Chapter 98: Reunion
“Why are you so distracted? Is it because you’re not used to the environment?” Eleanor asked, leaning closer to Bai, who was sitting silently at a table.
They were now in a tavern, and Eleanor had taken a job as a waitress, to avoid drawing too much attention.
And Bai had seen another side of Eleanor, her ability to effortlessly navigate the boisterous crowd of beastkin adventurers, using her youthful appearance to her advantage.
She had already gathered a considerable amount of information about the festival.
If Bai had been the one doing the information gathering… well, she probably would have just beaten them all up and interrogated them.
It was hard to believe that someone with Eleanor’s personality was the Holy Maiden of the Bewildering Forest.
In novels and in reality, elven Holy Maidens were usually aloof, ethereal beings, their faces a mask of indifference.
But Eleanor… her face was a constant whirlwind of emotions, and she was currently grinning from ear to ear.
If the elves of the Bewildering Forest saw their revered Holy Maiden, working as a waitress in a beastkin tavern…
Well, Eleanor was an exception, in every sense of the word.
But Bai’s distraction wasn’t due to the noisy tavern.
She had been to many taverns before, with her Sharp Assault squad, after a successful mission.
Although she didn’t drink much, she had always joined in the celebrations.
The taverns in the Wild God Altar were similar to the human ones, except for the fact that they were filled with beastkin.
“I feel like… someone is watching me…” she said, her voice low. The feeling had been there for a while now.
But the gaze was… neutral, without any emotion, so she couldn’t pinpoint its source.
“There are a lot of people here,” Eleanor said, discreetly pouring some of the customer’s wine into her own glass and placing it on the table. “This is what taverns are like. If you’re not used to it, you can go back.”
“It’s not that…”
Bai didn’t know how to explain it. She shook her head. “It’s fine. You go on with your work. I’ll just sit here.”
“Alright!” Eleanor said, pushing the glass towards Bai. “You can have some if you’re thirsty.”
“…Isn’t that the customer’s wine?” Bai asked, eyeing the glass. She had seen her pour it.
“It’s fine, it’s fine. It’s an unspoken rule here. As long as you don’t take too much, they don’t mind,” Eleanor said with a wave of her hand, then, balancing the tray of drinks, she went back to her work.
Bai hesitated, then took a sip of the wine, her brow furrowing.
…It was much worse than the wine in the Empire. It was practically watered down. She could barely taste the alcohol.
No wonder the beastkin didn’t mind. They were probably just here for the atmosphere.
“That’s an indirect kiss, damn it!” Isabelle fumed in Bai’s shadow.
But with so many beastkin around, and her face on a wanted poster, she didn’t dare to show herself.
So, she could only curse Eleanor in the darkness.
Just then, as Bai was getting bored, a tall figure appeared before her, and a low voice asked, “Excuse me, may I sit here?”
Bai looked up to see two figures in black cloaks, one tall and slender, the other shorter, slightly hunched, as if old.
Of course, they were both much taller than her. One was at least six-foot-three, the other over five-foot-seven.
She looked around. There were no other empty tables. “Yes,” she said.
It seemed they were just looking for a place to sit, not trying to cause trouble.
“Thank you,” the voice said again, and this time, Bai heard it more clearly.
Although still low, she could hear a certain clarity in it. And it was familiar.
…Why did everyone seem so familiar lately?
She didn’t dwell on it, simply taking another sip of her wine.
It was surprisingly refreshing.
After the two figures sat down, the shorter one kept looking around nervously, while the taller one was staring at Bai, making her uncomfortable.
“Is it good?” the taller one asked, her voice no longer low, but clear and melodious.
It was a woman. And a very, very familiar one.
“…Lin Yan?”
Bai’s pupils constricted, and she quickly lowered her head, hiding her expression.
Although she knew Lin Yan was at the Wild God Altar, she hadn’t expected to meet her so soon.
And she hadn’t expected her to be in disguise…
If that was Lin Yan, then the other one must be Uncle Lin.
And she was right. Lin Yan and Uncle Lin had come to gather information about the festival.
The scouts she had sent earlier had all been captured by Queen Arachne. Although she had promised to release them, it would be after the festival.
So, Lin Yan had had to come herself, to familiarize herself with the area.
Although the beastkin had only prepared an offering for her, Uncle Lin wasn’t very strong, so the offering required for him was small, and Lin Yan had quickly gathered it.
And as the saying goes, a tavern is always the best place to gather information.
So, she had come here, hoping to hear something interesting.
…And by a strange coincidence, Bai and Eleanor had had the same idea, and had arrived much earlier.
Lin Yan stared at Bai. She found this little beastkin strangely… cute, her small hands clutching the wine glass, her sips so delicate.
So, she couldn’t help but strike up a conversation.
“…”
Uncle Lin sighed inwardly. Miss was still as impulsive as ever.
After realizing who it was, Bai remained silent, nodding slightly.
Lin Yan, seeing her drink with such relish, also ordered a few drinks.
A moment later, another waitress brought them, and Lin Yan, with eager anticipation, took a large gulp, then her expression turned strange.
She looked at the waitress. “Did you bring me the wrong order? I ordered wine…”
