“Gross.”

  Everyone in the room turned towards Avis who was lounging shirtless in the chair in the corner. He rolled his eyes and rolled over, turning away from everyone’s gaze.

  “It’s the grossest story in existence.”

  “Well my lovely, that is how the Order of the Saint was born.” Tetra said, handing the card back to me. I stared at it for a brief moment before letting out a large sigh.

  That was more about this Saint guy than the Arcana. Hell, only the Tower was even mentioned.

  “I wasn’t even one hundred percent sure it was a card until today. There is one other story that mentions the cards, but it doesn’t talk about Tabathia at all. So it was an educational guess on my part, until now.” Tetra contemplated.

  “I was definitely surprised when I saw it myself.“ Dardania began, “I had always assumed it was just merely a title, I didn’t think there was some physical manifestation of that power.”

  Honestly, I couldn’t listen to the two of them ramble on about their theories and desires surrounding the Arcana. I just need to catch my breath and drink some of the stress away.

  ****

  “Give me alcohol good sir.” I slump down at the bar. The bartender just stares as me, I groan. Does anyone in this world have a sense of humor?

  “An ale please.” I respond, sad that I can’t live out my isekai fantasy on these people. Tabathia, the Demon, The Arcana, none of it makes any sense. What Tetra just recited up there was merely a myth. There was so much colorful language to describe these two cities that I don’t know where fact ends and fiction begins.

  Hell, magic even existing in and of itself feels like fiction, but I digress.

  At least I had some semblance of understanding of the Arcana now. They were, I don’t know, the inner circle of this Demon guy. I mean, the story called them a harem but holy shit that would be a massive harem. Just as I was about to get truly lost in thought, I was greeted by a cliche.

  “Hey stud, is this seat taken?” A feminine voice from behind gently whispers to me.

  “Nope, it’s all yours cliche.” I didn’t mean to utter that last word out loud, it just kind of stumbled out of my mouth on its down.

  “WOW. Wasn’t really expected to be greeted with that.” The woman sat down on the stool next to me, grabs my ale and immediately chugs it.

  Okay, she’s got more guts than I do. I can’t chug to save my life. Also, hello that was my beer.

  She slams the mug down on the bar, and motions for the bartender to bring her another one.

  “What brings you to town?” She asks as she turns towards me, twirling her hair around her finger. Her jet black hair was pulled into a loose braid except for the strand that she was playing with. To match her black hair was black leather armor and a sword and knife on her waist. She had a heart shaped face which was complimented by perfectly clear brown skin and solid red eyes. Yep, you heard me correctly, red.

  Her outfit screamed adventurers, but her skin complexion screamed nobility. Not a speck of dirt in sight, I was dirtier than her and all I did was walk here and listen to perv tell a story.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

  “Just you know, out and about. Seeing the sights. Hearing the sounds. Touching the things, you all the stuff.” I rambled, speaking nonsense. Was she flirting with me? I’m not used to women flirting with me.

  “So you basically live your life using your senses, got it.” She smirks and downs her second mug of ale. Well, my second mug after she stole my first one.

  “Basically, you know, the sense guy.” What am I saying? She showed up a time when my brain was already fried and this does not help.

  As she downs her third mug I notice for the first time, shackles around her wrist. Shackles?

  “Shackles?” I ask aloud. She rolls here eyes.

  “Bracelets, magic bracelets.” She said sarcastically.

  “Right, otherwise I would have thought you a slave.” I laugh but it’s not remotely funny. She’s just stares at me blankly.

  Just as I finished putting my foot in my mouth, another one sat down on the opposite side of me.

  “I’m Apate by the way.” The first one woman said as she reached out her hand to shake mine. I shake her hand gently, thankful that I wasn’t too much of an ass.

  “And are you Madison?” Apate asks leaning over me to the woman on the other side of me. The woman slowly turns around to face the two of us.

  I guess I’m not here now. The woman next to us definitely looks much more like an adventurer. Her brown hair was thrown back into a messy ponytail, and her face covered in dried sweat. Her skin was white but had the golden hue of someone who spends much of her time outside. Her armor on the other hand looked rather expensive.

  “Who’s asking?” The woman ask in response, its clear she felt called out.

  “Apate is asking.” Apate smiles cheerfully, her voice perky.

  The response didn’t match the woman chugging my beer two seconds ago.

  “And what if I said I was? Why do you care?”

  “Well, I will take that as a yes. In my experience most people who aren’t the person in question will just say so.” Apate slowly pushed her stool away and chains slowly grew from the bracelets around her wrist until the landed gently on the floor.

  “Madison, The High Priestess, you are under arrest by the Order of the Saint for heresy and the crimes committed in Camp Sirius.”

  “If you will excuse me.” Madison takes her hand and pushes my stool backwards and out of the way of the two of them. I slam in to the table behind me.

  Madison claps her hands together and they begin to glow. As she pulls them apart a staff appears, and she takes it and slams it against the floor. The whole room goes silence.

  “Bring it, bitch.”

  Apate throws her hands forward, and the chains shoot off the floor and immediately dart towards Madison who flips sideways over the table next to her and out of the way.

  The chains change direction and continue to target her as if it tracked her movement.

  Madison takes her staff and spins it as the chains continue their relentless assault. Madison utters something under her breath and the chains suddenly drop to the floor cracking it under their weight.

  “That’s borrowed magic, try your own.” Madison sneers at her.

  Apate grabs a man from the chair next to her and throws him at Madison.

  Madison ducks out of the way, but Apate was a behind the man, a knife pulled out. Madison barely side steps her stab and it slices through the armor on her torso.

  The two of them begin into a bout of hand to hand combat. It’s like watching two experts dance as the tension between them goes back and forth from one to the other. I see this as the perfect chance to make my escape and get away from this insanity. I will come back at a later time and find out about the whole High Priestess thing.

  “Not quite yet cutie.” Apate says as she stumbles backwards almost running into me. The chains slowly slither around my wrists and she slings me into from of her and uses me as a human meat shield.

  “What!?” I scream.

  “Are you kidding me right now?” Madison screams as she tries to get around me, but Apate just keeps moving my body as her shield.

  “I’m not your human shield!” I continue to scream.

  “I’m over this.” Madison says as she spins her staff and slams it again into the floor. As a shockwave emerges from the base of her staff. The chains drop me like an anvil crashing into the ground. Apate goes flying backwards and crashes through the wall.

  Just as Apate tries to get back up—

  “Gust.” Dardania’s voice booms through the room and Apate falls back down.

  Madison begins to dash towards Apate when a knife slides in front of her and presses against her throat.

  “I wouldn’t move if I were you.” Avis says casually from behind her.

  Madison tries to move but Avis presses the knife harder into her neck, causing it to just break the skin.

  “Don’t let her get away!” Madison screams.

  I turn towards Apate just as a portal appears behind her, the chains shoot through and drag her along with them.

  “Jesus Christ! What anime nonsense is this?” I scream and throw my hands up in the air. “Also, thank you for saving me. Again.”

  “Of course, I imagine it will happen again. “ Dardania smiles.

  Madison elbows Avis causing him to lower the knife and pushes away from him and comes barreling towards me.

  “Jesus? Anime?” She says as she grabs me by my collar and pulls me towards her.

  “You’re from Earth, aren’t you?” Madison asks, her eyes wide.