Mardinal: The Assassin's Adventure
Chapter 23: The Bar

“Aha’, aha’. Oh, yeah!”

That same night, after Dimas' house, Mardin went straight to where he did some side work. Go to Uncle Rom's bar. Of course to start work while talking about his meeting with Haku, the matter of the father, and the Yatshuhama Guild. He wanted to know what Uncle Rom would think.

While listening to hip hop music through earphones, Mardin was riding a skateboard on the side of the road. The streets tonight are quite crowded by the citizens of the city, it is because it is now home from work.

It took a few minutes to travel, and Mardin finally arrived in front of a simple bar on the side of the city road. This bar is not so big with contemporary saloon-style architecture, but seasoned with modern style by neon lights that illuminate every motif.

Before entering the bar, Mardin stepped on the tip of the skateboard until it bounced upwards, was captured, and then attached to a magnetic patch on his back belt.

“Night, Bang,” greet Mardin familiar on a doorman while removing earphones.

The doorman had a large body and a rogue face. But despite looking terrible, he greeted Mardin kindly like a friend.

“Night, Mard. Ready to work?” ask the guard.

“Ready, dung.” Mardin's a little pleasantry. “Oh, yes? How was her first child?”

“Thank God, smoothly. Thanks for the vegetables yesterday. My wife really likes.”

“Oh! Yes, Bang. Don't hesitate if you want to ask again.” Mardin's face brightened when the vegetables he planted were praised.

“Ah, so ngerepotin..” The guard looks embarrassed.

“Nothing, really. You and the kids here I consider to be my own brothers. So, don't be shy if you need something.”

After greeting the guard, Mardin walked into the bar. Because it is still around 8am, the atmosphere of the bar looks not so crowded. There were only a few small groups of people coming over and his colleagues were at work. Some are serving buyers, concocting drinks behind the bartender table, until the clean-up.

“Yo, Mardin!”

“How are you, Mardin?”

“Mardin, thanks for helping me yesterday.”

The co-workers at the bar greeted Mardin very kindly, and of course, were replied by a friendly greeting with a cheerful smile typical of Mardin.

In addition to being known as a strange behavior youth, Mardin is also liked by many people in his environment because of his friendly and helpful personality. Anyone who interacts with Mardin will never feel awkward. The young man was able to melt the atmosphere with his light and silly way of speaking.

“Udah want to go back? Be careful on the road, yes!”

“Yo’i, Mard!”

After greeting his last colleague, Mardin spotted a man just coming out of the back room of the bar carrying a package box. The adult man had a short black hairdo, tan-skinned, high-muscled stature and wore only a black singlet as well as long striped pants.

“Yo, Bang Ranma!”

Still lifting the package box, Ranma turned his head, turned his hazel eyeball flat while muttering, “Nih boy again..”.

Ranma is the son of Uncle Rom, known as a flat-faced man. He also works at this bar to help his father's efforts. Ranma and Mardin's relationship is quite familiar, but Ranma is not so fond of Mardin because of his sometimes nosy nature as people.

Mardin ran over to Ranma, pointing at the box with a curious face. “Entu what?”

“This? Package box.” Ranma walked towards the bartender's desk, putting the package box there.

Ranma glanced at Mardin, still with his flat face. “These are none of your business. This package will be sent to the place of acquaintance Father.”

“Ooh…. Package want to ship?” Mardin nodded in understanding. “Kukira people's delivery package. So, how about it later? It's hard to find a courier here in town. Know for yourself ‘kan inter-goods business is still developed with Guild?”

The city of Kamaju still lacks some business facilities and services, one of which is the business between goods. This makes residents forced to deliver their own goods to their destinations, or hire free courier services. However, it is very difficult to find a courier who wants to deliver goods to certain places due to the threat of Rogue crime or monsters that sometimes still roam.

Ranma was confused as to who would deliver the package. Who may, as long as the package can be delivered to the destination in good condition.

“Who can, please. Entar have the kids here make antherin nih package.”

“What if I was anter?”

“Heh?”

Ranma narrowed his eyes as he looked at Mardin's cheerful smile which seemed strange in his opinion. In fact, he's not sure if he's going to let Mardin deliver the package. Fearful that young man even made a move on the journey.

But when he saw the package box on the table, Ranma sighed resignedly. How else would you like? Let Mardin deliver the package. After all, Uncle Rom trusted Mardin very much in various jobs. If only not preoccupied with the work at the bar, Ranma himself would have delivered it.

“Ya, already. Take the package. The address is above the box, tuh,” point Ranma to the package.

“Oh! Okay, okay!” Mardin. “But before that, I want to meet Uncle Rom first. There's something important to talk about. Nothing ‘kan the package delivered later first?”

Ranma scrunched his eyebrows. Not usually Mardin looks serious about talking to Uncle Rom. Usually the young man will only mince words while focusing on work here. Ranma. But if this important matter is only the two of them who should discuss, Ranma does not need to interfere.

“Nothing. Delay until tomorrow was no problem, actually,” said Ranma. “Dad was back. Soon will be here.”

“What is this? Looks like, being talking about me.”

Just being searched, the man had already come to them near the bartender's desk. The person is a middle-aged man, has a still fit stature, tall and sturdy, his face has experienced aging, and bald-headed responsibility.

Still with her trademark flat face, Ranma replied while pointing at Mardin casually using a thumb. “This, Dad. Mardin nyari’in. He said, there's something important to talk about.” Then he walked towards the back of the bartender's desk.

“Oh, yes?” Uncle Rom asked Mardin, “What do you want to talk about, son? You need money or something less?”

As usual, Uncle Rom is very good with Mardin. Any shortcomings experienced by Mardin will be overcome soon. You could say, Uncle Rom already considers Mardin like his own son.

“E-not, Uncle. No, kok.” Mardin. “Emm…. I have economic difficulties now, but can still handle it myself. The thing is, what I want to talk about is more important than the economic problems I have.”

Uncle Rom asked again with a curious look, “What kind of problem, Mardin?”

“It...”.

Mardin was in a daze to make sure that no one near there was able to listen to their conversation. Mardin's facial expression now looks serious, unlike usual who often looks happy.

“Someone said that Dad was still alive. And he asked me to free Father from the shackles of the five seals of Midra,” Mardin whispered.

Hearing that made Uncle Rom tense. About the Vast Demon who was alive and being sealed by the Midra Seal. It seemed, the direction of their conversation would be much more serious.

...~*~*~*~...