The journey to the East was rather quiet and relaxed. Although Aruru seemed a little strange, sometimes coming to the side of Grendel when Moko was sleeping and brushing herself against him like a cat or something.
When he asked, she pouted and turned away with a "Hmph!" but never left him. She was extremely sticky to him from the start.
However, seeing her status, he wondered if she was adopted... Not the same as her sister or Narua.
[Shadow Guard of Aruru Lionetta]
Name: Aruru Lionetta
Age: 19
Allegiance: Mother, Moko and (Grendel! <3)
Level: 5
Skills: [Wind Magic - Level 2], [Judgement - Lvl 8], [Instinct - Level 8], [Gluttonous - Level 5], [Masochism - Level1], [Tsundere - Level 9], [Archery - Level 2]
Weakness: Although she seems mindless, her instinct is strong. Her weakness is only her affection towards Grendel and Maid Moko. Maybe her love for food too...
'The issue is this woman...' Grendel thought as the black-haired maid with a smart look scowled at him.
Moko seemed to distrust him completely, but her colours and sins showed a small wrath and envy. 'It doesn't make sense for her to feel so little yet act so strange...'
Tomorrow morning they would reach the city, and he didn't want any issues with it being the territory of the prince he killed and the brother he insulted somehow because of his slut wife; as Eruda was Aruru's sister, he wouldn't be heartless.
Sadly the carriage was filled with others, and there was no way to discuss it privately, so Grendel just closed his eyes, as the princess of the Lionetta used him as a human heat blanket for the last night.
***
Grendel felt his body shaken; the strange sound of people speaking and shouting so early was annoying and reminded him of mandatory practice in the Savant camp.
Opening his eyes, he saw Aruru looking out the back of the carriage with an excited face, looking at him and pointing at various trinkets, foods and buildings made with concrete and different coloured bricks.
"Look! Look! It's a Kebab~ delicious skewered meats ah... I am so glad we made money from those orc corpses!"
Aruru's recommendation letter let them through the gates without problem, and the people on the carriage left elsewhere. 'I wonder where those 10 women went... their bodies were filled with perfect muscles, and even the Runic board couldn't read their attributes.'
Oddly, neither Aruru nor Moko mentioned them, so he just dropped it and climbed out the back with the lovely lioness.
A burning heat assaulted them as the dirt path was a little dirtier than you imagine from the well-crafted buildings. Lots of waste food, rubbish and some human and animal excrement...
'Disgusting.' Grendel thought.
Moko vanished earlier as he held Aruru's hand. She seemed to know this place well, telling him all the best snacks, vendors, and the 'bad guys' who sold nasty meat and food, but it felt warm to him...
Somehow it was the first moment of peace other than the arms of Narua.
"What are you two doing? A tired voice sounded from the maid while the cute Aruru pouted as her blonde hair danced in the warm winds. "Just browsing..." She responded with a cheeky tone.
"Okay... Take these coins, buy enough breakfast for us all, and return to the house."
"Mmm! Moko is the best!" She chirped, before heading down the path, with a smile and song. "Goodbye, Grendel~ hehe, but lots of skewers and eat them secretly."
Before he could react, Moko grabbed his hand, and the strength of her grip was nothing like her fair and dainty look... It was like Narua! As she dragged him into a fancy building with a large space inside.
***
"So tell me why you plan to become a mercenary but insist on having the princess and me away from you! What are you plotting using her kindness as a shield!"
This all started because he spoke about forming a mercenary group, but wanted to have separate teams, one for them and the other for he would lead...
But Moko seemed to have misunderstood and became irate! When he used his spirit eyes, he also realised she was more than just a maid!
[Shadow Guard of Aruru Lionetta]
Name: Moko (Moko'lin Varumu - True Name Abandoned)
Age: 38
Allegiance: Aruru
Level: 25
Skills: [Dagger Mastery - Level 6], [Assassination - Level 8], [Devotion - Level 8], [Acting - Lv6], [Masochism - Level 1], [Ice Magic - Level 5]
Weakness: She is a virgin and doesn't understand the opposite sex; thus takes a distance and may lead to errors in judgment: Aruru, her saviour and the light of her life.
"You misunderstand Moko, Aruru. It's not that I want to be apart from you. I will have you lead the female mercenaries we hire and train."
"I will train any males that would join."
"..."
His green eyes shone, seeing their colours feeling more relaxed. The envy Aruru shrank. Instead, she seemed to feel a sense of greed and pride.
As for Moko, there was nothing like a mask. He couldn't see anything from her except the devotion to Aruru and the wrath directed towards himself.
"Moko, you are skilled with calculation and general clerical work. I will have you support Aruru with the logistical and clerical side of things."
"Checking the people we hire are worth her company, weeding out any unwanted people. Male or Female."
Mercenaries differed from Adventurers, although they got the same requests early on. The larger deals that Mercenaries got needed larger groups and were more dangerous, but only coin mattered to them instead of stupid morals or desires like fame.
"Oh? I thought you would surround yourself with women and have a lovely harem of beauties who worshipped you!" Moko said with a slightly sharp voice before Grendel's body vanished as he used ⟪Dash⟫, catching her off guard and cornering her against the wall, his arms on either side of her face.
She could feel his hot breath blowing down her neck while his fierce but beautiful eyes stared at her quietly. "You and Aruru are the only women I want in my harem." His words caused her mouth to open in shock before he suddenly kissed her.
The sweet taste of his saliva was like a strawberry sponge cake as her tongue was wrapped and toyed with by his, unable to push him away as her mouth sucked on his completely by instinct, her chest racing as she closed her eyes.
*Bang!*
Aruru slammed through the door, with a happy face carrying skewers with sticky sauce, the two now on opposite sides of the room with Moko fixing her blouse and wiping her lips... sucking the sweet taste of his saliva off her finger, her eyes darting in his direction as a pair of cat's ears appearing from her hair and along feline tail swayed with a bushy texture.
"AH!? Moko, your cute tail is all puffed out!" Aruru pointed her skewer at the maid before scowling at Grendel. "Hmph! Why did you make Moko cry? Her tail only gets like that when extremely happy or sad!"
The poor Aruru didn't realise her words caused Grendel to smile, peeking at the black cat who was now shocked at her lord's light mouth, covering her face with a sigh.
'So the black-haired maid likes to be coerced into kissing, or maybe she just finds my face attractive.'
But now he could see it—her body became pink when he pushed his arms against the wall! Maidens love rather than the deep pink of Narua.
'Sharp mouth, tofu heart.' Not only that, but her Masochism level had increased.
Grendel thought as he walked over to the two, now ready to apply for the mercenary exam.