5-11 Before dawn

5-11 Before dawn

“Will that be everything, milady?” asked Cassius, the steward of the manor.

“Yes, this is everything,” Erin answered with a gentle smile. “Thank you, Cassius.”

“It is my honour and pleasure, Lady Erynthea.” The old head servant took a deep bow as he expressed his genuine gratitude. “Your presence in the Grove has been a wonderful blessing. His Grace has been so gleeful for the fifty years I have been in servitude.”

“Oh, truly?”

“Truly, milady.”

Erin tittered and glanced over to Aedan with a warm gaze.

Aedan, along with a few manservants, were busy loading the cart of the wagon with the much-needed supplies as they would be taking this wagon for the continuation of their journey.

Their trip this time would be harsher than before as the route they would be taking was littered with danger, so they were stockpiling their supplies. The reason they chose this route was to avoid the zealots that were targeting them and also the nobles that might send people after them for whatever reason of greed.

There were some protests but ultimately, a decision was made. However, there was still a window for last-minute changes as they had yet to set out on their journey.

Erin then cast her gaze to the other side, where the girls were gathered. They were discussing their trip and the treacherous route they would be taking.

Erin smiled wryly when her sight focused on Nivia, who was the one protesting vehemently about the journey. Erin’s gaze warped into a stare of intent without breaking away from Nivia. Just a few days ago, she had done the deed with Nivia along with Aedan.

But when the next day came, Nivia acted as if nothing had transpired the day before, although Erin could tell Nivia was feigning ignorance. Erin could hear Nivia’s heartbeat which always began beating fast whenever Erin or Aedan got close to her.

“I suppose I can give her a few more days to adjust to her new circumstances. Like it or not, she’s officially part of my harem now.”

Now that Nivia’s passion and love had been united with Erin’s, she considered Nivia to be her woman now and she would never let her go.

While Erin was staring at Nivia with a tender, loving, and somewhat yearning gaze, the Elf herself was oblivious to Erin’s intentful eyes.

“This is just a plain retarded plan,” Nivia scoffed with a disbelief expression, her gaze fixed on the map of the area around Sephrodia Valley that was spread out on a round table. “The monsters along this route are not to be underestimated. There was even a confirmed sighting of a level fifty Rock Thrasher there.”

Olivia, Siv, Lyra, Lilian, Aera, and Amyra were standing around the table and each of them wore solemn expressions as they listened to Nivia’s remarks.

“Am I the only one who sees death here? Disregarding the monsters, look at this path here.” Nivia tapped a certain area on the map. “It’s narrow and there’s a very steep cliff just beside it. If it rains or there’s a storm while we are crossing here, we are done for.”

“I certainly wouldn’t want that,” Lyra muttered in agreement. “Wouldn’t want a repeat of last time.”

“I agree,” Siv nodded, recalling the time she fell off a steep cliff with Erin while engaging in combat with the Razor Grizzly. “While the experience had been thrilling, I would rather not experience it again.”

“The wagon you are provided with will not be so easily broken,” said Olivia. Unlike Nivia’s frantic tone, Olivia was calm and composed as if the dangers Nivia mentioned weren’t registered in her mind. “At worst, there will be dents but I can assure you that it can still be ridden and driven like usual.”

“You forgot the horses,” Nivia shot. “What about the horses if the wagon overturned and tumbled down the cliff?”

“Spirit Summoning. You can use Familiars summoned through Spirit Magic, no?”

“I can, Lilian can, Erin can too, but do you expect us to use a Familiar for the entire journey?”

“Yes,” Olivia answered with a nod as if it was a matter of fact. “Her Ladyship is more than adequate for that kind of endeavour, I believe.”

Nivia was about to give her harsh retort when she remembered Erin’s evolution. Erin was now a Seven-tailed Fox-kin and her Spirit affinity was greater than ever. Sustaining a Familiar for the entire journey would not be out of the question and the journey was only less than a week’s time.

“Other than the harsh terrains and the dangerous beasts, I don’t see any other problems,” Lilian gave her thoughts with her usual ever-present smile that exuded warmth and calmness.

Nivia stared at Lilian as if she was betrayed. In a way, she was betrayed as she expected Lilian to support her objection.

“Why can’t we take the normal roads again?” Aera asked in a timid voice that was barely audible.

“To avoid being ambushed by people who wished to kill us,” Siv explained briefly to the timorous Aera.

“And by doing so, we are plunging ourselves into places that could kill us just as easily,” Nivia grumbled.

“I rather face the threats of nature than the threats of people,” Lyra said.

“I am of the same opinion,” Lilian nodded, giggling.

Nivia sighed. “I don’t believe that makes this choice any better. We will be in danger regardless. And Lilian, shouldn’t you be the one who understands the dangers of nature the best?”

“You are not wrong, my dear Nivia. However, I also know the dangers to people and at least we can see the dangers coming and we can prepare accordingly without expecting any drastic changes. Can you say the same for the dangers from people?”

“...I suppose you’re right…” Nivia relented to Lilian’s argument. “But I still don’t like this. What if those… zealots followed us? What happens then?”

Lilian snickered. “As you said, I know the dangers of nature best but is it the same for our pursuers?”

Despite her seemingly warm smile, everyone felt a chill at Lilian’s words.

“For their sake, they better have done ample research or it will be their miserable and untimely deaths.” Lilian looked over the girls, glancing through her companions until her eyes rested on the tallest one of them all. “Amyra, you have been uncharacteristically silent throughout this discussion. You do remember that you will be coming with us, no? It is your own request, after all.”

“I know,” Amyra said. “It’s just… I’m having the same doubts as our Elven friend here.”

Nivia raised an eyebrow at Amyra. She was the last person Nivia expected to be on her side.

“Oh?” Lilian muttered in surprise but not by much. “How so?”

“You clearly underestimated these zealots. They are called zealots for good reasons. In the name of their divine, they would brave through all manners of dangers and threats even if they knew full well that they would just be rushing to their deaths. Taking this route would not deter them. The treacherous terrains and dangerous beasts do not matter to them.”

“Hmm… I suppose you have a good point there…”

“But I do agree with a point of yours?”

“Oh? You do?”

“If you know the dangers of nature as well as you claimed, then we can indeed use it to our advantage should those zealots choose to pursue us. But just so we’re at a mutual understanding, I prefer the normal route, where I can face my enemies on solid, even ground.”

“Well, I don’t believe it’s too late to make some changes to our plan. We haven’t begun our trip. So, how about a vote?”

As one would already expect, the vote was in favour of the “scenic” route.

“If we take the normal route, the zealots might come in a large drove along with Acolytes,” Siv gave her piece. “Also, I rather not face whatever the nobles had prepared for us. If we retaliate in response to their pursuit, they would just use this to their advantage.”

Siv, amongst the group, was the one who spent the most time in the companies of nobles due to her past employer. All the girls knew that and it was why they were nodding along to her words.

“Shameless fucks…” Amyra growled under her breath. “That certainly sounds like what those pompous pricks would absolutely do. We best leave this city ASAP.”

All the girls stared at Amyra in confusion.

“Asap?” Siv asked in everyone’s stead.

“It means as soon as possible.”

“Aedan?”

Amyra nodded. “Aedan.”

“Just where does he get these ideas from?” Nivia questioned with her arms crossed.

“He’s someone who has probably wandered the entire continent,” Amyra said. “Who knows what he has encountered in his adventures?”

“Very true,” Lilian affirmed with a chuckle.

“I say he encountered far too much for his own good,” Nivia continued with her grumbling. Unbeknownst to herself, her gaze was drawn to Aedan, who was still in the middle of loading the supplies onto the wagon.

Heat began rising from her heart and below her belly which then spread to her entire body. When the heat reached her head, she realised she had been staring quite intently at Aedan. Memories of the time she lost her virtue started surfacing in her mind, which was only a few days ago.

The sensation was still clear as day to her body. She remembered how she surrendered her entire being to the pleasure of the flesh and simply let herself get ravaged with reckless abandon. Her many fervid kisses with Erin also flashed across her mind, bringing the heat in her body to a near-boiling point.

Nivia closed her legs instinctively when she felt a shiver crawling down her spine and reached her tainted holy cavern. She was getting wet from recalling her first time. She shook her head and turned her eyes away from Aedan.

“Is everything alright, Nivia?” Siv, who was just beside her, asked in a tone filled with genuine concern.

“O-of course,” Nivia responded in a hurry. “W-why wouldn’t I be?”

While everyone else was baffled by Nivia’s strange reaction, only Lilian was in the know of the reason for Nivia’s frantic reaction. After all, Lilian was closely acquainted with a few of the maids and they often gossiped to one another about the various affairs in the Grove. Naturally, Erin’s salacious escapade became one of the topics of the gossip.

When Lilian heard first about it, even she was dubious of the gossip’s credibility. It wasn’t until Lilian went around verifying the truth that she was able to ascertain that particular gossip’s veracity. Still, Lilian was shocked that Nivia had lost her virtue and in a threesome no less.

Due to the vast array of matters that needed to be taken care of, Lilian didn’t get a chance to question Nivia about her first-time, until now.

Lilian’s lip twisted into a playful grin. She was standing on Nivia’s left side. She leaned into the Elf’s ear and whispered, “Already dying for a repeat of the pleasure he could give?”

Nivia’s face immediately turned as red as a tomato. Steam could be seen rising from atop her head as if her brain was overheating. “W-what are you saying!?” she hissed but it came out a squeal.

Nivia’s abrupt cry of denial drew all of the girls’ gaze to her.

Nivia glared at Lilian hard. “Y-you…!”

“What? Good news should be shared amongst friends, no?”

“There’s time and place for everything!”

“Good news? What good news?” Lyra inquired.

“As of a few days ago, there’s no longer a vestal girl amidst us,” Lilian said proudly.

At the Dryad’s words, Lyra’s gaze hardened towards Nivia. “When was this?”

“What does it matter?” Nivia huffed. “Why are we moving away from the main topic here?”

“This is our main topic now,” Lyra said.

“It was Master Aedan, right?” Siv asked. “How was it when you… did it with him?”

“Come on, tell us. What was it like?” Lyra urged. “Was he rough or was he—”

“His Grace can be quite violent but also tender at the same time,” Amyra chimed in.

“I’m telling you all nothing!”