3 bar menu

139. Luck and Effort

「No. I don’t know what it is… but it ain’t that. It’s something else. Damn it all…」

「Doesn’t make sense… The bar was finally starting to get on track. You should be grateful luck’s on your side for once, or it might just turn on you.」

The word ‘luck’ stuck in Altora’s mind. Fate always tossed people around, and it was never fair. Only a handful of the strong could live without being ruled by fortune.

「Luck, huh… Back then, we didn’t give a damn about that. If luck didn’t come our way, we’d force it to with sheer power. Isn’t that right?」

「Maybe so, but it’s a little late for that now. Besides, if you think about it, our Unique Skills—[Obsidian] and [Sword Saint]—those only came to us by chance, didn’t they?」

「Hah? You trying to say the ‘Divine Silver Sword’ was just a bunch of lucky bastards?」

「D-Don’t be stupid. I staked my whole life on that. But you can’t deny the fact that our party was built on our Unique Skills. Do you really think we could’ve made it to S-rank without them?」

There was no need to even consider the answer—it was ‘no’. And so, Altora asked himself:

What had his life been like up until now? What would he have done without his Unique Skill?

「I became an adventurer, clawed my way to S-rank, got one foot into the nobility, and then fell into this sorry mess of a life—all because of ‘Sword Saint’… Yeah. That’s it.」

「What? You figure something out?」

「This bar is… the first thing in my life that has nothing to do with ‘Sword Saint’.」

He glanced around the gaudy little shop before opening hours. The place had once been a decrepit bar on the verge of collapse, patched up and decorated as best they could. You couldn’t call it luxurious in the slightest. The trial and error behind its current look still peeked through.

Originally, they’d aimed to make it the strongest dive bar for rowdy types. But through twist after twist, it had become a maid-themed establishment. Nothing had gone according to plan. It was hardly the destination of a successful man. And yet—he, Mina, and the others had worked together through thick and thin to make it into their castle.

Reviving this place had nothing to do with his ‘Sword Saint’ skill. The only things that did matter were the sweat on his brow and the worn-out soles of his boots. And because of that—because of that alone—there was something here. Something Altora couldn’t quite put into words.

Just then, Eria turned her gaze toward the entrance.

「Warning: customer approaching.」

「Tch, now of all times? Must be the liquor supplier coming to collect.」

「Unlikely. It is neither Mr. Heinz the brewer nor Mr. Walter the cooper.」

With a click of his tongue, Altora straightened his tie at Eria’s remark.

Bars opened at the end of the day. It was still early afternoon—way too soon to be serving drinks.

「We ain’t open yet. Come back when the sun’s halfway down—huh?」

「Hmm. Even so, I’d advise you open right now.」

「Remonde!? What the hell do you want?」

The person who walked in wasn’t a day-drinking drunk or a supplier.

It was Remonde, the woman who led the Vehl Family.

「Is that any way to greet a guest? Never mind that—better get this place open.」

「Why the hell would I do that?」

「Because today’s your last day.」

She snapped her thin fingers. At the sharp sound, green-haired men poured into the bar.

「I’m doing you the favor of letting you open one last time.」

「What the hell’s going on? We already settled the old man’s debts, didn’t we?」

「It’s not about that. One of our bases got wiped out earlier today. The one that made that medicine you’re so fond of.」

「…And what’s that got to do with me?」

「The culprit’s a guy called Marge Siu, the Skill Lender. Came from over the mountains. Ring any bells?」

「Tch!」

Altora almost let his expression slip at the mention of the familiar name. Eria’s face, already expressionless, didn’t change. The problem was Gordon.

The big man clearly flinched, and Remonde’s lips twisted upward.

「Well, now that you’ve all pretended not to know anything, let’s get to the point. What, you think I don’t know about your connection to Marge? I even know he came to this bar yesterday.」

「So you did know. Real nice, fishing for reactions like that.」

What’s next, mold growing on her soul too? Altora muttered, whether loud enough for her to hear or not. Remonde snorted through her nose.

「You’re the one who tipped Marge off to our base, aren’t you, Altora?」

「Don’t know what you’re talking about. Maybe one of your idiots got followed. You got any proof?」

「Oh? Do I need any?」

「Fair enough.」

No proof, no guilt. Innocent until proven guilty.

That only applied in the public eye. In this place, it meant nothing.

Remonde had said it before: don’t ever cross the Vehl again—there wouldn’t be a second chance.

「Altora. Time to pay the price… or so I’d like to say. But I’ll give you a chance.」

「A chance?」

「I don’t know or care what happened between you and Marge. But he came here, and you talked. That’s close enough.」

「‘Close’? Don’t make me sick. I’ve got nothing but hate for the guy.」

「Even better.」

She produced a bottle of wine. At first glance, it looked ordinary—sweet red wine born of different soil than Abik’s.

「Give this to Marge. Get him to drink it. Do that, and I’ll let this incident slide. I’ll even let you buy as much of that medicine as you want.」

「So you want me to help with your revenge.」

「That’s part of it, sure. Think of it that way if it helps.」

「So you’ve got a plan, but you’re not telling me what it is. Fine, but I’ll warn you—poison won’t work on that guy.」

「Oh, I know.」