Village Head's Debauchery
chapter-1038

"How is it? Is it enough value to purchase this bar's best delicacies?" Orion asked.

The bartender's lips curved with mirth. "Alright. Our best delicacies are barlit fried beef, fresh-minted pukilis leaves, fermented relogry fruit wine, freshly skimmed breastmilk, and almond lire fruit wine. Would you like all of them, or do you prefer one?" She eyed the mysterious cloaked figure, fascinated. In all her years as a bar owner, she had never encountered a fruit like the one he had presented.

Having dealt with numerous cloaked figures who concealed more than they revealed, she had become adept at handling such situations and extracting the information she desired.

Although she suspected he might be from the Upper Ward or even higher, she couldn't dismiss the possibility that this mysterious individual was connected to the recent disappearances within the residential areas.

If he was from the Upper Ward or higher, it could mean establishing a lucrative connection to obtain more of these fruits at a profitable cost. However, if her suspicions about his involvement in the disappearances were correct, it would be... troublesome.

"I'll take the Barlit Fried Beef," Orion responded.

Given the limited amount of edible resources, he wasn't surprised that breastmilk was considered a delicacy here. He had already learned that each race or society had varying degrees of conservatism and were tolerant of each other. Otherwise, the Four-eared Elves and Pixies wouldn't have survived living alongside his people and the Prismerions.

Orion was curious about the process they used to treat it before serving it to the public.

The bartender's smile widened, "Okay. I'll be back in a few minutes, Mr," she nodded before walking away. "Lirae, Calel! Handle the rest of the tables; I'll be back in a few minutes!" she called out loudly.

Orion shifted his gaze to the side and saw two Aarakocras-a man in a brown shirt and black trousers and a woman in a brown midi dress with black embellishments down the waistline. Both nodded in response before refocusing their attention on the customers before them. Two more staff members accompanied them, busy attending to the other patrons.

Orion looked around at the warriors, a few of the gods' chosens, and various individuals he couldn't discern due to their attire. Some wore oversized sleeves, making it difficult to tell if they were gods' chosen, which would make anyone doubt they were ordinary residents. However, since the Midnight Butcher Bar wasn't a place where ordinary mortals could walk in as they wished, Orion didn't make the mistake of drawing such a conclusion.

The inside of the bar was wide enough to accommodate twenty, eight-seater rectangular tables. From the noises above the stairs, he understood that there was another bar upstairs.

After surveying his surroundings, Orion withdrew his gaze. Within fifteen minutes, he sensed the bartender finally approaching him once more.

"Sorry for the wait, Mr. I had to make it extra special since you have the potential to become a VIP customer. Enjoy," said the bartender, placing a tray with two covered plates. She lifted the lid, revealing a light purple medium-sized steak and a reddish-brown sauce in another dish. Orion nodded, taking note of the Devourer's Bracelet on her other hand, indicating she was one of the gods' chosen. It now made sense why other gods' chosen would decide to hang out here and not cause any trouble. He was even tempted to use his mask to gauge her strength but decided against it. There was no need for him to break his cover now.

Focusing on the meal before him, Orion addressed why he came here rather than digging in. "You mentioned there have been some troublemakers recently. Do you have more information regarding that?" he asked.

The bartender, who was about to leave Orion to enjoy his meal and attend to other guests, halted. "Yes, I do. I don't do this often, but since you're a bit special, Mr, I'll answer all your questions if you're willing to trade more of this fruit," she said, her gaze fixed on him with a smile.

She sighed internally, realizing that the mysterious man wasn't related to the sudden disappearances. This meant she could quickly form a connection to obtain more of these extraordinary fruits.

Orion brought out two fruits and placed them on the table. "Tell me everything you know, and don't hold back."

The bartender's eyes widened at the sight of the fruits. She snatched them from the table, her smile broadening. She noticed various gazes directed towards them, but a sharp glare from her made the onlookers quickly avert their eyes.

"Always so nosy," the bartender snorted, her gaze refocusing on the bar.

"Alright, listen closely," she began, leaning in slightly. "There's been a lot of tension lately. People have been disappearing, and it's got everyone on edge. It all began three days after the Supreme Leader of Paradise's announcement and the defeat of the Trekking Flamingo Runaway City. Disappearances started occurring in the Lower Ward."

"At first, we thought the news had driven some to take their own lives, trying to escape whatever fate awaited them after the defeat. I suspected something was wrong but couldn't pin it down. However, as hours passed, more people began vanishing, moving from the Lower to the Middle Ward. And every one of them was a Dragmin."

"Rumors are flying that the nobles are trying to resist Paradise, plotting to challenge them and ensure the Runaway city's freedom. Others believe that Paradise views the Dragmins as a threat since they were the only ones able to stand up to them before our defeat."

"I doubt the latter," the bartender said, shaking her head. "From what we've seen of Paradise's power four days ago, those individuals are far from mere mortals. They could have easily resorted to direct execution and genocide, cutting the threat off at the root. So it's unlikely they'd go to such lengths unless there's more to it. Still, I could be wrong since we know little about these mysterious force or their intentions."