The Adventurer's Mission Log

Chapter 18 Black Rose Tavern

The mission is complete. Tenor focuses on collecting the reward.

A black leather cloak appeared out of thin air and draped over him. His figure quickly faded and disappeared without a trace when the mad warrior swung his sword.

Tenor retreated three steps, but the madman seemed to sense his approximate location and chased after him with his next sword.

Fortunately, the knights of the church arrived, and Tenor slipped behind them and made a quick getaway.

The screams and blood-soaked roars coming from behind seemed to foreshadow the worst possible outcome.

"A blood sacrifice to the Blood God!"

Tenor couldn't help but look back, his heart pounding with fear.

The madman, surrounded by the Order's knights, was covered in dozens of wounds, yet he continued his slaughter as if he felt no pain.

The knights of the Normo Order were all professionals, yet he beheaded them in a single encounter.

His skills and strength were significantly inferior to those of the knights. The knight in front of him was cut down before he could even defend himself. The knight behind him handed him a sword, but the madman swept it across, forcing back the knights on the left and right. In the final trajectory, the blade smashed away the longsword behind him.

When surrounded, he inevitably had to defend himself, and knights often managed to hit him by chance. But he would simply slash back with his sword, and if he slew a new head, he would shout again, "Blood sacrifice to the Blood God!"

Three swords, now without their masters, were embedded in his left shoulder, abdomen, and side leg, yet they failed to hinder his slaughter.

What rank of warrior is this?

Seeing that the knights couldn't stop him, Tenor had no desire to get involved and left the courtyard without looking back.

Go back to help? He had no confidence in fighting against warriors of a much higher rank than himself.

Moreover, in the eyes of the Order's knights, half-humans are also people to be wary of; his presumptuous act of helping them might only bring trouble upon himself.

Tenor was initially relieved; had he answered the mad warrior's challenge earlier, he might already be a corpse.

After feeling relieved, my desire to become stronger is even greater than before.

If he were of mid-level rank, with the innate advantages of his race, he could easily contend with such a terrifying warrior! Why would he need to slink away in such a sorry state?

After retrieving his robes, he escaped through the front door. The knights of the Order seemed to have noticed something amiss; some rushed into the courtyard, while others ran to the church for help.

He felt much more at ease, knowing he would probably see the madman's corpse tomorrow. As the saying goes, even the strongest fists can't fight against four hands. Once the inner knights of the Knights Order arrived, even a legendary expert would perish.

After finishing his business there, he returned to the tavern to rest until midnight, then went out again, heading towards the Flower District in the northwest of the city, intending to explore the "Black Rose Tavern" that Reginald had mentioned.

If we're lucky, we might find clues about the fourth-order sublimation reagent there.

Due to events that occurred during the day, restrictions are stricter tonight.

Teams of law enforcement officers rigorously scrutinized the crowds venturing out late at night. Those half-humans like Tenor were easily caught, but fortunately, he possessed the "Shadow Cloak."

This cloak is exquisitely crafted, unlike ordinary magical items. Even when Tenor tried to tear it, it wouldn't break. Its functionality is also quite good.

The cloak has four large pockets inside that can be tied shut with rope, making it perfect for carrying things.

As you approach the square, you can look up and see the most prominent landmark—the castle standing in the heart of the city, with the governor's tower still lit up.

The battlements separated the square from the castle. Inside the castle was the solemn and austere administrative office of the general, while outside were flamboyant and unrestrained vendors and people.

In the square surrounding the castle, illuminated by oil lamps and torches, craftsmen and free men entertained themselves at the simple wooden tables of the food stalls.

The aroma of charcoal-grilled sausages filled the air, tempting Tenor, but he still bypassed the light and entered the flower-filled area.

The Temple of Sacred Heart is the heart of the Flower District, surrounded by several commercial streets. The section near the city wall is quieter, as it is home to the cemetery and the Church of Moor—the two are essentially the same.

The market in the courtyard of the Grand Library of Laghetti had many taverns, but none of them were clearly Tenor's target.

He wandered around the sparsely populated night market but couldn't find the Black Rose Tavern.

Could it be that Reginald is playing a trick on him?

Tenor leaned against the street corner, hesitant.

Then he noticed that people were occasionally going in and out of a dead-end alley next to a grocery store in the upscale shopping arcade, so he went closer to take a look.

Just as Tenor entered the alley, a suspicious person shrouded in a black cloak appeared out of nowhere, glanced around warily, but did not find Tenor.

He left in a hurry.

Tenor arrived at the spot where the man had appeared and tentatively took a step forward.

The darkness seemed to be rapidly painted with bold strokes of color, and suddenly a warm light peeked out from the low archway.

The bronze bells above the door jingled as if Internor had arrived, and everyone inside looked toward the entrance with wary eyes.

Tenor deactivated the effect of the 'Shadow Cloak' and stepped into the tavern. Everyone looked away, though one or two glances occasionally fell upon him.

A loud voice shouted from behind the bar:

"A new face!"

Tenor looked in the direction of the sound but saw no one.

"Damn it! Where are you looking?" The voice came from below, sounding offended.

When Tenor looked down, he noticed that it was a dwarf standing on a stool.

He had short black hair, and his khaki linen robe was faded from washing. He was barefoot.

Like every halfling, he was a young man shrunk to the same size, just over a meter tall, but with adult-sized hands and feet.

Tenor pretended to be looking at the menu, gently placing his shield and weapons on the table before speaking to the little boy with a kind smile: "A glass of mead."

The halfling muttered something in their language, perhaps an insult, and then began preparing drinks.

"Who recommended you?" the halfling inquired, seemingly casually.

"Reginald." Tenor scanned the interior of the tavern. The walls were covered in graffiti, meaningless messages and conversations left by customers. The most eye-catching sentence was:

Cry, girls! My sword has abandoned you; now it pierces a man's ass!

The next message was from another unrelated man: "Sevina, I don't care if you're pregnant."

One line is clearly a doodle replying to the previous one: "Fool, Sevina has had abortions for many people, but not you."

The halfling's slightly warm words came from behind:

"So you're a friend of His Excellency Nordruwa~"

Relax! You're new here, make yourself at home.

As long as you're not an undead, you're absolutely safe here—the Black Rose Knights guarantee our safety.

"I hope so. The last tavern that assured me it was safe was the Amethyst Wine House," Tenor said, continuing to peek around.

About ten people were seated in the guest area, each crowding onto a separate table. A middle-aged man who looked like a witch hunter was leaning against a corner, drinking alone.

Opposite the bar is a notice board with all sorts of mission requests posted on it.

Some are clearly expired—the commission, "The shipyard officer offers a reward of 10 gold coins for the water ghost at the outer city dock," is at the very top.

"If I were you, I wouldn't be staring at it like an idiot. Some guys have already died at the outer city docks." The halfling's tone was sarcastic, but it was a well-intentioned reminder.

Tenor smiled and didn't hold a grudge against the halfling. "I know, I was there last night."

He then asked, "How long have you been working here?"

The halfling pushed the earthenware cup filled with mead forward, raised his chin, and said with great pride, "My grandfather worked at this tavern, and later my father took over his position. Ten years ago, it was my turn to be the 'night watchman' of the Black Rose Tavern."

"So you know a lot of useful information?" Tenor leaned on the bar, picked up his glass, took a sip, and tasted a sweet wine made by mixing wine with honey.

He took out a gold coin and pushed it to the halfling, saying in a low voice, "Here's your change. This is a silver coin as a tip."

The halfling looked suspiciously into Tenor's eyes, then hurriedly covered the glint of the gold coin and quickly put it behind the bar.

He carefully rummaged through a handful of silver coins to make change, and his tone became slightly more amiable. "What would you like to know?"

He lowered his voice, slightly obsequious, but feeling he had lost face, he cleared his throat and switched back to his arrogant tone, "Don't expect to get any valuable information from 'Night Watch' Giovanni for a single silver coin."

Tenor gathered up the large amount of loose change and evenly distributed it into the various pockets of his cloak, carefully avoiding making too much noise.

"So, Giovanni, do you know where I can get fourth-order sublimation reagent in Laghetti?"

"Of course." Giovanni drawled out the word, as if hinting at something. Tenor took out another silver coin, and the halfling was still pondering. He took out three more, and the halfling was clearly tempted, but then lowered his head.

"Greedy dwarf!" Tenor cursed under his breath, pocketing the money and pretending to leave with his cup. Giovanni quickly called out to the big patron, "Three silver coins! You can get anything you want from Giovanni."

"Two," Tenor said firmly, sensing there was room for negotiation.

Giovanni looked slightly pained, but still made a deal gesture. After accepting the tip, he leaned on the bar and whispered to Tenor, "You should ask Simon the witch hunter. He's having trouble with the mad half-man in Pitiona."

He was a half-man from Sirhani, and I heard that he had served a Mamur in Banusirhan.

You'd better get the reagent clues you need out of him before the Shadow Hand assassins kill him—he and his companions know the sublimation reagent formula... which includes at least the fourth rank.

He took with him the core potion materials of the corresponding rank when he defected.

The Mamurs will stop at nothing to kill him, so you'd better act quickly if you need the reagent.

Reagent formulation?

Tenor's first reaction was not the joy of finding a clue, but unease—he had not forgotten that Reginald's teachers had all died trying to decipher the formula and being hunted by the "Hand of Shadows".

He stared at the data stream in front of him.

[Mission: Solve Simon the Witch Hunter's Troubles]

[Difficulty: Dangerous]

Status: Available

Should we give up? But if we miss this opportunity, who knows when we'll find another clue?

Tenor picked up his glass and drank, the image of the mad warrior's slaughter flashing through his mind, and the desire to become stronger burned in his heart.

Since that half-human has survived to this day, it means that Sylhani's assassins were not omniscient and omnipotent; at least there was a process of searching for the person.

He obtained the potion formula anonymously beforehand and did not actively spread it. Who would know that he possessed a fourth-tier formula?

Having the formula alone might not be enough, because Reginald also said that someone had cracked the formula with the help of a demon, but lacked the key material—but that traitorous half-human possessed the core material of the fourth rank.

He wasn't planning to crack the secrets of the reagent; he was just using existing materials to synthesize the reagent and further modify it. If he was careful, he might not be targeted.

Even if he's being targeted—it's just a dangerous mission... Well, this is the first time Tenor has taken on a dangerous mission, but there's always a first time in life.

If you're timid and hesitant, you'll probably never advance in your career.

[Mission: Solve Simon the Witch Hunter's Troubles]

[Difficulty: Dangerous]

[Reward: Power Belt]

[Status: In Progress]

The reward is quite good; activating the Power Belt will allow him to unleash giant-like strength for a short period of time.

Having great strength has its advantages—it means that if he manages to ambush a high-ranking warrior, he can use his giant strength to smash him into a pulp with a single blow, even if he is only a beginner.

He let out a long breath, tucked his weapon and shield under his left arm, and raised his wine cup as he approached the witch hunter who was drinking to relieve his boredom.