Chapter 173: Doing Something Cool

Noticing Moon’s sudden shift midwalk, once to the hind right, and once to the hind left. Followed by—

Sigh~

A deep exhale. "Where are you looking?" Dorbish asked Moon.

Moon took a step back; he placed his arm on Dorbish’s shoulder and turned around. "Look there, see that black cloth somewhere in the shadows of the building?" He pointed and guided Dorbish’s gaze.

Dorbish squinted deeply. "Ah!" he exclaimed. "Isn’t that?" He didn’t finish his sentence, yet Moon nodded.

"Yep, the assassin brat," he said, before pointing in the opposite direction. "There’s that brat too, standing behind that pillar there." He pointed and exposed them without remorse.

Dorbish noticed Boa moving, running from there; he couldn’t help pursing his lips.

So did the assassin girl.

"That wasn’t a very nice way to expose a spy," Dorbish said.

"I should have gone and smashed their faces instead then," Moon suggested, turning his attention to Zera, who was waiting for them.

"We attracted too much needless attention," Dorbish said with a troubled face.

"That’s fine, I pick who I work with, not the other way around," Moon said. "We’re going for a drink anyway, nothing more," he added.

Dorbish shrugged. "Right, I guess," he said, following Moon and Zera back to the dorms.

Soon, they were in front of his room. "You staying here alone?" Moon asked.

Zera nodded helplessly. "Yes." He then opened the door.

Moon entered without being invited; he held the door for Dorbish. "Yo, come," he gestured.

Inside, Moon sat on the bed, while Dorbish pulled up a chair and sat down. "Show me that drink you’re offering," he called out.

In the corner of the room, there were a few tools that Moon was seeing for the first time, but he could understand what they did.

A large glass pot that looked too beautiful compared to any pot he’d brewed herbs in throughout his life. There were a few cups as well, and three jars.

Zera went and brought the jars to Moon to choose from without saying a word.

Moon inspected the three, smelled the contents, and chose one of them. "They smell too good compared to the shit I had on the first floor."

"How did the herbal teas taste on the first floor?" Dorbish asked.

"Have you ever tried to bite into a tree root, with that muddy smell of grass going down your throat?" Moon asked back.

Dorbish thought for a moment before shaking his head.

"Well, regardless, it just tastes like that," he explained to the best of his ability.

Zera soon returned with two cups full of a transparent reddish drink that was still steaming hot.

"Go make a third." Moon took the two and placed them on the desk. Dorbish didn’t touch either of them.

Nodding, Zera stood and brewed himself a cup.

Once he returned, Moon took it from his hands before he said anything and placed it with the other two cups.

"Now we should do something cool as shit before we start drinking, right?" Moon said.

Zera helplessly didn’t react or say anything.

His gaze only rose to Dorbish, pleading for help.

Dorbish looked at Moon. "What do you have in mind?" he asked.

Moon stood, pulled the second chair, and placed it in the center of the room. He moved closer to Dorbish. "Move your chair here." He pointed at the left center of the room.

Dorbish moved it without asking.

He proceeded to sit on the edge of the bed, opposite to where Dorbish was seated. He looked at everything once before nodding. "This is perfect," he commented.

"What’s going on?" Dorbish asked, trying to ignore Zera’s confused gaze.

"Just wait," Moon said, giving each of the three of them a cup of tea randomly before sitting down again.

He pointed at the floor between himself and Dorbish. "Sit here!" he ordered Zera.

Zera helplessly sat down where he was told. "Are you going to torture me for intel?" he asked.

"Like hell I am. Do you think I’m a bully like you, you stupid piece of shit!" Moon retorted aggressively without remorse.

He pointed at the empty seat he had placed. "Now go and use that ring on your finger; call that blue gay boss of yours," Moon said casually.

Zera didn’t move; he locked his gaze on the ground. He clenched his fists tight till his knuckles turned white.

Moon wasn’t bothered in the slightest; he crouched next to him on the ground. "Well, you have two options. First, I’ll cut off that finger and call him myself," Moon said. "Second, you call him and be a nice bitch for once; your boss is gonna love it too." Moon smiled widely in his face.

Zera was afraid of losing an arm or a leg, but he was by far more afraid of the thought of betraying his master.

He closed his eyes and was ready for the wave of pain that was about to befall him.

Watching this, Moon shook his head. "Too bad you work for the wrong asshole. You could’ve been more useful working for a competent person." He extended his hand to Zera’s hand holding the cup; he took it from him gently before proceeding to take the ring.

Vrrr~

But the moment he touched it, the ring gave a sudden vibration.

"Hm, what’s this?" he asked, not sure what was going on.

Smiling helplessly, Zera answered, "It’s young master; he’s calling."

"Nice." Moon gave him a thumbs up. "Now place the ring there, answer, and sit back here."

Zera, with no other option, followed Moon’s instructions. His master shouldn’t wait for long unanswered.

Soon the screen erupted from the ring, showing the face of the man Moon had been waiting to see for the last few days.

It was an agonizing wait for him, but things played out right in the end.

Enzo smiled confidently on the screen. "I heard Zera was caught by the star of the Southern Branch." He chuckled. "I expected everything but a tea party."

Moon chuckled back, "I also heard a blue-horned gay was having a crush on me in the Western Branch."

Enzo looked confused for a second at the sudden words he didn’t expect, but Moon wasn’t bothered in the slightest.

He extended his hand and patted Zera’s shoulder. "For a useless guy, you found quite the good underling; such a waste," Moon added.

Enzo’s confusion disappeared instantly, and his smile widened. "I guess your sense of humor is as exceptional as your wits, even when talking."

"Oh, many said I was an expert trash-talker," Moon said, nodding with a very humble look on his face.

"You can have him; I mean, eventually you’ll be on my side," Enzo offered. "It won’t harm leaving Zera in your care for a little while," he said in a very open and generous tone.

Moon took a sip of his tea. "Nah, I don’t carry snakes in my pockets," Moon said. "Can’t say I never did it, but I won’t do it again," he declined right away.

He nodded at the cup. "That’s some good tea, damn," he exclaimed. He looked at Dorbish. "Try this too, mate; this is awesome."

Dorbish took a sip readily; soon his eyes brightened. "That’s a good tea," he said, nodding.

Ignoring their admiration for the tea, Enzo suddenly offered, "Then, how about this, I kill Korr for you and you come to my side?"