Time Skip

Half an hour later, and things are already looking a lot better. In a moment of half practicality half compassion you decided to give Steve one of the two health potions, which means those of you remaining have someone who can actually fight, AND you have extra muscle available for tidying up. It's also maybe partly because you, and all the girls, are honestly pretty fond of him. He's like a kind, 50 year old but surprisingly strong, grey haired Grandpa, and you've all had moments where you were extremely thankful for his interventions with especially drunk or unpleasant customers (Presumably the other guard, Greg, who is much younger, and more or less his apprentice, will arrive back at some point. But you have no idea when or how. The intricacies of respawning remain mysteries known only to The Devs).

You also remember to put the closed sign on the door, after the first hapless punter just wanders in. And then you sit the remaining girls down for a stiff drink. You're not sure it will help, but it certainly can't hurt, and it seems to lighten the mood a little at least. Eventually one more Waitress appears back up from hiding in the Cellars, miraculously unharmed, though a little ruffled. And so now you are 4 altogether. You strangely never counted but you think there were about 10 of you before.

You look around at the survivors. Firstly there's you, check. Then Anna, the tiny pale blonde, still half covered in mud. Next, the tall redhead from behind the bar. She doesn't have a name as far as you know, but has worked here as long as you remember, and has a strikingly beautiful face, along with her thick bright red hair falling down past her shoulders. Although it's never bothered you before you're suddenly disturbed by her lack of name, and from somewhere in your mind you pluck out 'Kyra'. You make a resolution to ask her what she thinks. You smile when you notice that both her and Anna seem to have lost their distant gazes, and are deep in excited conversation, cups in hand, recounting to each other blow by blow accounts of the battle in the Inn, and outside in the town. Finally, the other brunette, Natalie, who came up from the cellars. She's quietly sipping on her drink, seemingly thinking about something else. You've not considered it before, but Natalie has a similar body to yours, just a little thiccer, and definitely one or two cup sizes up from you; her cleavage constantly struggling to burst out of the uniform. Though no-one is immune she certainly gets the most pervy comments and attention normally, and you can see why. To be fair she never seems to mind too much. You suddenly realise you're staring and turn away with a blush. She looked a little flushed herself actually.

You thought you might need to actively use your 'Air of Authority' ability, but the other three Waitresses all seem content to follow your lead regardless (maybe it's a passive thing?), and after what feels like an adequate break you send them all off for half an hour of personal time so they can wash off the blood, smoke, mud and gore, and freshen up, whilst you and Steve can start dragging out all the the bodies.

You grab a limb each, as he makes conversation; "Did I ever tell you about how I used to be an Adventurer?" More than once you've heard him giving out advice to young adventurers who've sought him out, or just telling the stories from his past days, but you let him carry on regardless. It's kind of comforting, and you never pay enough attention to hear how it actually all ended. You think maybe he just got too old (or was it something about being hit by an arrow?).

After the gloom and smoke of the Inn, the light outside is piercing, and it takes a while to get used to, but there are various townsfolk, and even a few guards milling around, repainting signs, and piling up bodies. Not everyone died then. You add your body to the nearest pile, go back for the next, and in not much time at all, the ex-waitresses are all gone. What to do about the ex-barbarian and Fire Cat is more difficult, but in the end Steve rounds up a few town guards and some extra passersby, and with 8 of you huffing and puffing, you just about manage to drag them both out.

By the time that's done the other Waitresses have returned, and so you set everyone to sweeping out the wood chunks, mopping up the blood, rearranging the tables, and dusting and airing the place out. In no time at all it feels like an almost functional Inn again! You even find a passing carpenter in the square outside, and pay him 4 of your own hard earned gold, plus the offer of some free drinks, to repair the blackened bar top.

It's at this point you realise you have no idea what happened to Mike, the manager.

Did anyone see Mike?

You look around to blank faces and shaken heads, until finally Natalie, a little red faced, pipes up "I... uhhh..., I think he's in the vault" before quickly returning back to her task. Of course that's where he would be. The vault isn't exactly an actual vault, but the strongest room in the Inn, where the money is stored, and where Mike has his 'office'. You think back and remember many attacks where Mike has run straight there and locked himself in, leaving the rest of you outside to fend for yourselves. Bastard. That on top of being pervier than most of the customers, and he's not a very popular manager. Hmmmmmm. And entrance is just down the cellar steps. Where Natalie came from. Interesting.