Quinlan tightens his grip around my throat for one moment before releasing me completely. I fall to my knees like a puppet whose strings have been cut and greedily gasp for air to fill my empty lungs while massaging my neck. It hurts…
Yet I’m still smiling? I enjoyed this exchange even though I got completely owned?
How? Why? What’s wrong with me?
My strange assailant reaches a hand out to me, and I reluctantly grab him to allow myself to be pulled up. “You have what it takes to be a good fighter, Lucille.” He states, then adds with a mocking smirk, “however, you seem to like barking at the wrong tree just like your panty pooper hubby.”
I can’t help but laugh. “Hehehe! Yeah, maybe I really am stupid… But this exchange… It was so much fun! How am I supposed to go back to washing the dishes after this?!”
“You’re asking the wrong person, I’m horrible at doing housework. However, we are going on a labyrinth dive in an hour or so. Wanna come?” He asks nonchalantly, like he just invited me to a walk in the city.
My eyes flutter wide open and my heart skips a beat. Me? In a labyrinth? With every corridor, every chamber teeming with dangerous monsters? Where horrendous creatures are baring their sharp fangs and claws, aiming to snuff my life out? Where a single mistake can be the end?
…
“I would love to!” I yell energetically. ‘It’s official, I’ve gone mad.’ “I even have an axe lying around somewhere… But there’s no labyrinth in Braedon, I can’t just leave the inn behind for days… Also, what about armor?”
He shrugs dismissively. “Don’t worry your pretty little head about the location. As for your second question, stop looking at me with those hopeful, big puppy eyes of yours, woman. I’m not running a charity over here, especially not for married chicks who go home to sleep in another man’s arms at the end of the day.”
I can’t help but scoff dismissively. “I haven’t slept in the same room as that loser in the past decade, let alone the same bed. But you are right, I can’t expect you to pay for my stuff, and I don’t. I have a few silver coins saved up that I could spare, what sort of armor would you recommend I buy?”
“With that much you can only hope to get leather armor. It will be more than enough, after all, you will only fight on the first floor or maybe second where we can step in should you mess up.”
“Okay! Then I’m off to make the purchase so you all don’t have to wait for this old woman.”
“Wait one second.”
I turn around my heels just to see him tower over me once again. This time, the air around him changes to something… sinister. Evil even. “There’s one thing I haven’t told you yet. You are only welcome if you swear an oath to me, both with the Goddess’s name and the safety of your family on the line that you will never divulge any information about what you see while being in our party.
Be they strength, abilities, tactics, topics of discussion. Nothing.”
I get goosebumps again. All my instincts are telling me that this man is extremely dangerous. He would not hesitate to exact vengeance should I betray him, that much I am absolutely sure of.
He exudes so much sheer pressure… So this is what real intimidation is. I can’t even use my brain to think up a response, or open my mouth to voice a meek ‘yes’. I just begin bobbing my head vehemently. ‘Please, just stop this insane killing intent…’
With a trembling voice I swear my eternal silence to him. I wonder why he needs so much secrecy… Aren’t they just a fighter group on the rise?
The killing intent disappears just as swiftly as it appeared. Quinlan’s stern features change into a confident one. “Good. Amazing even. Look at you, standing tall even after experiencing much worse pressure than your cherished hubby did when I pressed him.”
I can’t help but get annoyed. “Young man, don’t think I didn’t notice the fact that you keep insinuating that I’m head over heels for my husband when you are awfully aware that there’s no love lost between us, just to keep poking fun at me. You better stop bullying this lady!”
He chuckles and asks in a tone that is dripping with arrogance, “or?”
I stomp my feet on the ground in frustration, but a strange, confident grin makes its way onto my features. “Or I will beat you into a pulp once I become strong enough!”
“You will be waiting for that day to come for a very, very long time, miss innkeeper.”
“Hmph!”
…
– PoV: Quinlan –
I knew there was something more to this seemingly unassuming woman than what meets the eye initially. She has extreme self-preservation instincts, with amazing reflexes to boot. Everyone can become a high leveled warrior after enough years of grinding- as long as they don’t perish or become crippled for life in the process- but that doesn’t mean they will be actually good at combat.
Having a high level just means having good stats and fancy abilities, but if you lack good instincts and innate reflexes you will never become truly excellent.
She has what it takes to be a good fighter, but honestly I’m reluctant to invest into her. I don’t want to babysit a level 1 noobie for who knows how long it would take for her to become relevant. The only reason I even invited her was, beyond feeling sorry for her, was that Aurora is a newbie as well who needs guidance, so what’s one more?
Having a complete beginner with us today will make Aurora feel better about herself, but I don’t know if we’ll have anything to do with Lucille again after tomorrow.
While she went to acquire her armor I took Aurora to a wand shop.
These items help a spellcaster focus, supposedly. It will lessen casting time and increase control. Small wands offer less boost in exchange for their portable size and weight, while staves help more, but are pretty unwieldy, especially for a physically weak person like my platinum haired enchanter.