Chapter 83: The Femme Fatale Oddball

Arden stayed in the town of Garclasse for a while. He needed the rest. His body was tired from all the killing he did in the southern road. He’s not physically exhausted but instead, he is mentally tired. Even he could not stand constant days of killing people. He’s not a monster after all.

So he rented a room at an Inn. It was a simple room that could barely fit two people. It is located in the attic of the Inn. The Inn was filled with merchants and that was the only room they could rent him. The room was not that bad. Arden could tolerate it and he only needed it to house himself during the evening.

He walked up to his attic room, but he knew that there someone inside. He stops, he put his hand on his belt and open the door silently. He slowly crosses the threshold between the door frames and there inside he saw the odd woman reclining on his bed while reading a parchment.

“What are you doing in my room?” he eyed the odd woman, keeping his distance, holding his dagger. “It better be a good one...Miss.”

“Calm down,” said she, clearly looking at the dagger on Arden’s belt. “I am not here to hurt and in fact shouldn’t you be happy that a woman like myself is here, warming your bed?”

“Bah,” he fixed his eyes on hers, “I don’t need some femme fatale warming my bed, not that I will ever need one, ever.”

She tilted her head and looked at him with a quizzical expression.

“I have nothing to say to that. Are my charms that bad?”

“Not really,” Arden raised his shoulders, sat on one of the boxes inside the room and said. “I just don’t want an odd woman lurking in my room. Not to mention, leaving the window open, and making the wind enter. Did you pry the window open?”

He looked at the wide open window. She also turned to the window and said.

“I did, will that be a problem?”

She crossed her long legs, not bothering to adjust the slit of her uneven skirt. Arden made an impassive look.

“It is. You are making problems for me, and you are committing a violation of the law.”

“You are not a guard.”

“I am not. But I am a paying customer, I rented the room, and now there is someone reclining on my rented bed, with the windows opened. What if I have things here?”

She stared at Arden, with her expression veiled.

“You are rather a suspicious person, aren’t you?

“I am.”

He replied, impassively, no expression on him. She stared at him stolidly. She felt like there would be a problem with him so she sat upright, raised her hands and said.

“Fine, I am sorry, I won’t do that again, how can I make up to you?”

“Say that to the owners, or at least pay them for the iron fitting you pried.”

Arden folded his arms. His face looked peeved.

“Okay, good lord, and here I thought you are a rather innocent lad.”

“I don’t consider myself good. I just abide the law. And do you really think I am that innocent?”

She scanned him from head to toe.

“No, you smell blood, and your cloak has signs of cut and slices, and there are mixtures of scent on you too that indicates that you are quite well versed in killing people.”

He didn’t say anything. He just jerked back, and raised his chin, looking down at the woman.

“And not to mention your skin looked like it has gone through a lot, I never saw a man with such tanned yet rusted looking steel. Is that transmutation?”

“You seemed to know about that.”

“I worked for an old alchemist once,” she said. “Old, skilled and was rather rough, his skin or at least some of his fingers had the same appearance as your skin, and if anything it only shows that your body might be as hard as steel.”

He shook his head.

“Not really.”

“Is it?” she smiled wearily. “I can’t hurt you if that is false and the way you have been keeping that hand of yours near your dagger makes me unable to do anything. You are good at it.”

“I might be,” he answered. “Or maybe I am not?”

“Maybe I shouldn’t have done this.” she sighed. “I rather not have someone like you with such deadpan look as an enemy. Besides, I am only here because you are the only one kind enough to give me a drink while I was acting loony.”

“Why do you do that anyway?” he asks. “I don’t see any good reason for you to do that.”

“Oh believe me there are many reasons why I do that. It is a good way to know the people I am targeting and how they react, and how they looked at me. The first impression builds and so far, you are rather unfazed, the types that I usually get along with.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. I like my men when they are cold and dominating. The look you are giving me is making my heart thump you know?”

“Bah,” Arden sneered. “You are just afraid that I will throw my dagger aren’t you?”

“Indeed,” she laughs “It makes me unable to stop being nervous. Your eyes are looking at my own, but yet your hands seem to target my exposed neck, please forgive me okay?”

“Pay for the fittings that you broke, I might calm down,” said Arden, playfully. “Or my hand might slip.”

“Okay, fine.”

She snorted, took two gold coins from her pocket and threw them at Arden. He caught the two coins with his left hand, while his other right hand is still near his dagger. She felt like she was really in trouble, he didn’t even let his guard down and she can only partly regret her own doings.

“You really don’t let your guard down you know?”

“Miss, have you been pushed off a cliff?”

“No?” she tilted her head. “Why ask, did you get pushed?”

Arden smiled, putting his hand away from his belt.

“I see.”

She patted her forearms and took the parchment she was reading. She started reading it again, in silence, carefully eyeing it. Arden watched her read the parchment. He wondered what she was doing. She noticed Arden’s curious stare. She curled his lips into a smile and said.

“Interested?”

He scratched his palm and answered.

“I am. I am also interested why are your reading that on my bed, and why aren’t you leaving yet.”

“Okay then let me tell you,” she ignored half of what he said. “There are important things happening in the far north. The first is that the front-lines have been getting well with the appearance of the zealous Orc slayer.”

“An Orc Slayer,” he said impassively. “And what about the Orc slayer that makes you interested miss odd woman?”

“The name is Lulu by the way,” she said, paused and continued. “It is an interesting case. A case of a woman of a noble lady turning into the most fanatical Orc Slayer there is.”

“I see.”

“Is that all?”

“Well, I heard it...nothing new.” Arden made a grim expression. “Know the lady very well too.”

“Oh really?” she said. “And the other news is that there is someone wrecking havoc in the areas around Dunwich.”

“Dunwich,” Arden knew that town. “I thought that place was safe?”

‘Not anymore it seems. Someone has been wrecking havoc, destroying villages and burning orchard farms. The Sun’s crown has been sent to take care of the troublemaker but they could not catch the one doing it. The people around the farmlands are saying that it is the work of a witch.”

“A witch huh, interesting...”

“It is?”

“It is, if they could not take care of that ‘witch’ then it might be time to visit Dunwich sooner.”

She looked at his cold stare.

“Are you going to the front lines? You seemed like someone who would do so.”

“Is it that obvious?”

“It is.” she adjusted her posture, leaning her forearms on her knees. “Men like you always go to the front-lines and many men like you end up broken. What’s your plan there?”

“To help, that’s my goal.”

“Is that all?” she said. “Because men who go there usually are after honor or recognition and fame, and you don’t look like a person who wants that.”

“I just want to help.”

Arden said flatly.

“Help?” she tilted her head. “That’s all? No goal for fame, fortune or anything like that?”

“No.”

She felt her heart stir, her jaw slacked.

“That is odd.”

“Maybe, but that’s my goal.”

She inspected his face. She could tell what’s he’s thinking with his face so straight-laced.

“I do not get you. Why would you risk your life for nothing? Do you want to be a hero?”

“No.”

“Then why?”

“Because I just want to do it, no anything, and as a human shouldn’t I deal with it?”

Arden said brooding. She looked at him oddly. Her thoughts could not get Arden. She sighed and then said.

“I gave up...I won’t understand you.”

Arden remained silent. He then pressed his back on the box and stared straight at the ceiling.