Jack Young has a terrible memory—most things vanish from his mind in an instant, especially names and English words.
But there are two things he remembers exceptionally well. First: movements. Whether it's martial arts or dance, if someone shows him once, he can copy it almost perfectly. Second: directions. If he's been somewhere once, he'll never get lost the next time.
In Jack's memory, the so-called 'side room' he just visited—though it twisted and turned—was basically down the right path among the three branches of the Blackridge Bandits' lair. The Blackridge Feast was held on the central path.
In the classic Blackridge Feast scenario, there are always five hundred axe-wielding goons lurking on both sides, just waiting for the host to smash a cup and signal everyone to rush out and chop the guest to bits.
The Blackridge Bandits probably don't have five hundred axe men. Heck, they might not even have a hundred people altogether. These days, it's tough for a mountain gang to feed that many. But Victor Blackridge is bold enough to show his hand—no need to hide the axe men, they just stand in plain sight on both sides.
So when Jack led the little girl into the big cavern for the Blackridge Feast, what he saw was two full rows of bandits standing like a bunch of mobsters, with a burly, grim-faced man sitting in the highest seat at the back. That iron-faced guy, not smiling or frowning, must be Victor Blackridge.
The bandits on both sides tried to look fierce, but when they saw Jack and the little girl, their faces started to change—like they were rotting. Soon enough, the air was thick with a hungry, desperate vibe, and the little girl was clearly uncomfortable.
Jack, on the other hand, ignored all of it, cool as ever—in fact, he was so cool his chin was practically pointing at the ceiling.
He walked up to the seat across from Victor Blackridge and saw that his chair was lower than Victor's. With a cold snort, he just plopped himself right down on the table instead. Thanks to his own height, he could now look down at Victor from a slightly superior angle.
Jack glanced around and sneered, "These thirty-something guys lined up here—is this really the best you've got? If this is all Blackridge Bandits can muster, I almost feel like I came to the wrong place."