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Chapter Text

Chapter 1: Relaxation and Reflection

Much like any other night, the guild of the frontier town was alive with activity. With the town caught in winter's unforgiving grasp, it only made sense for adventurers to flock together after dark, telling stories and comparing their deeds. In an occupation that regularly involved injury, despair and even death, the bonds between teammates were a fragile yet invaluable thing that had to be natured. For that reason, the after-work drinking was almost as important as the adventuring itself.

In the corner of the guild's small tavern, a girl of sixteen nursed a cup of lemon water. Blonde hair fell from her head, her body wrapped in a white gown. Beside her, a large lizardman tore into his dinner, his tail wagging like an excited puppy's as cheese hung from his massive fangs. And at the other end of the table…

"And that's another thing!" A green-haired elf slammed her mug on the table with such force that the cutlery jumped. "I wouldn't be doing all these goblin quests if they weren't all that's left! Can you believe it? No one here needs a dragon slain or a merchant guarded! It's just goblins, goblins, goblins!" She took another long drink, her face flushed crimson and her long ears twitching.

"Ah, give it a rest, lass," said her neighbour, a dwarf with a long white beard and a thick coat. He gave her a hard pat on the back and let out a thick laugh. "Of course there's nothing being offered: It's nearly the new year! I would have thought elves would be a little more patient!"

"Well, can you blame me?" High Elf Archer turned to face Dwarf Shaman and scowled. "If I have to fight another goblin, I swear…"

Priestess let out an exhausted sigh. She'd been adventuring with the group for just over a year, more than enough time to get used to their constant banter. They'd been like this since the elf's first drink: Although her aiming skills were second to none, her alcohol tolerance was pathetically low. One cup of fire wine and she became a completely different person.

"Hey…" She turned to the large lizardman. "They've been at this for a while. Should we stop them?"

Lizard Priest swallowed his bite of cheese sausage and shook his head.

"I believe we should simply leave them to it. Interfering won't get us anywhere."

Priestess nodded. Given the situation, it would probably be better to let them tucker themselves out. Besides, she had more important things on her mind.

He's been gone for some time…

There was a vacant fifth chair at their table. Their leader should have been with them, drinking, eating and talking about today's (Goblin-slaying) quest. However, he had ordered them to start without him and had gone to file the quest's report. That had been at least twenty minutes ago.

Honestly…

Priestess downed the last of her drink and stood up. High Elf Archer and Dwarf Shaman stopped their feud to turn to her.

"Eh? Where are you going?" The elf asked, wobbling in her seat.

"I'm going to look for Goblin Slayer," Priestess replied.

"That's not a bad idea," Lizard Priest said, wiping his large maw with his napkin. "It is unlike him to be this late."

"I bet he's gone to file another goblin quest and leave us behind! It'd be just like him to do something like that!"

The dwarf hauled the petite elf to her feet and gently pulled her away from the table. She gave a little cry and tried to pull away, but to no avail. Physical strength was another of her weak points.

"Come on, Long-ears…" He muttered. "We'd best get you some fresh air. C'mon, slowly… This way…"

The way he was leading her, almost like a father and a disobedient child, made Priestess giggle. Before she could get distracted from her task, she pushed her chair into the table and walked into the sea of roosting adventurers.

He has to be here somewhere…

The first place she searched was the reception desk, her idea being that he was still writing the report. He wasn't there. She checked the shared restroom, nervously knocking on the stall doors. She received several cries of "Occupied!" but his voice wasn't among them. She even peeked up the stairs that lead to the guestrooms. Still no Goblin Slayer. Before long, she had walked around the entire tavern three times and he had to show up.

"Goblin slayer?"

No reply.

"Goblin slayer!"

Priestess stopped herself from shouting a third time. Her cries would only be consumed by the ever-growing din of the guild's chatter, making it a waste of breath. People from all walks of life were here: Huge men with swords the size of her body, experienced rangers with charisma and swagger… Sad as it was, there was no way she could make herself heard amongst the all-consuming noise.

"Oh, are you looking, for someone?"

Priestess would have recognised that voice anywhere. She turned to find a tall beauty sitting alone, smoking a long pipe. A tall black hat was perched atop her head and purple locks hung lazily down her back. Her black gown had a large opening in the front, which when aided by her relaxed position and sizable chest, didn't leave a lot to the imagination.

"Yes, I'm looking for Goblin Slayer. Have you seen him anywhere?"

The older woman didn't answer at first. Instead, she tapped lightly at her pipe and took a long, relaxed drag. When she removed it from her lips, a long trail of smoke danced into the air, then slowly petered away.

"Yes, I did. My partner took him, to talk…"

To talk? If it's Goblin Slayer, it can only be one thing…

Witch gestured towards the empty seat beside her. Priestess looked at it, then peered at the other end of the room. High Elf Archer and Dwarf Shaman had returned, the former flopped across the table, drooling. She didn't think she would be missed if she stayed a little longer. And besides, it would be just as rude to ignore her senior's request: She had invited her after all.

When she sat down, Priestess noticed the white liquid that Witch was drinking. She was nursing it slowly, sipping it in short bursts and letting out a quiet "Ah..." every time the glass left her lips. The bottle beside her had a picture of a church in the middle and the top was coated with silver; the text read "Private Select". Priestess was no expert on booze, but even she could tell this was expensive: It probably cost more than what she made in a week.

"You seem, stressed…"

"Eh?" Priestess perked up and shook her head. "No, I don't think I am."

"Oh, please…" Witch gave a little chuckle, moving her silk glove to her lips. "It's written all, over your face. Has he been, working you, too hard?"

"Um…" Priestess let out a little sigh escape her lips. "No, he hasn't. Not more than usual, anyway…"

Earlier today, the party had gone to investigate a Goblin's nest at an abandoned quarry. After fighting their way through the initial hoard and confirming there were no hostages, their leader came to a decision.

"We'll cause a cave-in."

And before anyone could argue, Goblin Slayer had ordered everyone out the way they came. He then lit a small explosive and tossed it into the nest. As the cave rumbled and the mouth belched out thick, foul-smelling smoke, the group slaughtered everything that tried to escape. They sliced the goblins open, pelted them with rocks, battered them, turned them into living targets… Even the children, goblins who could barely walk, who had not yet the chance to wrong anyone, received no mercy. It was just as they'd finished that the entire tunnel collapsed into a pile of rock. No one would be able to use it for some time.

Had it been anyone else, Priestess would have called this method cruel and excessive. But after everything the man had done, nothing could surprise her anymore. He had used a rare, almost one-of-a-kind scroll to take down a troll. He'd used explosives under a populated town. He'd even allowed himself to be swallowed by an avalanche…

He really does have no regard for his own well-being. One of these days he's going to get himself…

"Eh?"

Priestess found a filled glass pushed before her. Witch was sipping leisurely at hers and gave the girl a short nod as if to say What are you waiting for?

"Ah, thank you…"

Priestess took the glass and took a sip. The wine was a little bitter, but the flavour was strong and the liquid flowed easily, almost soothing her tongue as it went. It was much higher quality than the fire wine her party passed around during camp…

"Delicious, isn't it?"

"Yes. Thank you very much…"

They sat in silence for a while, taking sips of the wine and letting the activity around them continue. Already, Priestess felt her body relax, the alcohol tricking her body into a false but pleasant euphoria. She drank the last of it and pushed the glass back to Witch.

"When is Goblin Slayer…"

Witch quickly refilled the glass and passing it back. Priestess looked at it for a moment, shuffling uneasily.

"Thank you for the offer," She said. "But I really need to find Goblin Slayer."

The spell-caster frowned and let her head rest on her palm.

"Already? And I, was so, enjoying our talk…" She sighed and twirled a lock of hair with her index finger. "Have one more, please… It will help, you relax…"

Priestess scanned the tavern one more time. Still no sign of him. Surely one more glass wouldn't hurt.

Just one more. One more and that will be it. No more.

She put the glass to her lips and let the flavour make her body shiver. Witch had poured herself another and was swirling it around her glass. The way it moved, almost like a tiny whirlpool, was something to behold.

"So," Witch said with a smile. "Tell me, what is, bothering you?"

"And then he insisted on destroying the entire quarry!"

"Oh, my…"

One glass had turned into two and two had quickly turned into three. With every drop that graced her lips, an untapped courage only got stronger and Priestess told another of her mentor's exploits. Why shouldn't she tell Witch about her problems? She was more than willing to listen and there was no way she could tell someone in the party: they'd all become so used to his methods that they wouldn't bother to listen!

"I mean, I know it's what he does but…" Something wet graced her cheek. She ignored it and solidered on. "What if something happens? Every time he does something so reckless, he always ends up getting hurt. Sometimes, I worry he might not make it out at all…"

She sighed and let her heavy head rest on the table. After all her talking, she felt like a great weight had been lifted from her back. By all accounts, now that she had told someone how she truly felt, she should feel better. The problem was that she didn't. Was something wrong with her?

"What the hell?" Came a deep voice from above.

Priestess looked up. The cry's source was a tall man with ginger hair who donned shiny blue armour and a spear taller than his entire body. The man beside him, by contrast, wore grimy, cheap-looking armour. A sword of strange length hung from his waist and a small shield clung to his arm.

"What happened?" Goblin Slayer asked, his voice plain as ever.

"I'll tell ya what happened!" Spearman leant across the table and snatched the now-empty bottle. "These two have drunk my reward!"

Witch gave a dry chuckle and relit her pipe. Her passivity only seemed to anger her partner more, as he hid his face in his hand and let a groan escape through the cracks in his fingers.

"Not, true…" She said. "I was just helping her… relax…"

Despite her mind feeling clouded and hazy, Priestess had an epiphany. The wine she'd been drinking didn't belong to her: She'd just stolen someone else's reward!

Oh no…

What had she been thinking? This was a crime that could result in expulsion from the guild!

Oh no!

Well, she was not going to let herself get expelled: Not after the year of adventuring she'd done.

"I'm sorry!"

"E-Eh?"

She fell to the floor in front of Spearman, rear pointed to the ceiling, face hidden in her hands. This was the paradigm of begging: If this didn't work, nothing would.

"P-Please don't tell the receptionist! I didn't mean to! It was an accident!"

She dared to look up and saw a look of bafflement on Spearman's face. It quickly passed and he glared at Witch.

"You call this relaxed?" He said. "She looks like she can barely stand up!"

"N-No! I can! I'm sorry!"

Priestess hauled herself upwards and watched the world around her began to spin. Round and round and round it went, tipping and turning in all directions. It wasn't long before her legs gave way and she fell to the ground again.

"Ow…"

Before she could try again, Priestess felt something haul her upwards. Arms covered in armour caught her head and hooked her legs. She slowly ascended until she was face to face with her carrier, whose expression she couldn't quite pinpoint, thanks to his helmet.

"G-Goblin Slayer, sir?"

"You need some fresh air. I'll take you outside."

And before she could argue, Goblin slayer walked away from the table with his usual stride. Priestess peeked around his shoulder and watched the chaos left in her wake. Spearman was saying something to Witch, who didn't seem to be giving him the time of day. The moment her partner turned away, the spellcaster gave Priestess a secret wink: A gesture that nobody saw but her. Confused, flustered and scared for her very career, Priestess decided there was only one thing to do: Pray with every ounce of her innocent heart.

Oh, Earth mother, abounding in mercy, please forgive me for my grievous sins… Oh, Earth mother, abounding in mercy, please forgive me for my grievous sins…

Chapter Text

Chapter 2: The importance of communication

The air of the frontier town was cold and crisp. Priestess could feel a thick shiver run through her body, the thin cloth of her garments providing little armour against the winter air, which seemed intent on freezing her to death. She quickly wrapped her thin arms around herself but even that accomplished little: She could almost feel the blood in her veins freeze solid.

"Brr…."

Goblin Slayer bent down and placed her on the guild's staircase. The concrete steps had been chilled by the winter air and were cold to the touch, so much so that she gave a little cry when she sat down. Shivering fiercely, Priestess tried to peer into the darkness ahead. The only light around them came from a small torch above the tavern's door, which burned just bright enough to see her mentor.

"Are you alright?"

He had bent down to her height by resting himself on one knee. Priestess returned his gaze but didn't say anything: She was too busy shivering to form coherent words. Before she could speak, he bent back up with a "Wait here," and before she could stop him, ducked back inside the tavern. The lovely, warm tavern with a roaring fire…

"Urgh…"

She watched as the door slammed shut behind him, leaving her alone in the dark. She could practically hear her head pounding, the only other noise being the muffled voices from inside the shelter. The world around her tipped and turned, everything blurring together like a kaleidoscope: For a few moments, the world would tip in one direction and she would have to lean to keep her head straight; shortly afterwards, it would tilt the other way and she would have to shift position. After a good while, she decided enough was enough: She was going back inside to give that man a piece of her mind.

She tried to push against the ground but found her body unwilling to co-operate. It was like all her strength had left her, her arms feeling like they'd turned to mush. After the third attempt to haul herself upwards, she gave up and resumed her shivering.

Just what had he been thinking? After a full year of travelling by his side, Priestess had thought she knew him pretty well; that nothing he did could surprise her. Unfortunately, every time she thought he had him all figured out, he would do something completely unexpected. Perhaps he would order Dwarf Shaman to flood the tunnel with them all still inside. Maybe he'd get himself beaten half to death by a troll. Or perhaps, leave her outside to catch hypothermia…

"That man…"

The door of the tavern suddenly opened behind her and Goblin Slayer emerged. In his left hand, he held a mug containing some hot liquid and, in his right, a thick woollen blanket.

"Here."

Priestess took the mug from him and let her fingers thaw in the welcome warmth. Inside the mug itself was a large portion of tea, which after a quick taste, revealed itself to be Lemon. She gingerly sipped it and felt her mouth defrost. Her tongue could now move freely and her teeth became calm and still.

"Stay still for a second."

She watched as he unfolded the blanket. With every movement of his hands, it expanded to twice its previous size and it kept growing until it was twice as wide as her. He draped it over her shoulders and tucked it around her body. Almost immediately, the soft wool comforted her, feeling warm to the touch and shielding her from the cold wind.

"Thank you," She muttered, snuggling into the blanket's fluff.

"No problem."

He sat down beside her, staring out into the darkness ahead. Priestess almost wondered what he was thinking, but the answer came to her almost immediately: Goblins. It had to be Goblins. With that mystery solved, one question remained…

"Goblin Slayer, sir?"

"Hmm?"

"Why did you take me out here?"

It was then that he turned to her and said "When people get drunk, it is best for them to get fresh air. Is it helping?"

Priestess would be lying if she said it wasn't. The cold air was fresh and with every breath, she could feel herself relax, her nausea petering away. But even so…

"Yes, but you could have at least told me what you were doing. Or if you were going to bring me out here, bring the blankets out first."

He was still for a moment, not quite looking at her. Then he nodded and said "I'm sorry. I will remember that in future."

"Thank you."

The next few minutes passed by in silence. As she sipped her tea, Priestess found herself looking up at the twin moons. One was large and green; the other small and pink. She wouldn't have normally paid them much mind, but now that she had time to look at them, she found herself appreciating them more than ever. No matter where she went, they would always be there with her, just like her mentor. He wouldn't leave her: Like the moons, he would always stay by her side, no matter what.

If she thought it enough, she might start believing it.

"What were you two talking about?"

It took Priestess a moment to realise he meant herself and Witch. For a moment, she considered lying, but before she knew it, she had already said "You, mostly."

"Is that so?"

There was no use hiding anything now. Priestess knew she could very easily backtrack and push her feelings back down: He certainly wasn't going to challenge her. But if she didn't tell him now, when would she?

"I was looking for you and I bumped into her. She offered me a drink and we started talking. And then I told her… I told her I was frustrated with you…"

Priestess swore that Goblin Slayer had shifted slightly. He hadn't made any noise and the change was barely noticeable: It was just one of those things she had learnt through observing him. Upset or not, all he muttered was "I see."

The girl clenched her fists tightly and felt the alcohol in her blood grant one last burst of courage. She had to think of this like she would a quest: If she turned back now, she would only waste their time; if nothing else, they'd be worse off than they were before. If she continued on the other hand…

"I told her about what happened in the water town. The mountains too. I just…" She looked down at her lap and felt a lump grow in her throat. "I just don't see why you have to be so reckless! You're always coming up with these plans that leave you hurt! What if one day, your plan doesn't work? I'll be all alone! I won't be able to save you!"

She felt her eyes grow heavy and tears fall down her face. They dripped onto her white robes, staining them with regret and fear. She waited for him to reply, but all he did was stare at her through his visor. Why wasn't he talking to her? Why wouldn't he speak? Even if he was angry with her, she would accept his words: At least then she would know that she had revealed her feelings…

"I'm sorry…" She whispered. I just had to get that off my chest."

"Don't be."

Before she knew it, he had risen his arm and placed a heavy hand on her shoulder. His grip was firm, yet gentle, and his body towered over hers. His other hand quivered and moved towards her before swiftly moving away. She'd never seen him hesitate like this before.

"It's OK… I can do it." She wiped her tears and rubbed her hands on her robes. A small chuckle fell from her lips. "You're… You're going to keep hunting goblins no matter what I say, aren't you?"

"That's right."

"And you're going to keep doing reckless things just to get rid of them."

There was a short pause before he gave a brief nod. Priestess felt herself smile as she shook her head. Of course, he'd say something like that: Telling him not to hunt goblins was like telling a fish not to swim. Even if every bone in his body was turned to dust, he'd probably still head out every day, just to keep doing what he did best. Who was she to stop him?

"However..."

"Hmm?"

His armour creaked as he leant down towards her.

"I will try my best not to get myself killed. I know you would be sad if I died."

Priestess felt her heart swell three times its normal size. She fought hard to keep more tears from leaking out, closing her eyes and squeezing them as tight as she could. When she opened them, he was still leaning over her, his large hand still pressed against her tiny shoulder.

Before she could stop herself, Priestess took her tiny hand and placed it in his. She felt the leather of his gauntlets under her fingers and curled her delicate pinky finger around his.

"You have to promise, OK?" She said.

"I promise."

She felt his finger tightly grasp hers, coating it in soft leather. Her face felt warm and her heart pounded heavily against her delicate ribcage. He really was a mystery, this man: One minute he would be cold and aloof, like a machine designed only to kill. But sometimes, just sometimes, he would show another side to him: A side that reminded her why she would never leave him.

After all, if he wasn't so strange, he wouldn't be him…

It was then that she felt another breath of cold air on her cheek. The muffled noise from inside the tavern was beginning to quieten, most likely due to the late hour.

"I…I think I'd better get to bed," Priestess muttered. The cold had chilled her tea to a lukewarm temperature, so she finished it all in one gulp. "It's late."

"I see."

He kept her hand tightly held within his and slowly began to rise. Priestess let herself be pulled to her feet and felt her blood rush from her head. She wobbled a little, but thanks to his support, kept herself upright.

"Can you walk?" He asked.

"Yes. I'll be alright."

If she were honest, the world around her was still shaking and her feet were half-asleep. It didn't matter: As long as they walked together, she had no worries. They would do this together, like they did everything else.

"Be careful," He said, and without a sound, he guided her back up the steps.

Priestess wobbled a little at first: Her legs were still stiff from the cold and she had yet to match his rhythm. By the time they had made it to the top, however, she had managed to match his pace, just like always. He opened the door and Priestess found herself shielding her eyes. After spending so long in near darkness, even the dim lighting of the tavern required some getting used to. She was worried he would lead her in before she was ready, but when she stopped rubbing her eyes, he was still waiting for her.

The moment they stepped through the door, all activity in the tavern came to a halt. The background chatter ceased and everyone in the room stared at them. Some even held their mouths open.

Oh no…

Priestess quickly realized her mistake as she walked through the crowd. She kept her eyes to the floor, trying to ignore their newfound attention and the few wolf whistles that ensued. When she and Goblin Slayer finally returned to the table, they found High Elf Archer nursing a large mug of water, with Dwarf Shaman patting her back. Lizard Priest was with occupied a drink of his own. Thankfully, they didn't seem to have cared for the interruption.

"There you are, Orcbolg!"

As the party's scout, High Elf Archer was the first to notice the pair's arrival. She stood up quickly, nearly knocking over her chair in the process.

"What the heck were you…" She stopped, her mouth wide enough to catch flies. Her emerald eyes peered towards their conjoined hands and she backed off a little, her face turning red. "H…Hey… Orcbolg… What exactly were you two doing out there?"

"Talking."

Priestess watched as Goblin Slayer scanned the area, his head turning over the sea of still faces.

"Why is everyone so quiet?" He asked plainly.

She let her hand slip from his grasp, resisting the urge to hide her burning face.

"Um… Goblin Slayer, sir? I think I need to tell you what holding hands really means…"

"Is that so?"

Really, this man…

Chapter Text

Witch couldn't remember the last time the guild had been so quiet. For a good few minutes, the normal chit-chat of adventurers had been completely absent, like someone had cast Silence on the entire building. All eyes had been on that man and his cute little apprentice, who had walked in holding hands. It was a completely innocent gesture and yet, everyone assumed that the two of them had been doing something… Unprofessional. Her partner had not been among them. The moment Priestess and her mentor left the tavern, Spearman had given her a long lecture on how selfish she had been, how she should have asked him before giving away their prize and how she could be so irresponsible as to get a minor drunk. She had nodded along and apologised as necessary: To be fair, she had probably should have at least asked. Though even if he had said no, she still would have shared the wine. Some things just have to be done, after all.

He had ordered a large mug of cheap beer and sat back down with her, too consumed by despair to notice the commotion as it occurred. If he had noticed, he would not have taken it lying down, leaving her to calm him. That was one silver lining she could be thankful for. Though of course, she couldn't have him in a slump all night: Something had to be done.

"Are you still…" She took a small pause to let his face meet hers. "Angry?"

"What do you think?"

Spearman was pouting at her. A fully-grown adventurer, a silver-ranked one no less, was pouting like a spoilt child. This would not do at all. Witch often thought of regrets and anger as unnecessary baggage. If one were to enter a fight with hate in their heart, they could not fully focus on the battle. If they weren't focused, that made it all the more likely they would get hurt, or worse. No matter the mission, no matter how skilled the fighter, injury and death were always a risk to be considered.

If anything, it was like the roll of a dice.

She reached forward and took his chin in her hand. He looked a lot better when he was flustered, she thought: His face went well with the colour of his hair. She gripped it a little tighter and moved her face closer.

"It is the job of, experienced adventurers, to help others, is it not?"

He opened his mouth, only to close it again. The spellcaster watched as he racked his brain (He was trying so hard, bless him) to come up with an argument. His face contorted, stretched, even twisted in frustration. She even saw him clench his teeth at one point. But eventually, he let out a deep, defeated sigh.

"I-I guess…" He muttered.

"Indeed," She replied. "Now, I found the poor girl, in a spot of… Bother. She couldn't connect with, her mentor. Was I wrong, to help her?"

"Well no, but…"

Witch reached out and touched his lips with her finger. He obediently shut up.

"I want you to imagine, if I hadn't been there. If she couldn't, connect to her partner, what would happen?"

"Y-You can't be serious," He muttered.

She could have told him the answer, but it was not her place to teach him. It was up to him whether or not to answer correctly. If he wasn't going to keep his mind sharp, like the spear he wielded daily, then she would have to assist him with that task.

"Tell me."

"Well… I guess their team-coordination would fall. And since she's a cleric, I'm guessing she wouldn't be able to know when to cast her miracles."

"And then?"

"Then she wouldn't be able to protect him, and he might… Oh…"

Witch nodded and let her partner's face drop, watching as his eyes fell to the table. He had done better than she'd expected. The motivation in his voice could use some work, but she would let it slide this time: He'd already suffered enough.

"So, tell me, was I wrong?"

The humbled adventurer gave a muffled "No…" and shook his head.

"Very good…"

She didn't like talking down to him but sometimes, it was the only way he'd learn. Spearman was a fine adventurer and a wonderful ally: She didn't know where she would be today without him. However, everyone had their faults and his was his one-track mind. He would get so worked up over the littlest things and fail to notice the bigger picture. She was sure she had convinced him to forget about his prize, but just in case, she had a failsafe.

"H-Hey, what are you…"

She ignored his protests and dug her hand into her breast. Her fingers grazed a small glass bottle and grasped it tightly. She carefully brought it out, taking great pleasure in his reaction. His face was white as a sheet and his auburn eyes were staring at the tiny bottle, seeming to almost double in size.

"Wh-What's in there?"

She reached for her empty wine glass and pulled out the cork, filling the air with a satisfying pop. While she emptied the contents, Spearman lent forward, his mouth open like a puppy's.

"You didn't think, I'd give it all away, did you?" She pushed the glass towards him and watched as his eyes lit up. "Thank you, for all your hard work. Drink up."

She didn't need to ask him twice. Spearman immediately grabbed the glass and took a slow longing sip of the wine, savouring what little she'd saved. This was a stark contrast to his usual drinking style, in which he would hurl back alcohol like no tomorrow and leave her to lead him home. Maybe he would learn a little humility tonight.

Oh, if only…

While her teammate drank, Witch peered over at the table at the end of the hall. The cleric was back with her party, her face flushed crimson as she talked with the elf. The rest of her party seemed to be doing well, laughing and conversing, tightening the bonds that they held dear. She could tell they were going to be just fine: Even if they were an odd bunch, they had each other, and maybe that was all they needed.

"Oh?"

The girl caught her eye and gave her a smile. Witch gave one in kind. Then, the young girl returned to her team, who had returned to filling the tavern with the noisy banter it was known for.

Yes, she thought to herself. She will be fine. As long as she doesn't push herself too hard, she'll survive.

If that girl ever achieved silver rank and wanted a break from goblins, she might offer to let the cleric join her and her partner on an adventure. That would certainly be… Interesting.

"Ufufufu…"

"Eh?" Spearman put down the bottle and stared at her. "What's so funny?"

Witch took another drag of her pipe and let the smoke drift lazily into the air.

"Nothing," She said. "Nothing, you need, to worry about."