They Called Me Trash? Now I'll Hack Their World

Chapter 230: I Don’t Have A Home!

The morning sun streamed through the inn’s window, casting a warm golden glow over the small room.

I tossed the last of my spare tunics into my storage ring, watching the fabric vanish with a familiar, soft pulse of blue mana.

"Got everything?" I asked, glancing over my shoulder.

Tessa was standing by her bed, double-checking the clasp on her leather satchel before storing it away in her own ring.

She wore a fresh traveling cloak, her hair tied back neatly.

"I think so. Potions are stocked, and I bought some extra rations downstairs yesterday."

The heavy oak door pushed open, and Scarlet leaned against the frame.

She had her arms crossed, her vibrant red tail flicking impatiently behind her.

The dark, corrupted veins that had plagued her arms in the dungeon were completely gone, leaving her pale skin unblemished.

"If you two are done double-checking your socks, can we actually leave? This town smells like cheap ale and horse manure."

I adjusted the strap of Oathstorm over my shoulder.

"Yeah, we’re ready. Let’s head down."

The three of us descended the creaky wooden stairs into the main tavern.

The morning rush was in full swing, filled with the loud chatter of merchants and the clinking of heavy wooden tankards.

But my eyes immediately caught a familiar pair of adventurers sitting at a large round table near the hearth.

Mira and Yenna.

It had been four days since that subterranean hell.

Yenna wasn’t deathly pale anymore; her color had fully returned, and she was tearing into a massive plate of roasted boar and eggs.

But it was Mira who drew my absolute attention. She was sitting comfortably, holding a wooden mug of hot tea with both hands.

The sleeves of her tunic were rolled up, revealing thick, clean white bandages wrapped securely around her forearms.

She was moving her fingers smoothly, lifting the mug to her lips with steady, intact dexterity.

Then she caught me staring and flashed a bright, familiar grin over the rim of her cup.

She raised one bandaged arm and waved us over.

"Hey! Come sit with us, kiddos!"

I smiled back, leading Tessa and Scarlet through the crowded tavern.

We pulled up wooden chairs and joined them at the heavy oak table.

"Look at you," Mira teased, bumping her elbow lightly against Tessa’s arm.

"All packed up and ready to hit the road."

Tessa nodded, settling into her chair with a warm smile.

"Yes. We’ve been away long enough. How are you two feeling?"

"Never better," Yenna grunted through a mouthful of eggs, though her eyes softened significantly when she looked at us.

She swallowed and pointed a silver fork at my chest.

"Though my spine still twinges when it rains. The healer said I’m incredibly lucky I didn’t end up paralyzed for life."

"And your arms?" I asked Mira softly, unable to help myself.

Mira set her mug down and flexed her fingers, a look of profound, quiet gratitude crossing her face.

"Sore. The mana pathways are still a bit tender, but the healer said the tissue was preserved perfectly. She actually asked me what kind of high-level spell we used down there to keep the cells alive before she arrived."

Scarlet snagged a piece of crispy bacon off Yenna’s plate before she could stop her, popping it into her mouth with a smug smirk.

"Well, it’s good to see you two aren’t completely broken. Someone’s got to keep the local beast population in check."

Yenna narrowed her eyes, sparking a tiny, threatening ember of flame on her thumb.

"Keep stealing my breakfast, furball, and you’ll be the one getting kept in check."

We sat there for a while, sharing a meal, trading lighthearted jabs, and simply enjoying the absolute luxury of being alive.

Tessa finished chewing her bite of food, delicately wiping her mouth with a cloth napkin before resting her hands on the table.

She looked between the two women, her expression curious but polite.

"So, what are you two going to do now?" She asked.

"Are you heading back to the guild to report everything?"

The easy, warm atmosphere over the table suddenly faltered.

Mira stopped mid-sip.

She slowly lowered her wooden mug, exchanging a long, heavy look with Yenna.

The mage didn’t say anything, simply keeping her back perfectly straight as she stirred her tea, though her eyes fell to the table.

"Actually," Mira finally said, breaking the silence with a soft exhale.

"We decided to quit being adventurers."

Tessa’s eyes widened in sheer shock. Even Scarlet stopped chewing, her ears perking up in surprise.

I leaned back in my chair, blinking.

But as the words settled in, my internal shock quickly morphed into quiet understanding.

I guess it’s completely natural, I thought, looking at the bandages on Mira’s arms.

Rolf betrayed them and nearly slaughtered them all. Garf died shielding them.

Edric is a Demon Hunter who belongs to the shadows.

The party isn’t just broken; it’s completely shattered. Nobody walks away from that and just picks up another guild quest.

"Quit?" Tessa whispered, her voice laced with sympathy.

"Yeah," Mira offered a tired but genuine smile.

"I think I’ve had enough dungeons to last a lifetime. I’d rather keep my arms, thanks."

I rested my elbows on the table, looking between them.

"So where are you two going to go, then?"

Mira groaned, slumping slightly in her chair and rubbing the back of her neck.

"Well, I definitely can’t go home yet. I had a massive, blow-out fight with my folks. I told them I’d come back covered in gold and glory. Walking back now, needing physical therapy... well, you know how stubborn parents are."

Beside her, Yenna was completely quiet. She took a slow, elegant sip of her tea, carefully setting the cup down on its wooden saucer before speaking.

"I don’t have a home to return to," She said softly, her voice perfectly composed but carrying a heavy, underlying sorrow.

Tessa blinked, leaning forward.

"What? Why not?"

Yenna sighed, her posture remaining impeccably poised, the unmistakable bearing of high-born aristocracy.

"My family is a rather prominent lineage of mages in the capital. A few years ago, my father arranged a political marriage for me with a deeply unsavory duke to secure a seat on the council. I refused."

She offered a small, bitter smile.

"When they tried to force the issue, I may have set the duke’s prized carriage on fire in the middle of the estate courtyard and walked out. They formally disowned me the next morning."

Slam!

"Every time you mention those stuck-up, arrogant nobles, I just want to march up there and strangle them," Mira growled, her jaw clenching so hard the muscles jumped.

"Trading their own daughter like a piece of property. It makes me sick."

"Mira, please," Yenna chided softly, reaching over to gently pat the archer’s shoulder.

"It’s fine, truly. I met you and others shortly afterward. I’ve enjoyed my time traveling with my friends far more than I ever enjoyed being a caged bird in that dreary estate."

"But still!" Mira retorted, her fierce protectiveness flaring up. She launched into a colorful string of curses aimed directly at Yenna’s aristocratic parents, completely ignoring the dignified mage’s hushed attempts to shush her in the middle of the tavern.

Watching them Tessa’s sympathetic expression suddenly melted into a mischievous, knowing smirk.

"You know," Tessa interrupted, leaning her chin on her hands and practically beaming at them, "you two look incredibly cute together. A match made in heaven, I must say."

Yenna completely froze. Her impeccable composure shattered in an instant, pale cheeks flooding with a brilliant, panicked crimson.

"W-what?!" she stammered, her eyes darting frantically around the table.

"Tessa, what on earth are you implying—"

Mira, on the other hand, completely lit up and flashed a massive, unashamed grin.

She seamlessly slid her chair closer to Yenna, looping her bandaged arm warmly around the flustered mage’s waist and pulling her securely into her side.

"Exactly!" Mira laughed, looking triumphantly at Tessa.

"That’s exactly what I’ve been trying to tell her for the last six months!"

"Mira! Unhand me this instant!" Yenna hissed, trying to maintain her dignified scowl, though she made absolutely zero physical effort to push the archer away, her face burning hotter by the second.

I sat there, watching the two of them bicker and laugh, a sudden, clear thought cutting through the noise.

They were loyal, they were skilled, and they were completely adrift.

And... I could use that.

"Hey," I spoke up, my voice cutting smoothly through their banter.

Mira stopped laughing, and Yenna finally managed to untangle herself, both of them looking over at me.

"If you two really don’t have anywhere else to go right now... why don’t you come with us?"