Chapter 44: Choices

Iris: “Master, here it is.”

Nathan: “This place huh?”

Nathan walked up to the building, making sure to keep his face hidden. He looked up at the sign, he couldn’t read the words, but the emerald wings decorate each side, caught his eye.

Anais: “Are we going in?”

Nathan: “No, I’m sure by now, they probably found out I was looking for this place and if by any chance someone they know works there, they will expose us.”

Anais: “So, what do you want to do.”

Nathan: “Simple, Excuse me Sir?”

Nathan called out to an elderly man on the street.

Old Man: “Hmm, yes, can I help you?”

Nathan: “Sorry I’m looking for a place to send a message, could you point me in the right direction.”

Old Man: “I can do you one better, Sylph Note, that building right there, they’ll get your message where it needs to be.”

Nathan: “Ah, really, I was so close, thank you, oh also is there anywhere I could get some information?”

Old Man: “Information?”

Nathan: “Like books and maybe a map of the area?”

Old Man: “Sorry, nothing like that. This here mostly farmland, not much need for something like that around here.”

Nathan: “Is that so?”

Old Man: “Oh, but if I remember correctly, over in Loegrey, theirs a library. They all the books you could want and I’m sure someone could sell you a map too.

Nathan: “Really that’s perfect, thank very much.”

Old Man: “No problem, anything for a pretty lady, have nice day.”

The old man stroll away, before Nathan could correct him.

Nathan: “Aw, well, at least we know where we need to go now.

Anais: “How did you know they were sending a message?”

Nathan: “Educated guess, the cages on the carriage, they have to get in contact with the buyers, to let them know they got the merchandise.”

Iris: “Master look.”

Nathan turned back towards Sylph Note. Beatrice, Shane and Elise all entered the shop in a rush.

Nathan: “Iris.”

Iris: “Right.”

Three of them vanished right before Beatrice rush back outside, followed by Elise.

Beatrice: “Elise?”

Elise: “Nothing, she wasn’t here. Not a trace of her mana signature, she was never here.”

Anais: “Heard that?”

Nathan: “Yeah, come on lets go.”

Nathan walked back down the street, completely unnoticed by Elise. Turning the corner, he made his way back to the inn.

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Nathan: Ah, this feels nice.”

Nathan stretch out in the bath, soaking in the heated water. It wasn’t as relaxing as the mineral water from before, but still felt good. When he returned he decide to take a quick dip in the bath.

After not bathing for such a long time, it was a welcomed affair. Nathan refused to use the personal baths found in his room, settling for the public bath. The maid staff said it was okay for him to go in, so he took up the offer immediately. He had Anais keep an eye on Iris and vice versa, he couldn’t be too careful with those two around.

He had gather quite a bit of information today, from various sources, the town of Ream was the furthest town south of the central continent. From here if you head on the northern road, in a day you’ll reach either Loegrey or Borise, depending on which road you take at the fork. From what he heard, Loegrey seemed to be bustling at the moment, with the tournament going on, Nathan couldn’t get much information about it, but with so many people, slave traders would definitely stay away. So, when he decides to leave, he should head for Loegrey, with any chance he should be ready in a day.

*Open*

The door to the bath opened, the steam was obstructing his senses, but he paid it no real mind, another person or two wouldn’t ruined his bath.

Nathan: “No wait, I can’t let them see my face.”

Nathan quickly grabbed his towel and wrapped it around his head, grabbing another towel and wrapped it around his body. His arms and legs, he will just have to keep submerged for now.

Beatrice: “Nathan, so you were in here.”

Elise: “The staff was right.”

Nathan: “Oh, it’s just Elise And Beatrice.”

Nathan unwrapped his face and lied back down in the water.

Nathan: “No wait, wrong reaction, ELISE AND BEATRICE!?

Beatrice: “Taking a bath, what else?”

Nathan: “It’s not the women’s bath yet, I couldn’t have been in here for more than fifteen minutes?”

Elise: “Huh, but the women’s bath started forty minutes ago.”

Nathan: “What, ah!”

Nathan slap himself in the head, he himself forgot he was mascurating as a woman. It wasn’t surprising to see a few more woman walk in behind the two. However, this was a problem, if anyone got to close, his true gender would be reveal.

Elise: “Nathan, is everything alright?”

Nathan: “Yes, just a little hot, I’m just gonna get out.”

Elise: “What?”

Beatrice: “Nonsense.”

Beatrice quickly stopped Nathan from leaving, grabbing him and throwing him back into the water.

Nathan: “*gasp*, hey that’s dangerou-”

Nathan could now see Beatrice up close in personal, she was very sculpted woman. Her physique, not doubt the outcome of her line of work. Though it didn’t impede or out shine her feminine assets, she was undoubtedbly beautiful. He felt a twinge when he looked at her stomach. Nathan tried for years to obtain such a physique, but could not obtain it, no matter how hard he tried. No matter how hard he tried. Abs were a dream to him.

Elise lack the muscle her sister had, but she made for it in other aspects. Elise was much more endowed then her sister. even whilst only wearing a towel, her bosom threatened to reveal them selves

Beatrice and Elise followed Nathan’s eyes and how intensely he was staring at her chest. Then they both looked down at his chest.

Beatrice: “I’m……….so sorry.”

Nathan: “Huh?”

Elise: “D-Don’t worry, you’ll get some someday as well, will have them. It’s different for every girl.”

Nathan: “What are you on abo-………..Oh, no, no, no, that is not it. You can’t even begin to comprehend this misunderstanding you’re having.”

Nathan made sure the towels was tight around him, as he stood up to leave.”

Elise: “What’s wrong?

Nathan: “I just need to leave before-”

Beatrice step in front of Nathan again.

Beatrice: “Before what?”

Nathan: “Before things get complicated.”

Beatrice: “There is nothing complicated about a bath.”

Nathan attempted to move pass Beatrice, but she continuously barred is exit. Beatrice smirked down at Nathan, pissing him off.

Nathan: “(Okay enough of this. All this because I rejected her offer.)”

Beatrice:

Nathan leaped out of the bath, but was quickly grabbed by Beatrice. Unlucky for him, she only succeeded in grabbing his towel. Having his towel yanked away, Nathan instantly activated Shadow Sneak. He was glad that he had Anais give him this ability, the moment the towel was gone, Nathan had vanished.

Beatrice: “What!?”

All Beatrice could make out was a black blur, bounding all around. She tried to grab at him, but he was too fast. Nathan leapt across the bath and then out the door.

Elise: “What was that, she moved so fast I couldn’t see her.”

Beatrice: “(It couldn’t be)………AH!?”

Elise: “What’s wrong?”

*fwip*

Beatrice: “…………………I still have her towel.”

Elise: “………………Oh dear.”

Nathan kept Shadow Sneak active all the way back to his room. Hurrying inside slamming the door and locking it.

Nathan: “(I can’ believe I just ran through the building stark naked)”

Anais: KYAAAAA!?”

Nathan turned to see Iris staring at him.

Nathan: “Oh yeah that’s right.”

Iris: “Master!?”

Anais: “Wh-wh-why are you n-naked!? Show some decency.”

Nathan: “Both of you, stop staring and get me some clothes.”

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Girl: “Ahahahahahahahahahaha!”

Nathan: “It’s not funny.”

Nathan very annoyed to find himself being laugh at, once he had return to the whit space. After telling the girl what has transpired, she burst into laughter, rolling on the floor laughing her ass off.

Girl: “Oh man that was great, you ran through th lobby full of people stark naked, I can just imagine it.”

Nathan: “Shut up, sheesh, I wasn’t that funny.”

Girl: “Ahehehe, okay, okay, but hey, all this mean you made it out of the Garden, I’m glad.”

Nathan: “Yeah, but it brought its own share of trouble.”

Girl: “What, the people you met turned out to be slave traders, that had every attention to sell you off as an exotic pet. However, after witnessing your power, they decided to make you a party member.”

Nathan: “That pretty much sums it up. I also can’t forget Anais and Iris, both of them are in it as much as I am. If worse comes to worse I might have to do something I don’t want to do.”

Girl: “You know, there, a simple solution to all your troubles.”

Nathan: “I already thought of that.”

Girl: “Then just leave, you know where to go to make the most impact.

Nathan: “Their going to chase us.”

Girl: “Probably.”

Nathan: “They could have friends that will help them.”

Girl: “Possibly.”

Nathan: “I going to have to fight.”

Girl: “Most likely, but you can handle them.”

Nathan: “*Sigh*, I just got here, but it feels like I been doing nothing but fighting.”

Girl: “Get over it, you got plenty more fighting to do, as early as when you wake up in fact.”

Nathan: “What?”

Anais: “Nathan, wake up.”

Nathan eyes opened to find Anais standing over him, as always, he couldn’t recall who he was talking to or what she looked like. All he could remember were bits and pieces of the conversation, the parts that mattered.

Anais: “Hey, get up we have a problem.”

Nathan: “*Yawn” What’s wrong?”

Anais: “Iris.”

Iris: “Yes, while you slept, a message came for our friends and they all left. I follow them again.”

Nathan: “Okay?”

Anais: “Looks like there deal fell through.”

Nathan: “Huh?”

Iris explained the situation to Nathan. It seemed as though, the buyers of the merchandise went back on their end of the deal. Now they were stuck with two pieces of merchandise they couldn’t sell.

Nathan: “Well, that’s bad for them, but how does that affect us?”

Anais: “Turns out, they decided to sweeten the deal, with an item so rare it hadn’t been seen in thousands of years.”

Nathan: “………………. Where are they?”

Iris: “Their still at the Slyph Note.”

Nathan: “Good, we’re leaving.”

Anais: “Right now?”

Nathan: “No reason to stay, I got out share of the money from Cerin. We can make our way to Loegrey.”

Nathan waved his hand and the fauna around the room disappeared. Placing the pouch full of coins in his inventory. He ran down the steps, bumping by the employee from earlier.

Merla: “HEY, watch it!”

Nathan: “Sorry, I’m checking out.”

Merla: “What, hey!”

Nathan bolted through the lobby and out the door. Merla ran outside behind him, but only catching a glimpse of him before he was gone.

Merla: “So rude, good riddance.”

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Shane: “Did she answer?”

Elise walked past Shane, Shaking her head as she past.”

Shane: “Is she even in there, I’ll knock.”

Elise: “Stop, if she didn’t answer before, more knocking won’t help.”

Shane: “Tch!”

Shane reluctantly gave up and followed Elise down stairs. Elise was pretty upset with him and he knew it. Because of him, they were now forced to return to their previous plan of selling Nathan off. Though it was a short time, Elise had grown fond of having him around and at some point, he could have change his mind about joining there party. However, they no longer had that luxury.

Shane: “Hey, I get your upset, but you know we can’t afford to lose her now.”

Elise: “I have nothing to say to you.”

Shane and Elsie, walked in silence, back to her room, where everyone was waiting.”

Beatrice: “Everything alright?”

Elise: “She didn’t answer, I think she might be sleeping.”

Beatrice: “Well, we’ll just let her sleep, come tomorrow, her freedom will be forfeit.”

Elise: “Is there no other way, none us agreed on doing this, it was force on us.”

Beatrice: “Elise, you know we don’t go back on deals.”

Elise: “I know, it’s just.”

Shane: “…………..You shouldn’t have gotten attach.”

Elise: “Who are you to talk, you practically begged her to come with her .”

Shane: “So I wanted to fuck her, I didn’t waste my time becoming friends. That’s all there is to it, you don’t want to harm your new friend.”

Elise: “SHUT UP, THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT, WHY WOULD YOU DO SOMETHING SELFISH. OH, RIGHT YOUR SHANE OF BOOZE AND BOOBS.”

Shane: “Selfish, SELFISH, THEY WENT BACK ON OUR DEAL. AFTER ALL WE DID, ALL THE SHIT WE HAD TO GO THROUGH TO GET HERE, ALL THE TIMES WE ALMOST DIED, WAS NEARLY THROWN AWAY BECAUSE SOME ASSHOLE IN ZILTHARTH, DECIDED HE DIDN’T WANT TO. I took the iniative and save our asses.”

Elise: “IT WASN’T UP TO YOU; OUR LEADER DECIDES WHAT WE DO.”

Shane: “OUR LEADER YOUR SISTER, WHO SAW THE WAY YOU OPENED UP TO NATHAN, WE ALL KNOW WHAT SHE WHAT HAVE DONE FOR HER SWEET LITTLE SISTER.”

*Punch*

Shane was smashed in the face by Beatrice, sending him crashing into a corner.

Beatrice: “Watch it Shane, don’t ever questioned my leadership. Elise.”

Elise: “Sister?”

Beatrice: “Feelings aside, the deal has been made. Tomorrow we’ll will do what we have to do, I won’t ask you to do anything you don’t want to, but at the same time I expect it. Shane, this is my party, I decide what we do next, not you. Don’t let it happen again.”

Shane: “Tch.”

Elise put her head down when Beatrice looked over to her. She understood what she meant, but she just didn’t like it. It was there way of life and she had to come in turn with the fact that they were going to do things they didn’t like, so is the life they’ve chosen.

Beatrice: “Tomorrow, Nathan becomes our target. No feelings, no holding back.”

The five of them went through a plan to capture Nathan, seeing as how they only saw a glimpse of his Legacy, they had come up with one way to counter it, it’s with this plan they all went to sleep. Come tomorrow, they would have to do something they already regretted

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*knock**knock*

Elise: “Nathan, is everything alright?”

Elise and Tin Man stood outside Nathan’s door continuously, something was wrong.

Tin Man: “Are you sure she’s in there, maybe she went for a walk?”

Elise: “Maybe?”

Merla: “Can I help you with something? Can’t have you all crowding the hall like this.”

Elsie: “Ah, yes, by any chance have you seen the girl who was staying in this room?”

Merla: “Hmph, did I ever, she nearly knocked me over leaving yesterday.”

Elsie: “What!?”

Before she could inquire further, Shane came running up to them.”

Shane: “WE GOT A PROBLEM!”