The aftermath of our night out was felt in the morning. I woke up with Izumi and Nyaya having a hand each on my boobs. And Nyaya looked like a crashed insect as she slept. Izumi laid on his back drooling with both Seris and Nino laying beside him. The battle report said: Devastating damage.

The morning sun stung my eyes sharply and forced me to wake up. With a long yawn I stretched my whole aching body, and let out a high pitched noise of comfort at the end. I cleaned my eyes out of dust before trying to figure out what to do next.

Strange to be the first one up and awake for once, otherwise it is usually me and Nyaya who laze around until someone forcefully wake us up.

I then made my way out of the bed, and took a long bath in the bathroom. Just me, the bath, the sound of birds chirping outside and early cityfolk getting ready for work, such nice tranquility. Moments like these makes life worth living.

By the time I made myself out of the bath I saw Seris walking to the bathroom naked. She was going to take a bath as well, I figured. She looked a bit tired still. I put on some clothes and made my way to the kitchen.

”Would you like some coffee?”

A still not completely awake Izuma asked me. Coffee? Since when did he buy that?

”Sure”

I quickly replied. At this point I was completely comfortable living with him. What was once rocky and hard to trust, is now a relationship of mutual understanding and love. Love as in, I love the kind of person he is but there is nothing romantic about it. I swear.

Once he had cooked coffee the whole kitchen table was now occupied by us. Everyone had now finally become enough awake to be sentient. The coffee will be the final push. Nyaya still looked like a zombie, but the coffee should perk her up.

I yawned a bit as Izumi handed my cup of coffee. This slow morning is unusually quiet. I took a sip of the coffee, and immediatly felt how just the taste kicked my eyelids up. Some strong coffee this is. Maybe it was grown in a place where the soil was magical on top of perfect conditions.

”This is some strong coffee.”

I commented to Izumi who was in full swing of eating breakfast. Nyaya very slowly drank hers as her head lied down drooling on the table. She is definitely not a morning person.

”Yeah, I bought it off a luxury trader for 20 gold coins. One bag is very expensive. Dandelion coffee exists too, but it is not the real deal...”

He then responded to me. Damn, coffee truly is a luxury good up here in the north. I will make a mental note to hoard coffee if we go far to the south one day.

”Oh.”

I casually said. Oh well, I should be happy that Izumi, my master is even treating us to luxuries. Be glad about the little things in life.

Nino finished her breakfast early and took a morning jog. She is quite the active person. If she slacked off, her muscles would probably cease to exist after a year or two. Afterwards took Seris care of the dirty dishes, and the now finally awake Nyaya started her daily cleaning routine.

For me? I got today off after Izumi had told the church. Apparently we are going to do something special today. Why though? We had quite the special night yesterday.

After we had lunch we were all told to bring our adventuring gear with us. I thought we wouldn’t go on more adventures for at least a year? Maybe it is something else.

Twenty minutes later after derparture we all arrived at the local branch of the Adventurer’s Guild. It was one of six in the capital city, because of the sheer size of it. I was outfitted in my brand new cleric adventuring robe and got my Holy Staff in hand. To newbies I must look like an experienced adventurer, even though my Clerical skills is just at beginner level.

As we entered everyone first gawked at Izumi, and then when us girls arrived in after us we saw thirst in their gaze. Especially me who was the most exotic looking of the group got plenty of gazes. Not every day you see a pretty chalk white girl with a golden symbol on her forehead enter the guild.

”...so he got another one?”

”...who is that girl? Is she a vampire?”

”...she is so pretty, I am jealous.”

”...man, he is a lucky guy...”

I heard many comments like that before we arrived at the receptionist counter. I tried to ignore them to the best of my ability. As Izumi greeted the worker there, she looked behind his shoulder and saw me. She then leaned towards him. She looked about thirty years old and was a human with a normal body build. Her red hair was neatly tied into a bun and she got blue eyes.

”Are you here to register a new party member?”

She went straight to the point with a cold voice. Also she looked kinda scary.

”N- No. You do not require to register slaves still, right?”

He nervously answered her. She then made a grimace as she looked up, only to give a ”Whatever” look.

”Izumi, oh great adventurer, so what is your business then?”

She continued being cold with him. What have he ever done to her!?

”Oh right- I heard from a messenger there was a special request for me. So I headed here to hear it out.”

The worker sighed and then quietly left for upstairs. It looks like Izumi was not her favorite person to deal with.

”Psst, what is her problem?”

I quietly asked Izumi. He then crouched them with me a bit.

”We used to be in a party together, but after I ranked up she never progressed along with me. She blames me for abandoning her.”

Izumi quietly answered my question. If his side of the story is completely true, then she is just selfish. But he probably could had helped her out somehow without leaving her in the dust.

After a short while she returned and told us to come upstairs. Once we walked up the stairs I could hear how she grumbled to herself. Damn, get over it woman!

We arrived at the branch guildmasters office. The room was spacious and was furnished with tough looking oak furniture. Thanks to the windows and skylights it was lit up very well. The most notable feature was the mahogany desk in the middle of the room by the windows. There sat the branch guildmaster.

”Welcome in Izumi! I heard about your last Quest from the client, he was quite happy about what you found!”

A girl with a pretty face and small pointy ears. Who was not taller than a meter sat in the elevated chair at the desk greeted us in a southern accent. She had pink dyed hair which she set up in two buns. Her body build for her size was slim, and there was no signs of boobs on her. And she wore a outfit which made her look like a ships captain.

She is flatter than I was before I evolved!

”Ah, right. Hehehe.”

He blushed as he responded her. Is he into little girls too? Then she took a long look at me.

”I see you got a new girl in your party, ain’t she too cute?”

Her eyes widened up, and I waved at her with a smile.

”You see, I picked her up for the quest. She saved our lives in fact.”

Izumi quickly followed up an answer.

”Ahhh, I seeee. She is a good girl. It would be a shame to lose the kingdom’s best adventurer after all.”

She then jumped up on the desk edge and looked at me intently. Then she took out her hand with a desire to shake hands with me.

”My name is Lisa Hawthorne, and I am the branch guildmaster here. What is your name pretty lady of Harjan?”

In no time she followed up with another question filled with energy. I walked to her and shaked hands.

”My name is Lotus. Master gave me this name.”

I gotta be courteus to friends of Izumi.

She then pulled me towards her and gave me a hug, she smelled strongly of perfume as I was close to her. For being so short she is strong!

”Thank you, Lotus!”

It was almost as if she shed a tear when we hugged. Then like nothing happend she jumped back into her seat.

”Okay, with formalities out of the way it is time to tell you about the request in detail.”

Lisa schemingly put her hands together and looked at all of us.

”The client is none other than the family of the king themselves which put out this request.

They want somebody competent to protect them while doing business in another country. Because of the risk of civil war there they wanted someone they knew they can trust.

Your contact will be the second prince. Laurel Parishé.”

A sudden gulp formed in Izumi’s throat as she said that. The girls looked worried at him.

”It is up to you whether you accept it or not. But remember that it won’t look good for you, if you do not take it.”

At this point Lisa had put her boots up on the desk and relaxed. It looks like it made no dfference to her whether he accepted or not. Izumi thought long about it for a minute. He looked nervously around as if he wanted us to do something. We are slaves you dork!

”...I’ll accept it...”

He looked as if he just had lost his life. A tint of white was in his face. Strange, because he usually never is afraid. Lisa then stopped relaxing and cheered.

”Great! You will start in one week!”

Her fists was up in the sky and when Izumi tried to interject she hushed him down quickly and continued.

”There will be a carriage ready for your party. That go to Port Krakata, and all food and living expenses will be paid by the client!”

At this point he looked totally defeated. This confident man who bedded many maidens was defeated by this little girl. With all hope lost the girls patted him on his back, and walked out with him. I just stood there dumbfounded and looked at Lisa.

”Is master always like this?”

I asked the half of a man girl.

”Not always. You should had seen his face when had to accept his first special request. He spent the whole week drinking after he came back from it. Ah, the memories!”

She looked like she fully enjoyed tormenting Izumi.

”Umm, excuse me but what kind are you?”

My curiousness got the better of me. After all it is rude to ask what race people are.

”Oh, me? I am what most people call half men. In truth we are not related to humankind at all. If anything our kind is closer related to the demonic races.”

She then touched both her eartips.

”These ears are kinda impish, aye?”

Lisa then laughed and shooed me away. She probably did not want to make the defeated Izumi wait too long for me.

Outside I could see Izumi lying on a bench using Seris legs as a pillow. It is almost pathetic to watch this scene. I impatiently tapped my left foot as I saw him with an annoyed face.

”Master...”

I tried calling out for him. Nyaya looked puzzled over what I was trying to achieve.

”Master you sorry bastard, get up!”

Fed up with him acting like this I yelled at him. He got a panicked look as he saw me being angry at him.

”Is this what you call the kingdoms strongest Hero!? A Hero who is not even capable of handling a little Escort Quest!?

What if our client is the fucking king himself!? We just have to protect him like we protect ourselves!”

I lost my temper at him. For all his self assertion of being the best, the most confident, the best lover, the best swordsman, the best hero, he ends up becoming a whimpering pile at the signs of outside pressure.

The girls looked on in awe as I thoroughly scolded him. I won’t accept my master being so pathetic. His look in the end was of one whom had seen death himself. I may have overdone it...

After a while he finally came back to his senses. For the rest of the day he avoided me, I may have hurt his pride too much. The girls also was afraid of me, they did not want to be on the recieving end of my wrath either.

But after a day or two they dared to approach me again, I made quite the impression.