Orphelia handed over the other piece of monster meat and copied Lou’s posture, crossing her legs. It was difficult to contain her reaction to the first bite. Was meat supposed to melt in her mouth? Her teeth barely had to work to get through the succulent flesh and flavorful juices coated her tongue with each bite. “Your thrall is talented.”

“She’s one of a kind,” Lou said. Orphelia noticed how she made a point to swallow before speaking. It said she cared for appearances, which made her lack of dress a ploy. “So, what would you like to discuss?”

“Discuss?”

“Don’t tell me you came over here to make small talk.”

“Isn’t conversation normal between a hostess and her dinner guests?”

Lou narrowed her eyes as she licked her lips. Orphelia wasn’t confident putting the gesture down as a result of their meal. “My wife likes playing games too. Alright, I’ll bite. Lovely weather we’re having. Sun is keeping back winter as long as it can.”

A hint of genuine amusement crept into Orphelia’s smile. “Indeed, though the wind will have its vengeance come nightfall. I don’t think you have enough blankets.”

“That’s what a warm body is for. Besides, the cold doesn’t affect me so much anymore.”

“Yes, you are quite…developed.”

“Was that a compliment? Thank you~”

“Who is your trainer? I would be lucky to have their advice.”

“Surprised a curious girl like you hasn’t researched me up to my nth ancestor. Or did I leave too little an impression last time?” She chuckled. “My trainer is my wife, Kierra Atainna. You may have heard of the elf gallivanting about the human kingdom.”

Orphelia’s brow twitched. The word ‘elf’ was the trigger and she realized she did know Lourianne Tome. The crown had researched her extensively.

She was considered a ‘critical interest’ to the kingdom. Many spy rings, both those employed by the crown and private operations, were investigating her, trying to find a way to crack open the treasure trove of information that was her bride. All attempts of her father’s agents to approach Lou had ended in failure, the girl dismissing those who approached her and dodging all their arranged ‘chance encounters’.

She was also considered a low priority threat by the royal army. Summoners were an odd group as there was no good way to quantify what they could do. A fire caster could blow away a town. A summoner could summon chickens that shat explosive gold, for saints’ sake. They were a class of their own.

There were whispers in the capital that a group of summoners had caught the crown’s attention but nothing of true concern.

She wondered if Lourianne Tome would be the summoner to change their views on the group. She was certainly ambitious, though perhaps not in the way of others.

“I have heard of her. A pure physical affinity. I’m sure she is capable of incredible things.” She pointedly ran her eyes over Lourianne’s body, who bore the attention with a smirk, taking a large bite out of her meat.

“She’s a talented woman. Like you.”

“I wouldn’t call myself talented. Hard to with a water affinity.”

“Water affinity, huh.”

Orphelia couldn’t stop herself from tensing. Her fake smile died as violent thoughts moved through her mind.

If Lou noticed, she didn’t react, her tone whimsical as she continued to eat. “Did you know? Succubi can smell affinities. An understandable evolution as they feed on mana. Anyway, the more complex someone’s affinities, the better they smell. My thrall says you smell quite good.”

She knows.

Her training said she should execute Lou immediately, regardless of the consequences. She tried to imagine it, gauging the distance between them and the distance of the thrall at her back who no doubt had sensed the change in her intentions. She was good, but it would still take her a second or two from the time her glowing eyes gave her away to release her spell.

And the spell itself would be weak. She didn’t want to wager her life on the assumption Lou’s changes to herself were simply cosmetic. The melded man she fought against had skin hard enough to deflect a sword.

“Ooo, scary~”

Confusion halted her thoughts as Lou raised her hands. “I apologize sincerely, Lady Yemen. It is uncouth to pick at a woman’s secrets. Can you forgive me?”

A truce? Perhaps she meant to say, ‘I know your secret and I plan to use it against you later’. Either way, Orphelia felt relieved. If she did need to assassinate the summoner, she would prefer to have a proper plan in place.

“Please, call me Orphelia. If you truly feel the need to apologize, I’d accept a few mamaroons.”

Lou smiled wryly. “That was polite bullshit. You’re not supposed to accept. But I said the words and I don’t need all those bodies. Make me an offer.”

“Well, with the promise of a reward from a Guiness daughter, I can’t offer gold. I don’t know what you’d appreciate. Perhaps give me an idea.”

“Really? You have no idea at all?”

It was Orphelia’s turn to endure a wandering gaze, though Lou’s eyes were far more lecherous. Licking the remnants of her meal from her fingers did not help the ambiguous atmosphere.

Orphelia had the advantage of knowing the requirements for passing the qualifier. The young casters risking their lives in the monster-infested land would be shocked to learn that all they needed to become acolytes of the Hall were five dead mamaroons or one live one, the equivalent of twenty-five points, five for each of them. All the Hall required was a demonstration that they could accomplish a given objective.

She had hoped to combine their teams but seeing the pile of points at the back of the cave, that hope died. They didn’t need cooperation.

Her team had a better chance getting their own points with their members healed, but they would be far from full strength. Worse, they had no idea how to go about hunting the things. If Lou or her team didn’t provide enlightenment, and she saw no reason they should, their strategy would amount to ‘wander around aimlessly and whack any weasel that popped out of the dirt’. Should she take her chances on her team’s ability or go for the sure option?

Really, the true question was how much did she value her chaste image? She had to pick the least annoying option between taking off her robe for a pervert or enduring the disapproval of her charges’ guardians if they heard their little brats hadn’t passed such a simple test.

She scoffed. No contest.

She reached for the belt of her robe but another hand grasped her fingers as they touched the knot. She looked up into Lou’s violet eyes, the smile having left the other woman’s face.

“You really can’t take a joke, woman.” Lou forcefully moved her hand away from her belt and Orphelia inwardly frowned with the realization she could do nothing to stop her. “Normally, I wouldn’t hesitate to take you up on that offer but I’m trying to impress someone with stout morals who will be here any moment. Seducing a desperate woman isn’t going to do me any favors.”

She huffed as she retreated to her blanket. “How many you want?”

“Five.” Anything else they managed to obtain would be extra skirts on the dress, so to speak.

“That’s it? You can just have them.”

“Lady Tome is quite generous.”

“I told you to call me Lou.”

Orphelia admitted feeling a bit of disappointment. Not that she was attracted to Lou. After her father took her to an ‘underground’ brothel to witness the true depravity of human lust, she had felt no admiration, let alone lust, for anyone, her mind always poisoning any such thoughts with imagined perversions hiding beneath their pleasant veneers.

No, she regretted not forging the connection. She may not enjoy it but sex was a powerful tool. Lou had aroused her curiosity. She wanted to know more about her, wanted to know the true extent of her abilities. However, there was time enough for that in the future.

For now, she wasn’t polite and walked past Lou to the pile of monster carcasses. She took five off the left end of the pile and brought them over to the others, dropping them next to Robert who looked much better after the thrall’s healing. She ignored their questioning eyes and went back to Lou. “This shelter will get quite cramped later.”

“Mm. Don’t worry. We’ve got a dog who can sleep outside. Maybe a bear cub that’ll want to bunk with him, though I’d rather she didn’t. Ugh.”

Orphelia allowed herself a moment to be bewildered by the comment before simply accepting it. “Perhaps you would like to share a blanket?” She flashed what she hoped was her charming smile. It was quite close to her ‘quietly threatening’ smile, something that drove her etiquette instructor mad.

Lou sighed. “Saints, you don’t want to make this easy on me.”

She was about to continue her offensive when a commotion outside the shelter drew her attention. Raised voices that carried a tone of celebration.

Lou’s team had returned.