“Congratulations!” My throat was so dry, it felt like my voice would quit on me before I could squeeze the word out.
Not good. Can’t keep being like this. Not today. I can’t stand here looking miserable when they’re about to start their new life together. Right? Journeys should begin with a smile. That’s how it’s done.
I gripped the handle of the basket filled with yellow petals. I’m sure this is the goddess’s will. After all, I’m not the first man who’s ever been snubbed by a woman, and I won’t be the last. It happens every day! Just laugh it off and be happy for the lucky bastard she picked instead. I can do that much, right?
“Blessings to the both of you! Congratulations!” I emptied the basket of petals over the man and woman beaming with joy under the bright sunshine.
The happy couple, who had exchanged their battle-worn armor and weapons for wedding clothes that didn’t suit them quite so well, stared at me in surprise with their eyes wide and mouths hanging open.
“Wha— Waine! Enough with the horseplay!” shouted Miguel, still high-strung with nerves.
Ranna just laughed as she always did. “Ha ha ha! Don’t we make a pretty bouquet?”
With that, everyone burst into laughter and applause. Even the priest was in stitches. Yeah, this is how it’s meant to be. The ceremony was a bit unorthodox by most folks’ standards, but who’d decided these things had to be stuffy affairs anyway? We were doing things our way.
“Yeesh, what a darn mess... But thanks, Waine. You’re the reason we’re standing here today.”
“Ha, that’s not like you, Miguel. Well, there’s probably not a man alive who wouldn’t be nervous on his wedding day. Come on, drink up. The groom’s gotta finish every drop that’s poured for him—that’s the tradition here in Hiriyenka!”
“Funny how I’ve never heard that one before...”
I gave Miguel’s outstretched right hand a firm shake and slapped him on the shoulder before topping up his still half-full wooden cup with liquor.
“Look after yourself, Ranna. Make sure to kick Miguel’s ass if he slacks off on the farm.” I greeted the new bride too, but I didn’t pour for her. There was a tiny life growing within her belly. It was a shame that we couldn’t drink together, but even I knew that alcohol was no good for babies.
“Heh, oh, I will,” she replied with a grin. “You take care too, Waine. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t.”
This was a blessed day.
An old veteran had once told me: When adventurers part ways, and all of them are still alive, you celebrate. Even a falling-out or a betrayal. A happy day like today, then, was truly special. Festive yellow flowers bloomed everywhere I looked. Even the fluffy clouds in the sky seemed like they were filled with cheer. Across the water, a group of dancers were waving fluttering lengths of fabric for some reason and taking swigs from a bottle.
“A toast to the bride and groom! May the blessings of the goddess Amana be upon them!”
I raised my cup to meet the others’ before bringing it to my lips. A fine, expensive brew, much smoother than our usual fare. I emptied the cup with a satisfied gasp. And then...
Thud! I slammed my cup of cheap liquor down on the wood. Having cried myself to sleep, slumped over the table, I’d woken up with a pounding headache and a wobbly stomach too. The dregs of the alcohol I’d drowned myself in last night to escape reality tasted about as good as you’d expect. I wanted to die.
I let out a hiccup and then a sob. It had been two days already, and I still couldn’t squash those dreams. Each time the alcohol got to me and turned on the waterworks, the corners of my eyes stung.
“You held up well, Waine.”
The comforting words came from a wild-haired mage who suddenly appeared in the seat across from me. Actually, she was probably just here to make sure I hadn’t drunk myself to death.
“Ugh... Listen, Sheya, I... I...”
“You loved Ranna. But Miguel beat you to her, and by the time you found out, she was already pregnant.” Sheya took the words right out of my mouth.
Actually, I might’ve told her that half a dozen times already. I hung my head, feeling dejected.
The battle had ended before it had ever begun. I had no magic that could turn back time. Still slumped over the table, I let out a heavy sigh. I groped around, without lifting my head, until I found some leftover rye bread from last night. The sight of the small lump almost made my stomach lurch. My head was throbbing, and I was nauseous with heartburn. But my sluggish brain thought it’d be a waste to throw the bread away, so I made myself take a nibble. Miguel didn’t like the stuff—said it was hard and sour—but I liked the texture. Plus, rye bread was filling and cheap. Ranna liked it too and ate it often.
“Wish I could get married...” I mumbled.
“Who’d be your bride?”
“Sheya... I know, why don’t you—”
“Get to Rank B and I’ll think about it.”
It was a harsh system, the hierarchy of adventurers. My position in Rank D hung around my neck like a boulder. Low-ranked adventurers didn’t even get a shot at the high-paying jobs. But then again, bigger reward means more complicated work. Too complicated for me, anyway.
But come on, Sheya... Rank B? Give a guy a chance. There were only two parties of Rank B adventurers in Hiriyenka, and not a single Rank A. There were no unexplored dungeons or big bounties around here. All the heavy hitters ended up in the capital.
“Hmm. The capital, huh...?” I murmured, thinking idly that maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea to strike out on a journey to somewhere new, until I remembered the state of my finances. I’d spent almost every last coin on the wedding celebrations. Paying for tomorrow’s lunch was already gonna be a problem, let alone some journey to who-knows-where.
I let out another long, sad sigh. Heartbroken or not, I couldn’t sit moping here forever. It was another luxury I couldn’t afford. Being idle was a hobby for those with much fatter coin purses than mine. It was depressing, being forced to face this harsh reality, but not enough to bring me to tears. Sadly, my heart was too hard for that.
I stuffed the last of the rye bread into my mouth, washed it down with the cheap swill, and sighed again. I glanced at the wall where requests were pinned and saw that there were a few posted. If only I could get a nice one-way escort mission that’d take me toward the capital, I’d kill two birds with one stone. But there was a problem.
Work, huh? This is gonna be tricky.
Sluggishly, I pushed myself up off the table and, with a hand pressed to my aching forehead, stared at the requests wall. By the looks of it, the morning people had already scattered for the day, so there was nobody to block my view. My hangover and however many tears I’d cried over the last two days weren’t exactly helping me see any better, but eventually I managed to squint my eyes into focus. My sharp vision was one of my few points of pride. From where I sat, I could make out not only the headings but also the shapes of the small letters written below them.
The only problem was, I couldn’t understand a single word.
At that moment, the guild’s door slowly opened with a soft creak.