to time.
Julius noticed this and pretended to sip, his eyes scanning the room cautiously.
Allen leaned closer and whispered, “Someone’s watching us.”
“I know.”
Julius replied softly, pocketing the vial with such speed that even Allen, sitting next to him, couldn’t catch the movement.
None of the three spoke further, only exchanging a glance.
“Ow, this back really is shot.”
Kyle stretched, a small piece of grilled meat dangling from his mouth, complaining weakly, “Been hauling sacks all day, I feel like I’m not even myself anymore.”
“You should complain less.”
Allen forked a piece of pickled vegetable into his mouth with the indifferent air of a laborer clocking out, “Besides, isn’t getting paid for hard work the point of this job?”
Julius smirked deliberately and chimed in, “You two have the nerve to complain? If I hadn’t run the errands today, would you even be sitting here eating?”
Kyle snorted, teasing, “So the kid’s learned to bring up old grudges now? Fine, next time you’re unloading cargo yourself. Let’s see if you can handle it.”
The three bantered on, their talk filled with grumbles about hauling, errands, and the stinginess of the boss, sounding just like a group of ordinary workers unwinding after a day’s labor.
Just as they were chatting, the wooden door of the tavern swung open, letting in a cold gust.
A man cloaked in black stepped inside, his face almost entirely hidden beneath the hood, save for a pale chin barely visible.
“Good evening, boss.”
His voice was low and hoarse, carrying an undercurrent of barely restrained hostility.
The owner, previously lazily polishing glasses, suddenly stiffened, hastily setting down the glass with a wide, forced smile.
“Ah, you’re here! Please, come in!”
He carefully circled the counter, bowing as if greeting a VIP, and led the cloaked man toward the back door deep within the tavern.
Kyle’s eyes flickered, immediately drawn to the black-cloaked figure.
Julius caught the glance and quickly turned his head to look toward the back door—
That door was already tightly shut, faint yellow light leaking through the crack, as if hiding some unspeakable secret.
Kyle glanced up and pretended to look casually out the window.
In the shadows outside, Selena leaned quietly against the corner of the wall, her ash-gray hair lightly stirring in the night breeze.
She, too, had noticed the black-cloaked man.
But the cloaked figure remained oblivious to the vampire girl concealed in the shadows.
Selena noticed Kyle’s gaze and subtle nod, her eyes narrowing sharply as she whispered, “Go.”
From beneath the cloak, a small familiar the size of a palm with dark wings flickered softly, slipping out without a sound.
Agile and nimble, it darted like a tiny shadow across the night sky, slipping through the half-open window and vanishing into the dim light within the tavern.
Kyle lowered his eyelids, expression calm as usual.
No one noticed that, through the familiar’s eyes, those watchful eyes were coldly observing everything in the night.
The familiar transformed into mist, gliding along the ceiling, weaving silently between patrons and tables, stealthily following the owner and the cloaked man’s figures, slipping through that tightly closed back door.
Inside.
The dim room held several tables cluttered with medicine bottles and alchemical tools, the air heavy with pungent herbal and metallic odors.
On the tables, stacks of potion bottles labeled with strange symbols glowed with a faint green light.
The cloaked man spoke quietly to the owner, pointing at a bottle of potion on the table:
“This is the new batch. The Upper District will soon have even more demand.”
The owner frowned slightly, lowering his voice to ask:
“The big shots in the Upper District drink this stuff too?”
“Of course, it’s good stuff.”
The black-cloaked man’s lips curled into a faint, cold smile. “Be careful. I’m giving you a chance to make money. Don’t screw yourself over.”
“Don’t worry… all the customers are regulars.”
The owner cleared his throat lightly, his tone half-hearted but barely hiding his nervousness.
“Has the Church been quiet lately?”
The owner asked cautiously.
“No.”
The black-cloaked man replied indifferently, laced with disdain. “Those pampered nobles wouldn’t dare set foot in a place like this.”
“That’s good.”
Hearing this, the owner relaxed a little.
The cloaked man nodded and withdrew a slip of paper from within his cloak, handing it over:
“I have other matters to attend to. I’m leaving now. If you need new stock, go to this address.”
The owner took the note, his voice tense yet striving to remain composed.
The black-cloaked man’s figure gradually vanished into the night outside the tavern, the door slamming shut behind him with a bang. The tavern resumed its usual superficial calm.
Selena stirred slightly, whispering as she recalled the palm-sized familiar to her side.
With a gentle wave, the familiar’s body flickered into shadow and instantly latched onto the departing cloaked man.
Silently, it clung to him like a shadow, ready to record his every move.
Having done all this, Selena nodded toward Kyle and Julius inside the tavern from the shadows.
“Oh… looks like we’re pretty lucky tonight.”
Seeing the girl’s expression, Kyle grinned widely and quietly said to Julius, “Get ready. It’s time to make our move.”
So only two points of distribution it seems