Demon Hunter: I have a red gourd

Chapter 26 But Then Again
The waiter was obviously startled by Trico's sudden scream and quickly bowed his head to apologize, his tone sincere and frightened:
"I'm very sorry, sir! This was an oversight on our part. This white fish stewed with vanilla and truffles is one of our special dishes, and it requires silver cutlery to preserve its delicate taste. That's why we didn't change the utensils. I didn't expect to have offended you, sir. I'll replace them for you right away!"

"Plague, what the hell is this? Take it the fuck away!" Trico cursed directly, obviously very angry.

The waiter quickly put away the tableware and hurriedly retreated with the food cart, bowing repeatedly as he walked away to express his apologies.

"What damn bad luck." Trico slammed the table heavily, the anger on his face still not completely dissipated.

"How can these people be so unreliable? I've warned them long ago, but they still make mistakes like this!"

Ivan then noticed that although Trico was dressed elegantly, he wore no silver jewelry. The furniture and decorations in the room were all mahogany, and they must have been specially replaced.

The expression on the halfling's face changed constantly. Then he took a deep breath, forced a smile, and explained to Ivan:

"Silver is taboo for us halflings. It usually means disaster is coming and it's not auspicious. In comparison, we prefer gold. After all, it looks dazzling and warm, which suits our aesthetic."

"I understand." Ivan nodded calmly. "Perhaps everyone has taboos that others can't touch. It's no big deal. Just respect each other."

Trico is lying.

When dealing with someone who doesn't know much about their group, claiming that a certain behavior is a taboo or rule of the group is often the simplest and most effective way to deceive.

For example, when someone asks a question to a demon hunter and they don't want to answer, they can simply respond with: "Professional rules prohibit us from revealing the content of our work." This is enough to make the other party give up the idea of ​​asking further questions.

In reality, the demon hunter profession has never established any rules or taboos. The only thing you need to abide by is your own bottom line.

Whether it's participating in politics or killing civilians, there are no explicit restrictions on witchers. However, the experience of their predecessors tells young witchers that doing so will not only bring no benefits, but will also lead to endless trouble.

And now, Trico wanted to use this excuse to deceive Ivan, but it was obviously a wrong calculation.

Because the person sitting opposite him was not a young man with an empty head, but an expert who had a deep understanding of non-human races!
Ivan quietly reached out and touched the Griffin School badge hidden under his clothes. It was lying there quietly without any reaction.

If Trico said that silver was a taboo for him as a businessman, Ivan might believe him. After all, merchants prefer gold to silver, which is very reasonable.

But he claimed that this was a taboo for the entire halfling race, so Ivan had to doubt it.

Professors Cohen and Kelda may have omissions in their knowledge, but they will never make such low-level mistakes!
Halflings don't like silver? Such a taboo absolutely cannot exist!

Silver has always been the nemesis of monsters and has no effect on humanoid races such as elves, dwarves and halflings.

But at this time, the Demon Hunter Badge was still as calm as water, without any reaction, which made Ivan doubt his own judgment.

Could the Trico in front of him really be a monster in disguise?

His conversation, personality, and approach to affairs were impeccable, making him the quintessential halfling. If there was any flaw, it was his exceptional talent for business.

Ivan's eyes darkened slightly, but his expression remained calm, without any change, as if what had just happened had not affected him at all.

He suddenly remembered a book he had seen in Ker Sirens. The records there perfectly matched the current situation. He had never expected that he would be so audacious. Just as Ivan was lost in thought, Trico suddenly pulled a notepad from his pocket, expertly turned to a page, and took out a pen to begin writing and drawing.

"Ivan, you've helped me a lot this time. I said before that I would definitely give you a satisfactory reward." As he spoke, he scratched his head with the end of a pen.

"So, I decided to give you five hundred!"

Only five hundred orens? 20 demons, two demon warriors, and a demon chief, and that's the total reward?
Ivan's heart sank, and he almost suspected that he had heard it wrong.

The bounty for a water ghost shouldn't be this shabby! This halfling is so extravagant in his spending, yet so stingy in his rewards. He must be a monster in disguise!

Trico seemed completely unaware of Ivan's emotions. He simply tore off the bill and handed it over, saying with a smile:

"This promissory note can be exchanged for five hundred Novigrad crowns at any Vivaldi Bank. Don't worry, Vivaldi Bank has branches in every capital of the Northern nations, even in Beauclair, Nilfgaard."

What? Five hundred Novigrad crowns!

One Novigrad crown can be exchanged for six and a half Temeria Orens at the bank, so 500 crowns is 3250 Orens!

What the hell!

The famous "White Wolf" Geralt once helped King Foltest of Temeria to remove the vampire bird curse from his daughter Princess Adda, and the reward was only two thousand orens.

Now Ivan just killed off a few evil spirits and was paid more than three thousand!

But then again.

Even if Trico was a monster in disguise, so what? He was so smart and generous, the epitome of a halfling!

Even though the halfling race may be neither intelligent nor generous, it doesn't matter!

Trico showed no aggression towards humans, and no one asked Ivan to deal with him. At the same time, his intelligence was not inferior to, and even surpassed, that of many humans. You know, many demon hunters choose not to hunt intelligent creatures, such as dryads, nymphs, and dragons.

If that was the case, why did Ivan draw his silver sword against him?

Ivan put the promissory note into his pocket and smiled meaningfully. "Trico, you are not only a genius, but also a generous halfling. There must be a reason why you can build such a large business."

"Of course!" Trico raised his glass and laughed. "Friends should help each other. I never regret what I said."

"Pleasant to work with."

"Happy cooperation!"

For a time, the guests and hosts enjoyed themselves.

(End of this chapter)