Night had fallen deep over the remote southeastern district of Garman City. A small shop had opened today—a tavern.
The tavern had been funded by Aiki. After helping Xiaoya Soya resolve her family's troubles, Aiki had received another payment.
Aiki had quit his job at the hotel and, together with his four companions, was running this quiet tavern. Whether they made any business was unimportant. It was more like a base for the five of them. The white-haired youth was the bartender, Aiki prevented anyone from causing trouble, Nanny was the waitress, Doyle Mu handled supplies, and the mature woman Manli pretended to be a customer—in other words, a hostess hired to entice customers. That was her peculiar hobby.
"This is what life is all about."
Nanny slumped in her chair like a salted fish while the other four focused on their own affairs.
Knock, knock, knock.
Someone knocked on the tavern door. All five looked puzzled. Why would anyone knock on a tavern door? Usually, people simply pushed the door open and walked in.
A man in a black suit and a round black bowler hat entered the tavern. After taking a seat, Nanny, dressed as a waitress, approached him.
"Sir, what would you like to drink?"
Nanny smiled sweetly. The man in black lowered the brim of his hat and said in a deep voice:
"Do none of you feel even the slightest gratitude?"
"?"
Nanny stared at the man in black in astonishment, then secretly gestured to Aiki behind her. Her meaning was clear: Someone's causing trouble. Aiki, you're up!
"You five should have been stuffed into body bags several days ago."
Those words made the white-haired youth, Aiki, and Doyle Mu inside the tavern turn their eyes toward him.
"Five ignorant young people recklessly investigated the