Miri inwardly cringed as he heard that familiar voice. She and Anne turned around to meet the three douchebag knights from the Golden Lion Guild face to face. Like before, all three of them wore armor that’s been expertly etched and gilded to look as ornate and extravagant as possible—with each armor of a different color of red, blue, and green. Because Miri could not even care enough about them to remember all their names, they shall remain as red douche knight, blue douche knight, and green douche knight respectively in her head.

  “Well, if it isn't Miriam Caldwell, the skank who’s been the talk of the town,” the red douche knight sneered. “What a surprise to see you here.”

  “Same goes to you, err…whatever you name is,” Miri replied dismissively.

  “Really? Are you honestly that lacking in mental faculties that you have already forgotten our names?” the red douche knight said, feeling abhorrently offended. “How typical of the peasant class. Let me remind you once more. My name is Richard Robertson.”

  “And my name is Brian Bradford,” the blue douche knight said.

  “And my name is Gregory Gilbert,” the green douche knight said.

  “Yeah, yeah, whatever. Your names are so boring and unmemorable that I won’t even bother wasting brain cells to memorize them,” Miri said. “Besides, I thought this competition was supposed to be for competent adventurers. You three certainly don’t fit the bill on that front.”

  “What?! How dare you besmirch the good name of the Golden Lion Guild?” the red douche knight snapped. “Our guild has been one of the most prestigious and reputable private guilds in the entire city for many years now. It is only reasonable for us to participate in a competition as distinguished as the Pentacle Trials so that we can continue to maintain our reputation of prestige.”

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  “Oh, really? Maintaining a reputation of prestige?” Miri asked with a raised eyebrow. “So I’m guessing members of your guild have won a Pentacle Trial before?” The three douche knights remained awkwardly silent when she tried asking them about that particular aspect. “No? You haven’t? Have you guys at least come close to doing so? Have any of your members even reached up to the fifth trial? Or even the fourth, at least?” Like before, the three knights remained silent once more. “Well, I think that pretty much answers it. All that talk of reputation and prestige is just a load of bullshit, isn’t it? Heck, I bet you guys can’t even get past the first trial.”

  “Don’t you dare underestimate us, Miriam Caldwell, or I’ll make sure you’ll regret it,” the red douche knight warned with an angry scowl. “Mark my words, if any of us were to face you within this trial, we’ll be sure to make you suffer a humiliating defeat.”

  “A humiliating defeat?” Miri scoffed. “We’ll see about that. We’re gonna kick your ass so hard that it’s gonna hurt even more than that time I kicked you in the balls. Isn't that right, Anne?”

  “Umm, uhh…yes, that’s right,” Anne added awkwardly. “The ones who shall suffer a humiliating defeat will be you three…and not us…umm, yes, very humiliating indeed.”

  Miri saw how the cleric was tripping over her words and let out a disappointed sigh. “Come on, Anne. I thought we worked on this.”

  “I’m sorry, Miri. I’m just not very good at delivering creative insults, at least not as good as you,” Anne whimpered nervously. “In fact, I tend to not insult anyone if I can help it, even towards those who might deserve it. I simply don’t have that propensity within me.”

  The three douche knights burst into laughter towards Anne’s failure in coming up with a clever verbal comeback. “Looks like we have the last laugh after all. Farewell!”

  “Oh yeah?! Well…fuck you, too!” Miri said frustratingly while flipping the bird at the three douche knights as she watched them walk away.

  Idris watched the whole interaction between the two groups with a great sense of intrigue. ““Hmm, how interesting. I’m sensing that there is a history between you two and the three knights from the Golden Lion Guild over there. And also, you’ve mentioned something about having kicked one of them in the balls? What was all that about?”

  Miri sighed. “It’s a long story.”