The Distinguished Mr. Rose Chapter 66: Chapter 65: The Wishes of the People

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Chapter 65: The Wishes of the People The props used for the ceremony were quickly disassembled and taken away, leaving the servants to guide the Order members out to the city where they could partake in a final round of drink and merriment before the expedition officially departed. As fate would have it, their watering hole of choice was the charming Mary’s Tavern. Lucius had frequented the business a few odd times after the whole ‘city-wide mob’ affair (in disguise of course). He didn’t have a special reason; the good miss’s drinks were simply quite refreshing—top quality and full of unique flavors. Taverns were also a fabulous locale to gather more information, so he often took a seat alone near the corner and listened to the odd conversation passing by. This time, however, he was joined by his three plucky fellows, along with all two hundred and fifty members of Expedition Argo. The gentleman thought it unlikely they would fit inside, even with the tavern’s relatively larger commons compared to others in the area, but the Franks made do and squeezed themselves in until one could hardly see a speck of the floor amidst the sprawl of bodies. “Geez, you folks couldn’t bother giving a gal a heads up?” the proprietress, Mary herself, shouted to the crowd while carrying an arm’s load of drinks. “Now, I ain’t opposed to more clientele, but don’t go hollering at me if ya get impatient! Sit your butts down. Only so many mugs I can make at a time, gosh darn…” Despite her apprehensive words, Mary practically flew around the tavern in a blur, weaving through the crowd deftly, quickly, and without breaking a sweat. The woman multi-tasked with the efficiency of ten people in one. She shook and muddled cocktails in one hand, tossed mugs with the other, collected empty drinks with her foot, and even used her teeth at some points to keep everything balanced. According to the book Lucius received — 'A Dummy’s Guide to Understanding the Franks’ — this display was apparently an actual skill known as Hospibattlety that all competent restaurateurs had to learn. How very fitting that the Franks would turn the service industry of all things into a rigorous art form. When she finished attending to the last of the paladins, Mary strolled behind the bar counter and greeted Lucius with a wink. “Sorry for the wait there, folks. You types looked more patient than that sorry lot over there. But hey, you must be those ‘otherworldly heroes’ I’ve heard so much about. Usually only get locals here; it’s nice to see some fresh faces for a change.” He pretended not to know the lady. “Quite so. My name is Lucius Rose, and you are the illustrious Miss Mary, I take it?” She blushed and waved him off. “I don’t know about anything fancy like ‘illustrious’, but indeedy do that’s who I am. Pleasure to meet you, Mister Rose. It’s funny, you kinda remind me of one of my patrons: an elegant fella. Calls himself Satanael. Do you know him?” He smiled. “Sadly no, but judging by your words he must be quite the gentleman.” The others introduced themselves as well. Once the four were all settled, the party placed their drinks and quickly received an ice-cold mug faster than they could blink. Mili got a foaming, bubbling, and bright yellow margarita that apparently tasted like pineapple with a slight carbonated kick. Harper’s choice was a simple red wine: a balanced mix between sweet and dry. And Marco went with a classic old fashioned, or at least this world’s equivalent to it. Lucius, on the other hand, opted for what the Franks called a ‘Belikorn Smoothie’, which was an iced drink that included blending an interesting flower native to this world called the Belikorn. In its unprocessed state, the petals contained a highly-potent hallucinogenic; but those certified in handling it, such as Miss Mary, often used it in drinks for its sweet and minty aftertaste. It was safe, so long that the correct ratios and dosages were maintained. Interestingly enough, the Belikorn flower was t