Roaring Heroes Battle the Overlord (Ainz) - Part 1 (Chapters 1 to 200)

Chapter 142 : Unwelcome Guests Arrive

After resting at the inn for the night, the next day, EeDechi and Barrett hired a carriage and headed toward the Golden Apple Tavern.

The Golden Apple Tavern sat in the central district of E-Rantel, freshly renovated and decked out in style. Compared to the rundown shops around it, it truly lived up to its name—a shiny Golden Apple.

What stood out most was the sheer space inside. The ceiling soared almost twice as high as a regular inn's, and to cater to patrons of all races, the place was rigged with gear in every size imaginable.

There were tree-stump chairs hefty enough to hold an ogre's weight, and low wooden tables so even a dwarf wouldn't have to stretch on tiptoes. Massive iron tankards with wide rims sat alongside dainty crystal goblets—every size you could think of, they had it. If the tavern owner had planned it this way, he'd gone all out to make "racial harmony" more than just a buzzword.

Like everywhere else, a giant portrait of Ainz Ooal Gown hung on the wall, and the seats next to it were always empty.

EeDechi and Barrett strode into the Golden Apple Tavern. Behind the magically reinforced glass counter stood a handsome young human bartender.

Barrett ordered a beer, dipped his finger in the foam, and scrawled "teleportation" on the counter.

The bartender flashed a knowing grin and slipped into the back room. Moments later, a middle-aged man in a black suit, sporting a mustache, stepped up to the counter. No doubt about it—this was the Golden Apple Tavern's boss.

Barrett didn't beat around the bush. Both of them were old dogs who'd been around the block too many times to play coy. He dipped his finger in the beer again and traced the outline of a gold coin on the counter—cash was on the table.

The boss twitched his mustache, dipped his own finger in some liquor, and wrote a "4" on the counter.

Four? Barrett froze for a second. Four gold coins? No way. Four hundred, maybe? He added two zeros after the "4" with a swipe of beer.

The boss shook his head lightly and wiped away the two "0"s with a flick of his hand.

If it wasn't 400, then... four times? Barrett's eyes widened in shock. After the "4," he scribbled the word "times."

The boss gave a barely noticeable nod.

Why don't you just rob me blind? Barrett shot the boss a pissed-off glare.

This meant coughing up four times the official price for a teleportation circle. A single trip usually ran 700 to 1,000 gold coins—times four. The tavern boss was basically shaking him down like a damn bandit.

The boss shrugged with mock regret, wiped away Barrett's original "teleportation" scribble, and walked off.

"Now what?" EeDechi asked Barrett.

"If this were any other city, I'd tie that greedy bastard up and be done with it," Barrett growled, fuming. "Let's grab a drink and bide our time for an opening."

The two ordered a plate of fried potatoes and two bottles of malt beer, settling into a corner of the tavern. The place was buzzing with business—ogres, dwarves, satyrs, lizardfolk... all kinds of weird races chowing down and boozing it up. The noise from the crowd was a chaotic mess, while serving girls in maid skirts flitted around like white butterflies.

EeDechi and Barrett sat there like predators lurking in the shadows, scoping out the room, waiting for their shot.

The tavern was packed with oddball patrons. A minotaur's voice rumbled low and muddy, like a cheap drum with bad tone. A lizardfolk chugged half a bottle of rye beer, gulping it down with loud glugs. The mix of sounds clashed together, louder than a pigsty at feeding time.