As he spoke, he leaned back in his chair, lazily waved his hand, snapped his fingers, and said loudly, "Alright, folks—please step out for a moment, will you?"
The next moment.
Everyone in the rowdy tavern suddenly fell silent in unison.
Patrons, drunks, sailors, bards... including even the part-time front desk worker, chef, bartender, and the owner, all stood up uniformly, intending to leave.
"Hey, you can't leave!"
Arsene suddenly lunged forward, grabbing the owner's sleeve: "Get me some beer—plus a serving of beef stewed in red wine, creamy peppered veal tripe, chicken liver mousse, and a donut. Oh, and a portion of rice pudding with ice and linden honey. Put it on the tab—charge this gentleman's bill to me as well."
"Don't even think about it, you despicable thief! Robber! Duck!"
The owner, struggling to break free, retorted unceremoniously, "You've already charged your tab three times, small businesses can't handle you defaulting on your bill like this!"
