Along their journey through the forest to the city of Arkansas, Xena, Alina, and Belle told lots of stories of their lives to Lyan.
The story of how Xena, Alina, and Belle got into slaves after getting caught by bandits, and how they got saved by the Madam and the others, and their life inside the courtesan house.
"Because of me... If I have not brought them to the river back then... All of this wouldn't happen..." Xena once again buried her face in Lyan's chest as she laments on the decision of hers, inviting her dear best friends to the river back then.
"Hm... I understand your regret. But hear me," (Lyan)
"Hm?" Xena raised her head, while the other girls also shifted their gaze toward Lyan and wait what he was going to say.
"If you hadn't brought the two of them to the river, the three of you might resist the bandits together, and one of you- All of you might die because of it. Considering how your family and your guards got easily wiped out, your safety wouldn't be guaranteed if you didn't come to the river together. So based on this thought, wouldn't it be that you 'saved' them instead?" (Lyan)
Xena's eyes widen because of Lyan's words. The thought of her bringing the two of them to such a sad fate always haunts her mind nonstop. And Those words from him give her a huge impact.
"I... Saved them...?" (Xena)
"Yes! Now that you think of it, he's right, Xena-chan!" (Belle)
"Yeah! Thank you, Xena!" (Alina)
"I see... Is that so...?" Tears started to flow again from her eyes.
The three of them had opened up even more to Lyan, but unlike them, the two grandchildren of Abraham are still wary of him. They occasionally took a wary gaze as if they are worried that Lyan might do something to the three girls.
(They're educated well by the old man, I see) (Lyan)
The three of them continue to tell stories varying from the story of one of the courtesan house's girls, and stories from their daily lives. And because of that, without their realizing, they already arrived in front of the city gate.
"You... You're back! Please quickly get inside and rest, I'm glad that the rescue expedition went well!" The guard immediately let them in with a full smile. He knows the identity of the girls that were abducted by the goblins since the girls' fame is spread widely inside the city that almost no one didn't know them. He knew about the rescue expedition since he was the one who guards the gate when the Madam and the others went out from the gate, and she told him about the matter. If the city had known that they were abducted, it would have made a big uproar.
"Thank you for saving the ladies, sir," The young guard gives Lyan a deep bow.
"No need to thank me. I didn't do anything," Replied Lyan indifferently as he proceed to enter the city.
"Didn't do anything your ass, you even killed two goblin champion variants and one normal goblin champion. That alone is a crazy feat, you know that!?" Raine rebuked, it seems that she couldn't help herself from giving out a comment.
"So it was such a big deal..." (Lyan)
"It is!! Argh!! The way that you act so chill about it is frustrating me for getting excited by myself!!" Raine rustles her white hair in frustration.
"Ah. By the way, you could let me down now. I-It's kind of embarrassing to be carried like this on my age, you know...?" (Xena)
"Could you walk alone already?" (Lyan)
"Um... I think?" Xena answered ambiguously as she herself didn't know whether she has enough strength to walk towards the courtesans' house yet or not.
"Then it's not good. If you're bothered by people looking, then it can't be helped. We'll be going ahead," (Lyan)
"Eh!? Eh!?!?" (Xena)
Lyan suddenly jumped to a house's roof and started to travel from roof to roof with Xena in his arms.
It was her first time looking at the city from up high like this, looking at the nightlife of the city from such high places made her got captivated by the sight. Not long after, they finally arrived at the back of the courtesans' house.
"I guess this is your stop, can you stand?" Lyan gently put her down and helped her stand.
"I can. There's no need to worry. By the way, which inn did you stay at? Do you mind telling me?" (Xena)
"Hm? I stay at the scholar's inn, know about it?" (Lyan)
"Ah!! So you're there! By the way, let me whisper you something," Xena gave him a beckoning sign with her hand.
Following her words, Lyan approached her face with his ears, waiting for the whispered words, but-
*Kiss!*
A soft sensation filled a part of his right cheek for a moment, making him widen his eyes in surprise.
"D-Don't forget to come here in the morning tomorrow! T-The Madam said that she will give you the rewards tomorrow, okay? Bye!!" She immediately run inside the house with a flushed face.
Letting out a chuckle while holding his right cheek, Lyan turn back and muttered.
"She ran. Seems like her strength had gotten fully recovered already, huh," (Lyan)
******************************************
"It's morning," Lyan uttered to himself.
"But there is no single sound from the spirits yet since yesterday, are they dead? I guess no, I sent the food I ordered from the inn last night and this morning, and they quickly got empty when I summoned the plates back. So they must be eating all of them. But none of them is answering my calls..." (Lyan)
Ever since he opened the master's room inside the grimoire's space, the spirits haven't made a single contact with him. He even make sure to keep the television and the communication on, but no one answered him despite having the food he delivered eaten.
He wanted to check inside the grimoire's space, but somehow, he has a feeling that he might regret it if he checked inside it right now.
"I guess I'll just go to the courtesan house and collect my rewards. I guess today will be another day without people bickering inside my mind..." (Lyan)
****************************************
---Last Night---
Not long after Lyan went to the scholar's inn, the four girls arrived at the house together and met Xena that has already cleaned up her body with the towel and changed into clean clothes, sitting at one of the staff's drinking corners.
"Where's that guy? Did he leave already?" (Raine)
"Yeah. He went right back to the inn after putting me down on the front of the house," (Xena)
"Hm... Hm?" Alina noticed an odd thing on Xena.
"Xena. Don't you think your face is very flushed?" Alina points at Xena's face.
"N-No! Of course not! W-Why would I!?" Xena covered her face with one hand.
"Did you feel strange? Maybe a fever because of the traumatic experience you just had? Or maybe that bastard did something to you!?" Ravia approached Xena, flustered.
"N-No! I'm fine, really! I didn't do anything to him- I mean he didn't do anything to me!" Xena's face got even more flushed than before.
"Is that so... Belle," (Alina)
"Yes. It must be that, Alina-chan. There's no doubt," Belle replied as she nods.
"Hm? Xena... What is that you're holding so tightly with your left hand?" Alina points at the black cloth on Xena's lap.
"T-This is... A blanket?" (Xena)
"Liar! That's Lyan's cloak, isn't it!? What are you monopolizing it for!? And what happened on your way here?! Tell me!!" Alina shakes Xena's shoulders as her right hand stealthily went to the cloak on Xena's lap.
"I-I didn't do anything!! I-It's just a kiss for thanks!! And it's not like I do it on his lips!! It's just his cheeks!!!" (Xena)
"Y-y-y-y-you kissed him!?!? How dare you to steal a march on us!!!!" Alina screamed as she pulled the cloak with both of her hands.
"I-It's not like there's a rule that I need to wait for you guys anyway, right!?" Xena struggled to pull back the cloak.
"Well... There's none! But aren't in this kind of time, you should be thinking that 'he's such a great man, it will be better if I let him with one of my friends rather than keeping him for myself or something along those lines, don't you think!?" (Alina)
"What the hell are you even saying, you glutton swordswoman!!" (Xena)
"I don't know myself, you slutty scout!!" (Alina)
"Hehehe~" (Belle)
Belle's sudden giggle made the both of them stop their quarrel and shifted their gaze toward her. At first, they thought that her giggle is because of their childish quarrel that has been long since happened, but when they saw the feverish face and the rough breathing of hers, they realized that it was not the matter.
"B-Belle?" (Xena)
"Eh? Yes?" (Belle)
"Now that I think about it, isn't Belle the one that requested him to join in rescuing us?" (Alina)
"Ah! You know!? You know!? Belle-chan said that the reward from her for that guy if we successfully rescue the two of you is her body!! And He immediately accepts it after that!!" (Raine)
"R-Raine-chan!?!?" (Belle)
""Belle... You what!?!?!?""
____________________________________________________________________________
<-200 Elnes (Food)>
Name: Lyan
Occupation: Mercenary
Money: 22,600 Elnes
Weapon: None
Equipment: Black leather cloak
Grimoire's Companions: 8 High Spirits, Shadow Hobgoblin