Chương 35: If You're Going to Have Fun, Then Go All In

Before long, Marianne arranged a relatively clean wooden table for the group. Large mugs of ale, platters piled high with roasted meat, and various fruit pies were brought out one after another.

"Don't hold back! Eat and drink as much as you want!" Grey announced with a grand wave of his hand. Zelier speared a piece of roasted meat and placed it into his mouth. The rich juices immediately burst across his tongue, filling his mouth with a savory aroma. The meat had been cooked perfectly as well. The outer layer was crisp without being burnt, while the inside remained tender and flavorful.

After finishing one piece of meat and washing it down with a huge gulp of ale, the single word satisfying wasn't enough to describe how Zelier felt. For a brief moment, he even had the feeling that this was how life was supposed to be. The exhaustion left behind by fighting monsters faded away significantly. After saying a few words to the tavern owner, Marianne—the woman who seemed especially close with Grey—came over and sat beside him. Grey laughed loudly, pulling her into his arms.

Then he snapped his fingers toward another corner of the tavern. Not long afterward, several more serving girls came over. One petite red-haired woman immediately sat herself on Marcus' lap. Surprisingly, Marcus didn't refuse. Instead, he lowered his voice and started chatting playfully with her.

"Your chest muscles are really impressive, hehe..." The red-haired woman's hand had already slipped halfway inside Marcus' shirt. Zelier was slightly surprised at first. But after thinking about it, he quickly understood. Adventurers lived lives where death was always one step away. They fought monsters day after day. Everyone needed some kind of outlet to release the pressure. Marcus wasn't someone who indulged himself excessively, but there was no reason for him to constantly restrain himself either.

When it was time to have fun, he should simply enjoy it.

"Zelier, remember my promise to turn you into a real man?" Grey waved him over with a mischievous grin.

"The time has come to fulfill it." A slender hand suddenly rested on Zelier's shoulder from behind. A charming voice whispered beside his ear, soft enough to make his bones tingle.

"Little master, how about I have a few drinks with you?" Zelier's back instantly went stiff. The woman was quite beautiful. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Her sweet features and rosy lips gave off an irresistible charm that made people want to kiss her. However, Zelier immediately waved his hands.

"Uh... no, thank you. I'm fine drinking alone."

"Come on, don't be shy." The woman moved closer. She was now almost whispering directly into his ear. Zelier could even smell the faint fragrance on her body.

"I'll be very gentle."

"No... really, I'm fine by myself." Zelier politely refused again. In his previous life, he wasn't some sheltered virgin who had never interacted with women. He simply wasn't used to fooling around in places like this.

"Alright." The girl looked slightly disappointed.

"If you change your mind, come find me." After saying that, she lightly touched her finger to her lips and blew him a kiss. Honestly, it wasn't surprising that she was interested. Zelier's appearance was genuinely outstanding. Compared to the drunk middle-aged men around the tavern, he looked far more appealing. It was only natural that someone would want to pluck such a flower. As for Vaelis, there was no need to mention him. He looked like someone who had completely cut himself off from romance.

He rejected every offer with an expression of absolute righteousness. By normal standards, Vaelis was also extremely handsome. His elven bloodline gave him sharper and more refined features than ordinary humans. Combined with his serious expression, he had the unmistakable air of a cold, untouchable beauty. After several rounds of drinks, most of the roasted meat on the table had already disappeared. Grey was already visibly tipsy. He lifted his mug again, drank deeply, then let out a loud burp.

"Speaking of which, Vaelis... what happened to you this afternoon?"

"You almost got yourself killed."

"I know. I owe you a—" Vaelis didn't even finish before Grey interrupted him.

"Don't start talking about owing me anything."

"Didn't you say it yourself? Adventurers are supposed to support each other." Grey waved his hand dismissively.

"I've just never seen you freeze up during a fight before. Something happen?"

"It was nothing..." Vaelis lowered his gaze.

"I was just shocked by the Giant Winged Bat's attack method."

"The flying pieces of bone?"

"Bone spikes wrapped in Wind Blades," Zelier corrected.

"Yes." Vaelis' eyes flickered.

"When I saw the Giant Winged Bat combining Wind Blades with its bone spikes and firing them at high speed... it reminded me of my own class path."

"That's exactly how a Mid-tier Ranger attacks."

"You mean... a Ranger who has mastered Aura?" Marcus suddenly spoke.

"Yes." Vaelis nodded. Among Warriors, Rangers, and Assassins, the greatest difference between Low-tier and Mid-tier classes was Aura. Without mastering Aura, advancement was impossible.

"Being able to gain insight during battle... you're already ahead of me." Grey laughed.

"Looks like Blackstone Town will have another Mid-tier Ranger soon." He raised his mug high.

"Consider this an early celebration of your breakthrough. Cheers!" He drained his entire mug.

"Cheers!"

"Cheers!" Everyone raised their drinks together.

"And there's one more person I need to toast." Marcus stood up. He was already somewhat drunk, his large body swaying slightly.

"Zelier."

"Without you, we wouldn't have made this much money recently."

"I hope we keep pushing forward together and grow stronger with every battle!" Back when Marcus led the team alone, they mostly accepted Ordinary Tasks. Clearing wild beasts. Gathering materials. At most, they would deal with [Easy]-ranked monsters. Whenever they encountered a [Difficult]-ranked monster, they would have to carefully consider whether they could handle it. But now? They had defeated multiple [Difficult]-ranked monsters in succession. After only three quests, they had earned more than ten Gold Coins.

Something that would have been completely unimaginable before.

"To Zelier!"

"To Zelier!" The group raised their cups again.

"You're giving me too much credit." Zelier smiled.

"Without everyone's help, I wouldn't have improved this quickly either." Just as the atmosphere reached its peak, a frivolous whistle suddenly came from nearby.

"Hey! Marianne!"

"You can't be playing favorites. Come over here and have a few drinks with us!" The speaker was a bald, muscular man dressed like an adventurer. His eyes slowly traveled over Marianne's body as he grinned without restraint.

"We're not short on money for drinks!" The smile on Marianne's face froze for a brief moment. But quickly, she recovered her charming expression. She raised her mug toward the table in the distance.

"Big brother, I'm afraid I'm busy tonight."

"How about I introduce you to another beautiful girl instead?"

"No, no, no." The bald man shook his head.

"I want you."

"I want you to serve me tonight." He walked directly toward Marianne. His hand reached out toward her. He completely ignored Grey sitting beside her.

"Are you deaf, bald monk?" Grey finally spoke.

"Didn't you hear what Marianne just said?" The moment those words left his mouth, the bald man's expression instantly darkened.

"Blond brat... who the hell are you calling that?" The atmosphere inside the tavern suddenly tightened. Many patrons turned their attention over, eager to watch the entertainment unfold.