"I'm Guive." the man said, extending his right hand to Merenzo for a handshake.
"Oh? Ah, I'm Merenzo."
"I figured it'd be less dull to chat rather than spend the night apart as fellow watchers… But we should keep this from our masters, right?"
Guive said with a sly smile and a wink.
"Haha… Yes, let's do that."
"By the way, did that man with the peculiar gait go inside there?"
Guive asked, pointing to the warehouse of the House Vanas at the end of the alley, then mimicking Diverte's hunched, shoulder-drooping walk.
"Yes. Baron Pelta is Lord Ard's next opponent in the jousting tournament, and Lord Ard ordered me to ensure that Baron Pelta either doesn't show up for the next match or can't perform at his best. But while heading to Baron Pelta's residence, he suddenly changed direction and came here."
Merenzo explained with a sigh, settling back onto the wooden crate.
"Is a nobleman inside that warehouse? Perhaps enjoying a secret rendezvous?" Guive asked.
"I wish that were the case… Then my watch duty would be over for today. But it seems he just had a sudden change of mind and came here instead." Merenzo replied.
"Oh dear. Then let's substitute this for a toast of 'Waes hael.'"
Guive said, pulling out a large, corked bottle of dark green liquor from his pocket and handing it to Merenzo.
"Hmm? This is…"
"It's dwarven fireliquor. And it's a very tasty one. I bought it at the grand market in the Levados Plains, south of here."
"Uh… Is it alright to drink this?"
"Keh-heh. It's just the two of us, and as long as we don't get too drunk to see, it's fine. Our job only requires functioning eyes and legs." Guive said.
"Is that so…?"
"Even though it's fireliquor, it's not that strong, so just taste it. We have to pass this long night somehow, and our masters are probably asleep, so we won't have to report smelling of liquor. Lord Ard won't wake up until after sunrise anyway. Heh heh heh."
"I see. Then, thank you…"
Phong
Following Merenzo's words of thanks, the cheerful sound of the cork being pulled echoed.
"Kieeeuu."
Merenzo let out a satisfied sound, his face lighting up with pleasure as he felt the liquor sting his tongue, warm his chest, and heat his stomach.
"It's good, isn't it? After tasting it at the grand market, I was so captivated by the flavor that I bought five bottles. I'm glad to share the last two with a colleague in the same line of work." Guive said.
"Thank you. It's rare to find such liquor, and I'm grateful you shared it."
"Oh, don't mention it. I'm just happy to have one more person on the continent who appreciates this taste. Hahaha."
Guive's hearty laughter rang through the alley. It might have been a bit loud for a watcher's laugh, but since the only other sound was the meowing of cats, the two watchers clinked their bottles and drank, setting aside their duties for a moment to enjoy the two bottles of fireliquor and their conversation in the dark alley.
"So, this watch is several times harder than usual. Even though I'm hiding and watching Diverte from a distance, he looks at me with those eerie eyes and smiles… Ugh. It's hard to describe how unsettling that is."
Merenzo said, his tongue loosened by the warming fireliquor.
"So, you hired the infamous madman with the curved sword. Tell me more. Lord Krathu would love to hear more details about his two brothers. Of course, I'll never reveal where I heard this information—not even to Lord Krathu himself. Heh heh heh."
Guive said with a sly smile, taking a big gulp of his drink.
"Yes, ask me anything. I'll answer whatever you want."
Merenzo replied, his eyes relaxed and his mind dulled by the alcohol, responding to Guive's many questions without hesitation.
Their conversation continued, and they had nearly emptied their bottles when Merenzo's vision began to blur.
"Ugh… Why are my eyes… like this…?"
His eyelids grew heavy, and he couldn't muster the will to resist the drowsiness.
"Heh heh. I added a few drops of my special dwale to the last sip. It's working well, isn't it?"
Guive said with a smile, looking at Merenzo, who was barely keeping his eyes open.
"I've heard everything I need to. Sleep well, Merenzo."
Leaving Merenzo slumped against the crate, Guive walked toward the end of the alley. As the cold night wind blew through his cape, he winced at the pain from a recent wound across his neck and pulled his cape tighter.
"Now, let's begin Gulick's revenge! Starting with the smallest Kavil. Hahaha."
Laughter echoed. Gulick de Louss. He was beginning to write the prologue of his revenge.
Extra Chapter: Scholars of the Library
The Great Library of Ves-Dinas. Few libraries on the continent can rival the size of this vast sanctuary of knowledge in the great city.
In the outdoor garden next to the library, two scholars sat on a bench.
Grand Duke Varnavil Vanas and his son Ratak Vanas had gathered experts from across the continent to aid in the protection of the kingdom and the management of the estate. These were the scholars.
Green leaves, fragrant flowers, and plants with long, graceful leaves stretched out in the garden. The garden, meticulously designed to change with the seasons, soothed the eyes of scholars tired from reading and refreshed their noses, accustomed to the smell of ink.
One of the two scholars sitting in the garden was a dwarf, so short that his head only reached halfway up the back of the chair.
With a thick red beard and arms too muscular for a scholar, he carefully lifted a small cup to his lips, avoiding his long beard, and savored the taste.
"It's good, Ackshoht. The balance of sourness and bitterness wakes up my drowsy mind."
The dwarf scholar said, wiping his beard with his index finger and addressing the dark-skinned man sitting across from him.
Ackshoht, with his dreadlocked hair, also took a sip from his cup and set it down on the table.
"Is that all you have to say about the finest Kohwa from the Cobalt Archipelago? Can't you be a bit more refined? You dwarves are known for your discerning taste in fireliquor."
Ackshoht said, his white teeth contrasting with his dark skin.
"Hmm! Then let's see… The texture is smooth, and there's a honey-like sweetness hidden behind the bitterness."
The dwarf said, rolling the Kohwa in his mouth before swallowing and carefully choosing his words.
"The scent and taste of peaches. As the Kohwa cools, it becomes more pronounced. The flavor is soft, with a sweet grape aftertaste lingering after it goes down. It's excellent Kohwa. How's that? A dwarf's appraisal of fine Kohwa."
Satisfied, the dwarf smiled and refilled his empty cup. He gazed at the deep blue-black liquid with narrowed eyes, savoring the aroma rising from the cup before leaning back in his chair.
"The initial taste of peaches and the lingering grape flavor are characteristic of Kohwa beans from Pamera Island, the southernmost island in the Cobalt Archipelago. You caught it well."
"Haha. Is that a compliment? It feels good to receive praise from a Ruudite, who's usually stingy with compliments! Hahaha."
The dwarf's hearty laughter rang out.
"The relationship between the Ruudites of the Cobalt Archipelago and Kohwa is deeply rooted in history and culture. We take great pride in its taste."
"By the way, why do you only use the seeds of the Kohwa fruit and not the pulp? I've never seen the pulp being used."
The dwarf asked, peering closely at the color of the Kohwa in his cup.
"Well… The Kohwa fruit starts fermenting quickly once picked, and there's very little pulp to begin with. In the past, they used to dry the pulp and boil the dried fruit, but that's not done anymore."
Ackshoht replied, tucking a stray lock of hair back into his dreadlocks.
"Anyway, BasShula, how's the research on the fire arrows that Lord Ratak mentioned? Is it going well?"
"Ah… It's still different from what I had in mind, but I've overcome the toughest challenges."
"Oh? Last time, you were worried about how to keep the fire lit at the arrow's tip."
"Yes, that was the start. You might think a fire arrow is just an arrow with an oil-soaked tip set aflame, but if you shoot it without containing the fire, the flame goes out as soon as it leaves the bow. It becomes nothing more than a cold arrow—or perhaps a 'warm' one, considerately heated for the target. Hahaha!"
BasShula slapped his thigh and laughed heartily before continuing, while Ackshoht, unimpressed by the dwarf's joke, raised one eyebrow and pursed his lips before taking another sip of Kohwa.
"So, to solve that, I mixed arsenic, saltpeter, and charcoal powder, wrapped it in diluted resin below the arrowhead to contain the fire just enough so it doesn't go out while flying. It was tricky to find the right balance of resin and oil to keep the fire burning without smothering it."
"Hmm, I see. Adding arsenic to make the smoke toxic is clever, but it might be too difficult to manage. Remember when we gave soldiers powder for smoke signals mixed with poisonous mushroom spores, and it led to accidents?"
"Ugh… Then I'll have to make the arsenic powder separately… Maybe dig a hole, pour it in, and light it with a fuse. Thanks, Ackshoht. You've given me something to improve."
"If the soldiers handle the fire arrows carefully, there shouldn't be any issues, but it's better to prevent even small accidents."
"I agree." BasShula nodded, showing his agreement with Ackshoht's words.