The smell of freshly baked bread and boiling broth filled the air of the Raven Inn, mingling with the lingering aroma of charred wood and dust—still lingering remnants of the second floor's destruction. Raven, as always, dealt with the catastrophe practically and directly: she repaired the walls with her magic, reinforced the beams, and decreed that, since Irelia and Sazhara were partially responsible for the damage, they would both serve as waitresses until their debt was paid off.
Which meant that, this morning, Kael was bent over a table, cloth in hand, wiping glasses and wooden boards with an efficiency that bordered on tedious.
Not that he minded all that much—after battling monsters, gods, and the System itself, scrubbing tables seemed therapeutic. But still, there was an air of irony in seeing the "legendary swordsman" acting as a tavern hand.
