Tavern of the Spear: Desire for Pleasure

Evand suddenly threw a punch, striking Roshke squarely in the chin. However, Roshke merely smiled contemptuously and grabbed Evand's fist. The force of the blow sent a sharp pain through Evand; he tried to break free but found his hand firmly held, unable to move.

"Why did you kidnap me from the temple?" Roshke roared. "Why did you attack me?"

Evand was stunned; he had absolutely no idea what Roshke was talking about. "Kidnapping? Assault? You attacked my friend first! We only brought you back to stop you from hurting others!"

“Nonsense!” Roshke retorted. “I didn’t do any of those things! Tell me, where on the continent of Egran is this?”

Evand was even more confused. The continent of Egran? He had never heard of that name. "What nonsense are you talking about? This isn't the continent of Egran at all! Let me go, let's talk this over properly, like civilized people, okay?"

Roshke sneered, "Why should I believe you? Do you think you'd obediently knee me in the groin if I didn't do it?"

Evand's eyes widened; he hadn't expected Roshke to know what he'd just been thinking. Roshke gave a mocking smile. "This is the simplest and most effective method you can do right now, isn't it?"

Evans felt deeply ashamed, his face flushing crimson, after Roshke had so clearly seen through his thoughts. He struggled to break free from Roshke's grip, but found himself completely immobilized. Roshke's strength far exceeded his expectations; he was like prey coiled around a giant python, utterly helpless.

"Who exactly are you?" Evand asked, unwilling to give up. "Why did you attack the tavern?"

Roshke's eyes suddenly became unfocused, as if he were lost in some kind of memory. "I...I don't remember. I only remember that I had to find the temple, find..." He suddenly clutched his head in pain, letting out a low groan.

Seeing Roshke's pained expression, Evand felt a pang of sympathy. He realized that Roshke might not have intentionally attacked the tavern; he might be under some kind of control or had lost his memory.

"Are you alright?" Evan asked with concern.

Roshke raised his head, his eyes filled with pain and confusion. "I...I don't know. My head hurts so much, I can't remember anything."

Evand hesitated for a moment, then gently patted Roshke's shoulder, trying to comfort him. "Don't worry, it will be alright. We'll help you remember everything."

A flicker of gratitude crossed Roshke's eyes as he looked at Evand, his tone becoming even kinder. "Thank you."

The atmosphere between the two had eased considerably, and Evand seized the opportunity to ask again, "You really don't remember why you attacked the tavern?"

Roshke shook his head. “I really don’t remember. I only remember that I had to find the temple, find…” He clutched his head again and groaned in pain.

Evand knew this wasn't the time to press for answers. He had to find a way to help Roshke regain his memory before he could uncover the truth.

Roshke took a deep breath, the pain subsiding slightly. "I...I won't do anything strange," he said haltingly. "Could you let me go? Let's talk." He paused, seemingly organizing his thoughts. "I think...I've traveled through time." He looked at Evand, a hint of inquiry in his eyes. "What's your name? Where is this?"

“My name is Evand,” Evand answered cautiously, while slightly loosening his grip but not completely letting go of Roshke. “This is the Spear Tavern. We are trapped in a forest shrouded in mist and have no way out.”

"A fog that can trap people?" Roshke chuckled self-deprecatingly. "Today is getting more and more interesting."

“Alright, I’ve told you everything,” Evand said. “Now it’s your turn to tell me your situation.”

Roshke nodded. "My name is Roshke, and I am a chieftain of the lizardman tribe. I don't know how I got here. I only remember that during one of my travels, I discovered a strange artifact, and then after a flash of light, I lost consciousness. When I woke up, I saw you."

“Impossible!” Evand retorted. “Don’t you remember we fought in the swamp? The wounds on your body were inflicted by Nexus! And you even said you wanted to be a king and rule the entire swamp!”

Roshke frowned, trying to recall, but his mind went blank. "I don't remember," he shook his head. "That's not something I would do. I wouldn't say something like that. As a leader, I wouldn't be that arrogant, and I don't like to boast."

Evand looked at Roshke with suspicion, his mind filled with doubt. Roshke's explanation sounded reasonable, but something felt off. The arrogance and ambition Roshke had displayed before were completely different from his current humble attitude. Could he really have lost his memory?

"Then why did you attack the tavern?" Evand pressed.

“I told you, I don’t remember,” Roshke said with a hint of helplessness. “If I did anything to offend you, I apologize. Right now, I just want to figure out where I am and why I’m here.”

Looking into Roshke's sincere eyes, Evand's doubts gradually dissipated. Perhaps Roshke really had amnesia, or perhaps he had other secrets. In any case, the most important thing now was to find out the truth.

“Alright,” Evand finally said, “I believe you. However, you must stay in the tavern until you regain your memory. For everyone’s safety, I cannot let you leave.”

Roshke nodded in understanding. "I understand. I will cooperate with you."

Evand released Roshke, and the tense atmosphere between them finally eased. Roshke stretched his wrists, which were a little sore from being bound, then looked at Evand and asked, "The Nexus you mentioned, is he the leader of the lizardman tribe?"

Evand nodded. "That's right. He's mine too..." Evand hesitated, then didn't continue. His relationship with Nexus was complicated, and he didn't know how to explain it to Roshke.

"Yours what?" Roshke asked curiously.

After thinking for a moment, Evans decided to tell the truth. "He is my... future partner."

Roshke paused for a moment, then a look of understanding crossed his face. "I see." He didn't show surprise or rejection, but simply accepted the fact calmly.

"Do you know how to get out of this fog?" Roshke asked.

Evans shook his head. "We've tried many methods, but all have failed. This fog is like a giant cage, trapping us here."

Evans shook his head helplessly; the strangeness of the mist was giving him a headache too. But he hadn't forgotten the important matter, so he pressed on, "What exactly happened before? So who was I fighting with? And why did you attack the tavern?"

"do not know……"

Roshke frowned, trying hard to recall, and after a long while, an expression of disbelief appeared on his face. "I remember now..." he said, his voice tinged with fear, "This... is too unbelievable, that it could actually happen to me."

He extended his right hand, revealing an antique bracelet on his wrist. "The culprit behind all this is this bracelet."

Evan looked at the bracelet with a puzzled expression, then at Roshke, waiting for his explanation.

“This bracelet,” Roshke said, pointing to it, “when I use it, something possesses me. I think it must be a ghost. It controls my body, making me do things I would never normally do.” He paused, then continued, “The ghost left my body only after I was defeated by Nexus, and I returned to normal.”

Evand thought of Mekor, the archmage who possessed the horn. He nodded in understanding. "I understand what you mean. I've been through something similar, and I believe you."

Seeing that Evand believed him, Roshke's face lit up with hope. "Evand, please help me, help me break the curse on this bracelet!" His voice was pleading. "This is not my homeland, I must go back. My tribe, my partner, they must all be worried about me."

“I’m willing to help you,” Evand agreed without hesitation. “I’m an adventurer, and helping others is my duty.” He smiled and said, “Besides, anything strange can happen in this mist. One more headache for me isn’t a big deal.”

Roshke gratefully grasped Evand's hand. "Thank you, Evand! You're such a good person."

Evans smiled and said, "Now we should think about how to break this curse. Do you know the origin of this bracelet?"

Roshke shook his head. “I don’t know. I found it by chance during an expedition. It was buried in an ancient ruin, and I was drawn to its light, so…” He paused, as if recalling the scene, “I picked it up and put it on my wrist, and then I don’t remember anything else.”

“It seems we’ll have to ask Moko for help,” Evand said. “He’s a learned archmage; perhaps he knows how to lift this curse.”

“Moko?” Roshke asked in confusion, “Who is he?”

“He is my friend and a powerful mage,” Evand explained. “He lives in the Spear Tavern; let’s go find him now.”

"But before that, you must properly introduce yourself to the people in the tavern, and then apologize to Vitt and Hakan, whom you attacked, even though you didn't do it."

"I know that..."

Evand brought Roshke back to the Spear Tavern. As soon as they entered, he saw Witt wiping glasses behind the bar.

Evand led Roshke into the tavern, and the atmosphere instantly froze. The moment the tavern patrons saw Roshke, they became alert, standing up, weapons in hand, assuming defensive stances. They clearly remembered Roshke's earlier attack on the tavern and mistakenly believed he had Evand under his control.

"Everyone, calm down!" Evand quickly explained, "Roshke, he..."

Before he could finish speaking, Hakan roared and hurled his wine glass at Roshke. The glass arced through the air, heading straight for Roshke's face. Roshke dodged to the side, the glass grazing his cheek before striking the wall with a crisp shattering sound.

Hakan roared and lunged at Roshke, but tripped over a wine jug at his feet and fell to the ground in a sorry state. Meanwhile, Witt, standing at the kitchen doorway, held a frying pan and stared at Roshke with a tense expression, as if ready to rush up and deliver a heavy blow at any moment.

"Calm down! Calm down!" Evand shouted again. "Roshke was being controlled, he didn't do it on purpose! He's back to normal now!"

After Evand's explanation, the people in the tavern gradually calmed down and put down their weapons. Hakan got up from the ground, dusted himself off, glared fiercely at Roshke, and then muttered as he walked back to his seat. Witt also put down his frying pan, but remained vigilant.

"So that's how it is..." Snow exclaimed after hearing Evand's explanation. "So, Mr. Roshke comes from another world?"

“Yes.” Roshke nodded. “If no one here truly knows my homeland, then this must be another world.”

Upon hearing the words "another world," Victor's eyes lit up. "A traveler from another world! How romantic!" he exclaimed, completely forgetting his earlier tension and hostility.

Roshke smiled and said, "Thank you for thinking that way."

“But…” Roshke rubbed his temples, looking distressed, “My head is about to explode. If the entire kingdom were teleported here, I could build a new kingdom here. But right now I’m all alone… I have to go back.”

Merchant Chet's eyes lit up when he heard Roshke's words. "Establish a new kingdom? That's wonderful! It means I'll have so much more business!"

“Chett, now is not the time to think about business.” Evand interrupted Chet and turned to Roshke, saying, “Roshke, don’t worry, we will definitely help you find a way to lift the curse and get you back safely.”

Snow nodded and said, "Yes, we'll help you. But before that, you might need to rent a hotel room."

Roshke said somewhat awkwardly, "Thank you for your kindness, but I don't have any money from this world on me..." He paused, then continued, "I can make do in the barn; I find it quite comfortable there."

Snow raised an eyebrow and said, "Are you sure you want to sleep in the barn? You know I'm a businessman. Making money is my duty, and serving customers is also my duty."

Roshke smiled helplessly. "I know. But I really don't have any money."