As usual, the mansion was in utter chaos.
Jim was trying to balance bottles on his head while drinking.
Bob was counting his coins and recounting them just to be sure.
Marcus was modifying his crossbow—again.
Bam was doing… Bam things.
And Derek? Derek was trying to ignore them all and thinking about the weird dream he had last night.
Then—
RUMBLE.
The walls shook. The floors trembled.
Bob froze mid-count. "Uh… earthquake?"
Jim, still balancing bottles, blinked. "Or maybe you finally angered the gods."
Bam tilted his head. "Or. Something worse."
A loud horn blast echoed outside.
The group rushed to the windows.
And what they saw shut them up instantly.
An army.
Marching toward their mansion was a fully armed battalion, banners waving, weapons gleaming under the sun.
And at the front—
A knight in shining armor, standing beside someone they immediately recognized.
Karoth.
The man who was rumored to have slain a dragon.
And he was heading right for them.
Bob turned to Jim. "Sooo… should we be worried?"
Jim gulped. "When an army shows up at your door, it's safe to assume yes."
Outside, the group reluctantly stepped forward as the knight commander—a stern-looking man in full plate armor—raised a hand to halt his troops.
Karoth stepped forward, looking as confident as ever.
"Ah! Mercenaries of Mayhem!" he greeted with a grin. "Just the ones I wanted to see!"
Jim muttered, "That's never a good thing."
The knight commander spoke up. "We are mobilizing to hunt down a black dragon that has been rampaging through nearby territories. It has burned villages, destroyed farmland, and left nothing but ruin in its wake."
Derek crossed his arms. "And what does that have to do with us?"
Karoth clapped a hand on Derek's shoulder. "Come now! You and I—we are the same!"
Bob blinked. "Uh… how?"
Karoth grinned. "Because we are dragon slayers!"
The group exchanged glances.
Jim whispered, "Should we tell him?"
Bob shook his head. "No… I don't think we should."
Marcus nodded.
As they were talking, Karoth's gaze finally landed on Anna.
He froze.
His confident grin faltered.
His eyes widened.
The strong, fearless knight was suddenly… smitten.
"By the gods…" he whispered, staring at her.
Anna raised an eyebrow. "What?"
Karoth straightened up, brushing back his hair in a clearly practiced motion.
"A lady of such… radiance," he said dramatically, "to be standing among these ruffians. Unbelievable."
Jim coughed to cover a laugh.
Bob grinned. "Oh no."
Marcus whispered, "This is getting good."
Karoth took a step forward, placing a hand over his chest. "My lady, forgive my rudeness, but your beauty rivals even the goddesses of legend."
Anna stared at him. "Are you flirting with me?"
Karoth smirked. "I would never be so bold as to assume! And yet, how could a man not be enchanted by your grace?"
Jim leaned toward Bob. "This is a dragon slayer, right?"
Bob nodded.
Derek simply sighed.
Karoth, meanwhile, turned to glare at the group. "And you! How could you let such a delicate flower be among your rabble? Surely she deserves better company."
Jim smirked. "Yeah, well, she likes being unbothered."
Anna, completely unfazed, rolled her eyes. "Are we done here?"
Karoth looked heartbroken. "Ah, a lady of few words! Mysterious! Enchanting!"
Bob whispered to Jim. "This is going to be hilarious."
Jim grinned. "Oh, absolutely."
And so, while Karoth unknowingly flirted with an actual dragon, the Mercenaries of Mayhem held back their laughter, knowing this was only going to get worse.