"Let us all introduce ourselves. Let me start first." The man's voice boomed across the pub, overpowering every other sound. "Listen well. Where I come from, they call me Northern Wolf. I am the leader of the Silverpond mercenary group. Today is a great day for me, so I wish to toast to these happy news. Let us drink all night. HOORAH!"

The entire pub erupted into a roar, mugs slamming against tables. I joined in as well, settling myself in the middle of them all around the large wooden table. A man in thick armor handed me a drink. I had not tasted alcohol in a long time, at least not in this world. I lifted the mug and took a deep sip of the local ale. The warmth slid smoothly down my throat, settling pleasantly in my chest.

Good stuff, I thought. The taste pulled a small smile onto my face.

"Northern Wolf, they call me Cut Throat," the man from earlier announced with a grin. "I will be happy to join you, and my partner here, Lucy, will join as well." He patted his partner's head, and she flushed a deep red, hiding her face behind her hood.

"But we need more information," he continued. "What exactly is the reward for this mission you speak of? With so many of us here, even if it is the Highmount caravan, who in the world would pay such an amount of money to satisfy everyone? Do you not find this suspicious?"

Northern Wolf smiled, and his party shared the same expression. "I see you must be fresh in this region, am I right?" He lifted his mug, took a heavy gulp, and slammed it down for another round.

"I would not say we are new, but it is true we lack knowledge about this part of the land." Cut Throat kept his arrogant confidence, speaking as if he had everything under control.

"Wolf Paw, tell him what we know." The leader patted his friend's shoulder with enough force to make the armor bend slightly.

"Sure, boss." A young man leaned forward on one arm, lowering his voice just enough to make everyone else lean closer. "Listen carefully. There is one thing you must know if you want to keep your lives. The Highmount caravan is backed by one of the kings of the Holy Empire. They have money, and they have power. On the surface they look ordinary, nothing special, but their support runs deep."

He took a slow breath and continued, his tone turning darker. "Ten years ago, the caravan leader wanted a woman from a city in the east. Her entire town refused. A few weeks later, that town was wiped out, with only the woman surviving. She was taken away by some mysterious force, and the destruction was blamed on a demon attack. The local king took the blame for 'letting demons slip through,' but anybody with a working brain knows what actually happened."

His voice was low, yet the entire pub fell silent.

"That is right. They have backing, and they have money," Northern Wolf declared as he lifted his mug. "So drink this place dry, because soon we will be so rich that we will drink the empire dry, hahaha!"

His booming laughter made my ears ring, but the information was golden. Everything lined up perfectly. No wonder Hera met the merchant who sold her the Qillin bones in the original story. Without this kind of power behind them, a group like this would never walk away alive after provoking holy knights.

"So what is our mission exactly?" Cut Throat asked again. His eyes burned with greed, sharp and hungry. I could read that kind of desire from a mile away.

"Nobody knows, it is top secret," Northern Wolf answered with a careless shrug. "But what wouldn't I do for a pretty penny. Am I right, cutie?"

His gaze drifted straight to me.

"You have been silent all this time, but you drink like a man. You must be quite strong. Why not introduce yourself?"

Great. It finally reached me. Time to switch on the bullshit generator and spin a story.

"Me?" I lifted my hands, playing shy for effect. Then I took my hood off and let my bright hair fall freely. A few gasps rippled around the table. I could feel Cut Throat staring far too intensely for someone who already had a woman beside him. What a scum.

"I am called Beatrice," I said smoothly. "I come from a rather remote village. I am not anything special. I know a little magic, but that is all. I am nowhere near the strength of someone like you, big bro."

And just like that, the connection was formed. My place among them settled neatly with one simple lie.

"Haha! Big bro suits boss perfectly," the man on Northern Wolf's left laughed as he nudged him with an elbow, teasing openly. Northern Wolf's eyes lingered on me with far more interest than before. Good. Very good.

"Magic is useful," he said at last. "I learned long ago to never underestimate a mage. What do you say, Beatrice? Do you want to join the caravan with us? We can always use an extra hand."

"Sorry to disappoint you, but I am already part of the caravan. Although tonight I will admit I am in your debt. We were only catching a ride, but it seems there may be some potential to explore here. I will speak to the leader and see if he will allow me and my servant to join officially. If fate allows it, we will fight together, whatever this mission turns out to be."

I let a slow, seductive smile curve across my lips, and his breath hitched exactly the way I expected.

"Hahaha! No problem, no problem at all. This makes me even happier. Come on now, let us drink more. Raise your voices and welcome Beatrice, and Cut Throat with his friend. We are all brothers and sisters tonight. Drink, drink!"

He was in a good mood. Perfect. This was my chance to loosen his tongue and draw out everything he knew. I rose from my seat, ready to slip closer to him and continue playing along.

Then a loud thump cut through the noise.

I turned, expecting a spilled mug or a drunken stumble, but instead saw Lucy on the floor, rolling on her side and clutching her throat. Her face flushed a harsh red, then began shifting into a faint blue.

Was she allergic to the alcohol?

The doctor inside me jolted awake in a full panic. If I did nothing, she would die within minutes. That much was clear from the way her airway struggled to stay open.

Now the question twisted inside me.

Save her… or let her die after the way she treated me earlier?

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