“ugh…”
“Mmm…”
The muffled noise stirred Damien from his slumber, pulling him from a deep, dreamless sleep.
At first, he thought he might be imagining it, but the sounds grew louder—laughter, singing, and the occasional clinking of glass.
It wasn’t the sharp urgency of battle or danger, but rather a kind of chaotic revelry that piqued his curiosity.
“Ughh… What the?”
Groaning softly, he sat up in bed, raking a hand through his silver hair.
The moonlight filtering through the window suggested it was late, and judging by the noise, the entire town seemed to be awake. He stretched briefly and stood, his curiosity getting the better of him.
As Damien stepped into the weakly lit hallway, the noise grew louder and more distinct. He decided to check on the others first.
Quietly, he made his way to the rooms of Axiom and his crew, knocking softly on each door.
“Huh? Axiom? Are you in there?” Damien asked.
When no one responded, he frowned and pushed the door open one.
“It’s empty. That’s odd.” Damien muttered to himself as he headed to the next room, Jallen’s room.
Jallen was the last person he wanted to be around considering how the guy made his summons uncomfortable but he didn’t think it mattered at the moment.
All his summons were absent so it was okay to approach.
“Jallen, you up?” Damien called out, pushing the door open as well to check if it was unlocked.
It turned out the door was also left unlocked and Jallen wasn’t in his room. “Hmmm… Where could they have gone to then?”
Damien repeated the same for the other four members of Axiom’s team.
Each room was empty.
Damien’s frown deepened. ‘Where could they all be at this hour?’
The noise from outside was clearer now—cheers, chants, and bursts of laughter carried through the night air.
Intrigued, Damien followed the sound, exiting the passageway and stepping into the street.
The scene that greeted him was nothing short of chaotic. The streets were packed with people—men and women, young and old—all reveling in what seemed to be an impromptu celebration.
Some were singing raucous songs, others were dancing in circles with mugs of ale raised high.
The more inebriated revelers were sprawled on the ground, laughing uproariously or staring dreamily at the stars.
As Damien took it all in, he realized that many of the songs included his name.
“Damien, the demon slayer!” someone shouted, raising a mug in his direction.
“The hero of Westmont!” another yelled, prompting a round of cheers.
Damien blinked, momentarily caught off guard by the attention. Slowly, a faint smile tugged at his lips. He raised a hand in acknowledgment, which only made the cheers grow louder.
He scanned the crowd and spotted familiar faces among the dancers. Jallen, Vel, and two others from Axiom’s crew were in the thick of it, their movements wild and uncoordinated but filled with energy and alcohol.
Damien sighed, muttering under his breath. “Of course, they’d be in the middle of this.”
The singers began chanting his name louder, trying to draw him into their festivities.
Feeling the weight of their cheers, Damien decided to slip away and find a quieter spot.
Continue your adventure at My Virtual Library Empire
Across the street, an open pub caught his eye. The warm glow spilling from its windows and the large open doors that saw people entering and leaving seemed inviting enough, and Damien figured he could grab a drink and observe the chaos from a distance.
However, as he entered the pub, he was met with yet another surprise. Behind the bar, serving drinks with an ease that suggested she’d done this a hundred times before, was none other than Arielle.
Damien blinked, unsure if he was still half-asleep. “What…?”
Arielle spotted him and waved enthusiastically. “Look who finally decided to wake up!”
Damien sighed, shaking his head as he approached the bar. “What’s going on here?”
Arielle laughed, pouring a drink for a nearby patron. “It’s a party,” she said. “The townsfolk wanted to celebrate surviving the recent attacks, and it just… spiraled from there. I think it started with a few people, but now it looks like the whole town’s joined in.”
Damien raised an eyebrow. “And why are you playing bartender?”
Arielle shrugged, her smile never fading. “The owner needed help, and I figured, why not? It’s not like I had anything better to do.”
Damien sighed again, though this time there was a hint of amusement in his expression. He leaned against the counter, glancing around at the bustling crowd outside.
“You didn’t think to wake me up?” he asked after a moment.
“Oh, I tried,” Arielle replied, grinning. “I knocked on your door, like, five times. You mumbled something about joining us later and went right back to sleep.”
Damien frowned. “I don’t remember that.”
“That’s because you were half-asleep,” Arielle teased. “I figured you were too tired, so I let you rest. You’ve been working nonstop, after all.”
Damien exhaled, leaning his elbows on the bar. “Maybe I was more exhausted than I thought.”
“Obviously.” Arielle chuckled, pulling out a clean mug. “So, what can I get you? Something strong?”
“Milk,” Damien said without hesitation.
Arielle stared at him for a moment before bursting into laughter. “Milk? At a celebration like this? Come on, Damien.”
Before she could press further, the pub owner, a burly man with thick scarlet red beard, placed a mug of beer in front of Damien. “This one’s on the house,” the man said with a grin. “You’ve earned it, son.”
Damien hesitated but eventually picked up the mug. “Thanks.”
Arielle leaned on the counter, watching him with amusement as he took a cautious sip. “Well? How’s it taste?”
Damien set the mug down, his expression neutral. “Not bad.”
“Not bad?” Arielle teased. “That’s all you have to say?”
“I’m not exactly a beer enthusiast,” Damien replied with a smirk.
Arielle rolled her eyes, laughing as she returned to helping the other patrons. Meanwhile, Damien leaned back, letting himself relax. “That beer wasn’t so bad.” Damien muttered to himself.
“Did you say something?” Arielle joked with a smirk on. It was obvious she’d heard what he said but she tried to play oblivious.
“Nothing. I didn’t say anything.” Damien raised both hands.
“Two extra mugs coming up.” Arielle stated with a grin.