I AM A MAGE BUT WITH MILF SYSTEM

Chapter 637: Drunk Tessa

”Whoa,” she said, her voice suddenly looser. ”Thatʼs... thatʼs really stroooong...”

Julian laughed, recognizing the signs immediately. Apparently, Starfall Ambrosia had more than just a pleasant taste.

And Tessa, from the looks of it, was a lightweight.

”Are you all right?” Julian asked.

Tessa set the glass down carefully, then gripped the edge of the bar to steady herself.

”Mʼfine,” she slurred slightly. ”Jusʼ... wow. Thatʼs some fuckinʼ... thatʼs some serious shit right there.”

Julianʼs eyebrows rose. The polite, professional girl from moments ago had just cursed casually.

”Maybe you should sit down,” he suggested.

”Pffft, sit down,” Tessa waved her hand dismissively. ”I am a professional, Mr. Julian. I can handle mʼliquor jusʼ fine.”

She tried to pick up a glass to polish it and nearly dropped it, catching it at the last second.

”See? Perfecʼly fine.”

Julian was trying very hard not to laugh. One tiny sip had gotten her this drunk? This was genuinely amusing.

”So,” he said, deciding to take advantage of her loosened tongue, ”tell me about the man whose arm I tore off earlier. In the common room.”

Tessaʼs expression immediately darkened, her face scrunching up in disgust.

”Oh, that fuckinʼ asshole?” she spat. ”That piece of absolute dogshit? Fuck that guy. Seriously. Fuck. That. Guy.”

She was leaning heavily on the bar now.

”That bastardʼs name is Kraven, anʼ heʼs the owner of the Gilded Rose. The fuckinʼ brothel. Anʼ heʼs a complete anʼ total shitstain of a human being.”

Julianʼs interest sharpened. The man he had casually maimed was the owner of the establishment where heʼd just thoroughly dominated Valeria?

This was getting more interesting.

”Tell me more,” Julian prompted.

Tessa was on a roll now, the alcohol completely destroying her filter.

”Oh, you want more? Iʼll give you fuckinʼ more! Kravenʼs a piece of work, lemme tell you. He owns the Gilded Rose, right? But he donʼ jusʼ own it—he fuckinʼ controls it like some kinda tyrant piece of shit.”

She hiccupped, then continued.

”All the girls who work there? He takes a huge fuckinʼ cut. Like, massive. They do all the work, he sits on his ass anʼ collects money. Anʼ if any of ʼem try to leave, try to work somewhere else, he threatens ʼem. Blackmails ʼem. Ruins their fuckinʼ lives.”

Tessaʼs eyes were blazing now.

”Anʼ you know what the worst part is? The absolute worst fuckinʼ part? He beats ʼem. Yeah. Beats the girls who work for him if they donʼt make enough money or if they upset a client or if heʼs jusʼ in a bad fuckinʼ mood.”

She slammed her hand on the bar, then immediately regretted it.

”Ow. Fuck. But yeah! Heʼs a violent, abusive, greedy piece of absolute garbage. Anʼ everyone knows it, but nobody does anythinʼ because heʼs got connections. He pays off the city guard, bribes the magistrates, anʼ heʼs buddies with some of the minor nobles.”

Julian absorbed this information with growing satisfaction. So heʼd maimed a man who absolutely deserved it. Excellent.

”Anʼ you know what else?” Tessa continued, apparently not done with her drunken rant. ”He comes here sometimes. To the Silver Moon. Acts all high anʼ mighty, treats the staff like shit, leaves shitty tips, anʼ hits on all the girls workinʼ here even though weʼre not fuckinʼ prostitutes.”

She pointed a wavering finger at Julian.

”So when you cut off his fuckinʼ arm? Best thing Iʼve seen in months. Seriously. That asshole had it cominʼ for years. I jusʼ wish youʼd cut off more than jusʼ his arm. Maybe his dick too. Thatʼd be fuckinʼ perfect.”

Julian couldnʼt help but laugh at her words.

”Iʼm glad you approve.”

”Approve? I fuckinʼ love it!” Tessa declared, then seemed to realize what sheʼd said and clapped her hand over her mouth. ”Oh shit. I shouldnʼ be sayinʼ this stuff. Mistress Mara would kill me if she heard me talkinʼ to a guest like this.”

She giggled.

”But you know what? Fuck it. You paid twelve gold for fancy booze anʼ you shared it with me even though you didnʼt hafta. Youʼre all right, Mr. Julian. Youʼre fuckinʼ all right.”

She attempted to give him a thumbs up and nearly lost her balance, catching herself on the bar again.

Julian was thoroughly entertained now. Drunk Tessa was considerably more colorful than professional Tessa.

”So if Kraven owns the Gilded Rose,” Julian said thoughtfully, ”and Valeria works there...”

”Oh, Valeria fuckinʼ hates him,” Tessa interrupted, nodding vigorously. ”Hates him so much. Sheʼs his top earner, right? Makes him the mosʼ money. But she canʼt leave ʼcause heʼs got dirt on her from before she started workinʼ there. Some secret or somethinʼ. So sheʼs stuck makinʼ him rich while he treats her like property.”

Tessaʼs expression became sly, her drunk mind making connections.

”So when you cut off his arm tonight... Valeriaʼs probʼly fuckinʼ celebratinʼ right now. Hell, all the girls at the Gilded Rose are probʼly celebratinʼ. Finally someone stood up to that bastard anʼ made him pay.”

She leaned forward conspiratorially, nearly falling over the bar.

”But you gotta be careful now, Mr. Julian. ʼCause Kravenʼs got friends. Dangerous friends. Anʼ heʼs gonna want revenge for what you did. Heʼs petty like that. Probʼly gonna hire some thugs or assassins or some shit to come after you.”

Julian smiled coldly. ”Let him try.”

Something in his tone, in his expression, made even drunk Tessa pause and reassess him.

”Youʼre... youʼre not normal, are you?” she said slowly, her alcohol-fogged brain still managing to make the observation. ”Like, you seem normal. You look normal. But youʼre not. Thereʼs somethinʼ... somethinʼ different about you.”

”Just a traveler passing through,” Julian said.

”Bullshit,” Tessa said bluntly. ”Travelers passinʼ through donʼt carry around enough gold to buy Starfall Ambrosia like itʼs nothinʼ. They donʼt casually cut off peopleʼs arms in bar fights. They donʼt...” She squinted at him. ”They donʼt move like you move. Like a... like a predator or somethinʼ. All confident anʼ dangerous.”