“This is our Scavenger Guild’s main business—fencing stolen goods.”
“To put it plainly, it means converting the shady things in your hands into usable coins.”
The Mage stood before a large chest, introducing it to Vivian, then pushed open the lid.
Clink.
With a flick of his finger, he tossed the gold coin into the box.
“Throw the loot in, and you can come here next week to collect your earnings.”
“For a single gold coin like this, you can probably get about three silver coins.”
“If you’re a guild member, you can get one more silver.”
He slammed the lid shut with a clack and turned to face Vivian and Nolan.
“Don’t think it’s too little. After all, compared to sitting in a dungeon or losing your head…”
“This choice is clearly more cost-effective.”
“Take any other questions to Frank.”
“You beat him once, so by the rules, you can take any one item from his person.”
Having said that, the Mage returned to his table and paid them no more mind.
Frank sat alone at a new table, drinking ale.
“Where’s Big Tail Rat? We have important business with him.”
Vivian walked up to Frank’s table, rapped her knuckles on it, and asked.
Frank looked up at her, then picked up his mug again, intending to take another sip.
Vivian snatched the mug right out of his hand, putting on a fierce expression.
“Don’t even think about stalling. Speak.”
“I… just wanted one more sip.”
He awkwardly rubbed his big bald head and said quietly.
Frank, this tall and burly man, even looked a bit wronged at the moment.
“Drink your head off! One more sip and I’ll beat you up!”
Vivian clenched her fingers, crushing the pewter mug into a thin sheet of metal.
Pale yellow ale dripped from between her fingers onto the floor.
“Don’t get excited, Miss Vivian, I’ll talk.” Frank hurriedly raised his hands in surrender.
“Let’s get this straight first, Big Tail Rat is our boss here.”
“If you dare to do anything to him, we…”
As he spoke, he tilted his head, glancing toward the Mage at the next table.
The Mage clearly heard their conversation but still pretended nothing was happening.
“I… I’ll just run away…”
“And then pick your lock when you’re not home…”
“And steal the pets from your house…”
Frank spoke softer and softer, his voice almost inaudible by the end.
He had originally wanted to say something tough to boost their prestige.
But then he remembered Vivian’s notorious reputation for violence in the city.
The stronger people were in the city, the more they feared her fists.
He was forced to swallow his words, only managing to stammer out a few harmless jokes.
He wished he could find a crack to crawl into right now. This was so damn embarrassing!
He suddenly felt like one of those arrogant, domineering minor villains in storybooks.
The kind who, after a redemption arc, turns into a silly, clumsy oaf…
“Follow me.”
Frank stood up and said in a low voice.
He tried hard to maintain an expressionless, indifferent demeanor.
Vivian and Nolan followed Frank to the bar counter.
“Boss, these two guests have business with you.”
“Alright, thank you for entertaining these two guests for me. This is what you deserve.” A sweet, cloying female voice came from behind the bar, its tail end rising slightly with a hint of naive charm.
Then a silver coin gleaming with white light flew out.
Frank reached out and caught it, then tossed it into the large chest in the center.
At that moment.
A pair of large, snow-white ears peeked out from behind the counter, their tips edged with a fluffy ring of white fur.
Thump!
A dull collision sound was heard.
The big ears instantly retracted. She… seemed to have bumped her head.
“Hiss~ Doesn’t hurt.”
She sucked in a sharp breath, then stubbornly insisted.
With a few pitter-patter footsteps, the mysterious figure behind the bar finally walked out from the side.
She had white fox ears on her head, a mass of snow-white, fluffy hair covering it.
Behind her hung a super-sized, snow-white tail, looking like a soft cloud had fallen to the ground.
She had a small, round face with large, round blue pupils.
She wore a blue short skirt, from the pocket of which half a dried squid stick protruded.
Her chest was flat and unremarkable, and her height didn’t even reach the top of the bar counter.
“Wow, it’s a big-tailed fox!”
Seeing the mysterious person’s true appearance, Vivian couldn’t help but exclaim.
“I’m not a fox! I’m a cat!”
Her large ears shot upright, the fur on her big tail stood on end, and she loudly refuted.
“Then meow for me.”
Vivian didn’t believe her claim and couldn’t help but raise an objection.
“Ying~”
“See, that’s a typical fox sound.”
Vivian pointed at Big Tail Rat and turned to speak to Nolan.
Nolan slowly nodded in agreement.
“She should be a snow fox sub-species from the north, one of the tribes of the Frost Claw Alliance.”
“Though it seems her mother must have picked up the wrong child.”
“And raised her as a feline sub-species.”
“You two, what are you muttering about behind my back! You’re not secretly bad-mouthing me, are you?” Big Tail Rat said unhappily.
“Absolutely not, we were just praising how cute you are.”
Vivian hurriedly waved her hands in denial, casually telling a little white lie.
Hearing this, Big Tail Rat immediately lifted her chin, crossed her arms, and puffed up with pride for a moment.
“Hmph, you vampire has at least some taste.”
“Tell me what you came to find me for. Maybe I’ll be merciful and help you.”
She gave a little heave-ho and jumped onto the bar counter, plopping down to sit on its surface.
She looked down at Vivian and Nolan with her nose in the air.
Vivian also stopped with the pleasantries and got straight to the point.
“There’s a Blood Mage hiding in the city. He attacked many residents the night before last.”
“We want to send him to the underworld, so we came to you to see if you have any information on him.”
“Oh~.”
Big Tail Rat drew out the syllable, putting on an expression of sudden understanding.
“So you’re looking for Stallion Butt.”
“If you mean Marco, then that’s him.”
Hearing this strange nickname, Vivian really didn’t know where to start.
“I don’t know any Marco. His name is Stallion Butt.”
“Fine, we’re looking for Stallion Butt. Please tell me where he is now?”
“And also, what exactly does he want to do?”
Vivian was a bit helpless but could only follow her lead.
“For this, we are willing to spend a large sum of money.”
She took out her little treasury, placing the heavy money pouch in her palm.
“Sorry, no comment!”
Big Tail Rat sharply turned her head away, not even glancing at Vivian’s money pouch.
“We can add more money.”
Vivian nudged Nolan beside her.
Nolan immediately understood, taking out the salary he had received from the church this week.
A total of two silver coins plus some assorted coppers.
He offered it all.
“You flat-chested bat! Do you think everyone is as greedy as you!”
Big Tail Rat suddenly pointed at Vivian and began to shout insults.
She even gave her a particularly nasty nickname.
“Don’t try to insult my character with money.”
“I’ve already struck a big deal with Stallion Butt.”
She spread her arms, drawing a large semi-circle in the air.
“If I sell out my partner, how am I supposed to keep doing business in the future?”
Big Tail Rat refused Vivian without a second thought.
No matter what she said, Big Tail Rat remained completely unmoved.
The negotiation had failed…
Nolan suddenly stepped forward, performing a standard, respectful noble bow to Big Tail Rat.
Then he politely asked:
“May I ask, Miss, which deity do you worship?”
Big Tail Rat was taken aback for a moment, then said offhandedly:
“Naturally, the God of Thieves, the Hidden Dove, our great Lord Mohr. Why?”
She was a bit puzzled by this seemingly irrelevant question.
“You’re actually a heretic!”
Nolan’s expression changed drastically. He pointed sharply at Big Tail Rat and shouted sternly:
“Vivian, hit her!”