Critical Misclass - Ch. 13-15

CHAPTER 13 - Stewing Over It

Ves and I remained in the vicinity of the Starting Cave for a while, partially so we could discuss our plans, and partially because Ves was tired, but mostly so that we wouldn't have to walk back to Perrenbrook with Kael and Ullun. I decided it was time to start walking when Ves couldn't finish a sentence without yawning.

"Are you okay? It's..." I looked up at the sun to estimate the time, once again feeling the loss of having a phone on hand at all times. "... Only about noon."

"I'm wiped out from casting all that magic. All the healing was one thing, then I had to sustain that light at max strength, and then we fought that damn... zombie." Ves stretched her body all at once.

"Oh man, that's right - how did you hurt it so bad? Did you use healing spells on it?"

Ves looked at me quizzically. "No, that wouldn't do anything, except maybe repair some of its flesh and bone, and that'd just make it tougher."

Damn you, years of playing video games! "Okay, then what did you do?"

She yawned yet again. "Okay, you know how I said that some classes overlap a bit? Well, I don't know a lot about being a Vitality Mage, but it's pretty common knowledge that it overlaps at least a little with the Necromancer class."

"Because both deal with life and death. Makes sense."

"Right. So while we're usually just called Healers because we do that a hell of a lot more than attacking, we're supposed to be useful against undead. It's like taking them apart instead of putting them together."

That made sense from what I'd seen her do against the rat queen, and honestly sounded a lot like the "healing hurts undead" concept I was so familiar with. It wasn't worth arguing semantics.

We made our way back to town, and Ves was having trouble staying on her feet by the end of the walk. I led her back to her small home while she was leaning against me with an arm around my shoulder, reminding me of times when a friend would have one too many at a bar.

I helped Ves onto her bed and she curled up. "Are you gonna... rest, too?"

"Nah, if I nap now, I'll be up all night. I think I'll just walk around town for a bit." There was no response from the already-sleeping Ves.

It's true that I wanted to get to know the layout of the town better, but there was more that I wanted to do; namely, speak with Thia. Part of me had been debating whether I should tell Ves about that beforehand, so I was glad she fell asleep before I had the chance.

A couple of friendly-enough, but somewhat standoffish, townspeople confirmed my suspicions that the inn where I'd had my last two meals was the only one in town. Unless the Sterling Seekers kept a guild house in Perrenbrook, which felt extremely unlikely, I'd find Thia at the inn sooner or later.

Thinking about meals made my stomach gurgle. I might not have been tired from using mana, but sneaking around a cave all morning and fighting rat monsters had worked up an appetite. Checking my remaining coins, it looked like I wouldn't have any problems paying for a meal by myself. Oh, I should also make sure to get something that Ves can eat later.

Ullun was standing outside the inn, with her eyes closed and her hands together, as if praying or meditating. Maybe she's tired from spellcasting, like Ves. As I approached the door, I could hear loud voices, making me wonder if the inn got especially rowdy at this time of day. The elf's eyes opened, and she subtly shook her head. I almost didn't notice it at all, but I was so hungry that I would have considered entering the building if it was actively on fire.

The situation within was almost as uncomfortable as that. Not far from the front desk, which was currently being staffed by the friendly human woman from the previous day, were Thia and Kael having a heated argument.

Over in the nearby dining area, there were only a few patrons, all of whom kept stealing glances at the aevrana siblings and seemed to be gossipping about them. There was also a beleaguered bard, who looked like a halfling or maybe a gnome, trying his best to play a lively tune on his fiddle loud enough to drown out the raised voices.

"For my sake? I was abandoned without warning for my sake?" Despite being almost a foot and a half shorter than Kael, Thia looked like more than a match for him at that moment.

"Hardly 'abandoned', Aralithia. We simply made a quick jaunt over there for the briefest of inspections." Kael's naturally-booming voice was barely louder than normal, but the much softer-sounding Thia had to yell in order to match his volume.

"A brief inspection that resulted in your gauntlets being pierced?"

"I am uninjured now, as you can see, and the cave is in good hands--"

"Pray tell me why I accompanied you to Perrenbrook, brother. Was I to receive training, or was I simply to draw more eyes towards the Seekers?"

"I felt it best to leave you behind for your protection, after what happened yesterday!"

"My protection? Do you doubt your talents as a Defender as much as I do? Mayhaps I am not the only one in need of training--"

"YOU CANNOT TRAIN IF YOU ARE DEAD!"

The fiddle music came to an abrupt stop, along with any hushed conversations. Kael looked as shocked as the rest of us at his thunderous outburst. He cleared his throat, nodded first to Thia, and then the innkeeper, and marched towards the door. I moved out of the way as he gave me a surprisingly cordial "Jeremy!" and exited the building.

I watched him leave, and when my head turned back, Thia was already right in front of me. "I am sorry that you had to witness our altercation, but it pleases me to see you again."

"Seriously, don't worry about it. I actually wanted to talk to you, if you have time?"

Thia's face lit up. "Oh, of course!"

"Have you eaten? I'll buy you lunch."

"I have not, but I insist on paying. The guild covers our meals, and there should be no issue with considering this a business expense."

I thanked her, and we sat down at an available table. "Do you want to talk about what just happened?"

The beautiful horned woman took a deep breath. "Yesterday, after our... encounter..." She briefly averted her eyes and suppressed a smile. "I attempted to converse with my brother about my wishes to leave the Seekers. I felt it best to use subtlety, at least at first; describing how it felt to combat the cave rat queen. Unfortunately, Kaelition only took that to mean there was something wrong with the cave, and not with me."

Not looking forward to telling her that Kael ended up being right. I nodded for her to continue.

"He decided to perform an 'inspection' of the Starting Cave, under the belief that it should be restricted or sealed, and chose not to bring me, nor so much as tell me of his plans."

"Leaving you wondering if he thinks you're not strong enough to be in the guild, and if so, why he won't understand that you want to quit."

"Essentially, yes. You understand how frustrating this has been for me. The time for subtlety is over, and I'll need to be more direct with Kaelition when I see him again, although I am not excited about that conversation."

"Well, I've actually got an idea..."

I told Thia all about how Ves and I ran into Kael and Ullun near the Starting Cave, participated in his inspection, and ended up having to fight the rat queen again as a zombie. Thia placed her hand over mine while I was talking, and gripped it tight as I described the battle. I felt that it was best to leave out the stuff about how the Goddess said something different to me than she said to everyone else, and how Ves had somehow been able to suddenly dodge an attack like a Rogue. There would be time to get into all of that later, if she ended up joining our party.

"This explains why my brother was so confident in his decision to not include me. I never would have guessed that the cave held such secrets." Thia sighed, her shoulders slumping.

"Which brings me to my idea. After the fight, I convinced Kael to let me and Ves research the cave, and the rune inside, in case there's anything to worry about that wouldn't be stopped by just sealing the cave."

Thia's eyes widened. "He agreed to that?"

"He's even going to be paying us a guild stipend. So, I was wondering if you might want to join us?"

"Truly?" She squeezed my hand again.

"Maybe you could do it as a representative of the Seekers, and it could be a stepping stone from the guild to joining our party permanently." Thia's face was glowing, and she grinned at me with half-lidded eyes... almost hungry eyes. "But! Ves was being a little cagey about the idea, and I'm not sure why. She didn't seem upset at all when you left us in the cave."

"Is it not obvious to you, Jeremy? Vestele is jealous, because we..." She trailed off, as the innkeeper approached.

Since I was caught up in the whole sales pitch from Kael yesterday, I wasn't able to properly meet the innkeeper. She had a plump, friendly face, and exuded sweetness.

"Oh, Brinn, I would like to apologize on behalf of myself and my brother."

The older woman waved Thia off, still smiling. "Think nothing of it, Lady Xyrosia. Oh, and it's nice to see you again, young man."

Thia giggled. "Please, I told you to call me 'Thia'!"

"Oh, I'll try, but it's a force of habit, you know. I still remember when your mother would visit on Seekers business. An amazing woman, but she definitely preferred the more formal titles!"

"Mm, yes, that certainly sounds like Mother..."

I stood up. "I'm sorry I didn't get the chance to introduce myself yesterday. I'm Jeremy."

"Sit, sit, Jeremy. I hope you've been enjoying your time in our village. Now, what can I get you two?"

As there didn't seem to be a menu, and I didn't want to look ridiculous asking for something they didn't have (or had never heard of), I ordered the same stew as Thia.

Once Brinn had walked away, I quietly jumped back into the discussion. "How would Ves even know about... us?"

"Women have ways of knowing these things... netharri women, especially so. But she needn't be jealous."

My heart sank a bit - I thought there had been something more between me and Thia. "No?"

Thia leaned closer. "You are not married, nor in a committed relationship with anyone... yet. Is there any reason why a man should not spend time with women in order to know them better? Mayhaps Vestele is hoping for you to take the first step."

I once had a friend who drew women to him effortlessly, and he had said something similar to me about dating multiple women until a relationship became serious. He never seemed to actually reach that stage, and I never had more than one woman interested in me at a time, so I had no idea how much truth there was to that concept.

The way that Thia was touching my hand and smiling told me that she, at least, had no issues with me getting closer to Ves.

"Well, I guess there's only one way to find out."

"It is likely to come up sooner or later, with the two of you in a party together, but taking initiative is likely to benefit you."

"What do you--" I had wanted to ask her what she meant about me and Ves being in a party, but cut myself off as our food arrived. It ended up being much spicier than I had expected, but it didn't seem to bother or even affect Thia at all. As we ate, our chat turned much more casual, and I really enjoyed talking to her about topics other than classes, parties, and destinies.

When we finished our meal, I ordered a couple of different sandwiches for Ves - not knowing exactly what she preferred. Despite my insistence on paying, Thia was resolute about charging it to the guild's tab. "You may tell Vestele that the sandwiches were my treat, should it aid her decision regarding me joining your party. However, I believe the only subject the two of you should be discussing today is each other."

With that, the petite blonde rose up on her tiptoes, put her hands on my shoulders, and moved in for a kiss. I was more than happy to lean down and meet her halfway, and wrapped my arms around her. Thia did the same, and we embraced for several seconds, even after the kiss had ended.

Okay, I guess I'll just... go flirt with another beautiful woman now.

Since I actually did want to familiarize myself with Perrenbrook, it felt like a good idea to do that now while also walking off the meal. The village was only slightly bigger than I assumed, as there were some homes that were further away from the centralized area. Overall, though, it was pretty easy to get the lay of the land, and it felt comfortable knowing at least one tiny part of this wholly unfamiliar world.

At least, I felt that way until I heard a voice say "You look lost."

There hadn't been anyone around - or at least, that's what I thought - so the voice startled me. I turned and saw an old man leaning up against a house. He was wearing simple clothing, like most of the other villagers, but with a cloak around his shoulders. Before arriving in Fielende, I wouldn't have thought twice about the cloak, but somehow - presumably because of the Rogue class - I just knew that it was more valuable than it might have looked to the average person. Valuable or not, the cloak clearly looked old. Not quite as old as the man himself, but probably close.

This guy had clearly gone through some rough times. His pale, wrinkled, skin had a number of scars along his neck and face... at least, the part of his face that I could see. There were bandages wrapped diagonally across much of his head. Spots of still-fresh blood stained the bandages at a few points.

He spoke in an exhausted, wheezy voice. "You look like you're in another world."

"... What?"

There was a series of wet coughs. "You were just starin' at me like you were deep in thought."

"Oh. Sorry. It's just--" I wanted to ask about his wounds, but he interrupted me.

"I saw you walkin' up and down the streets, lookin' everywhere. Thought maybe you got into a fight with the missus. Got kicked out of the house. Then I realized I've never seen you before. Figured you were lost."

"Yeah, I'm new here, and was just getting to know the town - hey, do you need help? You're bleeding."

More wet coughs, which turned into gurgling chuckles. "Farming accident. M'fine. Survived worse."

"I know a Healer - she could fix you up in a second."

A laugh burst from the man, followed by even harsher coughs than before. "No, no, nothin' a Healer can do for me." As he spoke, he slowly pushed himself off the wall, and took a few steps towards the house's front door. "You'd best get back to the missus." He opened the door, entering the house on steadier feet.

"At least let her try..."

The door slowly closed as the man chuckled again. "Trust me. I am a Healer." Click.

My eyes darted all around the area, suspiciously. "... What the fuck?"

Ves hadn't mentioned any other Healers in Perrenbrook. Considering her struggles with the class, it would have made sense for her to at least talk to one for advice. But then, the guy seemed pretty damn weird and possibly out of his mind. Even if he actually was a Healer, there could be a good reason why Ves wouldn't want to talk to him.

I entered her home as quietly as possible, and saw her still asleep on her bed - uncovered, like she had mentioned that morning. After looking around for somewhere to store the sandwiches, I found a cupboard that felt oddly cold. Within was only a small stone, similar to the ones used to heat the bathwater. This one was ice cold, however - presumably, another simple enchantment used to good effect. Seemed like the best place to keep food.

I walked over to Ves, using my stealth ability to prevent accidentally waking her up. She looked so cute curled up on her mattress, still wearing her arousingly form-fitting outfit from earlier. I noticed that she appeared a little cold, and tried to find her quilt, but it wasn't anywhere obvious and I didn't want to risk waking her up.

Remembering what Ves had done for me in this situation, I made a decision. I removed my leather armor and boots, and was back to just wearing the t-shirt and jogging shorts I brought with me from Earth. Calming myself - and hoping I was making the right move - I slowly climbed into Ves's bed and wrapped an arm around her.

CHAPTER 14 - Neck Romancer

Despite my best efforts to stay awake, I was just too comfortable spooning Ves, and drifted off within minutes. It felt like no time passed at all - I blinked, and then the house was completely dark. So much for keeping a decent sleep schedule. Apart from Ves's gentle breathing, all I could hear was the sound of crickets. It was so different from being back home, and hearing the sounds of the nearby freeway at all hours.

I instinctively reached for a blanket before remembering that there was none. My movement made Ves stir, although I didn't know if I had woken her up, or if she had already been awake.

"Jeremy? Why are you..."

"Returning the favor. I didn't know where you kept your quilt, and, well, I probably wouldn't have used it anyway. I like this better."

"Mm," Ves acknowledged. "Me too."

A shiver ran down my back, making me realize that I should probably have her pull out the quilt later, if only for my sake. Too bad she can't be the big spoon and the little spoon at the same time.

My overactive imagination kicked in, as a vision of Thia climbing into bed and wrapping an arm and a leg around me played in my head. The fantasy of such a thing, coupled with what Thia had said during our lunch date, was ridiculously exciting... and my body reacted in an unsurprising manner.

"Ah-ha, I guess you really do like this." Ves shifted her hips against me lightly, bringing me from half mast to full hardness in record time.

"That obvious, huh?" I held Ves tighter, and she giggled - something I hadn't heard her do before, and it was cute as hell. Well, downright sexy, given the circumstances. She continued wiggling her hips gently against my crotch, eliciting a light moan from me.

The gorgeous catgirl rolled around to face me, and put her arms around me. I couldn't see her, but I could just barely feel her breath on my lips. I'm sure I've missed more than my fair share of signals from women, some more obvious than others. At that moment, however, I knew that Ves wanted me to kiss her. God, I wanted to kiss her, too... but I had just enough wisdom to know that it would be a bad idea if I wasn't honest with her.

"Can I tell you something?"

"Yes," she breathed, and it nearly gave me chills. I hope she takes this well.

"It's about Thia." I swallowed, unsure if she would respond to that. "She and I... we've kissed. And we also - I mean, she--"

"Gave you a blowjob?"

"Uh, yeah. How--?"

Ves squirmed, which felt wonderful. "I could smell it. It was really obvious that you'd cum recently."

"It was?!"

"Okay, it was obvious to me! I've got a better sense of smell than most people."

So this is what Thia meant. "Oh, got it."

"Anyway, at first it didn't really bother me. I kinda assumed that Kael or that elf had done it, you know, to try and get you to join their guild."

"And then I mentioned Thia."

"That's when I knew. It made more sense," she muttered, lowering her head.

So she knew... and yet, here we are. "Are you jealous, Ves?"

"No. Kinda. Didn't think she'd be the first." Me neither. "Sorry, this is stupid."

I held her tighter. "Why's that?"

"I haven't had any luck with men, and even when a handsome guy appears from another world, something happens before I can make the first move."

"Seriously? No luck with men?"

"Have you seen this village? There's barely anyone at all, much less anyone around my age. When I was a kid, there was a guy who was maybe ten years older than me. I had - this is so embarrassing - I had such a big crush on him."

"What happened? I'm guessing he got married or something before you were old enough?"

"'Or something,' yeah. When he was in his early 20s, he was granted a class. Before long, he left Perrenbrook, and I never saw him again."

"I guess that means he was either very successful, or very unsuccessful."

"Either way, it just made me want to leave the village myself, class or not. Just to get outta here. But my... uh, one thing led to another, and I ended up staying here for longer than I expected. Eventually I thought that maybe I should settle down. That was around the time Tabur moved into town, along with his son, who was a few years younger than me."

"Oh yeah? Did you have a thing for Tabur?"

"Honestly? Something about that guy does kinda work for me. Probably a good thing that he and Brinn got together so quickly. But his son wasn't too bad, even if I prefer guys who are at least a little older than me."

"And what happened with him?"

"We chatted a bit, here and there, but he's... well, he was a lot like his dad. Seemed more interested in work than anything else."

"Maybe he just wasn't interested in women, or romance of any kind?"

"That's what I thought... until a yrrven came traipsing out of the woods one day. The two of them were gone by sunset."

"Yrrven? What's that?"

"Oh... the short explanation is that they are to rabbits what netharri are to cats. They're all female... I think? Either way, they rarely ever leave the wilderness, and usually only to find a partner."

"And this one took the only eligible bachelor in town."

Ves sighed. "Yup."

Neither of us spoke for a short while, leaving me time to think about what Ves had just said, and especially what Thia had told me. It felt like the right time to pet Ves's back, knowing that she enjoyed that. I knew that this situation would be easy to mess up, so I wanted to lean into the "I'm a confused guy from another world" angle as much as needed.

I lowered my voice even further, adding a hint of playfulness. "Thia was under the impression that you might be interested in me..."

Boom - the purring started. Not sure if it was my words, my hand, or both, but there it was. Her voice was soft, almost a whimper. "... Yeah?"

My forehead touched hers. "She wasn't bothered by it at all. Hell, she seemed to like the idea."

The purring intensified and Ves lightly moaned.

"I want to know how you feel. If you're hesitant about Thia joining the party because you think she got a 'head start' with me... uh, no pun intended... there's nothing to worry about. I'd still like to find out how compatible you and I are. It's not like anyone is getting married anytime soon."

Ves was breathing heavier and raised her head. I took the cue and closed the tiny distance between us. Our lips met and our grip on each other tightened. The hand that I had petting her back moved down, eager to caress and especially squeeze the pert ass that had been calling to me ever since she put on her new outfit.

My hand reached her tail first, which I had almost forgotten about with everything else going on in her bed. As soon as I touched the base of her tail, her hips jerked, thrusting back to push against my hand before slowly moving back towards my own hips. I lifted my hand, then stroked the bottom of her tail again. Her physical reaction was smaller, but Ves moaned louder as we kissed.

"I've never... done anything like this..." She seemed embarrassed at her lack of experience, but in the heat of the moment, it was one of the sexiest things she could have said to me.

"You've been doing nothing but helping me," I whispered between kisses. "Let me help you, now."

Another moan escaped her lips. I released her from my embrace and brought my hands to her full breasts. Starting off slowly and gently, I cupped them to feel their size through her nightgown. My hands greedily touched every inch, soon arriving at her erect nipples, which I lightly teased. A series of faint gasps came from the beautiful netharri.

While my hands were occupied with her breasts, I kissed her neck. From the way her body tensed and her breathing quickened, I could tell that her neck was absolutely a major erogenous zone. I gave it a gentle bite.

Ves gasped, pulling back suddenly. I was about to ask if I had done something wrong, or gone too far or too fast, but she practically tore off her nightgown. After internally cursing the darkness, I wrapped my arms around her again, bringing her bosom to my face. The smell of her bare skin was intoxicating, and I could have stayed pressed into her soft mounds forever.

I kissed her chest, moving my lips all around her wonderful breasts. My tongue only gave her nipples the briefest lick in-between kisses, eliciting lustful moans from Ves. Having had enough teasing, she pulled my head firmly onto a nipple, which I hungrily took into my mouth. Her sounds of pleasure drove me crazy with desire as I licked and occasionally nibbled on first one nipple, then the other.

I made sure to give her tail plenty of attention during all this, as well.

My other hand moved down, between her legs. Her thighs clenched. "J-just touching for now, okay?"

"Yeah, of course." I kissed her again, and her tongue slid between my lips.

"I'd like to do more, but it's just..."

"It's a lot, all at once, right? I get it."

Ves embraced me tightly. "Yeah... sorry."

"There's no rush. Want me to continue what I was doing?" In response, she moved my willing hand back down to her damp folds, and I chuckled. "All right. By the way, I'm having a great time."

She laughed, and then her lips were on mine again and our tongues were exploring each other's mouths. I could feel her fingers pressing into my back and was thankful that she didn't seem to have retractable claws... but her nails were likely to leave a mark if she kept this up. I guided one of her hands down to my groin, and Ves cooed upon touching my rigid cock through my shorts.

My finger slid easily into her damp entrance, and Ves's breath hitched. After a moment, she eagerly moved her hand into my shorts so she could wrap her fingers around it. I helped her by pulling the clothes off entirely.

Ves began delicately stroking my shaft, as though she were worried about breaking it. Placing my free hand over hers, I demonstrated the best way to handle my cock, and she excitedly followed my lead. Ves's enthusiasm was exhilarating, feeling almost as good as her hand itself.

As if rewarding her, I slipped in a second finger. We moaned together, and then I returned to kissing and nibbling her smooth neck. If it hadn't already been obvious that Ves was enjoying herself, she began purring again - feeling especially interesting to my probing fingers. They soon found what they were seeking, as proven by an especially loud cry of pleasure from Ves.

Caught up in the sensations, Ves had stopped moving her hand, but soon regained her bearings and resumed. As wonderful as her soft hand felt on my member, it felt even better making her feel so good, especially knowing that she had never experienced anything like this before. Her thighs squirmed and squeezed my hand as her breaths became faster and shorter.

I felt Ves's body tense up, and I knew she was close. "Yes, yes, just like that," she whimpered. Her grip tightened as my fingers did exactly as she wished. I kissed her face and neck as she was brought closer and closer to orgasm. She stroked my cock faster and faster, so I wasn't far behind her. "Jeremy, Jeremy..." The only thing missing for me was being able to see her face, thanks to the darkness. There'll be other times.

Ves cried out in ecstasy as the orgasm hit her, and was soon panting. That had me right at the edge. "I'm ready - where should I...?"

"Anywhere; just cum for me." She smooched my cheek and her hand sped up. The combination of that and her words did the trick, and I moaned and came onto her thighs and the mattress.

I breathlessly thanked Ves, and she giggled. "Thank you. That was amazing!" We wrapped our arms around each other and kissed deeply, and I felt a pleasant, warm feeling by my legs. I looked down and saw a faint glow - Ves was magically cleaning up the mess. As interesting as that was, it paled in comparison to everything else that had just happened, and it took a few seconds for a thought to register.

"Hey, the spell - it's not hurting."

Ves grinned. "I wasn't even really trying to cast it, but I was thinking about whether we should clean up normally or just deal with the discomfort of the spell."

"Huh. I feel like your magic works better when you don't focus on it too hard." My thoughts went back to when she had quickly healed me after a cave rat chewed off my nose.

"Maybe. Let's not focus on it at all for now, though." Her lips softly pressed against mine, and we held each other until the sun started rising.

CHAPTER 15 - Rolling in Dough

Our peaceful cuddling was interrupted by the growling of Ves's stomach. She didn't appreciate me laughing, but I learned that I could diffuse minor situations like that with an embrace and petting her hair or back. Wonder how long I'll be able to get away with that.

Ves's ears flattened. "Damn... I was too tired to even think about buying any food yesterday."

I removed my hand from her head, but she narrowed her eyes and put it back herself. "We should have more than enough to cover breakfast at the inn, right?"

"We really shouldn't... who knows when we'll get our first stipend, or even if they'll follow through at all. It's not like we signed anything."

That thought hadn't even crossed my mind. It seemed highly probable that Kael could wake up and decide that the Starting Cave should be sealed and ignored, based on what I knew of the guy. Even worse, what if he also convinced Thia to leave the village with him? Ves and I would be back to square one... actually, even further back, because we wouldn't have a convenient place to train near her home.

Before I could spend any more time overthinking possible scenarios, Ves sat up in the bed. There, in the morning light, I was treated to my first good look at her delectable naked body. Her pert, luscious breasts were capped by pink nipples, which entranced me as she stretched her arms and slender waist. Once she finally noticed me staring, Ves covered her chest in her arms (as if the resulting cleavage would be any less appealing) and pouted. "Snap out of it! I'm huuungry."

"Oh wait, I forgot!" I got up to retrieve the sandwiches I placed in the magical icebox, as Ves put on her Healer outfit. God, she looks so fucking good in that... wait. I can just tell her that now. "That looks so damn sexy on you. It's a miracle I was able to control myself when I first saw it."

Ves blushed and waved me off. "Goddess, could you even imagine? Don't get any ideas about doing something like that in public!" She bit her lower lip for just a second - it was nice to know that the idea of it got her excited, at least.

I grabbed the sandwiches and handed them over. "Got these at the inn."

Her ears perked up and her eyes widened. "Jeremy! You're the best." She took a big chomp out of one, chewed it quickly, swallowed, gave me a kiss, and took another big bite. "We gotta buy ingredients to make these ourselves, though. It'll be cheaper."

"Actually, these were courtesy of Thia. She put them on the guild's tab."

She swallowed another bite, looking contemplative. "... Damn. She really is just the sweetest thing, isn't she?" I didn't think that Ves was going to object to having Thia join our party anymore, but if Thia could treat Ves to a full meal, it couldn't hurt. Ves offered me the other sandwich, but I declined.

"Thanks, but I got those for you. You haven't had anything since breakfast yesterday."

Ves glared at me. "A party is only as strong as its weakest link. You need to eat something!" Relenting, I took the sandwich and thanked her, which she returned with a mischievous grin.

Once we had finished, I got dressed and donned my leather armor. It wasn't until afterwards that I realized that it was my first time actually putting it on myself, without a goddess making it magically appear out of thin air. Somehow, it felt like second nature to me. Could be some kind of armor proficiency... Another Rogue trait?

"Okay, Ves, what's the plan for today?"

"We gotta check with the Seekers and see if we still have a deal. And then... guess we should probably do our job and research what's going on in the Starting Cave. The thing is-- eh, one thing at a time. Let's go."

Just like the previous morning, the first thing I noticed upon stepping into the morning air was the scent of freshly-baked bread. Not only did it smell incredible, it masked the less-pleasant agricultural smells of Perrenbrook. "Oh man. Ves, before we do anything else, we need to buy some of that bread. We'll have to eat again sooner or later, and we could bring it with us to the Cave or wherever else we're going today."

There was a look of guilty pleasure on Ves's face. "Alright, you've convinced me."

Ves turned right at the next house, making a detour to the bakery. Along the way, I noticed a familiar home. "Hey, Ves, I just remembered. Yesterday, I ran into a weird old guy who said he was a Healer. Is there a chance he could give any advice, or anything? He's probably been an adventurer for decades."

She just looked at me like I was losing my mind. "Uh, there are no other Healers here."

"Really?... Maybe he was trying to make a joke."

"Okay, to be fair, it's possible that there could be another in Perrenbrook. He could be like Tabur. A guy with a class, but not actively adventuring, so most people might not know about it."

"Yeah, could be. He lived right there, so maybe we'll see him sometime."

Ves stopped in her tracks and pointed at the house. "There?" I nodded. "No, that's where Ms. Cooper and her kids live. My mom and I used to babysit-- uh, that's definitely her house."

That was the first time Ves had mentioned any family members, but it didn't seem like the right time to ask for more information. "That's weird. I know that this is the house the old man entered. I could see that big tree on the other side, and the crooked fencepost there..."

"You're still new here. Easy mistake to make." Ves shrugged and continued walking, and I caught up. Just before we turned a corner, I looked back at the house and saw a woman exiting with two young children in tow. Guess my sense of direction was never all that great.

It wasn't long before we left the bakery with a loaf of fresh bread. Despite our plans to eat it later, Ves and I couldn't resist sharing a piece while it was still warm. It ended up being at least as good as the scent suggested it would be, and it was hard to stop ourselves from devouring the whole loaf right then.

From there, we made our way over to the village hall. A familiar booming voice could be heard through the door before Ves could open it, giving me a brief flashback to walking in on Kael and Thia's argument. I was about to give Ves a heads up, but before I could say anything, the door was open.

Fortunately, this time, Kael was giving a deeply uninterested Mrs. Zurax a blow-by-blow recount of our encounter with the zombie rat queen. Ullun was nearby, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed, as she often did. She gave me a tiny nod in acknowledgement, which felt like a lot, coming from the stoic elf. Thia was nowhere in sight.

The tiny old goblin perked up when she noticed me and muttered "quiet, quiet" to Kael before greeting us. "Good morning, Vestele, and lovely to see you again, Jeremy. I think Mr. Xyrosia was just telling me about an arrangement between you and the Sterling Seekers?"

Kael laughed boisterously - he certainly seemed to be in a better mood than the last time I saw him. "Indeed, madam. I would like to complete the necessary forms to ensure that Ves and Jeremy can receive a regular stipend while they perform a service for the Seekers."

Mrs. Zurax groaned as she climbed off of her stool and slowly hobbled over to her collection of parchments. Kael approached me and Ves and clapped his hands together. "The two of you always seem to be in the right place at the right time. Your marks will be needed on the documents. Ah, and there is one additional change to the original plan."

Ves put a hand on her hip. "Here we go..."

"Do not think that this suggests a lack of confidence in your abilities, but I would very much appreciate it if a representative of the guild accompanied you for the duration of your assignment."

Although I immediately knew that he was referring to Thia, who had apparently followed my advice, the fur on Ves's tail stood on end and her expression hardened. "Oh, I'm not supposed to take that personally?"

"Certainly not! In fact, you'd be doing the guild an additional favor, and your stipend will be increased to reflect this." As if on cue, Ves's ears perked up, but her body remained tense. I knew exactly what she was thinking: more money is great, but we still don't want any strangers around if we discover the secret of the rune. "This would be considered as a type of training for the representative, and I cannot think of any better party for her to work with."

As much as I wanted to just tell Ves that it was Thia - I thought for sure that she'd put it together when Kael said "her" - I had to stay quiet for now. I didn't want Kael to realize that his sister and I had been "conspiring" behind his back, even if it was for something as innocent as this. All I could do was put my hand on her back, act clueless, and get us to the big reveal. "So, uh, does that mean someone is coming here from your headquarters?"

Kael stood as tall as possible, his smile and golden armor gleaming at us. "As it happens, she is already here."

I nearly burst into laughter as Ves made an incredulous glance over at Ullun, assuming Kael was referring to the silver-haired elf. It was as if Ves was deliberately jumping to all the wrong conclusions. Trying to keep a straight face, I asked Kael "Training... Do you mean Thia?"

All the tension drained from Ves, replaced by an embarrassed look. Kael nodded at me. "Spot on, Jeremy! In fact, she should be due here any moment."

Mrs. Zurax cleared her throat, drawing Kael's attention. She directed him to the sections of the parchments that he needed to fill out and sign. While we waited, I leaned closer to Ves so I could speak quietly. "Looks like we don't have a say in Thia joining the party, unless we want to forget the whole deal altogether. How do you feel?"

"Kinda nervous. But I think it'll be good. We'll have a lot to talk about."

I didn't know if she was referring to the situation with the Starting Cave, or about me - or maybe something else entirely different that I had been forgetting because of the fun I'd had with Ves.

It was then that the door to the village hall opened, and Thia entered, with her usual demure smile. As she moved closer, I saw some rosy blushing on her hazel skin. "Good morning, Jeremy, and it is wonderful to see you again, Ves! Did Kaelition share the news with you?"

It was hard to keep myself from smiling from ear to ear. "Yeah, we just found out - it's exciting!"

"It truly is! Brother, I need to converse with my new party members privately. Shall we step outside, party leader?" There was just a hint of a devilish grin on her face, accentuated by her black horns.

Ves and I followed Thia outside. As soon as the door closed, Thia clasped Ves's hands in her own. "Vestele, I am deeply sorry for my behavior in the cave! It will be an honor to be able to work with you again, should you forgive me."

Ves gently removed her hands, looking embarrassed. "Uh, no, no, it was my fault. I shouldn't've snapped at you. Sorry about that."

Thia breathed a sigh of relief. "Apology accepted, although I am responsible for my own actions, and I should not have allowed myself to react the way I did. Now this party can have a fresh beginning, with a new leader." She looked up at me with her deep blue eyes.

"Yeah, about that... At most, I have the same amount of experience with my class as the two of you, and I know basically nothing about this world. And a tank makes for a better leader anyway, right?"

Thia tilted her head. "Tank?"

"Oh, I guess 'Defender', in your case. A tough class that keeps the enemy's attention."

"I see. It is true that adventurers with classes such as mine are often designated as party leaders, but as you have been chosen by the Goddess, I believe you are destined for the role!"

Ves grinned. "'Chosen by the Goddess'?"

The rosy glow appeared on Thia's cheeks again. "I- That is... Due to Jeremy's unique circumstances, I have been considering the possibility that the Goddess brought him to Fielende for a higher purpose."

The netharri's grin only grew wider. "Did you tell her the part about how the Goddess gave you your own special message?"

Thia's already-large eyes widened considerably. "What?!" She moved even closer to me and held my hands, much as she had done with Ves. "Did something else happen?"

I told her, to the best of my recollection, what the Goddess had said to me when I got my class and how I didn't know it was unusual until I mentioned it to Ves. By the end, there were practically stars in Thia's eyes, and it was Ves's turn to hold back laughter.

"Then it's true... you must be chosen by the Goddess... Our party is blessed! Oh, Jeremy, I--"

The door to the village hall opened, revealing Ullun. She simply looked at us and said "Your turn."

I blinked. "Oh, the paperwork."

We went back to Mrs. Zurax's counter, where she was holding out a quill. "The party leader needs to make their mark, and we'll be finished."

Kael was just off to the side, a proud expression on his handsome face. "Did you accept the role, Jeremy?"

I took the quill from Mrs. Zurax and tried to find the part I was supposed to sign (which she had to point out to me). "Yeah, apparently I was born to do this."

"Well said! The blood of the adventurer flows through your veins!" He turned towards Ullun, who was still leaning against the nearby wall. "Ullun, would you please escort the ladies to the inn and bestow the initial stipend?"

My party members - it still felt weird to realize that I had party members, plural - exited the village hall behind Ullun. Ves was clearly annoyed at having to go with the aloof elf. Shortly after they were gone, Kael slapped a hand on my shoulder, nearly knocking me down, and chuckled.

"Jeremy, my friend, you know that I have the utmost faith in you."

"Thanks, Kael. We'll figure out what's going on in the cave and how dangerous it really is."

"Yes, yes, of course. And you should know that I was elated when Aralithia suggested staying in Perrenbrook when I told her about your assignment. The way my sister lights up when your name is mentioned - you're a lucky man, Jeremy."

Whoo boy. "You're right. I'm really lucky to have such great party members."

He leaned in closer, still smiling. "Certainly. But while Aralithia may be the party's Defender, I trust that you will do everything in your power to ensure she does not come to any harm. Of any sort. Do my words reach you?"

Oh, I knew exactly what he was talking about. And in this case, I didn't just have to placate a girlfriend's overprotective family member - I also needed to look good in front of the man who was, essentially, my boss.

I ran my hand through my hair in a show of casual confidence. "You've got nothing to worry about. And if anything does happen to Thia, well, Ves is a hell of a Healer."

Kael didn't react for a few moments, and just stared into my eyes. I wasn't sure if I should add anything else, but then he burst into a deep laugh, startling poor Mrs. Zurax. "Good man! I believe I can finish up here. Go catch up with your party."