Checking in on the Homefront

Count Drisford and I parted on good terms, and I’d go as far to say that our business dinner was a resounding, undisputable success. Tomorrow is my Guild’s big shot. If it goes well, we’ll be paid for something we were going to have to do anyway on top of earning favor with Duke Gloomcrest.

The road ahead may be brighter now, but it still isn’t without bumps.

Solomon will be battling me over the price tomorrow, and I need to fight to make sure we get retroactive payment for capturing Pimpington. That’s besides the fact that the girls still have to fight the rest of the Duke’s forces, too. They got stronger during the dungeon crawl, but Zutiria blacked out while Sam and Meri were riddled with bloody holes, forced to drink way too many healing potions in too short of a timeframe.

It’s an uphill battle for sure, but we’re not going to lose momentum. Doubt and second-guessing will only lead to defeat.

Regarding Solomon, I’m glad to have met him. Some men cover their hearts and emotions in a thick, defensive layer of grit and intensity. As distant as their hearts may be, they still beat the same as anyone else’s. I feel like I got to see a rare side of the old gargoyle that some people would never imagine exists, and I’m satisfied with that rare knowledge.

I left him on the promise that I’d continue to talk with Abigail tonight, and I intend on doing just that. But first, I’d like to check in with the Guild via Taskmaster. I’m the Lady won’t mind a minor delay, assuming she isn’t done visiting with Opalina.

Once I make it up to the familiar hallway on the top floor, I notice that Bertrand works fast despite his sadness. Already there is a large, black leather chair waiting for me by the door to our room. Right as I bend over to inspect it, Opalina pokes her head out of Abigail’s door and draws my attention. Behind her lies only darkness, dashing my hopes at catching a peek of the mysterious girl within.

“I was just about to go and check on you. Hmm. I trust you showed Solomon just how assertive you can be, Dear?” The ravishing, dressed-up witch asks with a playful smile. Her makeup, hair, and dress are just as dashing as before, even if I still feel bad that she barely got to show them off.

“Not only that, but I also learned he’s quite unskilled when it comes to telling a joke. Are you two having fun in there?”

“We’re just having a little girl talk,” The older woman suggestively lids her eyes. “Nothing you would find interesting, I’m sure.”

“Surely. Are you still going to be visiting Abigail for a while? I wanted to contact the girls, see how their day went before making good on my promise to the young Lady and spending time with you.”

“Go on and check in with them, then. We’re having ever so much fun by ourselves...” The witch’s voice hints at many things, none of which are all that reassuring. Regardless, I bow out and see myself into our room while Opalina returns to Abigail’s. The sound of a dog barking excitedly occurs once she re-enters.

Now alone, I lay down on the bed and prop up some pillows to hold up my back into a reclined position. Opening up Taskmaster and being greeted with the sight of my Guild Roster and three bond level meters all on the verge of reaching level three, I think about who I should contact to call a group meeting. It’s only a little after eight, so I don’t think I’d be interrupting anyone doing anything important or lewd. Ultimately, I decide to open Sam’s camera view up.

The Princess turns out to be sitting up alone in bed, just like me, only she’s lost in fairly deep meditation. She’s wearing her usual pajamas for when she doesn’t feel like being sexy, a red shirt, and a pair of my boxers. Adorable.

I watch Sam as she meditates like this for a few minutes, which I fully admit is creepy of me, but it’s a rare chance to see her with her guard down. After about two minutes, Sam starts to struggles as her concentration fades. Her eyebrows begin to twitch, then her eyelids join in until finally, her mental focus shatters, and she groans with annoyance while opening her eyes.

The look on Sam’s grumpy face makes it clear she’s upset that she can’t just focus indefinitely, and after waiting a while to make myself appear innocent, I perk her up by turning on my voice and catching her attention, “Sam, are you busy?”

Right away, she becomes a lot more enthusiastic. “Boss!” She says excitedly. “Nope, I was just finishing up an annoying meditation session. You know how it is. What’s up? Should I go and huddle everyone up downstairs or something?”

“Please do, a lot happened today, and I’d love to get you all up to speed.”

“Sure thing!” Sam gives me a thumbs up. Because she doesn’t know where my viewing angle is, she ends up flashing it in the entirely wrong direction.

The perky Princess hops up, making it clear to me that she’s not wearing a bra under her shirt, and over a few minutes, she gathers everyone in the newly-cleaned entrance hall. Seeing it in all its glory, I can’t help imagining what it’ll be like after we get all the gold necessary to pay Gwin’s family to renovate the building. Of course, we still need to get back on their good side, but I can fantasize if I want to, Gods be damned.

Interestingly, the three maids had to be called in from outside. Peri and Cherry enter the room with their uniforms covered in filthy grime before collapsing on the floor. Snow, who is just as dirty but not nearly as tired, sighs and bends over to pick both kittens up and haul them over her shoulders. The head maid plops them down onto the bench of the nearest table and props them up to make sure neither will fall.

Everyone but Nikita, who I’m sure is at a nearby bar, is now present. Meri was baking Sam the cookies that the spoiled Princess claims she’s owed, but they just got put in the oven, so they’re okay now. Judging by the flushed face and fresh sweat dripping down her brow as she emerges from the east wing, I’d imagine Zutiria was studying the eronomicon in her makeshift lab... too bad I didn’t check on her first.

We get the pleasantries out of the way as I ask, “And how was everyone’s day today?”

“Great! I’m back to a full hundred percent, and then some!” Sam stands up and flexes her bicep while flashing a toothy grin.

“Me too!” Meri smiles innocently before her own thoughts make her upset. “I’m so glad that those muscle pains are over and done with...” She grimaces, remembering the agony of the last two days.

Speaking of, Zutiria is almost fully healed, too. ‘I’m almost there. Probably tomorrow.’ She says distractedly. Seemingly, the Mage has lewder things on her mind. Her attention snaps back into focus once I start going over everything that’s happened today so far, though.

As for how the resident Catfolk’s day went, Peri and Cherry can barely say much beyond a tired meow and vague mumblings about how they miss me. Snow is much more awake. “I’ve been focused on cleaning up a certain something, Master, and they’ve been doing the bulk of it with my oversight.” Her yellow eyes flitter with mischievous intent that tells me I’m not going to learn what she’s up to until I come home. I already have a good idea of her intentions, though, and I’m excited to be proven right.

I start the briefing by covering after I left this morning. While everyone is terrified that I was attacked by the Crystal Sage, they’re all happy to hear that Opalina was able to hit him with something that could potentially get him out of our hair for a while. Zutiria isn’t convinced that it will work for all that long.

Despite not knowing the power of Opalina’s spell, the little Mage echoes most of the Doctor’s concerns, guessing he’ll likely only be out of commission for a few weeks at best. When I tell Zutiria that Opalina already thought as much, she shrugs her shoulders. Those two are a lot alike sometimes, in everything but body type. Best not to mention that comparison to the little lady, though.

Anyways, with the Crystal Sage out of the picture, that leaves the only major players in the Duke of Dewhurst’s arsenal that we know of as Fleetfoot and, to a lesser extent Butcher Bludman. It’s likely a lot of the thugs and gangs around are on his payroll, but we’ve yet to just be ambushed on the street by any of them... so no point in bringing it up just to dampen morale.

All I tell them is, “Keep up your guard, everyone. I’ll have a lot more intel on the extent of the Duke’s forces tomorrow so we can plan things out better then.” and then move on to other parts of the conversation.

The girls hang on to my every word as I describe the city and the castle to them. The maids aren’t impressed, having been to Dawnstead many times in their travels as part of the Breeding Tribe.

After skipping much about Bertrand and entirely glossing over the handjob from Opalina, we reach my excursion in the library. I tell Meri I found a book about Shield Maidens for her, and without any exaggeration, she outright starts crying thick tears of joy. As happy as it makes me seeing her like this, I feel a little letdown. I would have waited to give it to her in person if I knew she would be this cute about it.

While Meri is just about the happiest I’ve ever seen her, Sam is jokingly jealous about not getting a book of secret techniques for herself. I tell her that if she wants more technical skills, she should consider changing classes from Great Blader to something more exotic, but that’d be a bureaucratic annoyance and a lot of paperwork to fill out.

Snow teases Sam that she could try and become a Hero, but Her Highness writes it off, saying she can’t use light magic. Thank the Gods for that one. I’d hate to have to work through those forms. Besides, Sam has a lot more work on fundamentals before she’s ready to try other things.

I leave the details about Abigail to the side for now because It’d be easier to talk about her in person. Thus, we come to my dinner meeting. After it’s all out on the table, Snow is the first to speak. As a fellow business-oriented person, she nods her head with subdued delight and exclaims, “As expected of the man I allowed to become my mate.”

That’s now how I remember it going, but I’ll let her have her moment.

The excitement among the Guild is palpable once they learn about the upcoming bounty quests. At the thought of more gold, even the dead-tired kitten rouse from their work exhausted state to raise their heads and meow half-hearted statements of joy.

When I ask Sam if she remembers Count Drisford, all I get is a burnt-out shrug of her shoulders. It’s about what I expected. Sam’s met so many old noblemen in her life that they all run together, and she has no recollection of Solomon.

Eventually, Zutiria asks with her trademark bluntness, ‘So how many new girls should we expect you to bring back?’

The question gives me pause, and I return with a moment of silence as I consider it. Thoughts of the mysterious Necromancer fill my mind, primarily because of how much I’d like to have a strong class like that in my Guild and not because I want to hook up with her. Still, the hesitation is enough to send this bunch of nosy girls into overdrive with speculation. Way, way too late, I respond, “...None, don’t be silly.”

“Boss, you alright there?” Sam smirks knowingly. “You coulda just said no.”

Zutiria adjusts her glasses with a cold, analytical prowess. ‘Sir must have been thinking of someone in particular, or else he would have. Someone came to mind.’

Meri gasps and covers her mouth. “Did you find a new adventurer? Oh! Maybe you were supposed to meet the healer in Dawnstead!”

“If we’re getting new girls, make sure... it’s more maids...” Cherry whimpers, her muscles shaking with pain.

“P-Please... send help... nyaa...” Peri joins her comrade’s plea.

I don’t know how she does it, but Snow magically knows precisely where the camera is positioned. She looks right at me with her best ‘you’re so hopeless’ expression, and in her silky, teasing voice, the head maid says, “Guess we should have made sure Opalina had a nice leash for you, Master. Goodness knows what filth you’ve been up to unsupervised... why, knowing you, it wouldn’t surprise me if you laid hands on the Duke’s daughter.”

“Master wouldn’t!” Meri blushes as she stands up, defending my character. Then, she thinks about it a little more, and doubt begins to form in her mind. The Shield Maiden frowns, asking, “Um... r-right, Master?”

I don’t make the same mistake twice, and instead of hesitating, I respond right away. “Of course not, don’t be silly. The young Lady is a very nice girl, and we’ll leave it at that.”

All of the other five girls start staring in the same direction as Snow. None of them believe me.

PunishedKom

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