Chapter 259

With the quest officially over, Natalie returned to The Kraken’s Hearth and took some much-needed relaxation time. Compared to previous fights, she had come out of combat a mess. Exploding a goblin’s head with an empowered [Smite] wasn’t the cleanest way to finish an opponent. She took a long, hot shower, scrubbing herself until she was squeaky clean. Which was a painful process, considering the bruises starting to blossom across her—physical proof of her aches and pains, which even Liz hadn’t been able to prevent.

One of the Baron’s men fetched them a few hours later when it was time to head back into town. Inside Tarenhelm’s city center, the population was abuzz with activity. As the Baron had said, it was no major holiday festival or anything like that, but most towns and cities were happy to throw a celebration when the opportunity called for it.

The streets were lined with colorful banners and streamers hastily strung between buildings and lamp posts. The scent of roasting meats and fresh-baked goods wafted through the air, mingling with the chatter of townsfolk. Children darted between adults’ legs, laughing and giggling.

Natalie and her teammates came, as suggested by the Baron, in their Tenet uniforms. As much as this was a celebration for a threat solved—and, Natalie knew, a rather minor threat, at least as far as the general population cared—they were here as emissaries for Tenet. Their scantily clad armor wouldn’t fit the atmosphere.

Eyes followed them as they walked through the street, passing by stands either already assembled or well on their way. A few intrepid souls greeted them and said their thanks, though for the most part, they progressed unimpeded. The Baron was in the center of the town square, under the shade of a canvas canopy. He boisterously greeted them, then encouraged them to enjoy themselves—to explore, eat, play some games, and so on.

So that was what they did.

They wandered around, taking in the sights and sounds of the impromptu celebration. The aroma of sizzling meats drew them to a food stall where they had their first meal since morning—which all five of them promptly devoured. Life-or-death combat had a way of fostering a ravenous appetite. The vendor insisted they didn’t pay, despite multiple attempts to hand over coins. They had hardly saved the city from destruction, but it seemed they were being hailed as minor heroes nonetheless.

Alaina found them shortly after their meal. She made a tentative request to accompany them, and though Jordan gave Natalie a significant look, they would hardly turn the woman down.

They went and played some games. Since there hadn’t been much prep time to set up anything extravagant, they were of the simple sort: horseshoes or ring tosses and activities like that, some at stalls and some out in the open.

One game in particular caught Natalie’s fancy: tug-of-war. She’d hesitated on whether to join in, worried it might be a faux pas to throw around her class-enhanced strength. But Alaina’s encouragement convinced her, and the daughter of the Baron would know what was considered ‘socially acceptable.’