Page 15

As we made our way through the winding streets of Selas, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of unease.

The city was bustling with activity even as night fell, merchants closing up their stalls and adventurers stumbling out of taverns.

But my mind kept drifting back to Sky’s words and the pain in his eyes.

What could’ve happened to him that hurt him so badly?

We found a potions merchant still open in the market square.

After some haggling, we managed to get a decent price for the mana crystals.

It wasn’t nearly as much as the ore would have fetched, but it was enough to cover a nice meal, keep us fed for another couple of days, and replenish our lost supplies.

All in all, it was a godsend all thanks to Sky.

The tavern Kai led us to was a cozy place called The Drunken Wyvern.

The scent of roasted meat and freshly baked bread filled the air as we entered.

We found a table in the corner and ordered a hearty meal of stew and ale.

It wasn’t much, but it was a hell of a lot better than the drivel they served up at the RSB cafeteria.

As we dug into our meals, the warmth of the tavern and the fullness in our bellies began to ease some of the tension from the day.

Conversation flowed more freely, and for a moment, it almost felt like we were just a group of friends out for a night on the town, not a ragtag band of amnesiac monster hunters trying to find their way in a strange world.

Even Mira seemed more lively with a good meal.

“So,” Kai said between bites of stew, “we need to come up with a plan. We can’t rely on lucky breaks like today. The chances of that happening again are… well, probably zero.”

Rhia nodded, her dark eyes serious. “Agreed. We need to be more strategic about the monsters we take on. No more rushing into unknown situations.”

“But how?” Mira asked, her voice small compared to Rhia. “We don’t know anything about this world. How are we supposed to know which monsters we should fight, and which are too dangerous?”

I stirred my stew thoughtfully, listening to the conversation. “Well, we killed one of the kobolds today. So, we know we can take them on.” I glanced up at Kai. “Is there anything weaker than a kobold?”

“Maybe sewer rats?” he offered. “But I can’t imagine their body parts are worth anything to sell. Kobold fangs are used in some general potion making, so they’re worth at least a little bit of money.”

“Sewer rats?” Mira wrinkled her nose in disgust. “I’d rather not hunt those if we can avoid it.”

Rhia chuckled, a rare sound from the stoic monk. “Agreed. We should aim a little higher than vermin.”

Kai nodded, his brown eyes thoughtful. “You might be right. We need to build up our skills and our teamwork before we take on anything too challenging. But if there’s no money in it, I’m afraid it’ll just be a waste of time. Somehow, we need to find a balance between the two.”

“What about the job board at RSB headquarters?” I suggested. “There’s always postings there for monster hunts. Maybe we could find something manageable but still worthwhile.”

Kai nodded, his brown eyes lighting up. “That’s a good idea. But those jobs cost money to accept, don’t they?”

“Shit,” I muttered. I’d forgotten about that. Everything in the RSB cost money.

“I think our only choice is to keep traveling outside the city and finding monsters on our own.” Kai smiled, trying to make the rest of us feel more confident than we were.

“I know we can do it. We’ll just have to isolate one kobold at a time and take them out that way.

Five against one should be an easy fight. ”

We continued discussing our options for some time, figuring out ways to ensure our survival both in battle and in Selas.

Before we’d gotten too far, the tavern door swung open with a loud bang, cutting off our conversation.

A hush fell over the room as Kuro stormed in, his face a deep shade of red.

However, I couldn’t tell if he was angry, embarrassed, or both.

But the moment he arrived at the table, Rhia didn’t give him a chance to speak .

“You come to apologize for being such an ass?” she asked, her arms crossed over her chest.

Kuro floundered for a moment, his jaw working up and down. Then, with a great sigh, he tilted his head forward in a small bow, all the pride rushing out of him in a single breath.

“I… I’m sorry,” he said at last.

The tavern fell silent, all eyes on Kuro as he stood there, head bowed. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Kuro, apologizing? It seemed impossible.

“I... I was wrong,” he continued, his voice low and strained. “I shouldn’t have reacted that way. You all were right - our lives are worth more than any treasure.”

Kai smiled warmly, gesturing to an empty chair. “We’re glad you came back, Kuro. Sit down and have some dinner. You can help us plan our next move.”

Kuro hesitated for a moment before sinking into the offered seat. Rhia pushed her half-finished bowl towards him without a word. He nodded gratefully and began to eat.

“So,” Mira ventured timidly, “what made you change your mind?”

Kuro paused, his spoon halfway to his mouth. For a moment, it looked like he was going to say something genuine. But it was quickly stomped out by a mischievous grin.

“I didn’t change my mind,” he said coolly. “I just came back to protect you all. That’s a knight’s duty after all and I know you idiots wouldn’t last ten minutes without me out there in the wild.”

Yep. Kuro was back.

I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at his bravado, but a small smile tugged at my lips. As maddening as he could be, his familiar attitude was oddly comforting after the day’s events.

“Oh, is that so?” Rhia challenged, raising an eyebrow. “And here I thought you just missed us.”

Kuro scoffed, but the slight redness in his cheeks betrayed him. “As if. I just... I realized that sticking together gives us better odds of survival. That’s all.”

Kai nodded, his expression serious but his eyes twinkling with amusement. “Of course. We’re glad to have your... protection, Kuro.”

The conversation picked up again, going back to normal.

Or well, at least whatever normal had been for us in the past few days.

Even so, I found my thoughts drifting back to Sky.

The memory of all the pain hidden within his gaze haunted me.

I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to his story, more that we needed to understand.

Or was I just trying to find an excuse to see him again?

This little infatuation of mine was hard to ignore.

Still, I had to think about the reality of the situation.

I had to focus on my own group and our survival, not romance.

The market vendors didn’t care if I had a crush, they only cared if I had money to buy food.

And in order to do that, I had to kill monsters.

Romance, however unlikely, would have to wait. Besides, Sky barely knew I existed. I doubted he wanted some newbie cleric tagging along with him while he tried to survive this world that had so obviously hurt him. No, my group was all I had. They were who I had to heal and keep safe.

Survival was the most important thing.