God Complex - Vol. 1

XIX. Harbinger-Part II.

Since a good amount of the chaos in the tavern has subsided, Jun was able to get a better look at the inside of it. He looked up and realized that the tavern was actually just one grand room that had a mezzanine that looked down on the ground floor.

More trophies hung on the upper walls along with various tables and chairs up there. A large, metal chandelier hung down from the lofty wooden ceiling that lit up the entirety of the tavern. Jun was a little confused on how he didn't notice this part of the tavern when he had first walked in.

The musicians began playing their music once again as the tavern filled up with clamoring voices of various languages and accents once again.

Jun took a seat on one of the wooden barstools at the bar. His eyes scanned across its back bar to see an alarming amount of casks filled with alcohol, ready to fill glasses with whatever liquor they each held. And then on multiple rows of wooden shelving held bottles filled with even more varieties of spirits and beer.

But the uttermost thing about the bar that shocked Jun was a huge dragon's head that was hung up on the wall above it. There were also smaller, lesser dragon heads and wings all out for display as well.

"T'Harbinger of Syóyeong really does bring destruction wherever He goes..." Jun heard the barkeep grumble while he wiped off shards of broken glass and spilled alcohol off of the bar top.

The barkeep had short black hair, a simple black apron on, and muscled arms that begrudgingly wiped away. He tried to calm his racing heart as he went to talk to the barkeep.

"Um..."—the barkeep looked at him with miserable looking eyes—"What was...Viktor...?" He didn't want to seem rude, but it was safe to assume that Viktor was definitely not human. Or a normal one at least.

The barkeep did a deep, long sigh as he stopped what he was doing. "Viktor is half-orc hailing from Kordegórmuni." He then watched as Jun gave him a bewildered look. "Kingdom west of Kordebławaznesco 'ere."

Jun clenched his teeth briefly.

"What is an orc?" Jun managed to squeak out in embarrassment. He guessed this was common knowledge over here in the West. He felt even more foreign than he already was by not knowing it.

"Barbaric and cruel race that often lives in outskirts of places in West. But you want to order anything? 'Cause I can't talk all night." Come to think of it, Jun was sort of hungry from his, literally, gut-wrenching journey from Vosorod.

"Do you have any ukabani[1]?" He thought back to eating them with Misaki back on her sampan as he said the food's name.

The barkeep nodded as he went somewhere else that was behind the bar. Soon he came back with a small plate of sliced ukabani and placed it in front of Jun.

"Wódetatic munéjast ukabani stuffed with garlic, rosemary, 'n' paprika."

Jun understood only "ukabani" as he looked down at his food. It didn't smell the greatest, like all ukabani, but Jun braved the smell and was willing to try it.

Except there was only the plate in front of him.

"Uh...are there any utensils?" Jun asked shyly as the barkeep was about to attend to the other patrons.

The man stared at Jun for a moment before giving him a mocked smile. "Oh yes! Many apologies!" Jun watched as he crouched to the ground and picked something up. The barkeep soon stood back up and slammed two splinters of wood in front of him. "Courtesy of chair."

And with that he walked off to attend to the other patrons.

"I'm glad I didn't pay..." Jun muttered bitterly while he pushed the plate off to the side. He then went to get up and leave as he wasn't going to order anything else. Plus he could barely hold his alcohol.