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I reached for the door handle of the Adventurer's Guild, eager to step inside and finally begin my journey. But as I pushed against it—
It wouldn't open.
"The Adventurer's Guild is open only during the daytime, kid," a rough voice called out. I turned to see an old man sitting on a nearby bench, smoking a pipe. His gray beard reached down to his chest, and his tired eyes studied me with amusement.
I sighed, realizing that in my excitement, I had completely ignored the fact that the sun had already set. "Man, what am I supposed to do now? Where can I even sleep?" I mumbled to myself.
The old man must have heard me because he spoke up again. "You need something, kid?"
I hesitated for a moment before replying, "Uh, yeah, actually. Do you know any place I could stay for the night?"
He nodded. "Yeah, keep walking down this street until you reach a bar. They have rooms for travelers who need a place to stay. Should take you about five minutes."
I smiled, relieved. "Perfect! Thank you so much!" Without wasting another second, I took off running toward the place he had described. Maybe the people there would be nice. Maybe they would even lend me some clothes to sleep in. After walking all day and fighting that goblin, a bed sounded like the greatest luxury in the world.
A few minutes later, I arrived at the bar.
"So, here it is..." I muttered to myself, looking up at the wooden structure. It was built in a classic style, with a large push-door at the entrance. Light poured out from inside, and I could hear the sounds of laughter and lively conversation.
Pushing the door open, I stepped inside and took a look around.
"Wow…" was the first word that came to mind. The interior was beautiful, warm, and filled with life. Candles lit the space, illuminating the wooden walls and furniture. People were gathered around tables, talking and laughing over their meals and drinks. The scent of roasted meat and fresh bread filled the air, making my stomach growl.
I found an empty table and sat down. Almost immediately, a waitress approached me with a smile. She had long brown hair tied back in a ponytail and wore an apron over her dress.
"Can I help you, kid? Y'know, you're too young to drink," she teased.
"Yeah, I know," I said with a chuckle. "I was actually wondering if you guys had any rooms available for the night. And maybe some clothes I could borrow?"
She nodded. "We do have a room for ya, and I can get you some clothes, but I think they might be too big for you."
She turned and walked away to get things ready. Meanwhile, I stood up and approached the bar counter, where another waitress was handling reservations.
"First and last name, please?" she asked as she opened a large ledger.
My heart skipped a beat.
Last name? I… I don't have one. But I couldn't just say that, right? I hesitated, then remembered my Master's name.
"My name is Zerro... Zerro Ju."
The waitress suddenly froze. Her eyes widened, and she stared at me as if she had seen a ghost.
"Y-Your name is Zerro?"
"Yeah… is there a problem?" I asked, tilting my head in confusion.
She quickly shook her head, her expression changing into a warm smile. "No, actually, not at all. Welcome, Zerro."
Weird. That was kind of a strange reaction. But I shrugged it off and turned toward the staircase that led to the guest rooms. Just as I took my first step—
"Hey, kid."
I stopped and turned. A large, muscular man stood behind me, swaying slightly. His face was flushed red, and the stench of alcohol hit me before his words did.
"I heard you were causing trouble for the beautiful waitresses here," he slurred.
I ignored him. He was obviously drunk. But judging by his size and the sword strapped to his back, he was probably an adventurer.
"I'm talking to you!" he suddenly shouted, making the whole bar go silent.
I sighed. "Yeah? What will you do if I am causing trouble?" I asked, not because I wanted to fight, but because I was curious to see how far he would take this.
"Well, you'll be punished… by me!" He raised his mug and—
SPLASH.
He threw his beer at me.
A collective gasp filled the bar. All eyes were on me now, watching, waiting to see how I would react.
I stared at the liquid dripping from my hair onto my clothes. My grip tightened.
I wasn't going to let myself be humiliated.
Even if this man was twice my size… even if I hadn't awakened my powers yet… even if I was just a kid compared to him—I wouldn't back down.
He was drunk. That meant he was slow. Slower than me.
I could...
win…
Right?
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