The leopard person sat down at the counter seat.
The seats on both sides of her were empty.
I watched the tavern owner's reaction.
It was the atmosphere of dealing with a regular customer.
I also checked on the Ashinto group.
They were drinking with satisfied looks at the back table.
They did not seem particularly conscious of the leopard person.
Their attitude was rude, but…
They appeared used to seeing leopard people.
The same could be said for the entire tavern.
It was the reaction of seeing a familiar celebrity enter.
However, no one spoke to her.
"I will ask her directly whether the story about the Forbidden Witch is true."
I said that to the men at the table.
The man laughed and removed his hand from my shoulder.
"Young people have courage. Well, we should head out soon. We drank more than usual today, so I am drunk. I am craving some fresh air… uuuu~."
The pair at the table left their seats.
They staggered out of the tavern on unsteady feet.
I returned to Seras.
After whispering to her I took some silver coins in hand.
"Well, I will be going."
"If anything happens, I will step in immediately."
"I do not plan to turn it into a fight, but if it comes to that, I am counting on you."
I wanted to avoid using skills here if possible.
In a situation like this, Seras's combat ability was what I could rely on.
"I am counting on you."
Seras placed her hand on her chest with a resolute expression.
"Leave it to me."
I walked over to the counter seats.
I sat down next to the leopard person.
I ordered herb-infused water.
I placed one silver coin in front of the leopard person.
"Would you allow me to treat you to something?"
The leopard person looked at me with her eyes alone.
After a short silence she asked,
"What do you want?"
She could speak human language.
Good.
We could communicate.
The leopard person's voice was strong.
At the same time it was calm.
Her voice was not particularly deep.
It was a clear, pleasant voice.
"I heard rumors about you and wanted to meet you once. I am called Hati. I work as a mercenary."
"I am Eve Speed."
After introducing herself, Eve stared at me for a while.
"Is this your first time seeing a leopard person?"
"Yes."
"Yet you do not show much curiosity in your reaction."
I could not give a careless reply.
I did not know where I might touch a nerve.
I smiled and said,
"I have seen many things during my travels. It may be rude, but a leopard person does not surprise me."
Besides, there had been bipedal two-headed leopard monsters in the Ruined Ruins.
There had also been plenty of chimera-like creatures.
Compared to those monsters there was little to be surprised about.
Crunch!
Eve bit into a bone-in piece of meat with gusto.
She began to lick the oil from her palm.
Even while doing so her cat-like eyes remained fixed on me.
"You have a hearty appetite."
"Hmm. You do not look at me as if I am a savage."
She was testing me.
She had deliberately shown such eating manners right away.
It seemed she wanted to see my reaction.
"I am not what you would call a refined person. Besides, when it comes to meals, eating deliciously is more important than appearance. Ah, speaking of blood gladiators—"
"State your purpose."
"…"
"You did not come to meet me as a blood gladiator. Am I wrong?"
I put on a troubled smile.
"I have been found out… As expected…"
Well, I had intentionally given off that kind of atmosphere.
It was better that she noticed.
"What business do you have with me?"
Hmm.
She was willing to listen.
I asked in a hesitant manner.
"I heard that you know the location of the Forbidden Witch…"
"The witch is in the Golden Demon Zone. Everyone knows that rumor."
"I heard that you know exactly 'where' in the demon zone she is…"
"Kuku."
Eve let out a muffled laugh from the back of her throat.
"So you are the type who believes rumors that have taken on a life of their own."
"Does that mean the rumor is false?"
"Yes. It is true that I once stepped into the Golden Demon Zone where the witch is said to be. However, I have never met the Forbidden Witch."
"You supposedly told fellow blood gladiators that you knew her location."
"…I once wandered the demon zone for about two weeks. I joked to another blood gladiator that I might have survived because the Forbidden Witch saved me with her magic."
"I see. So that joke was simply distorted as it spread… In other words, you do not actually know the location of the Forbidden Witch?"
"Sorry, but that is correct."
I let my shoulders drop.
"I see."
"I am sorry to disappoint you. But that is the truth."
Eve finished off the meat.
While wiping her hands she asked me,
"Why are you looking for the Forbidden Witch?"
"Curiosity, I suppose? My dream for the future is to become a scholar."
I had placed some of the instruments I bought today in my breast pocket.
I showed them to her.
Tools that a scholar-in-training would naturally carry.
Well, that was my image of it.
"I am thinking of hiring mercenaries here in Monroy and going to meet the witch in the demon zone. There might be unknown plants as well—"
"Stop that."
Eve cut me off firmly.
"That is not a place where people can enter and survive. Even I, who am called the strongest in Ulza's blood arena, gave up after half a month. Excuse me for saying so, but someone like you would not last three days."
I looked down and smiled.
I mixed gratitude into my expression.
"You are worried about me, Eve. Thank you."
Eve showed a slightly surprised reaction.
Even with a leopard face she had quite expressive features.
"Hmph."
Eve exhaled as if exasperated.
"You are a soft-hearted one."
I scratched my head with an embarrassed look.
"I get told that often."
I really did get told that often.
It was after I had been taken in by my uncle and aunt.
"You still look young. Treasure your life."
Eve picked up the silver coin I had placed down.
She set it back in front of me.
"Though… coming from me, a blood gladiator who is practically the definition of someone who treats life lightly, it may have no persuasive power at all."
With those words Eve left the tavern.
I put the silver coin back in my pocket and left my seat.
I gazed at the tavern door through which Eve had disappeared.
"…"
She might be a little similar.
I called out to the "her" behind me.
"Misra."
"Yes."
During my conversation with Eve, Seras had been standing by, leaning against a pillar near the counter.
"Time to go."
"Yes."
We left the tavern as we were.
We walked a short distance and stopped.
"What do you think about what Eve Speed said earlier?"
The first thing I needed to know.
Whether it was true or a lie.
That was what I had to clarify first.
Yes—
"She lied."
When I asked, "Do you really know the location of the Forbidden Witch?"
Eve had answered, "I do not know."
Seras Ashrain could detect lies.
As instructed, Seras had been leaning against the nearby pillar listening to our conversation.
To judge the truth.
"By denying it, she paradoxically proved it."
In other words—
"Eve Speed knows the location of the Forbidden Witch."