2-36 Underhanded

EnroItzal

“Come in,” said Rosemary as soon as she heard the knock on her door. She had yet to catch the smallest glimpse of her guest but she could already tell who it was. After all, there were only a few who could approach her room with steps so gentle and graceful, and Rosemary was expecting her.

The door creaked open and in walked a Fox-kin bearing three tails dressed in leather armor donned over a simple white shirt and pants.

“Good morning, Lady Erinthea. Your beauty is dazzling as always.”

“Good morning to you too, Guild Master. The nice lady at the reception said you wish to speak with me. Surely it couldn’t be something dire, could it?” asked Erin, taking a seat in front of the Guild Master’s desk at her gesture.

“It’s nothing of that sort, milady. I just wish to express my gratitude.”

“Gratitude? For what?”

Without answering, Rosemary poured Erin a cup of milk from a jug just by her desk. The jug itself was enchanted with a spell that helped retain the content’s heat, essentially making the milk within the jug perpetually warm.

“Milk?” Erin took a whiff from where she sat. “But not dairy. Could this be… almond milk?”

“You are indeed correct, Lady Erinthea. I believe this is the staple milk for the Fae, am I correct?”

Erin nodded as she took the cup into her hands. She couldn’t have known about that of course; she just remembered the tales Nivia had told her. She took a few sips, her first taste of almond milk. The taste wasn’t anything special but it didn’t taste as weird as she had thought.

“Now, where were we— Ah yes, my gratitude. I believe I should thank you for taking care of a few of my headaches.”

“And what would those headaches be?”

“Azaela and most of her cohorts. They left for Green Scar just before dawn broke.”

Erin raised an eyebrow. “How do you know I was the one responsible?”

“Someone managed to make Azaela leave Quinteburgh for Green Scar. Definitely not the nobles considering what just happened some two days before. That little amount of information says enough.”

Erin felt conflicted. She understood she was being praised but at the same time, it was a clear indication of how predictable she was.

“Without Azaela eyeing my every move, I can work and rest easier. So truly, I am grateful, milady.”

“I wasn’t aware they have already left town.” Erin thought back when she was walking through the streets to the Guild. The numbers of Paladins didn’t seem to have dwindled, so she thought the Paladins have yet decided on their actions even after receiving the news of an imminent monster attack on the town of Green Scar. “I still saw a lot of Paladins roaming the streets. She didn’t bring many with her.”

“She doesn’t need to, Lady Erinthea. If the rumors are anything to go by, she would have been enough in the face of hundreds of monsters of these levels.”

“What if the levels of the monsters are higher than we expected?”

“That’s why she’s bringing others with her.”

Erin took another sip of the warm almond milk. She was starting to like the taste more than the usual cow’s milk. “Is she truly as strong as the rumors exaggerated her to be?”

“I have heard even Astoria Stormedge, the Sword Saint, reveres her. Her strength is definitely not something the common masses can easily obtain. I don’t doubt her ability to repel the horde but time is another issue.”

“Then Aedan would have to hold back the monsters until then,” Erin told herself in her heart.

“But I guess I’m worrying too much.” “Rosemary smiled bitterly. “I shouldn’t be concerning myself with that when I can’t even handle the affairs of my town.”

“Speaking of that, how are you faring with that so far?”

“I won’t be faring much further if the capital doesn't send someone soon.”

“What about the corrupted nobles and the viceroy? Won’t they try to run now that the warden has left town? Isn’t she concerned about being blamed if those nobles did escape?”

Rosemary chuckled. “Warden... I guess she is someone like that. Of course, they’ll try to run but I don’t think the slavers are Azaela’s priority. And the court knows about our circumstances, they can’t fault us even if these corrupted nobles escaped. If they did fault us, I’ll resign my post.”

“Sounds like you’re important, my lady.”

“I have shown my worth, competence, and loyalty. They won’t let me go that easily. Well, enough about me, Lady Erinthea. What about you? I hope you’re faring a better fortune.”

“The Corvas twins are better than the average but not miles better. They didn't last long in a battle with me, they certainly won’t last in the Singularity.”

“I don’t suppose you have other candidates in mind?”

“No one in mind at all. The irony of this situation is that I’m not short of volunteers but these people could not even lay a scratch on me. The Singularity will be nothing but a slaughterhouse to them.”

“So we’re back to the start...” Rosemary sighed and cast her head down as if the failure was her own. “We can’t even ask the Paladins now. To challenge the Singularity, at least three-quarters of the town’s current numbers of Paladins are needed but if they leave now, those corrupted nobles will surely seize this window to get their positions back. We can now only hope Azaela works fast.”

“I’m sorry...”

“Why are you sorry, milady? I should be the one to be apologetic. You made the hard choice for me, Lady Erinthea. The apology should be coming from me.”

Erin leaned back on her chair and stirred her cup while she stared solemnly at the ceiling. “It’s funny. The world around us seems to be drowning but the townsfolk, they weren’t despairing.”

“We are in the middle of the harvest festival and there’s also the offhand market of the merchant caravans. Everyone’s too busy celebrating to be worrying about the hardships of life. Also, most of them aren't even of the severity of the current circumstances.”

“Is that why there are so few people in the Guild right now? Mornings were always packed with adventurers back in Green Scar.”

“The festivals might have something to do with it but that’s not the main reason, or at least I sure hope it’s not. A lot of adventurers have begun to notice the circumstances we are in. Most have left town. Those who stay are either dumb or they don’t have a choice.”

“I have taken a look at the request board. The Guild is certainly not doing well.”

“If it’s a quest you're looking for, I might just have one befitting someone of your ability,” Rosemary said and took out a piece of paper from her desk drawer. She slid it over to Erin with a finger. “It’s a request from the smithy in the Gold District. A request for metal ores that could only be found at a certain place.”

Erin put her cup down on the desk. “Where?” she asked. She looked at the paper, which turned out to be a map for someplace.

“A shallow valley, on the path to The Singularity. The roads and terrains are treacherous enough to even deter the ardent adventurers. But I’m sure it would be just right for you.”

“What’s the pay?”

“A Gold for every unit. Make sure you bring something to carry those ores with.”

Rosemary smiled and wrote down a few lines of words on a small piece of parchment. “Here,” she said, handing the small paper to Erin. “Give it to the staff. They’ll know what it means.”

“Thank you, ma’am,” Erin returned her smile and gave her gratitude as she took the paper.

“You’re welcome, Lady Erinthea.”

“...Can I trouble you with another matter?” Erin asked after a short silence.

“Trouble away, milady.”

“Velkan Corvas, I still wish to help him. I have gotten to know about the Twins’ circumstances. I say he deserves a second chance. I think they all do.”

Rosemary arched her brows. “They?”

“The other children acquainted with the Corvas Twins. I have met them. Their hands aren’t clean but they aren’t dirty by choice.”

“The law of Yorun Kingdom does not discriminate, I’m afraid, Lady Erinthea. Their age will not appeal to the court. Young or old, they’ll throw them into the same cell.”

“Isn’t that too negligent and harsh?”

“The kingdom is more worried about what the other nations are scheming, especially its rivals, than appropriately categorizing the criminals within the kingdom itself.”

“These criminals are just children. They didn’t choose the lives they are living. They were born into it. It was either dirty their hands or die in a ditch.”

“I’m sorry, Lady Erinthea. The best I can do is to put in a good word. The court decides all in the end… but if they can do something in return that would benefit the kingdom, maybe they’ll get their pardon.”

“Such as?”

“Information provider.”

“A spy?”

Rosemary shook her head. “Not in particular. Surely they have seen much of those underworld’s inner workings. If they’re willing to give out this information to the court, they will be granted a pardon. However, the underworld will put a bounty on their heads for ratting them out.”

Erin scoffed. “That’s no different than their current circumstances.”

“It is the only way to guarantee a pardon. I’m sorry, Lady Erinthea.”

“There’s nothing I can do for them?”

“As an adventurer, there’s just one simple to do. Gather more merits and achievements. Earn yourself more stars. Along with your status as a Fae, the kingdom will be forced to listen to you. If they don’t, it will be the same as going against the authority of the Adventurer’s Guild and the Faerie-kin.”

“Sounds… under-handed.”

“We live in hard times, Lady Erinthea. The world will not be fair to us, so neither should we be to it.”

Once again hit with reality, Erin could only nod in agreement.

****

“Of course I’ll go with you on the quest. We’re partners!” Lyra declared upon being asked.

Erin had just returned to her rooms from the Guild. To her surprise, Lyra was sprawling on the bed with a bored look on her face. Upon closer inspection, she noticed a tinge of sorrow lingering in Lyra’s eyes. Around this time, Lyra would be at the orphanage playing with Celia and the other children.

“Thought you’ll still be at the church. What gives?”

“Celia found some friends. Now she prefers to play with them than us,” Lyra answered with a conflicted smile. “I suppose we should be rejoicing Celia was able to make friends of her age but… now I feel lonely.”

“It’s better that she gets accustomed to it now than later. It’ll make the parting easier.”

Lyra turned her gaze from the ceiling to Erin. “Sounds like you have a lot of experience with this.”

“I have,” Erin admitted. For the sake of being the Sword Saint, farewells became all too common in her past life. She had many she could call acquaintances but friends were few and people who she could confide her secrets to were none. Looking at the girl with short and dark bluish hair in front of her, laying on the bed with her limbs spread without the slightest hint of caution, Erin was glad she had walked a different path.

“Does it have something to do with you being the Sword Saint again?”

Erin nodded.

“You know, your title, the Sword Saint, it sounds more troublesome than it’s worth the more I hear about your story.”

“It has its moments and merits but I concur, it might have been more troublesome than what it’s worth. Besides, in that life, I didn’t have you to drag me out of my shell.”

Lyra licked her lips. “Now you’re just trying to seduce me, Erin.”

“You are imagining things,” Erin said with her face turned away.

Lyra giggled. “So, we’re going to the market?”

“Not without you, Lyra,” Erin said and extended her hand.

Lyra chuckled in glee and took her hand as she sprang out of the bed. She didn’t stop at her hand. She wrapped her arm around Erin’s waist and pulled her close. She gently smacked her lips against Erin’s.

“L-Lyra… it’s not even noon yet,” Erin said but her lips were quickly sealed once again.

“I’m just doing what I should have done last night,” Lyra replied in moments they parted for breaths.

“At least wait until the afternoon.”

“No. I can’t stand having that Umbrum’s scent on you a second longer.”

Erin had a dazed look for a second but then she tittered. “Is someone jealous? I thought I had your permission?”

“You do have my permission but I said nothing about how I won’t be jealous,” Lyra retorted with a pout. “Yeah, I’m being unfair and a nuisance but I can’t help it.”

Erin easily pried herself free from Lyra’s hold and pulled Lyra into an embrace. “I’m sorry too, Lyra. I was at fault for being such an easy woman.”

Lyra returned the hug by wrapping her arms around Erin. “You’re not an easy woman, Erin.”

“But I am, Lyra. Maria… Siv… Iris… I bedded them because I couldn’t hold back my lust. I easily gave in to their temptation. If Lust Deviant was active, there could have been more women by now.”

“If that’s the case, then I don’t care if you’re an easy woman, Erin.” Lyra reeled Erin’s face close to hers. “Just come back to me at the end of the day, alright?” Before Erin could nod, Lyra devoured her lips.

Their kiss this time lasted longer but Erin forced themselves to part, leaving a string of saliva dangling between their lustrous lips. “No, not right now. We have things to do.”

Lyra finally relented and stepped away from Erin. She chuckled. “Fine. I’ll wait but be warned, we’ll be skipping supper today,” she said and left the room with a mischievous smile.

Erin sighed and clicked her tongue. “Idiot, you’re not the only one who’s holding back, you know.”