"Surprised you are here, Aleyna."

I was walking down the street when someone I knew greeted me from behind.

"Heya~"

"Hm? Oh. Hi, Esra. I was actually away just a bit ago. Ashton came after me though." I answered nonchalantly.

"Like usual, then."

The one who greeted me was an old friend called Esra Lockard. I was happy that I met with her so easily.

"Do you remember the favour you owe me?"

"Do you really start with that...?"

Esra furrowed her brows and tilted her head with a questioning expression, her charcoal black hair, which is usually tied up into a ponytail, is now swaying gently to the side.

"Can't do anything with it. I got a job pushed onto me."

"What is it? If it's something interesting, I might change my mind and come to your aid. But I expect open arms and hugs~"

"Yeah, yeah. Come, I give you your payment in advance."

I hadn't even finished my sentence, and she was already all over me.

"Your skin is as smooth as usual, my dear Aleyna~"

I call myself open minded and touchy-feely, yet I dwarf in comparison to Esra, who for some weird reason got really attached to me in the last few years. Can't really say I dislike it, but sometimes I hope she holds herself back a little and gives me some personal space.

"A... can't breath..."

"Hahaha, sorry, sorry."

She finally let me off the hook, and I took a deep breath before nearly falling over.

"So? What is this job?" Esra asked with a happy smile plastered all over her face.

"I will tell you the specifics later, but to speak about it in roundabouts, it's a hunt. I need more than just you for it though."

"Do you not trust me enough? How sad~" Her head dropped, trying to imitate some sobbing sound, but it was clearly fake.

"If you help, I will give you headpats as bonus later on."

"I already got paid in advance, so I can't back out, but if it's offered, I take the bonus as well."

"Good to know.We arrived at the place I was going. Let's go in, shall we?"

—¦—

After the information on the bear in the nearby forest, I got to work immediately. My first stop was the inn called Haven of Lost Souls, hoping I might find some familiar faces. With Esra close behind me, I stepped into the building. Didn't even have to go far to find one of the people I was searching for due to the commotion he caused.

In the corner of the big room, there was a table, and in circle around it many people cheered on the ones sitting there. One of them was a bulky dwarf, while on the other side of him was some young adventurer. A few seconds passed, and the adventurer fell to the floor. Apparently many other similar-looking adventurers were already on the ground, rolling around dazed. The dwarf looked in my direction after noticing the door opening.

"Oho, if it isn't little Miss Aleyna?" said the dwarf cheerfully.

"I thought I could find you here, Lomnur."

„And you sure did, missy!"

"What are you doing again, you alcoholic gnome." said Esra quite spitefully.

"Pfft. I see you brought the irrational damaged amazon as well. I didn't want to see you either." The dwarf spit on the ground. "As you see, a party of youngsters taken up the challenge and tried to beat me in a drinking game. Can't say they won."

I looked down again at the five adventurers on the ground—actually, the last one just rolled off the seat at this moment, which would make it six—some of them trying to stand up after sobering up a bit. Must have learned a lesson here.

"Did you see Zarek by chance?"

Lomnur bobbed his head in the direction of the bar counter, where a lone man was sipping his drink. Meanwhile, Esra sat down to the opposite side of the table, looking at the dwarf and clicking her tongue at him.

"I see why you gave me a bonus now, Aleyna. Who else would bear such a burden in their party as this dwarf." said Esra "I doubt these newbies were enough for you, so what do you say if I take their place, ugly?"

"Gahaha!" The dwarf had a hearty laugh upon hearing that „I hate your guts, but I know at least those can take some strong alcohol. You don't even have to ask, I'm in! Waitress, bring me more of your finest Red Dragon! At least 10 jugs! Or else bring the whole barrel!"

"Y-Yes, sir. In a moment."

The waitress clumsily turned around and disappeared, then came back with a second waitress, each holding a tray with five big jugs of beer on it, and put it on the table. I’m not that knowledgeable about alcohol, but I heard Red Dragon is strong. I guess the question answers itself, else why would they name it after one of the strongest beings.

"Esra. I don't want to stop you here, but please be mindful of not knocking yourself out too hard. I go talk to Zerak as well. We will go tomorrow before nightfall, I wait for you at the east gate."

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"Sure, sure. Now let me drink this hobgoblin under the table."

"Pretty brave things to say. You're not the dumbest person on this soil to challenge a dwarf to a drinking game, but you sure better hope he doesn't die tonight."

Hearing those last back and forths, I left the table for the bar counter and sat beside Zerak.

"What can I give you, miss?" asked the bartender.

"Surprise me, Ander. I leave it to you."

"Then I prepare a cherry liqueur for the lady."

I thanked him and waited for my drink.

"What can I owe the honor of meeting you here again, Miss Aleyna? You rarely if ever stumble into here despite knowing you can find most of us here all the time."

"Good to see you too, Zerak." I said with a smile "And I'm also sorry for always finding you only when I need something. As a Sage of the country, I can be pretty busy."

I waited, but even after a few seconds, Zerak didn't say anything. He just looked before himself with glassy black eyes. After sipping from his drink once, he started talking again.

"I heard you met with Boro."

"Your ears are still sharp, I see. I did indeed."

"How is he?"

"How chatty someone becomes all of a sudden. You know anyway,don’t you, sharp ear?" I tried to pick on him, but it didn't really work, and he just looked before himself like until now. "He is healthy and fine. I can say the same about Lute. They still make a very lovely couple together."

"That's good to hear."

His tone sounded happy, despite that, his face didn’t even flinch or move, it showed no clear emotion. I would blame it on the alcohol, but Zerak was always someone I couldn’t tap out well how he feels, as if some mist were always covering a part of his true feelings.

"What, are you still sour because of Lute, shy boy? Want some love from Mama Leyna? You can sob and cry on my chest, this is a once in a lifetime chance, you know."

Finally, due to my pushiness, he put down his drink and a soft smile appeared on his face while he slowly turned towards me to be able to look directly at my face.

"No thanks. That's the past, and I'm happy for the both of them. Although, can I get a ticket for that sobbing session for later? I might need it."

"Sorry, once in a lifetime chance, it already flew away. You can say that's also in the past now. You should have been more straightforward."

"Hah. Didn't expected a lecture tonight, that's for sure."

The bartender came back and put a glass in front of me.

"Excuse me for taking your time."

"Ah, tha-" I stopped mid sentence because the cherry liqueur didn't really look cherry, nor liqueur.

„Excuse me for this small jest I pulled on you." The bartender bowed before me „A standard liqueur didn’t sound any interesting for a surprise, to tell you the truth, that is my first choice when the ladies ask for one. It never failed me before either."

Before continuing, Ander looked at me and my face, then started twirling at the end of his long mustache.

„Yet you are no ordinary woman but the Sage herself. I’m sure you drink finer drinks than anyone can imagine in places around the world. What would happen to this place if I couldn’t fully satisfy all my customers, be as widely cuisined as you might be? Surely word will spread about how my Haven is a third rate place not even worth looking at. What can a humble bartender and owner do but pull out some of his best for the occasion? Something exquisite, unique even."

In front of me was a crystal clear drink that had an ominous aura to it.

"This is a lunarshine from the Balduan Republic."

"I can understand your silver tongue, but since when do you sell illegal drinks...?"

"It's a different kind oflunarshine, but I shall say no more, you will know why when you try it."

It made me interested for sure, so I picked up the small bottle and drank it. Surprisingly for such alcohol, it didn't have any kick to it, it was smooth and went down easily. Can't quite say the taste was anything to prose about, but apparently that wasn't the catch with this drink.

After a few seconds, my body started rapidly heating up, felt my senses becoming a bit more focused as the flow of energy changed inside my body. I felt like sitting in the sky, while the clouds coming towards me just passed through my body. It was a weird feeling, but not uncomfortable, more like the opposite, I became quite relaxed. The one who pulled me back to reality was Ander.

"Apparently this drink is catching on in popularity in Balduan recently, so I purchased a few bottles. It's not illegal, as the name would imply. Instead, they named it this because some adventurers found a mysterious lake with beautiful, crystal clear water, and for some reason they thought they would stay there and make some alcohol to commemorate the discovery and the nice view. While making the liqueur, they started using the water from the lake as an ingredient and it turned out the effect of it is what you most likely felt as well." said the bartender with a soft, gentle voice.

"I see. Well, it did surprise me a bit. Maybe I will take a bottle later and give it to Boro. Can't say he was so fond of drinking, but he did drink from time to time while the party was going around. Actually, would it be as effective on someone with low magic aptitude like it was on me?"

Sadly, I can’t answer that. So far, everyone who tried it was happy with it, but I can’t tell who is proficient with magic and who isn’t."

„That’s fair. Boro is still a meathead, but I’m sure he will enjoy a drink or two. He was always the kind who drinks because of the people, not because there is alcohol to chug down."

"Hard not to, with these people." said Zerak, sipping his drink again "So, what can I help you with? You don't just appear to have a little chat."

„You know me so well. There is a job I have and I need some help." I said while drinking the remaining moonshine from the glass "Apparently, there might be a Solar Bear in the nearby forest, and I was asked to deal with it."

"Hm... and how is it here from Noznian?" asked Zerak.

"Wandered here somehow? I don't know, despite how far the border is, it can happen."

I shrugged, but I actually agree with him. The border of the Noznian Empire isn't really close to the capital, which wouldn't be a problem in itself, but there wasn't any report of sightings either. Which means it either got here without anyone noticing it by chance or someone brought it in somehow.

"That's fair. Also, isn't this actually a problem? How come there hasn't been an emergency warning announced yet? A Solar Bear is easily a B Rank monster thatcan do considerable damage if it gets close to a settlement."

It looked like he was interested in this job, as usually he didn't ask much.

"I think the princes expected me to come back, so they delayed the warnings. Also, they already sent A Rank adventurers there, but the bear didn't attack back. Neither got damaged, which means they mistook it for a Solar Bear and it's something else. Maybe a rare species of beast, though not even one comes to mind that resembles a Solar Bear so much."

"That a good assessment. If it's a rare one, that explains why the adventurers couldn't damage it, as it's most likely able to use magic for enhancement. Maybe even a unique species, that would easily classify it as A Rank at least." nodded Zerak while twirling his drink in his hand.

„That is sound logic. So it’s either a rare or unique species..."

I stood up and looked at Ander „Thank you for the drink, it was quite refreshing. How much do I owe you?"

„My payment is your smile, Lady Aleyna. It’s on the house."

„I’m more and more surprised Ander, your mouth has only told me things that I like so far. When did you become such a flirt?"

„Experience, maybe?" started Ander questioningly „You might not feel it, but we have known each other for a long time. I’m quite old by human terms, I have a story or two on me to tell."

„I would love to hear it sometimes."

„Khm." Zerak, maybe feeling a little left out, coughed. „What do you say you give a taste test of that Lunarshine as well?"

„It’s a free drink for ladies. Not for alcoholic brutes."

„Cheapskate."

"I already asked Esra and she will help. I want you to ask Lomnur to help out, though I’m sure he will say yes as well. With the four of us, we are enough, I think. I want to go tomorrow before nightfall, we would meet before the Eastern Gate. Any question?"

"Besides that I didn’t actually agree yet? What is the pay?"

"I already paid you with a fun time, you just don't know it yet." I stood up and started walking towards the exit, but stopped for a second "On that note, have a fun year at the academy, Zerak Teacher. Or should I call you professor~?"

I started walking away when I heard Zerak shouting „I can’t live off of goodwill and prayers, you know!" after me.

I gave him a wry smile and left.