Being threatened, Pluk had no choice but to temporarily close the hotel Black Dove in the middle of the day and guide the sentinel Pest to the Hearthstone Tavern.
The moment Pest entered the street, she placed her hood back on. She was not afraid of the sun. It’s just that the sentinel’s hood had the ability to conceal their auras.
Even though Pest was not fond of humans, she never dared to look down upon humans...
Even though the lifespans of those creatures were pitifully short, Pest would not even be able to watch an infant from her race grow up into a child in the time a human died of old age, there were some powerful existences among the humans.
This place was Norland, the city where the elites of humanity gathered.
If Pest’s true identity was to be seen through by a certain powerful mage, she felt that she would be caught up in a very problematic situation.
“Joshua Annerlaude is living in the human’s region?”
Guided by Pluk, Pest left Squirrel Street. She had thought that the Chaos Demon would be living in the Industrial Region settled by the dwarves or in other fringe areas like Squirrel Street.
But, the direction Pluk was walking toward was Norland’s city center. The street was already filled with all kinds of human merchants and mages...
Pluk nodded his head to express his answer.
“You’d best not try to deceive me at a time like this.”
Pest still didn’t quite believe that a Chaos Demon would be able to live in Norland’s central region. Chaos Demons were different from goblins and cave giants.
While humans felt disgusted by the goblins, they would only avoid the goblin merchants when they saw them in cities.
But, it was completely different when it came to demons. Due to the damned Holy Church’s propagandas, the majority of the humans would show hostility when they encounter demons.
If a Chaos Demon wanted to move about in a human city, they must conceal their identity. But, even if they managed to do so successfully, it would still be very dangerous for them to try to live in Norland’s central district.
Pluk did not attempt to bother to justify his behavior at all. This Deceiver was a man who was not particularly fond of small talks.
With doubt in her mind, Pest was led to the Hearthstone Tavern by Pluk.
The moment they entered the commercial district, the sentinel lady became even more skeptical of Pluk.
According to her perception, she was able to tell that the amount of mages on this street was abnormally great. Moreover, the majority of those mages were not new graduates from magic academies.
If it wasn’t for the fact that Pest did not feel any hostility from those mages, she might’ve taken out her weapon and prepared herself for a battle already.
“We’re here.”
Pluk led Pest to the Hearthstone Tavern’s entrance. Pluk had never been to this place before. But, he knew the business district Joshua mentioned in his letter.
Once a person arrived at the business district, they would be able to notice a tavern called ‘Hearthstone’ in no time.
“Are you certain?”
Pest surveyed the tavern’s surroundings. It was only after arriving at the tavern that she noticed the mages strolling around the business district were all here for the tavern.
They would either be proceeding toward the tavern or leaving from the tavern...
“I am.” Pluk cannot find another tavern called ‘Hearthstone’ in this business district.
“Perhaps this is the place Joshua Annerlaude is hiding in?”
There exist taverns in the Demon Realm’s Royal City too. Being a sentinel for many years, Pest knew very well that apart from drinking, a tavern could be the gathering place for some underground organizations too.
Even though this tavern before her does not seem like a shadowy place... it might be possible that her target was hiding in there?
Pluk had pushed open the entrance doors and walked into the Hearthstone Tavern. Pest followed him inside.
But, the moment she entered the tavern, she felt something that she hated... the power of the Holy Light.
Pest immediately sought for the source of the Holy Light power.
This tavern was many times larger than the demon realm’s small taverns filled with sccubbi. But, she was still able to quickly find a woman with short golden hair among a bunch of mages...
“Messai, even if you possess Ragnaros the Firelord, you will not be able to defeat me. Today, I will have you experience the fear of never being able to reach the Legendary tier.”
“...”
This was the most thrilling match in Messai’s Hearthstone history. She encountered an old opponent, the inquisitor from the Heresy Tribunal, Cheryl.
Cheryl should’ve already returned to the Holy City. But, for some unknown reason, she came back to Norland. Messai didn’t know why she came back but Desireless did not continue to give the order to bring Cheryl back to the Holy Church.
Because of that, Messai felt Cheryl’s return to be somewhat fishy. But, she’s only a templar and was unqualified to inquire about the behaviors of an ‘inquisitor.’
Cheryl’s talent in Hearthstone was much greater than Messai. Even her luck was much better than Messai’s. Many times during their match, Messai had thought her Lord was standing by that inquisitor’s side.
In the end, their match ended up Cheryl using a deck given to her by a mage out of friendship and defeating Messai with 1 health remaining.
Right after their match ended, before Messai could inquire Cheryl why she returned to Norland, her ‘third eye’ detected an uncomfortable aura.
Scarlet thick blood. The special perception granted to Messai by the heavens allowed her to smell a stifling reeking of blood.
Messai had only once ‘smelled’ this sort of reeking of blood before. It was from an evil homicidal maniac.
None of the mages in the tavern detected that reeking of blood. Not even Cheryl detected it. Cheryl was busy with opening the card packs she won from Messai.
Messai stood up from her seat. Through the perception she received from her ‘third eye,’ she looked to the entrance.
The excellent templar’s eyes immediately locked onto Pest standing at the entrance. When Messai’s eyes faced that pair of scarlet eyes, she recognized the identity of the person she was looking at.
Vampire! They were a wicked race that associated themselves with the demons! But, different from the tyrannical demons, the vampires were vicious existences that considered humans as ‘food.’
Recently, more and more strange races were appearing in the Hearthstone Tavern. Albeit, the majority of them do not hold any malice toward humans.
But, Messai felt clear hostility from that vampire...
She did not come to this tavern for the sake of playing a round of hearthstone. Instead, she came here for some other purpose.
Golden runes appeared on Messai’s arm. Today was her day off. During her days off, she would come to hang out in the Hearthstone Tavern during the day. Because of that, she did not bring any weapon with her.
But, even without any weapon, she was still a powerful templar using only the power of the Holy Light.
If Messai was thinking in the interest of the Holy Church, there would be no reason for her to protect this tavern. After all, this was a demon’s lair.
But, Messai’s faith lies not with the Holy Church and their interest. Instead, her faith lies with the virtues recorded in the canons.
And, most importantly... she was a Hearthstone player...