”Hah! Suck it losers, pay up!” The warrior cackled loudly, immediately disturbing the air of elegance and poise that filled the building as he slammed crudely a large mug of beer into the intricately ornate wooden table. The man stood out like a sore thumb, and while a big part of it was the rowdiness with which he collected his earnings from his winning hand of poker, his general appearance contributed the rest to it.

Kenzo’s eyes gleamed against the shine of the coins piling up in a bunch as he hoarded them with both arms, sliding them across the table and towards him. While he usually preferred drinking at any other tavern of Port Hargeon, given how much more at ease he felt between drunken sailors and other riffraff, there was an undeniable charm to the deep pockets of the patrons that frequented his own guild’s pub. It hadn’t been long since he’d come back to the guild after years of being away but considering how gullible the majority of his poker-playing guildmates were here, he was starting to feel right at home.

As his disgruntled play partners stood up and off the table with completely empty pockets, Kenzo spared no glance for them before adding salt to their wounds. ”Make sure to grind up some quests boys, I’ll be taking good care of your jewels until you come back for another round” The male chuckled at his own joke, completely oblivious of the cursing and snickering that it elicited from them.

Truth be told, Kenzo had completely forgotten the real reason why he’d come here in the first place: He was to meet a new member of Blue Pegasus, and possibly help them out as they figured things out. After finally meeting with Alisa and catching up with the lost years he’d spent frozen in a petrification spell, the mercenary had accepted this favor from his mistress. The nature of her request piqued his interest, considering this was the second time she’d asked this of him.

Apparently, this new guild member that Alisa wanted Kenzo to look out for was a young girl from a foreign country. The man couldn’t help but notice how similar the situation was from when he’d met Rania for the first time. And if that whole story was something to go from, this was perhaps the reason why the blue-haired male had agreed to it without hesitation. Interestingly enough, Alisa had also told him that they both shared something in common, without getting into specifics. Whatever it was though, the merc was in the mood for killing some time as he accustomed back to his new old life.

Caught unaware as he counted his earnings, the male was suddenly startled at the sight of a wolf digging into the plate of pastries resting at his table. Jumping for a second, the warrior’s reaction was to quickly reach for them, wrestling with the pup for a second for the final remaining croissant, losing unceremoniously.

”Oi, I was going to eat that!”

”Huh?!” Kenzo growled with annoyance, furrowing a brow as a sardonic grin flashed involuntarily on his face. He could practically feel one of his eyes twitch with surprise as he finally switched attention from his lost battle against the beastly thief and onto the source of an unexpected scolding. The combination of hearing her chastising tone transforming into a 1-2 combo of reprimand and jab at his shameful behavior weirdly pushed a button inside the man.

It had been way too long since someone had scolded him so earnestly, to the point he almost wanted to burst into laughter. He probably would have under any other circumstance, considering how thick skinned he was when it came to dealing with others. However, one would also have to consider his side of the story before making any judgements.

After all, Kenzo had been surprise-ambushed by a sweet-bread thief. Not just at any moment, but precisely during a time while he joyfully counted his earnings. Not only did this mean he’d have to give up on the craving for that chocolatine that had been slowly building up inside him—further fueled for the last couple of minutes by the tantalizing smell that floated all the way to his seat. Nay—it was even worse.

In his frantic attempt to defend this short-term goal he’d lost count of his jewels. Could you imagine? He now had to start all over again… Given the evidence provided, the real crime would have been to not side with the poor mercenary where one to be part of the grand jury of this imaginary trial. Regardless of such social injustice, the man’s mind was completely emptied as he laid eyes on the bashful girl for the first time.

True. Kenzo wasn’t necessarily an authority when it came to what was considered trendy, or even fashionable. Heck, for all he knew, her outfit could be a fashion statement, but also maybe not. Regardless, the point is that Kenzo’s mind quickly scrambled at the sight of the girl standing almost practically bare, draped only in the barest threads that seemed to hug every curve and contour of her toned physique. The warrior was no stranger to the sight of scantily dressed women, but even if for just a second, he forgot to breathe at such an attractive sight.

Almost out of reflex, Kenzo blinked twice as if still trying to ascertain his mind wasn’t playing any tricks on him. Finally figuring out they weren’t, the man couldn’t help but feel a pang of blood rush to his face. Partly fueled by the sight of the girl lying practically naked in the middle of the guildhall, his blush was furthered at the combined power of his flustering situation.

”H-hoh? That’s rich coming from someone that looks as though they’ve never seen what a clothing store looks like” Never one to shy away from a quipping fight, Kenzo’s words rolled out almost in autopilot. Perhaps coming off harsher than what he’d usually go for, the man blurted the first thing that came to his mind without pulling his punches. Unfortunately, his delivery left much to be desired as he fumbled awkwardly through them, quickly shifting his face away and extending his hand between both as he tried to hide from her gaze. He knew he wasn’t bringing his A game today, and the fact he could feel the reddening settle on his ears made him more annoyed.

Taking a pause for a second, the man took a deep breath as he let out a loud, cooling-off sigh. Finally facing the girl and her wolf back, Kenzo cleared his throat before trying to leave the topic behind.

”A-anyway. What’s done is done… just be thankful you caught me in a good mood today.” The man proudly added, clearly imposing an aura and expression of self-confidence and self-importance, satisfied at how he’d taken the proverbial high ground. In an act of self-defined selflessness, the man threw gently the now destroyed remains of the chocolatin in an arc towards the wolf, an act of gracefully conceding his loss.

”Now, if you excuse me.” He added as he prepared to stand up from the table and leave for a more private place where he could restart his counting. However, it was there that it finally struck him. Freezing as if hit by a lightning bolt, the man cautiously turned his head towards the girl.

”You wouldn’t happen to be Ulyssia. Would you?”

Even if he’d blurted his comment at her without thinking about it too much, there was a part of her words that had struck a nerve particularly deep. As most (self-proclaimed) MC’s portrayed in multiple media did, Kenzo had been an orphan from a young age. Unlike almost half of them though, Kenzo was born to a loving family back in Bellum, lacking nothing and wanting nothing more. However, and just like the other half, there was some tragical, sad and tear-jerking story that had eventually left him cursed and without parents.

It was for this reason, and to the surprise of no-one, that he’d had a complicated childhood. The male spent most of his youth as an orphan living as a street urchin, begging and stealing for food with a sole objective in mind: Survive another day. After eventually meeting the mercenary company that would take him in, Kenzo devoted his entire life to a new purpose. He’d gain power and wealth beyond what any mortal had any business wishing for, for he never again wanted to feel the powerlessness that came when one decided to go to sleep just to ignore the unbearable pain of hunger.

True, he couldn’t help but admit that the girl standing before him was striking to look at; her toned physique and curves were only but accentuated by her scant clothing, playing a great part as to why his mind was now clouded with numerous non-PG13 thoughts. However, as the pesky feeling of unwanted memories flooded him, Kenzo sobered up from his flustering.

More importantly, it was the way the girl reacted to his reply what immediately lit a spark inside the mischievous warrior. Seeing her face redden in embarrassment as she stammered with her attempt at a comeback, a devilish smirk traced his lips. The ominous jaw embedded to the side of his face glistened as if it would start drooling at any moment. Just from this short interaction, Kenzo’s interest in her was immediately piqued. He knew one thing for certain, everything else notwithstanding, she was going to be very amusing to tease.

Chuckling at her sharp attempt at bravado, Kenzo cocked a brow with just the most imperceptible hint of smugness. ”Aah! Believe me… I’ve lived with this curse my entire life, but I was born this way, so there’s little I can really do in the end” His arms crossed as his posture relaxed, shrugging with a feigned resignation at his "plight". His gaze burned with playful defiance, finally feeling his groove come back to him as he delivered his line.

”Well, well Ulyssia… Alisa did ask me to help you out, but I didn’t expect you to the kind to simply spring up on a man that silently enjoyed his time alone, even calling him a starving brawler. Tsk tsk... I didn't think you'd be so feisty.”

”Can’t say I dislike it though.” Kenzo's words were accompanied with an amused smirk, chuckling as he made his way closer to her.

”My name’s Kenzo Valens, pleased to meet you.” He finally added as he extended a hand towards Ulyssia, glancing at her companion for a second with the corner of his eyes. As the two of them shook hands with their introduction, Kenzo’s gaze turned back to examining the girl. Given the chaotic nature of their meeting, there was a vital detail the warrior had failed to notice so far. However, now that her impressive looking spear drew his eyes like a moth to the flame, it was almost comical he had just noticed it.

A rush of excitement coursed through the swordsman’s veins as he connected all the dots together, finally figuring out why Alisa had asked specifically for his help.

”Now. While I said I was in a good mood, this doesn’t mean I’ve agreed with Alisa’s request just yet.” Kenzo’s words rolled out his lips with a dancing, playful tone. Without warning, Kenzo turned around and jumped off the railing of the bar and down towards the passage of the lower level of the guildhall. Landing on the ground with ease, Kenzo turned his head casually back up to address her directly. ”I hope you’re better with your spear than you’re with your words Ulyssia. Please show me you’ll be worth my time.” His left hand was placed lazily on his hip while he pointed with his right thumb towards the end of the passage, just where the training arena was located.

Kenzo’s words were laced with his usual hint of confidence, his eyes gleaming in anticipation as to how the girl would respond to his challenge. In more ways than one, his interest in the striking femme was growing by the second.