Ale, Meat, and Mayhem ( 15 )

After the bath, I joined the group for a drink. The 3-copper coin ale wasn't bad. Gulp, gulp, gulp… "Ahhhh… refreshing." I had to admit, this was the highlight of my day so far.

One of the guys shouted, "Oi, crazy guy."

"Huh?" I turned to him, wiping my mouth.

"Wanna join us for dinner?"

"You paying?" I asked, hopeful but skeptical.

He snorted. "Hah! No! We all pay for ourselves. Come on, crazy guy, we all got the same pay… well, except you. AHAHAHA!"

"Fine," I muttered, rolling my eyes. "But it better not be some expensive place."

Another chimed in, slapping my back. "Don't worry, we're repairmen, not fancy nobles. Of course, we've got a regular spot—good food, cheap prices."

I followed them, feeling a little curious and a lot hungry. "Better not regret this," I muttered, as my stomach growled in agreement.

One of the guys laughed, slapping his knee. "Why worry about tomorrow, crazy guy? All you need tonight is a place to sleep."

I raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? What do you suggest? A royal palace?"

He smirked. "Let me tell you, the stables are a far better option. Just 1 copper coin a night. It's not like you're sharing a bed with the horses—well, you are in the stable, so don't expect anything comfortable! AHAHAHAHA!"

The others laughed, and I groaned. "Gee, that sounds just lovely."

He continued, ignoring my sarcasm. "Besides, the repairman job covers lunch, so you're good there. You'll need to buy your own breakfast. But hey, that's life! AHAHAHA!"

"Oh, great. Breakfast, the stable, and this crazy job. Truly living the dream," I muttered, shaking my head.

We arrived at a spot tucked near the towering capital city wall. There was a small, hidden street food stall with wooden tables and benches scattered around. The smell of grilled meat and spices hit me like a warm hug.

"Wow! There are a lot of people here," I said, eyeing the crowd hunched over bowls and plates.

"Of course!" one of the guys grinned. "This is the cheapest place to eat in the capital—great food, low prices—perfect for us repairmen!"

One of them waved me over. "Oi, crazy guy! What are you waiting for? Come here and sit!"

I groaned, stomping over. "Ugh! Stop calling me crazy guy!"

They burst out laughing. "Hahaha! The chief said the guards called you crazy guy. Guess it stuck!"

I plopped down on the bench, crossing my arms. "It's Hazuki. Hazekaya Hazuki."

One of them scratched his head. "Umm… Ha…ji…ka…ya Hajoki?"

"No! Hazekaya Hazuki!" I said, slapping my forehead.

"Yeah, yeah, Hajoki. Got it."

"You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?"

The group roared with laughter again as I sighed, resigning myself to their teasing. At least the food smelled promising.

"Owner! The cheapest meal! The usual! And a big glass of ale!" one of the guys shouted, raising his hand.

"Coming right up!" the owner yelled back from behind the stall.

The waitress quickly brought over plates of food—a simple stew with some bread and grilled meat—and big glasses of ale. Each of us paid 7 copper coins for the meal and drink, and I couldn't help but think how my precious copper coins were disappearing fast.

Munch, munch… I bit into the bread and nodded. "Oh, this is actually pretty good."

The others laughed. "Cheap and good, right? Told you this place was solid!"

As we ate, I realized I still didn't know their names. "Hey, uh… I don't know you guys' names."

One raised his hand. "Me? Robert."

The guy next to him pointed at himself. "Just call me Zaben."

Another chuckled. "Oh? Me? Jubir."

The one with the loudest laugh added, "Call me Ahlem."

The last guy leaned back, grinning. "Biston. That's me."

I smirked at them. "Alright, Robert, Zaben, Jubir, Ahlem, and Biston… Got it. Nice to meet you guys."

Robert raised his glass. "Welcome to the repairman crew, crazy guy! I mean… Hajoki!"

"It's Hazuki!" I shouted, but they burst out laughing again.

At least the meal was good, and their company was tolerable.

"Can I ask?" I said after a gulp of ale.

"What now, crazy guy?" Zaben shot back, grinning.

I squinted. "You all don't get scared when you see my face?"

They all erupted in laughter. "Gahahaahahaha! Seriously? No wonder they call you crazy guy!"

"Huh?" I blinked, confused.

"Do you see any of us? Look at our faces!" Robert pointed around, laughing harder. "That guy with the big sword behind you—he's scarier than your handsome face!"

I tilted my head in confusion. "Me? Handsome?"

They laughed harder. "Yeah! With that face, you could easily sell your ass to anyone around here!" Zaben teased.

I rolled my eyes, feeling a little embarrassed. "Shut up!" I muttered, but they kept laughing, the sound filling the air.

"Why don't you all work as adventurers?" I asked, genuinely curious. "I heard it was easy money."

The adventurers burst into laughter. "Huh? Crazy guy? You serious?"

"Easy money? Hahahahaha!" One of them laughed so hard he almost choked.

Zaben leaned back, grinning. "If it were such easy money, why are those big adventurers with swords eating here, huh? Gahahaha!"

Just then, a big adventurer snapped, "What did you say?"

Zaben stood up to face the adventurer, his crew behind him. "What's the matter, punk? You got a problem?"

Everything went still, tension thick in the air. The adventurer's party and Zaben's crew glared at each other like a powder keg about to explode.

The adventurer grinned, his tone cold. "Me and my party just returned from killing a group of goblins."

Zaben didn't flinch. "So? I killed a big boar before joining as a wall repairman! Alone!" He shot back with a cocky grin.

"And don't think we aren't ex-adventurers ourselves, you tiny little ball of muscle!" Robert added, cracking his knuckles for emphasis.

The rest of the crew started cracking their knuckles too, clearly ready to fight if it came to that.

The adventurer's party glanced at each other, sizing up Zaben's group. It looked like things were about to get ugly.

I didn't know whether to laugh, hide, or try to stop it. This new world sure was full of surprises.

As the brawl broke out, with punches flying and chairs toppling, I could've jumped in, but I had a much better idea.

I glanced over at the adventurers' table. Food—heaps of it—just sitting there, completely unguarded while they bickered.

Without hesitation, I stood up, calmly walked over to their table, and grabbed all the meat they'd ordered, stuffing it into my arms before casually walking back to my table.

The chaos didn't faze me. I took my time, unbothered by the fight, and plopped down with my spoils of war.

I stuffed a large chunk of meat into my mouth and let out a satisfied sigh. "Hey, you guys enjoy that fight. I'll just be here eating," I said, tearing into the food.

The fight raged on around me, but I couldn't care less. Who needed a good fight when you had this much meat?

As I chomped down on another piece, my throat felt dry. I glanced at the adventurers' table—five big mugs of ale, untouched.

Grinning, I muttered, "Well, waste not, want not," and grabbed all five mugs. They wouldn't need them while getting their butts handed to them, right?

With the mugs securely in hand, I waddled back to my table, balancing them like a pro. I placed them down one by one and admired my new treasure.

"Ale and meat. Life's good," I said to myself, taking a long gulp from one of the mugs.

By now, the repairman team was dominating the fight. Punches were thrown, adventurers groaned on the floor, and Zaben laughed like a madman.

"Looks like you guys don't need my help," I said casually, raising a mug in their direction as if to toast. They didn't hear me, of course—they were too busy mopping the floor with the adventurers.

Leaning back in my chair, I took another sip of ale. "Easy win for the repairman team, huh?" I chuckled, watching the chaos continue. Life in this world might be tough, but moments like these made it entertaining.

( End Of Chapter )