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Join the ServerThe Dream Tavern, the only place in the royal capital that was perpetually packed and boisterous, year-round.
It stood on the other side of the central district, near the upper district, directly opposite the Adventurers’ Guild, with the upper district separating them.
If the Adventurers’ Guild was considered the royal capital’s industrial zone, a place for adventurers to work, then the Dream Tavern was, without a doubt, a haven for people to rest and unwind.
The tavern itself was a colossal structure, designed to resemble the main hold of a pirate ship. A tall mast rose from its roof, displaying a canvas painting of clinking wine glasses.
Its identity as a tavern was unmistakable at first glance.
Customers streamed in and out of the tavern, their faces alight with joyful smiles, whether tipsy or sober.
Tonight, they were destined to have sweet dreams.
This was the origin of the Dream Tavern’s name.
Outside the tavern, two barmen stood at the entrance, welcoming guests.
At noon, the flow of customers had largely subsided, leaving few new arrivals at the door.
The two barmen huddled together, chatting idly while keeping an eye on their surroundings.
“Why haven’t we seen the little beggar today?”
“I don’t think I saw him yesterday either.”
“Bullshit! He was here yesterday. I even said hello to the kid when I got off work last night. He was thoughtful enough to buy me a drink, hehe.”
“Damn… how could you! You’d even take advantage of that little guy?”
“What’s there to be ashamed of? Let me tell you, that kid has secretly come into a bit of money recently. I’ve seen him spending quite lavishly.”
“What kind of money?”
“Who knows? But you, when did you become so conscientious, caring about a little beggar?”
“Haha, you’re overthinking it. What I meant was, how could you not invite me along when there was a chance to profit? That’s just not right.”
“Hahaha… Next time for sure, next time for sure.”
Just as the two barmen were chatting animatedly, a voice abruptly cut in:
“Excuse me, could I bother you for a moment?”
“Ah!”
The barmen jumped in surprise, only then noticing an elegant and dashing man standing behind them. His appearance suggested he was no ordinary person.
They quickly lowered their demeanor, offering a fawning smile. “Young master, welcome to the Dream Tavern. Please, come in.”
“Hmm, I’m quite interested in the little beggar you were just discussing. Could you tell me more about him?”
The barmen were puzzled as to why such a wealthy young man would be interested in a mere beggar.
“Young master, why do you ask?”
The man in white smiled and explained, “To be frank, I am from the Kingdom of North Rus and am here for sightseeing. I’m very interested in your country’s customs and culture, especially the lives of the common people. Could you two perhaps tell me a bit about them?”
The barmen nodded in understanding and proceeded to tell the man about the beggar.
The man listened thoughtfully, expressing his gratitude.
Just as the two barmen anticipated a generous tip from the foreign young master, several more customers arrived at the door.
Although they still wanted to gain some benefit from the man, their duties came first, so they had no choice but to attend to the other guests.
After they finished their work there, they turned back only to find that the foreign young master had vanished without a trace.
“Damn it, what the hell, he slipped away so fast…”
The barmen grumbled, annoyed at having wasted so much time without receiving any compensation.
But the man in white had disappeared, and there was nothing they could do.
****
“What took you so long?”
In the Adventurers’ Guild VIP room, Roland looked at Lubo, who had returned in a rush, and complained impatiently. He was growing quite restless.
The lunch hour had already passed, and they had managed to fill their stomachs with the guild’s provisions.
Not long after eating, Lubo returned to the Adventurers’ Guild, carrying a large black sack on his back.
He offered Roland a perfunctory smile, then excitedly rushed over to Su Mu. “Boss, I’ve completed the task you assigned me. Unfortunately, the little beggar has indeed passed away. I found his body under a bridge in the lower district.”
As expected, Su Mu nodded, looking at the large bag Lubo had brought back. He asked curiously, “So, what did you bring back?”
Lubo chuckled, opening the mouth of the bag and revealing its contents to Su Mu.
It was a pile of dirty, tattered clothes.
“These are… the little beggar’s clothes? It seems you already have an idea.”
Su Mu regarded him with approval.
“Exactly. Based on the scene, the little beggar died this morning. The killer acted in a very secluded spot, so not many people should know about his death yet.”
Lubo paused, seeing Su Mu’s expectant gaze, and felt greatly encouraged. He continued, “As long as we find a plausible reason to ‘resurrect’ the little beggar and then use his identity to operate in the tavern, I believe the person behind this will be unable to restrain themselves and will attempt a second assassination. At that point, we can spring a trap. What do you think, Your Highness?”
Su Mu clapped his hands in satisfaction. “Excellent. You’ve truly mastered this ‘fishing expedition’ tactic. Very well, proceed with your plan. I await your good news.”
“Yes, Boss!”
Although he didn’t understand the meaning of the unfamiliar term ‘fishing expedition’ from his boss, he could sense the high hopes in Su Mu’s words and responded excitedly.
The other members of the Aha Adventurer Group were all delighted that their boss’s first mission for their group had been completed to his satisfaction.
What made them even happier was that Su Mu had already given them an advance payment as a bonus.
Seeing the large wad of colorful banknotes Katusha casually pulled out, their eyes turned green with envy, and they were instantly filled with hope for a brighter future.
They even resolved to perfectly complete all tasks assigned by Su Mu, striving for a longer employment period.
With Lubo’s news, Su Mu’s plan for the day was complete.
He gathered the members of the Aha Adventurer Group and further allocated their future courses of action:
“Lubo, proceed with the infiltration as planned. While ensuring the mission’s progress, you must prioritize your own safety, understand?”
“Yes!”
Lubo’s face glowed. This feeling of being valued, of not being disliked due to his appearance, intoxicated him.
For the first time, he felt such joy in executing a mission, genuinely wanting to assist the Second Prince.
Not just him, but the other members of the Aha Adventurer Group felt the same, eagerly anticipating their own assignments.
Su Mu continued to arrange:
“Bigg, Allyfin, Fukus, the three of you stay at the Adventurers’ Guild. Investigate the underground channels for other adventurers to purchase holy water, and report back to me promptly.”
“Yes, Boss!”
Brucie, who had listened for a long time without hearing his own task, asked somewhat confusedly, “Boss, what about me? What should I do?”
Su Mu looked at him, narrowed his eyes, and grinned mischievously:
“You’re coming back to the palace with me.”
“Huh?”
This arrangement completely bewildered Brucie, leaving him speechless for a moment.
Su Mu clapped his hands with a smile. “Alright, then our Aha Joint Operation, first meeting, concludes successfully. Everyone, actively complete your tasks. I look forward to your good news!”
“Yes!”
Finally able to return to the palace to rest, Katusha and Roland were utterly exhausted.
Su Mu was also quite fatigued. He set off for the palace, bringing his new member, Brucie, along.
Behind them, the faint voices of the other Aha Adventurer Group members could be heard:
Lubo: “Aha Joint Operation? What’s that?”
Bigg: “No idea. It’s a new term the boss came up with. Don’t question it. We just need to be tools who shout, ‘Boss is awesome!’”
Allyfin: “Why is the boss taking Brucie back to his palace?”
Fukus: “What else could two grown men do? Of course, it’s to go back and have some intimate fencing~”
Fukus let out a lewd, bell-like laugh.
Su Mu, walking ahead, stumbled involuntarily.
His face twitched.
‘As expected of a fox-girl, they’re all equally perverse!’
Brucie naturally heard Fukus’s words, and looked at Su Mu with fear, an urge to escape subtly rising within him.
Roland suddenly turned around, placing a hand on Su Mu’s shoulder, and said with deep affection:
“Susumu, if you really like that kind of thing, just come to me! I’m much more experienced than this simpleton!”
Su Mu pushed Roland away, his face dark, and couldn’t help but roar, “Get lost!!!”
The adventure continues! If you loved this chapter, How to Avoid Regression is a must-read. Click here to start!
Read : How to Avoid Regression
