2-34 Maven’s Respite

Without minding about being conspicuous in her real appearance, Erin rushed through the streets and straight toward the plaza where Iris’ “humble” abode was. There were a few guards who were about to stop her but upon noticing who she was, they hastily made way for her. With the festivities still ongoing, beelining was impossible. Instead, Erin took to the roofs and traversed from atop of the buildings. She heard a few shouts and complaints of her antics but as expected, they kept their silence upon realizing her identity.

Under five minutes, Erin reached the plaza of the inn district. The ostentatious tent at the centre was still as glaring as she remembered. From the view atop the roofs, the tent was simply unbefitting of its placement.

“Hmm?” Erin murmured to herself upon noticing the lax attitude of the guards around the tent. This sort of attitude was a telltale sign that one’s employer wasn’t in the vicinity. When she asked the guards, they only told her she was in the Gold District for some business affairs. However, they didn’t know specifically where Iris was but to Erin, it was good enough. There were plenty of ways Erin could track Iris down considering her reputation. Her beauty alone was enough to leave a deep impression even on those who weren’t in the know of her standing. Erin was about to rush there without a thought but a glimpse of a few finely dressed individuals passing by reminded her of her own wardrobe. There was no way she would be allowed into the noble area in this manner of attire consisting of a plain white tunic under some common leather armor.

Erin entered Iris’ tent and asked the attending maids for some suitable garbs for the Gold District. To Erin’s surprise, the maids obediently heeded her request and graciously gave her, not lent, a set of apparels that spelled femininity and authority. What surprised Erin even more was how fitting the apparels were to her figure. She asked the maids but they all kept their silence. Erin decided to save the question for later and rushed to the Gold District after thanking the maids.

The Gold District was quite detached from the common folks’ area and there were even bridges above canals that made the divide excessively obvious. Couple of guards stood at the end of the crossing with large steel grate gates to further the emphasis of the wealth gap.

“Level thirties and above… they ain’t fooling around.” The nobles took their security seriously, Erin surmised. The lowest level guard in the district was at least level thirty and the levels went as high as level fifty.

“My name is Erinthea and I have business with Lady Iris of the Eternal Moon,” Erin announced once she reached the gate. Her sudden appearance put the guards into combat-ready stances.

A guard stood in her way, wielding a pike and a look of superiority that was all smiles. He was also one of the few men that Erin had met who was taller than her.

“Only nobles and those with a pass are allowed entry into this district,” said the guard with a smug.

“My business with her is urgent. I suggest you allow me to enter.”

The guard laughed. “Your status as a Fae holds no power here, little girl. Unlike others, I’m not so dimwitted or cowardly to be intimidated by a naive Fae. Your privilege does not scare me.”

“Damn… is the extent of my influence as a Fae?” Erin questioned herself.

“What are you still doing here, Fae? You heard what I said, now scram!”

She knew the consequences would be dire but she didn’t have time to care about consequences now. Just as she was about to draw her sword against the level thirty guard, a voice erupted.

“What are you doing, rookie!?”

The level thirty guard cocked his head back slowly. “C-captain?” he stuttered.

A man in heavy silver armor approached the two. Erin fought down the urge to appraise him.

“Do you not know who this lady is? Or were you dozing off during the briefing?”

“B-but sir! She doesn’t have a pass and she’s not a noble… So...”

“She’s a close acquaintance of Lady Iris and she has the advocacy of two Guild Masters. Putting aside those two facts, she is a starred adventurer. So tell me honestly, were you asleep during the briefing.”

The guard couldn’t respond but merely gagging on excuses he couldn’t throw out.

“Save your excuse, rookie. You are dismissed but before you leave, make sure the chamber pots are spotless. Dismissed.”

Color was drained from the guard’s face. “Y-yes sir...” he said and left with a downcast gaze.

“Apologise about that, Lady Erinthea,” the captain said with a slight bow. “I will have one of my men escort you to Maven’s Respite.

“Maven’s Respite?”

“A bathhouse.”

“B-bath house? You misunderstood, captain. I’m here to see Lady Iris. Why—”

“And there is where her ladyship is, Lady Erinthea. We were told to escort you to her should you come looking for her.”

“I-I see...” Erin muttered, confusion written all over her face. “What in heaven’s name is she doing in a bathhouse? Isn’t she here for business?”

****

Erin realized she had misunderstood what a bathhouse was. She had taken the name literally. The place she was escorted to was a palace-esque building of one of the most grandiose designs in the Gold District. The security was even stricter than the streets of Gold District itself.

One thing that stood out to Erin ever since she entered the Gold District was the absence of Paladins or any clergies. In fact, she didn’t even see a single person in this district wearing a single piece of faith articles. It became evident to Erin that the nobles, in this town at least, shunned the teachings of religions. It wasn’t hard for Erin to guess why. The indulgence of nobles was always at odds with a faith’s creed, such as this “bathhouse”.

Once inside the bathhouse, Erin’s escort was switched to a stewardess of Maven’s Respite as only guests, aside from staff, were allowed inside the building for an extended period. At Iris’ discretion, Erin was treated as an honorary guest. Erin was once again being reminded of Iris’ influence and power. She held no doubt the Umbrum might even be the wealthiest person in this town.

All the rooms in this palace accommodates a vast pool for what was known as recreational bathing. It wasn’t as simple as taking a bath. There were ladies of marriageable age and above average appearance attending to the guests. Since the ladies were the main attraction, it was considerably less popular with the female population. There were no men of the same criteria to cater to the women.

“That’s pretty unfair. And the women said nothing?” Erin asked.

“Of course they did,” replied the stewardess. “But the arrangement isn’t without reason. Husbands are afraid their wives would be seduced by the service men.”

“And their wives don’t have the same concern?”

“They have but infidelity of men are all too common in the kingdom, a human kingdom, Lady Erinthea. And yes, it’s a complete hypocrisy.”

“So, a patriarchy system at work... Typical. Something just doesn’t change even in different worlds.”

“However, there is a special service for the ladies.”

Erin raised an eyebrow.

“It is quite costly even for a noble. The service of soft boys that are one or two years away from the first crack of their voice.”

Erin shuddered visibly.

The stewardess noticed it and immediately apologized. “Forgive me for my lack of discretion, Lady Erinthea. This must have been quite a shock to know for a Fae. Truly, many apologies, Lady Erinthea.” Although the stewardess tried to remain calm, it was clear she was greatly terrified by her great blunder of making a Fae feeling uncomfortable.

Erin waved it off and asked that she spoke no more of the subject. And so, they walked on in silence, with one of them in deep trepidation of her future in the next few hours.

Erin lost count of the hallways she had walked through before finally arriving in front of a twin large doors that gave off the feel of utmost superiority in comparison to the other rooms in the bath house. The borders of such large doors were ornamented with actual gold and silver.

“This is our most expensive and luxurious offer in Maven’s Respite,” the stewardess said as she gently pushed open the doors. Contrary to the door’s size, the hinges and design made it light enough to be opened with a gentle push.

“Ah, Erin. You’re finally here,” said Iris joyously as soon as Erin entered the room. “Please, come in. You’re welcome to enjoy the baths too.” The Umbrum herself was soaking in the waters in all bare and to Erin’s disbelief, she didn’t have any ladies or boys attending her. She was alone in the room with no one to attend to her.

Setting aside the lack of service boy or girls, Erin was treated to a sight of the reality of what wealth could buy. She thought Iris’ abode was ostentatious but this room took the cake. She couldn’t help but let out a gasp of awe.

The stewardess took her leave after giving the two a bow. Erin didn’t miss the sigh of relief she let off just as the doors closed.

“The water is warm and possesses healing properties, for the mind and body. If it's payment you’re worried about, you don’t need to. It’s all covered by me. So, enjoy yourself, Erin.” As soon as Iris finished her explanation, she spread her arms out and once again leaned back against the edge of the pool and allowed herself to sink into enjoyment with her eyes closed.

“I’m not here for pleasure purposes. This is something urgent, Iris. I implore you to listen to me with your full attention.”

“I am as focused as I will ever be. Just speak,” Iris replied without sparing a glance.

“Green Scar is going to be attacked by a monster horde.”

“Ah, so that is the case,” came the unexpected response from Iris.

“Y-you knew about it? How?”

Iris tittered. “Do you still need to ask?”

“You’re right, I don’t. But what I do want to ask is why are you just sitting here and doing nothing?!”

No immediate answer came from Iris. She wriggled herself to a more comfortable position before answering. “The town has Aedan, do you not remember?”

As irked as Erin was by Iris’ nonchalant attitude, Erin refrained herself from leering at the nubile body of Iris who was blatantly displaying for Erin’s eyes to feast. “He’s capable of repelling a monster horde?” Erin asked.

“Well, he could definitely repel the horde but… in his current state, he won’t be able to do it without casualties even if all the able-bodies banded up together. No doubt there will be a lot of casualties and death. We have only one option right now if the outcome of your desire is to see the town of Green Scar come out intact from this conundrum.”

“And what would that be?”

“Let the Ruvans know.”

Erin narrowed her gaze. “You’re joking.”

“I’m afraid I’m not, my dear Erin. The Ruvans are the only one who currently have the adequate forces and strength to combat this threat effectively. Especially with Azaela in town. Most of the soldiers in Maven’s Creek have only been a guard for their whole life, they have no experience in a battlefield. The seasoned ones are in the employment of the nobles. The nobles surely won’t dispatch their own army just to send aid to a small town in the middle of nowhere.”

“Even if I use my persuasion?”

“Even that. They tend to be stubborn at the wrong times. It’s safe to say the nobles would prioritize their gold and resources even if it means raising a Fae’s ire. Therefore, the Ruvan Paladins are your best bet. Well, your only bet to be precise.”

Erin fell silent. Her mind was whirling, trying to come up with an alternative to seeking the assistance of an obnoxious religious order.

“And before you even think about it, I beg you sincerely to not put yourself into harm’s way. You are only an individual, not an army.”

Erin clicked her tongue.

“All things considered, this is the only course of action, Erin. I know the consequences will be unsavory for a lot of people.”

“How unsavory are we talking about? How much will the Ruvans grow if they succeed in repelling the horde.”

“A church will be built in Green Scar, for one. The people will put more trust in the Paladins more than the nobles and soldiers. Oh, and you may be seeing more Paladins which are deeply zealous about their beliefs in the future. But there is a chance all of these might not happen at all.”

Erin raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“I have taken the liberty to look further into Azaela. Cost quite a bit of gold.”

“Judging by the smile on your face, I reckon it was worth it?”

Iris chuckled. “That’s up for discussion. You see, I was told that Azaela has spoken with the Goddess Ruva herself.”

“Spoken? In what way?”

“Whatever way they use to speak with their gods. Point is, Azaela’s belief in Ruvanity isn’t unfounded or blind, unlike your typical zealots. She’s not doing this for glory, gold, or a sense of purpose. She genuinely wishes to do some good, as long as the means do not cross a certain line. Whatever that line is.”

“You’re saying everything will just go back to the way it was after the Ruvans’ intervention?”

Iris shrugged. “Not surely but maybe. Azaela doesn’t seek to expand the Ruvans’ influence. In fact, she didn’t think constant expansion would do the faith any good.”

“She sure sounds different than what rumors typically say about a Paladin.”

“She sure does but there is a chance this information is nothing but false.”

“How high are the chances of this information being false?” Erin asked.

“...Less than ten percent,” Iris answered after a short silence.

“...Then, that’s good enough for me,” Erin said and turned around.

“Leaving so soon?” Iris asked. “You have someplace to be?”

“To let the Ruvans know, what else do you think?”

Iris chuckled. “There’s no need for that,” she said and conjured up a shadowy snake in her palm. She placed it on the floor and let it slithered away into the walls. “There, that takes care of that. That snake you just saw is a familiar of mine. It will inform my subordinates of what to do.”

“Just what manner of spell is that?”

“Familiar summoning but of Shadow Magic varietal. You should learn it too. It’s quite handy, especially when you want to pass on a message, seek someone out, or have someone followed.” Iris said the last words with a wink.

“So I’ve heard,” Erin retorted dryly. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I should be leaving.”

“What’s the rush, Erin? Everything has been taken care of.”

“That doesn't mean I can't do more.”

“There’s nothing more you can do currently for the circumstances. Unless of course, you have other unrelated engagements. If that’s the case, I won’t stop you. Although, you have been quite busy recently.”

Erin glared. “What's it to you?”

“I say you deserve some rest. You hid it well but it is not perfect. Your exhaustion is clear to my eyes.”

Erin couldn't refute. She was feeling a little bit worn out but the pressing matters at hand did not allow her any peace of mind.

“These baths are just right for someone of your condition. So join me, Erin.”

Erin glanced at the vast pool and the decor of the room. It was too extravagant for the taste. There was no way she could rest easy. “I’ll get some rest but just no here, Iris.”

“You sure? The waters here are really astounding, you know. It’ll make your skin gleam and your tails softer to the touch.”

Hearing Iris’ last sentence, Erin’s ears perked up. “I-it will…?”

Iris opened her eyes. She directed a gaze at Erin and smiled. “Of course. That’s not all. It is said these waters can even alleviate any fatigue and have a positive impact on… certain affairs of the night.”

Erin was enticed. Even if she didn’t say it out loud, her tails wagging energetically behind her was a dead giveaway. Besides, her shoulders were feeling a bit stiff lately and stiff movements would lead to errors in her forms. Also, her tails’ fur was in need of some serious cleaning if she wished to retain the softness. “Then… I guess I do have an hour or so to spare,” Erin said.

“Splendid,” Iris said with a titter that made it obvious of her underlying intention to Erin.