The drunk person had yellow hair and green eyes, and he was clean-shaved. His yellow hair was messy and unkempt, suggesting a lack of concern for his appearance, a sign of his despair. His green eyes, unfocused, hinted at a hidden deep emotion.
He spoke loudly, his voice thick with drink and laced with a raw vulnerability that made others uncomfortable.
He was clean-shaven and had a cross shape piercing in his ears, which was rare in this city, perhaps indicating a past life where he cared more about his looks.
He said loudly, "I want to die, hey bartender, tell me how should I die, tell me."
The bartender laughed, a dry, humorless sound. "Why do you want to die? If you are sad and depressed, just spend one night in the brothel, and I guarantee your will to live will increase."
At that moment Lucian thought, Is this guy sponsored by brothel or something? Like he is casually telling a person to go to brothel.
The drunk person laughed, a broken, mirthless sound, and shook his head. "I can't go to a brothel, I will never. I guess I should return back to where that Saint is, but then again, I can't return to him, never can I face him, so I guess I will just commit suicide."
There was a haunted look in his eyes when he mentioned the Saint, a mix of shame and longing.
The bartender said, giving another glass of drink to him, "Why do you wish to die?"
He spoke with a quiet confidence, his voice steady and calm, yet tinged with a hint of cynicism.
The drunk person gulped down the whole glass of drink and said, "Give me more of this drink."
The bartender nodded and started preparing another drink. The drunk person said, "How should I say this to you? I'll be straight, do you know what love is?"
The bartender shook his head and said, "Whenever I had suicidal thoughts or was just depressed, I just visited a brothel and enjoyed life. But as for love, I never loved the girls I slept with in the brothel. So technically, I do not know what love is, but is there a need-to-know what love is?"
The drunk person laughed, a hollow, echoing sound, and said, "It is good you did not fall in love because if someone you love dies, you can't live."
The bartender said, "I loved my mother the most. She would always do many unthinkable things to feed me. She worked in a brothel and was always abused by drunk people, but she always smiled when she saw me."
The bartender eyes were full of emotion and he said "I hated it because when I was a child, people made fun of me, asking who my father was, and older people laughed and told me to call every person that came out of the brothel 'father.'"
The bartender took a long breath and continued, "I realized I loved her after she died, when I had to work twelve hours a day just to earn a living and was always beaten by my owner's son. My owner always took out his frustration on me, but I am not as pathetic as slaves because they work for free, but I am not a slave."
Bartender cleaned his tears with his handkerchief and said "So, I always worked without even thinking about my owner's tantrum and his son's bullying because I was getting paid. That is what mattered." There was a flicker of bitterness in his eyes as the spoke of his past.
The drunk man said, "You are saying you are still alive even after someone you loved the most died."
The bartender nodded and handed over another glass of drink.
The drunk man gulped it down in one shot and laughed. "I have drunk many wines and alcohols, but I like the one made by you."
The bartender smiled, a rare and fleeting expression that softened his features. "It is my pleasure that you like this."
The drunk man laughed. "I wish to die because I have fallen into true despair again, and I know I will never recover from it, this time." His words were heavy with finality, a sense of utter hopelessness.
Lucian listened to their conversation, and he felt a strange feeling of dread from the person sitting at the counter.
Even though he looked like he was drunk, his instincts screamed like they have met apex predator. The peak of food chain.
After some time, the yellow haired person left, the waiter went to bartender for Lucian order and asked in low tone to bartender "Sir, your childhood was really that bad?"
The bartender replied with low tone and said with no emotion "I never had a mother."
…
One of the people sitting at a nearby table near Lucian had black hair and an average build, but his hands were rough, implying he was an ironsmith or something similar. He had a gruff, no-nonsense demeanor, his voice loud and booming as he spoke. He seemed like a hardworking man, proud of his trade and his physical strength.
He said, "You heard the tournament held by the adventure guild is going to happen again? The rules are the same as every year, and the winner will win a set of magic potions to start their magician journey. Even mortals like us can have chance to become a Wizard."
The other person, with a somewhat strong build, was more cynical and skeptical. He had a wiry frame and a sharp, cunning look in his eyes. He seemed to be the type who questioned everything and trusted no one.
He said, "What is the point of competing? That masked man always wins. I think he is someone hired by the guild so they don't have to distribute the potion."
The other person, taking a sip of his drink, was more easygoing and optimistic. He had a friendly smile and a relaxed posture, and he seemed to enjoy the simple pleasures of life.
He said, "What bullshit. Don't you remember he lost in the finals of the last tournament to that girl?"
The person shook his head and said, "Yeah, I remember it now. That battle was legendary. I guess that mask man will get revenge this time from that girl."
All of them said, "This time it will be more interesting. I am already getting goosebumps just thinking about the battle." They were all clearly excited about the upcoming tournament, their voices filled with anticipation and a thirst for excitement.
Lucian excitement reached its peak when he heard about the battle and the tournament. He was an assassin, and so he always had a knack for comparing other people's fighting skills with himself, as he had the confidence of being the strongest on Earth in terms of combat.
The thrill of competition, the clash of steel, the test of one's limits - these were the things that truly made his blood sing. He felt a familiar stirring within him, a hunger for the challenge.
Lucian thought, I have to join this tournament no matter what. My hands are itching to beat someone up.