Jae-hyun sat slumped against the wall, nursing what might've been the worst headache of his new life. The morning sun had no mercy—it stabbed through his eyelids like daggers forged by the gods themselves.
His body ached. His mouth tasted like old socks and ale. His pride? Long deceased.
He turned his head slightly, groaning. "You two alive, or should I start digging graves?"
A low groan answered him. Kael rolled over beside a barrel, clutching his head. "Why… does everything hurt?"
Renn, lying half on a crate, mumbled, "Because the floor beat us in a fair fight…"
"Figures," Jae-hyun muttered, dragging himself to his feet. His balance wobbled for a moment before stabilizing. "Up. Come on. If we stay here any longer, that kid's probably coming back to finish us off."
Kael blinked through swollen eyes. "...What kid?"
"The one that kicked me while I was down."
Renn squinted at him. "Are you sure that wasn't a hallucination?"
"I wish," Jae-hyun grumbled, rubbing his ribs.
The three of them sat in silence for a while, staring at the dirty cobblestones. Around them, the morning bustle of Ironspire carried on—carriages rolling, merchants shouting, guards marching. It was a sharp reminder that the world kept spinning, even if their heads weren't.
Renn groaned and leaned back against the wall. "She's gonna kill us, isn't she?"
"Oh, absolutely," Kael said immediately. "She's gonna kill us, revive us, and then kill us again."
Jae-hyun rubbed his temples. "Maybe if we clean up and act professional, she'll only commit mild homicide."
Renn snorted. "Yeah, right. Aria's definition of 'mild' involves broken bones."
Still, they dragged themselves up and limped toward the nearest bathhouse. The clerk took one look at them and sighed like this was the twentieth time she'd seen "adventurers who fought furniture" this week.
Hot water hit their skin like divine punishment and mercy rolled into one. Steam filled the room as they washed off dried ale, dirt, and shame.
Kael stared blankly at the ceiling. "I don't even remember half of last night."
"That's probably for the best," Jae-hyun muttered, scrubbing his face. "I remember a bottle, a chair, a very angry bard, and pain."
Renn nodded. "Yeah, that checks out."
By the time they left, they looked halfway human again. Clean shirts, washed hair, and faces that said "we made bad decisions and will probably make them again."
They stopped by a food stall for greasy bread and strong coffee before heading toward the Adventurer's Guild.
The moment they saw the guild's tall oak doors, all three of them froze.
Renn swallowed. "We could… just leave the city."
Kael nodded. "Yeah. Change our names. Live in the woods. No shame in becoming hermits."
Jae-hyun sighed. "You think running from Aria would work? She'd find us, hunt us, and drag our corpses back here."
"…Fair point."
They pushed open the doors like condemned men entering the gallows.
The guild hall buzzed with the usual morning rush—armor clanking, adventurers chatting, the smell of ale still lingering in the air. Behind the counter, Aria sat at a table, calm and composed, sipping tea as sunlight danced across her silver hair.
She looked far too peaceful.
That was terrifying.
"Morning," she said without looking up.
Kael froze mid-step. Renn straightened his back like a soldier before execution. Jae-hyun tried to smile, though it came out more like a grimace. "Uh… morning, Aria."
She finally looked at them, eyes sweeping over their still-swollen faces and faint bruises. "Rough night?"
Renn forced a laugh. "You know how it is! Just… team bonding!"
"Team bonding," she repeated flatly.
Kael nodded rapidly. "Exactly! Strengthening morale! Testing reflexes!"
Jae-hyun sighed. "We fought a tavern."
Aria raised an eyebrow. "...A tavern."
"It fought back," he added.
There was a long pause. Then Aria sighed softly, pinching the bridge of her nose. "You three are hopeless."
"We know," Kael muttered.
"We're sorry," Renn said. "Really. It won't happen again."
"Hmm." Aria set her teacup down and folded her hands. "I should be furious with you."
They all winced.
"But," she continued calmly, "I'm not."
That made all three of them freeze.
Jae-hyun frowned. "You're… not mad?"
Her lips curved slightly—too calm, too serene. "No. In fact, I'm feeling rather generous."
Kael's eyes narrowed. "That's… worse."
Aria reached into her satchel and slid three slips of parchment across the table.
"Here," she said sweetly. "Your punishment."
Renn blinked and picked his up. His face paled. "Wait—this is—"
"The Ironspire Adventurer's Tournament," Aria said pleasantly. "F through C ranks only."
Jae-hyun stared down at his paper. The words Official Entry Form mocked him in bold print.
Kael groaned. "You signed us up for a tournament?"
Aria smiled, eyes glinting. "Think of it as an opportunity for growth."
"More like an opportunity to get punched," Jae-hyun muttered.
Renn rubbed his temple. "So that's why you're not mad. You already planned to destroy us publicly."
"Exactly."
Kael let out a weak laugh. "You're terrifying."
Aria shrugged. "You knew that when you joined."
Jae-hyun sighed, slumping into a chair. "At least tell me there's prize money."
"There is," she said. "If you survive long enough to claim it."
He groaned, burying his face in his hands. "Fantastic. Hangover recovery by death match."
Aria took another calm sip of tea. "Welcome to Ironspire."
The three of them exchanged defeated looks.
Renn sighed. "Next time, we're drinking after the tournament."
Kael nodded weakly. "Assuming there is a next time."
Jae-hyun looked at Aria and muttered, "You're enjoying this way too much."
Her smile widened ever so slightly. "Immensely."