Chapter 185 – Customer First

Chapter 185 – Customer First

It doesn’t take me long to run to my destination, thanks to all the strength the girls are sharing with me. It’s quite dark now so people barely notice a dark silhouette zooming past them like wind. I can very much notice another one zooming right after me over the rooftops. No surprise that Hecate isn’t going to let me head out alone.

Stopping in front of one of the big mansions in the noble residential district, I take only one glance at the golden gate with big letters spelling ALTCROFT displayed in an arch atop it. It feels a tiny bit familiar for some reason, but I guess it must have appeared in the details of the commission or something. The residence’s sentries are clearly already informed about the situation and lead me inside. No doubt the guests have been vocal enough about their request for it to make it to them.

A few flights of marble stairs and hallways later, I’m guided through massive double doors and enter a decently spacious chamber clearly meant to be a high-class meeting place with lots of sofas, tables for food, a dance floor, cosy fireplace, and so on. All marble and gold, of course. This family is clearly rich as fuck, but I already knew that from my initial talks about payment with Abarth.

Loud laughing and giggling reach my ears as I glance around the room, spotting four of my girls still proudly standing by one wall each. The rest of them are sitting or strutting by the feminine voices in the resting area. Save for Ressia, who approaches me with her ears down and tail tucked between her legs.

I give her a little ruffle as we meet. “Cheer up. You did great till this point. Lesson number one. Nothing ever goes according to plan. Now, let me take over. I heard there are some brats that need a good lecture.”

A half-smile flashes briefly on her plump lips and her tail makes a few hesitant wags. She nods at me and I sneak in a quick peck on her cheek as I push forward, hearing the speed-up of her fluffy appendage behind me, almost making me chuckle.

As I walk closer to the sofa our clients are piled up on, sharing drinks and laughs together, my girls notice my approach and tense up a little. I wave at them to be at ease and continue interacting with the guests as they have been.

Arriving behind the group of five young ladies dressed in colourful decorative dresses, I cross my arms. They haven’t heard me approach, which is perfect.

“I heard someone wished to see me?” I say with a deep tone.

Four women gasp in shock as their heads snap to the back while the one in the middle sinks further into the sofa and hides her face in her hands, most likely from the pure embarrassment of having forced the boss of her hired guards to show up.

Must be our pretty host. Glad to know that she has some leftover humility, even if it’s not really her fault so she shouldn’t feel too bad about it.

“Goddess, I have goosebumps!” one of the ladies exclaims with a gleeful giggle.

“How did you appear out of thin air? That was scary. You are like a murderer,” another adds with an excited shudder.

“We’ve heard so much about you!” The third one beams at me and they exchange glances, giggling together again. “But, are you going to keep your face hidden? It does make you look a tad scary, I have to admit.”

“That depends.” I walk around them to be in front of the sofa, next to the low table. “Are you going to behave nicely if I do?”

Without waiting for a reply, I pull back my hood and shake my silver mane, raking my fingers through my hair to fix it up a little bit. Since I’m already here, I might as well humour them. Customer is always right and all that.

Loud ooh’s and ahh’s escape their lips, save for one person, of course, who keeps feeling quite embarrassed. I don’t think she can sink any further into the cushion seat but she does a good job blending in with the white-gold furniture thanks to her lolita-style white dress and beautiful white hair. The other girls have similar dresses but of different colours of course.

“My, my. How handsome. It looks like they were telling the truth.” The first lady in green fans herself with her petite hand while gazing up at me with flushed cheeks, not purely from the alcohol.

“Now I can see why they are so infatuated with you,” the third one in blue comments, nibbling on her bottom lip.

“Who wouldn’t want to work for such a looker? If I didn’t know better, I would easily assume he was a noble. A high one at that.” The second one in yellow studies me attentively.Nêww chapters will be fully updated at novelhall.com

“See? And you kept trying to convince us that it isn’t worth it and that their boss definitely is some average-looking scholar-type or a seasoned adventuring veteran with a scarred face.” The last lady in red elbows the birthday girl, who still keeps her face hidden.

Sounds like the host was doing her best to get her friends off their silly idea to demand my presence, which I certainly can appreciate. People who understand how you should treat any kind of hired service are really rare. It’s not much different here compared to Earth standards. Or perhaps it’s even a bit worse within the lands of this quite rough realm. Especially when the service is provided by non-humans.

“And what if she would have been right?” I cross my arms over my chest. “What if I showed up extremely annoyed at your insane demand? You not only dragged my girls, who were supposed to guard you, into your celebrations, but even dared to order them to call for me. Though, threatened them is a more accurate word for it.”

“Do you even know who we are?” The blue dress snickers, rolling her eyes lightly.

“You would dare to raise a hand at your own customer? That’s not very professional of you. I wonder what the guild would have to say about that.” The woman in green grins devilishly

“Please... Stop...” Some muffled and desperate requests make it through the white-haired girl’s fingers.

“Oh, come on. It’s your birthday. Have some fun for once.” The yellow dress sighs at her friend. “All you do is work and study. All the time. We barely see you during our tea parties and galas.”

“I’m all for you ladies having lots of fun tonight, but I would be glad to resolve whatever your inquiry with me is as soon as possible. This isn’t the only business I run and I took my leave from tending to other customers. They expect me to return soon,” I interrupt them before another round of comments bounces off the four young noblewomen.

“Our inquiry, huh?” The same lady taps her plump lips. “You know what, I think I got a better idea.”

“Oh, I know that look on your face.” The girl in red giggles, biting down on her lip.

The golden one smirks alluringly. “Say, aren’t you tired after coming all the way here? Why don’t you sit down with us and moisten your throat a little? Right here, between me and our shy little friend.”

“I appreciate the offer but I’m good here. And this much was nothing. I’m in fairly good shape. You’d need a lot more to make me break some sweat.” I smirk back at her obvious play.

No doubt I would end up with all of those young ladies all over me in a flash. And, most likely, they would also try to push their timid friend onto me too.

“It’s true. Master is the strongest of us. Even during our initiation, all of us working together could not tire him out,” Oniri comments with a delicate flush and the other girls sitting with the ladies nod along.

Even though our requesters lack context, the wave of giggles makes it clear what kind of thoughts and fantasies float through their minds. They might never get to learn how accurate those assumptions are. As long as none of my amazing mercenary beauties lets them know about that part of our activities too.

The yellow dress clicks her tongue at me. “You are so impatient. But, no matter. Since you and your girls seem so confident in your incredible body, why don’t you... show us some proof, then?”

“Are you suggesting I strip?” I raise an amused brow at her.

More giggling ensues and she roams her gaze all over me before continuing. “Do I? I just don’t want to make your mercenaries sound like liars. It would be unfortunate if some rumours started spreading that perhaps not everything about this company is so truthful. But, it’s very easy to prevent that from happening.”

“Do you really think I can’t protect the good image of my girls or myself? I guess the father of your celebrating friend didn’t tell you who it was that introduced him to us. Go on. Feel free to say whatever you want. We’ll see who will end up in bigger trouble.” I chuckle at her while shaking my head.

“Oh, please, won’t you do it just this once?” The lady in green does her best impression of puppy eyes. “We are just so curious. It would be such an amazing gift for our friend here. A strong, muscular, powerful adventurer from up close. We won’t say anything about it to anyone, I swear.”

“We can pay. Name your price,” the blue one chimes in. “Since this obviously wasn’t in the initial request, we will naturally cover the fee for additional services. Everything for our sweet friend, right?”

The other women nod eagerly and direct dazzling smiles at me. I snort internally. It’s more than clear that they are just using their friend as an excuse to get some eye candy. And perhaps thanks to all the alcohol they have already consumed during the celebration, they definitely are much bolder with their demands and general behaviour than they usually are.

There is no real reason for me to accept. But, as I glance over my girls sitting around the small coffee table, they all look up at me with somewhat curious and expectant gazes. A plethora of rosy cheeks meet my eyes, at least wherever they aren’t covered by adorable fur. I can also sense the women standing guard around the chamber listening to the exchange attentively.

Well, why shouldn’t I give them a little show if they’ve been hyping me up for quite a while?

And why shouldn’t I also show a few cocky noble ladies what happens when they mess with the wrong guy?

Trying to hide my grin as my lovable mercenary squad realises my intentions through our bond and grows all excited in a flash, I gently shake my head and let out a heavy sigh.

“Alright. But only because today is a special day and you are technically our first customers. It would leave a bad taste in my mouth to cancel the very first request. Sir Abarth seemed like a very nice man and I don’t want to make him anxious that the birthday party he planned for his daughter isn’t going to end well,” I respond to their taunts.

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me,” she replies a bit hesitantly. “Or even she doesn’t.”

“Of course. We all have secrets or very private matters. It’s not like you know everything about me either,” I respond. “Though, I don’t know how much did Elise blabber out to you. Besides most likely the fact that I'm a lecherous womaniser who runs a brothel and keeps playing around with girls of all races, unable to keep his hands to himself.”

“I don’t know about that.” Lyona takes one more peek my way, quickly averting her gaze. “She usually keeps talking about how incredible of a man you are and how her life changed after you hired her, and then took her in as your woman.”

“Don’t believe everything she says. The girls tend to exaggerate things a lot. Especially when it comes to size.” I wink at her.

She graces me with a quiet giggle as my little joke succeeds at easing the tension a little. Still somewhat awkward, Lyona doesn’t keep her gaze to the side, now mostly looking ahead or sneaking some peeks my way.

Watching her pretty face from the profile, I notice her quite visibly quickened breathing. After that, another detail becomes apparent to me, the sweat slowly gathering over her forehead and flushed cheeks. Her hands are joined over the stone railing and keep rubbing together anxiously.

“Are you alright?” I ask, slowly moving a little closer and leaning over the balustrade to take a better look at her.

“Get away!” Lyona screams in panic, raising her voice for the first time ever, and jumps away.

I hastily step in the other direction while raising my hands in the air. “It’s okay. I apologise. I’m not going to touch you or come anywhere close to you. If my presence makes you uncomfortable, I’ll leave right away.”

“No!” she shouts back at me, almost turning my way but stopping herself at the last second. “It’s not your fault. It’s me. Well... Maybe it is a little bit...”

I follow her quick, skittish glance and mentally slap myself on the forehead. I totally forgot that I ran out of that room with my top half completely naked.

“Fuck. I’m so sorry. I’m really on a marathon of mistakes today, aren’t I?” I chuckle wryly. “I’ll get myself covered right away.”

“It’s alright. It won’t really make too much of a difference,” she replies.

“What?” I frown at her. “Why?”

“Because... It’s the smell...” She shows a trace of an uneasy smile from the side.

“Damn. I stink so much?” I give myself a quick sniff.

“No.” Lyona chuckles sweetly at my actions. “It’s not bad but... enticing.”

“Oh. Well, that’s actually part of my Class. I wanted to play a trick on your friends and make them a bit bothered with my abilities. Even when toned down, this is still a tiny bit noticeable to girls with good senses.” I rub the back of my head nervously.

“No,” she disagrees for like the hundredth time. “This isn’t about that. Elise told me a little bit about your abilities and how amazing they are. Actually, I should be a little more resistant to your charms than others. The enticing smell comes... from your blood.”

“My blood?” I smile at her confusedly.

She studies me as much as she can without directly facing my way. There’s some inner turmoil taking place in her head for sure as she squeezes one hand with another anxiously. Coming to some kind of a decision, Lyona takes a deep breath, closes the additional distance we have recently created, and turns to me.

“I... I’m a Vampire...” she admits, looking up at me with those deep, ruby eyes of hers.

But, this time, they also glow with a scarlet hue in the light of a full moon. She swallows heavily, rolling her slender hands into fists, awaiting my reaction.

“Really?” I smile softly. “That’s amazing.”

“That’s... amazing?” Her adorable mouth hangs open in disbelief.

“Yeah?” I smile at her warmly. “What else would it be?”

“You are not... afraid?” she asks.

“Does one’s race have to always dictate if they are good or bad?” I ask her back. “Though, honestly, this is my first time meeting a Vampire. I didn’t think humanoid Vampires existed in this... realm. All I could read about was mindless monsters craving for blood looking like a cross between a vulture and a wolf.”

“That’s because our existence is closer to a secret,” she answers. “We don’t really have a country or even an established society. We hide amongst other races without ever revealing ourselves, concealing our unusual abilities or features behind our Classes. Only a Vampire can really recognize another Vampire on the streets.”

“I see.” I nod at her, continuing to admire her gorgeous, bright red eyes. “Can you turn others into a Vampire with your bite?”

“What?” She chuckles adorably. “No, why would you think that? We are born like any other humanoid race.”

“Nevermind that.” I snicker awkwardly. “But you still need blood to survive, right? What about normal food?”

“Blood is like water to us. Try not drinking any for an extended period of time and see what happens,” she replies with a gentle smile. “With the only difference being the fact that we can actually live just off blood, ignoring any other sustenance. For most other races, ignoring either is often a big problem.”

“I guess that’s a nice perk. Depending on one thing.” I stroke my chin thoughtfully. “Do you need specific blood? Like... humanoid blood?”

“Any blood works, as long as it’s not toxic or poisonous.” She shakes her head. “Animals do just fine, and even some monsters too. You might even find a bunch that can be considered delicacies. But, it’s true that blood from most humanoid races is the most nutritious and also tastes great.”

“Do you suck people a little without them noticing?” I raise a brow at her.

“Goddess, no!” Lyona waves her hands dismissively. “My family is a long line of medicinal alchemists and drug-based healers. We have contracts with many individuals or groups who deliver us samples of their blood for our research, in exchange for our products. And if we ever run low on our supplies, we hunt outside the city for deer or other game.”

“That’s... actually super smart.” I nod to myself. “So, I guess I belong to those rare delicacies you mentioned earlier?”

“It’s more than that,” she answers, her eyes roaming around my neck as she swallows lightly. “I think you can imagine how scenting a delicious meal can feel like. Just walking down the street and the wind wafts the mouth-watering smell right in your face. You salivate a little bit, perhaps your stomach rumbles, and you are drawn to it or reminded about your hunger.”

Lyona slowly and sensually licks her pouty lips.

“This is much more powerful.” She tries to compose herself with a deep breath but it might have a completely opposite effect as she inhales more of that scent and shudders. “As you might have heard from Elise or my friends, I’m not usually like this. Your blood is so potent that it affects my body. Just your mere presence makes me... hot. It’s like my blood answers to yours. Yearns to be united. But also knows it’s somehow inferior so it feels a bit anxious. It becomes... submissive. Yet the yearning is unfathomable.”

That explains a thing or two. Now I understand how she can so quickly turn back to her neutral and cold persona right after leaving my close vicinity. It turns out that Lyona isn’t exactly extremely shy around me but it’s my blood that makes her a bit timid, like a star-struck fangirl being in the same room with their idol, I guess. Or a young girl in a room with the boy she’s crushing hard on.

“I’ve never felt like this until the day Elise brought me in front of you,” Lyona continues. “I was so taken aback that I don’t think I uttered more words than my own name. No one in our family has either. It’s like in our legends, the tales of our ancestors, the ones we hail from.”

Oh fuck. Here we go again.

“It’s almost like you are a Primordial.” She chuckles softly and shakes her head at the hilarity of her own statement.

Fucking knew it.

I snort at her and rub my forehead. “Oh boy, do I have something to tell you...”