While Osric's party was enjoying good food and pleasant conversation in the Blackmill orphanage—
Somewhere else in Ashbrook inside a small home, the former hunter in his thirties was eating in his kitchen.
Richard was thinking back on everything that had happened inside the monster forest yesterday and how he walked out of Franklin's office.
'Why should I care? I shouldn't have been involved with them to begin with.'
He asked himself why he agreed to William's request to help out Garrick and Dustin who were in danger back then against those Wolves.
As he exasperated, someone entered his home through the front door.
"Creak."
"I'm back." The young 24 year old man said.
His porter work clothes and light brown hair were all dirty and messy.
"Brice? Why are you back already? I thought you went on a two day job this time." Richard said with his mouth half full.
His demeanour at home was very different to his usual cold self outside with others.
That was because the person he was talking to was his younger brother.
Brice was his only remaining family and the only person he cared for in his life. Because of their age gap and the early loss of their parents, Richard had raised Brice himself by becoming a hunter at a very young age.
"Ugh. Don't get me started. Despite our mercenary escorts, the caravan took huge damage against these bandits halfway to the next city."
"Were you injured?"
"No no. Thankfully our mercenaries managed to fend them off, but because of our heavy losses, we had to turn back. I didn't even receive my pay."
Richard frowned.
"Tsk. Typical."
"I know, right?"
Richard stood up and prepared food for his brother.
"Eat something before cleaning yourself up."
"And I told you many times already—
"Please find a different line of work. Too many porters die on the job each year."
"Ah come on Richard! I told you, porter work pays way better than the jobs I could get in the city. And you know how quick I am. Plus did you forget how good I always was at hide and seek when we were kids?"
"You're an idiot. That won't help against a stronger bandit who has a horse."
"Whatever man. You don't hear me complaining about you deciding to become an adventurer. That's way more dangerous. Wasn't being a hunter enough of a risk?"
Richard rolled his eyes in annoyance.
"Hm, that's right. You're doing it for the money too. So don't complain to me."
Richard couldn't argue with him.
"I'm sorry. If I hadn't trusted that bastard with all of our savings, we wouldn't be in this situation. And that bitch that betrayed me to go with him."
Richard thought back to his best friend stealing all his money and running off with Richard's fiancée.
That incident did more than just break him emotionally.
"Forget about those traitors. It's not your fault. And it wouldn't hurt you to try and make some new friends. I bet everyone finds you off putting by your behaviour these last few years." Brice responded.
"Bastard."
Richard threw a wooden spoon at his younger brother for hitting a nerve.
"Agh! Haha what, can't handle the truth?"
They kept bickering for a while before Brice asked Richard about his last couple of days.
He told him about how he went on a mission with William again and what happened, including the encounter with Garrick, Dustin and those Stoneclaw gangsters.
"What the fuck?!"
"Why didn't you tell me about this the second I arrived?"
"It isn't such a big deal. I pulled myself out from that mess. And apparently everything worked out. I'll probably go on a mission again tomorrow or so with William."
"You think he'll want to after you just walked away?" Brice asked.
"Yeah. That guy is too kind for his own good. And we work well together."
"Hm?" Brice looked shocked.
"Did you just compliment someone?"
"What? No."
"Haha yes you did. Now I want to meet this William guy even more."
"Ugh. Just leave it be."
"Didn't you say that he's part of that Osric's party that's becoming famous in Ashbrook? You also said they invited you to join them right?"
Richard knew where this was going and he didn't like it.
"Well technically it was just William, not the party that invited me and I'm not interested."
"Come on. You know he can't invite someone without his leader's say so. And why aren't you interested? Joining them would benefit you much better."
"I prefer working alone. And I don't like taking orders from some stranger, especially not a guy who's even younger than you."
Brice narrowed his eyes.
"That's bullshit."
"You're just scared of being betrayed again. And you keep working with William. You also said he is kind and dependable. So why are you still hesitating?"
Richard was frustrated by the lack of counters he could make. He always hated arguing with Brice, since his younger brother was so good at it.
"What's wrong with being careful?"
"You know how much you need to trust your companions as an adventurer?"
"You know how many backstabbings there are in this line of work?"
"People in Ashbrook can't be trusted."
Brice frowned.
"Liar. You have to learn how to trust again Richard. Not everyone is out to get you. And I shouldn't be telling you this as your younger brother."
"I know you feel guilty about our circumstances and think that it's your fault for failing as my older brother—
But I never blamed you for anything. You raised me and took over the roles of both my father and mother. I couldn't ask for anyone better to have as my brother than you Richard."
"Please try to forgive yourself and open up to other people more. It's good to be careful, but if you keep acting that coldly on the outside, it will eat away at your emotions and turn you into a truly cold and dark person that will spend his life very alone."
Richard clenched his fists as he looked at his cold soup. He knew that Brice was speaking the truth.
"How about just keeping up with your work with William and then trying to go on missions with his party to try and get a feeling for them."
"Don't decide before actually trying. Please do it for me."
Richard felt his chest pulling at him.
His head hurt and he lost his appetite, so he stood up.
"Fine." That's all he said before turning to leave for his bedroom.
"Haa. He's so exhausting at times." Brice whispered to himself.