At dusk, inside a tavern in the border fortress city of E-Rantel near the Kingdom, music played while a group of adventurers talked loudly among themselves, occasionally gulping down large mouthfuls of ale, looking thoroughly pleased with life.
They had been minding their own business, but the three copper-plate adventurers who entered through the door drew all eyes toward them.
The tall man leading them wore deep blue armor, a red cloak draped over his shoulders, and carried two greatswords on his back. He looked every bit the imposing warrior. Though he was only a lowly copper-plate adventurer, his bearing was impossible to ignore.
The other two, however, were beauties who stunned the entire shabby tavern.
One wore a white princess dress and, strangely, a silver bell collar around her neck. Her skin was fair as snow. Though still young, she had already grown into a delicate and well-proportioned figure, her beauty nothing short of peerless. Her expression was gentle, yet her eyes were as calm as an ancient well, without the slightest ripple.
The other wore a simple men's long shirt and trousers, a flaxen cloak draped over her shoulders. Her long purple hair was tied into a high ponytail. Frost seemed to cover her beautiful face, as though nothing in the world could stir her emotions. She was tall and slender, far more mature in figure than the white-clad girl, who stood at no more than one meter forty.
The warrior stepped forward to the tavern owner, who was busy wiping a water flask. Before he could speak, the owner said, "Looking for lodging? A shared room is five copper coins per day. As for meals—"
Before he could finish, the newcomer interrupted, "One double room. No meals."
Only then did the owner raise his head and open his eyes to look at the tall warrior before him. Noticing the copper plate hanging from his neck, he slowly said, "You're a [Copper Plate], right? In that case…"
As his words trailed off, laughter erupted from the other patrons in the tavern, clearly looking down on the lowest-ranked copper-plate adventurers.
"We just registered at the guild…" the warrior began, but the owner impatiently slammed his fist onto the table and leaned forward. "Seven copper coins a day. Pay in advance."
His attitude made it obvious that he disliked low-ranked adventurers and suspected they might not be able to afford the room, hence the demand for upfront payment.
The two girls beside the warrior were displeased by his tone. The cold-faced girl was just about to act when the white-clad girl tugged gently at her hand and shook her head. Seeing that she held back, the cold-faced girl shot the owner a frosty glance but ultimately did nothing.
"No problem…" The leading warrior, however, did not have such a temper. He complied calmly, placing seven copper coins in front of the owner.
Seeing that the money was paid in full, the owner, though still disdainful, did not make further trouble. He turned slightly, closed his eyes again, and jerked his thumb over his shoulder. "Second floor. Room at the very end."
The warrior nodded lightly and headed in the indicated direction.
But as he passed between several tables, heavy footsteps thudded against the floor in front of him. The sound made him glance at the table beside him, where three raggedly dressed men were drinking.
His movement also drew the attention of the two girls. What they saw was a bald man with his head lowered. The irritation they had felt toward the tavern owner instantly shifted toward him.
The warrior knew he was about to be harassed, yet he paid it no mind and continued forward after a brief pause.
Unexpectedly, the bald patron stretched out his leg and planted his foot against the warrior's armored shin, blocking his path.
He then stood up directly, blocking the warrior's way, hands on his hips as he said arrogantly, "Hey, you hurt me. How are you going to compensate me, huh?" Leaning forward, he sneered at the warrior.
The next second, his gaze was drawn to the cold girl with the high ponytail and long straight purple hair beside him. "Guess you'll just have to let this chick serve me properly."
His words caused the girl's lips to press into a thin line. If her hand had not been held by the white-clad girl, she would likely have already made her move.
At that moment, the warrior suddenly laughed. "Heh, heh, heh. Ah, pardon me. That textbook line from a disposable thug—I really couldn't help laughing."
The man provoking him clearly hadn't expected such boldness. He stepped closer, still hands on hips. But the warrior had already lost interest in playing along. With one hand, he grabbed the man by the collar and lifted him into the air.
"For a small fry like you, using even a playful amount of strength would feel excessive."
With that, he exerted force with his left hand and tossed the man aside.
A girl who had been leaning over the table, happily admiring a crystal bottle filled with blue liquid, was startled when the man suddenly crashed down in front of her. She then realized that both her crystal bottle and the table had been smashed by his fall.
The warrior watched the scene, then turned to the remaining two companions of the man he had thrown. "So, what now? Wasting time for nothing is rather foolish. How about you—"
Before he could finish, a girl's shriek cut him off. "Ahhhhhh!!!"
A red-haired girl with short, curly hair and a rather generous chest, dressed in warrior's attire, stormed over to him, her face flushed with anger. "Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait! What are you doing?!"
Tears shimmered at the corners of her eyes, as if she had just suffered something heartbreaking. One hand rested on her hip while the other pointed at where the man had been thrown. "It's all your fault! My potion was smashed! Compensate me!"
"Potion?" The warrior looked confused.
The red-haired female warrior explained, "That was… that was a potion I just bought today! I saved up for it by scrimping and starving myself, being frugal over and over again!"
Hearing her words, the warrior pointed at the two remaining companions of the man he had thrown. "Then you can demand compensation from them."
The red-haired warrior turned, hands on hips, glaring at the two men. "One gold coin and ten silver coins! You've been drinking here all this time—how could you possibly afford that? You're wearing such impressive armor. You must have healing potions on you, right? Giving me one in kind is fine too."
Her words made the high-ponytailed girl tremble slightly. Just as she was about to lose control again, a soft laugh came from the white-clad girl beside her.
"Heehee~"
The light, melodious sound was like a clear mountain spring flowing over pebbles, refreshing and soothing. It drew the gaze of everyone present toward her.
"Big brother, why is it that people always think you're easy to bully and then deliver themselves right to your doorstep to be bullied by you? You really should be a bit tougher—like me."
As she spoke, the smiling girl raised her small fist and punched the ground...
Boom...
With a thunderous crash, the spot where her fist landed caved in by a full meter. Neither the wooden floorboards nor the ground beneath could withstand her strike.
That single blow terrified everyone present. No one dared look at her directly anymore. For a moment, they felt as though they had just seen a ghost.
How could such a petite girl unleash such a terrifying attack? With strength like that, how could she possibly be just a copper-plate adventurer?
"Gulp..."
The red-haired female warrior swallowed hard, her heart trembling. What in the world was this? Why couldn't you just stay quiet?
"Liliana, don't cause trouble. Since I broke her things, I'll compensate her."
Seeing her act, the warrior felt a wave of helplessness. But there was nothing he could do. She seemed exceptionally happy after coming outside. Though she appeared quiet on the surface, the spring in her step and the joy in her movements far surpassed what she showed back in Nazarick.
He did not want to dampen her mood, and as a result she had become even more unrestrained. But if this continued, it would interfere with his plans. Not wanting to argue further, he searched his belongings and took out a crystal bottle filled with red liquid, holding it out to the red-haired warrior.
However, after witnessing Liliana's punch, she did not dare reach out to take it. She could only stare at it—wanting to take it but not daring to, wanting to leave but too afraid to move—so awkward she could die.
"Well, since big brother says to give it to you, you should accept it. And remember, don't bully people just because they seem easy to talk to, okay?" Liliana said with a smile. She then glanced back at the tavern owner, her eyes filled with icy indifference.
The owner, already uneasy, was nearly scared into fleeing. He did not even dare mention compensation anymore.
Only after the girl turned her head back did he finally let out a breath. "Too terrifying... too terrifying. Are they really copper-plate adventurers? That's practically mithril rank, no—maybe even adamantite. Just the weakest-looking girl has this kind of strength. Then how strong are that female warrior and the man she calls big brother?"
With Liliana's permission, the red-haired warrior finally dared to accept the potion from the man. Without even offering thanks, she tried to flee the tavern as if escaping for her life.
"Receiving kindness and saying thank you is only natural. Otherwise, next time I'll have you apologize by baring your chest."
Just as she was about to step out of the tavern, the girl's light voice reached her ears, forcing her to stop in her tracks. Turning back toward the girl, tears welling in her eyes, she bowed deeply.
"Thank you for your generosity..."
"That's what a good and polite child should do. There, there..."
Those words nearly shattered the red-haired warrior's composure. "Thank you very much for your magnanimity. I apologize for my ignorance and unreasonable behavior."
"You may go now. Be more careful in the future."
Only after the girl finished speaking did the red-haired warrior stiffly straighten up. When she looked toward where they had been standing, they were already gone.
"This place is too terrifying! If I ever see them again, I'll avoid them if I can. And if I can't, I'll definitely be polite."
Cold sweat soaked her back. A wave of weakness washed over her, and she did not dare linger another moment before hurriedly leaving.
In the room at the far end of the second floor, the adventurers who had caused such a commotion downstairs were now gathered.
After glancing around the double room, the high-ponytailed girl said, "To let the Supreme One stay in a place like this is truly..."
The warrior in armor raised a hand to his face. In a flash of light, the helmet vanished, revealing a pale skull beneath. The other two girls seemed entirely unfazed.
"Don't say that, Nabe..."
He lifted his head. "So that's what adventurers are? Managed by the guild as an organization, their only job being to eliminate monsters. It's even less of a dream-filled profession than I imagined."
"There's no need for dreams. Being able to support oneself is enough."
The girl dressed in pure white stood beside one of the beds, looking at the crude bedding with a slight frown as she spoke softly.
Hearing her words, the skeleton turned to look at her. "Deloris, why did you do that just now?"
"That's because..."
The girl smiled faintly. She suddenly hopped up and threw herself into Nabe's arms, rubbing against her before looking up and saying...