"Huck? Haven't seen you in a while. Where have you been lately?"
Van looked at the short, thin figure walking in and asked in confusion.
Ever since the last shipment had been robbed, Van had simply handed delivery work to the Firelights for safety's sake. The job had only gone to Huck in the first place because they had been short on hands. Now that the kids had grown up, there was no need for Huck to keep running back and forth.
"Haha… Had some things to deal with."
Huck looked a little strange. He wore a loose cloak with the hood pulled up, and even his steps seemed unsteady.
"Are you all right, Huck?"
Van poured him a drink while asking with concern.
"Me? I'm fine… very fine…"
Huck's eyes drifted uneasily toward Van. Then he took his drink and went to find a seat.
Even after sitting down, Huck still looked dazed. He simply held his cup and drank in small sips.
Thud!
A wooden cup was set down on the table. The sudden sound startled Huck out of his daze.
"Mind if I sit here?"
Van pulled out the stool beside Huck and sat down next to him without waiting for an answer.
"Uh, no… Of course not."
Huck waved his hand, but he could not help lowering the brim of his hood even further.
Van raised his cup and clinked it against Huck's, then drained it without caring what Huck did.
"I should explain something to you, Huck. I gave the delivery work to someone else, but it wasn't because I didn't trust your ability. It was more about your safety… Those kids may be young, but every one of them can fight. They're better suited to handling it."
"I know. I'm not angry about that…"
"That's good, Huck. You're an old friend of ours, and I've always valued that friendship."
"Me too, Van… I've always respected you too…"
At that, Van's mouth pulled into a faint smile, and he spoke softly.
"Do you really respect me?"
Huck looked up at Van, only to find the smile at the corner of his mouth slowly disappearing.
"What are you hiding?"
"I…"
Under Huck's terrified gaze, Van slowly reached for his hood. Huck badly wanted to dodge, but Van's eyes pinned him in place. He could only let Van pull the hood down.
The movement knocked Huck's half-finished beer off the table. The loud crash drew everyone else's attention in the tavern.
Van had already guessed it, but when he saw the purple veins at Huck's temple, his pupils still trembled, and his breathing quickened slightly.
Those were traces of Shimmer use. And only high-concentration raw Shimmer could leave marks like that.
"No, I'm sorry, Van… I just wanted to try what it felt like to be strong. To not be bullied anymore… I only meant to try it once. I just wanted people to respect me…"
"You used to have my respect, Huck."
Van slowly rose to his feet and looked down at Huck with a sharp, cold gaze. His tall, imposing frame brought an indescribable pressure down on Huck's thin body.
"I'm sorry, Van. I know I made a mistake…"
Van's eyes remained cold and severe. Huck's apology did not soften them at all. He only shook his head slowly.
"No. This is more than a mistake, Huck. The Lanes have rules, and you broke them. I'm sorry… You have to leave."
"What?!"
Huck jerked his head up, stunned and disbelieving. Sheer panic spread across his face.
"No, no… Van, for the sake of all these years, you can't do this!"
Van's pupils narrowed slightly, but he did not waver. He breathed out softly and spoke in a low, cold voice.
"I said get out of the Lanes."
"Please, Van… You can't be this cruel…"
Van turned away from him, his back facing Huck as he lowered his head and looked at the floor. He waved a hand, and Scar, who had been waiting nearby, immediately stepped forward. He grabbed Huck by the arm and dragged him outside.
"No… Van! You can't be so heartless…"
Only after Huck's voice faded into the distance and disappeared did Van slowly raise his head. His gaze swept over everyone in the tavern.
He said nothing more and walked back behind the bar.
"Van… You really just drove Huck away? You're serious?"
Ekko, finally reacting, walked over in disbelief, still looking a little lost.
"He's our friend. We went through hard times together!"
"Yeah…"
Zeri, wearing her new jacket, also came over. After joining the Lanes, she had gotten along fairly well with that short but honest uncle. More accurately, as one of the old faces in the Lanes, Huck had a good relationship with the kids.
"You're really throwing him out just like that? Isn't that a little too harsh?"
After the two of them spoke, the other Firelights began talking all at once. Some felt sorry, some thought Huck had been treated unfairly, and their chattering voices made Van's already restless mind feel like it was about to split open.
Bang!
Van slammed his fist onto the bar. He had not used much force, but the dull sound still rang through the tavern like a judge's gavel, cutting the noise dead.
Van raised his head and looked across the tavern again. The drinkers who were not part of the Firelights immediately understood. One by one, they stood up and left.
Scar had just returned to the entrance when he heard Van's fist hit the bar. Once everyone unrelated had left, he silently shut the door, locked it, then stood straight and proper by the entrance.
The tavern fell so quiet that even a dropped pin would have sounded loud. Van slowly lit his pipe and took a deep drag.
After a short silence, he spoke in a low voice.
"Have I spoiled you so much that you've forgotten your place?"
Van's stern gaze swept across their faces. Everyone he looked at lowered their heads, none of them daring to meet his eyes.
"I am your older brother, but I am also the Lord of the Lanes. If any of you have a problem with my judgment, you can leave the Lanes just like Huck. Is that understood?"
Van's gaze finally stopped on Ekko. Seeing the faint disappointment in Van's eyes, Ekko did not dare say anything else. He could only lower his head in guilt.
"Then does anyone else have an objection?"
The tavern remained silent. Jinx had gone back to Silco, and now even Zeri, usually the boldest and most restless of them, did not dare speak.
"Then this matter is settled… Scar, come here. I'll need you to make another trip."
[End of chapter]