After Justine let me go from the chokehold, Isabelle directed us to The Dusty Palm. The Dusty Palm was a large tavern in Fay Harbour, whose customers seemed to range from ordinary workers all the way to high-level adventurers. As we walked into the buzzing tavern, we saw a diverse range of people enjoying the Happy Hour that the tavern was in. Isabelle offered us free drinks and food until midnight, but I gave her the coins I looted off of Fred's thugs. The amount was 20 gold and 2 platinum coins.

The menu she gave us was long, as it contained 40+ dishes that were made-to-order. While Justine ordered Roasted Salamander, I ordered some Deep-fried Herring. While they had familiar dishes like Ham Steak, Seared Hare, and Roasted Chicken; they also had strange dishes like Giant Deep-Fried Scorpion or even Harpy Egg Omelets.

As we ate at one of the tavern's booths, I felt it was a good time to bury the hatchet. I would be lying if I said that my opinion of Justine wasn't improving. Despite ignoring my quest to kill Demon Lords Ogis and Broggon, she hasn't really pressured me into changing my mind. I initially thought she would stalk and harass me to fight the Demon Lords, but she hasn't said anything about it. While I agreed to be a hero 40% of the time, was that enough for her to not bother me about it? In the beginning, she followed me around Adrios because I was 'wasting my potential' by being a Merchant. But if she isn't trying to change my mind anymore, why was she following me?

As I poured filtered water from the glass pitcher, I talked to Justine about it. "I'll be honest, Justine. I think we should bury the hatchet. While you have your flaws, I also have my own. Looking back, I feel that we've been rather...childish to each other. It's clear that you aren't as bad as I initially thought, so I'm willing to apologize for treating you unfairly. However, it's important to clarify that I may never engage the 2 Demon Lords. If that causes you to leave and summon someone else then I wish you the best of luck in your endeavor," I said confidently.

As Justine took another bite of the Salamander, she wiped her mouth with a napkin. "I think you're misunderstanding something, Owen. You may be a reincarnated hero, but you aren't the only one we have," Justine said calmly.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Every God in Adrios has a Champion to fight for them or promote their interests. Even if you don't actively seek out the Demonic threat, the other Champions will actively do so. Since you are a Merchant Hero, it's in your best interests to protect the towns and cities that you sell to, right? Having a Champion protect a region of the continent allows other champions to focus on their own. The only reason that I'm still following you is to make sure you perform the heroic duties we agreed upon. There's also the fact that you're the legendary 'Guardian' of Adrios, so I feel that there's still hope for you to accept the quest. However, I enjoy being around you, despite our rough start. It seems like your path will be an interesting one to follow," Justine stated.

As I smiled, I held out my hand for a truce. "Water under the bridge?" I asked.

Justine shook my hand while eating another bite of Salamander. "Water under the bridge," Justine happily stated.

-------------

After we finished our dishes, we sat at the tavern's counter. Isabelle was working the Bartender shift for Happy Hour, so we could ask her questions while she worked. 

"Can you tell us more about Alter Q and Quint? It seems like you guys knew each other rather well," I said.

"It's pretty simple. Quint is the son of the leader, Quant. Quant started Alter Q 26 years ago, with Quint being born four years after. When Quint turned 10, his mother was brutally murdered by Demon Lord cultists, who are now called the 'Children Of Ogis'. While they were initially a small cult group back then, they have continuously grown in size and threat. The recent rise of Demon Lord Broggon hasn't helped either. After they murdered his wife, Quant entered peace talks with Mayor Ross, intending to protect his son from any more suffering. I don't know how Mayor Ross did it, but he somehow convinced them to work with us instead of against us. They went from being a group of criminals to becoming the largest crime syndicate in the immediate region. They primarily help us in the fight against other bandits and rival crime syndicates. Syndicates like 'The Iron Brotherhood' and 'The Dreamers' are some of the larger ones. I wouldn't call Alter Q the 'good guys' but they aren't completely bad either. Any business owned by Alter Q has a 'Quint & Quant Incorporated' sign outside their door," Isabelle stated.

"I guess that explains what happened earlier. But does he really have scouts scattered across the city? He made it sound like he had eyes everywhere," I said.

"That's because he does. 'The Iron Brotherhood' and 'The Dreamers' are considered threats to their operations. Not to mention those assholes in 'Children Of Ogis'. You must watch out for all three of them, and the smaller gangs and bandits that visit Fayhelm. The Demon Lord threat has emboldened crime across the continent, especially in a trading city like our own. Luckily, we have several Wardens and—" Isabelle said.

"And that's where we come in! The Fayhelm City Guard and the Fayhelm Security Force!" Padlock proudly shouted.

As we turned around, we saw a small group of high-ranking guards walk into the tavern. Among them was Captain Padlock and Head Captain Viper.

"Alright, boys! You know the drill! Happy Hour is on me! Substantial work today!" Viper said proudly.

As the Guards celebrated, they sang a song as they searched for a booth to sit at. This naturally triggered the entire bar to suddenly buzz even louder than before, with bards playing the tunes to their song and parts of the bar singing along with them. Drunken Dwarves eagerly got out of their seat and danced on the sturdy floors, emboldened by the liters of ale they've already consumed. Elves brought out their stowed instruments to play along with the tune. Demi-humans and humans happily sang along, drinking plenty of ale, wine, and other alcoholic drinks. It was indeed a Happy Hour.

Viper and Padlock waved at us before sitting to the right of Justine. Isabelle slid them a pair of beer mugs as they listened to our conversation.

"Anyway, the primary motivation for these threats is the acquisition of Quatinum coins. Not only is the coin's value astronomical, but the material itself is valuable. Things made of Quatinum are classified as S rank items. It has a distinct blue hue and radiates magic power. It's hard to miss and even harder to resist," Isabelle said.

"My intelligence, charisma, and luck are my strongest attributes, so I think I'll get one..eventually. All I have to do is gain the blessing of Ledos!" I said proudly.

"I think your jumping the gun, Owen. Since I'm more of a support class, you must get stronger to protect your business from outside threats. It's clear that you're a fast learner. However, it won't be easy to gain strength in Adrios. Strategy, Wisdom, Strength, and Magic Power are what determine your chance of survival. You must figure it out if you want to be a Merchant Hero in Adrios," Justine warned.

"Merchant Hero? Viper! Doesn't that sound like...," Padlock trailed off.

"Mhm. It does. It sounds just like him," Viper said.

"Who are you guys talking about? Is there another Merchant Hero in Adrios?" I asked.

"Well...he used to be one, but he retired after Demon Lord Ogis slaughtered his party. The only reason he survived is that a strange Demon broke him out of Ogis's fortress. They eventually moved to Fayhelm and have been here ever since. I think he might still have torture scars since the wounds were so bad," Padlock stated.

"Where do I find him? I would like some guidance on being a Merchant from a person who has done it before! He seems like the perfect teacher! What's his name?" I asked.

"Mayor Ross."