No More Pain For This Villain.

Through the cracked window of the rundown hotel room, a faint moonlight filtered in, casting a feeble glow. It danced with dust particles, revealing the passage of time on worn furnishings. Shadows mingled with the moon's meagre embrace, painting an atmosphere of haunting nostalgia. In this quiet corner, the moonlight became a delicate companion, offering solace amidst decay. It whispered forgotten tales, evoking reflection within the worn walls.

Ren's right hand embarked on a tantalising journey, gliding down from Anabelle's waist with a tender touch, reverently tracing the contours of her alluring form. In perfect synchronisation, his left hand skillfully sought the hidden fastening of the robe, delicately undoing the pin that held the garment securely to the shoulder part of Anabelle's shirt.

Click

"Ah!" Anabelle's cry of surprise escaped in a breathy gasp as her wide eyes captured Ren's daring actions. Swift and deliberate, he manoeuvred the robe pin, releasing its grasp and causing the fabric to surrender. With a sudden looseness, the robe exposed Anabelle's left side, revealing glimpses of the white shirt and tight pants that she still wore beneath, an unexpected contrast against her exposed vulnerability. The other pin, forgotten in Ren's audacious exploration, guarded the sanctity of her right half, a tantalising mystery left untouched, for now, in the shadows of desire.

"Ren, we shouldn't—angh!" Anabelle's attempt to stop him was abruptly cut off, her words devolving into a throaty moan as Ren pressed his lips against her nape, his face becoming buried in her warmth. Simultaneously, his right hand ventured downward, caressing her plump thighs with an unyielding desire. Due to their significant height difference, the embrace felt as though Ren engulfed her entirely, a collision of passion and longing that consumed his being.

Scoop

"!?" Anabelle squealed when, with a surge of strength driven by his fervent longing, Ren swept Anabelle into his arms, carrying her weightlessly to the single, cramped bed.

Creak

The weathered mattress groaned and protested, its tired springs straining beneath their shared presence.

As Ren positioned himself on top of her, the weight of their desires pressed against the bed, causing it to creak in a discordant symphony of pleasure and vulnerability.

Anabelle's eyes, their depths filled with a mix of anticipation and concern, darted to the small table nearby. A forlorn whisky bottle stood as a silent witness, its emptiness a testament to Ren's intoxication.

"Are you drunk?" In that moment, realisation washed over her. As Anabelle mustered the courage to voice her concern, her gaze locked with Ren's, seeking the truth.

"Have you been drinking?" she questioned again, her voice laced with a mixture of worry and desire.

Ren's admission hung in the air, a vulnerable confession that momentarily held their connection in suspense.

Rustle

"!" Anabelle held her breath because, in response, Ren leaned closer, his breath mingling with hers, their lips hovering tantalisingly close.

Badump

The charged atmosphere intensified as Anabelle's moist eyes met his, mirroring the rapid rhythm of her heart. In that electrifying moment, an unspoken understanding passed between them.

The surge of anticipation enveloped them both; their desires were intertwined, yet Ren's words reverberated with genuine concern.

"You can stop me if you want," he whispered, his voice trembling with sincerity.

He respected her boundaries and relinquished control to her, placing the power of choice firmly in her hands.

Gulp

Anabelle remained silent, her breathing growing heavier and the air thickening with unrestrained longing.

Her unspoken consent filled the space between them, her desire echoing through every fibre of her being.

As Ren inched closer, their lips poised to unite in a fiery embrace, they savoured the warmth of each other's breath, their eyes locked in a hypnotic gaze.

KNOCK KNOCK 

"Huh?" But just as the crescendo of their passion reached its peak, a sudden knock shattered the spell, abruptly halting Ren.

Ren's resolve held firm, his actions arrested by the unexpected interruption, their genuine connection suspended in a state of tantalising anticipation. Ren immediately left Anabelle and got up from the bed.

Clack 

Ren opens the door, revealing Henry's presence.

"Hey! We're all gathering downstairs for the discussion. Thought I'd come up and let you two know." Henry said cheerfully as he wandered all around the room, searching for Anabelle.

"Thank you, Henry. We'll be right down." Anabelle said after quickly organising her clothes that there was a hint of nervousness in her voice.

"I'll go first." Ren nods, his expression distant and somewhat detached, as he makes his way down the stairs. His movements were perfectly fine, not something you'd expect from a drunk person.

Anabelle watches Ren descend; everything that happened in that moment felt alien to her; it's like Ren was a totally different person at that particular moment.

"Henry, you can also go; I'll join you all in a moment." Anabelle said, to which Henry nodded while a big question mark appeared above his head. He went downstairs.

She takes a moment to steady her breathing, straightening her posture, and walks towards the mirror, adjusting her appearance one last time before heading downstairs to join the gathering.

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[Ren Hilton's POV.]

I descended the stairs; there's a big dinner down here, and I saw mercenary group members occupying a table in the centre of the room. It looks like they already had dinner since I saw a waiter clearing the plates from their table.

'That reminds me that I haven't eaten anything yet.' I thought, since I was busy drinking and thinking about the past, I forgot to eat, and now the alcohol is hitting deep. Well, it's not like I can't handle alcohol.

'That's some big bullshit; don't you remember what you did back in the room? You can't handle alcohol.' Blaze was shouting from inside.

'It's not that I can't handle it; it's just that it makes me too honest with my desires.' I explained, I know what I did, and I am not a person who tends to forget things just because I am drunk; I remember everything that I do.

'desire? Then what desire was it? Lust?' Blaze asked.

'Yeah,it was 100 percent lust; it's been a while since I did the deed, so I lost some composure back there when she pounced at me.' I replied.

'!?,princess, I think we should talk later; you are just being too honest right now.' blaze said through our mind connection while walking towards the table.

I also hear someone's footsteps right behind me, and since Henry is in front, that means Anabelle is behind me. I'll apologise if she blames me.

"Hi Ren- Are you drunk?" Barbara asked the moment she saw me, Is it that obvious?

"Yeah." I pulled up a chair and made myself comfortable. Henry sat at the centre of the table, and Anabelle sat beside him.

"Why are we here?" I asked abruptly. There's a big map on the table; it's most likely to mark the routes around here to the capital.

"Well, there's a slight change in the plans." Henry sighed as he drew everyone's attention towards him. "The merchant we were going to guard has now informed us that he can no longer accompany us and we'd have to transport the items by ourselves. He also said that we have to be in the capital two days before the decided appointment."

"That's not good! even if we drive our carriage at top speed, it'll take up to seven days to reach the capital." Zark expressed his thoughts.

"So what are we gonna do? It's not like we can just cancel the assignment; we'd lose all the money we put in the carriage, and we also don't have any backup." Ali asked.

"That's why I called everyone here; I'd like to hear what you have to say, or we'd have to let go of this assignment and return the money we got in advance back to the merchant." Henry said calmly, it's not like they are panicking about the situation but they still seem like they are shaken a little.

"Umm....How much money is the merchant willing to give us now."I asked, "It's not like he's going to give the same amount after burdening us, right?"

"No,he increased the reward of one hundred gold coins by more than fifty gold coins and we can get another increase of like forty coins if we deliver if before the deadline but it's not about the money; it's about the fact that we won't be able to make it in time to the capital and the merchant strictly said that we have to be there in four days." Henry is certainly distressed, so that's why he isn't getting what I am trying to say.

"Hey Barb, pass me the map." I have something quick on my mind. Barbara and Anabelle gave me a surprised look for a split second, but either way, she passed the big ass map to me.

"What are you trying, you drunk ass kid? Go back to your room; we adults can figure something out by ourselves." Ali mocked, This guy doesn't care about the time, huh?

"Look here." I placed my index in one specific place on the whole map.

"It's Virendale, What about it?" Henry asked as he leaned over a bit to get a good look.

Virendale is a large town to the east of Eldoria; it takes about two and half days to get there if we travel on a horse while taking a few breaks.

Sigh

"Why is Virendale different from most of the cities in the Grav Kingdom?" I asked while sighing.

"Don't tell me, kid, you are saying that we should use the transportation portal." Ali looked at me like he was ridiculing me.

"Yeah, that's absurd; it'll cost us a lot of money to make a single trip to the capital, let alone and it'll take like four days to get there in a carriage." Henry supported Ali's statement.

"Listen -" I tried to explain but was cut off by someone.

"That's a great idea!" Zark shot up from his seat like a maniac.

"Didn't you hear what Henry just said? He said that it's costly for all of us to use." Ali repeated while pressing on the word costly.

"But who says that we all have to go? One or two guys from the group can go and fetch up the items for us because, from what the merchant said, he meant that we have to pick them up three days before, but he didn't mention that we'd must deliver them before the fixed date, right? Zark continues

"And as per what Henry said, we'd be given an increase in our reward, which means we don't have to worry about the transportation portal fee if only two people are going."

"Bingo! "You've won a copper coin for the correct answer." I gave a drumroll on the table: This guy Zark is fast to take up on the ques.

"You are smart, Ren; I wouldn't have come up with such a plan in such a short time." Zark complimented me, while others on the table looked at me with interesting faces, mostly Anabelle and Ali.

Anabelle looks genuinely surprised while Ali is dumbfounded, it's funny.

"Ahem*, can you explain for me in easy words?" Barbara asked Zark while he looked at me.

"I'd like to, but it'll be good if Ren explains since he came up with the idea himself." Zark is not the one to eat someone's credit, I think.

"With pleasure, I should clarify that what I meant to say was that any two members of this group could travel to Virendale, teleport to the capital, and then pick up the object. If the shipment is substantial, we will rent a carriage to convey it back to Eldoria; however, if the shipment is little, we will bring it back via the transportation portal and then ride back to Eldoria to save time." I continued my justification. "With the first approach, it might take up to seven days to return, but it won't slow us down, and we'd still be able to deliver the cargo on schedule. If the shipment is small, we can return with it in five days, which implies we may complete it ahead of schedule and make a profit."

"Oo, I get it now." Barbara said, but her face clearly says that she didn't get a single sentence into her head.

"That's great! We'd go by this plan." Henry clasped his hands.

"That means the meeting is over, right?" I asked.

"Certainly." Henry said,

"Well then,waiter." I raised my hand, and a person came to me. "Bring me roasted chicken and rice." I ordered, and the waiter notes it on a pad and turns to leave.

"Also bring me a bottle of mead. Ummm, actually make it two bottles." I completed my order.

"Right away,sir." The waiter dashed away quickly.

Silence.

"What?" When I turned my face back to the table, everyone on the table was looking at me like I had done something absurd.

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