Chapter 101: I thought I was smarter

After the long, tense conversation downstairs with Sera and the Dwarf, the group finally peeled themselves away from the common room and headed for their assigned quarters. The air was thick with silence as they climbed the old wooden stairs, boots thudding softly against the aged steps. Each of them was lost in their own thoughts—Marcus especially, trailing behind with slumped shoulders and a troubled expression. He didn’t even try to hide the bitterness brewing in him.

When they reached the hallway, the Dwarf pointed them toward two modest rooms at the far end.

“This one’s for the boys,” he grunted, gesturing toward a slightly larger room on the right. “And this one’s for the ladies.”

The rooms weren’t anything fancy—just two beds in each, a small table, and a couple of chairs—but they were clean and warm. The boys—Liam, Marcus, and Jason—stepped into theirs, tossing down their gear one after another.

Jason flopped onto the nearest bed. “So… we just got roped into a 47-day death march because someone couldn’t keep it in his pants.”

“Shut up, Jason,” Marcus mumbled, not even lifting his head as he sank into the mattress.

Meanwhile, Eleanor and Sophia entered their own room across the hall. Sophia set her things down neatly while Eleanor leaned against the wall, arms folded and eyes scanning the corners like she expected hidden eyes behind the woodwork.

“This place gives me weird vibes,” Sophia muttered. “Feels like we’re being watched.”

“We probably are,” Eleanor replied, her voice calm but sharp. “That dwarf’s eyes don’t miss much.”

Back in the boys’ room, Liam rolled his neck and glanced around. “We should freshen up. There’s a washroom down the hall.”

No one argued.

A few minutes later, the three of them made their way to the shared washroom. The inn provided large wooden tubs filled with warm water—courtesy of the dwarf’s “hospitality.” Towels were folded on a bench, and small wooden racks held bars of soap and bottles of questionable oils.

Steam rose lazily from the warm bathwater, curling and dancing through the air of the washroom the group had been given. The clink of a pipe’s metal cap echoed lightly as Marcus leaned back into the tub, a wooden tobacco pipe perched in the corner of his mouth. He took a slow drag, puffed, and exhaled a long stream of smoke toward the ceiling, his muscular arms resting along the edges of the tub like someone contemplating life’s deepest regrets.

Liam sat nearby on a low stool, a towel wrapped around his waist, drying his hair with a second one. His eyes were calm as he watched his friend stew in his own frustrated silence.

Jason, seated on the edge of a second tub with his legs soaking, had just finished scrubbing and was now watching Marcus with a smirk that grew bigger every time the guy sighed dramatically.

“I swear, I thought I was being smarter,” Marcus finally muttered, eyes half-lidded, voice heavy with frustration and shame.

“Smarter?” Liam raised a brow.

“Yeah,” Marcus groaned. “You know, she’s sexy and all. I mean… come on. Those curves? Her hips, that soft voice, the way she talks like every word is dipped in honey. And don’t even get me started on her boobs. I swear they have gravity of their own.”

Jason burst out laughing, slapping his hand against the water and splashing both himself and the side of the tub. “You absolute clown. You saw boobs and forgot we’re in a dangerous magical world where everything wants to kill us—or bind us in eternal soul contracts.”

Marcus groaned again, dragging his hand down his face. “I thought I could just enjoy her and leave it at that. No strings attached. Just a fun night. Instead… she played me like a damn bard playing a lute.”

Liam shook his head, trying not to laugh but clearly failing as the corner of his mouth tugged upward. “Look, it could’ve happened to any of us. I mean, it almost happened to me. She was clearly after someone in the group. You were just… the easier target.”

“Gee, thanks,” Marcus muttered. “Makes me feel so much better.”

Jason snorted. “You were thinking with your—”

“Don’t finish that sentence,” Marcus warned, lifting the pipe like a weapon. “Let me at least have my dignity while I soak in my shame.”

Liam chuckled. “Honestly though, you’re not alone. We’ve all been tricked or manipulated at one point already. The healer got me wrapped in some kind of mystery favor.”

Jason pointed at Liam. “See? We’re all idiots. Equal opportunity stupidity.”

Marcus exhaled again and slouched lower in the tub, the water sloshing around him. “It’s just… now I’ve put everyone in danger. We’ve got to travel for 47 freakin’ days because I thought with my—”

“—You already said not to finish that sentence,” Liam interrupted with a grin.

“Right. Well… point stands.”

There was a moment of silence as the three sat in the warmth of the bath, letting the tension of the past few days ease off their shoulders. Despite the looming journey, despite the dark covenant and the shady motives of Sera and her dwarf boss, there was comfort in just being there together. Talking like friends. Laughing at each other’s screwups.

“Just… don’t worry too much about it,” Liam finally said. “We’ll handle this. Like we always do.”

Jason nodded. “Yeah, and who knows? Maybe halfway across the world, we’ll find something epic. Maybe treasure. Maybe glory. Maybe another woman with boobs so massive they come with a soul contract.”

Marcus sighed again and lifted his pipe, this time more amused than frustrated. “If that happens again, just kill me.”

“I’m holding you to that,” Jason said with a grin.

Liam shook his head, letting out a short laugh. “Get dressed, both of you. Let’s eat something good before this insane journey begins.”

In the other room, Eleanor and Sophia were settling in as well. Their room was a bit smaller than the boys’, but it felt cozier. A small window overlooked the dense forest behind the inn, and soft light poured in through the curtains. They laid down their things quietly, both still processing the situation with Marcus, the covenant, and the looming mission.

Sophia was the first to break the silence. “I feel bad for Marcus… but also a little annoyed, you know?”

Eleanor chuckled softly. “He got himself into this mess. He should’ve known better. That elf—Sera—she had eyes like a spider. Cold and calculating. The kind of woman who never does anything without a reason.”

“You think she used him just to tie the group to their mission?”

“I don’t think,” Eleanor said, moving toward her bag to pull out a fresh tunic. “I know. But that’s politics and power games for you. Marcus let his… urges make a decision for the rest of us.”

Sophia sighed and leaned against the edge of the bed. “I guess we all make dumb decisions sometimes.”

Eleanor shot her a glance and smirked. “You didn’t let your dumb decision tie us into a 47-day journey across the damn world.”

Sophia rolled her eyes and laughed.

Eventually, they grabbed towels and made their way down the hall to the women’s bath. The room was pleasantly warm and scented with herbs—lavender, maybe. Two large wooden tubs sat in the center, each already filled with steaming water. It was quiet, peaceful, a world apart from the chaos of earlier.

As they slipped into the tubs, letting the warmth soak into their skin, the silence between them grew more relaxed.

Sophia leaned her head back with a soft sigh. “Finally. Some peace.”

Eleanor gave her a sidelong glance, then tilted her head with a smirk. “You know… I’ve always meant to say this, but I think you might have the biggest set of breasts I’ve seen on a girl in combat.”

Sophia blinked, then laughed, turning slightly red. “What?! Where did that come from?”

“Just an observation,” Eleanor said with a teasing tone. “You draw more attention from tavern boys than a treasure chest in a dungeon.”

Sophia playfully splashed water in her direction. “Well, sorry I was blessed by the gods.”

Eleanor raised an eyebrow and leaned back with a grin. “Blessed is putting it lightly. I’m convinced you could distract an entire army just by running.”

Sophia rolled her eyes, still laughing. “Hey, it’s not like I asked for them. Half the time they just get in the way.”

“Oh please,” Eleanor said, waving her hand. “You’ve figured out how to use them to your advantage. Remember that merchant? He was ready to double our prices just because you smiled.”

Sophia smirked. “Okay, maybe once or twice. But it’s not a superpower.”

“No,” Eleanor said. “But it might be the second most powerful skill in our group. Right after Liam’s creepy new Death Stare.”

That made them both burst into laughter.

For a while, they just relaxed. Letting the steam ease the tension in their muscles, the warm water washing away the fatigue of the road and stress of unexpected missions. It felt good to laugh, even for a few minutes, before the next storm arrived.

Sophia eventually sighed again, her smile fading a bit. “Do you think we’ll be okay on this journey?”

Eleanor looked over at her and gave a rare, gentle nod. “We’re stronger than we realize. And we have each other. That counts for more than you’d think.”

“Yeah…” Sophia murmured. “I just hope Marcus can hold on. I’ve never seen him look that shaken.”

“Then we make sure he doesn’t fall apart,” Eleanor said. “Because if he does, we all do.”

Sophia gave a small smile, more subdued now, and nodded. Then she reached for a sponge and began scrubbing her arms. “You really are like the big sister I never had, you know?”

Eleanor grinned and leaned back. “Don’t get used to it. I’ll be back to teasing your chest again tomorrow.”

Sophia giggled. “Deal.”

And with that, they let the silence settle in again—comfortably this time—as steam curled through the air and the faint hum of evening life echoed from outside.

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