Chapter 201

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I hear the confident voice of a woman fill my ears as Leo disappears through the front entrance of the wooden cabin.

My other teammates are a few steps ahead of me, so they enter and I follow soon after.

Taking one last look over my shoulder, making a mental note of the open desert and lonely deserted town, I walk through the tavern's front door.

A bit of dust has kicked up from the 5 of us walking through, but it settles as I shut the heavy wooden frame behind me.

The sight inside is about what I expected.

Theres a few rectangular tables that line the walls and a long wooden bar at the back of the room. Stone walls and visible support beams jut out, making the room feel much cozier and well-built than it seemed from the outside.

To my right, about 5 meters away, there's another smaller bar, but with no drinks or food. Mana crystals and potions line the shelves like a mini-mart and an old man sits behind it with a kind smile.

It seems a bit out of place at first, but still not too surprising. Hunters come through every town, it'd be a waste not to serve our needs.

The sight that catches my eye next is the woman named Charlotte. This is the person that greeted the silver-haired artificer as he walked through the door.

She's.... also... almost exactly what I expected after hearing her voice.

A slightly heavy-set, red-haired woman greets us with a wide white smile. Her voice is much deeper than Maria's or Abby's but still has a unique feminine charm to it. Her laugh rings out through the room, making this woman the center of attention.

"Welcome, welcome! You're the new hunters they were telling me about aren't ya! Come on, take a seat!"

Still analyzing the scene, I walk forward. The 5 of us pass a few lone old men sitting at various tables with drinks and empty plates. If I had to guess, they've been here all night...

Some stare, others keep their heads down, but none say a word as we make out way over to the smiling woman with rosy red cheeks.

She turns around and starts gripping wooden mugs, filling them up with a golden brown liquid from a barrel behind the counter.

"Welcome to The Wall, or as the association calls it The Gate. We're one of the only ways into Section 4."

The genuine smile across Leo's face grows as he watches the woman work. Eventually, he motions for us to sit down at one of the nearby tables up close to the bar area.

As soon as we sit down, Charlotte comes walking over with handfuls of drinks. Every time she gets near all my worries seem to fade away, all I want to do is smile back.

I hear Arie make a comment from my left side.

"Now this is how ya treat guests! Draft beers with the rising sun, we should start all our mission like this."

The loose braided hair of our redheaded waitress bobs behind her as she sets our drinks down on the table. Leo speaks up the moment she does.

"The usual, a plate for all 5 of us. These 4 have a mission on the other side of the wall today. They need to be ready."

She smirks, pushing a drink to each of us and letting her gaze wander up and down until her green eyes meet mine.

"You, you're the one Brutus told me to keep an eye on. No trouble until you leave, got it?"

Leo shrugs while Maria and Abby giggle.

I throw my hands in the air but graciously take the drink she pushes towards me while rolling my eye and responding.

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