“You! You’re Lourianne Tome’s pet, aren’t you?”

The creature put a hand over her chest and bowed, her tail wrapping around her waist. “I am Geo, her contracted thrall.” She straightened up, smile turning bashful. “A shame you didn’t remember. I had hoped I left a better impression.”

Robert resisted the urge to scoff. She had definitely left an impression.

“The two of you are familiar with each other?” Will asked, looking between the two of them.

Robert hesitated. His first instinct was to denounce any such relationship and warn the man away from the creature. However, he was not blind to the fact that it, and by extension Lourianne, had gained some matter of influence over the hunters in the fort. It was never good to talk bad about a noble in their seat of power.

His hesitation gave the succubus room to speak. “Oh, we are quite familiar with one another. The young hero has seen more of me than most.” She flashed him a charming smile. For some reason, an unpleasant shiver ran down his spine. “I didn’t have the time to tell you before but all is forgiven. Not even a hero is absent of desire. Especially a young man like yourself.”

“Oh hoh.”

“Please don’t listen to that—" Robert grimaced, swallowing his harsh words. “I have no idea what she’s talking about.”

“Oh?” The succubus’ tail whipped faster. “You must be experienced indeed to so casually forget two attractive women engaged in an act of passion.”

Will shook his head with a chuckle and a slight blush. “Suppose that’s what talent—hm?” He faced Robert with furrowed brows and a slight frown. “Hey now. What did you do that requires forgiveness?”

“Like I said, I don’t know what she’s talking about!” He scowled as Will’s suspicion continued. “Really!”

“Shall I refresh your memory?”

“You be quiet!”

She ignored him. “I don’t blame the young hero for being flustered. Peeking in on a private moment between lovers isn’t an accomplishment one is keen to share with his peers. But there is no need to be embarrassed. I understand the fierce desires that can cloud the mind and suppress good sense. A small allowance, owed to the future lives you’ll save.”

Her words sounded like they were meant to absolve him of his transgression but they were no help. Will’s mild suspicion turned to strong disapproval. “I—" Robert instinctively glanced around. His heart sank as he noticed several other men who had been eavesdropping on the conversation judging him. “It wasn’t like that.”

“So, you didn’t peep on two ladies?” Will asked.

“Ah…” Robert considered lying but he’d never been good at it. Especially when he was already so flustered. Not to mention the thrall. She seemed to be enjoying his discomfort. Denying it would only drag out this horrid situation and he had no doubt she would be happy for every extra second he suffered. He wouldn’t be surprised if she were doing it on orders from Lourianne herself. It seemed like something the sadistic noblewoman would plan and was the only reason he could think of for why the creature sought him out. “I can explain.”

Will sighed. “Robert…I understand the temptation but that’s—"

“No! It’s not like I was hiding in a closet like a creep. They were doing that stuff out in the open.”

Robert felt vindicated as Will turned to the thrall. He didn’t look at her with the same recrimination. His expression was quite hard to read. He seemed at a loss of words.

“Bobby is quite right. We got a little carried away and couldn’t wait to get back to a room.”

“See?” Robert said. He could hardly be blamed for watching if they had no concern for privacy.

“Oh my. I wouldn’t want the future hero’s morals eroded too far. Do remember, Bobby, there was nothing forcing you to watch. A gentleman would have closed his eyes and walked away. But you aren’t a gentleman, are you?”

He sputtered, struggling to form a proper response.

“No. You’re a horny boy with a dirty mind. Admit it. You liked what you saw, didn’t you? That’s why you didn’t turn away. Why you watched until the end. All that talent but you’re still just a useless pervert in the end. Useless because you can’t do anything about it, can you? All you can do is watch with your hand down your pants—"

Will cleared his throat. “Eh-hem. Perhaps you two can have this personal conversation in a more…personal place? I don’t mean to be rude but my people are waiting for word and it’s far too cold to stand around outside for long.”

“I imagine the children playing soldier lack the discipline to wait. Very well. Will, was it? Please ask whatever questions you want.”

Features funny from the insult directed at the other acolytes, Will still managed to keep his tone pleasant and his words polite. “Can you explain what’s going on with these men?”

“It’s rather simple. Alana was given the authority to take command of the hunters. However, she has her own goals for this campaign. Goals that require a hundred hunters, no more. It was a bit of a problem when every hunter in the north volunteered so I have been put in charge of selecting her forces. This is another step in the selection process and not the last.”

“No offense meant but what is so good about this offer that these men are willing to beat each other senseless for the opportunity?”

What he left unsaid was how unbelievable it was. Robert agreed. He respected Alana, though he questioned her ability to judge someone’s character, at least when blinded by romance. However, he wouldn’t choose to follow her over the more experienced commanders of Victory. He couldn’t imagine why men who should have experienced the campaigns would choose to do so.

“Are you unaware of our house’s abilities? My summoner is a being of peak physical prowess. Strong enough to bend an iron rod, sturdy enough to deflect blades, and more stamina than a team of draft horses. Her wife is an elf with a high coefficient and a pure physical affinity. If you don’t know what that means, a man could have his heart torn from his chest and his throat ripped out but she could still save his life. Then there is me.”

She chuckles. “I am a skilled caster in my own right and have enough experience to guide Alana in any matters she is lacking. That doesn’t mention all the many other resources at our disposal.” She shrugged. “It isn’t hard to see why the men are desperate to be chosen. People do enjoy being on the winning side.”

“…I see.”

“Feel free to bring the little kiddies through, no one will hurt them. Let me save you a little time. None of you are up for consideration. Ah, except for you, Bobby. I wouldn’t dare turn away someone of your abilities.”

“No—"

“I wouldn’t be so quick to refuse~” The thrall’s tone remained pleasant and soft but Robert couldn’t bring himself to speak over her. “Go on. Have a drink. Let the men tell you what you want to turn down.” She turned to meet the eyes of the hunter behind the table and he nodded cautiously. “Unfortunately, I can’t stand around chatting all day. It was good seeing you, Bobby. Don’t be a stranger~”

With another laugh, the thrall walked away, tail swinging lightly.

“Well,” Will said once he was sure she was out of earshot. “She is certainly…interesting. Hard to imagine she’s not human but the evidence is plain as day, isn’t it?”

“Over here boys,” the hunter behind the table called out. He beckoned them with a hand until they wandered over then grabbed two mugs from the crate at his feet. He shook the snow off them before filling them both from one of the barrels. “Drink’s too good to refuse. Go on.” He held out the mugs until they took them. “Sip on it though. This Herbanacle stuff is strong enough to knock a dragon on its ass.”

“What was she talking about?” Robert asked. Under the hunter’s stern eyes, he took a sip from the mug. The moment the liquid touched his tongue, he recoiled at the strong, earthly flavor. It was like drinking liquid dirt…but then it wasn’t. He reflexively swallowed and a trail of fire burned its way to his gut, negating the chill. He hesitantly took another sip.

The hunter nodded in approval. “Told you. The monsters took out fifty hunters. At the same time. Then they walked away like they’d fought pests instead of named hunters. One of them even had her head taken off. Stood up the next moment like someone had just clipped her hair.”

Another hunter laughed. “Hah! I’ve seen haircuts more damaging than that. Nothing happened, you bastard. We blinked and it was like nothing had happened.”

“No, it wasn’t that simple. She turned into some weird purple slime creature first, then turned back into a woman. Must have been a creature with multiple brains. Only way she could have survived.”

“Slimes don’t have brains. Just like you, idiot.”

“Wait!” Robert shouted, almost dropping his mug in surprise. He had latched onto two words. Purple slime. It was ridiculous. But in the wake of the qualifiers, he’d made inquiries about the purple slime that had swallowed his mount. What he considered the starting point for all the terrible events that followed.

Lanston had thought it to be a unique evolution of a slime. No one else had been able to offer a better explanation. No one else had ever heard of such a creature.

There was a theory he had briefly considered. If there were no records of the creature, it could be because it was not of their world. There had been a summoner relatively close by. However, he had quickly dismissed the thought. The world was a big place. There were corners of the continent humanity had yet to discover. Manabeasts evolved and mutated every day. Beyond that, he hadn’t met Lourianne Tome yet. There was no reason for her to target him.

Yet, here a purple slime was being mentioned and she was involved. “Do you mean the elf had her head taken off?”

“No, the Tome woman.”

“And…she turned into a purple slime?”

“Before turning back into a woman, head reattached.” The hunter shook his head. “Craziest thing I’ve ever seen. We figure she’s got a physical affinity she’s been hiding. Two master healers of that skill? Of course everyone’s clamoring to ride their capes. Those monsters are going to carve through those other monsters and anyone who goes with them is going to make a whole lot of coin.”

The hunters surrounding them cheered. Will continued to ask questions about the fight but Robert couldn’t hear him over the buzzing in his ears. He didn’t know if it was the powerful drink he’d taken a large swallow of or his rising temper. It wasn’t the immature anger of before. This was a colder rage. One that allowed him to seek answers over immediate satisfaction.

He knew he couldn’t hope for Lourianne to answer him out of decency. The only thing the brute seemed to respect was power. He was too weak to get the answers he wanted. Too weak for her to take him seriously. But he wouldn’t be weak forever.

One day, he’d be the next Harvest Hero. One day, he’d have the strength to bring villains like Lourianne Tome the justice she so richly deserved.

Then he’d confront her.