"How did you know?" Richard did not deny his purpose. He looked at the bartender and asked, curious how the other man had seen through his thoughts.
The bartender did not answer immediately, deliberately keeping him in suspense. He set down the rag he had been vigorously using to wipe the table, turned around, took a huge wooden mug from the shelf, and filled it from a barrel beside him with beer topped by white foam. With a thud, he heavily set it on the counter and pushed it toward Richard.
"Buy a mug of beer, and I'll tell you the answer," the bartender said conditionally.
Richard blinked and asked, "How much is the beer?"
"Three copper coins a mug, guaranteed delicious," the bartender said with a smile, his gray eyes full of sincerity and eager salesmanship.
Richard glanced at the beer in the wooden mug. Beneath the white foam was murky yellowish liquid. Quite a few tiny bits of debris floated up and down in it; he had no idea whether they were sawdust or impurities accidentally added during the brewing process.
Three copper coins for such a large mug of beer was indeed cheap, but in a sense, that also meant the beer could not be very good. As a researcher, Richard was rather opposed to alcohol because it affected rationality. He had barely touched it even back in the Blue Lion Kingdom, choosing plain water for daily drinking, and he certainly would not casually make an exception now.
After pondering for a second, Richard gently pushed the wooden mug away. With a flip of his hand, he slapped a silver coin onto the table and looked at the bartender. "I'll buy the beer. Consider this silver coin payment for it, but I'll pass on drinking it. I've