Book Four – Chapter Five – Part Four – Surrounded by Love

When Claire came knocking at Momo’s door, Itarr absorbed the bed and returned the old mattress to its rightful home to prevent any unnecessary questions from being asked. The group walked downstairs while enjoying a pleasant conversation about the play. They came across a dolled-up Srassa stepping right through the guild doors.

She was dressed awfully cute. An outcome that did not easily come since she confessed to staring at her closet for over an hour. In the end, she had decided on a sporty ponytail that timidly danced behind her. Srassa also admitted to wanting to wear her new armor, but that did not come to pass. Instead, she wore a lovely long-sleeved white blouse with small horizontal black stripes. That sat under a sleeveless black dress, which was just long enough to barely reach her knees. To keep it from fluttering in the wind, Srassa had chosen a stylish belt to wrap around her waist. With the black tights and gladiator-style sandals, she would no doubt catch the stares of bachelors that weren’t smitten with the love of a woman.

And quite likely, considering her beauty and status as a daughter of the Flinn household, even those happily, or unhappily, married would try to catch her eye in some nefarious way.

Together, the four of them continued the conversation and walked outside, coming to a large black carriage. Two armed men stood in front, and three sets of eyes turned the only noble amongst them. A moment later, the only Singi turned and stared at the pair of lovely horses that would pull the carriage around.

Their coats were so brown and shiny, their bodies and mind so alert. A couple of energetic neighs later, the only thing Momo wanted to do was give the majestic beasts a grand ole hug.

Hehe… I like horses… I can see it now… Servy and me riding through the great wilderness on horseback… Man, what a life that will be… Horses are expensive, though… And they need a lot of care and attention… Ah, but I love them all the same…

“I figured Claire wouldn’t want to walk anymore after a hard day… Have you three ever rode in one? It’s quite comfortable,” Srassa had said with an uncertain smile, not knowing if she had acted out of turn. Claire did note that having a carriage meant they’d be at her house that much quicker, and her legs were sore.

Momo was caught in an equestrian daydream, and it took Claire and Srassa to drag her out of it.  After entering, the four took a seat on the luxurious soft cushions, and Srassa asked the Kobold driver to head to the shopping mall near the noble district. He gladly obliged, shaking his large, hat-covered head, and the two guards assigned to the carriage began to jog alongside it.

With the excessive wealth a noble from the Flinn family was rumored to have, it was no surprise the carriage had the smoothest suspension money could buy. Dozens of little springs and counterweights had to be precisely aligned. Not for every road, of course, but specifically for the streets belonging to the fast-growing city of Canary. For every new path built and paved, someone from the Flinn association would come and make specific measurements, then send them over to those in charge of engineering and maintaining the carriages.

Those with an excessive amount of money just couldn’t spend it fast enough to cause a noticeable dent. With that in mind, it was no wonder Harold Flinn had multiple mercenaries in plainclothes to watch over his daughter without her knowledge. Even now, during this very moment, no less than five sets of eyes had the beautiful girl within their sights.

She was only knowledgeable of three.

The four girls chatted about their day, with Momo explaining how fantastic the first day of rehearsals went. She followed that up with a comment about how this was only the second time she had ridden in a carriage. The first was her journey from her village to Canary, but it was just a hollowed-out wagon that used to haul hay bales. It had no doors or any kind of comfortable seating. Just the cold, miserable wood covered with dents and lumps. And the wheels weren't perfect circles, which was another avenue of discomfort.

Those long months were slow, troubling, and harrowing, a constant reminder of the dreaded horror that forced her to leave the only home she had ever known. It was a topic she didn’t feel comfortable with openly sharing, so Momo switched it over to something that wouldn’t induce tears. Though not long after, the topic switched over again to the passing buildings and walking adventurers. Dreams of the future made themselves known, and Momo didn’t fail to notice the rather uncomfortable look on her wealthy friend’s face.

Before she had a chance to talk about it, Srassa took the initiative and spoke about her father and her life.

“Do you know Lando’s Nail? The big tower in Adenaford that can’t be spotted from a distance because an enchantment causes it to disappear when you're far away?" Srassa had asked. She felt the carriage shift by just a little bit as the driver took a left turn.

Claire and Momo nodded, the former having spent some time in the capital. The latter hadn’t managed to step inside it, but the convoy she took to Canary drove by the city.

“It’s actually a hundred floors tall. The top twenty are reserved for commercial purposes exclusively available to nobles, and my father is the man that manages all of it. We used to live to the north of Adenaford, and it took father about a week and a half to travel to and from. He was constantly gone. Remember when I spoke about Jony? He was an orphan when father found him, and I suppose he decided I needed a friend. Or perhaps a companion. In a way, he’s my unofficial bodyguard, and we’ve been together for over a decade. We eventually moved to Canary because it was closer to Adenaford.”

“Why not move to Adenaford?” Momo had asked an excellent question.

“Father doesn’t like to talk about work very often. I’m of the mind that if we lived any closer, his boss would have an excellent excuse to make him work during every waking moment. He’s ready started to groan about potentially being put in charge of the dungeon below it… With us living here, he is allowed a few days' rest before putting his all into managing. To be honest, I don’t think he likes it that much. He puts up with it because he really does make excellent money. Though the one time he did talk to me about it, he said that even the king is relying on him to keep the most popular market in tip-top shape.”

“Woah… Servy, do you think that’ll be us? Having someone like a king or queen relying on you…” I have a Goddess relying on me, so I know the feeling… But a king? I’ve never met a king before…

“If you two keep it up, I don’t have a doubt in my mind that royalty will be bothering you for assistance. Just be sure to remember your favorite red-haired Elf when you get all famous. Haha!”

“Oh, we won’t ever forget you! But a dungeon? I didn’t know Adenaford had something like that.”

“I was always forbidden from getting anywhere close to the tower because my parents were afraid I’d wander down into there, but that’s impossible. When you walk into the Nail’s lobby, the information concerning the dungeon is to the left. Or I should say it’s a labyrinth. That’s the more accurate description for it. But you walk down to the first basement level, you get to a place known as the Hub. Everything you need is there, like weapon and armorsmiths, potion brewers, a general store full of generic adventuring items, and more.

"The labyrinth is rumored to have a hundred floors as well, but researchers believe it to be even deeper than that. Each floor is packed full of monsters that get stronger and stronger as you descend. They say it’s because Skill Energy is purer and more heavily condensed. That naturally allows more powerful monsters to spawn. The lower you go, the more likely any maps you buy will be useless because the labyrinth shifts and changes its passageways.

“But if you head to the right of the lobby and walk up, you get the—well, I guess it would be the second floor? That acts as the hub for the Nail and all of the goods and services it offers.” Srassa was a wonderful depot of knowledge, and she found it a welcome change being the teacher.

Momo listened with wonder. "A hundred floors?!?! I like to think I can at least get up twenty or thirty, but all the way to the top? I feel like my legs would fall off.” That labyrinth... Maybe a trip to Adenaford is in our near future.

Srassa couldn’t help but let loose a noble giggle, covering her mouth with a hand in a lady-like manner. “Let’s be glad that there are teleporters on each floor. I can’t say the same about the labyrinth, but you can freely go from floor 1 to 100. It’s all thanks to Westera’s fascination with implementing skills within physical objects. Father described it as you step inside a room, push a button, and wait a moment while the Skill Energy is gathered. Then you see a flash of light, and that’s all there is to it. As far as I’m aware, Lando had to pay an unheard amount of money to license the technology. No other building in the world, aside from a couple in Westera, I’m sure, has anything like it.

“They do have stairs as an alternative to using the teleporters. Quite honestly, running up and down those might make for an effective workout.” The noble laid her hands across her lap, and she held the perfect posture of a woman of her status. Every little detail about Srassa’s mannerisms had been instilled into her by her mother and Jony, who turned out to be the perfect gentleman himself.

“That does sound like fun… Maybe Adenaford’s in our near future…” Momo said, vocalizing her former thought about that same subject.

I’m glad I got to know more about Srassa’s living situation… Before, she was just a friend, but she's a little closer than that now. We might not be best friends, but I think it won't be that long until we are. Yay! More friends!!

The chatter continued until the carriage came to a complete stop right outside their destination. One of the jogging guards opened the door and helped the four women out. Srassa said it wouldn’t be that long, and the warrior who opened the door asked if he could come with. That way, when their shopping was done, he could come out to tell the driver to bring the carriage around.

Momo found his utter devotion strange and mysterious because she had never experienced that before. She looked at Srassa’s face while the young noble handled everything with simplicity and grace. Of course, someone like her wouldn’t find this odd because this was her life. She was always surrounded by maids, butlers, and armored guards.

In short, Srassa Flinn lived in a world where exotic luxuries were commonplace.

Before long, the four girls and a tag-a-long strolled into the shopping center. The two guards out front recognized Srassa, so they greeted her by name and gave a hearty salute.

Momo asked what was on the menu, and Claire responded that they would be making three of her favorites. The first was a hearty appetizer of mushrooms stuffed with onions, cheese, and a hint of garlic. The Elf described it as a family recipe her grandmother taught her. It was quick, easy, and only required a handful of ingredients.

The main dish was a chicken stew Claire's cousin had once made to impress a girl he had eyes for. The relationship failed, with it having as much structural rigidity as a tumbling tumbleweed. She did clarify that even their grandmother was impressed with the dish. He really had made something extraordinarily delicious.

“To top it off, I think it’s time to teach you my grandfather's favorite dessert. It’s called cisseanate bread. It’s sugar bread that’s coated in cinnamon, and it’s loaded with chocolate and berries. My grandfather loves his wife, but he always said it was this dish that caused him to fall in love with her a second time.”

“Woah… That sure sounds good, doesn’t it?” Momo licked her lips. Srassa replied, saying she was only familiar with the chicken stew. Stuffed mushrooms and cisseanate bread were entirely unheard of for her. As the girls walked into a shop famous for its fresh poultry, Claire needed to ask Srassa one more time if she was okay with paying for it all.

Truthfully, the girl had far more money available to her than she knew what to do with. Not to mention that the people her father had hired had already told the shopping center’s director to take care of everything. Really, she only needed to point out the items because the cost would be deducted from the account associated with the Flinn family.

In fact, mere moments later, the very director approached Srassa and relayed this information to her. For the third or fourth time, Momo was granted an unabashed glimpse in the life of a noble. She wasn’t jealous or envious. If anything, she felt for Srassa because her whole entire life was probably closely monitored. It almost made her wonder if her father had paid someone with an invisibility cloak to follow his daughter as she went on adventurers.

Was that reason, or something similar to it, Srassa was hesitant in revealing what had happened on her quest?

As a whole, the entire shopping trip lasted no more than fifty or so minutes. Since Claire had pulled out a list of all they needed, they only just had to go to each store. Once inside, Srassa asked for an associate, and they handled everything. It wasn’t ‘shopping’ in the purest sense, but this offered the four a chance to delve into a friendly conversation to strengthen their bonds.

The one thing that refused to be uttered or expanded about was the outcome of Srassa's quest. Whenever Momo or Claire asked about it, the uncomfortable noble made an excuse and said she wanted to wait until they were at Claire’s house.

Momo had her own thoughts on her friend’s reluctance, but she kept them in her mind, refusing to speak them out loud lest she hit the nail on the head.

Claire, meanwhile, used most of the time they had to speak fondly about her childhood. Her cousin was a close friend of hers, and she spent most of her early years with him. They raced through the forest, jumping from tree to tree while using the dangling vines to swing like the monkeys they had seen. An iconic moment in her life was when the entire family ventured out and had a relaxing picnic at a nearby waterfall.

As she spoke with a smile, a longing sense of wanting to visit her name started to well up within Claire’s chest. Letters were just written words on paper—a terrible substitute for talking face to face.

I do miss my grandmother… And my mother and father… Even my bone-headed cousin… If I go back, maybe I can use my status as my grandfather’s favorite granddaughter to learn how he made those plates…

Before Claire knew it, she blurted it out. “Maybe not this year… But I want to travel back to Elviria… I was wondering if you three would want to come with me? We’d have to get a boat and sail to the other continent. Depending on the time of year, tickets do range from a couple hundred to a few thousand, depending on how you want to travel.”

“There is also the option of paying a Skill User to use Teleportation,” Srassa said. “Ah, but that will cost over ten thousand since Teleportation is a highly advanced skill that is difficult to use. Not to mention the high cost in terms of Skill Energy, and the Skill User can only teleport to where they have been.”

“Umm… Yeah, that could be another option. I’ve never been teleported anywhere, so I don’t know how it feels…” Claire stuttered. If she had enough money where ten thousand would be a drop in the bucket, she’d never work a day again her life.

Well, if the limiting factor is Skill Energy, then Servy has that requirement taken care of. But I don’t think she’s been to this Elviria. And I just realized that there is an entirely different continent across the ocean that’s just waiting for Servy and Me. I mean, I knew it was there before, but I used to think of it as just that. A regular continent... Does that make sense? I'm thinking for the future now, so I guess when it enters my mind, I'm like... 'Hey, it might be fun to go there.' Usually, I'm like... "Oh. There is something over there.'

It’s supposed to have more countries than Gea, and that means it has to be quite big… One day, we’ll head over there and explore it all…

“Oh, but to answer your question, Servy and I would love to go with you. I was born in Westera, and I mainly stayed within the village until I hopped on a convoy and came to Canary. I may have been to two countries, but I seriously don’t know that much about it. As far as I’m concerned, I’m just a country bumpkin.”

“And… And if it isn’t much trouble, I’d like to see where the place where you were born. I heard Elviria is such a beautiful place. Most of the country is housed within the deep forests, yes? And then a not-so-insignificant portion is covered by the desert?”

“Yep! It’s been decades since I’ve been home. If my cousin found someone to marry him, then it's my job as his family to crack open the secrets and embarrass him."

The conversations about Claire's childhood continued as the girls went from store to store. Before long, all of the shopping was finished, and Momo had heroically volunteered her enchanted bag to hold all of the groceries. Claire thanked her, then she thanked the kind-hearted Srassa for paying for everything. “And don’t you worry… I can guarantee this feast I’m going to cook will blow your socks off! Especially the cisseanate bread.”

As the four walked back down to the shopping centers base level, they saw the fanciful carriage waiting for its passengers. The two guards standing out from nodded at Srassa as the pair of men standing outside the door opened it for their honored guest.

Claire had to give the driver directions to her house, and off they went on a smooth, comfortable ride. Srassa didn’t fail to notice that Momo always held Servi’s hand. Entering the carriage, exiting it, walking up the stairs, or even sitting down while waiting for the shopping to finish, the two were just glued together. Srassa wasn’t so puritanical as to find it disgusting like others. But she was just a little bit jealous. Her envy was hidden behind a pretty smile that was great as disguising her true thoughts.

In a way, she was just like Momo, and perhaps it was that mutual feeling of hiding pain behind a false wall that led to them forming a fast friendship. On the other hand, that wall was slowly crumbling, breaking apart like a metal hammer bashing against a brick structure. She had let out her true feelings back when they were eating at the Dwarf’s mobile food wagon.

Would it be fine to tell them the truth…? That Silver and Despi kicked me out of the party…? And that we failed the quest? Claire should know it, but it’s nice she hasn’t said anything yet… Oh, come on, Srassa! Don’t bring down the atmosphere! You can’t ruin this night for Servi! This is something she desperately needs!!!

“And this... This is my pride and joy! Please, make yourself at home, Srassa!”

Right when the sky had a slight scarlet glaze to foreshadow the approaching moon, a gaggle of four women were standing outside Claire’s house. She had a key in her hand and was in the process of unlocking the door. Servi and Momo were right beside her, and behind them stood Srassa. She held her lovely manicured hands to her side and thanked the driver before giving him a tip.

“Sorry, Miss Flinn, but you know I ain’t allowed to take money from you. Your father pays me well enough, though I do mightily appreciate it,” said the Kobold in a heavy accent. He spoke with a slow draw, tipping his straw hat towards his employer.

“… Very well. Then you’re dismissed. Take the rest of the evening off and have some fun. I can safely make it back to my house.”

The Kobold went to argue, but he held his tongue. Srassa was his boss, and he had to listen to her. “Very well. Miss Flinn, please enjoy yourself, and I shall wait until I am called upon to serve you again.” He spoke to the two guards, and off they went down the road. The clacking of the horses’ hooves against the hard ground was music to Momo’s ears. She waved at the carriage, but she was really saying goodbye to the pair of very well-behaved horses.

Srassa proclaimed her thanks once more before turning around. She shuffled to the now-open door. “Momo, if you want, I could escort you to the stable where we keep our horses. It really wouldn’t be any trouble at all—”

“Yes, please, and thank you very much!!” exclaimed the happy Singi. Her tail kicked into overdrive, thrashing about like a flag in a tornado. Srassa couldn’t help but giggle at her friend’s obsession with horses, and she couldn’t blame her. The fine equestrians her family owned were of the most expensive breed. They were obviously treated very well, and an Elf specializing in horse care visited every month to provide a check-up. It wasn’t wrong to say they were pampered more than most nobles.

“We could sit out here and talk about horses, or we can come inside and I can start the lesson,” Claire playfully chided.

“Or we can do all three… Hehe!” Momo laughed as she and Servi scampered in through the open door. Claire followed behind with a pleasant ‘thank you for having me.’

Momo walked over to the kitchen table and started to take out the ingredients. As she did that with her lovely Servy by her side, Claire took Srassa on a tour of the house. The sheltered noble didn’t quite understand the house’s odd layout. The contract Claire was locked into forbade her from exchanging certain items, and that was another topic of confusion Srassa didn't really understand. When they came back downstairs, they were treated to a wondrous feast for the eyes. It didn’t seem like they had bought that much, but the table full of food spoke no lies.

The mushrooms and onions were glistening, and the expensive cheese just caused the Singi to salivate at the thought of devouring it. And all of the raw ingredients for the chicken stew looked so delicious by themselves. Unlike the butter available at the common market, the one available at the shopping center was marketed as compound butter. Srassa described it as softened butter mixed with various herbs and spices. It was then rolled into a cylindrical shape and chilled until it became firm.

Even the salt and pepper were different, with the former being harvested from the sea that ran towards the mountains on the far southwestern side of Lando. The rather sizable rocks had a slight pink hue to them. As for the pepper, it was actually a couple handfuls of peppercorns harvested from the north. Both it and the salt were too large to be used by themselves, and the only solution to this problem was to purchase a hand grinder.

Claire tried to say she didn’t need anything that fancy, but Srassa could be stubborn in her own right. She outright insisted that the grinder she chose was the only one her family’s servants would use. It was odd how the feeble, nearly meek noble could have staunch beliefs about one thing while being like a weak kitten the next. She certainly was an enigma. On more than once did Srassa cry herself to sleep because her actions did not match up with her inner self. It was almost like she was constantly putting on a show, and that wasn’t the type of life she wanted to live. Warden was supposed to be the answer to her life-long dilemma, the metaphorical plug to fill the gap in her heart.

Sure, she had money, and it was entirely possible for her to live a life where even the most casual discomfort was just lifting a cup of expertly brewed tea to her luscious lips. But that wasn’t what she wanted her life to be.

She desired adventure and journey. She wanted to leave to make way for an abandoned temple and come back with notebooks full of observations and a barrel full of priceless artifacts. In her innermost mind, throwing around the weight of the Flinn name rubbed her all the wrong way, but Srassa couldn’t deny just how many advantages that gave her.

That was why Srassa knew that if she wanted to take that first step—to wash off the blatant lie discoloring the truth of her first two quests, she had to lay it all out.

Servi, I know this get-together was for you, but I hope I'll have your forgiveness. I require help and advice…

The terrified noble took a seat in front of the many items that were going to turn to cisseanate bread. Srassa's pitiable voice announced she had something to say, and Momo and Servi sat down. Claire did the same, but only after retrieving a tall, thin glass of cold water from her fridge and four cups from the nearby cupboard above her stove.

“Momo, I need to apologize for lying to you…” said Srassa.

“Lie?” quizzically asked the Singi. She had a questioning look on her face, but Claire didn’t seem to share it. During the tour, she changed into something far more comfortable than her stuffy work clothes. She was a fan of off-the-shoulder blouses, and this one was red and long-sleeved. A black bodice finished off the cute look along with a matching skirt. Claire's grandmother had paid a tailor to create this outfit when she found out Claire was leaving her home behind to find her place in the world.

Claire's talks about her grandmother sent a fragment of remembrance within her heart, and she missed that old woman more than ever.