The Inn of Coming Riches - 37

"We'll take the mission from the Bee Tribe," she said. She turned to leave, pausing at the counter. She unbuckled a small leather pouch from her waist and placed it on the counter, offering no explanation of its contents. The Golden Proprietor glanced at it, unopened, and simply nodded, as if to say, 'Understood.' They left. After the door curtain fell, silence returned to the inn. The Golden Proprietor opened the pouch. Inside was an irregularly shaped, dark red stone, warm to the touch, as if it had been held close to body heat for years. He picked it up, looked at it, then put it back down, saying nothing. Asu emerged from the kitchen, carrying a bowl of hot tea, and placed it on the counter. "That's the token," she said calmly. "After the mission is complete, they'll return with it to claim the reward. If anyone tries to impersonate them, the token will heat up as a warning." The Golden Proprietor looked at her. "When did you find out?" "The bounty board told me." She offered no further explanation, took her own bowl of tea, and walked to the window, looking out. The morning mist had not yet fully dispersed, and the figure of the White Tiger tribeswoman had already disappeared around the bend in the mountain path, the silhouette of the Dragon tribesman also gone. Without looking back, she softly murmured, "The Bee Tribe seeks the Queen Bee, the White Tiger Tribe takes missions, the Dragon Tribe flies, the Demon Tribe seeks maidens... This inn is about to become the crossroads of the lawless lands."