Chapter 1999: Gossiping Chicks

A week had passed since Adventurer Black returned from the southern ruins, and the women at Sarthal’s Guild still hadn’t run out of things to say about him and his people.

"The Scarlet Lilies went out again."

"Already? They were here this morning!"

"Collected their payment, asked about something stronger, and left. I heard Lilith complaining that the journey took longer than the fight."

The short-haired adventurer leaned across the table, lowering her mug. She had claimed this particular seat because it faced both the counter and the entrance, giving her an excellent view of everything worth discussing.

Her own contract lay beneath the mug, forgotten. Rent wasn’t due for three more weeks.

"Those are his bodyguards," she reminded her companions. "Imagine what he needs protecting from."

"His wives?"

Laughter broke out around the table.

"I mean, can you imagine what Kitsara gets up to behind closed doors? Considering how shameless she already is in public?"

"She might be a bad bitch, but let me tell you, it’s the quiet ones that are the real trouble. My bet is that Kaelira is a real freak in the sheets."

"Her? The most innocent of them all? I’d venture to guess it’s that scary woman, Black Fang, who rides him to near malnutrition every night."

At that, one of them leaned in. "Actually, I heard she wasn’t... you know?"

"Taking the D up the P?"

"...Yea. She and the other scary black-haired one."

"Ayame?"

"Nah, that bitch is gobbling him up every night. The red-eyed one, Iris."

"Hmm... Makes sense. She’s rather distant and frightening."

"But wait, how do you know all this?"

"I spent my last quest’s income buying a room in their inn. Those two don’t even sleep in the same room as him. Same for the bodyguards."

Her neighbour choked on her drink. While she coughed, the woman leaned farther across the table, warming to her subject.

"Dang, why isn’t he screwing those sexy bodyguards? I’m a woman and even I’d do things to Lilith I can’t explain or my image would be ruined."

"What image? You’re a gossiping bitch who spends her money on anything besides furthering her career?"

"Huh? No way that’s my image."

Many dry gazes welcomed her words.

"Anyhow, you can stop those fantasies. That woman would break your neck with a finger should you try anything."

"Duh. I ain’t no rapist. I meant if she let me."

"Why would she?"

"Are you dumb?"

"No."

The woman who’d bought the room set her drink aside, freeing both hands to argue her case.

"Could’ve fooled me. Listen. She runs an all-female adventurer group. She serves a man like Lord Black yet she retains professional distance from him, but she is very playful with her teammates. The Lilies. That’s one heck of a lesbian group name if I ever heard one."

"...That makes zero sense. She’s gay because she doesn’t sleep with her boss, adventures with her friends, and has a feminine group name? Get a grip on reality, you damned hoe. You sucked too many dicks before becoming an adventurer."

"At least the pay was better..."

At the counter, another adventurer finished collecting her payment and wandered over, apparently deciding that finding a second job could wait.

"They’re back?"

"The Lilies? Yeah, left a while ago."

"I meant Lord Black."

"Not yet."

"Oh."

She pulled up a chair.

"Don’t you have somewhere to be?" the short-haired woman asked, her grin widening.

"I’m resting. Adventuring is exhausting."

"You delivered a parcel across the district, bitch."

"And now I’m resting, bitch."

The door opened behind her.

From her excellent seat, the short-haired adventurer saw the black helmet first, its red eyes passing over the hall as Quinlan stepped inside. She caught her friend’s sleeve beneath the table and squeezed hard enough to interrupt the woman’s drinking.

"Mm?!"

"He’s here."

The newcomer spun around in her chair.

"L-Lord Bla-!"

A hand clamped over her mouth. Her neighbour hauled her back against the table while smiling toward the entrance with painful enthusiasm.

"Could you be a little less obvious?!" she hissed.

"Mmmph!"

"We were having a normal conversation. About work."

The short-haired adventurer hastily lifted her mug off the contract. Beside her, another adventurer tried to smooth her hair using her reflection in a spoon, abandoned the attempt, then sat up so straight her breasts threatened to escape her neckline.

They had been perfectly composed until he’d actually arrived.

Now he was crossing the hall toward them, tall and broad in that ridiculous armour, with the beautiful elf and the foxkin walking behind him. More of his women followed, talking among themselves as though this were an entirely ordinary afternoon.

"Ladies." Quinlan inclined his helmet toward their table.

"Good afternoon!"

"Welcome back~"

"Mmmph!!"

Her neighbour took her hand off the newcomer’s mouth.

"Hello," she squeaked.

Sera’s long ears twitched. Beneath her amused smile, she bit back a laugh while Kitsara gave the table a slow, knowing look.

Several women abruptly discovered reasons to examine their drinks.

Then Marielle came into view behind Quinlan, carrying the contract folder against her chest.

"Oh, cunt’s here too," someone muttered.

The mage heard it. Of course she heard it. These women had never lowered their voices for her benefit, and apparently they weren’t going to start now.

She followed Black past the table, her own Grade Three badge catching the light against her robe. It was still the most useful thing she brought to their expeditions.

His party could kill the monsters. Her registration let them accept the contracts.

For the past week, she and Andre had supplied the qualified leading party required by the Guild, putting their names above Unbound’s on the forms. Then Black decided where they went, what they fought, and when they returned.

"She’s found herself some lovely friends," the short-haired woman murmured, watching Marielle trail him to the counter.

"Friends? Look at her. She’s carrying his paperwork. The haughty slut got domesticated and turned into a secretary within three days."

"For half the reward, I’d carry his paperwork too. Hell, I’d even get on my knees and-"

"Behave, you dumb bitch! He can hear you!"

"..." The expression she wore told her friends it wasn’t exactly a mistake to have spoken these words so loudly.

"...You left the brothel, but the brothel never left you, huh..."

The woman merely shrugged. "Adventuring, fucking, aren’t we selling our bodies for money either way?"

"Now the bitch got all philosophical on us..."

While the chorus of professional yappers went on and on, Marielle wanted to turn around and set their entire table on fire.

Half the reward? Her?

’This slaving scumbag takes all of it, you ignorant bitches!’

She got to smile as the clerk handed her the money after each completed quest, then as soon as they were hidden from prying eyes, her money would quickly find the bastard’s palm.

Yesterday, he’d even borrowed money using her freedom as collateral.

Her.

Marielle had stood in front of the lender while Black discussed what a high-level mage might be worth. The bastard had plenty of money. She knew he had plenty of money. He’d done it while looking directly at her.

"All those successful quests on her record," a woman sighed behind her. "Lord Black does the work, and she gets paid for watching. Some people have all the luck."

’I’ll kill you.’

Marielle gripped the folder harder.

’If I ever get out of this, I’m coming back for this fucking table.’

"Welcome back, Adventurer Black!"

The clerk was already smiling when Quinlan arrived. His first visit had left her struggling to hold a pen; today, she reached for one with undisguised pleasure.

"Finished already?"

"Everything the client asked for. Marielle has the confirmation."

At the mention of her name, the mage put the folder on the counter. The clerk opened it, checked the client’s signature against the contract, and let out a pleased little hum.

"Wonderful. They said the road was becoming impossible to use."

"It should be considerably less troublesome now."

"I’m sure it will."

She meant it. That was the lovely thing about seeing his helmet approaching her counter: by now, she could look forward to the conversation.

The work would be finished. The client would be happy. Nobody would demand full payment for a creature they hadn’t killed or spend half an hour explaining why the missing supplies were somehow the Guild’s fault.

With Black, she checked the documents and paid him. Then he thanked her and went looking for more work.

For all the terror of that first afternoon, she had grown terribly fond of the man and the entire Unbound team. 𝙛𝓇ⅇ

Sarthal could use more adventurers like them.

"Your payment will be ready in a moment." She glanced past him at his companions, her smile becoming difficult to contain. "But first, I have something for all of you."

From beneath the counter, she brought out a tray of identification badges.

"The branch has approved Unbound’s promotion. Every registered member is now Grade Three."

"Three?!"

The woman who’d been silenced at the table sprang to her feet. Her neighbour reached for her again, then forgot what she was doing as the clerk turned the tray toward Quinlan.

The numeral on each badge was plainly visible.

"They skipped Grade Two?!"

"Every single one of them?"

"Well, of course!" The abandoned contract lay forgotten as its owner began clapping. "Did you expect Lord Black to spend another week collecting herbs?"

"I spent years collecting herbs!"

"Yes, dear. We could tell."

Laughter and applause spread through the hall as the women nearest the counter crowded closer to see.

"Fucking bitches... And he never picked up a herb anyhow... He was slaying monsters since the first quest!"

"Exactly."

"Ugh!!"