Chapter 30: Fireplace Bar

At this moment, everyone else’s eyes were wide open, looking incredibly surprised.

Raine took off his Horned Helmet, revealing his familiar face to everyone.

"Oh my god! It’s really you, Raine..." Fabian almost couldn’t hold his dagger steady.

"It’s been half a month, Raine, you’ve practically become a different person." Even the calm Grande took a few extra glances at Raine.

"Haha, maybe I’ve been growing recently, and I’ve also done quite a bit of Power training with Tutor Humbert, so there have been some changes." Raine said with a smile.

"Tutor Humbert’s Power training? Raine, could you have learned Warhammer from Tutor Humbert?"

Compared to the change in Raine’s physique, this news shocked everyone even more.

After all, Humbert, Mill Town’s only Classes Trainer, was quite well known.

Including several nearby small towns and even Dorne City, Warrior Apprentices who like Warhammer come to Mill Town hoping for Humbert’s guidance.

The Warhammer, which he’s most skilled at, has very high requirements for learners.

Almost no one has been known to learn Warhammer techniques from Humbert.

Raine’s words immediately shifted everyone’s attention to this matter instead of focusing on his physique.

"Well, I fortunately passed Tutor Humbert’s test..." Raine briefly explained some situations.

In fact, knowing Raine was going to carry out a task in the next few days, Humbert had given him a metal Warhammer—one end sharp, the other flat—gray and unassuming, but it was the one Raine practiced with in the training room.

It’s also the Warhammer that Raine was most adept with.

According to Humbert’s original words, he led you to the door, but the cultivation of Combat Skills requires your own effort and continual honing.

And actual combat is the best practice.

"Okay, don’t crowd around Raine, let’s order food first!"

"Raine, as last time’s hero, you should order first. It’s my treat." Reya handed the menu to Raine, smiling.

"Captain, you go ahead, I’m here for the first time." Raine smilingly waved his hand and politely declined.

"How about trying this place’s specialty?"

"Specialty?"

"Yes, malt-roasted pork ribs! You will love it for sure."

"Certainly." Raine nodded and said.

"Oh oh, Captain, you’re really spending big now; last time you weren’t so generous with us."

"This is the treatment that Raine deserves." Reya glanced at Chris, saying.

"Raine, let me tell you, the ribs here use wild boar rib meat from the wilderness, plus malt beer brought from Dorne City, mixed with onions, garlic, and black pepper, marinated for hours, then roasted with honey and olive oil."

"The taste is absolutely top-notch!" Chris said, gesturing while speaking.

"Is it really that good?" Raine looked a little skeptical at Chris.

Though he’d never eaten this dish before, Raine’s impression of pork ribs was somewhat set.

"Yes, it’s really delicious." Grande nodded and said.

"Chris once tried to make it himself, but it always tasted slightly off compared to the Fireplace Bar here. But after asking the bar owner, they said it’s just these ingredients."

Hearing the steady Grande say so, Raine couldn’t help but believe it a bit.

Before long, when the waitress brought over a large plate covered by something like lotus leaves, the rich aroma began to fill the air.

As the leaves were lifted, the fragrance rushed in.

These aren’t the kind of ribs torn into pieces but rather big rib fans connected together.

The surface of the ribs was golden yellow and slightly charred, while Raine with his Sensitive Smell could discern the various aromas mingled within quite clearly.

Chris wasn’t wrong.

Indeed, the aroma contained malt beer, onions, garlic, black pepper, honey, and olive oil. However, he also caught a faint scent of cardamom, cumin, and chili powder.

Could this be the secret seasoning from the Fireplace Bar’s owner?

No wonder Grande said that Chris never managed to replicate this flavor.

Missing cardamom, cumin, and chili powder, naturally, would be a level lower in taste.

With the specialty dish served, soon enough, the atmosphere around the dinner table became lively.

After the third toast, Reya put down her knife and fork, wiped her mouth with a napkin, and said: "Remember that Wild Boar People task we completed last time?"

"Of course."

"What’s up, Captain?" Chris asked while stuffing food into his mouth, looking at Reya.

"A couple of days ago, Lord Ramsey spoke to me about the follow-up to this matter."

Reya’s words quickly piqued everyone’s interest, not excluding Raine.

Ramsey?

Raine immediately thought of the middle-aged man with the gentlemanly style and an eight-shaped mustache, who was the head of Mill Town’s Adventurer’s branch.

"A Black Iron Level Adventurer Squad investigated the Wild Boar Clan near the Valley of Dead Water and indeed found internal changes."

Hearing Reya’s words, everyone couldn’t help looking surprised.

"That Black Iron Level Adventurer Squad heavily injured two Adventurers. Based on their reliable intelligence, two major events occurred in the Dead Water Wild Boar Clan!"

Reya didn’t keep them in suspense anymore and started explaining in detail.

"The first thing is that there has been a great improvement in the weaponry of the Deadwater Wild Boar People. So, it’s certain someone or some organization must be supplying them with weapons."

Everyone present looked at each other in shock.

After all, guessing is one thing, but having it confirmed is another.

"The second thing is that the High Priest of the Dead Water Wild Boar Clan reportedly died in an internal conflict, and now it’s the chieftain Lamusta who’s in power—a person with a strong inclination to attack."

"And recently, they’ve been consolidating internal forces."

"Which means the appearance of the Wild Boar Warrior last time wasn’t accidental, but rather they belonged to a faction supporting the High Priest in the ongoing conflict, which led to this chieftain’s purge and expulsion?"

Raine’s eyes shifted slightly as if realizing something, he said.

"That’s correct. Lord Ramsey and I also think so because several other small towns have come across scattered Wild Boar Warriors afterward."

Reya glanced at Raine, a light of approval flashing in her eyes.

"What will we do next?" The usually quiet Grande spoke up and asked.

"Lord Ramsey already reported this to the Dorne City Council. Since the upcoming matters can’t be handled solely by Mill Town anymore."

"It’s that serious? Reporting to Dorne City?" Chris promptly asked.

"Yes, perhaps you don’t know the scale of the Deadwater Wild Boar People."

"Oh?"

Raine showed interest. Concerning the situation of the Dead Water Clan, the Basic Monster Atlas printed by Mill Town’s Adventurer’s Association barely touches upon it.

After all, just the strength of an ordinary Deadwater Wild Boar People reaches Challenge Level 1.

As for the stronger Warriors, the atlas doesn’t cover them, which actually exceeds the scope of the atlas.

And let alone higher-level Wild Boar People.

"Though the Deadwater Wild Boar People are the weakest among the continent’s major Wild Boar Clans, they dominate the Valley of Dead Water region, with clan numbers exceeding five thousand, including Earth Diviners and Priests of Mid-Level Classes strength."

"I heard that the chieftain Lamusta’s strength surpasses even Advanced Classes level!" Reya took a sip of rye beer and said.

"So strong?!" Fabian couldn’t help but exclaim.

Raine was equally amazed, but his curiosity leaned more towards whoever was supplying weapons to the Deadwater Wild Boar People.

"Has it been confirmed who is providing weapons to the Deadwater Wild Boar People?"

"No, they’re very secretive, and whether it’s weapons or armor, the unique forge marks have been removed. The only thing that’s confirmed is the weapons are from a human workshop, not made by Dwarves or other races’ craftsmanship."

Hearing Reya mention that the forces behind it were still unknown.

Raine nodded and didn’t ask further.

After all, at his current level, just having access to such information was already considered as being well-informed.

Regarding the final developments and subsequent responses, it wasn’t something he could interfere with at the moment.