Chapter 82

Chapter 82: Avoid cursed objects, please! part

“What do you mean by that!?”

Helena’s drunkenness vanished along with the color in her face, she looked pale as a ghost.

“It’s just like mister Ryu said, priestess are supposed to be virgins”

“Then how do you explain that your mother was a priestess?”

“I mean, she was exiled...”

“What would happen if I lost my... what would happen if I did it?”

“I’m not really sure, I only know what my parents told me when I was little and they didn’t talk about this kind of stuff in front of me. I think it was something like never being able to learn new skills, as I said before, I’m not sure. But do you really want to risk it?”

.....

Helena pondered for a few seconds before pouting.

“This is so unfair, I didn’t choose this damned class! I hate it! Why am I the only one with this restriction?”

“Don’t worry, I’m sure we’ll be able to find a solution”

Ryu said as he held the sobbing mess that Helena was on his arms.

Dylan, Helena and Ryu walked back to the tavern’s food stand, Helena took a seat and waved at Kairi.

“How may I serve you miss Helena?”

Kairi asked with a broad smile on her face, she had been working tirelessly the whole day, but it seemed like she was having fun. But Helena was in a bitter mood and replied by simply lifting three fingers to which Kairi nodded.

When the drinks arrived at the table, Ryu and Dylan took one beer mug each, making Helena frown.

“These are all mine! if you want beer then ask for your own”

She said as she rushed forward to grab the stolen beer mugs from her companions, but she miscalculated the size and proportion of her womanly attributes, thus dropping the mug in front of her.

The table was soaked and the liquid started dripping on Dylan’s lap, when he attempted to stand up the table was tilted making Ryu fall on his back and hit his head on the ground.

“Boss! Are you ok? I’m so sorry I didn’t mean it, it was an accident”

“Yeah, don’t worry, I’m fine”

Helena walked to the bar and grabbed a mug of beer by herself.

“Whats wrong Helena?”

Rina asked concerned for her.

“I just found out I can’t have sex because I’m a priestess”

She pouted.

“Oh dear! this is terrible news, you can’t be drinking the crap we serve the clients. If you’re drowning your sorrow in alcohol, the least you can do is drink some expensive imported wine”

Rina grabbed a stained glass bottle and uncorked it, the cork flew like a guided missile and hit Ryu, who was just trying to stand up, right in the eye.

“I’m fine!”

Was heard behind Helena’s back, and the girls kept chatting about her condition.

“If anything I’d say you dodged a bullet, that Norman guy is despicable”

“I know, I realized that the minute he opened his mouth”

“Then, why were you with him on that alley”

“He may be a jerk, but it’s not his abs fault”

They both giggled as they drank wine taking small sips.

“This is so delicious, you should buy more of this wine”

“This is the only bottle I ordered, it was supposed to arrive before the freeze, but since Bianca bribed the caravan I only got my hands on it today”

“Awww, and you’re sharing it with me”

Helena was touched by Rina’s gesture.

“To tell the truth, I meant to sell it to a noble if any were to come to the tavern. Having a bottle of expensive wine around wouldn’t hurt. But, what you said is so terrible, If someone said I needed to withhold from having sex, I would just drop dead”

“Is Ryu that good?”

Helena asked with a luscious grin on her face.

“How can you two be so shameless, talking about dirty stuff and drinking by yourselves!”

Anne said angrily, but as soon as they told her what happened she embraced Helena as if she was a patient on her death bed.

“Hang in there Helena”

Anne’s sad smile accompanied by the effect of the wine lowered Helena’s defenses completely and she started crying openly. The girls kept chatting for a while, the festival was going to be over soon as people started heading back to their homes, but since they were still working they had to stay up late to help with the cleaning.

Ryu was sitting in the table with a new drink placed in front of him, still covering his eye.

“Boss, are you really ok?”

Dylan asked.

“I am, I just lost a few health points, that’s all.”

“Didn’t you say you had less than 100 health points?”

“A lot less actually.”

Ryu sighed.

“How can you be so calm then? are you not scared?”

“I don’t know, I’ve just been experiencing a lot of accidents lately. Yesterday I was sitting in my usual chair and it suddenly broke.”

“Do you think maybe it has something to do with the you know what.”

Dylan said pointing at the amarok that was curling up beneath the table.

“What do you mean Dylan?”

“Miss Rina has been complaining a lot about the ‘stupid dog’, she says that his howling freak her out and that ever since the amarok came she’s been having nightmares”

“That may be so, I’ve had nightmares lately too, but it must be just a coincidence”

“Listen boss, I know you’re stubborn and won’t listen to anyone about this, but I think you should go visit the mayor”

“What if he tells me to get rid of the amarok”

“He wouldn’t ask you to do something like that without a very good reason, also, so far it’s only been a few accidents or coincidences and maybe it’s just bad luck”

“Fine, I’ll go ask him sometime around this week”

With those words Ryu stood up and started taking the tables and chairs back inside, everyone else took it as their queue and lent a hand. Soon after the stand had been dismantled.

“Thank you for lending us your furniture and cookware Hiraku”

“Ah, don’t mention it young Ryu, we’re all on the same boat. By the way, you guys should stay in here tonight”

“We are a bit tired, but the tavern is not so far, we can walk a few blocks”

The only thing Ryu wanted at this point was to head back to his own bed and sleep with Rina by his side.

“Yes, I know, but I don’t think they can”

Hiraku pointed at the girls who were noticeably drunk and making a scene.

“Why do bad things happen to me all the time?”

Helena cried hanging onto Rina’s shoulder.

“The party is not over yet Ryu, you shouldn’t have dismantled the stand, I could’ve stayed up the whole night!”

“Yeah, where are we supposed to keep celebrating?”

Anne backed Rina’s petition to stay up a little longer.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, you guys are drunk already. Maybe we should stay in here Hiraku, i’m sorry for troubling you”

“Don’t worry about it, your rooms should be ready”

Hiraku led everyone upstairs, and he went into his room along with a sleepy Ayumi, what no one failed to notice was how she was holding hands with Sophie and went inside with her.

“Do you think they sleep together?”

.....

Rina asked in what she thought was a hushed voice.

“No way, Ayumi would never allow it”

Anne replied.

“It’s none of your business girls, just go to sleep already”

Ryu nagged at the gossiper girls and got into an empty room with Rina. Mochi and the amarok followed them and curled up together in the floor. Ever since the amarok was tamed they seemed to get along, despite Mochi being so scared of it at first.

“Get ready Ryu, because you are in for a treat tonight”

Rina said as she undressed sloppily, but as soon as she hit the bed she started snoring like a bear. Since Helena was in a poor mood and didn’t want to be alone, Anne decided to sleep with her and make her company. After their fight for Ryu ended they became even closer than they were before, and despite being happy for him, they were still jealous so they had been keeping the distance with Rina. At least until today, when they got drunk and a sisterly feeling was born among them.

It was a peaceful night in Ironwoods and the only evidence of the festival was the footsteps set in the muddy ground. The cold weather that had been haunting them for so long will soon give place to a beautiful blossoming spring.

The town’s population diminished heavily this year, mostly because of the hill massacre, but also because of Bianca’s misdeeds. But this wasn’t new in Ironwoods, where all kinds of disasters and beast attacks were always around the corner. Except for the people who lost their loved ones, most townsfolk experienced the richest year they’ve ever seen. Thanks to Hiraku’s group they had more to share among less people, they too ransacked the brothel and all of Bianca’s slaves were freed.

And although no one knew it yet, it was a year that would be remembered in history as their golden year.