Note: For those who read the last chapter yesterday(7 August 2024), please check it out again as I've made changes to the confrontation between Mono and Aurora and made it a much better last encounter!
It was the party's first time meeting Grace, or at least the first that they remembered. She'd always been off somewhere else when they'd been to the castle, but now as she had arrived in Mono's place, they finally had the chance to meet up with the dark castle's head maid.
"The queen bids you well in your journey," with no hint of any emotion on her face, Grace politely bowed to the party. "You're welcome to stay here whenever you wish, and she even invites you to the castle if that's what you'd prefer over this inn."
Hearing the last sentence, Daine's whole family clicked their tongues. Squinting their eyes, they glared at Grace in anger, however, staying behind the party none of them wanted to make a scene...just yet.
Lifting her head back up, Grace opened her eyes and looked around at everyone, stopping for a few seconds on each one of them–ensuring she would remember each and every one of their faces. Then, quickly turning her attention to Raven, she lifted her skirt with a much lighter bow.
"That'll be all, bid you well on your journey as well," saying those words, she parted ways with the hero's party.
Left to mull over her demeanour and contour, the party knew something was off about the head maid, much similar to what they felt towards Avarice when they ran into her. However, since Mono was in charge of her, they didn't think much of it and instead focused on the people still left inside the Inn's hall.
"I'm gonna miss you a lot, come back quickly, okay?" Throwing her arms around Raven, Regalia wasted no time in locking her lips with Raven. A bit too fond of his taste, she wanted one last lick before letting him go back to his home city. However, it wasn't just a peck or a brief kiss, but rather one overflowing with bittersweet passion. "Mhnmm~"
Hugging Zoey at last with a hint of tears in her eyes, the wolf girl distanced herself from the group and stood far back from the range of the teleportation circle. But as Daine's family hadn't bid their byes yet, Raven and his party stayed there for a few moments more. Much like Regalia, the girls were sensitive about watching the group leave.
To them, they were their saviors, the very same who'd saved their lives from a monstrous fate.
"You're gonna come back to take me to this maze, right?" Even amidst the emotional farewell, Lana who was a bit more level-headed than the rest decided to remind Raven of her request.
"Yeah sure, but give me a while I wanna visit everyone else first before going there," reassuring her that he'd take her to meet the Mistress so that she could learn her secret to establish a lecherous business, Raven pulled her by a darkness collar and comforted her anxious heart with a brief kiss.
"No fair! Me too!" But the moment Zoey noticed him kissing one of her moms, she couldn't help but want a kiss as well.
Scratching the back of his head with a chuckle, Raven gave her exactly what she wanted and since Diane seemed a bit jealous as well, he stretched the gestures to her quivering lips as well.
"Alright then, time for us to head off!" Finally turning to his party, the hero Raven urged them to come closer and hold on to his body.
A beam of blue light rose from the ground, blinding them all for a brief moment. But as it subsided quickly, they found themselves in Linkle's shop–especially her bedroom where she was standing in front of them. One hand on her hips and a fowl expression on her face, she growled at the party dressed in nothing but a towel around her waist.
"By the nine hells, what the fuck is wrong with your timing?!" She complained and to her horror, the towel fell from her rage.