Southwest of Celestenia Kingdom, in a cave.
A woman somersaults in the air to avoid a mace swing from a Minotaur. Her long black braided hair followed her graceful movements.
Then an armored man with dark green hair stepped forward, slashing at the buffalo-headed monster's leg. The three-meter creature screamed in pain as the armored man with dark green hair slashed at its leg. However, it maintained its balance, despite its legs being covered in blood.
"Damn, he's persistent!" The man ran around to avoid the Minotaur's wrath. "Kolvar! Now it's your turn! I've diverted his attention!"
"Hey, I was the one who distracted him, Leonard!" The woman protested. "Look, he was so amazed by my charm that he chased me!"
The Minotaur was indeed chasing the woman instead.
"But I hurt him first, Trish!" Leonard grumbled.
Trish, the woman with a braid, performed a zig zag cartwheel combination to dodge the Minotaur's attacks. "That doesn't change the fact that this monster is chasing me like a cat chasing a mouse!"
"But..."
"Another unnecessary argument. Nothing new." Kolvar, a white-haired elf, sighed as he raised his bow. After aiming for a few seconds, he released an arrow.
As soon as the arrow penetrated the Minotaur's right eye, the monster screamed again.
"Please, Lyra." Kolvar spoke to a yellow-haired witch beside him.
The witch waved her staff and shouted. "Phoenix's flame!"
Her staff shoots flames in the shape of a giant bird. It hit the Minotaur, causing the monster to roll on the ground from the heat.
However, the Minotaur still attempted to get up, even though burns covered its body.
"Want something more special, sir?" Trish leaped and struck the Minotaur's face with a metal brass knuckle.
The Minotaur almost fell, and when Leonard attacked it a second time, the creature blocked it.
"Damn it!" Trish tried to deliver punches and kicks, but her opponent could dodge or block. "Why is this horned sh*t still able to fight!?"
With a hard roar, the Minotaur attacked the woman again.
"If you don't want to surrender, could you give me your horns, please!?" Trish tried to dodge again, but this time she occasionally countered. "We need your horns for money, nothing more!!!"
"He can't understand what you're saying, you idiot!" Leonard cursed again.
The fight continued with the four people carrying out their respective tasks.
***
"Aah!!!" At a bar, Trish raises her empty glass of ale. "Drinking after defeating a powerful monster is the best."
The others remained silent, unlike the woman
"What is it?" Trish raised an eyebrow when she found her friends didn't dare look at her. "We just made a lot of money from those Minotaur horns. Why are you guys like this? Did fighting the Minotaur make you constipated?"
Leonard sighed. "We will tell you something. And for that, I apologize in advance, Trish."
Trish put her glass on the table rather roughly. "You never apologized to me, Leonard. Just say what's on your mind."
"Leonard and I are getting married." Lyra, the witch, chimed in.
At first, Trish was silent with her mouth agape, but then she laughed. "Then, that good, right!? I already said that you two are compatible! We have to celebrate this!"
Instead of showing a joyful expression, Leonard took another breath, this time longer. "We want to make a happy family and have kids. We feel that life as adventurers is not suitable for that."
"My parents will pass down a land to me," Lyra looked down. "Leo and I decided to stay there and make a living out of it."
"They both consulted me." Kolvar, the elf, added. "Sorry, but I go on adventures because of you guys, because of this team. If half of you leave, I might as well go back to my hometown. It's not worth it."
Trish widened her eyes. She had already clenched her fists because of her overflowing emotions. But that only lasted a short time.
Her tears almost fell, even though her mouth curved into a smile. "It's okay. If you guys feel this is the best, I can't stop you."
"Trish…." Finally, Lyra looked at her friend.
"Ah, I'm sleepy. I will return to the inn." Trish rose to her feet. Her voice started cracking. "We'll talk about this tomorrow."
When Trish left, none of her friends stopped her or tried to talk to her. After years of adventuring, they know the ins and outs of Trish.
She wants to be alone for now.
The woman wiped her tears as she left the bar. She started this career when she was a teenager, and they were always with her. Whatever the situation, be it good or bad, they never part.
She will die for them, and she knew they were also willing to die for her. Their friendship was that deep.
And now, everything is about to change.
Trish continued to walk in the night's silence, reminiscing about the various memories she had made with her friends. And without realizing it, she arrived in front of a building.
The guild headquarters, where adventurers get licenses, choose suitable quests, and find friends to adventure with. Trish knew the place all too well.
"You're not usually alone like this." A woman with brown hair and wearing a guild headquarters uniform approached Trish.
Trish was silent as she continued to look at the closed building.
Never getting a response, the woman in uniform resumed. "I just finished working overtime, and now want to enjoy some hot tea to relax myself. Do you want to accompany me?"
"You know that I only drink water and alcohol." Trish closed her eyes. "I hate tea, Rebecca."
Rebecca smiled, looking at the building too. "So, your friends told you, huh?"
Trish's gaze turned to that woman. "You know that too?"
"Lyra is my friend, too. She already told me everything…" Rebecca cleared her throat. "Please, don't blame your friends for only telling you now. They're just worried about your reaction. This will affect you the most."
"I see… They've been planning this for a long time, huh?" A bitter smile graced Trish's face. "Those sh*tty comrades."
Silence fell between the two for a few moments, and Rebecca spoke again. "What's your plan after this?"
It took a few seconds for Trish to answer. "Cutting my hair… Don't ask me the reason, I don't know either. I suddenly wanted to do that."
Rebecca chuckled. "I'm sure any hairstyle will suit you…. But I'm talking about your future."
"I do not know."
"You can't imagine adventuring with new people, right?" Rebecca patted the black-haired woman on the shoulder.
"I don't even know if I still want to go on an adventure anymore."
"That's just a temporary thought. You always said you aspired to be an adventurer since you were little." Rebecca smiled. "You don't need to give up your dreams. Maybe it's better to do something less adventurous for now. It is to distract you from this matter for a while."
Trish's eyebrows knit together. "Like what? I don't enjoy knitting like you."
"I know you like high levels of physical activity." The guild headquarter employee chuckled again. "I have something suitable for you. The flyer had been up for a while, but nobody paid attention to it due to its odd description. Even so, the pay is high."
Trish's chin dropped. "You're going to offer me a job as an erotic dancer?"