After telling the staff to hurry up with the food and a bit of chatting with other adventurers who knew her, Lucia returned to the table right after that their food arrived.
Idalia expected the very best cuisine this city has to offer, not that she goes to a variety of places. And she was right. The taste made up for the price. Maybe her sense of taste changed after going from having fancy dinners at home to barely eating a full meal after a long day of finishing quests, back to having fancy dinners again.
If she could describe it in simple words, it's like she quenched her thirst with the best water in this world.
Maybe it's because she's fasting to keep her figure thin but she didn't feel full at all.
But she's too embarrassed to speak up, even to their kind seniors.
"Phew…!" Lucia unbuttoned the top buttons of her dress, exposing even more of her cleavage. She rubbed her belly with a mellowed sigh, "This must be what pregnancy feels like."
"…You finished all three plates of stew, Miss Lucia?" Idalia asked dumbfounded.
"Yes, dear. What's that look for? I've been busy all morning so I didn't have breakfast." She waved a dismissive hand.
Idalia can't imagine eating that much as a woman who has to look after her figure. She's not overtly skinny but her breasts and hips are quite small compared to the average girl her age. She has more of an athletic thin physique as she's a nimble fighter who uses rapiers and other one-handed swords.
Lucia suddenly sniffed the air then pinched her nose, "We reek of swamp. I didn't smell it with the aroma of food drifting in this place but it's now registering in my nose. Oh no, the food might come back up."
Nova took a sniff at his clothes as well, "I smell it too. That water must've been filled with decaying corpses that the Basilisk feasted on." he then looked at Idalia and Shaun, "You two must've gotten the worst of it since you were right at its nest where a lot of dead animal carcasses were."
Shaun also sniffed his clothes then gagged, "Dammit, these are my favorite clothes. I hope the smell can come out."
Lucia then smiled mischievously and touched Nova's thigh, "The bathhouse in the back will wash and dry your clothes while you're in the baths. Why don't we go in for a bit?"
"I'll shower at home." Nova's face was unnaturally stoic even as Lucia was very obviously rubbing too close to a certain place.
"Hehehe, something else—something hard—is telling me you can't wait to get inside… a bath."
"…Aren't the baths here mixed?" Idalia asked with a frown.
"W-We should go in right away! The smell is unbearable, right Lia?" Shaun was staring unnaturally intently at Lucia but Idalia didn't notice this.
"Uhm, I'll go in later… I want to eat some more of their mutton stew."
A bath with another man who isn't her lover, Shaun. Oddly enough, he didn't even seem against the whole idea. Maybe the smell does bother him that much?
"What? I'm not paying extra for a bath! It's ridiculously expensive in the capital!" Shaun shameless admitted he would rather have his seniors pay for it.
"O-Okay…"
Idalia relented quite easily. He's right about it being expensive. This is an establishment for high-class adventurers, after all. They're the type to have deep pockets.
Nova sighed, "Alright then."
**
The changing room was warm, the sound of running water faintly echoing from beyond a fogged glass partition. Steam clung to the air, carrying hints of lavender and cedar.
The servants were waiting outside, ready to receive their clothes.
Lucia had already stripped down to the waist before anyone could say a word, completely unbothered. She hummed softly as her sexy lingerie was the only piece of clothing hiding her voluptuous body. She unclipped her bra, glancing at the three over her shoulder. "Don't be shy. We're all adults here."
Nova took off his coat and shirt, revealing his muscular upper body that made Shaun's mouth gape. He was also standing with his shirt off, but compared to the toned muscles of Nova, Shaun was a scrawny boy who never put much effort in his physical training. Besides swinging a spear and his martial arts, of course.
Lucia turned after taking off her bra, her narrowed eyes showing a mischievous glint.
Her large bosom made Shaun's mouth gape even wider.
She silently walked past Nova while eyeing him, her hips swaying seductively and breasts bouncing from side to side. Then she stopped and pulled down her panties, her butt pointed straight at the three.
She threw her underwear in the basket and then entered the baths, giving a final wink before closing the door.
"…" Nova silently took off his clothes while Idalia and Shaun were gawking at Lucia.
His back was turned to the two… so they couldn't see what his front looked like.
But dear goddess, his body was covered in scars and muscle from top to bottom. That might be an exaggeration as it's not actually everywhere but there were many healed cuts around his legs, arms and back.
'!'
There was a huge scar in the middle of his back, as if he had been impaled by something sharp and strong.
He oozes a veteran warrior who faced death. Even when his back is turned, it feels like his blade is right next to your neck.
What could impale this powerful man, wondered Idalia as he silently entered the bath.
…
Shaun was the first to jump in between the two, making the water splash on the floor. He submerged right next to Lucia who was humming as she used the soap to clean her body, "Ahh, this is heaven!"
Her breasts floated on the surface but she made no attempt at hiding them.
Little blinking lights appeared around the three, eating off the dirt and sweat in an instant. These must be the water spirits that are typically found in these expensive and fancy places. It would be Idalia's first time in a bath like this so she wondered if they're ticklish.
She dipped her toe inside while hiding her chest with her arm. The temperature was just right so she quickly climbed in, sitting farther than the rest.
Only when she was in did she realize that Shaun was gawking at Lucia's bare breasts. It didn't upset her too much as she knows that one woman's body isn't enough to satisfy one man.
But what she felt to be strange is that the woman in question is his aunt—his mother's sister.
"I heard that other adventurer parties got the same quest as us, which is why Alice, Admeera, and Cameria joined our party," Nova spoke to the humming Lucia amidst the silence. "Did anyone else reach out?"
"You probably know the answer already."
"They don't want Misteltein to get the spotlight alone, is it?"
"Yup. I actually spoke with a few of the leaders from other S-rank parties. All were incredibly hostile towards me even though we're usually on good terms. Heck, I went on a few quests with some of them and they've never shown me that attitude."
"They'll probably set up traps for us along the road."
"Yeesh, we have to worry about demihumans and our own brethren ambushing us. But we don't have to worry since we got you on our side, stud~" Lucia leaned over towards Nova with a grin.
"I would rather not hurt them in that dangerous territory. So, I hope we can talk it out."
"Talk it… out? Is that the real Arnold von Berkley saying that?"
"You misunderstand my point. I don't want their blood on my hands when they get assaulted while crawling back to the empire. We know already that the demihumans are looking for blood, any human's blood, that crosses their path. They may be S-rankers but it's not impossible for something among the demihumans to be stronger than them. The higher-ups at the Adventurer Guild Headquarters will use that opportunity to put pressure on my guild and try to turn the citizens against us."
"W-Well, you're right about that…" Lucia muttered, her coyness evaporating. "Besides the parties that were contacted, the Guild Masters and Vice Masters of all branches, no one else should know about the quest. But we shouldn't rule out that some sly adventurer leaked the information to a shareholder or noble."
Nova rested an arm on edge of the bath, "The reward and reputation tied to this quest are enough to start wars. And we're supposed to save the Elven Kingdom, not add another name to its list of enemies."
"Does it really matter?" Lucia asked quietly. "The Queen's desperate. Do you know what that means? They'd sooner swallow their pride than let Thalivielle rot. That means they will do anything for the humans to ensure they receive the help they need to prevent the World Tree's death."
"I know. Still," Nova said, "desperation breeds vultures. Every ambitious fool will want a piece of the Tree before it dies. S-class or not."
Idalia frowned. "You mean… some adventurers will go there just to claim it for themselves?"
Lucia nodded grimly. "If the World Tree really is dying, its roots, sap, even its ashes will be worth a fortune. And that's before the fame you'd earn for being 'the savior of Thalivielle'."
For Idalia, who only heard the good things about adventuring, this came as quite the shock.
Adventurers turning on each other over quests?
Of course, this isn't just any quest, it's the quest. The reward will not only be astronomical but the glory and fame your party would receive is unprecedented.
You'd think every S-class party would work together so the whole guild could thrive—but not every garden grows flowers. Some harbor fungi that feed on the blossoms, clawing their way to the sunlight by devouring those who bloom.
She felt quite… sad and scared that she and Shaun may face the same danger in the future. Their childish, naïve perception of what adventurers are in their heads, felt almost ridiculous.
"They're in for a rude awakening if they think they can succeed without teamwork. We might be a small guild but we have three powerful party leaders on our side."
"You can't expect all of them to like unity. They're like horses with leather flaps—they know only the way forward and ignore anything happening behind or beside them. This will get them all killed. We don't have to help them but the guild's standing is in danger if it loses a lot of S-rankers."
"Yeah, while I would like to have a meeting with all of them to pull them over to our side, they may just ignore the invite." He then changed the topic. "Anyway, do you know how Alice's and Cameria's party members reacted to their leaders leaving them behind to join my guild for the quest?"
"Believe it or not, none of them are willing to risk going there. They know how dangerous the World Tree's roots are, apparently. Not all of them might be SS-rank but they're well-off enough and yearn for nothing. Doing this quest will impact their lives negatively if things don't go smoothly. Honestly, I understand their point of view. Cameria and Alice even selected leaders beforehand in case the two don't make it back. Everyone was in agreement in the end."
"That's… surprising…"
"It was a shocker to me as well. Both of them have incredibly wonderful comrades with honest hearts. Can't say the same about the S-class trash that want to take all the glory for themselves. Ah, thinking about the trouble we're going to face is ruining my bath." Lucia stretched her upper body, making her chest rise and breasts jiggle, "I think I'll buy myself a mansion with my reward money. One with a big bath. A gal who works as hard as me deserves to be spoiled. But since there's no man in my life, I have to do it instead."
She rested her head on Nova's shoulder, "One part of my body can be filled by anyone but another remains empty because it needs something different to fill it~" she sniffled as if she's crying.
Her attempts at flirting made the atmosphere quite awkward—not for the them but for Idalia who felt left out and is just there to wash the sweat and gunk off her body. Shaun was still staring at Lucia's body like an idiot. On the other hand, Idalia wanted to jump out and leave.
"Don't ignore me I just sucked you off earlier so don't be so cruel"
She poked him with a pout while saying something vulgar.
"Y-You what…?" Shaun looked devastated for some reason but no one paid any attention to him.
"…I think I'm clean enough." Nova stood up, making Idalia almost jump when she saw the thing between his legs.
It was—how to put it—intimidating. Compared to Shaun's, you would think it's mutated or something. In fact, his is cute in comparison.
"Wha! You can't just leave me hanging like that!" Lucia cried as she tried to grab him.
Such a sad woman, thought Idalia. She has all the looks but still hasn't found a husband yet. Or maybe she's not trying to find one and is just letting a bunch of different guys crawl into her bedsheets.
"I have to go back to the guild to collect some stuff." He put a towel around his waist and spoke to Lucia, "We can continue where we left off another time."
He didn't wait to hear an answer back and left.
"Geez, he might be the only man in this world who rejects a beauty for work." Lucia floated over towards Shaun and Idalia, sitting right between them.
"I've told you two about what I heard about the infamous Arnold von Berkley. How would you compare him to the Guild Master persona?"
"…He's like a completely different person." Idalia answered.
"He is, isn't he? There's this charm to him that you wouldn't be able to notice if you aren't paying attention. I've yet to see how he leads a party myself but Lucri has only been singing his praises so far. 'Sir Nova will charge headfirst into danger if he knows his comrades are safe' or 'Even in the heat of battle, he can convince someone that running away isn't cowardice but a chance to prepare yourself for a second encounter'. I was starting to think he's idolizing the guy a bit too much but I listened to how he taught you two about a few basics of starting out with adventuring and how to plan your future. I wish I followed the same advice when I started out." A shadow appeared over her face, "I got myself captured by goblins one time when my wand broke in a fight. I was such a gullible idiot who thought too much of herself. My talent got to me so I thought my magic was enough to help me win in a fight and magic control is useless when it comes to raw power."
Her eyes dimmed. "It wasn't."
She leaned back and stared up at the ceiling, "Not just that, I got so brave that I told my comrades I can do the quest alone. Supposed decent equipment bought from a shady dealer for cheap, a big ego that was bigger than my arsenal of spells and intelligence, and a bravado that would get anyone killed on the field—You learn fast how cruel the life of an adventurer can be when you find yourself in the middle of a monster's den."
She squeezed her legs tightly together.
She went quiet for a long moment, then smiled again—a small brittle smile, "Anyway, moral of the story? Don't be an idiot like me. Follow your elders' advice. Always keep a spare weapon. Or choose to eat dry bread and water for a week so that you can get the best weapon on the market."
Lucia then put her hands on their heads and patted them, "I'm certain the GM would have taught you the same thing but I know how hot the fire burns within the hearts of young people. You will definitely do some quests behind my back so I won't be able to save you in the heat of trouble. I don't blame you but… just follow my advice."
"Y-Yes…"
"Got it!"
Idalia and Shaun answered respectively.
The road for these two is a long one but they have reliable seniors to teach them right and wrong. Of course, they can't expect to be saved every time so they must do everything in their power to use not only their skills and equipment wisely, but also their brains.
One quest with a big reward that seems too good to be true could land them in some organ harvester's wagon.
Thinking about all the things that could happen to them if they aren't smart made Idalia shiver.
As mentioned before, her idolized fantasy of what adventurers' lives are like has been completely shattered.
Still… if they could endure, learn, and one day become as strong as their mentors — perhaps they could finally live without glancing over their shoulders every time they left the city gates.