Chapter 127 – Classic Déjà Vu

Similar to Mana City's Pigeon Bar, Holl City's Slacker's Bar had a unique layout different from other bars in the city.
There were no private rooms or individual tables available in the bar.
Instead, bar counters lined the establishment's walls, and many bartenders stood behind these counters, ready to serve drinks to guests at any time.

Currently, Rosa was the only woman drinking in the bar, her beautiful figure and exquisite face causing many eyes to turn to her.
Yet, despite this situation, nobody dared to approach her and strike up a conversation.

There was no helping this situation.
The mercenary badge hung on Rosa's belt was a huge deterrence for the average men in the bar.
Holl City might be a peaceful city, but everyone here still knew that mercenaries were people with genuine combat power and combat experience.
Mercenaries were also individuals supported by the various human kingdoms.
If average joes like themselves rashly provoked a mercenary, not only would they receive a beating, but they might even get sued for harassment.

“As expected of a bar in the capital.
Even the alcohol here is a bit more expensive than Mana City,” Rosa muttered a small complaint as she sipped on the cocktail in her hand.
She also couldn't help but feel frustrated.
Because of Alice, she had lost the paparazzi gig she had previously found.
If she hadn't saved up a sizable sum during her time as a thief, she'd probably have difficulty maintaining her hobby of enjoying alcohol.

“Did you come from Mana City?” The bartender manning the counter before Rosa was a tall female bartender.
After hearing Rosa's complaint, the bartender smiled and asked, “I heard that the Hero drew the Hero's Sword in Mana City some time ago.
Did you meet the Hero over there?”

“The Hero, huh?” Rosa took a mouthful of the cocktail.
Even though what she was drinking wasn't some cheap liquor, a bitter taste filled her mouth and throat when she drank it.
“Don't mention the Hero.
I didn't flee to Holl City to discuss the Hero.”

Rosa didn't dare to say that the Hero was responsible for forcing her into such a state.
After all, the Hero was akin to a celebrity everywhere.
Moreover, the Hero was humanity's hope to fend off the demons' invasion.
If she bad-mouthed the Hero publicly and news of it got out, she wouldn't be able to continue living in the human realm.

“What forced a Level 2 mercenary like yourself to flee to Holl City? If you have something you want to complain about, you can say it to me,” the bartender said, smiling.
She paid no mind to Rosa's refusal to talk about the Hero.
“You can think of it as a way to get repeat customers for the bar.
I welcome all my customers to share their troubles with me.”

“Ha…”

Rosa sighed and wondered if she should say what she was struggling with.
This was because this scene gave her a feeling of familiarity.
Specifically, when she had visited Mana City's Pigeon Bar a month ago and spilled her troubles to her bartender friend, Alice had caught her doing so red-handed.

Although Alice didn't make things difficult for her back then and simply asked for some information and liberated a few pairs of panties from her possession, Rosa still received a lot of mental stress because of the incident.
Because of this mental stress, Rosa had decisively resigned from her job in Mana City and moved to Holl City.

As a Level 2 Certified Mercenary, Rosa had a relatively easy time finding a new job in the capital.
Moreover, thanks to the network of contacts she formed during her time as a thief, she thrived even in the capital.

“Fine.
I'll tell you about what happened to me as a way to celebrate my new life after getting away from that person.” After emptying her glass and gently slamming it onto the counter, Rosa looked at the bartender, a slightly drunk look on her face as she said, “I, got targeted by a female pervert with a powerful background in Mana City.”

“A… A female pervert?” The bartender was slightly surprised by Rosa's revelation.
“What did she do to you?”

“It's not a particularly big deal.
Although I call her a pervert, she is quite restrained in her behavior,” Rosa said, shaking her head.
“The only thing she did was steal my underwear.
Twice! Twice she did that! In total, I think she stole over a dozen pairs… But other than that, she never did anything excessive.
Adding on the fact that she has a powerful background, I never dared to report this small incident to the police…”

“Does that pervert have a horrid appearance?” the bartender asked curiously when she saw Rosa's agonizing expression.

“No, she is incredibly cute and beautiful.
The average person wouldn't think that she is a pervert when looking at her,” Rosa said.
When she recalled Alice's appearance, she grew even more upset.
“If you were to put me and her together and say that one of us is a pervert, most people would think that I am the pervert instead.”

“It must've been a terrible experience for you,” the bartender said, sighing ruefully.
Although she couldn't empathize with Rosa's feelings, she still chose to comfort Rosa, saying, “But since the other party hasn't done anything excessive to you, it isn't all too bad.
Isn't it just a few pairs of underwear? Honestly, if I were in your shoes, and the other party really is cute, rather than get upset, I might even be happy because I get to form a good relationship with her.”

“That can only mean that you and I have different personalities,” Rosa said, curling her lips.
“No matter how cute the other party is, I will only feel upset to have those kinds of things done to me.”

“Well, look on the bright side.
Since you can't do anything about the other party, and the other party hasn't really done any physical harm to you, why not turn hostility into friendship? Who knows? You might be able to make use of the other party's identity and background to help you in your life,” the bartender said as she passed the new cocktail she had just made to Rosa.
Then, she smiled and continued, “Take the little girl behind you, for example.
If that girl is a pervert, I'd gladly let her harass me.”

“The little girl behind me?”

Rosa had a feeling of déjà vu when she heard these words.
However, before she could follow the bartender's line of sight and look back, she felt the stool under her buttocks getting kicked.
Then, losing her balance, she fell to the ground with the stool.

“Hiss… Ouch, ouch ouch… Ah, why did you kick my stool?!”

Rosa hurriedly stood up from the ground and covered her buttocks.
It was fortunate that she had a good physique, so it only hurt a little when she fell to the floor, and she didn't sustain any injuries.
Even so, she still couldn't help but get angry as she turned to look at the person who kicked her stool.

However, as soon as Rosa finished voicing her question, her complexion paled, and her mouth hesitated to continue speaking as she looked at the familiar figure before her.

“Yo, Rosa.”

After picking up the Milu Rabbit that knocked over Rosa's stool and smashing her fist into its head, Alice looked at the trembling Rosa and revealed a kind smile.

“Haven't seen you for over a month.”