Chapter 60: Interested

After checking her system messages, Jadis found that her secondary class had gained a level as well, bringing it up to thirteen. Jadis almost wanted to throw caution to the wind and find another one of those grundwyrms. They were certainly good for large boosts of experience. Upon a moment’s consideration, however, she decided against it. Her health was looking awful at about a third of her total max and her armor was proving to be woefully inadequate to the task of defending against real weapons rather than claws and bones.

Still, she’d gone up two levels, one for each of her classes, and Aila had gotten a level, too. Overall, an exceptionally successful hunt, in her opinion.

After letting Aila know it was time to return to the city, a plan Aila wholeheartedly agreed with after insisting the three giants let her apply more salve and bandages to their wounds. They also took the time to cut the eyes from the demon cores to present as proof of their kills.

“A second grundwyrm in the hills,” Aila had said with a worried crease to her brow as they extracted the stone demon’s eye. “They shouldn’t be making it past the perimeter without notice. The magistrate is probably going to order a full-scale search-and-slay to find out where they are coming from and to put a stop to it.”

With the demon eyes collected in a sack, another convenience Aila had thought of that Jadis had not, Jadis also gathered the swords, spears, and axes the wretches had been wielding, then started the trek back to Felsen. Aila made no complaint about being carried; in fact, she wrapped her arms around Syd’s neck as they jogged along, an act that sent a little delighted thrill up Jadis’ spines.

The run back to Felsen took longer than when they left. With all the fighting, injuries, and strenuous activity, Jadis was feeling far too tired to sprint full tilt, but a light jog with her long legs and high agility still ate up the ground at a fast rate. As she ran, Jadis reviewed the skill options her secondary class had presented her upon reaching her thirteenth level.

So. A sexualized version of the health regenerating skill she already had. Not a terrible option, but not a necessary one, either. Jadis could see the advantage of not having to sleep to heal, but on the other hand, both this sexy skill and Knight’s Rest used the adjective ‘moderately’ in their description of how greatly increased the healing rate was. Eight hours of sleep was a lot easier to accomplish than eight hours of sex, and both would likely yield the same result.

The eight hours of sex kind of felt like a fun challenge, but Jadis did not think she’d want to do that every time she needed some healing. That being said, if one of her bodies slept while the other two went at it like rabbits, would she be doubling her healing? Was it even possible for one of her to sleep while the other two fucked?

Food for thought.

Uncertain about the viability of Ribald Recovery, Jadis checked the second option given to her.

Interesting. A powerful boosting ritual that Jadis couldn’t actually make use of herself. Had she been offered the skill because she’d started adventuring with another person? It seemed that way, as Jadis had noticed that the skills she was offered were influenced by her actions, at least to a degree.

Honestly, Lewd Lover’s Bond seemed like a great skill, one she’d be happy to take, provided she had someone she could use it on. The woman Jadis was carrying in her arms was certainly someone she was willing to take a chance with and perform the ritual with, but was Aila willing?

Jadis saw no way around it but asking. Maybe not right now. After their promised date? Would one date be the socially acceptable timeframe to bring up the possibility of participating in a sex ritual?

Well, between the two skills, Jadis figured it was best to take Lewd Lover’s Bond. Even if things didn’t work out with Aila, it was still a powerful boost that Jadis was sure she’d eventually find someone to use it on, who’d be willing to be her partner of both the lewd and the adventuring sort.

She hoped Aila would be that partner. Even more than the lascivious dancing they had enjoyed together, Jadis was impressed by Aila’s preparations and cool, level-headed thinking when under duress. The Cart Driver had been wildly out of her league in the fight with the wretches and wyrm, but she hadn’t freaked out or become paralyzed with fear. She’d done what she could, given good advice when able, and offered excellent support.

Jadis was liking the freckled cutie more and more.

“Get anything good for your nineteenth level skill?” Syd asked, feeling a sudden need to speak with the redhead she was cradling.

“Yes, actually,” Aila nodded, her voice a little shaky from the bouncing jog. “A high tier laborer archetype skill that rarely gets offered. It gives me plus five points to both dexterity and agility. It’s the biggest boost I’ve ever gotten from a skill. It’s not a magic attribute boost, but it’s an amazing increase considering my class.”

Jadis liked the smile that was unconsciously spreading across Aila’s face. She wanted to see it more often.

“There are benefits to hanging around us,” Jay chimed in. “Wouldn’t you say?”

“I’ve gotten two levels in two days just from being near you. I absolutely will say there are benefits.”

“Think you might want to stay near to us regularly?” Dys asked, trying to make the question sound casual. Even to her own ears though, she didn’t think she succeeded.

Aila was quiet for a long while and Jadis didn’t press her. She honestly wasn’t even quite sure what she was asking of the redhead. She let her think, hoping whatever conclusion Aila came to would mean they’d be spending more time together.

Eventually the three crested a hill and saw the gates of Felsen in the near distance. Patting Syd on the shoulder, Aila asked to be let down and the four slowed to a walk.

“Let’s say, just hypothetically, I was willing to break my contract with Bernd’s Blades and join up as an independent mercenary with you.” Aila’s face remained stoic and neutral as she spoke, her eyes staring straight ahead and not glancing at any of Jadis’ selves. “I can see the potential benefits to my leveling rate. However, what benefit do you three gain? If we were to enter into a… partnership, I don’t believe it can or should be one-sided. What do you get out of it?”

“We’d get a competent, skilled woman who clearly knows about logistics and other such things that we have no experience with,” Jay answered honestly.

“Plus, you’re definitely going to be able to kick some ass once you have a spell casting class in another level,” Dys pointed out. “You’ll be contributing plenty in fights once we get you a little more magical muscle.”

Aila’s expression didn’t change, but she did glance sidelong at Jay, then Dys, then Syd.

“And what if we don’t partner in more… personal ways?”

“Then we don’t,” Syd stated with finality.

“You getting involved with us in an intimate way isn’t a requirement,” Jay elaborated. “If you want to be our cool, magic casting mercenary partner but don’t want to become anything more than that, then that’s fine. We can accept that, and we’ll still be happy to have you along.”

After a moment’s pause, Dys continued, “That being said, I think we’ve got to be up front with you. We would like your participation in some of the rituals we perform for our secondary class. However, that dancing ritual we did with you? It wasn’t typical to how our other rituals go.”

“In what way?” Aila asked, her eyes showing an inner light of curiosity.

“Our other rituals are usually a lot more physically intense.”

“Define ‘intense’,” Aila prompted with a raised eyebrow.

With a deep breath, Jadis took the plunge.

“A lot more sexually intense,” Jay explained.

There was a pregnant pause, broken only by a small, “Oh,” from Aila.

“If that’s a dealbreaker for you, we totally understand,” Syd rushed out. “And like we said, we’re absolutely not requiring your involvement. I mean, we’d be thrilled if you did because you’re beautiful and smart and we’d rather do the rituals with people we’re attracted to and fuck I am blabbering—”

Jadis cut herself off, her nerves unexpectedly getting the better of her. She hadn’t thought approaching Aila about the possibility of sex with benefits would be quite so difficult.

Silence hung between them for a while as they neared the city gates, Jadis keeping her mouths shut for fear of making more of a fool of herself. She wasn’t sure if she should have dumped everything onto the floor right in front of Aila like that, but at least it was out there.

“It’s not a dealbreaker,” Aila suddenly said, her face still neutral though a tell-tale blush was coloring her ears. “In fact, I’m not opposed to the idea at all. I’m… interested.”

Excited grins broke out across Jadis’ faces.

“That being said,” Aila continued, “I still need to think about this. About what it means if we were to partner up. Can we hold off on the date for another time? I promise, even if I stick with Bernd’s Blades, I will go on a date with you three. I’d just like to think things over tonight.”

“Of course,” Jadis readily agreed, all three of her answering in unison.

There it was. Aila was interested. Aila was interested in her. Hope kindled to a roaring flame of passion, Jadis immediately accessed her menu and selected the Lewd Lover’s Bond as her newest ritual spell. The skill chosen, she took it as a promise for future events.

By that point they were close enough to the city gates that Jadis didn’t want to risk further talk being overheard. She and Aila passed through the guard check quickly, the gate having almost no line at that time of day. The guards checked Jadis’ three badges, confirming ownership with a small device of their own. Since the guard using the magic instrument made no reaction or comment, Jadis assumed the official, Hugo, had not been lying and the guards weren’t able to see her menu details.

Once inside the city, Jadis and Aila parted ways with a promise to meet up early in the morning at the restaurant Aila had taken her to before. Whether that meeting would be one of new partnership or farewells, Jadis wasn’t sure, but with the way she saw Aila look at her when she thought she wasn’t paying attention, Jadis was leaning towards partnership. Hopefully partnership with benefits.

Stopping by her inn to drop off the weapons she’d pilfered and drawing a few looks of concern from the plump innkeeper, Jadis sought out a healing clinic Aila had told her of located in the market square. The clinic was staffed by priests of the local religion and offered minor healing for free and greater feats of regeneration and rejuvenation for a fee, depending on what was needed. Jadis very much wanted to find out more about the local religion, if for no other reason than to see how exactly her patron D fit into things, but she held off on asking any questions. Her main purpose in going to the clinic rather than taking Hela up on her offer to heal was to avoid any awkward questions about how if one of her was healed, all three of her selves were healed.

Upon reaching the clinic, Jadis transferred all the wounds her bodies had taken onto just Jay using her Mirrored Body’s Shifting Reflection skill. With only one person to heal there was a lot less for the healing priests to get suspicious about. After a couple of coins spent and a fast couple of minutes of healing, Jadis was good as new, though her armor wasn’t.

“New weapons and armor, tomorrow, for sure,” Jadis mumbled as she left the clinic. The slashes her makeshift leathers had taken made it obvious she needed something far more durable.

Healed up and about as respectable looking as she could manage considering she was wearing junk, was barefoot, and had bloodstains on what little she did wear, Jadis visited the magistrate’s office for the second time that day. Turning in the bag of eyes mere hours after becoming a registered mercenary caused a minor stir among the workers manning the service desks, but after a short wait to verify her bounties, Jadis was paid a sum almost as large as the one Ludwas had given her. As her bounty was paid out, Hugo made an appearance, discussing the demon eyes turned in with several of the workers in hushed whispers. More than a few difficult to interpret glances were sent Jadis’ way and before she could become embroiled in any further commotion, Jadis took her silver and made a polite but hasty exit.

Now that she had what she judged to be a solid amount of coin, Jadis decided she’d hold off on visiting the magistrate’s office with bounties to turn in for a while. She already stood out enough already just from appearance alone. She didn’t need even more attention, at least not from what amounted to the local government.

She could stand for a little more attention from pretty women, though.

Errands done for the day, Jadis returned to the inn and paid for a triple portion of a hearty meal the establishment provided. The food had a homey taste to it and was exceptionally filling. Sitting at one of the tables in the inn’s main room was a challenge, but the roasted duck made the too-small chairs worth it.

Bidding the innkeeper a good night, Jadis retired to the second floor, quickly cleaning her bodies up in the common washroom before shutting her selves up in her room.

She had a ritual to perform and after several days of restraint and a whole lot of titillation via interactions with a certain redhead, Jadis was feeling more than a little eager to begin the perverse ceremony.

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