There is actually a reason for not wanting Erica to remind her of her favorability.
The first reason is that Erica is often more partial to herself, an outsider, rather than her own daughter, Hina.
As a result, she neglects Hina, which has caused a rift between them.
But Kronos understands that Erica is more partial to herself because, as a mother, she can't bear to see her child suffer.
She is simply showing pity based on her own past experiences.
However, Kronos was destined to leave the tavern and this small family soon.
If Kronos were to leave, the rift between Erica and Hina would only widen.
Then, Kronos would truly be ungrateful!
"Jingle bell~"
At that moment, the wooden door of the tavern was pushed open.
The wind chimes hanging on the door chimed a crisp sound.
The visitor was an old customer of the tavern.
Those who came to drink in the morning were usually regulars, old alcoholics who were familiar with the tavern's workings.
As soon as he entered, the customer sat at the table next to the counter and shouted at the same time.
"Kronos, two glasses of spirits, ice!"
Hearing this, Kronos responded.
"Okay, wait a moment."
With that, he got busy preparing the drinks.
As time passed, the number of drinkers in the tavern gradually increased.
The pub became livelier and busier.
By noon, the pub was half full, and no new drinkers arrived.
Kronos, now with some free time, was able to relax for a moment.
It was then that Erica came over with a glass of juice.
She smiled and handed it to Kronos.
"Thanks for your hard work."
Looking at the juice in Erica's hand, Kronos didn't hesitate.
After taking the juice, he commented.
"Actually, I'd rather have a drink than juice."
Hearing this, Erica immediately laughed and scolded.
"What do you mean, 'children' drink?"
As soon as Erica said this, many of the alcoholics in the tavern heard her.
There was a burst of laughter throughout the pub.
"Hahaha!!"
"Erica is right, what do children drink?!"
"Hahaha!!"
Listening to the teasing, Kronos smiled and didn't mind.
After all, he was 18 years old—no matter how you counted it, he was an adult.
Erica calling him a child was just a joke, and since he was an adult, there was no need to take it seriously.
Seeing the drinkers' laughter, Erica turned and pointed a finger at them, scolding with a smile.
"Go on, go on, drink your own! What's the matter with you?"
When the drinkers heard this, another round of laughter filled the tavern.
"Hahaha!!"
However, the happy atmosphere didn't last long.
Soon, the wooden door of the tavern was violently kicked open.
"Boom!"
Immediately after, a deep, booming voice came.
"Quiet!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the entire tavern fell silent.
All the drinkers looked at the door in unison.
A burly, middle-aged man entered, with a long knife tied to his waist and a fierce expression on his face. He was followed by a group of armed men.
"Da da da..."
The clear sound of heavy footsteps echoed throughout the tavern.
The drinkers were all silent, not daring to say a word.
At the counter, Kronos looked at the group of uninvited guests with narrowed eyes.
'It's these guys again!'
This group of uninvited guests were bandits who had been causing trouble in the mountains nearby.
Kronos was no stranger to them.
Every now and then, they would visit the tavern to drink and eat for free.
Paying for their drinks? Not a chance.
Against these vicious people, the tavern had no means of dealing with them and had no choice but to give in to their demands.
Otherwise, they would have no qualms about smashing the tavern.
The Bandit King walked up to the counter, not even glancing at Kronos, and coldly addressed Erica.
"Where's my wine?"
Erica immediately responded with a smile.
"It's inside, wait a moment, I'll get it for you right away."
Saying this, Erica looked at Kronos.
"Go get some wine."
Looking at Erica, Kronos didn't say much. He turned and went to get the wine.
Just then, a burly man with one eye, following the Bandit King, suddenly turned to the drinkers and shouted.
"What are you looking at? Are you still here?"
As soon as he spoke, the drinkers were shocked and quickly ran out of the tavern.
"Rumble rumble..."
After a while, the tavern was empty except for the bandits.
It didn't take long for Kronos to return with a load of wine barrels.
The Bandit King looked at the large barrels of wine and nodded in satisfaction.
Without saying much, the bandits grabbed the barrels and left the tavern.
As they left, Kronos looked at the empty wine table and asked softly.
"The drinks prepared for them this time are two barrels more than last time. Why?"
Erica smiled slightly.
"Their appetite has grown."
"You probably didn't see it when you were busy on the second floor."
"The last time, when there were only six barrels, they almost smashed the pub."
After speaking, Erica sighed helplessly.
"Well, if they need two more barrels, we give them two more. It's not like six barrels were enough. At least it's better than smashing the place."
"If we lose a little, we lose a little. It's better to be safe, right?"
Kronos paused for a moment before nodding.
"Yeah."
Looking at the empty tavern, Kronos spoke again.
"I'll go upstairs first."
Erica was momentarily stunned.
This was unusual, because in the past, Kronos would help clear the tables before leaving.
But today... something seemed off.
However, Erica didn't say anything and just smiled.
"Alright! You've worked hard, go and rest."
Without saying more, Kronos turned and walked upstairs.
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