Chapter 7: No Bed, No Glory
The city gates groaned open, revealing cobblestone streets, bustling crowds, and merchant stalls stacked high with colorful produce and unfamiliar tech. The buildings were medieval—wood beams, stone walls, sloped roofs—but the soldiers at the guard post wore modern-style officer coats, dark blue with gold trim, strikingly similar to 20th-century uniforms.
Andrew froze. "Wait a second… Those jackets. That's World War II–era cut. Look at the buttons. Look at the cuffs. That's Eastern Front military chic."
Mario blinked. "You're fangirling over fashion?"
"No," Andrew said seriously, "I'm fangirling over accurate tailoring. That's history with flair."
Meanwhile, Mario frowned at a merchant selling tunics. "I miss jeans. I miss sneakers. I miss hoodies. I miss not having to tie seventeen straps just to go outside."
Andrew gave him a pitying glance. "We're living in a fantasy world, dude. Get used to the laces."
"I want sweatpants."
As they walked through the town, Emma suddenly stopped in front of a massive oak door with a faded sign above it: Aurelia's Guildhall.
"Guys," she said, wide-eyed. "That's a guild."
"A real one," Caroline added. "The kind that gives quests and pays adventurers."
Andrew's eyes lit up. "YES. Finally. I've waited my entire life for this."
"You mean your entire webtoon history," Mario muttered.
Caroline turned to Andrew, a playful smile on her lips. "I didn't know you were into guild systems."
Andrew shrugged. "Big fan of leveling systems, magical progression, and civil-military hierarchies."
She raised an eyebrow. "Well, I'm more into modern history. You know—civil rights, revolutions, women's movements, that kind of thing."
Andrew smiled. "You're into history too?"
"Just the part that actually made a difference."
Andrew's heart might have done a flip, but he coughed and looked away. "Cool. Cool. Revolutionary. Literally."
Inside the guild, the air buzzed with noise. Adventurers in armor laughed and drank at long wooden tables. Swords and axes hung on racks near a glowing job board. Behind the desk sat a bored-looking receptionist flipping through a logbook.
Caroline stepped up. "Hi. We need six rooms."
The receptionist raised an eyebrow. "Six?"
"Yes," Emma added. "Five for us girls. One for the boys."
Mario looked at them. "Wait… how do you have money?"
"We found it," Caroline said. "Next to our bags. With food, potions, maps—pretty much everything."
Andrew gaped. "You got bags of supplies?! We got dropped in a zombie-infested church with rusty armor and a shield that smells like garlic!"
"And fire magic," Mario added, nodding at Andrew.
"Right—fire magic and trauma," Andrew snapped. "That's what we got. You guys got premium DLC."
The receptionist interrupted. "I'm sorry. We have only one room available. With four beds."
The group went silent.
"Oh well," Caroline said with a sly grin. "Girls take the beds."
Mario stared. "You can't be serious."
"Shower first!" Emma chimed in, skipping toward the stairs.
"Enjoy the smell of rotting flesh, boys," one of the others added as they followed.
As the door slammed upstairs, Mario watched them go, arms crossed. "We survived zombies, bandits, and a sewer boss, and this is our reward?"
He moved toward the stairs, only for Andrew to grab him by the collar. "Don't. Caroline said if I keep you in check, I get a kiss."
Mario paused. "…You what?"
Andrew blinked. "I said nothing. Sit down."
Mario grumbled and plopped onto the wooden floor next to Andrew. The guild buzzed around them, but their corner of the lobby was drafty, slightly damp, and had exactly zero pillows.
Mario sighed. "I bet they're up there in fluffy robes, eating fruit and having magical pedicures."
Andrew laid back. "We're on the floor. Like common NPCs."
A loud thud came from upstairs, followed by laughter and the sound of running water.
Mario covered his face. "I hate this world."
Andrew smirked. "Think of it this way: you're bonding with nature. Rustic vibes. Character development."
"I'm gonna character-develop myself into a coma."
Andrew stretched, hands behind his head. "I'm still getting that kiss."
Mario rolled onto his side. "I'm still getting a fungal infection."
They both stared at the ceiling for a moment.
Then burst out laughing.