Chapter 749: Behind a Desk

Finding enough rooms for all of Sorcha’s extended family had not been easy. Quite a lot of them had to double up in ways that didn’t give them as much room as they should have, but since they were all goblins, their diminutive stature turned into something of a boon. Two goblins to a room meant for a taller race’s comfort wasn’t so bad. At least they didn’t have Jadis’ problems when it came to small spaces. However, where Jadis could easily empathize with smaller races were the difficulties that came from furniture and fixtures not being the correct size. Especially in bathrooms.

The minor annoyance of dealing with chairs and tables that were meant for people almost half her height was something that Jadis didn’t have to worry about in her comfortable office located on the top floor of Building Six of the Fortune’s Favored compound. With the custom-made desk and chairs, Jadis was able to sit with all the leg room she could ever want while reading paperwork, replying to letters, and conducting all the other banal duties that she generally avoided as the owner of two successful businesses. Which that day included holding an interview with an extremely nervous young noblewoman.

“My class is called Noble Librarian, level twelve. Most of my skills revolve around the care of books and the study of language. I have only taken a single passive skill that increases my attributes, and that was for Focus.”

“Focus? Do you have the ability to cast spells?”

“No,” Estelle admitted, though she kept her head held high. “I have no spells and I do not believe that my primary class will enable any in the future. In order to operate the enchanted devices in my mother’s home, I needed at least a small amount of Focus and Will. I did not have points in either attribute at my unlocking.”

The practice of some individuals taking a little bit of Focus and Will was something that Jadis understood was common among the nobility. Even servants to wealthy families would do so, just so they could interact with the extremely expensive enchanted objects that nobles and similarly rich families often possessed. Most enchantments required at least a small spark, just a few points of magic, to get them started, even if they were the highest quality designs that would work without being powered by the user. That Estelle would have some magic but no ability to cast spells was no surprise. The class she had chosen, however, was.

“Why Noble Librarian?” Jay asked. “No offense, but that doesn’t seem like the sort of class that many nobles would take. Unless it has some benefits to running a county that aren’t immediately apparent?”

“I… did not expect to inherit a position of duty,” the human woman admitted. “My older brothers would succeed to the title of count before me once my mother passes away. If I were to marry, it would be unlikely to be to someone who would rule, either. My options when I turned eighteen were also… limited.”

Jadis could read between the lines there well enough. No good class options; at least, none that were strong enough to trump one that seemed to have been offered due to a genuine interest that Estelle held in books.

“How old are you?” Dys asked pointedly.

Blinking her pale blue eyes, Estelle looked like she wasn’t sure if she should take offence to the question or not. Instead, she took a breath and simply answered.

“I am twenty-three.”

Twenty-three. That made her the same age as Jadis. The difference between them could not have been greater despite their shared number of years. Actually, the gap between them was even starker considering Jadis had only lived on Oros for a little over a year, maybe a year and a half. In that small amount of time, Jadis had already gone past CLR one hundred. Estelle had years more to her advantage and she hadn’t even reached level twenty yet and unlocked her secondary class.

Jadis had to remind herself that her situation was extremely unusual. Most people didn’t make it to CLR forty before the end of their lives during non-Demon-invasion years. The bonus experience that came from killing Demons was the only thing that accelerated the average person to greater heights, and even then, most people in the world didn’t go actively hunting Demons. A noblewoman in the heart of the empire probably didn’t get many opportunities to slay Demons and get bonus experience. No, comparing Estelle to herself wasn’t fair.

All of that said, Jadis could still compare Estelle to Aila. Both were humans and both had spent time leveling outside of combat with Demons. As she recalled, Aila had been level seventeen when she and Jadis had first met, and she had been only twenty years old. Sure, some of those levels had come from passive bonus experience gained in Weigrun, but Aila had still been level twelve when she had first arrived on the distant shores of the southern subcontinent. That meant that Aila had reached the same level as Estelle had in half the time. Clearly, motivation was another factor, since Aila had driven herself as hard as she could in order to unlock a secondary class and reach her dream of becoming a spell caster. From what Jadis could see, Estelle did not appear to have a comparable dream motivating her to gain levels.

But that didn’t mean that the woman hadn’t recently gained a new motivation, one that may have compelled her to leave a comfortable yet confined lifestyle back in her mother’s house.

“Twenty-three,” Dys echoed. “And level twelve.”

While she did her best to remain composed, Jadis could see Estelle practically shrink in size.

“We should be able to get you to level twenty pretty quickly,” Syd said after a pause. “Some hard work and a little power leveling somewhere near the battlefield and you’ll have your secondary class unlocked in no time at all.”

“Which brings us to the question,” Jay continued while Estelle blinked at the three of her, “what kind of class are you hoping to get when you reach level twenty?”

“Something… useful.”

“Useful?” all three of Jadis tilted her heads. “In what way?”

“To you. To, ah, to the company.”

“Okay,” Jay drew the word out as Estelle fought to fight her anxious fidgeting. “And what class would you be striving for if I told you I’m not interested in your services, and you aren’t hired here?”

The question visibly deflated the woman, but after a few seconds, she seemed to steel herself.

“I would still wish to have a class that is useful. By that I mean, practical. I cannot expect any assistance from my family, financial or otherwise. Therefore, I will need to find reputable work before I exhaust my funds.”

“Then I take that statement to mean that you have cut all ties with Countess Voclain.”

Estelle’s attention shifted to Aila, who had for the past ten minutes sat silently at Dys’ side. Other than the initial greetings, the mage had left most of the interview up to Jadis, asking no questions and only writing down notes into her notebook, a coming across as something of a stoic secretary.

The thought of Aila in a pencil skirt, stockings, and high heels momentarily derailed Jadis’ train of thought, but she was able to recenter her mind after only a second or two.

Again, Estelle seemed to steady herself before answering. Jadis had to admit, while the noblewoman came across as timid and mousy, she had a strong will. At least, strong enough to push through what had to be an uncomfortable and even intimidating conversation.

“Put bluntly, yes. After the incident involving all of you, we had something of a… falling out. I have no desire to return to my mother’s home, even if I was welcome there. Which I am not.”

“I’m sorry for that.”

“Sorry?” Estelle blinked, looking up at Jay with surprise. “I am absolutely certain that I should be apologizing to you for what happened earlier this year, not you to me.”

“Not that,” Jay waved the idea away. “None of that was your fault. I’m sorry that things haven’t worked out between you and your family. It’s not your fault either that your mother turned out to be real piece of work, but I’m still sorry. For your sake. It’s not fair that you didn’t get to have a normal family.”

Jadis wasn’t entirely sure why she had said all of that. She had meant to keep the interview focused on business. Considering past experiences with the noblewoman, she didn’t want to get too personal. However, seeing the hurt that was hidden behind the fragile shell of Estelle’s composure, she couldn’t help herself. The situation sucked. Jadis was lucky to have had a good family. Most of her lovers had experienced the same, even if some had gone through some difficulties with her parents later in life. Estelle, however, seemed to have had a psycho bitch for a mother right from the start. Maybe she had had a good father, but from what Maeve had told her, he hadn’t been around since Estelle was six years old.

Again, the situation sucked, and Jadis couldn’t help but feel sympathy for a woman who was just trying to climb out of the pit she had been raised in.

“Yes, well,” Estelle cleared her throat, her watery eyes avoiding Jadis’ gaze. “I appreciate your sentiment, even if it isn’t deserved.”

Dys tilted her head slightly, looking to the redhead who sat at her side. Aila was giving her a thin-lipped gaze, but she didn’t seem upset. More concerned than anything. Reaching her hand under the desk, Dys gave her lover’s knee a comforting squeeze while her Jay self leaned forward, interlaced hands resting on top of the polished wooden surface.

 “If we do hire you,” Jay began while being sure to moderate her tone to be softer, “what role do you think you would fill? Craftsmanship? Combat? Janitorial?”

“I—I do not believe I would have any suitability for combat,” Estelle replied as she sat up higher in her seat. “I do not have any crafting skills, but I am willing to learn. And if scullery work is what is needed, then I will fill that duty. I am prepared to do whatever it takes to earn my keep.”

“Alright then,” Jay nodded along with what she was hearing. “Well, just in case, without giving away anything too personal, do you mind if we review any of your class skills that you think might be relevant to any jobs that you may be able to fill here? If you don’t want to, that’s fine. I don’t want to intrude on your privacy. But if you have a skill that you think might be useful, that could help in determining what position you could best fill.”

“Ah, yes! I don’t mind,” the mousy woman replied eagerly. “I am not certain how much use it will be, but I do have a skill that allows me to read and write at an accelerated speed. Twenty-five percent faster than what my natural rate would be, which is already quite good, I believe.”

“Alright,” Syd said as she took a piece of paper from a drawer and passed it along with a quill to Estelle. “Let’s see you in action.”

True to her word, Estelle took the quill with confidence and quickly wrote down a passage from Valtar’s scripture at a speed that was far faster than anything Jadis could have managed. It wasn’t quite supernatural, but the fact that her printing was still perfectly clear, elegant even, despite writing so fast was genuinely impressive. When Jadis dictated a few random sentences, Estelle was able to copy those down, too, keeping pace with Jadis’ speech without pause or slowing.

From there, Jadis and Aila continued to test Estelle’s skills between asking more questions about her goals, her future plans, and even hypothetical situations such as what she would do if she were to be thrust into an unexpected combat scenario. By the time another half an hour had passed, Jadis had come to two simple conclusions. The first was that she was willing to hire Estelle. The second was that she couldn’t possibly put the woman in the position that best suited her.

Estelle’s skill set made her a natural fit for a secretarial role. Her reading and writing skills were superb, her speech was polite and eloquent, she was well versed in noble etiquette, and she spoke three languages other than Imperial, including Voltonian. She was absolutely suited to doing Gunnar’s job, or at least being an assistant to the elf, except that the woman could not be so easily trusted.

It was clear to Jadis that Estelle didn’t have any intention of ever returning to her mother; the woman was making a clear and determined break with her family. When she said that she wanted nothing to do with Countess Voclain or her extended noble family, Jadis believed her. However, that didn’t mean that her family didn’t want things from her. If Estelle was hired for a job in Fortune’s Favored, or Ahlstrom Aviation for that matter, how long would it be before someone from Duke Colgrave’s faction came knocking on her door? What would they be willing to do to secure a spy within Jadis’s domain? Would Estelle be able to withstand whatever dirty, underhanded, or even psychologically damaging methods of persuasion that a determined politician might use against her?

Putting Estelle in a position where she would have access to all of the communications and paperwork that went through the compound wasn’t an option. At least, not yet. Jadis was willing to take a chance with Estelle, but she wasn’t going to be stupid about the situation either. The chances of Estelle being approached by someone on Colgrave’s payroll were too high. In fact, such an encounter was practically guaranteed…

Jadis wasn’t sure if Maeve was rubbing off on her or what, but the idea that formed in her head didn’t seem so bad. It would require some further thought and discussion with her lovers, but Jadis felt as though she could definitely see a way to give Estelle a job that wouldn’t risk the security of Fortune’s Favored and might even give them some leverage against Duke Colgrave.

“So, where are you staying right now in the city?” Syd asked as she moved her chair back and got to her feet.

“Ah, I am staying at a hotel in the market district,” Estelle replied, also getting to her feet in response to Syd’s movement. “The Purple Moon.”

“I know that one,” Syd nodded as she came around the desk. “That’s a long walk from there to here. At least an hour.”

Jadis didn’t mention that it was also an incredibly expensive establishment, and for someone on a budget, not the best choice in accommodations.

“Yes, but I can manage,” the noblewoman assured her. “I like to walk, and the exercise is important for staying healthy.”

“Well, if you’re going to be working here, we need to get you a place that’s closer,” Syd insisted as she offered her hand to help Estelle down from the platform set up on the front of Jadis’ desk. “We’re kind of crowded here right now, but I think we can still get you a free bed. Cora has a room that she doesn’t use half the time because she often spends nights at Lyssandria’s High Temple. Let’s see if we can set you up as her roommate for now.”

“You… you mean that you are hiring me?” Estelle asked hopefully, her eyes filled with stars.

“You catch on quick,” Syd smirked at the human as she walked her out the door. “It’s almost dinner time, so lets see about your room, then we can get something to eat, and we’ll talk about your role and your pay tomorrow, okay?”

“Yes! I mean, yes, of course, Lady Jadis. I am so very grateful for your kindness.”

“No problem. And please, drop the lady bit. Just call me Jadis. Unless you think you can guess which of my bodies you’re talking to, in which case, go for it.”

“…Syd?”

“You really do catch on quick.”

As Syd continued to escort Estelle down the stairs and out of the administration building, Jay and Dys leaned back in their chairs while Aila turned in hers so that she was facing the two of Jadis.

“You don’t disagree with the decision, right?” Jay asked right away.

“Not at all,” Aila replied as she set her notebook down. “Estelle is competent, motivated, and has skills that we could use. However, I believe we both share the same concerns when it comes to her family connections.”

“Yup,” Jay nodded. “But I was thinking that we might be able to turn that to our advantage. Especially if we’re up front with Estelle about what we’re doing and get her on our side right away. What do you think, Maeve?”

“I’m still waiting to hear from my contacts, but yeah, I’m good with proceeding as is.”

Maeve’s head popped up from between Jay’s legs, her hiding spot under the desk entirely the Fetch’s idea. Jadis had been happy to let Maeve sit in on the interview, but the orange-obsessed goo girl had insisted on keeping her presence secret. Her reasoning had been that Estelle likely would have behaved differently if she had known that the Fetch who had infiltrated her home and plotted nefarious deeds with her mother was in the room.

“Where do you think we can put her that won’t risk causing too much damage, just in case she’s actually a masterful spy who’s playing all of us like a fiddle?”

“The Garuda’s communications station,” Maeve answered after a moment, her arms resting on Jay’s thighs while her chin rested on her crotch. “We can control what messages we send to and from there. The station will be near the other communication hubs, too, so if she is playing us, we’ll be giving her a tempting opportunity to take advantage of.”

“And if she is loyal, we are in need of more individuals capable of using the communication devices,” Aila added. “Sabina’s improvements aside, it isn’t easy finding trustworthy people who can fill the role.”

“Sounds like a good plan to me,” Jay and Dys said in unison. “The start of one, anyway.”

“Shall we head to the dining room?” Aila asked as she stood from her chair. “We can discuss this more after dinner.”

As Jadis moved her two bodies to stand, her Jay self felt a sudden tug on her pants that kept her seated. Maeve was still between her legs and the shapeshifter had taken the laces of her leather pants in her teeth and was pulling them apart.

“There’s no rush,” Maeve said with her mouth full, her black eyes looking up at Jay meaningfully. “You’ve been busy all day. You’ve been busy all month. Let’s try a few things that only nobles and merchants with big desks get to do.”

“Really?” Aila asked as she shook her head at the Fetch’s antics. “Even putting Estelle aside, we still have to discuss our preparations for Princess Lynn’s tea party, the coming test run for Sabina’s new airship design, and all of the plans we have to make for transporting workers and equipment to the Nephilim archives. And don’t you still have to pick a tertiary class—”

“Look, Aila,” Maeve cut the redhead off. With a swift tug, she pulled Jay’s already half-erect member out of her pants and held the growing slab of marble against the side of her face. “I’m going to suck my lover’s cock right now because I want to and it’s fun. Either you can get on your knees and help me, or you can go do something boring for the next fifteen minutes. Your choice.”

Turning to look at Jay and Dys, Aila gave her an exasperated look.

“I’m with Maeve on this,” Jay said as she settled into her chair.

“Ditto,” Dys shrugged.

“Fine,” the mage blushed a bright red as she sank to her knees between Dys’ legs. “Just wait to tell Kerr about this until next week, please. She’s going to want her turn at this and we really have too much to do for the next few days for her to start dragging everyone under desks at every opportunity.”

“My lips are sealed,” Dys promised as she helped Aila unlace her pants.