"This is it."
The tavern I was looking for stood at the end of a narrow alleyway leading off the main street.
While the main road was lined with flashy establishments, this place had a plain, unadorned storefront. The building looked old, giving off a strong impression of being dilapidated, but since the laughter of men leaked out incessantly from inside, it seemed to be doing quite well.
I didn't even have to push the swinging doors open; I was small enough to walk right under them without stooping.
It was either my child’s body or the doors were just set unusually high. It was an awkward height, regardless.
The interior was deeper than I expected. The tables were packed a bit too closely together, but there were easily over thirty of them.
"Wha...? Hic... What's a brat doin' in a place like this?"
"You here to pick someone up, kid?"
"Hey! Someone’s wife must be on the warpath!"
I’d walked in without thinking much about it, but I certainly stood out in a place like this. The drunken patrons watched me, their slurred tongues wagging. Some looks were curious, others amused, and a few were laced with open disgust. I was the target of a lot of rude staring.
The smell of cheap booze was bad enough, but the thick stench of tobacco was even worse. I decided to finish my questioning and get out of there as quickly as possible.
However, with the room so crowded, I had no idea who my targets were. Given the location and the vibe of the place, it seemed like a haunt for locals and regulars. Perhaps the staff would know.
"This is a tavern," the lone clerk said as I approached the counter. His tone made it clear he wanted me to get lost. "We don't serve anything a kid can drink."
I wasn't there to drink, so I didn't mind the cold shoulder, but I needed cooperation. I pulled out my Status Board and presented it to him.
"...You have the Divine Protection of the God of Wine."
"I'm looking for someone. Is there a man named Asshimo here?"
The man jerked his chin toward a corner of the room.
"Thank you."
I placed a Medium Copper Coin on the counter and headed toward the indicated table. Eight men were crowded around two tables pushed together. They were likely all transporters. Though their ages and races varied, they all shared the same heavy, functional muscle.
"Excuse me, I'm sorry to interrupt, but I heard Asshimo-san was at this table?"
"What’s that? You got business with me?"
The man closest to me turned around. He was a Human in his early twenties and seemed to be in high spirits, clearly having had several drinks already. This was perfect. I introduced myself and explained the situation.
"So you want to know about Pedro?"
"Yes. Could you tell me the last time you saw him?"
"Oh, sure, sure. I could do that. But... don't you think there’s a proper way to ask a man a question?" he asked, his eyes flickering toward his empty mug.
"Would an ale be acceptable?"
"Oh, you’re a pal! I—!"
"You damn fool."
"Ow! That hurts!"
The man sitting next to him punched him in the shoulder, turning his cheer into a groan of agony.
"Ow, ow... Boss..."
"Don't go scrounging off a kid. You've had too much to drink as it is, for Pete's sake." The man turned to me. "Sorry about him. Look, kid, if it's Pedro you're after, I saw him two days ago."
"In this town?"
"Yeah, two days ago in the morning. I went out for breakfast and happened to run into him at the diner. We talked for a bit, so there's no mistaking it."
"Do you know where he went after that?"
"He was there before me and left before me. I don't know what happened next, but he did say he was heading for Kereban like usual."
"So he definitely took the mountain road. Is there any reason you can think of why he wouldn't have reached Kereban by now?"
"That's the mystery, kid," another man spoke up. He looked to be in his fifties. "I've known Pedro since he was a brat. He’s been driving this route since his father's time. He knows the dangerous spots and he knows how to handle his team. Besides, Asshimo, you saw him in the morning, right?"
"Yeah. Sun was already up."
"Then it wasn't a nighttime accident. Also, is there anyone here who came back from Kereban today?"
"I did," one man raised his hand.
"Did you see anyone stuck or broken down?"
"I saw a few people taking breaks, but no Pedro. I know his face; I would’ve remembered if I'd passed him."
"I came through too, but I didn't see him either..."
There were witnesses in town, but none further down the road. The likelihood that something had happened was growing.
"Is there any chance he came back to Gimul for some reason?"
"The client checked his house, but he wasn't there," I replied.
"So he didn't come back to town."
"Maybe he’s staying at an inn in the city?"
"Don't be stupid. Why would he do that? It's a waste of coin."
"Ugh, I've drunk too much. My brain's stalled out."
"Hey, Asshimo, you didn't hear anything else? You ate with the guy. Surely he said something."
"It was mostly him bragging about his girl! He said he wants to propose to her, and that he was gonna do it as soon as he got back from this run. I couldn't listen to that sappy crap! Oh, but wait... he did mention wanting to save up as much gold as possible because he’d need to buy clothes and a ring and all that..."
"You think he took some shady job for the extra cash and got himself rubbed out?"
"You're overthinking it. He probably just overloaded his wagon and had an accident."
It was all speculation, but my gut feeling was pointing toward the mountain pass on the Kereban side. Since people coming from that direction hadn't seen anything on the road today, he was likely somewhere deep in the woods.
"You’ve been yapping away for long enough! Shut up!" a voice boomed.
I turned to see that the rest of the tavern had gone quiet. Everyone’s attention was fixed on a red-faced man glaring at me from the counter.
"I'm talking to you! You brat!"
His chair clattered to the floor as he stood up and stomped over to our table.
"Since when did this place become a playground for children? Huh?"
"I apologize. I'm just looking for a missing person—"
"I don't give a damn!"
I figured it would go this way.
"You've been hovering in my line of sight for too long, and it's annoying! If you don't want to get hurt, get the hell out of here!"
"I'll leave as soon as I finish my business."
I gave him a polite nod, but it clearly wasn't the response he wanted. He clicked his tongue and pulled back a fist. Even in another world, drunkards were apparently immune to logic.
"Wait—"
"Hey, now—"
Ignoring the worried shouts of the bystanders, I stepped forward. I caught the descending fist with one hand.
"Huh?"
The man let out a confused grunt, clearly shocked that his punch had been caught so easily. He stared at his captured fist and then tried to wrench his arm back. I didn't let go. If I did, he’d just try to swing again.
I knew I was the one out of place here. I was willing to apologize and leave once I was done, but I wasn't going to let myself be a punching bag.
"Ngh! Let... go! Why you...!"
The man braced his feet and pulled with all his might. I had a pillar nearby to brace myself against, so I wasn't going to lose a horizontal tug-of-war. If he tried to lift me, I'd just be hanging off him, but he was too stubborn for that.
In my previous life, my philosophy was patience, endurance, and more patience. Letting someone hit you was often the path of least resistance. But in this world, I didn't have to take it. It was a liberating realization.
That said, I didn't actually have many other ideas for how to handle this besides non-resistance. The transporters who had been about to help me had settled back into their seats to watch, realizing I could handle myself. The drunkard, meanwhile, wasn't giving up.
"Gaaaaah! What’s with this kid?! Let go! I’ll kill you!"
"Ah."
Since he’d mentioned killing... I wondered if I could use the same technique from my recent match.
"Mister, don't you think you've had a bit too much to drink?"
The man’s body suddenly went rigid. I felt the strength drain out of his arm instantly.
"Let's just calm down, alright?"
I released his hand to show I wasn't looking for a fight, but...
"H-Hieeeeeeee!"
"Wait! Hey!"
The man didn't calm down. He scrambled backward, tripped over a stool, and then bolted for the exit, knocking into other patrons as he fled the tavern.
"Did I go too far?"
People had told me I looked terrifying during my match. I thought that if I channeled that same intensity, it would act as a deterrent.
The customers who had been sitting behind the man immediately looked away. They suddenly found their drinks very interesting or pretended to have passed out on the tables. They were all pointedly avoiding my gaze. I definitely overdid it. Also, I realized the man probably hadn't paid his tab.
I walked back to the counter.
"Excuse me. Will this cover that man's bill?" I asked, placing three Silver Coins in front of the blunt clerk.
"...It’s too much."
"Please use the remainder to buy a round for the house. Especially for those people whose drinks were spilled, and for the gentlemen who gave me information."
"Whoa! You hear that?! The kid’s buying!" someone shouted.
"Yes. I'm sorry for interrupting your evening."
"Hell yeah!"
"Free booze!"
In an instant, the tavern returned to its original boisterous state. They were certainly quick to move on, which made things easier for me.
"Sorry for the trouble," I said, returning to the transporters' table.
"Don't worry about it. Fights are part of the scenery in a place like this."
"Yeah, kid. You've got some steel in you."
"I am an adventurer, after all."
"Still, you should probably head out before someone else gets a bug up their nose. Thanks for the drink!"
"Thank you for your time."
I stepped out into the night air. It had been an eventful visit, but confirming that Pedro had definitely been in town was a major lead. It was worth the trouble.
I did feel a little bad for scaring that drunkard, though. I should reflect on that. Still, I hadn't expected it to be quite that effective. Beck and the others had only said it was "a bit scary." Maybe that guy was just more of a coward than he looked.
As I walked, I idly opened my Status Board to check my stats.
"..."
Intimidation Lv3.
A skill I didn't recognize had appeared.
"Why did it jump straight to level three?"