<~> Chapter 136I stepped out into the courtyard with Theo at my side. The gruff-looking bull-man was wearing a small tunid some breeches that looked strig on his rge body. His new pants left absolutely nothing to the imagination, his rge endowment looked like a rge snake slithering down the side of his pants. He looked a bit scruffy but was otherwise very handsome if his personality wasn't so abysmal.

  I looked over at the girls. Eae of them was wearing feminine dresses, even Torien with her matg maid uniform. The only o out was Silva, though I assume she preferred it that way. I'll ask ter but something tells me she would rather be dressed as a warrior than a servant, even if it meant some issues at some of the establishments that refused to directly serve sves.

  We had entirely cleared out the castle now, all of the lingering miasma faded by the time we finished sc the bottom floor prisons. The part we were most worried about had actually been the easiest, though I don't think many people would have expected the baron's office to form a dungeon cht in the middle of a city. That was likely the reason none of the monsters had ventured down to the part of the castle that would normally be the most ripe for them to hide in, instead, they were most dense in the ballroom and close to the office.

  I g Theo who had begun talking with a few of the guards off to the side. The two cultists who he had killed didn't have anything of note on them and they were the only ones left down there from the cult group as far as we could tell. Theo's expnation was that once he took out those two, the rest of the men in bck brigandine just left him locked in the cell. They thought it was better to let him rot rather than bother killing him.

  Just like Silva, the cultists used the tunnel uhe castle to escape. They didn't bother with the front portcullis winch because they were pnning to escape out the bayway. As for who left the gate open, I had a suspi. What else could get a servant 2680 ive karma? Whatever determines how you get karma must have ted every death from the castle being raided as partially her fault. I didn't know how else to expin a low leveled servant having that muegative karma.

  I spotted Nathaniel on one edge of the courtyard direg some of the guards. It looks like he came to hahings now that it was safe. As I started to head over to him Torien fell in lio me. When I looked over at her she smiled. "What? I'm curious about what the part of the pn is."

  "Good to have another set of ears on it, thanks Torien." She nodded and focused on the priest as we headed over.

  The priest smiled as he saw me approach. "Ah, Lilith! I got word about your help with the subjugation. It seems you've been much more helpful than we had expected. There will be a lot of paperwork as to gh for the rest of the day, since your part of the expedition is finished you may leave for now. you returo the castle tomorrow? I'd like to do a debrief ale payment then."

  "What about the woman that was found today? I have a suspi she was involved ie bei open," I asked.

  He narrowed his eyes. "What would lead you to believe she was involved?"

  I shrugged. "Call it a hunch."

  "...That's a serious accusation to put on a survivor. Very well, I'll make sure someone keeps an eye on her for her own prote at the very least. We talk about your... theories tomorrow before your debrief."

  I nodded and stepped away to collect the rest of my party members.

  Once we were out of earshot from the priest Torien leaned over to me. "Do you think it was wise to tell him about our suspis regarding the servant? It's not as though we have solid evidence she was involved, at least hat we share without revealing more about yourself."

  "Mmm, I'm not sure to be ho. It's true that we don't have solid evide I don't know how else to handle someone so clearly involved." I scratched the base of my horn in thought.

  She turo look at me and lowered her voice. "What about that thing you did to the man who tried to viote you? Bel told me about that."

  I took a breath to steady my nerves. From her toorie realize how much of a sore spot that memory still is for me. "...I haven't thought about that ability for a while. I don't know if it's something I ever want to use again. Using it felt... wrong."

  Torien's face hardened. "Even if the man deserved death? Even if the woman we're talking about ily got many of the people in this castle killed? What Bel told me of that i sounded like a mercy, a just punishment for someone so vile."

  I tightened my fist a a wash of heat run down my ned settle i of my stomach. "It's... I... I don't want to talk about this right now."

  When I turo Toriearted and her eyes went wide. "Lilith... I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you cry. Are you okay?"

  I touched my fad found it wet. I don't feel sad, I feel ...angry. So why am I g? I quickly wiped my eyes and tinued forward. "Let's get everyone a out of here. This pce is starting to get to me."

  "...Right." Torien was following a step behind me now but I didn't know how to face her at the moment anyway. There were so maions going through me right now, embarrassment, anger, self-loathing, frustration. It's too much to deal with.

  Stepping inte of my bond with the irls caught me off guard, Bel and Mimi both sheir attention ohe moment our emotions brushed against each other. I cmped down on the bond as soon as I realized a like a moron for letting it happen. I fot how easy it is for them to read my feelings and now they're going to ask me about it. I 't deal with this, please just let me get bae first.

  I cleared my throat. "Looks like debriefing is tomorrow so we're free to go for the night. I'm pretty tired so let's head back to the Ruby Vixen for now." Bel and Mimi traded ed looks and Man shot a fused look at Torien behind me.

  "You lot are staying at a brothel? That must be an iing story, though I should have expected it based on the book you owe me."

  I turo see Theo standing off to the side, I had totally fotten he was here too. Ugh right, the book. I'm going to have to have that versation too. I wonder if I put that off for ter.

  Man shot a worried look at Theo. "Lilith, how much does he know about you?"

  I rubbed my face. "More than I'd thought, clearly. We'll talk about that ter after I've had a ce to rest. You don't mind staying there with us do you?"

  "Er, no, but I'm kind of low on money. I don't really have the cash to spend the night there."

  "We figure it out whe there. The city's kind of fucked up right now so they might be willing to give you a deal. I'm also... kind of friends with the owner so maybe we work things out."

  "That suits me I suppose," he said hesitantly.

  "Great, does everyone have everything?"

  Everyone nodded so I turned around and started leading roup towards the gate. It's been a long day and that turn in my versation with Torien ruined my mood. I sighed. Despite everything I didn't hold it against Torien, it's just bad memories. Maybe... some unprocessed feelings.

  My chest felt tight on the walk back. There were hushed whispers behi I didn't have the mental energy to listen in. Rather, I didn't want to know what they were saying about me right now. I robably making a fool of myself in front of Theo, someone I just met. But I'd probably just say something stupid if I tried to talk to him now so I kept to silen the trip back.

  It wasn't long before we reached the familiar sight of the Ruby Vixen in the warm afternoon light. It wasn't even dark outside yet but the building was a sight for weary eyes. ...just that short s of a versatio more exhausting thaire fight with the dulhan.

  The lobby of the Ruby Vixe so inviting to me as I stepped i was odd, I've only been here a few days but it already felt like home. More than any of the inns did in Traehall at least.

  My mind briefly fshed to the room I had first shared with Bel and I quickly shook the thought away when my stomach turned once again.

  I refocused on the warm on room lit with dlelight and the familiar old-fashioned hotel desk with ets of keys behind it. Behind the desk was a familiar face, Eira the demi-cat kin who Bel healed yesterday waved us over when we came in.

  "Lilith! It's great to see you again!" The eic catgirl smiled, her cute spotted tawny ears were moving bad forth with each sylble making her seem even more eibsp;if that was even possible. I hadn't gotten a good look at her ears and tail when she was in her room si was so dark but now that I had a better look at her they seemed like they belonged on a cheetah or other kind of big cat.

  Despite my sour mood, her energy brought a smile to my face. "Hello Eira, you look like you're feeling a lot better."

  "I feel great now! Miss Grace put me on desk duty for a while though, she wants to make sure I'm fully recovered before I start taking ts again."

  "Is that a bad thing?" I asked.

  "Mmm, no. It's not as fun as some of the other work I get to do here but Miss Graly assigns people she trusts to desk duty, and it pays well, so it's kind of like a promotion. Even if I don't like it, I'll only be w reception for a week at most."

  I smiled. From what she was saying I wouldn't be surprised to see her in the group of girls I transformed. I liked Eira a lot, I would be disappointed if she turned me down.

  Eira leaned on the desk and looked around me. "Your friend there sure seems popur with the dies, did y us a er?" she said with a snicker.

  I turned around to see several girls flirting with Theo. A rge horse-kin woman was whispering in his ear and two of the smaller mouse women were straddling his legs. He was drawing a lot of attention throughout the room and I could tell he was well-liked from all the way over here. His skintight breeches were stretched taut and the mouse-girls had their hands all over it. The bull-demi was quite happy to let them ti respectfully kept his hands off of them, the model of brothel etiquette.

  I turned back to Eira. "Uh, I guess I'll pay for his room but any of the girls he takes back to his room will be from his own purse."

  She smiled. "A friend of yours is a friend of ours. I'll p him the room, he work out what he wants to do with the girls on his own," she said with a ugh.

  "You sure?" I asked.

  "No problem! The Ruby Vixen owes you guys and there are a lot of empty roht now anyways. Besides, this pce doesn't make mu the rooms in the first pce, the price is more to stop people from staying all day to live here. Oh! No offense! Of course you and yirlfriends are wele to stay as long as you want! That wasn't directed at you."

  I smiled. "That's okay. I appreciate it."

  I stepped away from the desk and turo my friends. "I'm going to go up first and lie down for a bit. ...I need some time to clear my head." I was worried they would insist on followi those fears were unfounded.

  Bel gave me a gentle smile. "Alright. Go get some rest Lilith. We'll head up in a few hours."

  I felt her mencholy brush against my bond as I climbed the stairs.

  Saine

  Hello! This was a bit of a cliffhanger again, more of aional ohis time. This plot thread has been a long time ing, I'm gd things are ing together. It be hard to remember sometimes just how little time has actually passed iory, despite writing it for more than a year now only a little less than a month has passed. Anyway, just some thoughts. I hope you enjoyed reading, see you ime!

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