Blake pushed open the door to the inn.
Noise slammed into him instantly. Customers were shouting at the servers—young men running frantically with trays. Complaints flew like arrows.
"The food's cold!""This stinks!""Is this how you run a place?!"
Every small flaw was turned into a battlefield.
Man… this place is a mess.
He strode toward the counter. Behind it stood the innkeeper—an old man with a cuboid face, one eye missing, a diagonal scar cutting down to the nose. His grin stretched unnaturally wide, teeth bared like some beast welcoming prey.
"What will you take, traveler?" the innkeeper asked.
Blake rubbed his hands together, smirking."I've handled customers before. Let me fix this for you. Want me to show you?"
If there's one thing I know, it's how to deal with angry customers.
Both men turned to look at the noisiest table.
"That group," the innkeeper muttered, "they're thugs. Won't listen to a word from me."
Blake's grin widened."Then let's make a bet. Five gold says I'll silence them for good. No more noise from today."
The innkeeper narrowed his one good eye. "And if you fail?"
"Then I'll work for you for free."
Hook, line, and sinker. No way he refuses this.
The old man hesitated, then dropped five coins onto the counter.
Blake pocketed them casually, then spotted her—a thin woman seated alone, fragile yet radiant like jade under moonlight.
He leaned close, placing a coin before her."What's your name ? . Well not that it matters. Serve their food. Just once. Do that, and this gold is yours."
She looked at him silently, then rose without a word, carrying the plates.
The inn fell silent.
The thugs—who had been roaring moments before—watched her in silence. They didn't complain. Didn't sneer. They simply let her place the dishes down, obedient as lambs.
From across the room, Blake chuckled."Heh. Easy four gold. No idea how much that's worth here, but it'll keep me alive for a while. This trick never fails—pretty women can tame even the rowdiest crowd. My old boss would be proud."
With a smirk, he turned to the innkeeper.
But the old man was frozen, jaw dropped, his one eye wide as if he'd seen a ghost.
…Why does he look like he's about to faint?
"What's with that face?" Blake asked casually.
The innkeeper's voice trembled."Do you even know what you've done?"
Blake puffed his chest. "Solved your problem. Hire her. Trust me, I'm an expert."
The innkeeper slammed the counter."Hire her? Hire WHO?! The High Inquisitor?!"
Blake blinked. …Wait. What?
"She's a Fifth Class Mage!" The old man's voice cracked with panic. "That madwoman—we never bother her! No one knows what's in her head! Disturb her and you'll vanish without a trace! You've just provoked a walking disaster!"
The innkeeper slumped, pale."I only pray she doesn't bring the building down… because of what you made her do."
Blake's smirk vanished. High… Inquisitor? Fifth Class Mage?! You've gotta be kidding me…
Slowly, his gaze shifted back toward the woman.
She sat there calmly, sipping her tea.
And then… she looked at him.
Their eyes met.
Her lips curved into a smile. A strange, playful smile—like a cat toying with prey.
Blake's stomach twisted. His whole body went cold, a tingling crawling up his spine.
No… this isn't right.That smile… it's trouble.I've just stepped into something I shouldn't have.
It wasn't just a smile. It was an omen.
Something disastrous had just been set into motion.