They next visited a vendor specializing in space expansion, where they bought a pre-designed garden room along with animal stables and a field, all funded by shared contributions.
Everyone decided to buy room expansions for themselves, and Aria went all out, getting several sizable additions for Paul's room because, as she put it, she enjoys having her own space. Nick also added a couple more rooms to his collection, opting for a charming cottage design. He even set aside an extra room for Muffin and her potential puppies, though they were uncertain about what she would deliver. Regardless, Nick was ready to shower them with love. Afterward, they dropped Cherry off at the carriage, where she worked on enhancing the garden and animal quarters, happily planting her tree right in the middle of the garden. They left the two androids to keep watch over the carriage and took Fin with them to the restaurant, where they had plans to meet the guys for dinner.
When they arrived, Paul, Brian, and Elek were already there, sitting at a long table overlooking the balcony and a wide window behind them. There were cushions instead of the chairs that the Heroes were accustomed to. The guys had already ordered and were stuffing their faces with their veils flipped up.
"Come, come sit next to me and get a plate, beautiful," Brian said to Inga.
Inga's eyes widened in astonishment as she took a seat on the cushion beside Brian. The moment she settled in, he leaned closer and pressed his lips against hers, his hand cradling the back of her head as he kissed her passionately.
"I've wanted to do that since I first saw you," he said and released her before grabbing a large leg of meat and biting a big chunk off.
"How much have you been drinking?"
"Just a smidge, don't make it tough on him," Paul said.
"We received complimentary drinks from everyone. Is this the experience for females? It's no surprise that many females frequently enjoy nights out. I often pondered how they manage to cover the costs," said Elek.
"He's right, it would have been rude to turn down free drinks. We need to disguise ourselves as women more often," said Brian.
"Well I'm not going on a date with you like this," said Inga.
"No worries! You can't really escape me when we're stuck in the same carriage, right? I'll just keep at it, 'cause us Earth guys, we don't give up easily," Brian said.
Inga blinked her eyes in surprise, she'd never seen him act like this before.
He grinned, "I know you like me, babe," as he slipped his hand under her robe and gave her a playful smack on the backside. Then, he leaned closer, teasing her neck with little nibbles while his fingers played with her soft tail.
"You!" Inga exclaimed, her cheeks practically on fire. Her tail flicked back and forth, betraying her giddy excitement at his attention, though thankfully, no one else seemed to notice.
They were munching away, and oh my goodness, Brian was totally sneaking in some cheeky tail pets and, um, a little squeeze of Inga's backside from beneath her cloak! Inga just kept eating, not saying a word, but her eyes were sparkling like stars, and her heart was doing a happy dance. Seriously, what was it about this guy that made her feel all fluttery inside?
Suddenly, a deafening roar of an engine filled the air, accompanied by the sound of numerous footsteps. The restaurant door swung open violently, and a throng of armed guards surged inside, at least fifty of them squeezing into the already crowded space, forcing other diners to press against the walls to avoid being trampled. A man clad in full armor stepped forward, pushing through the ranks of his fellow guards, and positioned himself in front of their table. He unfurled a scroll and declared, "By the decree of Grand Duke Elsworth, under the authority of King Vlorian, we are ordered to take your group into custody."
"Seriously, what were you all up to before we showed up? Did you really think getting wasted was a good idea, considering it landed us in this mess?" said Jayla.
"I've never been arrested before. What are they going to do to my poor Muffin? She doesn't like being handled by strangers. Does this mean I'll have a criminal record?!" said Nick.
The soldiers grasped the arms of the group and hoisted them to their feet, while a different armored figure secured heavy metal cuffs around their ankles.
"I demand to know why we're being arrested, we have rights!" said Jayla.
"It is important to note that our rights are somewhat limited. While I cannot speak to the specifics of your world, in our society, individuals holding the title of Duke or higher often enjoy considerable freedom in their actions. Naturally, as a hero, your status will elevate once you have successfully restored the Subjugation Stone, but that moment has yet to arrive," said Elek.
"So, let me get this straight: they can just snatch up anyone they want, whenever it suits their fancy? Seriously?" said Jayla.
"Enough talking, let's go," said the leading soldier.
He walked forward and the group of armored men parted, then to their horror, they could feel their legs moving forward against their wishes.
"What the hell is happening?" Amy shouted, her voice echoing with frustration.
"These are Compliance Cuffs designed to guide the wearer to the designated location specified by the placer, while also inhibiting the wearer's ability to use magic. Attempting to resist their influence will lead to muscle strain, and excessive struggle will result in a painful shock," said Elek.
"This place is just unbearable! Get off me! Just leave me be!" Amy said while trying to shake the armed guard off of her arm.
"Stop struggling!" said Elek.
"Boy, you better back up and keep those hands to yourself! Don't even think about touching my hair! Do you have a clue how much time and effort I put into getting it just right?" She shot a glare at that soldier who dared to lay a finger on her head while trying to push her into that big ol' metal carriage being pulled by eight-winged horses.
He dismissed her completely and forcefully pushed her inside by the back of her head.
"No respect! I swear as soon as I get these cuffs off, I'm going to burn all his hair clean off!" said Jayla.
Coming Next Time: In the Dungeon
Wh...what is that thing?