SWNOVELXO chapter 39
Chapter 39
Shortly after, the informant cleared his throat upon receiving a signal.
“I don’t sell information so easily to noble ladies.”
He glanced at Cain, realizing that Ebony was a noble and that Cain was her knight.
“I don’t recall asking you to sell me information,” Ebony replied.
She reached into her robe and placed a heavy pouch of gold coins on the table.
“Let’s make a bet.”
“A bet?”
“If I win, you give me the information. If you win, you get this gold pouch.”
“What’s the challenge?”
“We’re in a bar, so a drinking contest would be fitting.”
The informant opened the pouch slightly, his eyes glinting with greed at the sight of gold. Then, he smirked.
“Hey, bartender! Bring out the strongest drink you have—two bottles!”
The bartender, who had been wiping glasses, looked surprised.
“Two bottles? It’s so strong that even finishing one is tough.”
“This little lady here challenged me,” the informant said, pointing at Ebony with his thumb.
Realizing the situation, the bartender took out two bottles from a cabinet and placed them on the table.
“Here you go. The lady will drink from the bottle on the right, and you will drink from the bottle on the left.”
“You didn’t swap the drinks to make it easier for her, did you?”
“Of course not! Our bar prides itself on fair bets.”
Satisfied, the informant signaled his approval.
“The one who drinks more wins, lady.”
“Alright, let’s begin.”
Just as the bartender was about to pour the drinks into glasses, the informant waved his hand.
“No need. Ice ruins the taste of good liquor.”
“In that case, I’ll drink from the bottle too,” Ebony said, pushing her glass back toward the bartender.
‘Hah! She sure is confident.’
The informant chuckled, finding it amusing that someone so small was acting so bold.
‘She must be a heavy drinker to choose this as the challenge. But there’s no way she can beat me.’
He had built up a resistance to alcohol by taking special drugs daily. Plus, his bottle was already tampered with—half of it was just water.
Even a single sip of this drink was supposed to burn like fire. There was no way she could drink more than him.
“I’ll go first!”
The informant took a gulp, and despite the diluted liquor, he still felt the burn in his throat.
“Ahh! Your turn, lady.”
He looked at Ebony confidently, convinced that she would surrender after one sip.
Then, she picked up her bottle and started drinking.
Her delicate throat moved smoothly as she gulped down the liquor without stopping.
Everyone watched in stunned silence as she drained the entire bottle.
Setting the empty bottle down with a thud, she turned to the informant and smiled sweetly.
“Shall we order another bottle?”
Ebony had noticed the slight dent in the cork of the informant’s bottle—evidence of tampering.
“As I mentioned, the informant won’t sell you information easily,” someone had warned her before.
“And if he accepts a bet, he’ll cheat in every way possible.
He takes drugs to build alcohol resistance, and he might even get the bartender to swap out the drinks.”
Just as expected, the bartender was working with the informant, and the liquor had been altered.
The informant took a sip first, pretending to be unbothered, but Ebony noticed the slight wince on his face.
‘Even with half water, he’s struggling.’
Realizing how strong the drink was, she made a decision.
‘I’ll settle this in one go.’
She clenched her fist and called upon Lucia, her hidden ally.
‘Lucia, I’m counting on you.’
‘Leave it to me!’
Ebony wasn’t a drinker. Even a few sips of champagne made her tipsy.
But Lucia had a special ability—purification.
As she drank, the liquor tasted surprisingly sweet, like juice. She kept drinking until the bottle was empty.
When she finished, the crowd stared at her in disbelief.
The informant, frozen in shock, finally snapped.
“This is impossible! You must have cheated!”
He lunged toward her, but before he could lay a finger on her, he was sent flying backward.
He crashed against the wall, clutching his chest and gasping for air.
Cain had kicked him.
Ebony calmly walked over and picked up a small pill bottle that had rolled away.
She read the label and let out a quiet laugh.
“You should be ashamed of yourself for cheating and still losing.”
The bottle contained a drug that increased alcohol tolerance—a clear sign of foul play.
The informant squeezed his eyes shut in humiliation.
“You think I’ll give you the information after this?” he sneered.
“So, you’re breaking your promise?”
“Of course! Why would I help you?”
Cain sighed and looked at Ebony.
“Shall I deal with him?”
The informant flinched, realizing the knight wasn’t joking.
“Everyone in this bar is on my side! If you touch me, you won’t make it out alive!” he bluffed.
Cain didn’t look the least bit concerned.
“What will you do, my lady?”
Ebony, unfazed, retrieved the gold pouch from the table.
“You say everyone here is on your side,” she mused.
“That’s right! So don’t even—”
“They’re not loyal to you. They’re loyal to your money.”
She knelt beside him and placed the pouch on the floor.
“If I hand out just one gold coin to each person here, I bet they’ll ignore whatever happens next.”
The informant turned pale.
For just a single coin, these people would gladly turn a blind eye.
He shuddered, remembering the pain from Cain’s earlier kick. If he was struck again, he might not survive.
“F-Fine! I’ll tell you!”
In the end, it was the informant who surrendered.