In the evening, Leon and his two companions arrived at the bar where Victor performed.
The bar was far from luxurious. The patrons were a mixed crowd, most of them from the lower class of the Empire.
They didn’t just come to drink. Deals, bounties, underground fights, meth use... this place had it all.
Of course, compared to the drug and gambling kingpins with ties to the Empire’s royal family that Tiger had dealt with before, this place was relatively restrained. At least here they didn’t flaunt their illegal activities openly.
Leon and Rebecca stepped into the bar while Tiger had been standing watch outside.
Wanted posters featuring Leon’s mentor’s likeness were plastered all over the streets of the Empire, and the bounty was high enough to tempt many. There was always a chance that someone in the bar might risk it all for that reward.
To avoid unnecessary trouble, it was best for Leon’s mentor to stay out of sight.
The instant Leon entered the bar, the noisy, chaotic sounds overwhelmed his ears.
The hallway leading to the dance floor was packed with people.
Seductive women in revealing outfits held cheap cigarettes between their fingers. As Leon approached, one of them blew a puff of smoke toward his face.
Hookers openly hustling customers—their business had reached the doorstep.
Leon ignored her and kept walking forward.
"Hey handsome, why the hurry? Chat with me a little. I’ve got something fun to offer—"
Click—
Rebecca pulled out a pistol and pressed it against the woman’s chin.
The woman backed off awkwardly and retreated to the side in silence.
The other people in the hallway, as if reading the situation perfectly, gave Leon and Rebecca a clear path.
Suddenly, the hallway didn’t feel as crowded anymore.
Rebecca holstered her gun and moved up to Leon’s side, lowering her voice.
"We’re not regulars here. Those people at the entrance are basically checking out the newcomers. If you don’t put them in their place, you won’t last long here."
Leon understood the "unspoken rules" Rebecca referred to. The gray zones had their own ways of operating.
But what he couldn’t wrap his head around was why Victor, after leaving the Dragon Slayer Army, would end up in such a depraved and shadowy place.
Was it because he’d given in to despair? Or was there some other reason?
Victor might have always been second best, but he had his principles and resilience. He always gave his all, holding himself to high standards.
Such a person seemed entirely out of place in a setting like this.
It seemed Leon needed to wait until they found Victor to get some clear answers.
Leon and Rebecca made their way through the dance floor to the bar counter.
"What can I get you two?" the bartender greeted them.
"A glass of water," Leon replied. He had poor tolerance for alcohol, and besides, they weren’t here to drink tonight.
"I’ll have a Black Moon,"Rebecca said casually. She was familiar with odd drink names like this, having been a frequent drinker in the past.
She always claimed that alcohol made her aim sharper—a claim Leon wasn’t quite sure about.
The bartender glanced at Rebecca’s petite figure and said, "We don’t serve alcohol to kids."
As soon as the bartender finished speaking, Leon, who had been ready to suggest Rebecca order juice instead, swallowed his words immediately.
He then slid himself slightly away to avoid getting caught in the crossfire.
If Leon’s sore spot was his wife and child, Rebecca’s sore spot was her age.
"I’m an adult! Open your damn eyes and look closely—I! Am! An! Adult!"
The small-framed girl stood atop a bar stool and pressed her hands against the counter.
If the bartender dared utter another word, Leon had no doubt Rebecca would pull out her gun.
Fortunately, the bartender had the sense not to push his luck and quickly nodded. "Alright, alright. Black Moon coming up."
"Wait! I changed my mind. I’ll just have a glass of water too."
"Okay, two glasses of water."
Rebecca finally sat back down, folding her arms and giving the bartender an annoyed glare as he turned away. "This is why I hate bartenders all over the world."
Leon chuckled and shook his head, saying nothing. He started scanning the crowd instead.
Moments later, the bar’s lights suddenly dimmed, leaving only a spotlight shining on the stage.
Under the spotlight, a tall, slender man sat on a bar stool, holding a simple acoustic guitar.
Dressed plainly, his features showed traces of hardship, and his shoulder-length hair was unkempt.
But the moment he appeared, men and women in the dance floor erupted into cheers.
"Victor! Victor! Victor!"
"Victor, sing ‘Riverside’ for me!"
"'Riverside’ was yesterday. Sing ‘Evening Breeze’ today!"
"… "
They shouted Victor’s name and eagerly requested songs they wanted to hear.
Leon sat at the bar, looking across the crowded dance floor at his former second-in-command, Victor.
Compared to Rebecca, Victor had changed much more drastically. He used to sport short hair and exude far more vibrance than he did now.
"What happened to him?" Leon murmured.
"Tch, artists. They’re all like this." Rebecca said, sipping water through her straw.
As the crowd in the dance floor quieted down a bit, Victor took off the pendant hanging from his neck.
It was a guitar pick.
But unlike an ordinary cheap guitar pick, Victor’s pick was an exquisite ivory white, beautifully crafted.
Under the stage lights, it was particularly striking.
He gently plucked the strings of his guitar and started singing.
His vocal skills were decent—high-caliber for a bar performer in a place like this.
Leon recalled how Victor used to sing for the squad by the campfire at night when they were in the Dragon Slayer Army.
It was that habit that had earned Victor plenty of female admirers back then.
Still, he never had as many as Leon.
"Eternal second place" seemed like a curse. No matter the area, Victor was always trailing behind Leon.
No matter how hard he tried, Leon was like an insurmountable mountain standing in his way.
Ironically, Leon overheard a nearby patron mentioning the title of Victor’s current song—it was called "Climbing This Mountain."
Leon, for his part, had never seen himself as Victor’s mountain or barrier.
In his eyes, Victor had always been a dependable second-in-command and vice-captain—
At least, that’s what Leon thought before the Silver Dragon War and the false accusations began.
And now, entangled in the Empire’s web of conspiracies, who could hope to emerge unscathed?
Leon snapped out of his thoughts and decided to wait patiently for Victor to finish his performance.
As a popular resident performer, one song wasn’t enough to satisfy the audience.
For the next hour, Victor played his guitar and performed a selection of classic songs.
Some were those he used to sing during his time in the Dragon Slayer Army.
Even Leon, who wasn’t particularly artistic, found himself enjoying the music, lost in various memories from the past.
Meanwhile, the twin-tailed girl beside him was nearly dozing off from listening too long.
Leon turned to Rebecca and snapped his fingers sharply near her ear.
Rebecca jolted awake, "Ah! Who—who fired a shot?"
"Wake up. We’re going backstage to find Victor."
"Oh, got it!"
The two bypassed the dance floor and headed for the backstage area.
Backstage was filled with rooms, but fortunately, every door displayed the name of its occupant.
They found Victor’s room and knocked on the door.
"The show’s over for tonight. Come back tomorrow," Victor’s voice called out from inside.
"Hey, rockstar. Have you gotten so famous that you won’t even meet your old teammates anymore?" Rebecca teased loudly from outside.
At that, they heard hurried footsteps approaching from within.
Creak—
The door swung open, revealing the thin, weathered man standing in the doorway. He looked down at the girl who was two heads shorter than him.
"Rebecca, what are you doing here?"
"Came to support you, of course."
"Stop joking. You must be here for a reason, right?"
Rebecca shrugged. "You’re right, but it’s not about me—it’s about him."
She gestured to pull the man outside the door.
Victor looked up—and froze in shock.
