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Dusk approached with a chill breeze and clouds. The sky had been clear of clouds but now, they had gathered. Erin stared at the sky with an uneasy feeling but she brushed it off. She had a queer encounter during the day, one that ended with loose ends. Perhaps in fear of retaliation, Erin remained vigilant more than before on their journey.

Though at the end of the day, her uneasy feeling was unwarranted as they safely reached Valenolk without any more encounters. At most, it was just a bunch of people staring at her in awe along the road. As they were near a town, the presence of people also increased drastically. Having enough of the various types of gazes, she cast Twilight Veil on herself to disguise her Fae’s features. Her facial structure and features remained the same. Her eyes and hair changed to match the locals’ to be inconspicuous. Her hair was now only neck length and dark brown of colour. Her eyes were no longer amber but blue. Even without her Fae features, Erin was still a beauty to behold. The stares may have lessened but it was still a numerous amount of dazed expressions.

Reaching the entrance gate of Valenolk, they were stopped by guards with shabby armour and weapons.

“Halt!” the tallest guard among the five stopped Erin’s cart.

The other people were coming and going through the gate as they pleased, which gave rise to Erin’s suspicions of the guard’s purpose in stopping her. The other guards raised their weapons and their focus on Erin.

“Your papers, please,” the tall guard demanded. Erin had expected some crude words but the guard’s tone was humble.

Erin gestured for Siv and Lyra to be at ease before responding to the guard. “Why are we stopped?” she asked.

“This is a small town, lass,” the guard answered. “Everyone knows each other here but I do not know you or your friends. So, your papers are in order to pass.”

Valenolk was even smaller than Green Scar’s town and the soldiers stationed around seemed even less experienced. Erin expected offhanded treatment but the guard was surprisingly ruly and courteous. Not a hint of arrogance or annoyance was present as he answered her questions. Erin complied and handed the guard their adventurer tags. The guard’s brows were raised at the sight of their tags.

“You are adventurers? How unexpected,” the guard mused as he handed Erin back their adventurer tags after examining them briefly.

“Do we not look like adventurers to you?” Lyra asked from the back.

“I have not met any adventurers that could afford a horse, let alone a cart and two horses,” the guard replied. “You must be very skilled.”

“I am nothing much but Erin here is a—” Lyra boasted as she pointed at Erin.

Siv slightly nudged Lyra with her elbow.

“What?” Lyra shot.

“We do not need the attention,” Siv told her sternly in a whisper.

“Forgive me, good sir,” Erin said, diverting the guard’s attention back to her. “She’s a little excited. It’s her first time being this far from home. We are merely seeking an inn for the night and we’ll be on our way on the dawn of morrow.”

“I see,” the guard said. “Regardless, it’s a silver each to pass through our town.”

“Pardon me, sir,” Siv interjected. “But the entrance tax of an adventurer is covered by the Adventurer’s Guild.”

“I am aware but we do not have an Adventurer’s Guild here. So, either you produce a silver each or you sleep in the woods tonight.”

“There’s no guild here? Impossible,” Siv uttered.

“There was one but monsters are few here. So, the guild closed eventually. Adventurers still pass through here but they never stay for more than two days,” the guard explained.

“Isn’t a silver a bit too much?” Lyra questioned. “We’re merely passing through.”

“No one’s forcing you to pay, lassie. You’re free to circle around our town.”

Lyra clicked her tongue in response. The three all knew in order to go around the town, it would take more than a week as the town was built over a forest. The forest was essentially a vast bridge of a vast lake. Whoever built the town over the forest knew travellers would have to pay to pass through if they did not wish for their travel to be extended by a week. It was a clever scheme.

Erin sighed. “Fine,” she said.

“What?” Lyra blurted out. “You’re going to pay? This is a robbery!”

Erin gestured Lyra to calm down and winked at the two.

Siv nodded and smiled with an understanding gaze while Lyra stared on in confusion.

Erin looked at the guard and smiled. “Good sir, we have a long and arduous journey. We have encountered many men who have tried to kill us. You are the first decent man we have come across in a while. I will be grateful if you would overlook our fees, kind sir.”

“Lass, you better give up. I am not easy—”

Erin smiled turned sultry and the man’s mouth stopped moving. Keeping her sultry smile, she laid her hand on the man’s shoulder.

“Please,” Erin whispered sweetly. “I am sure you are not like the other men. I can tell you are special. After all, you don’t look at us the same gazes as your boorish subordinates.”

“Y-yes,” the guard replied with a stutter.

Siv’s understanding gaze had flipped and confusion riddled her face. Lyra mouth and eyes were agape. She tried to say something but no words came out as she watched how Erin “persuaded” the guard.

“Well then, good sir. Would you allow us through the gate now?”

The guard nodded. He turned around and ordered his men to open the gate. While his men held some apprehension and doubts, none of them seemed willing to argue with the tall guard. The tall guard was level fifteen while the others weren’t even past the level of ten. They all nodded their heads and opened the gates for Erin and her cart to pass through.

The tall guard’s gaze trailed after Erin as they entered the Valenolk. Even after they were some distance from the gate, the guard’s gaze was still on them.

“What did you do?” Lyra asked after they turned right on the junction of the street.

Erin sighed. Her sultry smile disappeared and a face of disgust spread on her face. “I was hoping I didn’t need to do that.”

“Just what was that?” Lyra threw her question. This time, she spun Erin around by her arm. “Answer me.”

“It’s a gift— of sorts...” Erin answered hesitantly.

“From who?”

“My Divine Guardian...”

“A charm spell,” Siv muttered.

Erin nodded at Siv’s guess.

“And you accept this gift?” Lyra questioned further.

“It wasn’t something that I could refuse. It wasn’t a choice. It’s part of Lust Deviant.”

Lyra released Erin’s arm and slumped back to her seat. “What a tasteless god,” she grumbled with a huff.

“It’s not all bad,” Erin said. “It’s tasteless but it’s handy.”

“Undeniably,” Siv added.

“Don’t start,” Lyra warned with a glare at the Wolf-kin.

Since the town was small, they didn’t need any directions from the townsfolk for them to find an inn. The inn was a lodging that doubled as a tavern. Erin entered the inn alone, leaving Siv and Lyra to look after the cart and the horses. Her entrance turned a few drunken gazes at first but as the first few drunken gazes whistled in awe, all the other patrons followed. Though not everyone was gazing at Erin, it was still a considerable number of gazes filled with varying intentions.

Erin strode to the counter without entertaining those gazes like she always did. The individual behind the counter was a rough man in his forties. His scars and muscles told Erin enough of the man’s history. That said, the man wasn’t without desires as Erin’s appearance caused a stir in his brows.

“Evening, sir,” Erin greeted.

“Sir?” The man chuckled. “I’m no sir. I am Hank, a mere humble bartender but a former soldier of the kingdom’s army. How can I help ya, pretty lass?”

Hearing the bartender’s boast, the patrons groaned loudly as if they had listened to the boast for the hundredth time.

“I would like a room for three, the best you got. And also we need a place to let our horses rest.”

“Aye, for sure.” The man nodded and produced a key from under the counter. “The finest and biggest room. For a pretty lassie like ya, I say four silver.”

Erin raised an eyebrow. “What’s the normal rate?” she asked.

“Six silver,” the man answered.

“Then, here’s six silver,” she said and slid the man six pieces of silver coins over the counter.

“Whoa, ya sure about this, lassie?”

“I am,” Erin replied firmly.

“This is awfully generous of you, lassie. Tell ya what, I’ll throw in a free breakfast.”

“That is much appreciated. Just have it packed. My companions and I will be leaving at dawn.”

“Aye, can do. Anything for ya, lassie.”

“Oi, missy!” one of the patrons shouted. “Come and have a drink with us. Our treat.”

“Silence, you drunkards!” Hank roared. “She is my guest now. If any of you here try something funny, you’ll get it from me.” Hank ended his threat with a wink at Erin.

Erin simply smiled wryly in response.

Without any more fuss, Erin parked the cart behind the inn and made their way to the second floor where the lodging rooms were. They greeted a tavern maid as they walked to their room. The maid swooned as Erin smiled at her as a greeting. The three entered their room, with Siv being the last, and as soon as she shut the door, Lyra turned and met Erin with a peculiar glare.

“What?” Erin asked.

“Is it just me or does your alluring effect seems to have become stronger recently?” Lyra asked in return. “That maid was captivated by your smile.”

“If it had become stronger, I wouldn’t know. It’s not like I use it at every appearance of a problem.”

Siv did not participate in the exchange and headed just straight for the bed. As her body touched the soft mattress, she let out a sigh of relief. “Cotton… not bad,” she mused to herself. Erin was a little surprised at Siv’s attitude but her attention was ultimately on Lyra, who was giving her a very fretful look.

“I’m worried, Erin. What if your… desire spins out of control in a very difficult situation?”

“Then you need not worry. That would not be happening.”

“Why are you so sure?”

Erin smiled. “Because I made sure of it. I was bestowed with another gift by my Divine Guardian. This gift was something that I chose myself.”

Lyra narrowed her eyes. “What is this gift that you have failed to tell me about?” She took a step forward.

“Truly sorry about that,” Erin chuckled nervously and took a step back in response. “Well… I have convinced her that Lust Deviant would be very inconvenient for her and me. If she wishes to see great results from the quest she has given me, Lust Deviant has to go. She was reluctant and bitter about it but she agreed with my reasoning. However, I was told it couldn’t be done. She couldn’t remove it without killing me. Lust Deviant was ingrained in my soul. Lust Deviant is the bridge between her and me as her apostle. You’re following?”

Lyra nodded after a brief moment.

“So, she came to a compromise.”

“What compromise?”

“Mystic Blade, my ultimate ability as I view it, draws on my life force as the compensation. Now, it draws on a different source.”

“Your lust...”

“Yes, my lust… As the aspect of lust, my lust is so great that it could serve as sustenance for a spell. Although, my lust would build up faster and stronger if there’s no more to draw from me.”

“W-wait… that means that we can’t—”

“Of course, we can,” she stopped Lyra with her words. “You of all people should know not to underestimate how strong my desires are, Lyra.”

Lyra broke into a devilish grin. “Of course. It slipped my mind. That was terrible of me. Please punish this insolent woman of yours who doubted you.”

Erin pulled Lyra close until their bosoms touched, and she wrapped her arms around Lyra's waist. “I intend to,” she whispered into her ears.

****

The evening sky was painted black as the night arrived and so did a certain cloaked man. The cloaked man approached the gate into Valenolk. It was almost midnight and the soldiers standing guard were now only three. The tall guard from before was no longer there.

“Halt!” a scrawny guard stopped the cloaked man from afar. The suspicious figure was barely in the light of the torches that illuminated the gate but it was enough to rouse the guards’ attention. “Say yer name and business and not a step closer, stranger!”

“A Fae passed by here. Where did she go?” the cloaked man asked.

“There’s no Fae here, stranger. Say yer name and business or we won’t be so polite with ya.”

“Hmm… you are not lying. The Fae has hidden herself,” the cloaked man mused to himself. “No matter. I will find you.”

“What are you on about, stranger? Answer me!”

“As you wish.” The cloaked man lifted his head and his hood, revealing his face which had a portion disfigured. “My name is Rayor and I’m looking for my daughter. I heard she was travelling with a Fae.”

The guards shrieked at Rayor’s face. The scrawny guard drew his sword in an instant but Rayor’s hand moved faster. In a split second, the scrawny guard’s head slid off his neck and his body collapsed. The rest of the guards shrieked louder, attracting the attention of the guards from the other side of the gate.

Rayor chuckled to himself. “Time to see what I’m capable of,” he said with a grin.