The last vestiges of morning sunlight clung to the back of the bedroom curtain, readily reminding us all how little sleep we’d gotten. A chorus of birds happily chirped outside in a mock attempt to overpower the turn our conversation had taken towards silence.
Speeding through the events of last night again in my mind, I let out a breath, happy for the recap to be over, but the news that the bandit leader both spotted us and managed to get away was a heavy blow to all of us.
More importantly, the one person they weren’t supposed to know was involved was seen with us.
“That’s about it,” I said. “As you saw, she got away.”
Responding to the note I left her, Lucielle had come knocking on our window around five in the morning. Roused by the sound of her knocking on the glass, Yua got up and woke the other two while I quickly helped Lucielle inside so nobody saw her.
Since the bandit leader was aware of us, we’d gone as far as sleeping in shifts in case of an attack. Elane had taken the first watch, insisting she was the best prepared for it since she’d done so several times in the past and, after a few hours of forcing herself to stay awake without anything to do but wait, she switched with me. Lucielle had come around an hour into my shift.
“I can’t believe this,” she said, holding her head in her hands. “A bunch of bandits is one thing, but a mage? And a blood mage, at that.”
She slouched in her chair and threw her head back, but a moment after closing her eyes, she forced herself to sit right back up. We’d talked away the morning and Lucielle’s eyes were already struggling to keep themselves open.
“She’s a Hemomage, actually.”
“Same thing. And what difference does it make? How are we supposed to fight her if you can’t even touch her?”
“I have some ideas.”
“Care to share?” Elane asked, kicking back on the bed. “Because the way I see it, if you had the drop on her, you should have just opened a small portal behind her and thrust your sword through it before she could speak.”
“Yea… I don’t know why I didn’t do that, either.”
I won’t lie, the option did cross my mind. As did a dozen similar outcomes, but there was something about her, this Willomina, that demanded I close the distance. I’d barely caught glimpses of the girl hidden under that dark hood, but she was compelling beyond belief.
Having had a chance to sit by myself for a while after the post-adrenaline rush, I realized just how drawn to her I was. And I wasn’t sure if I should be scared or if I should praise myself for actually managing to fight back.
“Maybe Big Bro just sucks at sneaking, too.”
“Maybe…”
“Could we get back to you explaining your plan?” Yua asked. “Can you tell us?”
“I could, but unfortunately, making use of it is entirely up to me.”
During our little skirmish on the roof, I’d noticed the enchantment of my sword burn away some of the bloody mist Willomina turned into. If my theory was correct, then her spell didn’t make her entirely invulnerable. Physical attacks would pass right through her, but not magic.
My sword hadn’t done any significant damage, but I believe it put me on the right track to figuring out her magic.
“My spells should be able to hurt her. I just have to land a hit.”
Keeping in tune with my sword, a well-placed Fire Ball ought to do us some good. If I burn away some of the mist, maybe she’ll reform missing an arm, or something. It was doable.
However, I couldn’t keep a grimace from crossing my lips at the thought of burning her away.
Here she was, some big bad Hemomage, someone that made even Elane worry, and she chose to flee instead of fight. From her setting fire to the church, I know now she does have attack magic at her beck and call, so why not use it on me? I mean, I didn’t exactly give her many chances, but I was distracted long enough by the fire for her to land a kill shot.
That brought up the next question; why bring me there if not to lead me into an ambush?
“Sorry, but could I get some more tea?”
Lucielle cleared her throat uncomfortably, tired from all the talking, so I reached into the purple miasma that always came with accessing my item box and pulled out a fresh pot Yua’d brewed for us a week ago. Although, our guest was once again impressed by how the pot was still steaming.
I poured her a cup, then one for Mana when she sleepily tugged on my sleeve from her special seat on my lap.
I’d gotten away with telling Lucielle that my item box was actually a rare magic item, so she’d already gotten used to seeing me use it. She sipped at her tea politely.
Since the innkeeper wasn’t aware of her presence, we’d provided Lucielle with breakfast, which was actually dinner for her. Unlike us, she’d been up all night and it was beginning to show.
Wearily, she glanced at the bed from behind her cup. The tea’s meager caffeine content wasn’t working.
I’d decided it was in Lucielle’s best interest to have her stay here with us where we’d have a better chance of protecting her until the bandits were dealt with. To our surprise, and maybe only because she was tired, she agreed without complaint.
However, for some reason, Yua didn’t want Lucielle to so much as sit on the bed. At least, not when I was in the room. She’d be using it to catch some sleep once we left. So, I’d Material Creationed up a chair and table for her before she arrived.
The real question was, why are we still staying here? Why stay in the city at all when we’d been caught and have the power of teleportation at our disposal?
The simple answer: we were bait.
The bandit leader knew we were after them and Giulio knew where we were staying. Their easiest course of action to take us out before we took them was to attack as we slept.
I’d been worried about exactly that once we were seen, but we more or less cured that worry by sealing the gaps in the window with Material Creation.
Sleeping in shifts, one of us would wait up for signs of an attack, and if she showed, we’d lure in the Hemomage by leaving the door unsealed. With the bed facing the door, she’d have no choice but to enter where whichever of us was on watch could see her. Then I’d seal the room once and for all, and the sound muffling enchantment would hide our battle from the other tenants.
At least, that was the plan, but nobody showed up.
Maybe they were expecting us to leave, and maybe we should have, but I didn’t want to leave these people to live, blissfully unaware that a secretive group of bandits ruled the city and keep an invisible knife constantly pressed against their necks.
Regardless, I had a job to do and I’ve already decided to see this through.
“… And then they got away, too. That’s about all that happened on our end,” Elane said, finishing her report on her own short-lived chase. “What happened at the church after the fire?”
“Not much,” Lucielle said and her smile was a mix of reluctance and gratitude. “They believed my story about the person I saw the night before being the arsonist, but I was pulled from church duty for failing to prevent their attack. I was made to leave not long after you did. Been patrolling the streets since.”
“Nobody mentioned seeing the Hemomage? Or our fight on the roof?”
“Not that I’m aware of.”
“That’s good, I guess…”
Though, now the bandits knew of my magic. Letting Willomina get away means we lost that particular advantage.
I sighed and when my breath tickled Mana’s ear, she took it as her cue to chime in. Straightening her back, she curled her fists on her thighs and asked, “What about Booby-Staff?”
At this, we all stared at her. Lucielle’s cheeks reddened a few shades at the unintentionally lewd choice of words, but Yua just sighed. Elane smirked.
“What are you talking about?” Lucielle asked.
“Booby-Staff. You know, the blonde female that heals people and who made us drink water. She lives there, right?”
“Wha-wh… Why would you… Her name is…”
When Lucielle’s brows furrowed and a stuttering mess made of half sentences spilled from her mouth, I plopped a hand on Mana’s head.
“I think we need to talk about your reluctance to use people’s names…”
“Yea,” Elane huffed and thumbed her chest. “I should be the only Booby-anything in your book, Kitty.”
Mana tilted her head in open confusion, while I tried to ignore the peanut gallery.
“… But Mana does have a point. Lucielle, what did Lady Nerissa have to say about the fire?”
Coughing into her fist, Lucielle looked just about ready to talk about anything else. Her brow remained furrowed, but she was quick to calm herself. Guess she momentarily forgot that Lady Nerissa was a bandit.
“Right, well, insulting names aside, Lady Nerissa never showed herself last night. I was told she was praying at the time.”
“The church’s priestess didn’t show herself when the church was attacked?” Yua asked and I nodded.
I found it odd myself, but I’d noticed she didn’t show at the time, too.
Lucielle shrugged.
“Nobody actually got hurt, so maybe she didn’t feel the need to do anything.”
“But the church’s attacker is still on the loose. What could possibly be so important that she needed to continue praying knowing that?”
You’d think the church’s most famous and beloved priestess would give a shit. She could have at least popped up to give a few encouraging words of thanks to the guards that helped put out the fire.
Willomina setting fire to the church may have just been a distraction, but they should have seen it as a threat until she explained herself. Nerissa aside, either the church itself isn’t a part of the bandit’s schemes, or Willomina circled back and snuck into the church during the confusion.
Lucielle waved a tired, flippant hand and brought her tea cup back to her lips.
“I don’t know what to say. She just didn’t show. As for why, your guess is as good as mine.”
With her tone sounding rather final, Lucielle pressed a hand to her mouth to hide a yawn before she stood. She started to stretch her arms over her head, but stopped when she saw none of us moving.
“I’m sorry to say, but I don’t know how much help I can be now that I’m no longer guarding the church. Not that I’ve been all that helpful to begin with. Unfortunately, the rest may be up to you all.”
Unable to fight it, Lucielle barely managed to suppress another yawn. Her half-lidded gaze turned again to the bed, and this time, Yua removed herself from its cushiony mattress.
Taking this as my cue, I helped Mana off my lap and made for the door.
“You sure you don’t want me to teleport you somewhere safer?”
I’d already offered to send her to Amoranth so she’d be safe with Erika and the maids, but same as she had back then, she shook her head.
“I’m fine here. I’m not leaving until my father’s killers are brought to justice. Or to the sword.”
“Then maybe one of us should stay back and watch over you,” I said, already considering who should do the honors. Though, there was something in how Yua looked at me that said I wasn’t allowed to be an option.
“No,” Lucielle said, taking Elane’s spot on the bed and trying very hard not to lay down. “You go on. I don’t want to hold you up.”
“You do realize we can’t protect you if we’re not here, right?”
“I’m aware. The bandits have been careful enough not to get caught for this long. They aren’t going to try anything in the middle of the day. It’d be too risky.”
Realizing she must have decided on this herself knowing that continuing with her night shifts meant she should be able to sleep soundly during the day, I agreed. We’d still have to work out how to protect her at night, but for now, this would have to be enough.
After ushering the girls out of the room, I closed the door. Then, checking the hall to make sure we were alone, I opened a portal. Catching the blue light out of the corner of her eye, Yua moved to block it from reaching the end of the hall – and the other guests.
“Where are you going?”
“Back into the room. I’ll seal the cracks in the door like I did with the windows.”
After watching Willomina break into that house, we can’t be too safe.
“It’ll only take a second. Be right back.”
Stepping through and back into the room, I was stopped midstep by what I found waiting for me.
Pale. Pink. Black lace.
My focus vanished instantly and the portal collapsed in on itself, blinking out of existence.
“I, uh…”
“Wha-What are you…”
Staring straight back at me from atop the bed, her purple eyes wide and now devoid of fatigue, was Lucielle. Her hands were firmly grasping the hem of her undershirt. Having only just started to remove it, she’d lifted the fabric high enough to reveal the shapely undersides of her breasts, the twin beginnings of something pink, and thankfully no more.
Turns out, her breastplate was hiding quite the bounty.
The moment my eyes managed to travel high enough to meet hers, she yanked her top back down.
“What are you doing?! I thought you left!”
“I did!” I said, thankful the room’s enchantment was working. “I just thought of a way to keep you safe while we’re gone.”
“Well, why didn’t you knock first?”
“Sorry, but I didn’t think you’d end up like this so fast.”
“Tch. Whatever. Just do whatever you planned on doing.”
Forcing a calm back into her reddened cheeks, she covered her chest with her arms and turned around on the bed. Only, now faced with her backside, I couldn’t help but notice the pair of lacey black panties that barely hid the smooth white of her ass. Belatedly, I realized her pants had already been discarded to the floor.
Wow… She could give Mana a run for her money when it comes to how fast she undresses.
“Sorry.”
“Whatever. Just hurry it up, please. I’m tired.”
“…”
Unable to think of anything else to say in my defense after living with three different women who didn’t mind me walking in on them changing, I turned to the door and quietly went about my work.
After muttering a pretend incantation, I used Material Creation to seal the cracks in the door as promised, but I used some thin wood that could easily be broken from this side if she needed to leave the room.
Positive that the Hemomage wouldn’t be able to get through, I stood and locked the door and the slide bolt I added for extra protection. What I didn’t do, however, was turn back to her.
“Since you didn’t head home first, would you like to borrow some of Yua’s sleep clothes? I think they ought to fit you. Or I could teleport you home and you can…”
“Thanks, but there’s no need. I sleep like this.”
Choosing not to acknowledge the only outcome that could be had after walking in on her undressing knowing she didn’t have any clothes to change into, I opened a portal out of the room and returned to my girls.
Now that I think about it, the two of them were whispering about something or another as I left the room to get breakfast. Must have been a discussion on sleeping arrangements that I, as a man, wasn’t supposed to hear.
Yua’s reason for not wanting me in the room when Lucielle was in bed must have been due to my uncontrollably wandering gaze – which I was apparently notorious for. And Lucielle was clearly not a fan.
And here I was, supposedly protecting her.
When I stepped back into the hall, Yua took one look at me and sighed, but Elane was nothing but smirks.
“Gods, Husband. You sure were in there a long time. Is she pregnant already?”
“Shut it. I was only in there for a few seconds.”
“Hoho? A few seconds are all you’d need with your abilities. And why are your cheeks are red?”
“Shut it.”
“Pfft.”
Elane snorted a laugh as she took Mana’s hand. Clearly not understanding the joke, she just tilted her head and let herself be walked away. Yua, though, met my gaze and smiled. Only, it was painfully clear that the mirth in her eyes was nothing but fraudulent.
Without a word, but with a heavy flick of her tail, she raised her hand into a chopping motion. Knowing what came next, and since the slave spell wasn’t rebounding on her, I bowed my head to her to accept my punishment.
She raised her blade-like hand a little higher and I closed my eyes to brace myself. There was a faint whoosh of air before her hand thumped softly on my head. She sighed and removed her hand.
“Did you see?”
“Only a little.”
“She’s not a cat-kin, Alex.”
“I know. It wasn’t on purpose and I already apologized.”
Yua drew a breath through her nostrils and slowly sighed it back out. Possibly because she herself didn’t think to stop me in time.
“What about Gino? Are you still going to train with him?”
“Yes. Though it might end up as more than training.”
By now, Willomina likely told him and the others what I tried to do. I could easily see Giulio using our sword training as an excuse to try and “accidentally” kill me. I’ll have to be careful.
“Are you sure?”
“I’m not going to just run away from him, Yua. Hiding like a coward isn’t going to get anything done. If anything, I’ll be able to learn how he fights this way.”
Both as a lesson and to cook up some countermeasures.
Yua’s emerald eyes widened, surprised at this for whatever reason, but she smiled all the same and grabbed hold of my arm.
“Then I’ll be waiting and watching by your side,” she said, hugging my arm between her breasts. “And if things get too dangerous, I’ll jump in and help.”
“Yua, I’d…”
“You’re not allowed to say no. This isn’t sparring or a friendly fight. I’m not going to just sit back and let you get hurt.”
“Again, I’m supposed to be the one saying that…”
Yua’s grip on my arm tightened, though the smile she plied me with never faded. She squeezed tighter still and, out of fear that the once soft embrace of her mounds might suddenly turn to iron and crush me if I didn’t agree, I did just that.
“Okay. Okay. There’s a few hours before we even need to worry about any of that. And I know the perfect place to pass the time.”
At this, and with Mana wrapped up in her arms, Elane turned back to look at us from the other side of the hall.
