“Tess, Callum wants to see you,” Clara said behind the kitchen counter.

  “He wants what?” I replied with a frown.

  I was getting ready to lift some tankards filled to the brim with ale, but the mention of Callum froze me. He was a regular at the Dragon’s Den for the past week, and his appetite was monstrous if I started counting how many meals he ate in one sitting.

  The man just showed up with his co-workers one day, laughing along to their conversations and always ordering something new from our menu. But the moment he walked in wearing that blindfold, I got suspicious.

  It’s normal for some people to hide their features, looking to cover some nasty scar or unwanted tattoo. I even saw a monk who covered their eyes with a metal band. But that doesn’t mean I’m no less suspicious of them.

  People who have something to hide are the most dangerous. They can’t be trusted. If I had a say in my situation, I would avoid Callum as if he were the plague. But Mama Mia’s order to stop the man from drinking their ale stores dry made it impossible not to interact with him.

  After all, I was the only barmaid who could stand up to the customers when they were doing something dumb.

  Trying to scam the tavern by putting hair on your food? A smack to the head.

  Screaming so loud you’re making other people uncomfortable? A kick to the shins.

  Starting a fight for some stupid reason? A punch on the face.

  In time, people grew to fear me. Those who knew of our tavern kept from causing problems, which only made Mama Mia rely on me when trouble arrived. And trouble came in the form of a half-goliath with a bottomless stomach.

  At first, Mia was ecstatic. Who wouldn’t want a patron who enjoys their food so much, he could eat three servings of the same thing? But when that guy didn’t stop drinking without being intoxicated, the tavern keeper had to put a stop to it. And of course, I was the one who had to confront the problem.

  “He wants to talk. Seems serious too. Maybe he’ll ask you out on a date or something?” my co-maiden said with the most mischievous smile I’ve ever seen on her face this past week.

  She’d always been like that. Clara always tears down the walls I’ve built over the years with ease, pushing my buttons so precisely that I can’t help but be impressed. Which, in turn, made me remember how a certain drunkard kept doing the same thing ever since I met him.

  That easygoing smile he always wore? It grated on me.

  “Ugh, as if. That bastard is not someone I’d want to spend the rest of my life with.”

  “Come on, Tess. Would it really kill you to try spicing up your love life?”

  “Yes,” I said immediately.

  “I see,” Clara replied with an exasperated look.

  Seeing that I wouldn’t budge on my stance to stay single for the rest of my life, Clara gave up—only to remind me again that the drunkard was still waiting.

  ??I had refused to go. But that cheeky barmaid had already told everyone else to keep away from Callum, leaving me stuck with the job of taking his order.

  Mama Mia doesn’t like it when customers are kept waiting, and I’d be chewed out if I stalled any longer. So, with a sigh, I walked over to the most annoying man I’ve ever met in my life.

  Trudging through the busy tavern, I spotted Callum muttering to himself. He seemed lost in thought, only to sigh once I was within earshot.

  “What are you sighing for?” I asked.

  Just seeing how he composed himself and flashed that stupid smile made my blood boil. There’s definitely something wrong with him, and that blindfold doesn’t help. If anything, it just makes him even creepier.

  “Tess, nice seeing you here,”

  “Are you just here to piss me off, or are you going to order something?” I snapped.

  “What’s wrong with greeting a friend after a long day at work?” he retorted.

  That shit-eating grin was practically begging my fist to land on it. He knew exactly what he was doing—he was here to annoy me. He was like that every damn time I met him, like he somehow controlled the flow of our conversations.

  I was so irritated, I forgot I was supposed to be waiting on other people, not just this dumbass. So, after shooting him my signature death stare, I turned to leave without another word.

  “Wait!” He shouted.

  I looked behind to find him half-standing from his seat.

  “If you’re not orderin’ from our menu, get out.”

  “Okay, okay. Geez, does I do not to liking?”

  “Yes,” I said immediately.

  “Duly noted,” he said with a straight face.

  I'm just about to tear my hair out. Why did this man have to show up at tavern while I was working? Just a few more months and I would’ve been in another city. But fate always has other plans for me. It always has.

  A sigh escaped me, my mind already drained from trying to maneuver around this walking headache of a customer. Most men avert their gaze when I look at them. The bold ones who try their luck usually get slapped.

  But Callum? He’s different.

  No matter how hard I try to push him away, he keeps treating me the same. Like none of it even fazes him.

  It just doesn’t make any damn sense.

  “Look, Callum. I’m busy trying to earn my damn keep. So if you’re going to buy something, do it now. Or else, I’ll kick you out of this place for everyone to see.”

  Sensing that I was just about done with his bullshit, Callum asked if I could see him during my free time. After getting his order, which is just the usual steak over fried rice, I went back into the kitchen, only to find several of my co-workers grinning from ear to ear.

  “Did he ask you out?” Clara, our resident gossip girl, asked me with such wide eyes I was afraid it would pop out of their sockets.

  “What? No!” I said, mouth agape.

  “Then what did he say?” another barmaid asked, eyes gleaming like my answer might turn them into stars—or black holes.

  “He just wants to see me once I get some free time. That’s it.”

  The girls gave me blank stares, as if saying, “Is this girl dumb or something?”. It was uncomfortable to say the least, but what am I supposed to do? Humor them?

  “Tess, are you dumb or something?” Clara said flatly.

  “So you were thinking about it!” I snapped back.

  Without warning, Clara’s hands clasped my shoulders. It felt like I’d done something terribly wrong. With serious eyes, Clara looked at me. The other girls smiled at the scene, one of them even saying, “Kick some sense into her!”, which earned her my death stare.

  “I mean, think about it. A guy just asked you to spare him some of your time. That’s the textbook definition of being asked out!” Clara said passionately while shaking me lightly.

  “No, it’s not.”

  “Yes, it is.”

  “No, it isn’t!”

  “Yes, it is!”

  “NO SHOUTING INSIDE THE KITCHEN!” Mama Mia’s voice boomed, stopping our childish argument and getting the girls back to work.

  I shrugged off Clara’s grip and got back to prepping the meals I needed to hand out. The girls squealed at my silence, which earned them one more yell from Mama Mia to do their jobs. But Clara, ever the chatterbox, kept telling me that Callum did ask me out.

  The sound of cooks tossing and turning a large wok filled with oiled-up rice helped drown out her voice. Yet, nothing stopped that small sprout of thought from forming in my head.

  If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

  ***

  “What’s the problem?” asked Orgham.

  Callum patted his pants furiously, searching for his coin pouch that held most of his savings.

  “I uh…”

  His worst day was dying at the hands of his girlfriend and best friend. This little bit of a mishap was nothing compared to that. So, with a wry smile, Callum turned towards the group, his hand scratching his head in shame.

  “I lost my purse,” he said with an awkward chuckle.

  The group of adventurers stared dumbfounded for a moment. Then, Aldrin laughed.

  “Aldrin, that’s rude,” said Odalhia.

  “Sorry, it’s just, it’s kind of hilarious,” the hunter said between bouts of laughter.

  Callum had no idea how he’d lost his wallet. He had been working as a deliveryman, yet he’d completely overlooked his missing pouch.

  “We could pay for your meal,” suggested Kelsa.

  “No, I have enough on me to pay for my food. It’s just a bit of a shock to find out I’ve just lost my coin purse,” Callum replied, taking his seat once more as he, again, rummaged through his pants one last time.

  Thankfully, he had just enough coin in his pockets to pay for the meal—but still, he’d just lost three thousand Shills in a single day!

  The last time he’d lost his wallet was back in high school, and that was decades ago. Since then, he hadn’t lost a thing. And now? A full pouch of copper and iron coins—gone, just like that. He didn’t even see it happen with his senses. The only way for someone to rob him was when he was distracted…or in a hurry.

  He still remembered walking into somebody before leaving the Adventurers’ Guild in a hurry. It could have happened then. But, trying to find a single person in a sea of adventurers was like finding a needle in a haystack.

  The city guards wouldn’t be much help either. They were mostly mediators when fights broke out. A missing pouch would most likely end up at the bottom of their priority list.

  So, with a sigh, Callum accepted his fate of becoming poor for one day.

  However, a grumble in his stomach begs to differ.

  Usually, he’d be eating a second meal by now. But with his money gone, he’d have to deal with the gnawing hunger for the remainder of the night.

  “Anyways, I guess that’s it for me,” Callum said to the group.

  Coins adding up to one Din made their way to the table, the last of his savings. He stood up, hoping once again that his pouch would fall off his pants.

  “Nice meeting you, Callum. If you’re ever in trouble, call us. Our party is well known around these parts,” Orgham said with a polite smile.

  “By the way, what’s your group called?”

  A smirk crossed the whole group, posture straightening as their leader proudly pronounced their name.

  “We’re the Giant’s Bane.”

  Callum had never heard of them, but he could tell they were famous from how some of the people in the tavern turned towards their table with awe in their eyes.

  “I’ll keep that in mind,” Callum said.

  He thanked the group once again and waved goodbye.

  Though losing his money stung, he’d gladly trade it for making a few friends. The group calling themselves The Giant’s Bane had been a breath of fresh air to Callum’s day in Lynn. He hadn’t had many opportunities to talk with adventurers. The only adventurers he knew were Nick and Morrick.

  However, not only did he get good advice from the group, but he also found out that he has a benefactor in the name of Winnerva. Though nothing was set in stone yet, the idea of getting a scholarship from a place that churned out scholars like a factory? That would be exciting.

  But before that, he’ll need to get stronger. And the first order of business to get stronger was knowing how to read and write.

  With purposeful steps, Callum made his way toward the door. A chime sounded when he exited the tavern.

  Night had fallen, and stars illuminated the sky like jewels in a treasure box. The air was crisp, and if it weren’t for his undead physique, a shiver would’ve run down his spine. Yet, the breeze against his skin felt oddly comforting.

  Almost a month had passed since his rebirth as an undead. He never imagined being transported to another world, let alone stabbed into it. But, as his father used to say, .

  He slowly circled the tavern, walking through the dark alleyway leading to the back door. The stench of rotting food from a nearby garbage pile made him scrunch his nose, something he hadn’t grown used to while Sabrina worked here.

  He was here to pick her up, but more importantly, to ask Tess for reading lessons. That was his main reason for coming, and if the deal fell through, he’d have to find someone else.

  However, getting a tutor after losing all of his money would be a task greater than climbing Mount Everest. He’d have to earn what he had lost and more. After all, most people in this town have no idea how to read and write. Even among adventurers, some barely knew how to read.

  Finding someone truly skilled in reading and writing would be a challenge, and that was without even considering the cost of hiring them.

  Lost in thought, Callum pushed through the back door.

  Most of the tavern staff knew him by now. He’d often swing by to pick up or drop off Sabrina whenever he had time. Sometimes the job fell to Nick, but since he was visiting today, he figured he might as well handle it himself.

  Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a couple of barmaids peeking out from behind the kitchen door. They were whispering to each other, but the clatter and hiss of the kitchen made it impossible to catch what they were saying.

  “Hey there. I’m here to pick up Sabrina. Is Tess around?” Callum asked, offering them a polite smile.

  The barmaids squealed and darted back into the kitchen to fetch Tess. Callum blinked, mildly stunned. Had he done something weird to elicit that kind of reaction? As far as he remembered, they usually just greeted him with a smile of their own. But now, they were acting like schoolgirls fangirling over some star athlete.

  The thought alone made him blush—well, the undead equivalent of it.

  Still, he couldn’t figure out why they were acting that way. Had he said something strange before? Or was it something else entirely?

  With no real answers, Callum walked over to the kitchen door and leaned against the frame, waiting for Tess and Sabrina.

  He tapped his foot to the rhythm of muffled music from the main lobby, mind racing through ways to ask Tess for reading lessons. Should he act casually and slip it into conversation? Or just be direct to avoid confusion?

  Would smelling like dirt hurt his chances?

  Just to make sure, Callum did a quick sniff of his shoulder, wincing slightly from the result.

  It wasn’t long before a small girl ran toward him, her tiny arms wrapping around one of his legs.

  “Callum! You’re here!” Sabrina exclaimed, her voice full of delight.

  “Of course, why wouldn’t I be?” he replied, ruffling the girl’s hair.

  Sabrina giggled, swatting at his hand to stop the onslaught of pets he was dishing out.

  “So?” a voice called out.

  Callum glanced over and saw Tess leaning against the counter. She wore that irritated look, though it wasn’t as intense as before.

  “What do you want?” she pointedly asked.

  It took him a moment to get his bearings, his mind scrambling to find the right words.

  “Do you have some free time for the next couple of weeks?” he asked.

  Tess stared at him, shifting her weight as she considered the question.

  “That depends.”

  “I was thinking…” he drawled, his eyes flicking to Sabrina before returning to Tess.

  “Since you’ve been giving Sabrina reading lessons, could I get some too?”

  For most, this would’ve been embarrassing. A grown man asking for reading lessons wasn’t exactly dignified. Yet, Callum stood firm in his decision.

  He needed to understand the language of this world—and who’s to say there weren’t others? This was just the first step in his journey, and it wouldn’t kill him to swallow his pride and ask for help with something so basic.

  “Huh?”

  That’s when Callum saw a new expression on the barmaid’s face—one he hadn’t seen since they met.

  She looked genuinely stunned, as if she couldn’t believe someone like him didn’t know how to read.

  “I mean, if you have the time. I’ll even pay you for the lessons,” he added quickly.

  Though he didn’t have the funds now, he could earn them once he started working as an adventurer. But to do that, he needed to read the quests posted on the board.

  Tess raised a hand to cover her mouth, clearly trying to stifle a laugh. Her shoulders trembled, and a smile tugged at her lips.

  Callum bit the inside of his cheek, doing his best to hide his embarrassment. If he were still human, his face would’ve been red as a tomato. Honestly, he could almost the heat radiating from his cheeks—phantom or not.

  “You don’t know how to read?” Sabrina asked with innocent curiosity, which made the barmaid burst out laughing, loud enough to earn a few stares from the other staff.

  “Seriously?” Callum muttered. This was the second time today he’d been laughed at.

  “I just didn’t expect to be illiterate,” Tess said between gasps for air.

  “Why would you think that?” he retorted.

  It took Tess another second to collect herself. She still wore that grin when she looked back at Callum.

  “So? Is that it?” she asked.

  “Is what what?”

  “Is reading lessons all you need from me?”

  “Well, I could use some writing lessons too.”

  That earned another bout of laughter from Tess—Sabrina giggling along with her this time.

  “Could you stop that?” Callum snapped.

  “Sorry, sorry. Let me just catch my breath.”

  Callum hadn’t seen Tess laugh—or even smile, for that matter. But watching her now, chuckling to herself, warmed something in him. It reminded Callum why he was glad to be alive again. Moments like this were rare, and he hoped to see more of them, even if he was the cause of her laughter.

  Tess took a few deep breaths to compose herself. When she did, that familiar glare returned to her eyes, coupled with a hint of relief.

  “I can teach you,” she said.

  “Really?”

  “But only twice a week. I don’t have time to teach two children, so you’ll have to make do with that,” Tess declared.

  “Do I look like a child to ya?” Callum asked in mock outrage.

  “Yes,” Tess said without missing a beat.

  There was a second of silence before Callum let out a sigh. He still had no idea how he’d earned this woman’s ire.

  Two days a week were fine with him. He’d be busy training and picking up work from the guild over the next few weeks anyway. He wouldn’t have time to spare every day learning a new language. It wasn’t ideal, but it was a whole lot better than never learning at all.

  Callum and Tess hashed out the details of their deal, clarifying expectations and bartering over her fee. They eventually settled on a Din and a Pen per session, each lasting about two hours.

  At first, Tess proposed an entire Tin per week, which Callum considered nothing short of daylight robbery. But after some back-and-forth, they ironed out the price, timing, and schedule of his lessons.

  Once satisfied with the terms, Callum and Tess shook on it. He’d secured a teacher—now all he needed was a trainer.

  ***

  "What do you think?" asked Orgham.

  He glanced at Kelsa and saw her brow furrowed.

  While it was true that her mentor told them about Callum's potential, they didn't tell the man how dangerous he was.

  Winnerva, ever the eccentric mage, had told them about her encounter with Callum. Her tale began with the usual talk of magic and wonder, but when she spoke of testing his mana, her tone turned serious.

  The crystal ball didn’t just gauge his reservoir—it tested his affinity too. Even remembering what they'd heard from Kelsa's mentor sent shivers down Orgham's spine. The thought of someone so easygoing holding that kind of power? He could see why he drew Winnerva's attention.

  A hint of Arcanum.

  The word alone was enough to take everyone's breath away when they heard it for the first time.

  "I think we should keep our eyes on him," Kelsa replied.

  "I agree," Aldrin added. "The guy doesn't even know about it. There's no point in making him an enemy."

  "Yeah. He doesn't seem the type to cause trouble," Orgham said.

  Both Aldrin and Kelsa nodded at his observation.

  The half-goliath had been good company, telling stories of his time in Lynn. Though the blindfold was strange, it was nothing out of the ordinary with adventurers like them. They’d seen crazier shit. A man covering his eyes was nothing new.

  While the others spoke, Odahlia stayed quiet, her mind elsewhere. She had been pretty silent throughout the night, only offering small nods and answers. Her brows were slightly knitted, still remembering that small contact between them.

  She felt it. She felt her magic stir and pounce at him, treating him as an enemy rather than a friend. His refusal to heal only strengthened her suspicions. The only reason for her magic to act like that was if they were…

  It could have been a curse or an ailment, something that would spur her magic to become hostile.

  She shouldn’t be quick to assume he was undead.