27 No Need for a Searching Party (1/2)

”Hey.. is the tavern still open?..” Daniel asked to the unbelieving crowd of guards. Then, without even waiting for a reply, he walked past them and in the direction of the tavern.

The guard on duty turned towards one of the patrols and said ”..Notify the head hunter, now!”

The patrol turned around and ran towards the head hunter's tent.

Five days had passed since Daniel's last meal, and he didn't feel like talking to anyone, at least until he put something in his stomach. He made his way across the base camp's quiet streets, and reached the tavern in just a few minutes.

In front of the head hunter's tent, the patrol was standing politely. ”Sir, there are news about the kid you've sent us to look for..”

The tent opened immediately, and inside it, a bare chested man appeared. The half naked man was very large, with well defined muscles, and a few deep scars which marked them in an unmistakable way.

Behind this large man's body was a bed, above which, a naked and flushed woman could be seen laying confusedly. This large man, was the head hunter Kier.

”What about him?! Have you found him?” Kier asked in agitation.

”No sir.. he came back on his own..” Responded the patrol awkwardly. He then composed himself and added ”He asked if the tavern was open.. he should be headed there.”

The head hunter grabbed a shirt from above his dresser, and put it on messily. He then left his tent and headed towards the tavern.

-----

Daniel entered the tavern in awful conditions. His clothes were a wreck, and in his hand, he carried the decapitated head of the commander scorpion, with knives still stuck in it.

Despite the hour, the tavern was full. Most of the tables were occupied by a large number of people who wore the same type of armor. A full black leather armor with a mountain peak carved in silver on their chest, and left shoulder.

The rest of the tables were occupied by a few hunters, which for some reason, looked intimidated to a point where they keep their tones down. The only empty tables were those immediately next to another isolated table.

At this isolated table, four people were sitting. Two of these four people, were beautiful girls in their late teens whose revealing clothes left little to imagination. The mission of the two girls seemed to be to seduce the man in his early twenties next to whose sides they sat.

This man's clothes were refined and elegant, and were marked with the same silver peak carved on the armors which many people within the bar wore. On his chest, was a golden brooch which had the shape of a pickaxe crossed with a shovel. The hairstyle of this man alone showed a rich upbringing.

The last person, was a rigid looking middle aged man. This middle aged man wore the exact same black leather armor that the rest wore, and long cape of a dark grey color. On the left corner of this cape, a symbol identical to the other man's brooch was sewn in silver, while on the right corner, a silver mountain peak was depicted.

A silver pattern on the edges of his armor pieces, aside from the cape, was the only thing that differentiated this man's armors from the rest.

Daniel slowly approached the counter and asked for any dish that didn't require a long time to prepare. He then walked towards one of the few empty tables, placed the scorpion's heads on it, and sat quietly.

”WHAT'S THIS REEK!?” Shouted the rich young man, now sitting less than two meters away from Daniel.

One of the two girls giggled and responded in a coquettish manner ”Young master Jite is right.. such a foul stench!”

The other girl, trying not to be left behind, added immediately ”I believe it is the tramp that just sat behind you, Young master Jite” She then giggled, while squeezing her soft peaks together with her arms.

The young master turned around, and noticed Daniel quietly sitting at the table behind him. He immediately got up, but as he was about to make a scene, the middle aged man's voice resounded within his ears. It said only two words ”Young master..”

The young master immediately turned to look at the middle aged guard, and as their eyes met, the guard shook his head lightly.

”He is just a brat!” Complained the young master.

The guard sighed and added ”That's the head of a rank 4 beast.”

”SO WHAT?!” Shouted the young master. ”Aren't you a rank 4 warrior?! Kick him out of here!” He then ordered.

The middle aged guard sighed once more, then got up on his feet and approached Daniel's table. ”I have to ask you to leave.” He said after getting only two meters away from Daniel.

Daniel looked at him, and immediately, he realized that this middle aged guard was no simple goon. Nevertheless, he had no intention of leaving. He had spent too much time without touching food, and even if he didn't feel the passing of time while cultivanting, he still felt the built up hunger when he woke up.

The fact that he hadn't jumped on another person's table to steal their food, was already a miracle.

The guard had no weapons on him, which told Daniel that he probably was a martial artist. He would have usually avoided a fight he had few chances of winning, but this time, Daniel decided to be stubborn.

While looking at the middle aged man, he said ”I'm going nowhere until I eat something.” He then turned around once more, and kept waiting quietly.

The entire tavern quietened, and every single one of the soldiers in black armor turned to look at Daniel.