A Reunion at the Tavern

The tavern's somewhat heavy wooden door was pushed open with a "bang," bringing in the cool air of the Northern Frontier night, as well as a burst of vibrant, even somewhat noisy, noise.

The one who charged in first was indeed that familiar figure— Ruby.

Her signature fiery red curls seemed to have grown a bit longer than when they parted, neatly tied into a high ponytail, but a few unruly strands still stuck out, making her small face even more radiant.

At this moment, her big eyes were wide open, scanning the interior of the tavern like searchlights, and she was also taking a deep breath of the aroma of food in the air, looking just like a starving little red squirrel that had finally found a granary.

She was dressed in practical travel clothes, looking travel-worn, but that couldn't hide her vibrant energy. Before she had even fully settled down, her clear voice rang out:

"Oh! Oh! I'm exhausted! Finally found a place where I can have a proper meal! Boss! I'm going to have a big feast!"

Himmel followed closely behind.

He remained the same calm and reliable warrior, his blue hair shining brightly in the dim light of the tavern, like fragments of a clear sky.

His handsome face bore his usual smile and a hint of barely perceptible fatigue, but his blue eyes remained clear and sharp, like a sword ready to be drawn at any moment, scanning his surroundings with the instinctive vigilance of a warrior.

His armor was stained with dust and dried, dark marks, silently telling the story of the fierce battle that had just taken place.

Next up was the dwarf Warrior Eisen.

He was short and stocky, with a steady gait, like a moving mountain. His thick beard seemed meticulously trimmed, but his brows also bore the obvious marks of hardship.

He carried the enormous battle axe on his back, his gaze calmly sweeping across the tavern before finally settling precisely on the rows of barrels of liquor behind the bar, emanating an enticing aroma of malt. His Adam's apple bobbed almost imperceptibly, his longing for fine wine evident.

The last to enter was the Priest Heiter.

He wore his usual, seemingly perpetually optimistic smile, but the dark circles under his eyes revealed the enormous depletion he had recently expended in terms of magic and mental energy.

However, the moment he stepped into the tavern, his gaze was drawn to the several large barrels in the corner, exuding an enticing aroma of malt, as if by a magnet. His eyes burned so intensely that they seemed to burn holes in the barrels, and his previous fatigue seemed to be instantly dispelled by this "beacon of hope."

The sudden appearance of these four Hero Party members, their unique combination, and their undeniable extraordinary aura immediately attracted the curious or awe-inspiring gazes of many diners in the tavern.

However, in the very next second...

Himmel's gaze, sharp as a hawk's, suddenly locked onto the corner of the tavern where Lowell and his group were. More precisely, it locked onto Solitär, who was quietly standing beside Lowell with a harmless, sweet smile on her face!

Almost instinctively, as if etched into his very bones, Himmel's eyes instantly sharpened. His hand on the hilt of his sword tightened sharply, and his body leaned forward slightly, assuming an almost instinctive, ready-to-fight stance, as if he might draw his sword at any moment.

It was a kind of vigilance and hostility that one only feels when facing Great Demons, stemming from countless life-and-death battles.

Solitär seemed oblivious, even tilting her head and looking back at Himmel with even more "innocent" eyes, and even giving him an increasingly sweet smile, even with a hint of "curiosity".

This tense atmosphere lasted for less than a moment.

Himmel's gaze swept quickly over Lowell, Frieren, Lupa, and Linié beside Solitär. Seeing their calm, even slightly exasperated, "You just noticed us?" expressions, Himmel's tense body visibly relaxed.

His grip on the sword hilt loosened slowly. A look of understanding flashed across his face, then transformed into a gentle smile, tinged with a hint of confusion but mostly with the joy of reunion. He nodded slightly to Lowell and the others, as if to say with his eyes, "So you're acquaintances. It seems you're friends, not enemies."

Just then, Ruby finally noticed the familiar faces in the corner and immediately waved her arms excitedly, running over like a little bird. "Lady Frieren! Lowell! Lupa! Linié! And... uh... who is this? Anyway, it's you guys! Great! I didn't expect to run into you here!"

Heiter strained to tear his gaze away from the barrel and saw Lowell and the others, especially Lowell. His eyes lit up and his smile widened as he joined them. Eisen followed silently and steadily.

The small corner of the tavern suddenly became even more lively. The two groups naturally merged and quickly put together a large table to sit down.

Without needing to be told, the astute innkeeper immediately began serving food and drinks: crispy, juicy roasted ribs, golden-brown, crispy roasted chicken, a large plate of steaming hot coarse wheat bread, and several large glasses of beer with thick foam. Soon, the table was filled with these dishes.

Heiter practically snatched a glass of ale, gulping down most of it before letting out a long, satisfied sigh, as if some of the weariness on his face had been exhaled with the aroma of the alcohol.

Eisen also ordered a large glass, sipping it slowly and deliberately, but his eyes kept darting to the tempting patties.

Ruby was clearly both hungry and craving food. She devoured the roasted chicken leg almost greedily, eagerly and somewhat indistinctly, wanting to share their adventure.

She swallowed the food in her mouth with difficulty, her eyes sparkling, and waved her hand, still holding the chicken bone, excitedly saying to Frieren:

"Lady Frieren! Listen to me! We really defeated the Demon King! When we arrived at that gloomy Demon King's Castle, there was an incredibly thick magical barrier outside! It looked absolutely indestructible!"

She took a deep breath, as if gathering the immense power needed to unleash a massive spell, and then spoke loudly in a chanting tone, with obvious exaggerated theatricality:

"Then Ruby, I began to gather all my strength! I gathered the power of the fire spirits between heaven and earth, using my magic as a conduit, and summoned the all-consuming blazing flames—Super Ultimate Burst Evil-Slaying Heaven-Burning Magical Explosive Fireball!"

The rather ridiculously long name of the move made Linié, who was taking small bites of an apple next to her, pause for a moment. A very faint, question mark-like light seemed to flash in her dark blue pupils.

Ruby, oblivious to the chaos, continued her animated description, gesturing wildly and spitting as she spoke, "Suddenly! A super-huge fireball appeared! It was practically a mini-sun! I hurled it at the barrier with all my might! 'BOOM!!' A deafening roar! Guess what? It shattered that incredibly powerful Demon King's Castle barrier into pieces! Fragments rained down like raindrops!"

Himmel watched Ruby's excited, gesticulating movements, a gentle, helpless yet indulgent smile playing on his lips. He naturally took over the conversation, matching Ruby's somewhat theatrical narration, and said in his clear, melodious voice:

"After the barrier shattered, the Demon King Discal slowly appeared. I stepped forward, sword pointed at him, and said coldly, 'Are you ready, Discal? I bring you destruction!'"

"Yes, yes!" Ruby vigorously, her little face flushed with excitement, as if she were there all over again. "Himmel was so powerful back then! He was practically glowing! And then I shouted along, 'That's right!'--"

She puffed out her chest again and shouted her signature slogan with all her might, "Your reign is over! Upholding justice! Never fearing defeat or pain, forever protecting love and hope in the world! We are— the Hero Party!"

After shouting, she looked around triumphantly, her little face beaming with a "Praise me!" expression. "That Demon King was instantly stunned! He stood there dumbfounded, not daring to utter a word for a long time! He must have been so intimidated by our invincible aura that he couldn't speak!"

"And also, Himmel has so many super cool lines during battle! For example--"

"Discal, you fool blinded by arrogance! You actually believe that the destiny of us Human race is to be conquered by you?"

"Very well! Then so be it—let us, the Human race you regard as weak, ignite a raging inferno against you!"

"If you have labeled Human race as weak from birth, then I will show you how a weak Human race can transform into a blazing sun that burns everything in its path! And you and your minions will be the first solar prominences to turn to ashes in my radiant light!"

"Now, let this rage, which has been simmering for a thousand years, erupt completely and engulf you and your ambition—"

"--May this 'Dawn of Silent Stars' be your end!"

"..."

Lowell, who was stacking hamburger towers for Frieren next to her, paused almost imperceptibly.

He silently scoffed to himself, "Were they intimidated by you guys? More likely, they were speechless at your barrage of chuunibyou attacks—with your ridiculously long move names and fervent slogans..."

I bet Discal was thinking to himself at the time: 'Hmm, finally a group of heroes has come to my aid, I'll see who they are... and this is it? What are these things? What's wrong with this group of heroes? What kind of useless idiots are my subordinates, they can't even stop these clowns?' Tsk, Discal, you'll die with your eyes wide open...

However, seeing Ruby's face practically glowing with excitement, Himmel's helpless yet indulgent gaze, and the heartwarming atmosphere of Heiter laughing heartily and Eisen being calm and reliable but also happy for his teammates, Lowell still gave face and didn't say anything to disrupt it. He simply continued to steadily stack the hamburger tower and then carefully handed it to Frieren.

Frieren happily accepted it, her emerald eyes Ruby between Ruby's excited gestures and Lowell's seemingly focused food, though Lowell's ears were twitching as he listened. She blinked gently, a smile playing on her lips, as if she too found the scene quite amusing.

Lupa and Linié mostly focused on the food in front of them, occasionally looking up to listen to the somewhat exaggerated adventure story.

Solitär maintained her impeccable sweet smile, her pale green eyes scanning back and forth among the Hero Party members, like an observer sitting in the best seats, full of interest in the performance. Little did anyone know how many more lines of precious data about "human victory celebration behavior and narrative patterns" had been quietly added to her invisible little notebook at that moment.