Ch 80. Liar

Tammy and Belle were doing laundry in the sun. With a warm Spring breeze in the air it was finally nice enough to be doing some outside activities. A perfect opportunity for the girls to hang laundry and air the house out, not to mention a pleasant change of pace from always being cooped up inside from the cold. 

Tammy kept folding the washed linens over a clothesline while Belle looked on lazily, laying on the porch while she stretched herself out. Belle was supposed to be washing the lingerie, but she was content to let Tammy do the work as long as she could get away with it. Belle had picked up on how Tammy liked to spoil her, and she very much liked being spoiled. Without master present there was nobody to get mad at her. 

As for Tammy, this was still like a dream come true. Here she was living so well she could hardly believe it.

She was afraid at first that Keaton would abuse the fact that she had impure motives when she approached him. He wasn't bad in the looks department, but she had never seriously considered him before he became a mage. Because of that, she had always worried that he would treat her like a common whore, paying her for a night and throwing her away afterwards, but it turned out Keaton had really taken a liking to her, and with how sweet he was treating her she found herself liking him more than she ever thought possible.

The three of them, Belle included, lived like passionate newly-weds every night. And even with the difference in status, Keaton didn't shy away from committing to her, treating her even better than his rightful wife Marcella. And with everything that happened since, she had hopes that she may actually end up as Mrs. Tammy Pel. Liking the ring of that, a mage's actual wife.

He would rise to unimaginable heights and she would be there by his side.

So long as the guild master didn't screw things up for her... tightening her fingers with anxiety around the washed blanket she was hanging up on the clothesline. Keaton was understandably on guard about the guild master's return given their past relations, something she was anxious to clear the air on. She thought Keaton was only going for a brief visit to the adventurers guild at first, but with how long Keaton had been gone it was starting to bother her. 

While Tammy was distracted by worries, Belle's ears twitched up like she was focusing on something. The sleepy catgirl sitting up with a start, waking from her half-nap state and shuffling to start on her task. Acting nonchalant, like she had been working the whole time. 

Tammy smiled wryly. Looking down the road to see Keaton and Cal approaching from the distance.

Tammy and Belle were doing laundry diligently when they came into view, while Cal continued to nag on me to share how I got the coin. Even after I told him that I was just borrowing it from the guild master, that just raised more questions for him. 

How did a guild master get a coin like that? And why on earth would he lend away something so precious to someone like me who he had presumably never met before.

It's obvious why he was suspicious about it, which was why I was at such a loss on how I could possibly explain it. I couldn't exactly tell Cal the truth after all.

The church is an invading army by an evil deity and that they think I'm one of them, all the while I am actually a rogue agent from another deity's faction. At this point any random lie I could think up would be easier for him to believe than that particular truth. 

Choosing to just ignore Cal for the time being. After all I've done for him recently I didn't feel too bad about not explaining things. And given how this coin had in large part given Cal his dream, he didn't seem too offended. Getting the message eventually that he should just stop asking. 

The girls waving from the yard after they noticed us on the road; I waved back while we made our way over, Tammy running up to hug me when we were close. 

"Did you miss me?" I asked, giving her a kiss. 

"I was worried... you were gone so long," She pouted. Pulling me in for another kiss.

My eyes drifting to Belle during the act, who watching from the sidelines. Waiting in line for her kiss. 

Turning to give her a peck on the cheeks, which from the twitching of her ears I could tell wasn't enough. Belle closing her eyes and leaning in to make it more obvious that she wanted a real kiss. Obliging her, only to get slipped the tongue as Belle took advantage of the situation. Licking her lips after she was done. 

Tammy looked awkwardly, clearly wanting to ask something but waiting for the right time to ask.

"How did it go?"

Ah, I realized what she was worried about. Today had been so eventful that I had almost completely forgotten how it all started as a simple visit with the guild master, seeing how late it was getting it's no wonder she'd be worried. 

Letting her know the good news: Bael wouldn't be trouble for us, at least not in the way we initially expected; and things with Marcella and Gawn were dealt with, thanks to him. 

Tammy didn't know about the coin, making me feel better about my ignorance. It wasn't as if this was something I should have been aware about, but rather this was truly an unprecedented and rare item, something that would almost certainly never make its way out to a frontier town like this, least of all to the ordinary towns-folk. But with the results it garnered from Jagen's side, and the reaction it elicited from Cal, there could be no doubting the veracity. 

Feeling the odd coin in my hand while I explained the day's events. Surprising everyone that I was taking duels, much less that I had won them. These were seasoned silver rank adventurers after all.

Tammy was at first furious at Nate for challenging me, even if it was within the rules. Then gloomy, after she realized her act of promoting me had brought on that trouble, having to reassure her that I was completely fine... something that wasn't as convincing once Belle managed to suss out my bandaged arm under the clothes. Her uncanny sense of smell rooting out the injury even after I had done so much to hide it. 

Finally, Tammy settle on just being happy. Happy that I was safe, that our troubles were behind us, and maybe a little pleased by my feats in combat. She's dealt with adventurers all her life, so she knew just how difficult it was to face those two, consecutively no less. The fact that I was a non-combatant type mage, just made it all the more impressive. Having a man that was capable man seemed to make her quite happy.

"Well, I suppose we will need to prepare ourselves for the journey. As soon as this is all wrapped up here, we're going to the capital."

Both girls seemed interested in visiting the capital, for both of them this small frontier town had been their life. Tammy having been born and raised here, and Belle having been bought by my father and brought here from before she was too young to remember. 

When we were getting ready to settle in for the day, Cal bid farewell. Offering to return the coin to Bael, apparently wanting to make a connection with someone he viewed as influential, and given that it was convenient for me as well. I trusted him enough to get it done. Even if he used it for one or two things, I wouldn't really care. He had sense enough to not cause trouble unnecessarily and it cost me nothing. 

Tammy had been frowning on and off throughout the conversation, looking like she was waiting for Cal to say goodbye before moving up to my ear once he disappeared down the road.

Tugging at my shirt while she whispered.

"Keaton, you keep saying the name 'Bael'... you don't mean the guild master when you say that do you?"

I looked at her curiously. I thought it was obvious, and she should know better than anyone here. 

"Keaton, that's not his name."

I looked at her curiously. Fairly sure that's the name he had given me. Why would he even lie about that?

Kaguro

Still working on finding a permanent release schedule that works, but for this week I will be releasing chapters on M-T-TH-F-S.