Chapter 23: Band of Hyenas
The tavern bustled with the usual evening crowd, the air thick with the scent of roasted meat and ale. Shennong moved between tables, balancing a tray of drinks as he worked tirelessly. I
He knew it was going to be his final day working in this tavern. He hadn't come to Percival Barony to work in a tavern. Within the week, he had gathered all the information he needed and knew where he wanted to go next, but he still had one last problem to deal with.
Jeni stood behind the counter, her gaze drifting toward her mother. A frown creased her face as she noticed the way her mother's eyes lingered on Shennong, a strange expression flickering across her face. It made her uncomfortable.
She walked up to Shennong, lowering her voice. "Hey, did something happen? My mother's looking at you weird."
Shennong turned to her with a slight smile, feigning innocence. "No idea." He knew full well what had happened last night, considering they had been in the same bed, but there was no need to bring that up now.
Jeni shrugged. "Maybe she's thinking of giving you something new to do around the tavern. I know she is impressed with how you work. Honestly, she would like to keep you here."
Shennong chuckled. "That must be it."
But before they could dwell on it, Jeni's demeanor shifted, and she hesitated for a second before speaking, her cheeks slightly flushed. "Actually, I wanted to tell you something else. I have a friend coming today to hang out with me. I was thinking of leaving early... and, um, do you want to come with us?"
Shennong didn't seem interested. He wasn't one for little outings.
That was until Jeni added, "Her name's Lily. She works in the Percival mansion, but she's free today since Lord Baron went to the capital to submit the annual income records. I can't miss this opportunity because she will never get a break like this again."
Shennong's eyes widened. "She works for the Baron?"
"Yeah."
A smile crept onto his face, though he quickly masked it. "Alright, I'll come. I can't let two girls walk around the city all alone." He glanced toward the kitchen. "Maybe Romina can help Josie with the tavern."
Just then, the front doorbell rang. Both Shennong and Jeni turned toward the entrance, expecting to see Lily who was supposed to be here.
Instead, their faces darkened.
A group of adventurers stomped into the tavern, their rowdy laughter filling the space. Jeni looked scared, while Shennong just looked annoyed.
"Damn it," he muttered. "They are screwed!"
Jeni grabbed his arm. "Don't go. I'll handle them."
Shennong shook her off and strode toward the group. He already knew why they were here. They weren't here to drink. They were here to cause trouble.
The adventurers, the same rough bunch of mercenaries that punched him, sneered at him as he approached. One of them laughed. "Look at this weakling. This job suits him, huh? A little errand boy."
Another chimed in. "Maybe he's the tavern's pet. Hey, boy, wanna carry our bags? We'll pay extra."
Laughter erupted from the group, but their leader, a burly man named Garrum, remained silent. He leaned forward, his smile fading. "We won't be giving our order to a man. We need a woman."
Shennong stared at him for a moment before replying flatly, "Then you're in the wrong place. If you want a woman, go to a brothel."
The laughter stopped.
Garrum stood up, towering over Shennong. His eyes narrowed dangerously. "You got guts, boy. You know who we are? We're the Band of Hyenas, a B-ranked adventurer group. We can take down an orc with ease."
Shennong didn't even blink. "Wooooah! Impressive."
In an instant, Garrum's thick hand shot out and grabbed Shennong by the collar, lifting him off the ground with ease. The other adventurers cheered, clearly enjoying the scene. They knew his voice was filled with sarcasm, and they weren't going to let it slide.
"Boys, we're gonna have some fun," Garrum said, grinning as he carried Shennong toward the entrance.
From the kitchen, Romina peeked out, eyes wide with fear. Shennong caught her gaze and winked, as if telling her everything was fine.
Josie, the owner of the tavern, came rushing out in tears. "Please! Let him go!"
Jeni had already bolted outside to call the guards, but Josie's pleas were ignored. One of the adventurers shoved her aside as they carried Shennong out into the a dark alleyway.
The door slammed shut behind them, leaving the tavern in heavy silence as the customers who witnessed the scene knew Shennong was not going to come back here. It's either he would be killed or paralysed.
***
The dark alleyway reeked of rot, a forsaken place where the already setting sunlight barely touched. Piles of garbage lay strewn about, an unfortunate place to find oneself in if one valued their dignity.
Shennong, bruised and battered, was unceremoniously thrown into the stinking pile of garbage by Garrum and his group of lackeys. Laughter erupted from the thugs as they watched the helpless boy struggle to get up. But Shennong didn't seem like he was defeated. He remained on his knees, his eyes wide with an intensity that was unusual for someone who is surrounded by a group of men who could kill him.
"Not yet! Not yet! You can only come out in darkness! No one should see you! Listen to me." Shennong shouted, his voice hoarse and strained.
The men exchanged confused glances. "What the hell is he rambling about?" Garrum muttered, tightening his grip on his axe. He turned to one of his men, his face twisted with a mix of disgust and amusement. "He's gone mad, hasn't he? Must be so scared, he's losing his mind."
Garrum was getting ready to beat up Shennong with his knuckles cracked, but then he heard one of the lackeys, a stocky man with a greasy mustache, stepped forward, eyeing Shennong's musuclar frame and beautiful face for a . His lips curled into a sly grin as he looked over to Garrum. "You know," the man said, licking his lips, "he'd fetch a pretty good price. There's a lot of noble women and men out there who buy boys like him. They have all sorts of... fun with them...me included."
Garrum shot him a sharp look. He knew the man's reputation and his preference, and it was one he didn't want to be associated with. "Don't bring that up, you idiot. I don't want any trouble with the law. Sure, this is just a street rat, but still those women will search for him and complain about this to guards."
The man smirked, unbothered by Garrum's warning. "Nobody would know," he said. "I've got contacts. There's a group that specializes in this sort of thing. We could make a lot of money, and nobody would be the wiser."
Garrum paused, considering the idea. He didn't want trouble, but the price the man was talking about made his mind wander. A quick bribe here and there, a few silvers in the right pockets, and they could make this go away. He could see it now: a clean deal, no one the wiser, and the boy—Shennong—disappearing into the shadows where he belonged.
A greedy smile spread across Garrum's face as he nodded. "Maybe it's not such a bad idea after all. We could bribe the guards, say he ran off somewhere. Easy."
Shennong, still on the ground, suddenly spoke. His voice was different now, calmer but laced with something dangerous. It's almost like everything until now he had been doing was an act. "Is it night yet? What a time you decided to bring me here." he asked with a smile, as if talking to himself. "She will come now. I can't wait to see what she does to you."
Garrum frowned, confused. "What the hell are you talking about? Can we sell him? He might have gone insane."
Before he could react, a sudden, sharp crack filled the air. Garrum's axe, still in his hand, was sliced clean through, its haft split in half by an invisible force. The thug froze, looking behind him as the sound of footsteps echoed in the alleyway. Slowly, two of his men collapsed to the ground, blood spurting from their necks as if they had been sliced open by some unseen blade.
The man who had suggested selling Shennong suddenly screamed in terror, his voice cracking as he called out, "Devils! Devils!" His words were cut off as his eyes began to glow a fiery red, his face twisting in horror as he was silenced by the same unseen force.
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"What... what is... what is happening here?" Garrum muttered, barely having enough time to react. He knew something was happening, yet at the same time, he could feel an intense bloodlust directed at him—so strong that he could sense exactly where it was coming from.
"Yenissa! I told you to wait until it was fully dark, but whatever... Now that you're here, it's time," Shennong muttered with a smile, standing back up and wiping himself.