Dreadful Offer
Shu watched the whole game from the side with a complicated expression, from where he was, he had noticed something the other players had not.
The whole game, Edrick was as cool as ice, absolutely unbothered, and most casually coughing up silver Leyens like they were pocket change to him.
'Well… I guess he is an Elt after all, he should have some pretty deep pockets…'
The inner disciple was just as flabbergasted as the rest when Anoteros won, because although it had seemed like he did, Edrick hadn't actually looked at his cards, he got them, did a small motion and then instantly put them down against the table with his index finger over them.
He had no idea, not even a single clue of what his hand looked like until the very end, Edrick just went in blindly and came out on top anyways, although, Shu suspected that he had been planning for all of the others to fold and that him having a better hand that Tusk was pure luck and nothing else.
Edrick casually picked up his silver Leyens and then lifted the pot full of copper Leyens.
"This should be enough to pay a round for everyone, right?" he said.
And thus, Shu ended up with his face plastered against the counter after being forced to drink some of that homebrew, which definitely wasn't easy on one's guts.
"It's still bright outside, what the hell am I doing here?" he wondered, his voice muffled by the wooden counter.
"Don't know how to handle alcohol, young one?" an unfamiliar voice startled him, lifting his head, he was met with a tall man bearing a thick moustache and dressed in somewhat similar manner as the halfling from earlier.
"Ah? Oh, not really no… I don't do that very regularly, it makes me feel like I am going to puke every time- Are you a barman here?"
"Indeed, you showed up alongside that big fellow right?"
"Yes? Is something the matter?"
"No, it's just that he has… Put my barmaid out of commission, you might say" his moustache shivered under his heavy sigh "And also a few of my patrons actually"
Shu thought that this man did not seem like the sort that usually worked in Gold Teeth's businesses, which was probably why this bar was actually doing better than the rest, due to the person in charge actually being competent.
"Although a bit of an odd character and a bit too close to employees, he is a good customer, I hope you'll both come back again" he said, sliding a cup of water over to Shu.
"Thanks… I have no idea whether or not he'll come back though… He is… A bit unpredictable?"
"Ah, a free spirit?" The barman's expression did not change, but he leaned forward.
"It's him, right? Zixuan Elt?" Shu blinked a couple of times.
"You are very well-informed… But I guess some disciple already spread the news throughout the city by now… What do you want?" sobering up without even drinking a drop of his water, Shu rubbed his chin.
"I knew that someone accompanying a scion like himself wouldn't be so simple… I have- Goods, of all kinds, the sort I know people of his wealth tend to enjoy and appreciate…" the barman was speaking in a low-tone, but his voice sounded crystal clear to Shu amidst the ruckus of the bar.
"I see, but I doubt he will be moved by such vague words, what do you have to offer, exactly?"
"Wouldn't it be best for me to speak to him directly?"
"You could say that I am under his employment" replied Shu.
"You're the one who smuggles things into the Myriad-Arm Sect?" the barman inquired.
"Perhaps"
"I see, then let me tell you… I have potions, pills, et cetera that were made illegal by the crown, a war trophy stolen from a noble's house amongst many valuable items… As well as-" he looked around again "-Slaves"
Shu's eye twitched at those last words.
"Leynlornd has made that prohibited for more than century now, if not more… The sentence is to be hanged, drawn and quartered, you know? No matter whether you are the one enslaving, selling or buying"
"Everybody knows this"
"And you're still partaking? Even the most vile of noble houses don't touch that subject with a stick…" Shu looked at the barman suspiciously, Leynlornd was built on the concept of wealth and economical perfection, even if some places were still incredibly poor, they were much rarer than in other nations, and the average wealth of a commoner was much higher as well comparatively.
As such, the rulers decided long ago to ban slavery within their borders, as it was revealed to not be conductive to the prosperity of the kingdom's wealth for a variety of reasons, and not being willing to leave any loopholes, the whole concept of slavery was banned and given a harsh punishment to deter anyone willing to try anyways.
Nowadays, the only people that work for free are criminals doing forced labour.
Really, the only slaves people might be willing to buy were those that could be easily hidden from the public's eyes, and even then, that was a dangerous game, the punishment for abducting someone and holding them against their will was less severe than slavery, so even the most deranged would rather do that instead.
Shu wasn't a beginner in making business however, and he quickly found a reason why the barman, or at least the person he was working for, probably Gold Teeth, would be willing to risk something so big.
"I assume that what you are offering is special?"
"You are more perceptive than you let on, indeed, I actually only have one in stock at the moment… And quite frankly, keeping her in good health is rather costly"
"She's a docilis succubus, they are very rare, and very valuable" he added, it was no wonder that he would be paying big money to keep her in good health, in fact, that was probably an understatement, he was probably spending enough money to feed multiple families for a year.
"Mmh, I am not certain that… Zixuan, is a dual cultivator, however" replied Shu.
"Heh? No way he isn't, he disappeared into the employee room with my barmaid, waitress and a few patrons, you need to be either crazy or a dual cultivator to do this sort of things, one of them was a harpy too, and not a nice one, those bite- Well anyways, make sure to inform him, I'll be waiting"
The barman moved away, and Shu allowed his face to pale.
'I don't want anything to do with this…'