Chapter 26: Ellen (1)
Running a tavern meant living out of sync with the world.
Opening the doors at dusk, closing them at dawn. On the way home, as the clear sky turned bluish, one would often see busy people walking through otherwise empty streets.
Jayden didn’t think this life was bad.
Back when he roamed battlefields decapitating trolls, there were no life patterns, so the comfort of predicting today and tomorrow was welcome.
Of course, he never neglected his training and occasionally took on missions on his own, staying busy… but essentially, he was drunk on peace. Occasional monster hunts were just a diversion for Jayden, who had a past full of fatigue.
After cleaning a few clinking glasses, the silence of the empty tavern felt as comforting as a warm blanket.
Jayden rather enjoyed the quiet scene before closing time. During these moments of reflection on how to end the day, a familiar figure stepped through the door.
–Creak
“Still open, boss?”