It is easy to love your friend, but sometimes the hardest lesson to learn is to love your enemy

-Sun Tzu

The busy streets of Marunath echoed with the sounds of merchants trying to sell their goods, children playing, drunk men coming out of the taverns going home, and the early risers going to the tavern to make their day a little bit easier to handle. Mengus stood in the middle, his party members surrounded him. He shook hands with each one of them, the time had come for them to part ways.

"I can't thank you all enough for everything you've done," Mengus began, they could hear the sadness in his voice. "Without your help, I wouldn't have made it this far. You kept me safe on my travels across the realm, you were with me when I was at the bottom of the leaderboards, and you were with me when I reached the top. But now, it is time for us to part ways."

"When your mother heals, we will travel again! We are still a part of Mengus's party." Garai the archer shouted. All the other men raised their swords as a sign of confirming what he just said.

"If Berro stops drinking that much maybe you'll find your way back here someday," Mengus joked, trying to make this situation a little bit happier. He hated doing this, but he must.

"I can always find the way back to you Mengus," Isaak jumped into the conversation, "all I have to do is to follow that big nose of yours, you can see it from the deserts of Alabin." Everyone laughed.

Aena stood by his side, she had made her decision to stay behind and care for Mengus's injured mother, a task she took without anyone asking her to do it.

"Continue on your quest for glory in the arena, and when you reach Elie please deliver her my message. Tell her to send the money monthly to Marunath in my name, and to hold off on expanding the caravans for now. Our priority is here, with my mother. Without arena, my gold will be a little bit thin after a while."

His companions nodded in understanding. They had forged bonds on their journey together, bonds that would endure despite the distance that now lay between them.

As Mengus bid farewell to his companions, Lysa stood among them, her eyes locked on him. She had fought against him, alongside him, shared victories and defeats, and grown to care deeply for him. To love him. Yet, she knew that her own path went in a different direction from his.

"Mengus, I want to stay," Lysa declared. "I want to help care for your mother and support you in any way I can."

Mengus turned to her, he looked sad, broken.

"Lysa, you're a warrior, a god-damn good warrior. You are not a housewife, you don't belong in that life," he said gently, his hand reaching out to touch hers. "You have dreams and ambitions of your own. I can't ask you to give those up for me. And now with me gone, maybe you'll have an actual chance to rise the leaderboards." He smiled softly.

She kicked him in the leg.

"But my place is by your side," she protested, her eyes pleading with him to understand.

Mengus shook his head, a faint smile touching his lips.

"Your place is wherever your heart leads you, Lysa," he said softly. "Don't let me hold you back from chasing your dreams."

Lysa was torn between her desire to stay and her dream of becoming one of the best fighters in the arena. She took a deep breath and then spoke: "I'll go then, but know that my thoughts will always be with you, Mengus. And if you ever need me, I'll come running."

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Mengus nodded, his eyes watering. "Thank you, Lysa," he whispered. "For everything."

With a final embrace, Lysa turned and joined the rest of the party as they made their way through the crowded streets of Marunath. The further away she walked, her heart felt heavier, Lysa knew that she was following the path she was meant to take and that their paths would cross again. And though she would miss Mengus dearly, she carried with her the memories of their time together and the hope of new adventures yet to come.

* * *

Behind the tavern, up the wooden, narrow staircase there was a modest chamber just above the tavern. The wooden steps creaked beneath the weight of Mengus and Aena, echoing softly.

Upon reaching the top of the stairs, they entered the humble lodgings that served as their living quarters. The space was made out of several rooms, each furnished with basic necessities - a simple bed, a worn wooden table, some bad-looking chairs, and a small hearth for cooking and warmth.

In the corner of the main room lay Mengus's mother, covered in bandages, her burned skin hiding from the outside world.

Mengus and Aena exchanged a glance, both worried for her. They knew that her recovery would be a long and difficult journey, not only for the two of them but for his mother as well.

"Thank you for staying."

"Don't even say it, of course I'd stay. My patient is not fully healed yet," she answered hastily.

"I must go now, the funny thing is I have to look for a job."

Both of them giggled.

"I already found one, near the tavern there is an herbalist shop, the woman is nice, and the pay is low, but at least it is something."

"You are fast," Mengus laughed. "I can't come back unless I find something as well."

* * *

After a series of unsuccessful attempts to secure a job in Marunath, Mengus found himself wandering the busy streets in search of any opportunity to earn his gold.

"This is just like my past life, all over again...I hate it."

He thought a lot about the dream he had, where he was back home in his chair gaming, and even though he remembered everything about his life here, he didn't change a thing back there. The plan was to give someone gold to take care of his mother, but after that dream and a lot of thought, he decided to be the son he never was and stay back. Now he was hunting for a job, the best arena fighter in the realm, can't find a job.

He thought about joining the guards, or something like that where swords are involved. But that would put him a risk of getting injured or dying, that way he can't really help anyone, can he?

As he passed by the row of workshops, his attention was drawn to the rhythmic clanging from the open door of the local smithy.

Intrigued, Mengus stepped inside. At the heart of the workshop stood an elderly man, his hands still steady as they wielded the hammer with practiced precision.

Approaching the smith, Mengus decided to introduce himself.

"Hi my name is Mengus and I-"

"Don't care," said the old man. "Who you are, what you were, I don't give a shit. Just tell me what you want in my smith?"

"I want to work for you, it is pretty empty here and this is a huge smithy."

The old man scanned him. "Did you ever work in a smithy before?"

"No...not really. But I am very eager to learn." Said Mengus.

The old man laughed. "You think this is a joke? That I have time to teach you how to work?" He laughed even more.

"What do we have in this life except time old man?"

"You're interesting," said the smith. "Okay, I'll give you a chance to prove yourself. You'll start doing some- - easier orders, and then we will see how will you hold on. The pay won't be much at the start, is that okay with you?"

"Yes sir," Mengus said.

"If he promised me to pay in a year I would still accept it, because nowhere else did I even get a tryout."

"You are starting tomorrow. Sunrise. Don't be late."

They shook hands and Mengus left home.

"I found a job, can't believe it. My old self wouldn't believe me that's for sure."

Mengus still had some gold saved up, but with buying the chamber above the tavern, their monthly expenses, after a while he might be in trouble. Caravan gold will help a lot, it would be enough if not for the herbs for his mother. Getting a job was the only logical thing to do for Mengus, so he wouldn't have to worry a thing about money.

"Money, money, gold, gold... The world and time does not matter, in every universe this leads the world."