We ended up at a bar nearby. The atmosphere was lively, the air thick with laughter and the scent of cheap ale.
Sitting at the counter, the bartender slid drinks our way. After just a few, Arwik was already struggling to stay upright. I, on the other hand, felt nothing. No warmth, no dizziness—just the same dull clarity. Maybe it was my regeneration, maybe something else. Either way, I had been looking forward to getting drunk, but I guess life had other plans.
"Hey, quit it, you drunk bastard!"
The voice rang out from behind me.
I turned just in time to see Arwik spill his drink all over someone. The swordsman locked eyes with his unintended victim.
"W-why'd you drink my booze, man…"
The bigger man's face twisted in rage, his fists clenching. He was about to swing when a firm hand stopped him.
"Take this outside,"
The bartender warned, his voice flat.
"I don't want you idiots breaking things in my bar."
Before Arwik could say something even dumber, I grabbed him by the collar and hauled him to his feet.
"Let's go."
He swayed, groaning.
"Aww, c'mon, veyr. I was just—"
"Walking. Now."
The soaked man took a step forward, but the bartender's stare was heavier than any threat. After a tense moment, the guy grunted and sat back down, wiping ale from his sleeve.
"Idiots,"
The bartender muttered, shaking his head as he went back to pouring drinks.
I dragged Arwik out of the bar before he could get himself into more trouble. He stumbled along, his weight shifting against me.
"Hey… that guy was an asshole…"
he slurred.
"You spilled your drink on him."
"Yeah… but like… he didn't have to be a dick about it…"
I sighed, adjusting my grip as I half-carried him down the dimly lit streets. The Capital was quieter at this hour, the occasional drunkard stumbling past, the distant sound of merchants packing up for the night.
Eventually, we reached the inn. I pushed open the door, nodding at the innkeeper before hauling Arwik upstairs.
The girl was already in the room, sitting on her bed, stretching her arms. She raised an eyebrow at the mess of a man I dropped onto his bed.
"He's drunk,"
I said simply.
"No shit,
She replied.
Arwik groaned, rolling onto his side.
"Ugh… I feel sick…"
The girl smirked.
"Good. You deserve it."
I sat on my own bed, rubbing my temples. The night hadn't exactly gone how I planned, but at least we got out of that bar before things got worse.
The girl glanced at me.
"You don't look drunk."
"I'm not."
She frowned. "So you just watched Arwik get wasted while staying completely sober?"
I exhaled.
"Not by choice."
Her frown deepened, but she didn't press further. Instead, she lay back, staring at the ceiling.
"Well, whatever. Tomorrow, we figure out what's next."
I leaned back against the wall, staring out the window at the city beyond.
"Yeah," I muttered. "Tomorrow."
The next morning, Arwik looked like death warmed over.
He groaned, clutching his head as he leaned against the breakfast table.
"Ugh… never drinking again."
I sipped my water, watching as Arwik barely managed to take a bite of bread. The mission board was busy today—mercenaries crowding around, scanning the available jobs.
"We should pick up more work,"
I said.
"Can't afford to sit around."
The girl stretched.
"Yeah, yeah. What's available?"
Arwik groaned, slumping forward.
"Nothing that won't make my headache worse…"
He was lying, of course. The MRC was filled with jobs, from bandit-hunting to noble escorting.
We took what we could—some tough, some dull, but all necessary.
Somewhere in those months, we built a reputation.
One job in particular stood out.
A noble's caravan had been under siege by a group of raiders. A dozen men, armed and armored, had pinned the noble's escort against a ravine. By the time we arrived, half the guards were dead, and the rest weren't far behind.
It was supposed to be a simple reinforcement job, but something about the way the noble's men fought told me they weren't just being looted—they were being silenced.
I didn't ask questions.
We hit them hard and fast. The girl struck like a shadow, cutting down two men before they knew she was there. Arwik crushed through their defenses, a wrecking ball of brute force. And I…
I barely felt the blade when it lodged in my ribs.
The man who stabbed me saw his own horror reflected in my eyes as I twisted, the wound already closing. He tried to pull away, but my hand found his throat first.
When the fighting was done, the noble had more to say than the survivors.
He never told us what they were after. But the pay doubled that day, and our names started circulating among the MRC.
Then, one day, we came across a request that stood out.
A group of researchers had posted a mission—a medium-level escort job to the ruins near Lake Shire. Seemed simple enough. But something about the way the request was written… the urgency in their words…
It felt different.
And we had no idea what we were walking into.
We met with the client at the researchers' headquarters. We will find and rebuild—those words were written across the banners hanging from the building.
Surprisingly, we were the only mercenary team assigned to this job. I was still a Hound-rank MRC member, while Arwik had recently been promoted to Hunter rank, just below mine.
The researchers welcomed us and gave a brief rundown of the mission. They had discovered an old ruin some time ago and were now ready to begin their research. Our job was simple: keep them safe from wildlife and potential bandit attacks.
The journey took three days.
The first night passed in quiet, save for the occasional rustling in the bushes. The researchers were an odd bunch—scholarly but paranoid, constantly glancing at the treeline.
The second day, we encountered signs of movement—tracks too large for wolves, yet too misshapen to belong to any known beast. The researchers exchanged uneasy glances, but no one spoke of it.
By the third evening, the ruins loomed ahead.
Blackened stone, half-buried in time. The air held a weight to it, an unnatural stillness.
The lead researcher stepped forward, staring up at the towering remnants of whatever had once stood here.
"We made it,"
He murmured.
Arwik stretched.
"Good. Now let's hope nothing jumps out at us."
The girl frowned, gripping her weapon.
I stared at the ruins, my gut twisting in unease.
Something was wrong.
And we had just walked right into it.