[TWS] Chapter 317 – More Trouble Brewing in the Neighborhood

While Rudy focused her attention on their new friend, Douhlim and Tesser walked by Asterios and the girls. They exchanged brief greetings with some people as they moved through the streets, most residents being glad to see them again. Some groups and individuals kept themselves more on the side, whispering to each other while trying to be sneaky with their stares. It was easy to identify travelers and adventurers that way.

The dwarf elbowed Asterios in the side, which ended up being his thigh rather, due to their difference in height. “Enjoying your fame, eh? Many come here just to see you and yours. The tales of your arrival in Glimmervale and how much it’s changing are plenty.”

“Honestly, I’d rather not be in the center of attention,” Asterios admitted. “It’s harder to keep things to yourself with everyone following your every step and word with intense gazes.”

“True words.” Tesser chuckled. “Fame can be both a blessing and a curse. But, as an S-rank adventurer, you should be pretty used to it.”

“It hasn’t been long since Master was promoted to S-rank,” Miria chimed in while walking with her arms intertwined with Ast’s. “It was around the same time he and Tina got the town. We’ve still been trying to lay low until recently.”

“And you aren’t now?” The Priest glanced at her.

“Certainly not as much as in the past.” Selene nodded to herself. “We won’t be able to keep everything under wraps forever. But, with my Lord growing stronger and stronger at a quick pace, I don’t think revealing a thing or two will be a problem.”

“It might actually be beneficial instead,” Silvia said. “Asterios wouldn’t need to keep himself in check all the time and Glimmervale would get even more interesting and popular if people knew who was behind it.”

“The only issue is the people my parents were trying to hide me from.” Asterios sighed. “It’s hard to judge if we are ready to face them in case anyone stumbles on our trail.”

Althea slowed Rudy down, who kept dragging her forward ahead of everyone, and turned to face him with a gentle smile. “Judging from what I’ve seen, you are. One thing you should have in mind is that the situation of your possible pursuers would most likely be fairly similar to the enemy we fought in my home. They wouldn’t send out their leaders and elites for the hunt unless the trail was one-hundred-percent certain. And you should be aware that not many are capable of making it here in the first place.”

“Kind of makes sense.” Grea rubbed her chin. “Almost all of them are gone from this world. Save for an exception or two.”

“So, we are more likely to run into their sl—subordinates? Or might already even have encountered a few without noticing,” Miria mused, quickly correcting herself to keep some of the major details from their adventurer friends. “While that’s definitely safer, it doesn’t stop them from finding out a thing or two through their pawns.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that the woman we took down isn’t the only one with a connection to a stronger being who’s been left behind as a scout or an informant,” the Dragon lady continued. “As you said, it’s inevitable for them to notice Asterios. But, the real question is, will they realize his connection to the one they are searching for?”

“That one entity my Lord summoned in the past did manage to find out,” Selene replied.

“Shortly before her death, though,” Miria added. “Do you think she was someone’s subordinate?”

“I don’t think so,” Asterios shook his head, running his fingers through her soft hair to reassure the tense panthergirl a little. “She didn’t seem like someone who would tolerate taking orders from another. Well, at least until that happened…”

“If I’m not mistaken, you only had one… signature… back then, correct?” Althea queried and he nodded. “Then it will definitely be much harder to identify the individual ones without a more in-depth look. Especially with three of them, even if the last one doesn’t fully match the others. Only the leaders and the strongest elites would be able to do so with some effort, and I think there would be bigger problems than that if they appeared.”

“I have no idea what in all the hell you are talking about but don’t you need to worry! We’ll do our best to protect you and this town! We are almost B-ranks now, baby!” Rudy wrapped her arm around Althea’s waist while flexing the other one.

The girls chuckled and snickered while her teammates rolled their eyes. Asterios smirked at that sight. It looked like Althea’s polite manners had been interpreted as at least some interest and the warrior woman was slowly growing bolder. Good thing she wasn’t aware that the lady she was trying to hit on could literally fold her in half if she only wanted. And good thing that Althea was more amused by the whole situation than annoyed or uncomfortable.

Well, the only bad thing was the fact that she was unintentionally giving Rudy false hope.

Unless she did swing that way.

But, Asterios was pretty sure Althea was a more traditional female Lesser Dragon when it came to searching for a mate. Something in the bond they shared told him that. And maybe the very brief moment when their gazes met, their eyes exchanging more amusement than words could convey.

“Good luck, then.” Grea snorted. “You’ll need it if you ever find yourself in front of them or their subordinates. Especially without the buff this mighty one can provide you with.”

She bumped her hip into Asterios with a sly grin and he shook his head. Unfortunately, it was not possible to deny that part. It still baffled him when he thought about it from time to time, but with how visible the growth in Miria and Selene was, it was a scientifically-confirmed fact that their relationship continued to strengthen them the more they participated in it.

Soon, they reached the Adventurer’s Guild and stepped inside. It was as lively as usual and Asterios noticed that the number of receptionists increased again. Alongside the number of adventurers hanging around, of course. Almost the entire main hall was in use.

Miria spotted their favorite receptionists, Ellie and Truvi, taking a short break by the door leading into the staff area and she waved at them. The two ladies noticed them and exchanged a few more words before their dwarf friend slipped into the backrooms and the human girl approached them with a happy jog.

Ellie dragged them away from the crowd and brought everyone to a meeting chamber, turning to face the group with a bright smile. “Hello! It’s super loud out there so I thought it would be better to find a quieter place to talk. Sorry for Truvi’s absence but we were just going to return to our posts so at least one of us had to leave.”

“It’s no problem, Ellie!” The panthergirl threw herself at the red-haired receptionist. “I missed you!”

“Hahaha! I missed you too, Miria!” Ellie rubbed her cheek with Miria affectionately. “So, how did your trip go?”

“It was fairly eventful,” Asterios answered. “We had to help with some international issues. Very complicated matter. The investigation took a while.”

“I see. I’m glad to see all of you doing alright.” She chuckled softly. “Just look at you! It feels like it was yesterday when the two of you officially registered as E-ranks and you are now handling matters between the nations! Not to mention managing an entire town! How this time flies…”

“It certainly does,” Selene agreed with a reminiscing smile.

“And it’s still just the very beginning.” Grea grinned at her. “We haven’t seen half of what this handsome cookie is destined to achieve. Perhaps he should start with building the biggest harem this realm has ever seen. Ow!”

She glanced to the side and found Silvia withdrawing her fist.

“Tina asked me to,” the princess explained with the faintest smirk. “Do you really want Asterios to not have a shred of time and energy for us anymore?”

“Oh, I think you personally should be more than well aware of how much energy he has to spare. Last time I checked, the two of you were literally on fire while at it,” the horned woman countered with a squint.

A delicate blush tinged Silvia’s cheeks while Asterios slapped Grea on the ass.

“Behave,” he admonished his frivolous mate. “We have company.”

“So what?” She huffed and flicked her head towards Ellie. “Just add her in. Problem solved. And the buff chick too. I bet she’ll convert back to the right way after a single thrust. Another problem solved. As for the guys? It’s not like they don’t know you are fucking us silly. Who wouldn’t? We are hot. In Silvia’s case, literally.”

Before she could get any further, Asterios cupped Grea’s chin up and forced her to stare deep into his eyes as they shimmered enchantingly. She quivered too as a wordless order to be silent rushed through her body, sealing her lips shut. He let go of her chin and she stumbled back a little before regaining balance. Still, he could see her clamped thighs due to her barely noticeable, awkward stance.

He’d achieved his goal, but at what cost?

“So, returning to the topic, anything interesting happening around?” Asterios turned back to Ellie with an apologetic smile.

“Well, the guild is doing great, thriving even. All thanks to your input, and perhaps the recent rumors,” she replied with a giggle.

“We heard about that. What is the matter that makes people so curious about the town?” Bryn asked.

“While I do know, I think it's a better idea for you to talk with the guildmaster about that,” Ellie answered. “She shouldn’t be too busy right now if you would like to pay her a visit.”

“We might as well.” Asterios nodded. “Everyone coming?”

Grea was clearly trying to say something but his earlier command prevented her from making any noises so she just continued to tug at his sleeve with a pleading expression until he canceled the restriction.

“I’ll stay behind to entertain our friends. It would be rude to leave Rudy and her gang alone, don’t you think? And I’ll try to learn any good gossip from the period we were gone while at it,” she suggested.

He stared at her intently to make sure that she wasn’t going to play any tricks on them and finally agreed to the offer. Ellie had to go back to her post since she’d already overstayed her break and they urged her to hurry away, not wanting their friend to get in trouble because of them. Even if she’d assured them that, considering Ast’s standing and their party’s rank, she wouldn’t get that much scolding.

Asterios, Miria, Selene, Silvia, Bryn, and Althea strolled to Suanori’s office while trying to stay on the sidelines while walking through the lobby. They reached their destination without any problems and were invited inside shortly before knocking. The guildmaster awaited them behind her desk with a welcoming smile on her noble face.

“It’s such an interesting feeling, that connection of ours. I could feel you arrive in the guild and even interact with Ellie. Perhaps I could have even joined you mentally if I tried but I bet that wouldn’t happen without you noticing,” she began with a chuckle. “So, did you succeed in making our Ice Queen smile for you?”

“Glad to hear that you are growing used to it.” He chuckled back. “And, I’m not so sure about that. But, I did see her cry.”

Suanori’s face drew a blank as she stared at him like he’d lost his head.

“Also, she’s now one of my servants so I would be careful with what you say inside our little connection,” he added with a wink.

She blanched in a blink, her face growing paler than a fresh sheet of the highest-quality paper.

“Which in itself is quite an achievement,” Althea commented with a gentle smirk. “It’s been quite a few decades if not centuries since the last time she did.”

A new and yet-unfamiliar voice joining the conversation brought Suanori back to reality.

“My apologies, and you are? I don’t think we’ve been introduced.” She raised a brow at the Dragon lady.

“Oh, just the person who knows Little Civie the most.” Althea waved dismissively. “My name is Althea. It’s my pleasure.”

The guildmaster clearly had no idea how to process that introduction or everything else that had just happened so she just sighed heavily and shook her head.

“We heard that there are some curious rumors spreading around but no one really wanted to explain them.” Asterios decided to help her out by switching topics. “Anything you could tell us?”

“Rumors? Oh, of course. Nothing is yet fully confirmed, but I know the source, and so does the Committee.” She recollected herself while straightening up from her slumped position. “We detected some strange movements of mana and essence from the location of the formerly damaged summoning circle. And by we, I mean Venuzathor, first and foremost.”

“Oh?” Miria’s ears perked up as she tilted her head curiously.

“I had some trusted people investigate it but the information has somehow leaked out to the public, or the traveling adventurers noticed something on their own too. People began to speculate and started wondering if the energy fluctuations aren’t connected to a newly forming dungeon. As you can imagine, that rumor spread like wildfire, and here we are. The area is now off-limits while we monitor whatever we can. Considering how dangerous the last issue with that place was, we didn’t want to take unnecessary risks and decided to wait for your return while preparing for the worst,” Suanori explained.

“Why haven’t you contacted us? It’s a serious issue.” Silvia frowned softly.

“We of course planned to, whenever anything out of the ordinary was spotted or reported. So far, it’s just some barely noticeable emissions. The last time, things went to hell the moment the core of the issue was disturbed so we are hoping things won’t turn bad if we keep our fingers away from it,” the guildmaster answered. “Naturally, we aren’t just sitting idly. The walls from that direction are thankfully already reinforced. We continue to patrol the area and put more wards down every day. Adventurers are hired to stay on the battlements. And even the kingdom sent us some reinforcements in the form of more experienced troops which are currently stationed in your barracks.”

“Looks like we can’t ever catch a break.” Selene chuckled while covering her mouth.

“It would be great if you could take a closer look at the issue, but just your presence is very comforting. Don’t feel obliged to rush there right now and dedicate all your time to investigating this anomaly. You deserve some rest and time to spend with your friends and families. We’ll keep you updated. Don’t worry,” Suanori added.

“We aren’t going to ignore this matter for too long,” Asterios said. “I’d rather not have the repeat of the previous incident this soon. But, as long as no one is tinkering with whatever it is that’s happening there, I think it’s wise to carefully observe the changes.”

“Yeah. Venuzathor said so too. That there’s not much of a reason to worry yet. And that we would most likely need to dig deep again to discover what’s going on.” She ran her fingers through her long hair. “The Committee would definitely like to discuss this with you too.”

“We are on our way there, stopping by a few places.” He nodded. “They are definitely at the top of our list since we have a message for them.”

“From the queen? Anything important?” Suanori raised a brow at him.

“Yes and don’t know. We are to open it with them present. If it isn’t some grand secret, we’ll let you know. But, you can always ask her personally for permission to come.” Asterios grinned.

She shuddered. “No, thanks. I’ll leave dealing with bigshots to you. It’s been going fine so far.”

“You can’t run from it forever. Especially when pretty much all of those bigshots are now part of our mental network.” He shrugged. “Now, anything we should discuss before moving on to the next destination?”

“Besides the weird anomaly, things are doing good. Our guild is slowly gaining more status, which brings us new benefits and permission to expand with special facilities. While how the guild develops is mostly left to the one managing it, there are some elements that are withheld from the smaller or less experienced establishments. There’s no doubt that the news about that will spread at some point too,” Suanori shared.

“Good to know. If we really are going to end up with a dungeon next door, they might come useful. Thank you for taking good care of our guild and the girls. We haven’t seen Truvi this happy and excited ever.” Asterios made a polite bow.

“There’s no need for that.” She waved him off while standing up. “We are thankful to you for this opportunity. This is way better than trying to swim upstream in some random city or town. It’s always been one huge battle against the local authorities with all the official matters. Here? This is one of the best environments I have ever worked in. Things are so smooth and pleasant that you just want to give and do more. I hope it can stay like this after this town becomes the most famous and well-known hub in the whole realm.”

“That would be something, wouldn’t it.” Bryn smiled warmly. “Maybe even across the realms.”

“I think we are getting ahead of ourselves here.” Asterios snickered. “Let’s first focus on the more achievable goals. Thanks for the chat and see you later.”

After bidding farewell, Ast’s party returned to the bottom floor to grab Grea and Rudy’s team, who were very involved in some juicy gossip from what he could tell. It wasn’t a surprise that the two women had managed to find a common tongue with how thirsty both of them were, just for slightly different things.

They waved goodbye to Ellie and Truvi before leaving the guild and resuming their journey through Glimmervale. Somewhere halfway to Kindra’s mansion, Rudy’s party separated from them since they had a quest scheduled for the evening and she was starting to get frustrated at her failures to pry any new information about the rumors from Asterios and his ladies. Even Grea kept her mouth shut, enjoying tormenting the muscular adventurer.

The Hestizo and Nobelle shared residence had now proper sentries and gatehouses, but seeing the local lord approach, they let them in without any trouble, offering to send someone to notify the owners. Asterios declined, certain that Kindra and Luna were already aware of their arrival too. He led everyone inside, following his mother’s presence, and found her in the kitchens, chatting with the cooks and maids.

“Asti! Girls! So good to see you!” She beamed at them, tapped the person she’d been talking to on the shoulder, and charged straight at him. “Come! I knew you were back so we started preparing a snack for everyone! I bet you are hungry after the journey!”

He caught her in his arms and spun around a few times while they both laughed. Then, she hugged each of the ladies too, stopping to curtsy in front of Althea, who hadn’t yet been introduced properly. But, before that could happen, Kindra dragged them away to a dining chamber and seated everyone down around a circular table.

“Now, before the food is ready, come on, introduce us!” She grinned at him and the Dragon lady. “And tell me how you two met!”

He rolled his eyes as the girls giggled at her antics. “Mom, calm down. Stop jumping to conclusions every single time. Althea, this is Kindra, my mother, though you are most likely already aware that I’m not exactly her biological son. Mom, this is Althea, she is a very wise lady who has been advising the elf rulers for a long time and agreed to become my mentor. She knows a lot about Dragons since she technically is one too, just a different kind.”

“Fascinating.” Kindra’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “I thought there were no more Dragons in this world. Suddenly, right after you come out as one to us, they start poking their noses out of hiding. I bet it has something to do with the fact that a strong, handsome, male Dragon has made himself available. Are you perhaps planning to repopulate the realm with some Dragon babies, bringing them back?”

“Come on…” Asterios swiped down his face as his mates laughed lightly.

Althea had a tiny smirk on her dazzling lips, keeping her eyes locked with Kindra, unyielding under the teasing gaze of Ast’s mother.

“Fine. Keep your secrets.” Kindra giggled. “But, this is only one of the two ladies we felt. What about the other one?”

As she inquisitively glanced around, Asterios sighed heavily. “She has a quite important duty to uphold back at home so she won’t be joining us directly. Though, there’s someone else who did. But… It’s complicated. Her name is Tia and she’s inside me.”

“Oh. That’s new. It’s usually the other way.” She grinned at him.

Asterios could only groan, asking whatever gods existed and kept following him why they were testing him so much, all the while Grea banged her fists on the table in the middle of an almost maniacal fit of laughter.