The sun was already dipping toward the rooftops when they stepped out of the tavern, the golden light painting the cobblestone street in long, warm streaks.

Ariana adjusted her staff on her shoulder, glancing at Oliver as they walked side by side.

"You know, you're not what I expected."

Oliver raised a brow. "And what exactly were you expecting?"

"Someone cocky," she said. "You did take down a hobgoblin chief by yourself, after all. Usually men like that don't shut up about it."

Oliver snorted. "So I'm the boring middle ground?"

"Hmm… more like tolerable," she said with a teasing smile.

"High praise," Oliver replied dryly.

They reached a crossroad where the streets split — one leading toward the city square, the other back to the Adventurer's Guild. Ariana slowed her steps, hesitating for a moment before turning to him.

"Hey," she began, "I've been thinking. Since we fought together once already… what do you say we team up for a mission next time? It's better than running solo, and honestly, I could use a partner who doesn't panic in a fight."

Oliver tilted his head, smiling. "I am not alone though. I already have a party member"

"Then my question was wrong," Ariana said. "Can I join your party then."

He chuckled softly. "Fair enough. Yeah, I'd like that. But I have to ask about my companion's opinion"

"Then I will wait for your answer then," she said with a satisfied nod. "Then let's stay in touch."

Oliver reached into his pocket, pulling out a small piece of parchment and a pen. "Here — the address of my inn. The Velvet Hearth. It's not far from the market square. You can come by tomorrow morning; I'll introduce you to my other party member, Isolde. She's a mage too, though…" He paused, then smirked. "She's kind of scary."

Ariana arched an eyebrow, amused. "Scary how?"

"You'll find out soon enough," he said, handing her the parchment.

She laughed. "Fine. And if you need to reach me, I'm staying at the Silver Bell Inn — it's right behind the guild."

"Got it." He tucked that away mentally.

They shared a brief, comfortable silence, then Ariana smiled and gave a little wave. "See you tomorrow, Oliver."

"See you," he said, watching as she walked off down the lamplit street before turning toward home.

****

By the time Oliver reached The Velvet Hearth, the lanterns were already lit and the inn was alive with evening chatter. The smell of food wafted from the kitchen, warm and homely. He pushed the door open, stretching his shoulders—

And froze.

A cold chill crawled down his spine.

At one of the tables near the counter sat Isolde, arms crossed, her eyes locked on him with the kind of cold glare that could stop a dragon mid-flight.

"Didn't you say," she began slowly, voice calm but dangerous, "that you were only going for a short briefing?"

Oliver's grin faltered. "Uh… yeah. About that—"

"How come you're so late?" she pressed, her tone colder now.

Oliver awkwardly scratched the back of his head, trying to laugh it off. "Well, something came up. I, uh… ran into someone."

"Someone?" Isolde's eyes narrowed. "Funny. I didn't know you knew anyone in this city."

"Well," he said, rubbing his neck, "you wouldn't know since we met yesterday, right?"

From behind the counter, Serena watched with an amused grin. "Let me guess," she said, wiping a glass. "It was a girl, wasn't it?"

Oliver blinked. "How did you—"

"So it was a girl!" Serena said, mock gasping. "I was just joking, but look at that!"

Isolde's expression darkened immediately. "How many girls have you managed to pick up in the single day I leave you alone?"

"I-It's not like that!" Oliver said, hands raised in defense.

"Oh?" Isolde folded her arms tighter, her gaze sharp. "Then what is it like, hmm?"

Serena leaned forward on the counter, chin propped on her palm, clearly enjoying the show.

Oliver sighed heavily. "It's… a long story."

"Perfect," Isolde said coolly. "We've got time."

Serena grinned. "And I'm all ears."

Oliver rubbed his temples. "Great. Just what I needed — an audience."

He exhaled deeply, took the nearest chair, and began, "Alright, fine. It all started yesterday, in that goblin-infested forest…"

****

Oliver took a long breath and leaned back in his chair, the wooden legs creaking faintly beneath him. Serena sat cross-armed behind the counter, her expression curious but relaxed, while Isolde leaned forward slightly, arms still folded, eyes sharp and unreadable.

"Alright," Oliver began. "So, as you both know, I went to the guild to take a solo mission yesterday as Isolde was teaching Nyra."

They both nodded.

"Lena handed me a goblin subjugation mission. Said a few adventurers had already gone missing." Oliver continued.

"Goblin subjugation?" Serena frowned. "That's pretty low-rank for you, isn't it?"

"Exactly what I said." Oliver pointed at her. "But apparently, those 'low-rank' goblins had been getting organized. A few D-ranks disappeared, and no one else wanted to take it."

Isolde's eyes narrowed, her tone skeptical. "And you went alone?"

He shrugged. "Didn't seem that serious. Just goblins, right? So I took it."

Serena shook her head slowly. "That's what every dead adventurer says right before dying."

"Yeah, I know that now," Oliver muttered. "Anyway, I headed out to the forest near the farms. Found a few stragglers first — handled them easily. But the deeper I went, the weirder it got. Paths cleared, sentries posted… the whole setup was too organized."

"So, they'd formed a tribe," Isolde said quietly, already following his line of thought.

"Exactly. And then I heard a scream." His tone hardened. "A group of goblins was dragging a girl — maybe twenty — back toward their den. Couldn't just stand there."

Serena's expression softened. "You saved her?"

"Yeah," he said, nodding. "Took out the goblins and got her out of there. But she was half-dead, so I gave her my only potion and told her to run back to town while I went in."

Isolde raised an eyebrow. "You went in alone, against an organized goblin tribe."

"I didn't have much of a choice," Oliver said simply. "If there were other girls in there, I couldn't just leave them."

For a moment, even Isolde's expression eased.

He went on, voice low and steady. "Inside was a nightmare. The smell, the filth… bodies everywhere. I found cages — women inside, some of them adventurers. Most were half-starved or worse."

Serena flinched, her face grim.

"And then," Oliver continued, "I saw him. A hobgoblin chief. Big bastard, four times my size. Sitting on a throne of bones and wood. They were offering another girl to him — a mage. He'd already torn her clothes off and going to rape her when I interrupted."

Serena covered her mouth. "Gods…"

"Yeah," Oliver said quietly. "I didn't think. I just threw a fire spell straight at him."

"And then the fun began," he added wryly. "Dozens of goblins swarmed me. I used everything — spear, sword, runes, every spell I knew. I must've killed thirty before the hobgoblin himself joined the fight."

Isolde's eyes gleamed faintly. "And?"

"He was strong. Stronger than I expected. I got a few hits in, but my mana was almost gone. My body felt like it was tearing apart. Thought it was over." He paused, then smiled faintly. "That's when the mage girl used her magic. She'd gotten her staff back somehow, and she hit me with a healing and stamina spell combo. My strength came back all at once."

"Smart girl," Isolde said approvingly.

"Yeah. After that, I went for the finish. One rune-charged strike straight through the bastard's chest."

He leaned back, exhaling. "The rest was clean-up. The girl I saved earlier made it back to town and called for help. Guild sent reinforcements and city guards. By the time they arrived, it was over."

A silence settled between them. Serena was the first to speak, her voice quiet but full of respect. "You did good, Oliver."

Isolde studied him for a long moment. "You've grown more than I thought," she said finally, her tone almost proud. "But you're still reckless."

Oliver smirked. "Coming from the woman who fights dragons bare-handed, that's rich."

That actually earned him a small chuckle from her.

Serena leaned forward, smiling again. "So that explains why you looked like a corpse when you came home last night."

"Yeah," Oliver said, stretching. "I was too tired to even think."

Isolde's lips curved into a teasing smirk. "And yet somehow you still found the energy to stay out half the day today."

"Like I said," Oliver replied, chuckling awkwardly, "I ran into someone."

Serena raised an eyebrow. "Let me guess — the mage girl?"

He hesitated a second too long.

Serena grinned. "Ah~ I knew it."

"Relax," Oliver said quickly. "She just wanted to thank me. That's all."

Isolde folded her arms again, clearly unconvinced but too tired to argue. "We'll see."

Oliver groaned. "Why do I feel like I just went from fighting goblins to walking into another battlefield?"

Serena laughed out loud, and even Isolde cracked a faint smile as the tension finally eased.

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