Julian pushed open the door to the Elmsmere tavern with the swagger of a man who had defeated slimes, earned silver, and only slightly smelled like pond water. Blobby, his new pet slime, peeked out from his side pouch and jiggled approvingly.
The tavern was warm, dimly lit, and smelled of roasted meat, wood smoke, and something that might've once been beer. A fireplace crackled in the corner. Wooden tables filled with half-drunk adventurers creaked under the weight of tankards and tall tales.
Julian stepped in confidently.
[Try not to trip.]
He promptly caught his boot on the step and nearly faceplanted into a chair.
"Cool," he muttered, straightening. "Super cool."
Lira entered behind him and made a beeline for the nearest table. She sat like someone who'd been carrying the team and wanted no one to forget it.
They were greeted by a woman with short white hair and a lopsided apron. Her name tag read "Rina" and her expression read "please tip well."
"Room or food?" she asked.
Julian raised two fingers. "Both."
"Upstairs, second door," she said. "Meal'll be out in ten. No yelling, no fire magic near the curtains, and absolutely no summoning anything slimy."
Blobby wiggled sadly.
"Ignore her," Julian whispered. "You're perfect."
[You've adopted an acidic glob with no spine. Fitting.]
They headed upstairs briefly, dropped off their gear, and returned to the main room where stew, bread, and warm cider were waiting. Julian practically melted into his chair.
"This," he said between bites, "is the best thing I've tasted since dying."
[That's because you previously survived on instant noodles and bad decisions.]
The tavern door opened again, and a new figure entered: tall, broad-shouldered, with a greatsword strapped to his back and a cloak made of stitched monster hides. Every conversation in the room paused.
He walked straight to the bar without a word, sat, and began drinking.
Julian leaned toward Lira. "That guy looks like he's killed a wyvern with a spoon."
"He probably has," she said. "That's Garrick the Butcher. Silver Rank. Doesn't talk much."
Garrick turned slightly, his gaze falling briefly on Julian—and Blobby, who peeked from the pouch with a soft gurgle.
Garrick grunted and turned back to his ale.
Julian let out the breath he didn't realize he was holding.
[That was the social equivalent of surviving a dragon's sneeze.]
Rina came back to collect dishes and paused, eyeing Julian's pet.
"What's that?"
"His name's Blobby."
"It better not reproduce."
"It won't," Julian said quickly. Then, after a pause, "...Will it?"
[Unlikely. Unless it absorbs enough mana. Then... possibly.]
"Cool. That's a problem for future me."
Later that evening, as the tavern quieted down, Julian and Lira were ready to head upstairs when the fireplace flared unexpectedly.
The flames turned blue.
Everyone turned to look.
A voice echoed from the fire. Deep. Smooth. Mysterious.
"Seek the Tower of Iron Roots. The truth sleeps beneath the roots of magic."
The flames danced, then snapped back to normal. The tavern returned to silence.
Rina wiped a glass. "Well. That's the third time this week."
Julian blinked. "Does... does that happen often?"
"Magical message enchantment gone wrong," she muttered. "Some wandering wizard tried to bind a fortune-telling spell to the chimney. Now it blurts out cryptic nonsense."
"Didn't sound like nonsense."
Lira stood slowly, staring at the fireplace. "Iron Roots. That's not a made-up name. That's a place."
Julian looked over. "You've heard of it?"
"It's in the Sablepine region. Old ruins. Mages avoid it."
Julian's stomach turned, and not because of the stew.
[Congratulations. You've just been handed your first plot hook.]
"Can't I ignore it and live peacefully with Blobby in a small cottage?"
[Not if you want answers. Or character development.]
Julian sighed and finished the last of his cider.
"Fine. We'll chase the flaming ghost prophecy. But tomorrow. I need sleep."
He picked up Blobby, who jiggled sleepily in his arms.
"Let's go, little guy. Big day of destiny tomorrow."
Blobby burped contently.
Lira rolled her eyes. "You're hopeless."
Julian grinned. "And yet... still alive."
[For now.]