Chapter 64

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Baxter never liked the tavern. A loud and disgusting building full of drunk thugs who would mug weaker men and fondle women. They were all greedy and perverse, the very definition of scum yet Seviathan, a man of high society, associated with such low lifes.

"Did we have to come here Seviathan?" Baxter asked while trying to avoid eye contact with any other man in the tavern. "You know how I feel about this place. These men are so desperate for money they'd rip out someone's gold tooth."

"Oh stop whining and be a man." His brother in-law said. "Besides the men here are going to help us."

"Help us? Help us with what?"

"Well you see brother, I have the solution to your problem with my sister."

"What do you mean?"

"Well it's obvious that you and her are not happily married and that's because you don't have enough wealth to feed that greedy black hole she calls a heart. But there is a way to keep her permanently satisfied so that she'll finally give you the love you so desperately crave from her."

"What must I do?"

"This beast who Charlotte has become fond of, possesses a room filled with endless treasure. If we go to the beast's castle and kill him then we can take that treasure for ourselves."

Baxter looked at Seviathan as if he had lost all sanity, which he probably did at this point. If not then he was close to it.

"The beast's castle?! Are you out of your mind?! I'm not going in there! Do you know what that guy does to humans?! Do you have any idea what he does?! He hunts them and he eats them! He eats them like they're cattle!"

"Oh really Baxter, aren't you being a little melodramatic?"

"Hey you haven't spent five years hearing stories about this guy! I work with traveling merchants! They've traveled through the forest and very few of them ever came back!  And the ones who did come back told stories that would give even you nightmares!"

"Since when are you a superstitious fool?"

"Since I found out he was real when Charlotte came back from living with him!"

"Charlotte says that he's dying. That means he won't be strong enough to fight back against us. Not to mention we'll have him outnumbered."

"But he'll have us outsized!"

"One large animal means nothing against six to seven muscular men."

"And where exactly are we going to get that kind of assistance? You're rich but not rich enough to have your own army."

"Look where we are. You said so yourself, the men here are so desperate for money that they would rip out someone's gold tooth. If I tell them that I know where they can get an endless supply of treasure they'll follow me without question."

"But is killing him really necessary? I mean he is dying. Why not go rob him once he's dead? At least we have a better chance at survival."

"I can't wait that long. If Charlotte finds the ring and goes back to him before it's too late, not only will he live but she'll most likely become that animal's bride!"

"So that's what this is about? You're willing to risk your life and mine just because Charlotte prefers a beast over you? So much for hoping that she wasn't the only one in the family with common sense."

"You think Charlotte has common sense?! She's given her heart to something that's not even human!"

"True but at least she won't die for that. I think. I mean I'm not sure what their relationship is like but I seriously doubt that she would be so eager to go back to him if he posed any kind of threat to her."

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