The morning light, soft and golden, filtered through the thick curtains of the inn, painting the rich mahogany furniture a warm, buttery color. But for Liriel, the world was anything but warm. He woke with a groan, his head a symphony of throbbing pain. His golden hair was a tangled mess, and his body was a tapestry of bruises and cuts from the fight with the Behemoth. He sat up, the room spinning, and saw a figure sleeping soundly in a chair beside him.
It was Mizuki, the catperson gambler, her feline ears twitching, her tail curled around her like a protective shield.
Liriel froze. His drunken memory of the previous night was a jumbled mess of insults and beer. A cold, hard look crossed his face as he let out a roar.
"Thief!" he screamed, his voice a cracked, angry whisper. "Who the hell are you, and why is she sleeping here?"
Mizuki, startled by the noise, shot up, her eyes wide with a feline alertness. "The drunkard has woke, nyan," she said, her voice filled with a wicked glee. "Good nyorning, loser."
Liriel, his mind a jumbled mess, looked at Rohan, his eyes filled with a raw, defiant rage. "Rohan, I know you are awake. Don't try to fool me. What the f*ck happened?"
Rohan, seeing the genuine confusion, sighed. He explained everything: the drinking contest, Liriel's drunken bet, Mizuki's cheating, Rohan's intervention, and the final, insane bet.
Liriel stared at Mizuki, then at Rohan. He looked at the Behemoth's Respite, now resting on Rohan's lap. The rifle he had lost was back in the party's possession. He looked at Mizuki, her mischievous glint replaced by sheer humiliation. He looked at Rohan, the silent programmer who had just defeated a master gambler.
Then, a low, guttural chuckle escaped his lips. The chuckle turned into a roar of laughter, a raw, unadulterated sound that filled the room. He was laughing at Mizuki's humiliation.
"Wait wait ... That's a fcking story if I ever heard, Wahahahahah! " Liriel said, his voice filled with genuine amusement. "My drunk ass could lose, but she's a f*cking master gambler? Aw hell nahhhhh! You're a useless catperson who lost to a f*cking NPC and at your own game! Hahahaha! Rohan, I was wrong about you. There are dumber puss*es out there than you."
Mizuki, her mischievous glint back in her eyes, just laughed. "Says the one who pissed his pants after drinking so much. You were crying in your sleep saying 'i want to go to my papa,'" she said, her voice filled with a cruel, mocking glee. "You're a loser who lost to a dumber pussy. Seems you are more of a pussy than I am, nyahahahahaha."
"You think you're so smart, you mangy back-alley cat?" Liriel retorted, the amusement draining from his voice. "You're so bad at gambling, you'd bet on a drowning man to win a swimming contest! I'm a hero, a savior of worlds, and you're just a glorified coin-flipper with a tail!"
Mizuki's ears twitched, her smirk widening. "And you're a so-called hero who can't hold his liquor, nya. Your big golden hero hair is the only thing shining, because your brain is as dull as a rusty spoon. The only thing you've saved recently is the bartender's floor from being too clean! Nyahaha!"
"Oh, now you have done it," Liriel snarled. "Face me, Rohan's private p*ssy!"
Mizuki, with a mischievous smirk, activated her skill, all rules are meant to be broken. In a flash, she removed Liriel's pants. He was now standing in his underwear looking dumbfounded, a moment both hilarious and humiliating; Rohan and Lyra laughed. But when she tried to remove his underwear, Rohan intervened with the Tome-Key.
Liriel grew more angry and started shouting. She climbed an armoire and started hissing and talking smack.
"Come down here, you cowardly kitten! You're all talk and no bite, you furry little flea!" Liriel shouted, his face a mask of red-hot fury. "A hero like me shouldn't even have to waste his breath on a stray like you. You're only good for catching mice and losing money!"
Mizuki's eyes narrowed into slits as she hissed down at him from her perch. "Says the hero who cries for his daddy and gets bailed out by a guy who is basically a NPC. You're a brute with a big mouth and an empty head! I bet you'd lose to a rock in a game of checkers! Nyan-nyan!"
The bickering continued for what felt like an eternity. Rohan and Lyra, seeing no end in sight, decided to take a walk to get some fresh air. When they returned to the inn, they were met with a curious sight. Liriel was no longer in his underwear, and Mizuki was no longer on the armoire. Instead, the two were sitting at a table, a half-empty bottle of wine between them. How they had acquired it, Rohan and Lyra couldn't fathom, but they were laughing and talking smack with each other like old friends. The constant, comedic clash of personalities was no longer a sign of animosity, but a foundation for their new friendship.
Just then, Liriel looked up from his drink and saw them. He gestured with the wine bottle. "The ascended f*ker of the area is near," he said, the old insult carrying a new, fond weight. "Be ready guys, especially you, NPC. We're going for a hunt tonight."