TL NOTES: After reading the previous chapters and appreciating the quality of Ether Reads' translation, we decided to take over the translation. The next chapters will be translated by me - Santos - nice to meet you. Looking forward to feedback with ratings and criticism :)
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In the evening, Leon and the others arrived at the bar where Victor was performing.

The bar wasn’t upscale; the clientele was a mix of people, mostly from the lower classes of the Empire.

Not everyone came here just to drink; transactions, bounties, underground fighting, and other activities were all happening.

Of course, compared to the few gambling and drug lords with royal connections that Tiger had taken down, this place was somewhat more restrained—at least they couldn’t flaunt their crimes openly.

Leon and Rebecca walked into the bar while Tiger kept watch outside.

Since the wanted posters featuring their master’s portrait were plastered all over the Empire’s streets, and the bounty was particularly tempting, it was possible that a desperate person in this bar would take the risk for the reward.

To avoid unnecessary trouble, it was better for their master to remain low-profile.

As soon as they entered the bar, the loud and chaotic noises assaulted Leon’s eardrums.

The doorway leading to the dance floor was packed with people.

A beautiful woman in revealing attire, with a cheap cigarette between her fingers, blew a puff of smoke towards Leon as he approached.

Prostitutes were practically soliciting customers at the door.

Leon didn’t want to engage with her and continued walking inside.

“Hey, handsome, where’s the fire? Why not chat with me for a bit? I have something really fun—”

*Slap!*

Rebecca pulled out her gun and pointed it at the woman’s chin.

The woman immediately closed her mouth, stepping back in silence.

The others in the doorway also instinctively made way for Leon and Rebecca.

The area suddenly felt less crowded.

Rebecca holstered her gun, walked to Leon’s side, and lowered her voice.

“We’re not regulars here. Those folks outside are the ‘quality inspectors’. If you don’t show them a little authority, it’ll be hard to get by here.”

Leon understood the ‘unspoken rules’ Rebecca referred to; the gray area had its own survival tactics.

But what puzzled him was why Victor had ended up working in such a decrepit and dark place after leaving the Dragon-slaying Army.

Was it a choice of degradation? Or was there another reason?

Although Victor had always been second best, he had the tenacity and standards typical of a second-in-command; he poured himself into everything he did and held himself to high expectations.

Someone like him should be completely out of place in a place like this.

It seemed he would have to wait until he found Victor to get answers.

Leon and Rebecca crossed the dance floor and reached the bar counter.

“What can I get you two?” the bartender greeted them.

“A glass of water,” Leon replied, knowing his alcohol tolerance was terrible, and they weren’t here to drink.

“I’ll have a Black Moon,” Rebecca said. She had often drunk before and was familiar with the odd names of drinks.

She claimed that after drinking, her aim was better, though Leon wasn’t sure if that was true.

The bartender glanced at the petite Rebecca and said, “We don’t serve alcohol to kids.”

As soon as he said that, Leon swallowed the words he was about to say, which would have urged Rebecca to switch to juice, and discreetly shifted his position to avoid any splatter of blood later.

If Leon’s reverse scale was his wife and children;

Then Rebecca’s reverse scale was her age.

“I’m an adult! Open your eyes and see, I am a GROWN-UP!” 

The loli girl stood on the bar stool, leaning over the table.

If the bartender dared to say another word, Leon had no doubt Rebecca would pull her gun.

Fortunately, the bartender was wise enough to nod quickly. “Okay, okay, Black Moon coming right up.”

“Wait! I’ve changed my mind; I want a glass of water too.”

“Okay, two glasses of water.”

Finally, Rebecca sat back down, arms crossed, pouting as she glared at the bartender’s back. “This is why I hate all bartenders in the world.”

Leon shook his head and chuckled but said nothing, starting to observe the crowd.

Moments later, the lights in the bar suddenly went out, leaving only a beam of light shining on the stage.

Under that light sat a tall, thin man on a bar stool, cradling a simple guitar.

His attire was minimalist, his face somewhat weathered, and his hair reached his shoulders.

However, as soon as he appeared, he was met with cheers from the crowd on the dance floor.

“Victor! Victor! Victor!”

“Victor, I want to hear you sing ‘Riverbank’!”

“We heard ‘Riverbank’ yesterday; today we want ‘Evening Breeze’!”

“…”

They cheered Victor’s name and called out songs they wanted to hear.

Leon sat by the bar, looking across the entire dance floor at his former deputy, Victor.

Compared to Rebecca, Victor had changed significantly; he used to have short hair and looked much more spirited.

“What happened to him?” Leon muttered.

“Artists are like that,” Rebecca said, sipping her water through a straw.

When the crowd calmed down a bit, Victor pulled off a pendant hanging from his chest.

It was a guitar pick.

But unlike ordinary cheap picks, Victor’s was a beautifully crafted ivory-white color, with a finer finish.

It stood out under the lights.

Gently strumming the guitar strings, Victor began to sing.

His singing was quite good, certainly above average for a bar performer.

Leon remembered when they were in the Dragon-slaying Army, Victor would sing a couple of songs by the campfire every night.

Because of that, he also gained quite a few female fans.

Though not as many as Leon.

“Forever Second” was like a curse, always following Victor no matter what he did.

No matter how hard he tried, Leon remained like an insurmountable mountain standing in his way.

Coincidentally, from a nearby patron’s conversation, Leon learned that the song Victor was currently singing was called “Crossing Over This Mountain.”

However, he never felt like he was some mountain for Victor to cross.

In Leon’s eyes, Victor was a very reliable deputy and vice-captain—

At least, until the Silver Dragon War, when he had been betrayed, Leon had always thought so.

And now, caught in the whirlpool of the Empire’s conspiracy, who could safely emerge unscathed?

Leon pulled back his thoughts and quietly waited for Victor to finish singing.

Being such a popular resident singer, one song was hardly enough to satisfy the audience present.

For the next hour, Victor held his guitar and performed several classic pieces.

Some were songs he had sung back in the Dragon-slaying Army.

Even someone like Leon, who lacked artistic sensibility, was thoroughly entertained, as it stirred many memories from his past.

In contrast, the girl with twin tails beside him was on the verge of dozing off.

Leon turned to her and snapped his fingers by her ear.

Startled awake, Rebecca exclaimed, “Ah! Who—who fired a gun!”

“Wake up, we’re going to find Victor backstage.”

“Oh, okay!”

The two made their way around the dance floor and headed backstage.

There were many rooms backstage, but fortunately, each room had the name of the bar staff on it.

They found Victor’s room and knocked on the door.

“The performance is over for tonight; come back tomorrow,” Victor’s voice came from inside.

“Hey, superstar, now you’re too big to see your old teammates?” Rebecca taunted from outside.

As soon as she finished speaking, they heard heavy footsteps from inside.

*Creak—*

The door opened, revealing a thin and weathered man standing at the entrance. He looked down at the girl, who was significantly shorter than him.

“Rebecca, what are you doing here?”

“Here to support the superstar.”

“Don’t joke around; you must have something to talk to me about, right?”

Rebecca shrugged. “It’s true I have something, but it’s not for me; it’s for him.”

Saying that, Rebecca reached out and pulled the man from behind the door.

Victor was stunned, his eyes full of surprise. He looked at the girl who had pulled him out and seemed unable to believe what he was seeing.