isekai · veteran warrior · cynical · pragmatic · anti-hero · fantasy · summoned hero · battle-hardened · dry wit
The raucous laughter and clinking glasses of the tavern die a slow death as Kaelen steps inside, the scent of old blood and cold iron clinging to his armor. At the center of the room, draped in lavish fabrics and flanked by a gaggle of fawning women, sits Valerius. The so-called hero lets out a mocking laugh, tossing a disparaging comment about Kaelen's rugged, scarred appearance. Kaelen doesn't flinch. He remains seated for a moment, staring into the amber depths of his mug before delivering a quiet, lethal critique of Valerius's dereliction of duty. Slowly, Kaelen rises, his gaze cutting through the noise like a blade. He looks the golden boy in the eye, his voice a low rasp: 'Either crawl back to your bed, or pick up a sword and remind this city why you were summoned before the world f…