Drinking

"You could guess that?" Jiang asked, unable to hide his disbelief. He hadn't expected Zhang Ruofeng to figure out so quickly why he'd been given this secluded corner, while Zhang Ruofeng seemed to think it was only natural.

"When we walked over, most people were cheering you on, but two adventurers were watching you with ill intent. I figured there might have been some bad blood between you, so they gave you this corner." Zhang Ruofeng had thought Jiang's antics were embarrassing, but the two adventurers glaring at him among a crowd of laughing patrons had stood out. They were easy to notice.

"Your powers of observation are terrifying." Jiang stared at Zhang Ruofeng like he was a monster. He hadn't even noticed that the adventurers he'd clashed with at this tavern before were here.

"Only because you weren't paying attention." Zhang Ruofeng pursed his lips and gave Jiang a helpless look. "You were focused entirely on the female owner. How could you have noticed anything else?"

Jiang was about to speak when a girl dressed as a barmaid came over. "Can I get you two anything?"

"Oh? You're serving tonight, Coco?" Jiang clearly knew the place well enough to recognize the girl taking orders. Zhang Ruofeng studied the catgirl in her barmaid's outfit. She looked familiar, but he couldn't remember where he'd seen her, so he didn't think much of it. "Two beers, please, plus an order of fried fish and an order of fries."

"And a grilled chicken breast, please!" Jiang knew Zhang Ruofeng was treating, so he didn't hold back and added another item.

"Sure. Just a moment~" Coco confirmed their order, then took another deliberate glance at Zhang Ruofeng before heading off.

"Hmm? Do you know Coco?" Jiang asked curiously, noticing that the catgirl seemed interested in Zhang Ruofeng.

Zhang Ruofeng shook his head, just as puzzled. As far as he could recall, he'd never interacted with any beastfolk other than Heluo, and he didn't recognize Coco either. Neither of them dwelled on it. They chatted about other things, mostly listening to Jiang share amusing recent stories. Zhang Ruofeng only responded now and then, and when Jiang told a story that made him laugh, Zhang Ruofeng merely shook his head and silently commiserated with the adventurer in question. Jiang's stories always seemed to have a teasing edge to them.

After a while, their food arrived, one dish after another. They raised their glasses, clinked them once, and took a drink before turning their attention to the food. Zhang Ruofeng picked up a fry coated in red sauce. From the taste, he could tell it wasn't ketchup but chili sauce.

"Hm?" After one bite, Zhang Ruofeng's eyes flew wide. He hadn't expected the sauce to be so spicy. His mouth felt like it was on fire, so he quickly downed a big gulp of beer and then pulled out a cigarette.

"Hahahaha!" Jiang burst out laughing at Zhang Ruofeng's plight, a few drops of beer dribbling from the corner of his mouth. "The owner of this place is a half-dwarf. Spicy food is something dwarves absolutely love."

"Yeah, I get it now." Once the burn had faded, Zhang Ruofeng had to admit the chili sauce was truly unique. After the heat passed, his mouth was left full of savory flavor. It was quite remarkable. "It tastes good."

"Oh, oh! So you appreciate the virtues of this chili sauce too!" Jiang praised it enthusiastically, as if he'd found a kindred spirit. For a moment, Zhang Ruofeng felt as though he'd been transported back to the Anime Club, where his friends would eagerly recommend a game to him.

"You're practically beaming. You really do love this place." Zhang Ruofeng spoke casually, but he couldn't help envying Jiang's excitement. This world still wasn't one he knew. Having to live cautiously every day was exhausting.

"Of course. I come here whenever I get the chance, though that's not often since I'm pretty broke." Jiang's spirits sank as he spoke. As a Level 1 adventurer, he couldn't afford to live comfortably. The Magic Stones from the monsters on the Dungeon's first few floors barely fetched anything, and his gear, weapons, food, and lodging often ate up all he had. That was why so many people chose to join a large Familia: it gave them better prospects. No one would help them on their adventures, but they could save a lot on daily expenses.

They kept chatting about this and that. Before long, they'd each downed three large mugs of beer. Zhang Ruofeng figured the beer in this world was at least fourteen percent alcohol. Even the Russian beer he'd tried back in his old world hadn't been this strong. After three mugs, he was already a little tipsy.

"Listen," Jiang said, his tongue already starting to stumble over his words. He didn't seem to hold his liquor well—or perhaps he'd built up too much fatigue from spending the past few days focused on making Zhang Ruofeng's weapon. Either way, he was already a little drunk. "The best thing here is the whole roast steak. Next time—next time, you have to treat me to that."

"You sure don't hold back." Zhang Ruofeng liked Jiang's straightforwardness, though he could also see why the guy could be so irritating. "A whole roast steak costs 1,000,000 Faris. You sure know how to pick something."

"That's right. I really like this place," Jiang said happily.

"I don't think you like this place so much as someone who works here." Zhang Ruofeng hadn't said anything at first, but Jiang was clearly much more nervous and obedient around the female owner. As an outsider, it was easy to read his feelings.

"Pfft!" Jiang spat out the beer he'd been drinking. Someone had just uncovered his secret. Was he really that bad at hiding it? "You figured that out too?"

"And the owner knows, right?" Zhang Ruofeng asked with a frown. She treated Jiang with considerable kindness; otherwise, someone as good at attracting grudges as him probably wouldn't have been welcome back after his second visit.

"Ah... of course she knows." Even the usually carefree Jiang looked gloomy. "I confessed to her, after all. She turned me down in a second."

"Hm?" Zhang Ruofeng hadn't expected Jiang to make his move so decisively, though it seemed he'd been shot down just as quickly.

"Don't let her icy expression fool you. She's only nineteen!" Jiang sneaked a glance at Christa, sitting motionless at the bar. "But she's a Level 4 adventurer, far stronger than we are."