Tavern of the Spear: Desire for Pleasure

Snow nodded understandingly. "Everyone has their own choices, and I won't force them." He paused, then asked curiously, "But, Evand, how do you plan to help Mr. Roshke break the curse? I don't think you have that kind of ability."

Evans gave an awkward laugh, not directly answering Snow's question. "Well... I need to talk to Roshke alone to find a solution." He turned to Roshke. "Roshke, let's find a quiet place to talk."

“Of course,” Roshke readily agreed.

Evand looked around and noticed that everyone in the tavern was staring at them curiously, so he clapped his hands and said, "Gentlemen, could you please give us some privacy? Thank you for your cooperation."

Snow added, "Everyone, go do what you're supposed to do, don't join in the fun here."

The people in the tavern, though curious, knew their place and dispersed, returning to their seats. Witt wiped the glasses again, and Hakan ordered another drink, settling down alone in a corner to savor it. The others also returned to their posts, continuing their work.

Evand and Roschke found an empty table and sat down. Roschke asked curiously, "Evand, what exactly do you want to discuss with me? Why are you asking your friends to leave?"

Evans chuckled awkwardly. “It’s a long story, but in short, I believe my friend Moko can definitely help us.” He paused, then explained, “The reason I don’t want others to know is because Moko’s identity is rather special. I promised him I would keep it a secret.” He looked at Roshke and said sincerely, “If it weren’t for the fact that you’re about to return to your own world, I wouldn’t have told you about Moko.”

Roshke expressed his understanding. "I understand, everyone has their own secrets." He paused, then said, "But is this Mo Ke you mentioned really that capable? I'm even starting to suspect you're delusional." He smiled and added, "However, I still choose to believe you, after all, you're willing to help me."

Evans smiled and didn't refute. "You'll find out soon enough," he said mysteriously.

“Okay.” Roshke shrugged and said, “I’ll wait and see.”

Evan stood up, walked to the bar, and whispered to Snow, "Snow, I need to use your basement."

Snow asked疑惑地问道, "The basement? What are you going to do?"

“I need a quiet place to talk to Roshke,” Evand explained.

Snow thought for a moment and nodded. "Alright, but don't mess up my wine cellar."

“Don’t worry, we won’t,” Evans assured him.

Evand led Roshke to the basement. The basement was dimly lit, with a faint aroma of alcohol in the air. Several huge barrels of alcohol lined the walls, covered in dust.

"Moko, are you there?" Evans called softly.

A deep voice came from the darkness. "I'm here."

As the sound appeared, a milky-white figure with a golden ring in the center of the horn flew out of the shadows. He exuded a faint magical aura.

“Moko, this is Roshke. He comes from another world and needs your help,” Evand introduced.

Moko swayed up and down in the air, as if nodding. Evand could feel Moko's gaze falling on the bracelet on Roshke's wrist. "I understand." He flew to the bracelet and examined it carefully.

Roshke pretended to see something and looked at the empty basement. He was now completely certain that Evand was definitely suffering from some kind of delusional disorder.

"Ahem~ Although I'm very reluctant to tell you, my friend, are you feeling a little unwell?" After Roshke finished speaking, he placed his hand on Evand's forehead, like an elder checking if a junior had a fever.

“This, uh… how could I forget about this!” Evand said. “Morco, can you please remove the invisibility spell first? Otherwise, I’ll really be mistaken for a lunatic.”

Moko chuckled awkwardly and canceled the invisibility spell. Only then did Roshke see the horn floating in the air. Startled, he took a step back and instinctively assumed a defensive stance, thinking it was some kind of ghost, ready to protect Evand behind him.

"Wait!" Evand quickly stopped Roshke. "This is Moko!" He pointed to the horn and explained, "Didn't I tell you before? Moko is a horn possessed by the soul of a powerful mage."

Roshke calmed down, but still stared in disbelief at the horn floating in the air.

“Hello, Roshke,” Moko’s voice came from the horn. “I am Moko, Evand’s…soulmate.”

Evans' face flushed red instantly. "Friends! We're friends!" he quickly corrected.

"Ah, right, friend." Mo Ke seemed to realize he had misspoke and quickly corrected himself.

After the two sides finished introducing themselves, Evand told Moko in detail about Roshke's experience and the strangeness of the bracelet.

"Moko, can you help Roshke break this curse?" Evan asked anxiously.

“Let me see,” Moko said. “Roshke, can you take the bracelet off?”

Roshke tried to remove the bracelet, but no matter how hard he tried, it wouldn't budge, as if it were welded to his wrist.

“It seems this curse is quite troublesome,” Mo Ke said. “You’ll probably have to wear it until the curse is lifted.”

"Then... can you lift this curse?" Evand pressed.

Mo Ke circled the bracelet once, seemingly examining it closely. "I need to study this curse carefully; it might take a few days."

"Will the curse activate again during this time?" Evan asked worriedly. "Roshke looked terrible when he was under control."

Mo Ke swayed slightly. "It's hard to say. However, Nexus defeated you and weakened the bracelet's curse, so you shouldn't be controlled again for a while."

"That's good." Evans breathed a sigh of relief.

“How about this,” Moko suggested, “Evand, go and find some people nearby who can use magic; perhaps they can offer some help.”

Upon hearing this, Evand's expression turned pained. He did indeed know a person who could use magic—Seyle, a priest from the lizardman tribe. But for some reason, he had never had a good impression of Seyle, always finding him somewhat strange and unpredictable.

“I know one,” Evand hesitated for a moment before saying, “Seyle, the priest of the lizardman tribe, who can use magic.”

“That’s good,” Mo Ke said. “Take Roshke with you tomorrow. I still need to study magic more. Perhaps you can solve the curse problem before I’m ready.”

Roshke, however, was somewhat worried after hearing this. "I think I'd better lock myself up. It wouldn't be good if I lost control again and hurt someone else."

“No,” Evand objected. “To break the curse, you must wear the bracelet, which cannot be removed, so you must come with us.”

“Then…” Roshke still hesitated.

“How about this,” Evand suggested, “I’ll show you around the tavern today, then you can go back to the barn to rest, and we’ll go to the lizardman tribe together tomorrow morning.”

“That’s a good suggestion.” Roshke nodded, agreeing to Evand’s arrangement.

So, Evand led Roshke out of the basement and back into the bustling tavern hall. The people in the tavern, seeing Roshke reappear, were still somewhat wary, but the atmosphere had eased considerably. Witt even took the initiative to approach Roshke and enthusiastically introduced him to the various wines and snacks in the tavern.

Roshke found everything fascinating. As he listened to Witte's explanation, he curiously observed the tavern's furnishings. Everything here was completely different from his hometown, full of exotic charm.

Hakan also came over and apologized to Roshke. "I'm really sorry about what happened before." He patted Roshke on the shoulder heavily and said, pretending to be embarrassed, "I was too impulsive at the time."

“It’s alright,” Roshke smiled. “I understand.”

Led by Evand, Roshke toured every corner of the tavern, from the bustling main hall to the cozy guest rooms, from the well-stocked wine cellar to the kitchen filled with the aroma of food. He also met the other members of the tavern, including the skilled chef Parif and the shrewd and capable Chet.

As night fell, the dim light of oil lamps illuminated the tavern, their warm glow dispelling the darkness and bringing Roshke a sense of peace. He sat by the fireplace, listening to Evand recount the strange tales of this misty place and his own adventures there.

“This misty place is truly magical,” Roshke exclaimed. “I have never seen such a peculiar world.”

“Yes,” Evand smiled, “it’s full of unknowns and challenges, but also full of new and exciting things, isn’t it?”

Before they knew it, it was quite late. Evand took Roshke back to the barn and found him a comfortable place.

“Get some rest,” Evand said. “We have a lot to do tomorrow. If you really can’t manage, you can come stay in my room.”

“Thank you, Evand, but no need, I’m fine sleeping here,” Roshke said gratefully.

Evand left the barn and returned to his room. Lying in bed, he reflected on the day's events, his heart filled with a mixture of anticipation and unease. He knew that tomorrow's trip to the lizardman tribe would undoubtedly be fraught with unexpected events.

In the early morning, sunlight streamed through the window, waking Evand from his slumber. He got up, dressed, and prepared to begin his new day.

He arrived at the barn and found Roshke already up and packing his belongings.

“Good morning, Roshke,” Evand greeted.

“Good morning, Evand,” Roshke replied.

After having breakfast together, the two set off for the lizardman tribe. Along the way, they talked about their homelands and shared their experiences, and gradually, the distance between them grew closer.

The lizardman tribe is located deep in a dense swampy jungle, surrounded by towering trees and lush vegetation. The tribe's buildings are constructed from trees and vines, blending seamlessly with the surrounding environment and exuding a primitive atmosphere. To make matters worse, there is an extremely unpleasant stench of swamp gas.