Chapter 2011: Quest Board

"Welcome back!"

"Hiii~!"

The last greeting came out as a yelp. Its owner clapped a hand over her mouth while her friends waved at him with enough enthusiasm to make the nearby adventurers turn and stare.

The short-haired woman was waving too. She knew she was being obvious, but he was already looking at them, and when he inclined his helmet toward the women at the board, she felt ridiculously happy.

He’d seen her.

The others too, admittedly, but she was willing to share the greeting.

Beside him, Kitsara smiled at their reception, her white tails curling behind her as Sera leaned closer to hear something she murmured. The elf’s answering grin made the short-haired woman lower her hand before she could embarrass herself further.

Then Black started toward the boards.

Toward them.

"He’s coming here," her friend whispered.

"I can see that."

"Why is he coming here?"

"To look at the quests, you dumb bitch."

That was an excellent explanation. A perfectly reasonable one, in fact. The board was there for adventurers to find work, and Lord Black was an adventurer who actually did some.

Her heart was pounding hard enough to make her breath catch.

With every step that brought him closer, she became more conscious of the tunic she’d been wearing all day, the way she was standing, and the fact that she had absolutely nothing clever to say to him.

The woman beside her hurriedly brushed her hair back. Others shuffled apart to give him room, though somehow each managed to remain close enough to be addressed if he chose.

He stopped in front of them.

The short-haired adventurer had to tilt her head back to meet his eyes, and the difference in their height did thoroughly unreasonable things to her stomach. She’d been admiring that broad chest from across the hall for days. Having it right there was a problem.

She wanted to put her hands on it.

Her fingers tightened on her own belt instead.

Around her, the women who’d been discussing his bedroom habits so freely were suddenly finding it difficult to stand still. One pressed her thighs together while another shifted against her friend’s shoulder, wearing a smile so eager it looked painful.

"Ladies."

"Hello~"

"Good afternoon, Lord Black."

"Hi..."

His red gaze moved over the little gathering.

"What are you doing?"

For a moment, she couldn’t understand the question. They were standing beside a contract board. Looking at contracts. Surely he could see that?

Unless he meant something else. Had she done something strange while he was walking over? Was she still doing it?

"We..." Her friend glanced at the board, then back at him. "We’re looking for quests."

"You’re adventurers?"

Behind the counter, the clerk made a noise that sounded as though she’d swallowed her pen.

"Pff...! Ahahahaha!"

She folded over the counter, helpless with laughter. The adventurer she’d been assisting stared at her, his form forgotten while she tried to get enough breath to apologize.

"I’m sorry! I’m... Ahahaha!"

The short-haired woman’s face went hot.

Of course they were adventurers. They came here every day! He’d seen them practically every time he’d walked into this building!

Sitting at their table. Drinking. Discussing him and his women. Once, very memorably, propositioning him.

Oh.

Her companions were reaching the same realization, their delighted smiles becoming increasingly strained beneath his patient attention.

He didn’t even know what they did for a living. How could he? Ever since Lord Black’s arrival, none of the trio had gone on a single quest.

"Y-yes."

She caught the identification badge at her collar between her fingers and held it up. Beside her, another woman did the same, apparently deciding they needed to provide evidence.

"We’re adventurers. Only Grade Two, though..."

The admission came out so meekly that she wanted to kick herself. These were perfectly respectable badges. They’d felt considerably more respectable before the clerk handed this man a tray full of better ones.

The clerk took one look at their burning faces and lost her struggle to stop laughing.

’I’ll remember this, you evil little slut.’

"Everyone starts somewhere," Black replied.

He sounded entirely untroubled by their rank.

’You fully skipped ours, though!’

One week. He had gone from Grade One straight to Three while she and her friends watched him do it. Now he stood there offering encouragement as though they were fellow mortals on the same plane of existence.

And she was still hopelessly pleased that he’d bothered.

"Thank you, Lord Black."

Her friend said it with a shy smile that would’ve earned her a thorough mocking under any other circumstances. Unfortunately, the short-haired woman could feel an equally embarrassing expression forming on her own face.

Black’s attention moved to the sheet they’d been examining before he arrived.

"Is that the one you’re considering?"

"Yes."

The short-haired woman stepped aside so he could read it. His companions gathered behind him, their Grade Three badges making the little section of the board feel suddenly inadequate.

"A greenskin extermination," she explained. "Nothing a party like yours should bother with, my lord."

"We wouldn’t want to waste your time," her friend added quickly.

He continued reading, and the short-haired woman found herself explaining further to fill the silence.

"But most of us women can’t stand those filthy abominations."

Her embarrassment eased as she looked back at the notice. The thought of what they might find in a greenskin camp was enough to sour even the pleasure of having Black standing beside her.

"I’d rather get rid of them than leave them to drag more people back to their holes."

"And if we have to work," the woman beside her muttered, "we might as well do the world a real favor instead of going on a boring fetch quest for some rich merchant."

She sent her friend a look.

Could the bitch please stop making them sound unemployed for one fucking minute?

"We were choosing something worthwhile," she clarified, turning back to Black. "That’s what she meant."

She smiled up at him, hoping she hadn’t just bored the man by explaining a greenskin contract. There were better-paying jobs farther along the board, contracts his party could now sign for itself.

They should let him move on.

"Anyway, we won’t keep you, Lord Black."

She moved aside, taking her friend’s elbow to encourage her to do the same. The others made room too, still pink-faced and watching him with considerably more interest than they had shown the job.

Black then finally looked from the notice to the women gathered around him.

"Mind if we tag along?"