The Tale Of Kitsuna-Chapter 97
Chapter 97:
“Now, wherein the west slums will I find the black market,” I mumbled to myself, walking into the slums. Because I didn’t want people to see my appearance and not having any illusion skill, I had my long black and red coat on with a plain white ice mask with only holes for my eyes. The coat was nice because it could hide my demi-human appearance even though my tail is 1,5 m long.
“Shit, I probably should have waited for sunset and let Kayda know what I was doing,” I said, looking up at the sun that was an hour away from setting. thinking to myself, I continued. “Nah, I will just walk around until all the dwellers come out.”
(3 hours later)
Sitting on the roof of an abandoned watchtower for the last 2 hours, I finally started seeing the dwellers of the slums walk out onto the roads.
“Finally, time to check out the black market,” I said to myself, standing up looking down at the roads below.
‘Now, just to pick who to follow.’ I thought, first looking at an old man with a grey dishevelled beard walking closer to the middle of the city. Taking my eyes off him, I looked at a small group of guys in their 20s walking deeper into the slums while having a weird and unsettling expressions on their faces. Not feeling them not being very smart, I took my eyes off them, looking at a guy the same height as me wearing a coat to hide his appearance.
“Let’s go with the old man,” I said, walking in the direction the old man walked into.
After 10 minutes of following the old man’s tracks, I found myself in front of a bar.
.....
“I guess bars are good free info brokers,” I mumbled before walking in.
Ding!
Opening the door, I heard a bell ring taking the attention of everyone inside. Ignoring everyone’s gazes, I walked up to the bar before sitting down at an open spot.
“Welcome to Timms’s bar. What can I get ya?” The bartender said, who surprisingly was a young demon girl with two red horns coming out of the side of her head and black hair.
“Aren’t you too young to be working at a bar?” I commented, only receiving a smile from the girl and some gasps from the people around me.
“10 sakes it is then.” The girl said, ducking down behind the bar before coming back uphold 5 jugs of sake in each hand.
“I take it back, holding 5 of those in one hand. You’re a really skilled old lady,” I said, surprised, looking at her small hands.
“Just shut up!” The people around me yelled.
“Did I say that out loud?” I said, tilting my head while smiling awkwardly under the mask.
“Too late to take it back. That will be another 10.” The demon girl said, putting another 10 sakes jugs in front of me.
‘Shit, where is an alcoholic when you need one.’ I thought, looking at the tower of sake in front of me.
“If you don’t finish that in 30 minutes, I will give you another 10 to drink, girly.” The demon girl said, smiling at me.
“Yes, Boss,” I said, dispelling the mask from my nose downwards so I could drink.
“So, it’s a magic mask.” The demon girl said, not moving away from in front of me.
“Of course, how do you think a foodie like me should eat,” I said with a smile before taking my first jug of sake.
“What’s a foodie?” The demon girl asked, confused.
“Ahh, it’s as bad as I remember. A foodie is a person that loves to eat food.” I said, putting the now empty jug on the table again.
“At least your mouth isn’t just for insults.” The demon girl said, looking at the empty jug.
“Huh? I wasn’t insulting you, though, or intentionally. I was really curious.” I said, getting a skeptical look from the demon girl. Looking away, I added. “Except the last one. Glug.”
“Yeah, whatever you say.” The girl said, looking me over.
“Ahh, but a miss demon girl, shouldn’t you be working instead of checking me out,” I said with a teasing voice.
“No, you seem interesting, and you are new to this bar. I know all the rest of these customers.” The demon girl said, looking around at everyone who was still staring at me.
“Oh, so I am like a rare animal in a show right now,” I said, seeing all the eyes on me.
“that’s pretty much it, and shouldn’t you take it easy? You already finished 10 sakes jugs, and it hasn’t even been 10 minutes.” The demon girl said, seeing me down the 10th jug.
“Says the little demon who gave it to me,” I said, looking at her with a raised eyebrow. 𝐟r𝒆ℯ𝘄𝑒𝒃𝚗𝒐𝘃e𝗹.c𝘰𝐦
“Little?” The demon girl said with a raised eyebrow.
“What, you are short, so you little,” I said, tilting my head at her.
“Whatever, what even bring a rich person like you here.”
“Rich?” I said, confused before I looked at my coat. “Oh, you mean this coat. I didn’t buy it, and I am the poorest person here. I got my money stolen by an old bag of bones this afternoon.”
“What stole your money?”
“An old lady,” I said, depressed.
“Sorry to hear that. Ahem, you didn’t buy it, then how do you have it.” The demon girl said with a raised eyebrow.
“There is this girl I am with. She bought it for me,” I explain, not telling them exactly who.
“Oh, this girl, is she someone important to you.”
“Hmm, I guess you can say she is important to me, seeing as she will probably be my future wife,” I said nonchalantly.
“Oh, so she is very important.”
“Umu.” Nodding my head, I put the last jug on the table before continuing. “That’s actually why I ended up here. I have been looking through the entire city today to find her some present, but there is nothing that suited her in all the shops,” I said, putting my head down on the bar.
“I see. What do you think will fit her?”
“White. She is exceptionally beautiful in white.” I said, remembering the one time she wore a white dress.
“A wedding dress?” The demon girl said with a teasing voice.
“No, that’s way too early,” I shouted, genuinely flustered at her comment.
“Haha, fine, fine, I can try and get you to a better market for good presents.” The demon girl said with a smile.
“Sammy, don’t you think it’s too early to tell her about those things.” One of the guys also sitting at the bar said, looking at the demon girl now called Sammy.
“Hey, it’s not very nice to listen to other people’s conversations,” I said with a slurp.
“It will be fine to see she is already drunk. She won’t remember a thing tomorrow.” Sammy said, waving the guy off with a smile.
‘She is t wrong about me being drunk already, but I have a feeling I will remember this night for the rest of my life.’ I thought to myself.
“So, the young demon’s name is Sammy,” I said, looking at the demon girl.
“Yes, nice to meet you. What’s your name?” Sammy said, holding out her hand. ƒ𝑟𝙚e𝔀𝗲𝒃n𝒐𝘷𝗲Ɩ.c𝗼𝚖
“Alice, nice to meet you,” I said, shaking her hand while giving her a smile.
“Great, now that the introductions are done, follow me.” The demon girl walking into the kitchen at the back.
“Follow you? Alrighty then.” I said, standing up, putting both of my hands on the bar. I jumped over the counter only to have one of my hands slip on some spilled sake, making me tumble down on the other side of the bar while breaking everything in my way.
“What happened?” Sammy said, poking her head out of the kitchen.
“I slipped my bad,” I said, fixing my coat and mask before standing up from the ground, looking at half of the bar table and a dozen glasses broken.
“What did you do?” Sammy asks, glaring at me.
“You said to follow, and that’s what I did, but I slipped on the counter, and this is what happened,” I said, rubbing my head awkwardly.
“Dummy, there is a door right there that goes to the back,” Sammy said, pointing at a door next to the bar on the right.
“Oh, I didn’t see that,” I said, dropping my hands next to me.
“Anyways, how the hell did you break the bar. That thing can take punches of me and won’t even shake.” Sammy said, inspecting me again.
‘Girly, you’re not that strong. Level 400 uncommon isn’t very strong.’ I thought, looking at Sammy with a deadpan look.
“If you are wondering, no, I am not fat but muscular,” I said, pushing her to the back into the kitchen again.
“Hey, you will need to pay for the damages.” Someone shouted from somewhere in the bar.
“Shit, I don’t have enough money for that. Hey, Sammy, do you know where I can sell some things right now.” I said, looking at the demon girl.
“It’s your lucky day. The black markets auction is on tonight.” Sammy said, walking through another door with stairs going downward.
“Black-market auction? That can work.” I mumbled inaudibly while following her.
