Cartethyia Wreaks Havoc at the Neon Tavern

The Neon Tavern was one of the gathering places for Ashihara people in Septimont.

Standing outside, one could clearly hear unrestrained laughter. Listen closer, and faint sobbing could be heard too. The two sounds mingled as they squeezed through the crack in the door, grating on the ears.

"Hahaha... These orphaned Resonators from Septimont really are useful. They don't fight back when we hit them or talk back when we curse them. Drain the resonance power of ten of them in a day, and we have enough energy to run the tavern for three days."

The speaker was Lu Sha, the tavern's manager.

He had a shifty face, a pointed mouth, and sunken cheeks. His triangular eyes were always narrowed, and the corners of his mouth turned downward. He was as thin as a bamboo pole, yet insisted on wearing an oversized kimono that hung loosely on him. When he walked, he looked like a swaying bamboo skewer.

He clutched a long whip, its tip stained dark red. As he spoke, he tapped it against his palm now and then. His triangular eyes swept over the children huddled in the corner, and his grin grew especially gleeful.

"Keep screaming! Louder! Otherwise, we won't enjoy listening!"

He shouted toward the corner, and several children clung to one another in fright, crying even harder.

"Cry, cry, that's all you know how to do! You Resonators are walking time bombs, born to be used up!"

Lu Sha walked over and lifted a little girl's chin with his whip. She trembled all over, tears pattering down her face. "The only use you have is providing us with energy, understand?"

"Get away from her! Don't touch her!"

Just then, a boy charged over and knocked his whip aside, glaring fiercely at him.

"Just you wait! The governor won't let you get away with this. She'll defeat you bad guys, and even if you kneel on the ground, howling and begging for mercy, she'll never go easy on you!"

"Hahaha..."

At that, the Ashihara people laughed even more wildly. "That idiot governor of yours? We fooled her with a few words, and she even sent people to protect us. How could she possibly save you?"

"What are you laughing at? You bad guys won't be smug for long! Sister Liu Lan has already gone to get help. Your true colors will be exposed to everyone soon!"

As soon as he finished speaking, several people's expressions changed, and they looked panicked.

"That bitch dared to deceive me? I'll make her learn what it means to regret it!"

Lu Sha's triangular eyes narrowed further, and his grip on the whip creaked. But he quickly recovered, a composed smile appearing on his face.

"So what? We're foreigners. If Septimont dares use force against us, it'll cause a diplomatic conflict. They'd better think very carefully."

"The same goes for you! Septimont won't let you get away with doing such filthy things to us!" The boy refused to back down.

"Heh... You little bastards actually think you matter? You're just a bunch of weeds. Who would care about you? Nobody cares about you!"

At those words, some of the children could no longer bear the grievance and burst into tears.

Only the boy stubbornly scanned the Ashihara people before him, clenching his fists and gritting his teeth.

"Don't get cocky. Evil deeds bring retribution. Someone will come to deal with you!"

His defiance instantly drew everyone's attention. Back in Ashihara, what Resonator would have dared speak to them like that?

"Boss, this brat needs to be taught a lesson. Let me do it!"

A burly man sneered and strode toward the boy. He was broad and thickset, with a fleshy face and arms thicker than the boy's legs. He raised his long whip high.

"Brat, there's a price to pay for running your mouth. Even if retribution does come for us, you won't live to see it!"

"Ah!!"

The children of Septimont screamed in fear and huddled together, trembling. Even so, they still stood in front of the boy. Not one of them fled.

"Quite united, aren't you? Then I'll deal with you together!" The burly man grinned viciously and prepared to strike.

Just then...

"Bang!!"

The tavern doors burst apart.

Though they were made of iron, the doors were twisted into a knot and slammed into the wall behind them. Dust rained down from the ceiling.

"Who's there?!"

Everyone present jolted and looked over to see a group of people strolling in.

At their head was a petite young woman with fine golden hair. Behind her followed a dozen or so warriors from Septimont, every one of them a Resonator.

Liu Lan, whom they knew well, stood beside Cartethyia, both hands clutching the hem of her clothes. Though she was still trembling, she was much calmer than before.

The Ashihara people immediately looked disgusted.

"Who let you in? You even dared smash our doors! Do you know you've broken the law?!"

The burly man who had been about to hurt the children shouted impatiently. Then he spotted Liu Lan and sneered. "You little bitch, betraying your own people! You actually dared come back. Get on your knees, now!"

With that, he reached out to yank the collar around Liu Lan's neck.

"Did I say you could touch her?"

Cartethyia's voice was icy. She had no need for a sword; with a light flick of her fingertip, a wind blade flew out.

With a sharp hiss, the man's arm was severed at the shoulder, the cut as smooth as a mirror. Blood spurted like a fountain, instantly staining the floor red.

"This..."

The burly man's eyes widened. Shock reached his brain before the agonizing pain did.

He looked down at his bare shoulder, then at the arm still twitching on the floor. It took him two or three breaths to realize what had happened.

"Ahhh!!!"

His scream nearly blew the roof off. He clutched the wound and rolled across the floor, his face full of disbelief and fear as he howled indistinctly, "My hand! My hand! You crazy wo—"

"Shut up. You've ruined our fun."

Cartethyia frowned, raised her foot, and planted it on his chin.

With a crack, his jaw was instantly dislocated, leaving him able to make only muffled noises.

The sight silenced everyone around them.

"Are you here to stand up for these brats?"

Lu Sha's face was dark, his voice edged with anger.

He knew the group had come with ill intentions. The moment he saw Liu Lan, he understood that the tavern's dealings had been exposed.

Some things weighed next to nothing if left off the scales. But once they were weighed and brought into the open, even thousands of pounds wouldn't be enough.

"Stand up for the children? I don't understand what you're talking about. We just came for a drink. Why do you sound as though you're about to confess without being asked?"

Cartethyia put on a smile again, looking innocent and guileless. It was hard to imagine she was the same person who had just chopped off a man's arm at the slightest disagreement.

"Let's speak plainly and settle this!" Lu Sha frowned. "You can take these children away, and I can act as though your rude behavior today never happened. We'll call it even!"

"Boss Lu, why waste your breath on them? We're not so easily bullied. If these barbarians dare come looking for trouble, let's make sure they stay here..."

A thug came up to him, speaking viciously.

"Smack!!"

Lu Sha slapped him across the face. "Idiot! Do you want to fight Resonators with your bare hands?"

"Th-then what do we do?" The man held his face, realizing how absurd his suggestion had been.

"Hmph. We'll deal with whatever comes. Since they say they're here to drink, serve them well. Don't give them anything to complain about!"

"Enough nonsense! My patience has limits!"

Cartethyia cut him off. "Now, we're booking the entire Neon Tavern. Make everyone in the other rooms get out and stay far away."

At that, Lu Sha's expression twisted for an instant.

Before he could speak, the attendant beside him acted first. "You impoverished natives, do you know how much it costs to book the whole tavern? You couldn't afford it even if you sold yourselves! You want the whole building? Fine, come up with ten million Shell Credits first!"

All the warriors from Septimont burst out laughing, looking at him as though he were an idiot.

Expressionless, Cartethyia slowly raised her hand and aimed it at his face.

"You... what are you..."

Before the man could finish, a sound like a thunderclap exploded against his face.

His eyes rolled back and he passed out on the spot, the flesh of his face mangled and half his teeth smashed to bits.

"Lady Cartethyia, don't dirty your hand."

A Septimont native behind her offered her a handkerchief with both hands. Cartethyia took it, wiped her hand twice, and tossed it on the floor.

The sight made the Ashihara people even more furious. These barbarians had always been beneath pigs and dogs in their eyes, yet now they had slapped them in the face and even dared act disgusted by them!

Lu Sha trembled all over. He was just about to erupt when he saw Cartethyia watching him with interest.

That look seemed more like an encouragement for him to strike.

The sight instantly calmed him down.

"Clear the place!"

He spoke through clenched teeth. At this point, he could not let them find a reason to lash out.

A moment later, everyone in the tavern's private rooms was driven out. Unsurprisingly, they were all from Ashihara.

"Give us your most luxurious private room, and bring out your best wine!"

"Of course. I'll make sure you're satisfied..." Lu Sha said, holding himself back. The others didn't dare make a peep.

Once inside the private room, the Septimont warriors took their seats. Every one of them looked solemn, nothing like people who had come for a drink. Anyone who saw them would have trembled.

Cartethyia sat in the seat of honor and had Liu Lan sit beside her. A server had just brought in the wine when she waved him to a stop.

"Leave us. Let him serve!"

She pointed at Lu Sha. "Come here and pour Liu Lan a drink!"