There's a sorceress who lives in a tall spire within Nether's territory; one who uses to be overflowing with grace, known for her untouchable poise by many.
Here's the thing, though - 'used to' ain't just a figure of speech.
And that was because, despite her success in constructing an immaculate image, all that hard earned 'grace' of hers was crumbling before her very eyes.
Really, the highly respected sorceress looked more like a wet dog right now.
She'd never experienced a situation like this, not even once. After all, nobody would be foolish enough to besmirch her pristine garments so carelessly.
Until now, that was.
"Wh-wha..? What?"
Her brain short circuited, incoherent noises spilling out of her mouth as soon as the initial shock wore off.
As for the kid(?) responsible for her currently lackluster state - he wasn't helping the situation one bit.
While most wouldn't have heard the words he quietly uttered, the sorceress possessed an incredible hearing;
"I've dug myself quite the deep grave… Hmm, she seems real strong, too. I guess now would be a good time to apologize, right? That's what a reasonably human would do, I suppose."
"…"
Her visit to the pub was promising to be a long, arduous one.
***
Recently, the atmosphere within this offshoot town of Nether had grown rather chaotic. It was in no small part due to the king's in person visitation along with his beloved eldest son.
The past few weeks were even worse, with an unexpected appearance of a Threadripper and an attempt on Malrik's life to top it all off.
Yet, while these events were bound to incite curiosity within the minds of most, one girl in particular heeded them no mind.
Simply put, she was much too absorbed in her studies to care.
The sorceress, named Marin, had an especially arduous task to accomplish today - she was preparing to inscribe the fins set of runes which, fingers crossed goes well, would let her break through to new heights.
Various ingredients lined the floor of her tower, meticulously laid and primed for the inscription ritual.
"Whew, these were a lot harder to get my hands on than I expected…"
After a short sigh, Marin braced herself for the pain that would soon wash over her - it was the most unpleasant part of forcefully channeling alien sources of essence directly into the body, but it had to be done.
Her sighs were set far, but her current level was sorely lacking for the enemies she'd have to face when the time came.
And so, having convinced herself with moot thoughts of some far off future battles, Marin planted her right palm on the floor.
The runes - etched deeply into it - began to glimmer with an ethereal glow, and the many ingredients lining her room followed suit.
"Here we go… I can do this!"
With a determined look, Marin finally threw all her worries aside and picked up a captivating dagger, full of magic circles just like everything else inside her lodging, and brought it to her collarbone.
Her grip was solid, essence under control and no tremors coursing through her hands; she'd learned to suppress her fear of pain rather well.
*Whoom*
…Which is exactly why Marin was so befuddled when the runes suddenly started emitting a low hum, actuated before she began channeling energy through them.
Figurative question marks hovered above her head; she even considered the possibly of having messed something up.
I'm too amazing to screw up like this.
Confident in her own skills to an unhealthy degree, she ran over all the other possibilities while outright excluding the option of her own mistakes. Eventually, a few faces flashed through her head.
"Ahh, those morons - I told them to stay put while I'm at work… Tsk!"
Mood turned foul, she raised her eyes from the now glowing engravings.
"My stupid apprentices are in for a beating later-?!"
But, just as she began to mouth her blameless underlings off, a disgustingly dense flood of fiery essence overwhelmed her.
If before, the energy was too faint to accurately pinpoint the source - this time its volume was absurd.
"Vaynar… What the hell are you doing?!"
There was only one being who could emit such suffocating, fiery energy; it was unmistakably Nether Vaynar.
However, someone of his caliber wouldn't flail energy around for no reason.
In other words, something dire was brewing.
Don't think I can sit this one out.
With those thoughts, she gave her disrupted runes a defeated look and set out.
Marin is a self centered person, yes; but when an event on such an unimaginable scale was happening right under her nose, she couldn't overlook it, as her own wellbeing relied entirely on this town's survival.
And so, she headed for the eye of the storm without any regrets.
…Without too many regrets.
I'm late.
However, her determination never paid off. By the time she arrived, the battle had long ended.
All that remained of it was carnage, beyond anything the human eyes were meant to witness.
Bodies everywhere - thousands of them - and signs of a desperate struggle, evidenced by the charred remains of what used to be grass and trees.
Worst of all, though, was Vaynar.
Not even his body remained.
The only thing to even suggest his demise was an oddly dense, fire tinged essence seeping out of the numerous surviving beats' bellies.
Vaynar Nether, the indisputable number one powerhouse of the continent, was mauled alive.
Vomit welled up in Marin's throat.
"Urgh. This is insane…"
She felt herself slipping into despair.
A few silent minutes passed, only interrupted by the occasional squeal of demonic beasts as they fought amongst each other for the remaining corpses.
I… I don't even know where to start.
Overwhelmed by the sight before her, she pressed a palm to her forehead and gathered her thoughts.
There was a lot to consider, shock aside - like, how could she possibly protect her precious spire from the demonic swarm, all the while also keeping the villagers alive?
If the people living within this town were to perish, she would no longer have anybody to trade with. Provisions, ingredients, new apprentices; all of these things were one step away from being stripped away from her.
It was all too much to take in.
She fought sickness in the pits of her stomach for another minute, before eventually coming to a decision.
How about I drown my worries in alcohol? That always works.
…Unfortunately, her decision was far from a rational one.
Looks be damned - I can allow myself to relax just this once. I'll probably get scolded by my maids for creating a bunch of public appearance issues, but who could blame me? Let's see them try and remain composed after seeing this hellscape…
In this manner, mentally drained and fueled solely by the hopes of forgetting everything, if only for one night - she set out towards her favorite pub.
And, well… We already know how that went.
***
Needless to say, I was lost.
It's not every day you get to disgrace a powerful individual with no way out.
Uhh, though I have been meddling with freaks of the world quite frequently in recent times… Khah, just my luck.
The first step to fixing a mistake is, of course, an apology. I'm the smartest man alive - self branded but whatever - so I've got his one in the bag!
"Wh-wha..? What?"
The drenched sorceress mumbled some incomprehensible words, but I masterfully ignored them and stood up from my strangely comfortable bar stool.
Then, with a 90 degree bow and in the most respectful pose I could muster, I offered my sincerest apologies:
"My bad, little sorceress. Want me to get you a change of clothes to make up for my mistake?"
I raised my head to look at her with a perfectly amicable smile.
But for some reason, she wasn't pleased.
In fact, she seemed on the verge of blowing this place to bits, face flushed in anger.
Did I say something wrong? I thought my delivery was immaculate… Ahh, she probably doesn't like exaggerated shows of respect; I can get behind that.
With those thoughts, I briskly dropped the act and sat back down in a relaxed pose.
After shaking in anger for a few more seconds, she finally let out a drained sigh and spoke to me in an exasperated tone.
"You damned pervert! Was that your plan from the start?!"
"The fuck? No, why is everybody and their mother calling me a pervert all of a sudden?"
"Are you seriously going to pretend like you don't know? You ruined my clothes and tried to snatch them for yourself under the pretext of getting me a new outfit! And don't even try to pretend like that wasn't the case - I saw your disgusting smirk."
During her enraged shout, she pulled a stool out of - uhh, god knows where - and took a seat right in front of me.
Wow, this feels just like when my mom used to scold me.
Oblivious to my thoughts, she continued her tirade, throwing baseless accusations my way - but by this point, I've had it up to here.
"Wait."
I cut her off with a raised arm.
"Trying to get out without repercussions now? Aha-"
"I said wait..! For fuck's sake, why is it that every person I meet is always so obsessed with berating me."
My confident tone took her out for a sec, unconcealed surprise written on her face.
The girl must've thought that my confidence wasn't unfounded, as I surmised from her suddenly raised guard.
Not used to having people speak with you so directly? Well, that's fair enough, since you're some big shot. But lemme tell ya, girl; I've talked down on people way stronger than you, and I'm doing just fine.
That was a blatant lie I told myself - how could my state possibly be described as 'fine' when I'd lost the majority of my strength?
But whatever. If she thinks me powerful, that will only play to my hands.
Regardless, she at least seemed ready to hear me out, even if not exactly enthused.
"Look, imma be honest here... I'm not interested in children! Why in the hell would I possibly wanna snatch your underage self's clothes when I have a perfectly mature friend right here?!"
With those words, I pointed both my hands at Kaela, as if presenting a top of the line wagon.
The people in the bar, meanwhile, slowly crept out.
At least the mundane humans did; the martial artists, instead of getting terrified, perked their ears up in curiosity.
"Who're you calling underage?! I'm thirty eight, I'll have you know! …Even if I don't look it."
Out to nowhere, a ear welled up in the corner of my eye.
It seemed like I'd found someone who could share in my sorrows, and that touched to me to the core.
I wiped my teary eyes at which the girl started panicking, even more stumped than before.
"W-Wha… Why are you suddenly crying, kid?"
A realization struck me just then.
Hold up; what if, rather than being wary of me, she's actually just going easy because she thinks I'm a kid going through puberty?
Then, her 'on guard' look was probably just an attempt to calm her nerves, as harming a stupid child would only serve to sully her image.
That would also explain how I'm still alive, after doing something that - by all means - should've resulted in my head rolling.
I regained my composure and leaded forward with a serious expression.
She matched the mood, also taking on a serious look.
What a character. Just a second ago, she was ready to turn me inside out… Hahaha.
"You said you're thirty eight, but because of your appearance, you get mistaken for a child all the time; is that correct?"
"Yes, what of it?"
She nodded, though that gesture was brimming with displeasure.
I inhaled a deep breath, eyes glimmering at the prospect of finally finding someone who feels my pain.
"So am I! Well, probably not exactly thirty eight, cuz I never kept track of my age… Either way, I'm way older than I look. What I meant to say is - I wholly understand your pain. I've been dealing with the same shit for my entire life."
"Ah!"
The same touched emotions as my own crossed her face.
I grinned at her reaction before continuing with a cheery tone:
"So how about it, mature sorceress? Wanna become friends?"
"Yes? Yes, of course! Lets be friends, umm-"
"I'm called Ori. You?"
"Right, Ori. I'm Marin."
My smile grew wider.
Finally, a sane person joins the team!
"Well then. Let's get along, my dearest of friends Marin."
I reached my hand out for a shake, extremely excited.
At the same time, I noticed some side eye from the pub visitors that chose to stick around; they seemed completely lost as to how we somehow made up, despite what looked like the beginning of a brawl.
Stare on, nerds. Bet you're jealous of me now, huh? Heheheh.
Naturally, there wasn't even a tinge of jealousy in their eyes - only utter confusion. But I chose to spin it in a positive light, for my own sake.
Eventually, Marin gripped my hands with both of hers and shook it with a little too much enthusiasm.
Alrighty. That's plus one right there. Though at this rate, I might just end up surrounding myself with the whackiest set of individuals.
"Anyways, want me to pay for your clothes? Or, like, wash em or something? Yeah, that'd probably be better… I'm kinda broke."
I figured it was a good time to make up for my earlier mistake.
"Ah, don't worry about that; I've got plenty of money to spare, so buying a new outfit won't be an issue."
Marin replied dismissively, causing my eyes to glimmer with even more respect.
She's cool AND rich? What an amazing girl.
Still, one issue needed solving:
"I'm glad you're so chill, my dear friend, but I do think your outfit needs solving. Like, right this instant."
"Hmm? I already told you, it's no big deal. Since we're friends now."
"In that case - as a friend - I feel obliged to inform you."
"..?"
She made a questioning face.
"People are staring at your skin, Marin. Umm, how should I put this? Right, so… your clothes are a tad transparent right now, because they're, well… Wet."
Her eyes sprung wide open, and she swiftly looked down, only to flush with embarrassment, voice crackling.
"O-oh."
"Yeah, it's not the most graceful of looks. Actually, I'd say you could pass for an exhibitionist right now."
I awkwardly scratched my cheek as I spoke.
"Wanna grab my cloak? I know it's a bit scuffed up, but better than nothing."
I prepared to hand my new best friend the cloak which I stole-
*Cough*
Which I borrowed from one of Nether's warriors, but she shook simply shook hear head.
Is she just gonna sit around in this state?
Great, I think I've befriended another freak…
*Fwoosh*
Oh? Nevermind.
Just as I started insulting her in my mind, a gust of wind swirled around her. Then, something akin to a smokescreen enveloped her frame, eventually shaping into an opaque, silver-ish cloak.
"Woah, that's kinda sick."
I voiced my honest opinion.
"Heheheh, you think so?"
"Mhm. Honest to god - or whatever the phrase is - I'm impressed."
Interestingly, my new friend seemed very weak to compliments, as she damn near giggled in joy at the slightest bit of praise.
You'd think someone of her power would get buttered up by every other person, but perhaps those are just not genuine enough for her liking?
"But, Ori?"
"Sup?"
I raised an eyebrow at her suddenly cautious tone.
"Why are you dressed like that? Both you and the girl next to you. Are you perhaps - and forgive me if it sounds too direct - a pair of beggars?"
Ah, so that's what this is about. She's just trying not to offend me by calling our pair poor. Ain't that what humans call an angel?
"Nah, nothing like that. Actually, I guess we are? I mean, we don't have any place to stay, if that counts. But, as for the outfits - it's nothing more than the result of a fight. Got a bit, no, really roughed up."
Marin's gaze moved from me to Kaela, a picture of what lead to our states forming.
"Well, I'd say you shouldn't concern yourself with any of that. Let's just enjoy a good meal; you appear tired too."
"Mm! Good eye, Ori. I just witnessed something not too long ago. Certainly not a sight for the faint of heart."
"Same here. Well then, let's eat our sorrows away!"
Without wasting my breath on useless peasantries, I picked up a weird, pronged metal utensil meant for stabbing the food and bit into a juicy steak.
I also pushed the plate of potatoes toward the middle of the table and handed one of the spare metal prongs to Marin.
She didn't hesitate, going straight for the potatoes as if they were meant for her from the get go.
Is this the best day of my life, or what? I defeated a ridiculous guy, broke out of prison, got to eat a heaven sent dinner, and even made a new friend.
I was due for some luck, eh? I'll make sure to enjoy this moment to the fullest.
With a smile, so joyed as to be almost offputting, I went in for the another bite.
***
Ori and the sorceress, apparently named Marin, began stuffing their mouths.
At the same time, Kaela observed the two with a gaping jaw.
No no no no… This makes no sense! What do you mean, 'friends'?! You've barely exchanged more than a few sentences!
She didn't have enough words in her vocabulary to describe the absurdity of what she was seeing.
After staring at the two for while longer, only one thought remained:
What in the shitshow are they putting on? I want no part in this clown fiesta, please…
Unfortunately, her fate was much too interwoven with the aforementioned clown; and so, despite wanting nothing more than to walk away, she reluctantly accepted her predicament.
Kaela couldn't help but look back on her time within the prison as a rather pleasant one, at least in comparison to this headache of a duo.
Maybe the Royal Detention wasn't so bad, after all…