"Boss!" I greeted cheerfully, lifting my hand in an exaggerated wave like I hadn’t almost died a dozen tis since we last t.
"I told you we’ll et again," Kairos’ lips curled upward—just a split second—before the expression vanished like it had never existed.
Dagur and Thorne froze.
"...Did," Dagur whispered, eyes wide, "did Boss just smile?"
"I think my eyes are malfunctioning," Thorne muttered back. "Should I report this to the system?"
"Since when did I ever doubt you?" I grinned back. My nose twitched. "Also—wow. That skewer slls amazing."
I leaned in a little closer, eyes glued to the food, silently projecting share it with energy.
Kairos followed my gaze slowly. Then, without breaking eye contact, he took another bite. "Buy your own," he said flatly.
"...Just a bite?" I asked, clasping my hands together in what I thought was a very convincing, pitiful expression.
"No."
I gasped. "Heartless."
"I was the one cooking our food last ti," he continued calmly, "and you were the one who always gobbled everything up before I even finished seasoning it."
"That is a gross exaggeration," I protested. "I left you bones. That counts."
Dagur and Thorne stared back and forth between us like they were watching a live drama.
"Wait, wait," Thorne cut in, pointing at us. "You two t each other in the previous stage?"
Kairos didn’t even spare him a glance. He took another bite of his skewer and then said, "Take out for lunch."
"But I don’t have—" I started.
He stared at .
Just... stared.
The kind of look that said I know, you know, don’t lie to .
I imdiately deflated. "...Fine."
I turned toward Dagur and Thorne, forcing a bright smile that definitely didn’t hide my internal pain. "Follow . My treat."
Thorne blinked. "Really?"
Dagur grinned widely. "You’re paying?"
"Yes," I said through gritted teeth, already regretting every life decision that led here. "Before anyone asks—yes, it’s points. Yes, it will hurt emotionally."
We walked into a nearby restaurant, the kind that looked expensive just by existing. The wooden floors were polished, the air slled like herbs and roasted at, and the NPC waiter greeted us with a smile that scread your wallet will not survive this encounter.
Kairos sat down like this was completely normal.
Dagur and Thorne flanked the sides, already scanning the nu like predators.
I sat very carefully.
"This place looks pricey," Thorne whispered.
I ignored him.
The waiter approached. "What will you be having?"
Kairos handed him the nu without looking. "Everything edible."
"...Boss?" I croaked.
Dagur slamd the table. "I’ll take whatever he’s having!"
"And !" Thorne added.
I stared at the ceiling. ’It’s fine. This is fine. I’ll just work off the debt. Or fake my death.’
The waiter nodded calmly, like this happened every day, and walked off.
I leaned forward and hissed, "You’re doing this on purpose."
Kairos sipped his water. "You said your treat."
"You didn’t have to interpret that as financial murder."
"You should have specified."
Dagur laughed loudly. "I like this place already."
Thorne leaned closer to . "You sure you’re okay?"
"No," I whispered. "But I’ll survive. Probably."
When the food arrived, the table was instantly buried under plates—at, bread, soup, roasted vegetables, things I didn’t recognize but slled incredible.
Kairos ate calmly and elegantly, like a noble.
Dagur and Thorne ate like they hadn’t seen food in years.
I stared at my plate, then at the system clock in the corner of my vision, calculating how many missions I’d need to do to recover from this.
"...Worth it," I muttered, taking my first bite.
Kairos glanced up. "See? You’re smiling."
"Shut up and eat," I said, stuffing my face.
~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~
One gold coin was equivalent to a hundred GP.
One silver coin cost fifty GP.
One bronze coin cost twenty GP.
I accepted this economic system with my whole heart. Which was exactly why, when I asked for the bill, I nearly ascended on the spot.
"Two... gold... coins," the waiter said politely, sliding the receipt toward .
Two gold coins.
My soul briefly left my body, checked the damage, and considered not coming back.
I stared at the numbers. I blinked once. Twice. Slowly, like if I blinked hard enough, the amount would feel guilty and lower itself.
It didn’t.
"That’s... that’s two hundred GP," I whispered, doing the math one last ti like it might magically change.
[It won’t.] the system helpfully chid in.
"I wasn’t asking you," I hissed internally.
With trembling hands and the expression of soone paying a ransom, I handed over the coins. My inventory felt physically lighter and my heart also did.
Kairos stood up, already done eating.
I glared at his back with enough resentnt to fuel a small rebellion.
He glanced over his shoulder.
I imdiately looked away, pretending to be extrely interested in the table grain.
"Let’s find an inn," he said.
"Yes," I replied flatly. "Before I start charging interest on your existence."
~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~
We walked through the town until we found an inn that looked just clean enough to not give us mysterious debuffs.
The innkeeper looked up from the counter with a smile that scread I overcharge for breathing.
"How much is your largest room?" I asked, voice flat, soul exhausted, mind already calculating which missions I’d have to grind like a slave.
The innkeeper stroked his beard. "Let’s see... four people... that’ll be three gold coins."
Dagur sucked in a breath. Thorne stiffened. I felt my eye twitch.
"But," the innkeeper continued smoothly, "since business is slow, I’ll give it to you for two hundred fifty GP per night."
"That’s good enough—" Thorne started.
I snapped my head toward him so fast I nearly pulled a muscle.
Thorne shut up instantly.
I slowly turned back to the innkeeper and smiled. The kind of smile that said I am very calm while my Aura quietly stretched its limbs.
I turned back to the innkeeper. "Are you sure it’s 250 GP?"
"Of course," the innkeeper said cheerfully. "That’s already a generous discount."
"How about," I smiled, "one gold coin per night?"
"Eh? No way~" the innkeeper laughed. "Go find sowhere else."
I smiled wider.
Oh, this man thought we had options.
I had already scanned the town earlier out of boredom. Three inns. Sa owner. Sa greedy little monopoly.
I released my Aura just enough for the air to go heavy.
"Eighty GP," I said pleasantly.
The temperature in the room dropped.
The innkeeper’s smile stiffened. Sweat began forming on his temple. "H-Hey now, no need to joke. How about we stick to one hundred GP like you suggested earlier?"
I tilted my head. "Funny. I don’t rember agreeing."
The Vision really didn’t want players to succeed here, did it? Everything about this town felt engineered to drain points like a leech with a business license.
"Final offer," I said calmly. "Fifty GP. No service. No food. No cleaning. Just the room."
My Aura pressed down harder, the Tigara’s presence coiling beneath my skin like a warning.
"Take it," I continued softly, "or we’ll start very loudly telling people about your other inns."
Dagur cracked his knuckles.
Thorne smiled politely.
Kairos said nothing—which was sohow the most threatening part.
"F-Fine!" the innkeeper yelped, snatching a key and shoving it into my hand. "Fifty GP! Just take it and go!"
I imdiately retracted my Aura and smiled brightly. "Pleasure doing business with you."
I took the key, turned around, and walked away.
Behind , Dagur stared in awe. "Kid... you’re terrifying."
Thorne nodded. "Remind never to haggle against you."
Kairos said nothing.
But as we climbed the stairs, I swore I heard him chuckle.
I looked back at them just as my hand hovered over the doorknob. "You forgot to pay."
All three of them stopped mid-step, like badly programd NPCs.
"...What?" Dagur said at the sa ti Thorne frowned and Kairos slowly turned around.
"I paid for our food," I continued calmly, tapping my chin. "So decide which three of you will pay for the night."
There was a brief, heavy silence.
Then Thorne and Dagur looked at each other—very deliberately avoiding Kairos, as if making eye contact with him would sohow add an extra zero to the bill.
"...Rock, paper, scissors?" Thorne offered.
Dagur cracked his knuckles. "Best of one."
I leaned against the doorfra and watched with the satisfaction of soone who had already suffered enough financial trauma for one day.
"Rock, paper—"
"—scissors!"
Dagur froze.
Thorne grinned.
He stared at his hand. Then at Thorne’s smug grin. Then at the ceiling, as if questioning the gods who had clearly abandoned him. "Tch," he clicked his tongue. "Unbelievable."
"Pay up," Thorne said cheerfully.
Dagur muttered sothing that sounded suspiciously like a curse as he walked off towards the counter.
Satisfied, I finally unlocked the door and stepped inside.
The room was... acceptable.
Four beds lined neatly against the walls, a slightly worn sofa near the center, and a small but clean bathroom. The bar was low, but the room cleared it.
Thorne imdiately claid a bed and flopped onto it face-first like he’d been shot. "Ahh... freedom," he groaned.
Kairos sat down on the sofa instead, posture relaxed but alert, like he was perfectly capable of falling asleep and killing soone at the sa ti.
I stretched lazily, arms raised, back cracking. "Ahh~" Then I walked over and chose the bed near the window.
A brief silence settled over the room.
Then—
"The night is still young," Thorne said, lifting his head slightly. His eyes glead with poorly concealed criminal intent. "I’m planning to steal."
Of course you are.
He turned to . "And you..." a slow grin spread across his face. "I’m sure you’re also planning to go sowhere else."
I yawned dramatically, flopping onto my bed. "Nah. I think I’ll just rest and start doing sothing tomorrow."
Thorne narrowed his eyes. Clearly unconvinced. "That’s suspicious."
"It’s called self-care," I replied, pulling the blanket over myself. "Try it soti."
"Okay," he said, already sitting up then turned to Kairos. "How about you, boss? You want to join ?"
Before Kairos could answer, the door swung open again.
Dagur popped his head back in, eyes gleaming. "Let’s go have fun!"
Thorne’s smirk returned instantly. "Oh, we sure are. So, boss?"
Kairos exhaled softly, standing up. "Alright."
I waved lazily, already pulling the blanket over myself. "Have fun, guys! Just get a spare key from the innkeeper, okay? In case I’m asleep and can’t open the door for you."
Thorne gave a lazy salute. "Good night, Remi!"
Dagur snickered as they headed out. "It sure is nice to beco a kid again. You can just sleep as easy as one-two-three."
I said nothing.
Kairos lingered for a mont, standing near the door. He looked back at , gaze unreadable.
"Have a good rest," he said quietly. "And thanks for the food... Lia."
My heart stuttered.
Just for a mont.
The door closed, their footsteps fading as silence returned.
I waited.
Five seconds.
Ten.
Then I opened my eyes.
I carefully rearranged the pillows under the blanket, shaping them just enough to resemble a sleeping body. I even tucked the edges in, because if I was going to fake sleep, I was going to commit.
Satisfied, I slid out of bed.
The window creaked softly as I opened it, cool night air brushing against my face. I climbed out, landing lightly and slipping down into the alley below.
Carefully, I moved away from the inn, making sure not to cross paths with the three of them who thought I was asleep.
There was only one place on my mind right now.
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