When Sobina heard Bisu's voice, she stormed over and yelled right in his face.
"You stupid idiot! Didn't I tell you not to call me 'auntie'? It's Ms. Sobina to you."
She stopped next to him, gave him a weird look, and said.
"So, you wanna eat something, huh? You got money to pay for it? 'Cause from now on, I'm cash only. Money first, food later."
The soldier's forehead broke out in a sweat. He fished a copper coin from his pocket, forced an awkward smile, and said:
"Luckily, I've got something on me. Uh… can I get a big steak, please?"
Sobina stared at the coin in his hand with a mocking look.
"Anything else? Want a drink and dessert with that too?"
The soldier's face lit up. "Yeah, sure…"
"You ungrateful idiot—ever heard of sarcasm? With that coin, you can't even afford a piece of stale bread. And now you're asking for a big steak with a drink and dessert?"
"Then… uh… just the bread, please…"
the soldier said, his voice trembling.
Anahita slapped the soldier on the back, let out a loud laugh, and said.
"Relax, auntie—bring him food and drinks. I'll cover it."
Sobina spun around furiously, her eyes narrowing. "You little—I told you not to call me auntie! It's Ms. Sobina!"
Without waiting for a reply, she turned on her heel and stormed off toward the kitchen to get the soldier's food and drinks.
The soldier stared at Anahita, his eyes glimmering with both joy and unshed tears.
"Thank you… I'll never forget your kindness…"
Anahita chuckled.
"Attaboy. Keep that gratitude coming. Oh, by the way—I'm Lioran. What's your name?"
The soldier nodded respectfully, placed a hand on his chest, and introduced himself with slight awkwardness.
"Oh God, forgive me—where are my manners? My name's Bisu. I'm a soldier from the Second Division. Nice to meet you, Mr. Lioran."
Anahita gave him a quick once-over and said casually,
"Huh… so you're under Zubi's command."
"Yeah…"
Bisu replied instantly.
"Nice meeting you."
Anahita said with a grin, just as her eyes landed on Sobina walking over with a plate of food.
"Look—your food's here."
Bisu's eyes lit up at the sight of the plate.
"Ooh, finally! Auntie Sobina, hurry up—I'm starving over here…"
Sobina slammed the plate onto the table with an angry thud and snapped.
"Damn it—didn't you hear me tell you not to call me auntie? Eat your damn food and get lost with your stupid commander."
Zubi, suddenly caught in the crossfire, yelled back furiously.
"Hey, you old hag—why are you dragging me into this? I didn't do anything!"
Sobina shot him a sharp, bone-crushing glare.
"Shut your mouth and pay back what you owe."
She turned to leave, then added as she walked away,
"And don't call me old hag… unless you want me to break your arms and legs."
Cold sweat dripped down Zubi's forehead. He grabbed his glass, took a sip, and muttered quietly under his breath.
'That damn hag is terrifying... I better start showing some respect around her.'
Bisu grabbed the big steak and took a massive bite. Before the taste had even settled on his tongue, his cheeks flushed with pleasure. His eyes sparkled as he mumbled,
"Mmmm... so good..."
He kept chewing nonstop and, with his mouth still full, went on.
"I haven't had food this good in months. Not since Duke Jinf went bust. Back at the mansion, all we get is stale bread..."
"Idiot. Don't talk with your mouth full," Zubi snapped.
Bisu struggled to swallow his bite and chuckled.
"Sorry, Commander... It's just been so long since I've had anything this good."
Anahita glanced at Zubi and asked curiously,
"Is the Duke really that badly off? Even his soldiers can't get a decent meal?"
Zubi sighed and met her gaze.
"Yeah... it's been months since the soldiers got paid. That's why most of them left the palace and went to other towns or countries. The ones who stayed either want to protect the townspeople, or they're looking to exploit this lawless situation to make some money for themselves."
'Hmm... so this town's in worse shape than I thought...'
Anahita nodded slowly and murmured under her breath.
Before she even finished the thought, Bisu's voice piped up again, this time more serious, as if he'd just remembered something important.
"Oh, Commander. Did you hear? Lord Rhys has been assigned to clear out West dungeon tomorrow."
Zubi's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets when he heard Bisu's words.
"What? How is that even possible? Lord Rhys is far too weak. Even for me, this mission would be impossible. They tried to clear out West dungeon two years ago, and no one came back alive. This mission is suicide. Who gave him such an assignment?"
Bisu took a casual sip from his glass and said,
"Duke Jinf himself gave the order."
Zubi froze.
"What do you mean? Is Duke Jinf trying to throw his own son into a death trap?"
Bisu set his glass down on the table and shrugged.
"Not exactly, Commander. Lord Rhys isn't going alone. Commander Wil and four others from the First Division are going with him."
Zubi rolled his eyes.
"Wil? Why would he accept such an impossible mission? Sure, he's the commander of the First Division and stronger than me, but he knows better than anyone that this mission is a suicide run."
"I don't know."
Bisu just shook his head.
At that moment, Goba's voice cut between them, calm but firm.
"Isn't it obvious?"
Zubi and Bisu both turned to him at once. Zubi frowned slightly and asked,
"What do you mean?"
Goba quietly fiddled with his glass, the soft clinking of glass against glass oddly unsettling. Then, without lifting his gaze, he said in a cold voice,
"The commander of the First Division knows this mission is impossible for him. So more than likely, he won't enter West dungeon, and he won't kill any monsters... he'll kill Lord Rhys himself."
Zubi and Bisu's eyes widened at the same time.
Bisu frowned and snapped,
"What do you mean? How dare you make such an accusation against the commander of the First Division?"
But Zubi was frozen, as if puzzle pieces were clicking into place in his mind. His voice trembled with a mix of shock and anxiety as he murmured,
"He's... he's right... If Lord Rhys, Duke Jinf's eldest son from his late wife, dies, who takes his place?"
Bisu hesitated before answering, his voice shaky.
"The young master, Abin... Lady Tisana Josef's son. The grandson of Vanahar Josef."
Goba added without missing a beat,
"Exactly."
Anahita silently took a sip from her wine glass and simply listened.
Zubi's rage erupted. He slammed his fist hard on the table, making the dishes rattle.
"This damn Duke Josef… he wants to kill Master Rhys and take full control of the entire city."
"Don't worry, Commander. Master Rhys is planning to go to the Adventurers' Guild tomorrow and ask for their help,"
Bisu said, trying to ease Zubi's mind. But Zubi let out a mocking laugh.
"The Adventurers' Guild? You think with the kind of influence Duke Jinf has in this city anyone would actually help Master Rhys?"
"No…" Bisu lowered his head.
Anahita noticed the gloomy expressions on Zubi and Bisu's faces. She gave Bisu a firm slap on the back and said,
"Don't hang your head. Eat your food. You don't get a meal like this every day… you'll have time to worry later."
"You're right…"
Bisu managed a faint smile and went back to eating and drinking, while the shadow of a sinister plot still hung heavy over the table.
....
Time passed just like that. Everyone was caught up in conversation, while Bisu kept eating nonstop, drinking his ale, and savoring every bite.
After about an hour, Bisu rose from his seat, thanked Anahita, and bid everyone farewell.
"I'd better get going. It's getting late. Thanks for having me. It's been a long time since I've had such a delicious meal. Goodnight."
Anahita nodded with a brief smile.
"Goodnight to you too."
Zubi and Goba also gave him a nod.
Bisu left the tavern, and Sobina began clearing the empty dishes.
Meanwhile, Zubi glanced at Anahita and asked,
"My Lord, what's your plan? What do you intend to do?"
Anahita was about to answer.
"We won't be doing anything special…"
But at that exact moment, she suddenly lost control of the body.
The eyes that had been shining just seconds ago turned empty and lifeless. Lioran had taken control of the body again.
In an instant, Anahita found herself inside Lioran's dark inner world. She stepped out of his body, stood beside him, and snapped,
"You bastard… at least give me a warning when you're taking control of the body."
Zubi and Goba were stunned by the sudden change.
Goba murmured to himself, his voice trembling,
'Lord Lioran has that same look again… the look of someone who doesn't care about anyone or anything… someone who'd kill anyone standing in his way. I think I'd better watch what I say… if I don't want to die.'
Lioran shot a quick glance at Zubi and said,
"I'm going to the Adventurers' Guild tomorrow. I'll wait there for the Duke's son to show up. Then I'll join them and see whether I turn them into my dogs… or cut their heads off."
"But my Lord, the adventurers at the guild are known as the Wild Adventurers. They're the kind of people who'll break someone's arms and legs if they even look at them the wrong way. If you go there, you'll definitely end up fighting them," Zubi said worriedly.
Lioran sighed and replied,
"Then I guess I'll have to turn them into my dogs too."
Zubi, who believed this mission was impossible, tried once more to dissuade him.
"But the adventurers aren't the only problem, my Lord. West dungeon is a C-rank dungeon. They tried to clear it before—with a five-star soldier, three four-star soldiers, and several three-star soldiers. None of them made it out alive. Since then, no one's dared to set foot in that dungeon…"
"No problem. I was getting bored anyway. Hopefully I'll have some fun there…" Lioran answered indifferently.
"But my Lord—" Zubi tried to speak again, but Lioran fixed him with a cold stare and said,
"Enough. If you want, you can come along yourself."
Zubi's face lit up. He rose from his seat and said,
"Do you mean it, my Lord?"
Lioran nodded.
"Yeah. Now both of you go home. I want to rest."