Two years later.
Inside a tavern, groups of ragged men and beautifully dressed women sat around tables enjoying the evening, root alcohol, and dinner specials. The place was noisy with waiters walking around with large amounts of food on their plates. .
At the further end of the room was a long reception desk directly facing the main door. Anyone who enters would see the huge words Adventurer’s Guild written on a large plaque. On the right side were three whiteboards with papers pinned on them, quests or requests delivered to the guild for the rowdy adventurers.
"Have you heard of the sword maid?" A man sitting at a table at the corner of the guild asked his group of friends. He took a swing of the root alcohol and set the wooden cup on the table hard.
"Yes, you’re talking about that beautiful black haired maid who carries a huge sword?" One of his teammates asked leaning forward.
The man nodded.
"She just appeared out of nowhere and completed all the high-level quests," he said bitterly. Being outsmarted by a woman, much less that young, was not something to be proud of as a seasoned adventurer.
" Seriously, but it’s weird how she wears a maid uniform even during her quests and doesn’t form parties with other adventurers."
" You don’t know her well do you?" A female magician sitting at the next table said. Everyone turned to look at her.
"What?"
"She wears a maid uniform because," she paused to get the effect," she’s a maid."
Everyone around her burst into laughter. What she said was unimaginable. How can such a strong adventurer be a maid? Everyone in the guild was scared of her and most people just thought it was her preference.
The woman huffed and stood up forcefully getting everyone’s attention.
"I’m not lying, I saw her with her master the other day. They were at the slave market."
"Maybe you saw someone else. Who’s her master?"
The woman hesitated.
"She works for the youngest Bloodmoor," she whispered softly.
Those words sent shivers through everyone in the room. Who doesn’t know the reputation of the youngest?
" No, wonder," someone whispered from the crowd.
The silence was broken by the door opening softly. A woman dressed in a maid uniform and carrying a sword almost as large as her body walked in.
She didn’t glance at anyone but went directly to the reception.
"Miss Luna, finished the quest already," the receptionist asked her cheerfully.
Luna nodded and pushed a small pouch to her.
She opened the pouch and all the things inside spilled out filling the empty space in front of the reception.
Gasps filled the room as everyone took notice of everything she had hunted.
"That’s an ogre’s eye," someone whispered, pointing at the black eye that was as large as their table.
"Not just any ogre, it’s a class V ogre those things could destroy a town in half a sand glass(30 minutes)."
Monsters were classified into classes. From the Lowest class I to the highest class VI. There are ultimate monsters that are not put in the list since they are disaster-class monsters that were mostly sealed.
"Ooh.. Miss Luna, you never stop to surprise me, you should join our guild," the receptionist tried to convince her for the thousandth time.
Luna didn’t answer she continued to stare at her waiting for her payment.
" You really adore your master don’t you?"
Luna’s eyes lit up at his mention.
"Yes," she answered softly.
The receptionist chuckled.
"That would be ten thousand gold coins," she handed Luna a different but the same pouch, "you’ve really improved a lot. I can’t believe it, you were so tiny when you came and now you’ve shot up right before my eyes. Do you plan on getting married?"
Luna ignored the talking woman and turned to leave. It was almost time for her master’s bath, she couldn’t be late.
...
The outside breeze brushed against the blooming flowers carrying the smell of fresh flowers and grass. Bees buzzed around spreading pollen from one flower to another. Occasionally a bird would dive from the sky and catch a jumping grasshopper before it could disappear into the grass.
"You’ll be going to the academy tomorrow. Have you prepared everything you need?"
Mother asked me. She had called me for tea, clearly a farewell as all her children left home and went to experience life. I took a sip of the rose tea she had personally made and felt it burn down my throat.
"Yes mother, everything is ready. Don’t you trust me?"
I answered respectfully. She put her tea down and crossed her left leg over the other one. She was dressed in a round red silk dress that came past her knees with her feet bare. Her bosom was perfectly held in the dress, leaving a small part of the cleavage for the imagination. Comfortable clothing for the warm weather.
"How can I? You were supposed to go two years ago, but look, you refused."
She chided. I was supposed to go to the academy at sixteen but I had convinced her to postpone the admission. With the ilustor powder booming, she had been kind enough to let me stay for two more years. I wasn’t planning on taking any more advantages.
I wanted to see what the world would offer me. I had exhausted every plausible means in Bloodmoor, I hoped I could find the answers I was looking for out there.
"But mother let me stay, I’m your favorite aren’t I?"
I asked and leaned forward, smiling playfully at her. She chuckled softly before picking up her cup of tea and taking a sip.
" My favor will not last if you disappoint me Lucian."
She said coldly. I knew that already. Mother loved me because I was her most promising offspring. I knew she also loved my sister, but not as much as me, and that made me happy. I was determined to dominate every corner of her mind.
I smiled sweetly at her and leaned back on the chair.
"Sure mother. I’ll forever be your favorite then."
She shook her head at my words and looked at the evening sun.
"You will stop your musings while at the academy."
She said after a moment of silence. My eyes widened. I shook my head at her absurd request.
"Do not worry mother, I will not destroy the Bloodmoor reputation."
Hearing my reassurance she nodded. We lapsed into a comfortable silence as we enjoyed the soft breeze.
"Is the church of light still causing a ruckus?"
I broke the silence. The church of light was one of the dominant religions in the kingdom. A group of overbearing lunatics who try to impose the God of light’s teaching on everything.
Mother laughed loudly, her pleasant laughter ringing across the garden.
"What trouble, just a group of jumping frogs who don’t know their place."
I nodded in agreement. Mother had allowed them to establish their religion in the duchy but it seemed they had forgotten they were nothing more than squatters in our land.
"What are you planning on doing to them?"
I asked mother curiously. She always had the best way to get rid of vermin. I suppose experience is the best teacher.
"You’re the source of the problem, Lucian. Do not let me down."
She said softly and took another sip of her tea. Aah...she was going to test me.
"I will satisfy you, mother."
I said with a small smile curving on my face. The capital was not going to be boring after all.
Mother stood up, smoothed her dress, and smiled down at me.
"I will see you off tomorrow."
She said softly. From that angle she looked like the she devil herself. Absolutely gorgeous. The sun behind shone on her red hair, creating a halo as it flowed against the sun, and her smile just made everything better. This was beauty that could not be described with words.
I watched her disappear into the flower maze as she walked back to the castle. I let out a heavy sigh and looked at my throbbing arousal.
How inconvenient, that was the thought that passed through my mind.
.....
"How has your day been Luna?"
She had come back just before dark after her routine adventuring. She would go to the adventure guild twice a week to complete her quests. The more she fought the stronger she grew. Seeing her growth was one of the things that made my day.
"I found everything you requested."
She said softly and handed me a small pouch I had given her for storage. It was one of the storage items I had bought for her to use during her hunts. Storage items were expensive but not to me.
"Good girl, keep it with you I’ll use them when we settle at the capital."
I rubbed her head in praise. A blush colored her cheek while enjoying my touch. This had become a routine for us every time she came from adventuring.
I stepped back a few seconds later and picked up my shirt from the bed since I was shirtless
" Are you heading somewhere Young master?"
She asked softly. She started to button up my shirt as I looked down at her. She had grown tall, but I seemed not to stop growing.
"I need to have a talk with mother, I forgot to ask her for my letter."
She nodded and stepped back.