Carrying this much gold around would probably be the worst idea ever if it wasn't thanks to all the adventurers who came to town for the festival. I'm doing it so openly too, it's like I'm asking for people to just rob me or something.

  Not that I would get robbed but being aware of it isn't a bad thing, I can't be too lax after all!

  "This is the place right?" How long has it been since I went to Ghorise as a player again? A few years? God it's amazing how I somehow managed to remember even the tiniest details of this stupid little tavern.

  Well "remember" is a pretty broad term but in truth I kinda just know some pieces of the building's name. I did ask around about it and since all the adventurers told me that there's no other place with the word "Boxheap" in its title in town other than this, I'm guessing this must be the tavern I have been looking for.

  Boxheap Beer Brawl, a long ass name for an in-game tavern but I guess that's in line for Firelight Chronicles.

  The building that I remember had wider windows than this but I think that's my memory mixing it in with some random store, and what kind of tavern has large glass windows anyway? That sounds stupid with all the beer throwing and brawling always happening in there.

  "Okay, then." I inhaled deeply, now it's time to meet one of the more annoying barkeeps in the entire game. I just hope that he's not as pissy as he is in the game, he wouldn't be right? It's still a few years before canon.

  I pushed the doors open and walked inside, there's no one here since it's still early morning, leaving most of the tables empty with the only chairs occupied being the ones next to the counter.

  Sitting next to the slumped over adventurer grumbling about something probably isn't a good idea so I found myself at the edge, next to the stage.

  With me being a kid, the barkeep would naturally turn his attention to me and that's exactly what happened.

  A man wearing a white apron stopped in front of me, his face stern and his demeanour screaming "you better make yourself scarce before I force you to do it!" And thanks to his intensity, I'm immediately reminded of the NPC from the game.

  This would be Monemon, the stern barkeep of Ghorise and one of the best sellers in the game. You want beer for cheap? Yeah this guy would be your man, he saves a lot of my runs thanks to his generosity honestly because without him I wouldn't be able to make so many molotovs to farm crayfish with.

  Monemon has fine gray hairs on both sides of his head, bulky arms that have seen their fair share of fights as proven by their scars, and a wide neck. His face is slightly intimidating and his personality is even worse, but he's a good guy who wouldn't mind helping out the homeless.

  Counting on his— almost nonexistent — sense of generosity isn't a good idea though, especially when you're trying to convince him to allow you to set up a stall in his own tavern. This man is pretty strict when he needs to be, and scary too.

  Will he intimidate a kid? That's my question as I prepared to speak, knowing that I'm about to find out the answer.

  "Hey! I'm not here to cause anything, I just want to ask you if it's okay for me to set up a stall around here? Only until the festival ends! Oh and I'll also give you a cut of my earnings?" Most of the details of my request were spoken bluntly and clearly, I also said it all from the start. "We won't cause any trouble for you, I promise."

  A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  "Promises are cheap, kid, and my tavern isn't exactly some place where you can just set up a stall in." Monemon scowled and yep, it's scary alright. "This is a business, and one that I run. You think you can just waltz in here and take a few of my earnings?"

  "No, I'm willing to provide food for adventurers!" I corrected his assumption, "I sell food and it's been popular lately! You'll get more customers if I do it here!"

  "Like I won't already have that." The man shook his head. "What else do you have? Except for a small cut and some other thing, I ain't housin' your little stall."

  "Nothing I guess? I can keep this place protected?" I offered, confident that I can freeze and adventurer before they break a table. "Well not protected... But I can stop someone from ruining all this stuff! I'm sure that'll make you save money on repairs right?"

  "You think I'm stupid?" Monemon snorted derisively. "What can a little girl like you do against the burly men who go to my bar."

  "Burly, drunk men." My correction made him laugh and I narrowed my eyes, I'm right though aren't I? "What? Why are you laughing at me?"

  "Just because they're drunk doesn't mean that you'll be able to win against them girly, you know that right?"

  Being drunk isn't the factor here! Well it is but it's not everything!

  "You're mistaken, I'm saying that if they're drunk they wouldn't be able to do anything against my spells." Hopefully my explanation clears things up. "I'm a mage."

  "Yes, yes, you're a mage." He said in a tone that made it feel like he's entertaining a kid. "You and your little spells will do a lot I'm sure."

  Rolling my eyes, I grab my wand and point it to a chair. "[Water Ball]."

  The satisfaction that I got when the barkeep wiped the smug look off his face and stared at the frozen furniture in astonishment was a lot. Man it's such a good way to relieve stress, can't believe I haven't done this more often!

  "That's..."

  "Yes that's." I crossed my arms. "You see now right? I'm not just some kid you can push around, I know my way around magic and have more than enough skills to stop a barfight, also I can pay for that table."

  "Are you actually a kid?"

  "Yes? Why would I be anything else?" Honestly I've been so used to my new life that I don't even hesitate to say yes when people ask if I'm a child, even though I'm an adult mentally. "So? What now? I can help out your bar, and you can let me put a stall here? I'm sure that I can attract a lot of customers into this place if you just let me?"

  "... You have yourself a deal." Monemon offered me his hand, I shook it.

  "Great! I'll bring everyone else here and we can start setting up our stall! Thank you!" With an enthusiastic wave, I left my stool and ran for the door. Monemon shouted something behind me but I didn't catch it, I focused solely on searching for Laself and the rest and I think I know where to find them...

  When I got to the spot where we normally set up the stall I was fortunate enough to find them still preparing things, with that I made them all stop.

  "Rontress? Why?" Laself asked as everyone gathered around me.

  "Because we have a better place to be in!" I grinned but none of them shared my happiness. "Just trust me okay?!" I realize that I've been saying that to Laself a lot lately. "I know what I'm doing and this will totally be worth it!"

  "Well if the young girl says so I trust her." Like always, Wardcruncha has my back. "But can I ask where you will be taking us Rontress?"

  "Hm? Oh, it's the uh Boxheap Beer Brawl." I shrugged, I don't think they know of the name right? "It's a tavern around here."

  "You mean the Boxheap brawl?" Howaph asked, slightly perplexed. Wait, has he been there before? I glared at him and he backed away, "I've heard about it okay? It's mentioned offhand by father's friends and that they keep telling me that I should go there at least once! Dad tells me not to though..."

  "Yeah, I guess you shouldn't." I shake my head, that place does have a certain reputation... "And yes, it's the tavern that you just mentioned, there will be a lot of adventurers there so we will be able to sell more food in Boxheap than in this alleyway."

  "So we're going there then?"

  "Yep, and don't worry, I'll be with you guys while in there." I say that like I'm physically an adult. "I'll be selling scrolls and stuff so I'll be with you until the end of the day, that or when my scrolls run out."

  Once they do... I think I'll just go back home and make more magical paper, turn those into more scrolls, and then repeat the process. That or I can prepare all the aberrant meat that's sitting in our crate, all the ice I used to keep them fresh must be breaking the wood by this point.