Return

After recovering from the effects of Solosaxian's Charisma, Cairn and Kaia made their way to the Rainy Day Inn. The city had become even more crowded since their delve into the Subterranean Spire, but Cairn noticed that as they drew closer to their destination, the crowd actually began to thin out.

"This is strange," Cairn noted. "With how expensive accommodations are nearer the city's center, I expected the backstreets and slums to be a lot more crowded..."

Using his Insight on the uniformed guards roaming about, each attired in a distinctive black armor with hooded mantles, Cairn quickly ascertained what was going on. Most were mercenaries and adventurers hired by the Freelance Company, presumably to help keep order during the Decennial Tournament of Champions, but those with higher Levels were members of House Baskerville's private security forces.

As House Baskerville was one of the more affluent Knight Families serving the Runegraad Kingdom, it wasn't weird that they had been tasked to help strengthen the Capital's security. However, as their primary estate was on the opposite side of the city, Cairn would need to be a fool to believe their presence was a coincidence.

Shaking his head, Cairn elected to simply ignore the patrolling guards as he and Kaia completed the final leg of their journey. Fortunately, though it all but confirmed his suspicions, the city block accommodating the Rainy Day Inn was completely devoid of patrols. Rather, it was nearly devoid of people, like everyone that used to live there had been moved out...

Reaching the Inn's front entrance and grabbing its handle, Cairn felt a nostalgic sensation akin to placing his hand on a plasma ball lamp. The taste of metal filled his mouth, but it faded as he and Kaia stepped over the entrance's threshold, passing through the barrier preventing others from entering freely.

"It seems Elle and Mari have been busy souping up the Inn's defenses," Cairn remarked, a smile developing across his face at the realization he would soon be reuniting with his favorite tinkerer.

Though she nodded her head, Kaia's focus shifted to the nearby stairs, her ears orienting in the same direction. Cairn, noticing this, adopted a slight frown and asked, "Is he here...?"

Shaking her head, Kaia answered, "He doesn't appear to be, but I can't hear anything coming from below. There's a chance he's watching Elle and Mari work."

"What about Reine and Fleur? Are they here...?" asked Cairn. He assumed Fleur was at the Church, but with how abnormal the situation outside had become, he wouldn't question Reine keeping her home.

Before Kaia had the chance to confirm Cairn's suspicions, Reine herself emerged from the door leading to the kitchen, a smile adorning her face as she narrowed her eyes and remarked, "You've returned. Welcome back, you two."

"It's good to be back," Cairn responded, returning a smile as he and Kaia made their way further into the Inn's interior. He felt a wave of anxiety as Reine stepped forward to meet them halfway, but instead of shutting her down, he reciprocated when she wrapped her arms around him, stood on the tips of her toes, and initiated a surprisingly passionate kiss.

Separating nearly a minute later, Reine remained in Cairn's embrace as she revealed, "You probably already noticed, but the Baskervilles have been patrolling this area. A representative of the Countess also stopped by to drop off a letter and an invitation."

"Did they say what the invitation was for...?" asked Cairn, sliding his left hand to Reine's ass and habitually caressing it. He had talked with Kaia after she literally and metaphorically threw him to the lions, so while it felt wrong, he was to keep doing as he pleased until they ascended the tower or reached the 'age of vows/commitment,' thirty.

Shaking her head, Reine explained, "Only that they hoped you had the opportunity to visit before the Decennial Tournament of Champions. The rest of the details should be in the missive."

"Then I guess I should read it," said Cairn, preempting Reine's response by giving her ass a playful squeeze and adding, "Though, that can wait till later. Got any food prepared?"

Adopting a broad smile, Reine nestled closer to Cairn as she explained, "Yes. There have been food shortages plaguing other parts of the city, but we've been receiving bi-weekly shipments from the Freelance Company. I was told you arranged for them, but I had Elle and Miss Mari confirm they were safe. We have sausage and sweet rolls on hand, but if you're hungry for something else, I'd be more than happy to prepare it..."

Seeing Reine narrow her eyes as she pressed her sizeable breasts against him, Cairn knew she was offering to satisfy 'any' appetites he may have. It was a compelling offer, but as he wasn't in the mood for sex, he awarded her a protracted kiss before whispering, "I'm not that hungry right now, so bread and sausage will suffice."

Instead of exhibiting disappointment, Reine maintained her narrow-eyed smile and replied, "I understand," in an equally faint tone before releasing her hold on Cairn's body. She suspected he was weary after spending more than a week in a Dungeon, so instead of pressuring and potentially stressing him out, she pulled Cairn to the kitchen, intending to fill his belly so that he could return the favor later that evening or after he had gotten plenty of rest...

...

..

.

With Reine readily answering any question he might have, Cairn learned that Fleur had still been attending classes at the Church. Felix served as her escort there and back, but even if he hadn't been present, it wouldn't have made much of a difference as many of the mercenaries he had seen wandering around were actually a part of the countermeasures Vira had prepared to keep them safe. Their presence was likely the pretense used by the Baskervilles to increase their own, but Cairn would only know their true aim after meeting the Countess directly. Her letter simply informed him of her desire to meet, preferably before the Decennial Tournament of Champions, but it was left to him to decide when, where, and under what conditions they met.

"She's a lot smarter than the Princess..." remarked Cairn, turning over the letter to inspect the backside before returning it to the scented envelope it originated. By leaving it to him to decide the circumstances of their first encounter, the Countess was giving him a tremendous amount of face. It could also be seen as her demonstrating that she wasn't afraid of him, but given his current Level and capabilities, it would have been stranger if she were.

"Then, are you planning to meet her...?" asked Elle, sitting naked atop Kaia's rabbit half as she brushed the latter's hair and harvested loose strands of fur for her next project. Before Cairn could answer, however, it was Mari, sitting naked on the floor and clipping Kaia's toenails, who said, "If you are, you should be careful. The Baskervilles are among the most venerated Houses of the Runegraad Kingdom, but they're famed for their ruthlessness. Those who fail to meet their expectations, even among their direct kin, are discarded or killed."

"What about the Countess? What's she like...?" asked Cairn.

"Countess Camilla? She's a monster," answered Mari, absent even a hint of hesitation or humor. As someone who had lived in the Capital for well over a century, she had her fair share of encounters with the Baskervilles, the Countess included.

"That doesn't explain much," Cairn noted. After all, he had already met the world's second and ninth-strongest beings. Compared to Solosaxian and Vira, Countess Camilla might as well be a toothless puppy.

Shrugging her shoulders, Mari contended, "That's honestly the best way to explain her. The only emotions I've ever seen her display are contempt and apathy. She never smiles, and according to rumors, her children have to schedule a meeting more than a year in advance just to have a chance to speak with her. If they make a mistake or fail to meet her expectations in that period, they'll be punished for impertinence."

"Jesus..." muttered Cairn, suddenly feeling that the envelope in his hands was a ticking time bomb. He 'had' to meet the woman at some point, but after hearing Mari's portrayal, it might be smarter to delay things until he met with the King. Camilla clearly intended to make a request of him, but if he were already beholden to someone of even higher status, she would need to regard him with greater care.

"How hard is it to get an audience with the King...?" asked Cairn, mostly out of curiosity.

"For you? If he heard you were coming, he would probably arrange to meet you in the castle's inner sanctum," said Mari. "If you want to have a proper audience without waiting, you would need to reveal your status as Champion before the Court. After that, you'll basically receive the same consideration as Grandma or the Elven Queen."

Blinking in surprise, Cairn asked, "Seriously? Isn't their status even higher than the King's...?"

"It's because of Laws written at the founding of the Runegraad Kingdom," explained Elle. "Alfred's status as Champion was the main justification for the amount of control he was given over Cliabhaan. If you came forward with the support of the Church, you could proclaim the throne is yours by providence, and many would support it."

"..."

'That explains why Princess Hilde was so desperate and why the King hasn't even tried to contact me...' thought Cairn. He had no intention of usurping the throne and inviting its substantial troubles onto himself, but he could imagine how uneasy the King or Crown Prince must feel knowing he had the option. It also helped explain why Countess Camillia was keen to meet with him. If he wed one of her daughters or joined hands with her family as allies, it would secure or potentially elevate their position for the next thousand years...

"The best course of action is what you've been doing," said Elle, adopting an excited smile as she appended, "I would personally rather help build a new Kingdom than try to fix one on the brink of collapse. Better yet, since you managed to get your hands on a Dungeon Master, we could make one of our own or potentially stabilize the Cave of Desires."

"That's...honestly a really good idea..." Cairn noted, his mind racing with possibilities. After all, so long as they could provide the Astragora with the necessary Mana and resources, they could theoretically produce any type of monster or material they desired. If the strength of said monsters scaled to the Level of the Astragora, they would have the means to power level to 100 without the need to expand or explore other Dungeons...

Seeing through Cairn's thoughts, Elle covered her mouth to stifle a giggle before remarking, "What you're imagining won't be easy, but it's definitely possible. Fortas does something similar with their Dungeons, but only the Elders know the specifics."

"Speaking of which..." muttered Cairn, looking around before remarking, "I was informed one of her clones would be waiting for me on the surface. If you're here, come out."

"I'm over here," said a familiar voice, drawing Cairn's, Elle's, Mari's, and Kaia's gaze to a rather 'inexplicable' sight. The figure they were looking at was very clearly Vira, relaxedly scratching the underside of Tarou's chin with her nail, but instead of the form Cairn had become intimately familiar with, she was covered in a layer of fur and had prominent, rabbit-like ears protruding from the top of her head. She was very clearly emulating Kaia's

Human Transformation, but instead of the bushy tail of a rabbit, hers was like a thick, fiery wisp that swayed behind her.

"What the fuck...?" questioned Cairn, his expression making his incredulity apparent. He could think of several reasons to explain Vira's current form, but every single one made him feel annoyed...

...

..

.