“So do you really think there’s something suitable for that many?” Solution looked around at the dim yellow lights in the many windows along the wealthy commercial district.

Nua nodded with sharp confidence, “I already know just the place, I’ll need to buy the cages and keep most of them in the stable for now. But it will be good enough for now. They’ll just have to bear the discomfort. They’re lucky that all they’ll be is uncomfortable, angry, and scared for a little while longer.” Her face turned red and she fell silent for several minutes as they walked before she finally felt the look Solution was giving to her.

Solution raised an eyebrow at her, “You?”

Nua looked back at her blankly, “What? Queen Zesshi kept my people shitting in a barrel in the dark for… what? Weeks? After she rescued them, Raymond had me living beneath the stairs of his cellar when he was hiding us. These people have already been in cages for a while now, a few more hours until we can take them out of town won’t hurt. They may not like it, but I can’t very well have them running away now, can I?” She looked at her teacher through emotionless blue eyes.

“I suppose not but, how do you know all this? How could you read their language, how did you know the way here? Why did you pick this city?” Solution’s eyes narrowed at her student as Nua cocked her head and pulled an innocent look.

“Why… teacher, I’m surprised at your lack of faith in your student. I’ve had twelve years to prepare for this day. Even with the Triumvirate in the way, some trade still takes place by ship and over long, long land routes. All I had to do was get word to the right merchants that there was a wealthy woman who wanted a certain kind of knowledge, and from there it was easy. I paid for a tutor, and when I sent him home, I paid him enough that he’d never have to work again. His only job was to tell me everything, and find others to do the same, about what went on in this part of the world.”

“You… established an intelligence network?” Solution looked at her pupil’s confident expression but was further surprised by the shaking of Nua’s head.

“Oh god no, just a… news network, nothing dramatic. I don’t have a network of spies I can call upon to make these places dance like puppets on strings. I just knew what I’d need to know and paid for the knowledge to come to me. I know the worst criminals, I know the most well acknowledged corrupt nobles, I had some city maps made and sent to me as well as copies of the public maps of the area… I’m just a better prepared tourist, nothing more.”

Nua laughed pleasantly and snatched Solution’s right hand in her enchanted left, “Now come along, Teacher, we have a lot to do and I’m not getting any drier standing out in this downpour!”

Solution kept her mouth closed but watched her student’s back as Nua pulled her eagerly along, the water splashed beneath them as it ran to the better maintained drainage, or down the slope to the poorer areas. As they rushed, she noted with professional disgust that people on the upper floors cast their waste out the windows and into the street. Chamber pots, garbage, whatever they had used up or didn’t want any longer.

‘Filth.’ The maid turned up her nose in revulsion, ‘That explains the smell before, everything the rich people get rid of, right down to their shit, gets washed down the slope for the poorer districts to have to deal with. Such a disgusting practice. Almost makes me reluctant to even eat such creatures.’

‘Almost.’ She thought, as they reached a door and Nua flung it open and rushed inside.

She dropped Solution’s hand and approached a counter. A snobbish looking human in a formal black and white suit looked the pair over appraisingly for a few seconds before speaking. “Welcome to Notilion’s. How many and for how long?” He said in a nasally voice.

Nua instantly felt unbridled hatred for him. ‘One of those… gah, you shouldn’t be surprised, at least he’s not a human supremacist, shouldn’t have to worry about that this close to the Triumvirate’s easternmost empire. Strange thing to be grateful for.’ Nua pushed the distaste away, and replied in a steady, formal tone with squared shoulders and an arrogant voice. “Two people, twenty-five two-legged stock for the stable to be delivered tomorrow morning. Two two-legged stock to serve as room attendants. And I’ll need you to send a messenger to the stockhouse in the square to have them delivered here. As for how long…” Nua stroked her chin and thought about it for a moment, “Till I leave.”

The whites of the human’s eyes went briefly wide as Nua went over it, and his estimation of her wealth racked up several notches. “Is that going to be a problem.”

He rapidly shook his head in a small, jerking motion. “No, no, not at all.” He stammered out, his eyes roaming up and down the pair as he tried to frantically figure out what his appraisal had missed.

‘OK, the armor is obviously expensive, those cloaks, could they be enchanted? Those gloves aren’t rough, they’ve obviously been treated, but the arrogance in both sets of eyes… and when they looked around, relief to be out of the rain but not at all impressed by what they saw. Better bump them up in the service rankings.’ He thought frantically and reached for a pair of keys.

“This is for our largest room, suitable for several servants, how should your stock be fed when they arrive? Nothing is, of course, the cheapest option, but you can also give them the scraps from meals or we keep a thin gruel or…” Nua raised a hand to cut him off.

“They’re newly acquired and have not eaten much, give them water when they arrive, and chamber pots, also… I hate terrible smells, and they stank. Do you have a bath available? No…” Nua looked around as if she’d just dirtied her boots by walking into the establishment, “I suppose this place wouldn’t have that…”

‘She can’t be serious, an establishment that had a bathing area for ‘just’ for servants would be outrageously expensive… just… where are they used to staying?’ He pondered the information he’d gleaned from her question and made a mental note to bump the pair to the top of the list for service experience.

“At least have them provided water enough to bathe themselves, also, I’ll need a tailor brought to have uniforms made for them. Have your city’s best brought to my quarters after they’ve been cleaned. Oh, and I suppose I should pay for all this first.” Nua added as an afterthought and reached into the coin purse at her side, the loud jangling of heavy platinum coins drew interested eyes in their direction, and she calmly counted out ten of them, stacking them neatly one on top of the other.

“It will be done My Lady… what names should I put on the registry?” He asked as he struggled to control the shaking hand on his quill.

“Just mine, Nua Calen Aiwenor, and as for place of origin, put down, ‘Sorcerous Empire’ will that be all?” Nua replied perfunctorily as Solution played her role of servant to the hilt and took up the keys that were extended to them.

“Sorcerous Empire?” He asked quizzically, tilting his chin to the left and furrowing his brow.

“It’s in the far west, beyond the Triumvirate.” Nua said just loudly enough for other guests to hear her explanation, low mutterings began at the tables and chairs of the common seating area of the lobby. ‘That’ll get them talking.’ She thought with satisfaction.

“Send something delicious to my room shortly, and have a hot bath drawn… wait, do you have private bathing areas for your quarters here…?” She asked hopefully.

“Ah… per ‘room’? Ma’am I’ve never…” He stammered as he tried to calculate the cost of such a thing and failed.

Nua gave a melodramatic sigh and looked over at Solution, “See, I told you, the east just can’t manage what the glory of His Majesty has made into routine. It was too much to expect.”

“My lady, you were right.” Solution suppressed her amusement at her ham of a student and played to the performance, she cast her cruel eyes down, “Your servant should not have assumed such a thing.”

‘That’s her servant… they’re dressed so closely that… I just assumed…’ The desk clerk struggled to rein in his thoughts as he tried to imagine what the distant land might be like, already, even without being able to make out words, he could tell the gossip mill was already at work.

“Ah, well we’ll have food brought to you shortly and… and we’ll have the bath made ready at once, it will take time but, yes, yes we can definitely have it done, please allow us to grant you this, to make up for the disappointment you’ve been faced with!” He rushed the words out as fast as he could as he tried to salvage the good name of Notilion’s in the mind of this new, rich patron.

“It’s fine, it wasn’t reasonable to expect so much, just ensure the bath is ready before sunrise. It wouldn’t do for my slaves to be clean before me.” She replied, and then looked to the left toward a set of ornate spiral steps that rose up to the second floor. “Now, have us shown to our room.”

The clerk picked up a handbell and no sooner than it rang a crisply dressed young man in black and red formal attire appeared. “See them to room twenty-twenty.”

He bowed formally to the two, a neutral expression on his face, ‘Looks kind of like a young Sebas.’ Solution thought with amusement as he began to cross the floor to the stairs. Nua took in the view with more interest, the people around were clearly wealthy, but none appeared to have any evident martial affiliation, not by their postures. They were mostly reclining back in soft chairs or sipping on glass cups of sparkling alcohol. The walls had many sconces that held lit candles, bathing the room in an orange light that was further reflected by burnished stone pillars of pale yellow stone and a stone yellow floor that had its pattern broken only by a deep red and black rug that took up the center of the room, on which many wide curved chairs and couches sat.

Tables were in front of most, and servants in various colors of clothing, blue and white, red and white, green and red, all seemed to serve certain particular roles, the color of their dress seeming to dictate their tasks. Nua kept her arrogant expression, her chin slightly up so that she was looking ‘down’ on everything around her until their backs were to the occupants and they’d gone up the steps.

Reaching their room took no time at all from there, the servant opened up the door to a large open space. A bed that could fit four lay against a back wall, along with dressers of a dark polished wood, a porcelain chamber pot at the foot of it, and candles scattered about the room.

“Do you not use glow stones in this country?” Nua asked curiously.

“Glow stones, My Lady? I’ve never heard of them.” The young man replied and bowed his head, “Forgive my ignorance.” He apologized swiftly and held the bowed head until Nua shrugged it off.

“It’s fine, doesn’t matter, just another minor difference between here and the west.” Nua answered and walked the rest of the way into the room. “You may go.” She said and the young man handed both keys to Solution, then made a swift and efficient retreat.

“So, want to explain yourself?” Solution asked with a narrow look in her eyes.

“Of course, Teacher. It’s very simple, you know how in Nazarick, His Majesty is open and honest with you all, and you all are absolutely loyal?” Nua asked this as she began to strip off her cloak, and put her back to her teacher.

“Yes…?” Solution answered, but also asked.

Nua drew her armor up over her head and laid it lovingly aside and shook her hair, sending water droplets flying as she turned around, bare breasted to the disguised demoness. She put her hands on her hips and spoke in a scathing tongue. “Well this isn’t that. In places without such supreme loyalty, rumors, gossip, lies, and wealth are the tools of social elites. We’ve just made ‘me’ into a disruptive element. A person of unknown origin and seemingly supreme wealth has shown up out of nowhere with unknown intentions. My questions will spark questions, those will spark rumors. People will want to know who I am, what I do, what I want… and what they can get from me.”

“I see…” Solution replied thoughtfully as Nua peeled off the last of her clothing and hung it up.

“Exactly. Working as I did in the Slane Theocracy, even as just a potion mixer, I had my eyes, I saw first hand how they played their games, the great houses of that vile country. I learned well enough, I know what to expect. Tomorrow, the game begins in earnest.” Nua stretched out, exhausted, and put the left hand her teacher had given her, on said teacher’s right shoulder.

“Thank you, for everything, I know I said it but…” The white metal that served as her fingertips squeezed gently on Solution’s soft pseudo skin, “but you don’t know how much this means to me. To serve my god in this way is a glory beyond reckoning, done not one time in one million servants, and thanks to you, I get that chance, and with that, a chance to repay a deep debt.”

“You know,” Solution grinned archly, “A girl saying that while all her clothes are off, might give someone the wrong idea, or ‘is it’ the wrong idea?” Solution chuckled with amusement as Nua rolled her eyes.

“You could just say, ‘you’re welcome’ you know, won’t kill you.” Nua said, ignoring the lewd look as she went over to the bed and flung herself face down on it.

She sank into the soft blankets and the feather stuffed mattress. “Ahh that feels good.” She murmured, and then felt fingers over the scars on her back.

She felt the eyes second. “Teacher, what are you…?” Nua started to ask, but felt the impossible pressure of the demoness’s touch, and ceased all motion, stiff except for the rise and fall of her chest, and her pounding heart.

“Just looking. I’ve never actually seen these on you before. Has anyone?” Solution asked with her left eyebrow arched up.

Nua made her body relax, but didn’t look over her shoulder, “Sort of. Mostly people who planned to put more on me. You won’t have to tell me how ugly it is. I already know. The only one to ever see those without adding to them, was Raymond, and I guess, now you.”

“What makes you think I won’t add to them?” Solution let out her sadistic laugh, throwing back her head and pressing her hand over the center of Nua’s back. A single turn of whim, and she could start dissolving Nua’s flesh.

Nua answered calmly, though her heart beat loudly within her breast, “Because, teacher, I’m not afraid of it. You could make me scream in pain, that I know, but you can’t make me afraid. Not anymore. Besides, worst case scenario, you would impede the spread of His Majesty’s power, and you’d sooner dissolve yourself than do that.”

“Good girl.” Solution said almost kindly and let her fingers walk the scars that crisscrossed Nua’s back, from her ass to her shoulder blades, barely an inch of it wasn’t covered in healed over ridges where flesh had been first ripped out in chunks, or cut away by blades.

Nua’s ears twitched as they caught the very tiny sound of the walking fingers following the patterns of old blows on ruined flesh. “Do you like reminding me I’m ugly back there, I’d like to get a nap before they send up food. And a reminder like that makes it hard to sleep.”

“That isn’t what I’m reminding you of, student of mine.” Solution said with a sharpness Nua hadn’t heard from the usually silk voiced sadist.

Nua’s voice was resigned and her body unresisting. “Oh, then what am I to remember? That place where your forefinger is now, was torn out on a farm when I was one hundred and twenty two. I was newly sold there, and had been used to making potions, I wasn’t quick enough harvesting wheat, so I was beaten as an example. Where your middle finger is, was where Hodge got me the morning after I gave myself to him. Well, not him, one of his ‘twins’ a pair of elf female twins who he set to competitive torture. If I’m not meant to be reminded of my mutilation and ugliness, what am I to remember instead?”

Solution lowered herself down over the smaller Nua, so that she was inches away from the sensitive ears that had once been cut almost halfway off, “First, that you survived all that. A lot of your people didn’t survive. People who were stronger than you, or were supposed to be. They died, broke and begged. You didn’t. You…” She flattened her palm and traced it over the bare flesh until she came to Nua’s powerful legs, “you became the mistress of pain. Instead of its bitch. You broke through fear and made a holy Cardinal throw away the gods for your sake. Your scars, to my eyes, are something to be proud of, because it means you survived to heal.”

Nua opened one eye and looked back at her teacher, “Are you… praising me right now?”

Solution gave a wide and open smile down at her student, “You can call it that, though this is also a bit of professional critique. After all, as a practitioner of pain’s finest arts, I can say they were mostly amateurs, those who did this to you. I’d have put pretty patterns here, made some nice scar pictures. They were just sloppy. But what these marks represent, is something more.”

Nua chuckled as her teacher casually talked of how she’d look better cut up in a particular way. “Thank you, teacher.” Nua whispered, and fell asleep.

Solution stood up from where she’d seated herself on the bed and looked down at the naked, mutilated elf whose body, where not scarred up, was smooth and toned with muscles from endless training. She licked her lips at the memory of that delicious left hand, ‘I should have asked for a whole arm.’ She thought with a regretful sigh, scraps of Nua’s left hand were still concealed inside her body, being slowly digested to savor every ounce of flavor.

“Oh well,” Solution shrugged it off as she watched the exhausted elf’s body rise and fall with steady breaths that indicated peaceful dreams, “This’ll be a whole lot of fun anyway.” She whispered pleasantly as she walked to the door when a light knocking came from the other side.