Chapter 408 Salty Fish
In one of the poorest places in Corvid Quarter, the streets immediately south of the Dell River, occupied a neighborhood that was full of squalor and filth.
The poorest residents of Ravenfell lived here in crowded tenement houses and slums tucked away in narrow alleys. The buildings here were dilapidated with crumbling roofs, plagued by the smell of dead fish.
Urchins and rats ran rampant on the streets of this neighborhood, and its darkest corners were home to thieves.
Puddles of stagnant water accumulated in the uneven cobblestones. Meanwhile, laundry hung from makeshift lines overhead strung between buildings.
Adam walked through these streets with a stoic expression on his face. He passed by several people who looked at him with unkind intentions, but once they made eye contact with him, they trembled in fear and scurried away.
"The architecture of Ravenfell is a form of artistic expression, huh?" He recalled John's words from earlier in the evening.
Watching the rats scamper along the dark alleys, while stray cats watched them from the shadows, Adam couldn't help but sneer, "I guess this is a form of art too."
Wherever there was light, there had to be darkness.
All things existed in perfect balance in this universe; this was the duality of things.
Adam had come to this part of Corvid Quarter not to ponder about the misery of the unfortunate residents of the City.
No, he was looking for a place where he could gather information about the day-to-day happenings in this district.
Soon, he had found what he was looking for.
Nestled near the bustling dock of Dundee Harbor, stood a tavern. Its weathered exterior blended seamlessly with the dilapidated warehouses and the nearby shipyard.
The wooden sign swinging gently in the pungent breeze bore the name, 'Salty Fish,' painted in faded blue letters beneath the image of a fish.
Few lanterns hung from iron brackets, their flickering light, casting a warm and inviting glow for the patrons.
Even as he stood at the entrance of the bar, Adam could hear the raucous environment inside.
"Haa, this better be worth it," he said as he pushed open the wooden door and stepped inside.
Immediately, the smell of salt and fish assaulted his nostrils, mingling with the faint aroma of ale and tobacco. Adam looked around and saw that the bar was dimly lit by oil lamps and candles placed throughout the room.
The walls, decrepit as they seemed, were decorated with maps, harpoons, and portraits of legendary ships.
Looking around, he couldn't find a single unoccupied table. The bar was filled with the lively noise of sailors. Their drunken laughter and loud chatter mingled with the occasional crash of a dropped glass or mug.
Adam was used to such places. In his youth, before he had set off to study at Clover Academy, he would spend most of his time in inns and taverns in his hometown, doing odd jobs and making ends meet.
With nimble footsteps, he made his way through the rowdy crowd and sat on a tall wooden stool beside the bar counter.
The bartender, a bald middle-aged human, glanced at him and asked in a bored manner, "What do you want?"
"What's the specialty here?" Adam asked as he scanned the liquor bottles on the shelves behind the bar counter. None of them were to his liking.
"You're new here?" Asked the bartender with a raised brow.
"Something like that."
"Hmm, we have dark spicy rum, homemade ale--"
"Not the drinks," Adam cut him off. "What do you have to eat?"
"We have stew made of chunks of beef and other vegetables," the bartender began, not at all offended by Adam's interruption. He'd had plenty of patrons behave worse.
"…then we have the large platter of fish, mussels, clams, and shrimp, served with bread and roasted potatoes."
Adam replied, "I'll have the seafood platter."
"Very well." The bartender nodded before relaying the order to another person who promptly left for the kitchen.
Meanwhile, Adam unfastened the gourd hanging from his waist and leisurely started sipping wine. He observed the people that were inside this tavern, hoping to overhear anything noteworthy.
The patrons here were a motley crew of mostly rugged sailors, their faces weathered by the harsh breeze and the sun.
They wore a mix of tattered shirts, leather vests, and sturdy boots. Many of them had tattoos of anchors and mermaids proudly displayed on their exposed skin.
Among the sailors were adventurers, merchants, and the occasional pirates. Some huddled in groups speaking in hushed tones. While others played cards or a game of dice over ale.
In a corner of the bar, an old sailor flailed his arms around and narrated his adventures while out at sea.
"Our crew was attacked by a Kraken!" He roared. "A Kraken, I tell you! Its tendrils were as big as trees, and although we didn't see its full body, I'm sure it was bigger than this whole district!"
At another corner, a group of young adventurers spoke excitedly about an old legend that circulated among the common folks who resided near the harbor.
"The notorious Captain Gold Drake is said to have hidden a vast treasure somewhere along the shores of Ravenfell!"
"What? You really believe that shit?"
"It's true! The famous pirate hid all the treasure somewhere here before he was executed. I met a merchant who's willing to sell me clues to his treasure!"
"Oh, piss off, mate! That merchant is clearly trying to scam you!"
"Really?! He sounded pretty legit!"
"Get lost! Let's go beat him up tomorrow and see how legit he is. Hmph!"
Hearing the conversation of this group of wild teenagers, Adam couldn't help but chuckle to himself. Captain Gold Drake? Vast Treasure? Yeah right!
Although he scoffed at this prospect, being the money grubber he was, he made a mental note to follow up on any leads relating to this infamous pirate.
Suddenly, his attention was drawn to a table nearby. It was occupied by a group of merchants. Hearing their topic of discussion, Adam's ears instantly perked up.
A young man wearing decent clothes glanced at his friends and proudly stated, "My brothers, it is with great pleasure that I inform you that in my recent voyage, I happened to come across a beautiful mermaid!"
"Whoa! A mermaid?!"
"I've never seen one, but heard many tales about them!"
"No way! Mermaids are real?!"
The young man's lips curled up into a perverted grin. "They're real alright. Not only did I get to meet her…
"But I also made love to her! Mwahaha!"
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