Chapter 393 Mother Shallot

I made my way up to the house, and just before I got to the porch, one of the women that looked to be guarding the door to the house stepped forward.

"Mother Shallot has been expecting you," the woman guard told me, and I gave her a look up and down. For someone just watching a farmhouse, metal plate armor seemed a bit excessive.

Both guardswomen were wearing partial metal plate armor with chainmail underneath and a helm. I could tell that they had weapons hidden on them, but since none were drawn, it was likely for show or at least to indicate that this place was to be taken seriously.

"Really? Well, I guess that does make things a lot easier," I said and then waited for a moment.

Nothing happened.

"Are you going to show me to Mother Shallot or not? If she knows that I am coming, then shouldn't you be showing me the way?" I asked curiously, and the woman narrowed her eyes at me, and for some reason, I felt animosity coming from this woman. For a fraction of a moment, I thought she was going to either spit in my face or try to attack me, but the woman just gritted her teeth at me.

"Tsk, follow me!" The guardswoman growled at me and then turned to the house in a huff and opened the door with much more force than was needed before storming inside.

I frowned and then looked at the other guardswoman, who gave me a placating smile before whispering to me. "Kia is sore because she was caught out drinking and fooling around with another girl, and she was the one that got the short end of the stick! She has to follow you around, and Shallot made her take two ice baths this morning!"

"Great hungover and pissed-off partner while at the farm. This sounds like fun," I sighed, and the other guardswoman giggled.

"Just be careful not to ask for anything, or Mother with rake you over the coals to pay her back! She is actually pretty nice, but there is no doubt that Mother Shallot has a slight obsession with gold and property," The woman told me and then smiled warmly at me. "My name is Marley, and I guess you are the infamous Cat God?"

"Infamous now? Yes, my name is Galio, your friendly island Cat God, but I am starting to feel more like a detective at this point," I groaned, and Marley giggled.

"You'll do just fine! Shallot knows how to get information out of people, so good luck!" She said before entering the house.

I made my way inside and was a bit surprised when I walked in; the place had hand-carved furniture, soft rugs on the floor, and paintings from what looked like a skilled artist hung on the walls. It was clear that Mother Shallot had money, but I hadn't expected it to be this much.

Still, this part of the house was strange. It was hard to put my finger on just one thing that made me feel that way, but the furniture looked too new, and the place was far too clean. I had counted more than fifteen women out with the cattle, and I was sure that there were more in the barns. The only other thought was that they were staying in the barns, but I didn't think that was the case.

Kia had already gone further into the house and was standing outside of a door with an ornate handle, and when she saw me, she rolled her eyes before opening the door for me. As I stepped inside, an older woman was facing a large window wearing a purple dress with red trimmings, and when she saw me, her eyes widened for a moment before she smiled.

"Welcome, Cat God! I have been expecting you," She said warmly, and Kia stepped away from the door to stand at attention just past it.

I bowed my head in respect to the woman before me, and then she offered me a seat that I took. I was still on guard, but maybe a few questions would clear things up.

"It is an honor to meet you, Mother Shallot. I am here to ask you about the farms and if there you know anything about Hilda's disappearance?" I asked, and Mother Shallot frowned at me.

"I heard about Hilda, but I had nothing to do with that if you are wondering that. My daughter, Sabrina, was best friends, but the two started to grow apart over the last couple of days. I think it started when Hilda heard that you were coming to help her. I don't really know what happened between them, but you can talk to Sabrina, and Kia is going to show you around the place. I am also sorry about my girls not really looking up from their work outside. I may seem nice, but when it is work time, I expect full concentration and my girls did well. I do this to make sure that everything goes smoothly," Mother Shallot explained, and I nodded.

"Since you seem to like to be efficient, do you mind if I make a few improvements after I look around the place? I am sure that I can help make things easier for you around here, but I think I need to learn a bit about how the place works. I know a lot about farming, but I feel like things are going to be different in this world compared to my past lives," I explained, and I swear that I could see dollar signs appear in her eyes as I spoke, and she rose from her chair, the air about her and the way she carried herself.

"You could really do something like that? I had heard rumors about the other towns that had walls rising up around them. Can you do the same for my property? Maybe teach my women some better fighting?" Mother Shallot asked as she came over and took my hands, squatting down in front of me, giving me a clear view of her ample breasts.