Chapter 60: Mutual Understanding and the Night Watchmen

"Thud!" The sound of a thick wooden mug striking the tabletop resonated, carrying an oddly soothing quality.

A splash of ale spilled from the cup, scattering across the wood.

"Honestly, I never expected the Night's Edge to offer perks like this; the atmosphere in this tavern is a world apart from the rowdy joints outside."

These slurred, drunken words tumbled from the mouth of a fellow whose lack of decorum was making a scene in the quiet establishment.

"If you know it's different from the outside, then stop making such a racket!"

Edward looked on with a weary sigh at Charles, who was currently chugging a mug of ale with rhythmic gulps.

"Ugh, don't change the subject. Are you going to drink or not? You're being such a bore, it's pathetic, haha!"

"What is there to be proud of when you're just chugging ale?" Edward slapped his own forehead, wondering why he was even bothering to compete with such a man.

"Just drink up, will you? If you don't, you're not much of a man."

"Fine, I'll drink! Let's see who folds first!"

...

Wang Yu watched in silence as Edward, having downed three mugs, crawled under the table, while Charles roared with laughter nearby. He simply continued to enjoy the tender steak and crispy grilled fish on his plate.

"Hey, keep it down...!" The stern, commanding voice of the proprietor, who hadn't paused his mixing behind the bar, cut through the air.

"R-right..." Charles, who had been mocking Edward for crawling under the table to pet the owner's little black cat while giggling like an idiot, immediately stifled his boisterous laughter.

"Crunch!" Biting into the steak and savoring the succulent juices, Wang Yu narrowed his eyes in satisfaction; this place was indeed different from the outside world.

Those chaotic, noisy taverns out there, teeming with all sorts of riffraff, offered little more than sour, stale bread and meat dishes overwhelmed by heavy spices.

But look at this environment: the elegant hall, the tasteful decor, and the young, beautiful fairy maiden singing softly in the center.

Wang Yu had to admit that this was one of the few places he had found that rivaled the modern, refined spaces back on Earth.

The Echoing Cabin, affectionately dubbed "Sweet Home" by members of the Night's Edge, was a tavern open exclusively to those within the organization.

It was founded by a retired veteran of the Night's Edge who, having seen much of the world, wanted to do something for the warriors of his order.

Look at the surrounding soldiers of the Night's Edge, quietly enjoying their exquisite meals and sipping their drinks in peace.

These men, marked by the ravages of weather and the scars of battle, were savoring a rare moment of tranquility, washing away the fatigue of bloody campaigns and high-stakes watches.

It had to be said that having a small tavern like this to provide solace for both body and soul was a truly delightful thing.

Though it began as a private, voluntary venture, the leaders and members of the Night's Edge soon recognized the value of the establishment.

Today, the Echoing Cabin had become a multifunctional hub for the Night's Edge, serving as a place to exchange intelligence and distribute missions.

Compared to the noisy, chaotic taverns outside, the atmosphere here was a sanctuary of peace and harmony.

Most of the soldiers who came here had seen enough of that chaos and clamor; they were no longer looking for mere indulgence.

To settle their minds, enjoy drinks that were far cheaper and better than those outside, eat a decent meal, and listen to the moving songs of a fairy minstrel—that was what they truly craved.

This was why the tavern’s atmosphere remained so serene and harmonious.

It was also why Wang Yu’s table stood out so starkly.

Edward, who had crawled under the table after a few mugs, and Charles, who had been laughing like a simpleton, were completely out of sync with the room.

Even Wang Yu, who was relatively normal and simply focused on enjoying his food, looked strange given the mountain of plates piling up on his table.

While the food here was indeed cheap and delicious, most patrons didn't come for the sake of their appetites; they came for the atmosphere and the feeling of belonging.

By comparison, Wang Yu, who was here strictly to eat, was quite the anomaly.

"So, are you really not going to have a drink?" Charles pushed a mug of ale toward Wang Yu.

"Don't bother. With my constitution, even the strongest liquor here would be like water; I wouldn't get drunk."

Accepting a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice the owner had just prepared at the bar, Wang Yu offered a word of thanks and took a satisfied sip—it was absolutely divine.

"Besides, I don't like alcohol. I have no need for that drunken haze, and my constitution wouldn't allow me to get drunk anyway."

"Tch, a coward is a coward. Not drinking doesn't make you much of a man," Charles sneered, curling his lip.

"No, seriously, if you want me to be honest..." Wang Yu tapped his own head.

"What is it?"

"Swish!" Wang Yu’s hand moved with such speed it left a blur, snatching something from beneath Charles’s wooden mug.

"Hmm, let's see... The World Tarot card. And what might its purpose be?" Wang Yu flipped the card in his hand, watching the stunned Charles with a calm, amused expression.

"Uh, this..." A bead of cold sweat trickled down Charles's cheek.

"Alright, I won't tease you anymore. It's a real waste to use a talent for spatial magic on something like this." Wang Yu flicked his wrist, and the card spun through the air, landing back on Charles’s table.

Charles awkwardly retrieved the World Tarot card.

This embarrassing fellow had been using the spatial magic imbued in the card to siphon the ale away from inside his mug.

He looked like he was chugging mug after mug, but in reality, he had likely only taken a single sip.

After all, a mage's constitution compared to a knight's was a joke; if he had actually been drinking that much, it would be Charles, not Edward, crawling under the table right now.

Wiping his nose, Charles recovered from his embarrassment and began to boast with renewed arrogance.

"Well, I am a genius, after all. Spatial magic and the like—I mastered the basics in just two or three years."

"Sure, sure, we know you're amazing," Wang Yu waved him off.

He thought for a moment—Avia could actually use spatial magic too. How long did it take her? About half a year, hmm...

"You're being awfully dismissive, hey," Charles replied, clearly dissatisfied.

"You really didn't drug Edward, did you?" Wang Yu chose to change the subject immediately. If he followed Charles's lead...

Based on his few days of knowing the man, Charles would likely run off like a dog off its leash, chattering away into oblivion.

"No, I don't have any interest in drugging him," Charles made a look of disgust.

"That's strange. A high-ranking knight's constitution shouldn't let him get drunk that easily." Wang Yu glanced at Edward, who was still under the table, giggling like a fool while petting the cat.

"Who knows? But he is definitely easier to deal with than you. I just get the feeling... he's a bit... is he really the son of the Lionheart King?"

"Simple-minded?" Wang Yu supplied the word Charles had hesitated on.

"Exactly!"

Edward did indeed give off that impression. He didn't seem like a child from a family of generals; he felt too inexperienced, not quite mature enough.

By contrast, Charles—this seemingly unprincipled, roguish, and unreliable mage—felt much more like someone who had seen a great deal of the world.

"Maybe the Lionheart King sent him here specifically for training."

"What kind of strange father is that? Doesn't teach his own son, but dumps him on us to do the work?"

"And what about you? What's your story?"

"Let's not bring up the past..." Charles suddenly assumed a melancholy expression, three parts reminiscent, seven parts sorrowful.

"..., fine then, I won't ask." Wang Yu wasn't particularly curious about other people's pasts; it had just been a casual question.

"You're not going to press for more?" Charles scratched his head; he really didn't know how to handle someone like Wang Yu, who refused to play along with his rhythm.

"Nope," Wang Yu nodded.

"Well, the truth is my father just couldn't stand seeing me idle and aimless all day, so he pushed me out to find something to do... he is a Count, after all." Charles shrugged, putting on an air of feigned helplessness.

"Oh," Wang Yu replied. He would have to be a fool to believe that.

Aimless and idle, yet a full-fledged mage at such a young age? Pushed out to find something to do, only to be shoved directly into a Night's Edge special operations team?

It seemed his colleagues were not as simple as they appeared, but since the other party clearly had no intention of sharing, Wang Yu saw no reason to pry.

"What about you? Which house is your father from?" Charles asked, his curiosity piqued.

"Should I say the Wang house?" Wang Yu mused to himself.

"I'm a commoner; there's no 'house' to speak of." It was clear Charles had been asking about his noble lineage.

"You're not a noble?" Charles stared at Wang Yu, eyes wide, clearly shaken by the revelation.

"Is that so strange?" Wang Yu countered.

"It would be strange if it weren't strange! Do you even know what Night's Edge is?" Charles looked frantic.

"I don't." Wang Yu was blunt; he truly knew nothing of the intricacies involved.

However, Night's Edge did have a regulation allowing them to bypass noble authority to execute missions—could it be related to that?

"Gods, it’s a miracle you even made it into the special operations team." Charles exclaimed loudly, only to shut his mouth when the tavern keeper glared at him.

He whispered, "But you don't look like a noble. Many of these guys are arrogant, insufferable snobs. And the older ones? They’re even worse... tsk tsk."

Watching Charles shake his head and click his tongue, Wang Yu felt a strong urge to point out that he didn't look much like a noble himself.

In fact, he looked more like a street thug, save for that undeniably handsome face.

"Creeeak..." The tavern door pushed open. Wang Yu didn't pay it much mind until he heard footsteps approaching, prompting him to turn his head.

"Hi, Wang Yu!" Zieg, now dressed in casual attire, waved a greeting.

"Good evening, Professor," Wang Yu replied in kind.

Zieg walked to the table and pulled up a chair.

He cast a strange, fleeting glance at Edward, who was slumped under the table and just beginning to stir, but with great composure, he neither asked nor lingered on the sight.

He pulled a small object from his pocket and placed it before Wang Yu. "Take a look. Are you satisfied?"

Wang Yu picked it up. It was an exquisitely crafted statue.

A dignified lady, her face veiled in black, sat upon a chair of archaic design, her black gown lending her an air of mystery and elegance.

Wang Yu studied the tiny figure, astonished to find it bore a seventy or eighty percent resemblance to the Lady of Night he had seen in his mental space. How had he managed this?

Noticing Wang Yu's surprise, the professor smiled. "I had the organization's craftsmen forge this based on the descriptions of the Lady of Night I found in the Seowintan archives. It’s only natural it resembles what you saw."

"I see. My thanks!" Wang Yu realized Zieg might truly be the most reliable of his colleagues—learned, mature, and steady.

"Don't mention it. It’s a subject I’ve been eager to study myself. In truth, there are few opportunities to encounter such a 'weak' deity."

"Of course, someone like you, who can converse directly with such entities, is even rarer. If you don't mind, could you share your records of spreading the Lady of Night's faith? That would be invaluable data."

"No problem." Wang Yu agreed instantly.

It was a win-win: Zieg would get the data he needed, and Wang Yu would have an experienced professor to ensure the deity's proselytizing didn't go off the rails.

"What's this?" Charles, as expected, leaned in, his curiosity piqued.

"A statue of a deity, the icon for a church I’m preparing to spread. Interested in converting? You can gain some rather decent abilities."

Wang Yu pointed to the statue of the Lady of Night on the table.

"Your method of proselytizing is bordering on sacrilege, isn't it? Won't your god strike you down? Still, I like it. What kind of abilities?"

"First, I don't worship her; I merely agreed to help spread her faith. As for the abilities..."

Wang Yu gave a brief introduction to the Lady of Night’s two divine arts: the usage and effects of Night Concealment and Shadow Leap.

"Not bad abilities at all. The Rogue’s Guild and the assassin organizations would love those."

"But it’s not for me. I’ll pass. A pity, though—she is a beautiful lady, after all."

Charles shook his head, having no intention of offering even a token prayer to the Lady of Night, even if it cost nothing.

As expected, despite Charles constantly invoking "My God of Light," he was, like Wang Yu, a thorough non-believer.

His words held some truth, though; Wang Yu’s target demographic for the Lady of Night was indeed rangers and thieves.

He tucked the statue away. With such a perfect sample, crafting more idols using his wizarding skills would be a simple matter.

"So, Professor, what did you want to discuss with us today?"

Wang Yu turned back to the professor, simultaneously hauling Edward—who was regaining consciousness but still dazed on the floor—up and pressing him into a chair.

"Well, now that you’ve all completed your first mission and seen what we are up against, you surely have a certain level of understanding."

Indeed, all three had witnessed the captain’s battle with that twisted entity; it was spectacular, and the three newcomers were far too weak to intervene in a conflict of that magnitude.

"Don't worry. Disasters of that scale occur very rarely. That is not what you will be handling. Your job will be to serve as the city’s Night Watchmen."

"Night Watchmen?" Wang Yu chewed on the term, recalling the captain with the oil lamp he’d met on his first day in the capital. Was that the work of a Night Watchman?

It seemed so. When Shugin passed by with his lantern, the eerie sensation Avia and Wang Yu had felt had simply vanished.

"Precisely. Night Watchmen. What I am about to describe is the dark side of this city—not just the Void, but the material world as well."

"We face the shadows lurking beneath this glittering city. We shall walk between light and dark, serving as the city's Night Watchmen."

As he spoke, a ripple of space distorted, and a ring on Zieg’s finger flashed.

Zieg reached into a spatial rift that appeared in the air like water in a lake, pulling out three lanterns.

"These are what you will need. Take them, and you shall become the Night Watchmen of this city..."

"How’s the pay?"

"Very generous..."

"Then there’s no problem."

"..."