The young server approached their table carefully, holding her tray close. She gave Reo and Liana a small, polite smile. "Good evening. What can I get for you?"
Reo nodded. "Two meals, something simple. And water for both."
She quickly wrote down the order, but her hands shook a little as loud laughter burst from a group of rowdy adventurers nearby. One of them called out, "Hey sweetheart, forget that kid! Come have some real fun over here!"
Reo noticed the way Liana tensed, gripping the edge of the table. She kept her head down, but he could tell she was uncomfortable.
He leaned back in his chair. "Ignore them. They're not worth your attention."
Liana glanced at him, hesitated for a moment, then gave a small nod. She took a deep breath, but her grip on the table didn't loosen.
The server hurried away, and Reo kept his eyes on his plate, listening to the adventurers behind him.
Their laughter grew louder, their words becoming even cruder. Reo's face stayed calm, but his crimson eyes flicked toward Liana again, making sure she was okay.
When their food arrived, the server placed the plates down quickly. "Enjoy your meal," she muttered before rushing off.
Reo started eating without a word, stabbing a piece of meat with his fork. Across from him, Liana barely touched her food.
The noise behind them was getting worse, and now the adventurers had turned their full attention to them.
"Look at him," one of them sneered. "Sitting there all proper with his lady. Thinks he's better than us."
"Maybe he's just scared," another laughed. "Doesn't look like much of a fighter to me."
Reo kept eating like he hadn't heard them. When Liana hesitated again, barely lifting her fork, he took a sip of water and spoke calmly. "Liana, eat."
She hesitated but nodded, forcing herself to take a few bites.
In his mind, Reo called out:
Elynn, how many hostiles do you detect?
[SIX HOSTILES DETECTED WITHIN RANGE.]
Are they stronger than me?
[IN TERMS OF STRENGTH, THEY EXCEED YOUR CURRENT LEVEL.]
A small smirk tugged at his lips as he swallowed. Good. That's how I like it.
Two adventurers swaggered over to their table. One was a scarred, muscular man who leaned in close, his hand resting near Liana's plate.
"Hey, little boy," he sneered. "Why don't you let the grown-ups handle this? A pretty thing like her deserves a real man."
His lanky companion smirked, eyes lingering on Liana. "Yeah, sweetheart, why don't you join us? We'll give you a night you'll remember forever."
Liana's face turned red, her hand trembling slightly as she clutched her fork. She kept her head down, but Reo could feel the tension in her posture.
Reo calmly finished his last bite of food, chewing slowly before setting his fork down. "Thanks for the food," he muttered to himself.
The scarred man leaned in closer to Liana. "What do you say, darling? Drop the brat and come have some real fun."
Reo's crimson eyes flicked to the man's hand, now planted on the table near Liana's plate. The lanky one was reaching out to touch Liana's arm.
That was when Reo moved.
In a blink, he snatched his fork and drove it through the scarred man's hand, pinning it to the table. The man screamed, his smirk twisting into pain and shock.
The lanky man froze for a split second before lunging at Reo, but Reo was faster. He kicked the man's knee, making it buckle as he crashed to the floor.
Reo grabbed his head and slammed his face into the table. Bone cracked against wood with a sickening thud.
Before the man could react, Reo grabbed his water glass and smashed it into his face. Glass shards cut into his skin, and he howled, clutching his bleeding face.
The scarred man, still screaming, clawed at the fork in his hand. Reo sighed, picking up a piece of bread. "You're too loud," he muttered, shoving the bread into his mouth.
Then, without hesitation, he punched him sharply in the chin. The force knocked him out cold, his body slumping to the floor.
The lanky man staggered up, blood dripping down his face. "You little punk!" he roared, throwing a wild punch at Reo.
Reo dodged with ease, grabbing the man's arm and twisting it. A sharp crack echoed through the tavern as the bone snapped. The adventurer screamed, dropping to his knees. Reo shoved him aside like trash.
Silence filled the room. Every eye was on Reo—the young boy who had just taken down two seasoned adventurers like it was nothing. The rest of their group sat frozen, their earlier arrogance replaced with fear.
Reo turned back to Liana, whose wide eyes were frozen on the scene in front of her. "Eat your food," he said calmly, as if nothing had happened. "Finish before I'm done here."
Liana blinked and nodded quickly, picking up her fork with trembling hands. Reo turned his crimson gaze toward the rest of the adventurers, his expression calm yet unwavering.
The other three adventurers stood frozen, their confidence crumbling as their leader finally rose from his seat. He was huge—easily the biggest man in the room—his shadow stretching across the floor as he stepped forward. The other adventurers instinctively moved aside, their bravado fading.
A murmur swept through the crowd.
"That's him… the B-rank adventurer, Garm…"
"He is one of the Strongest in town.."
Garm's heavy boots echoed across the wooden floor as he stopped in front of Reo, towering over him like a mountain of muscle. His arms folded across his broad chest, his smirk radiating the calm confidence of a man who had never lost a fight.
"You've got some skill, kid," he said, his deep voice cutting through the tense silence of the tavern.
"I'll give you that. But you're out of your league."
Reo met his gaze without flinching, his crimson eyes steady. "Out of my league?" His lips curved into a faint smirk. "Funny. I was just thinking the same about you."
A low chuckle rumbled from Garm's throat, though his expression stayed cold. "Cocky little brat. Alright, let's make this interesting. Fight me." His gaze shifted to Liana, who sat stiffly at the table, her fork hovering above her plate.
"If you win, we'll leave and even pay for the damage. But if I win…" He tilted his head, his smirk widening. "The girl stays with us."
The air in the tavern turned ice-cold, the weight of his words pressing down on everyone.
Reo's smirk vanished, replaced by a calm, focused expression. His voice, when he spoke, was quiet but carried a deadly certainty. "There's no bet to make." He cracked his knuckles, the sound sharp in the silence. "Because I'm going to win."
Garm let out a booming laugh, tipping his head back as though the words had genuinely amused him. Then, without warning, he swung.
The force of his punch was immense—a single, crushing strike meant to end the fight instantly. It connected with Reo's face, the impact echoing through the tavern like a thunderclap.
Reo's body was hurled backward, crashing through tables and chairs. Wood splintered, dishes shattered, and he finally landed in a heap on the floor.
The adventurers erupted into laughter, their jeers filling the room. "One punch! That's all it took!" one of them shouted.
"Guess the girl's ours now!" another added, grinning wickedly.
Liana didn't flinch. She calmly picked up her fork and took another bite of food, her expression unreadable. After the past week, she had learned not to underestimate her young master.
Then—Reo stirred.
Slowly, deliberately, he pushed himself up, rising from the wreckage like something unbreakable. Blood dripped from his lip, but his face was calm, his crimson eyes burning with quiet fury.
He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, glancing at the blood on his fingers before flicking it to the ground.
"That all you've got?" he asked, his voice cold and steady.
The laughter died instantly. Garm's smirk faltered, replaced by a flicker of disbelief. "What the—"
Reo moved.
In a blink, he was gone—then suddenly there, right in front of Garm.
Garm swung again, but Reo ducked under the punch, his movements fluid and precise. He stepped inside Garm's guard, his hand shooting up to strike the giant's elbow joint with a sharp, Precise Joint Strike.
Garm's arm went numb, his punch faltering. Before he could recover, Reo pivoted, driving his knee into the back of Garm's leg, a low-line kick. The massive man staggered, his balance faltering.
Reo didn't stop. He grabbed Garm's wrist, twisting it sharply and using the man's own momentum to flip him onto his back. The floor shook as Garm hit the ground, the impact rattling the tavern.
Reo stepped back. Garm growled, pushing himself up, but Reo was already on him. He darted forward, his fist slamming into Garm's ribs with pinpoint accuracy gave him a liver shot. The giant grunted, his breath knocked out of him.
He then grabbed Garm's arm, twisting it behind his back and forcing him to his knees. With a sharp jerk, Reo slammed Garm's face into the edge of a nearby table, the wood cracking under the force.
Garm groaned, his body going limp as Reo released him. The giant slumped to his knees, his strength drained. Reo grabbed a fistful of Garm's hair, attempting to drag him forward, but the man's sheer size made it impossible. Reo sighed, releasing his grip.
He turned, walking to a nearby table. With a single motion, he slid it across the floor, positioning it in front of Garm. The sound of the table scraping against the wood echoed through the silent tavern.