Chapter Twenty
Looking to the Future
I texted Rosie to let her know that me and Lupa were heading over to the guild and to meet us there after dropping the groceries off. I also made sure to include that I successfully became a vampire and was alright so that her and Jeanne didn’t worry about anything.
Though, to be fair, they probably still ended up worrying since I made it clear there was something serious going on.
As for me and Lupa, we made it to the guild as fast as I could run. Fortunately, the sun had just set, so I didn’t have to worry about burning up in it.
One of the other guild girls was right inside the entrance as we got there. One with short hair, droopy eyes, and a monotone voice.
“Oh, Mister Boyfriend,” she said. “Looking for Stella?”
I nodded while catching my breath. “Yeah, is she alright?” I couldn’t see her in the lobby anywhere.
“Don’t worry, she’s just in the bathroom.”
“Ah, alright. Also, she told me that you guys stuck up for her when she was being harassed earlier. Thanks for watching out for her.”
The girl waved a dismissive hand at me. “Don’t thank me for doing what a friend is supposed to do. But if you’re really thankful, I’d totally appreciate it if you didn’t distract her so much while she’s working.”
I looked away while scratching my cheek. “My bad.”
“Well, it’s whatevs. I can’t be mad at the guy responsible for making her smile all the time now. Oh, by the way, I’m Zoey.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Sev.”
“Mhm. Oh, weren’t your eyes blue before?” Zoey tilted her head to the side. “They’re so red now. Contacts?”
“What if I said I became a vampire?”
“That sounds troublesome, so I’d pretend I didn’t hear anything.”
“Fair enough.”
Zoey then looked me over and gave me a thumbs up. “I approve. You’ve got way higher specs than her ex.”
“Do I?” I wasn’t sure what else to say. But also, I did want to know I was better than her ex.
“For sure. Ah… just remembering what he put my Stella through makes me want to beat him up. Hey, Mister Boyfriend. You better treat our Stella right.”
“I can promise I’ll do that to the best of my ability.”
“Good. Anyways, go sit down and wait for your girlfriend. We even gave her permission to take a break so she could pretty up in the bathroom for you.”
I sighed and said, “A girl like her thinks she has to pretty up for me? She’s crazy.”
“A fellow Stella appreciator, I see.”
“I mean, I don’t think I’d be with her if I didn’t appreciate her.”
“Oh. Good point. Me and Leah aren’t used to people appreciating how cute she is. We’re her number one fans.”
“I heard that you two turned her down before. I couldn’t imagine.”
“We weren’t going to take advantage of our friend while she was on the rebound. Besides, we know she wouldn’t be satisfied without a guy. She’s way too straight for us. Anyways, I’m going back to work now. You’ve already distracted guild employees enough today.”
“My bad. But thanks for the talk, and for helping her earlier again.”
“It’s whatevs.” With that, she did another of her dismissive hand waves and went back to sweeping the floor.
“You can relax a little, Lupa,” I said. Lupa had been standing at my side in guard mode the entire time.
“Mm. Let’s sit in the corner.”
I figured she wanted that so she didn’t have to worry about anything or anyone behind us while getting to keep an eye on everyone else, so we went to sit in the corner.
A couple minutes later and Stella came back to the front.
She didn’t notice me and Lupa right away going by how she went right back to work.
However, as soon as the other girl behind the counter, Leah, pointed at us, Stella looked our way and then lit up with a huge smile as she hopped in place while waving to us.
“Master,” Lupa said.
“Yeah?” I replied.
“Stella is really, really cute.”
“Isn’t she?”
“I have a lot to learn. The way she bounces like that will definitely get Master’s attention. I’ll have to eat more cheese sticks.”
“I kind of feel like you’re using getting bustier for me as an excuse to eat more cheese at this point.”
“Mm. No comment.”
Stella abandoned her post to come over to us in a hurry. Yeah, Lupa was right. That bouncing was a really good way to grab my attention.
“You really came!” Stella said once she reached us right before practically tackling me atop my chair. She ended up straddling my lap, her breasts squeezed between our chests, with her legs on each side of my own as she wrapped her arms around my neck. “I thought you wouldn’t be here until later!”
“I told you that I’d be over soon,” I said.
“Hehe, still. You know, it’s super bad for you to be here while I’m working. How am I supposed to concentrate on my job when Darling is here looking all handsome?”
“Your coworkers will have to get used to it. But more seriously, we need to—crap, my bad. I almost said ‘we need to have a talk,’ but nobody ever wants to hear those words.”
“You know that saying you almost said it is almost as bad as actually saying it, right?”
“Oops.”
Stella sighed before turning to look at Lupa. “Hey, Lupachi.”
Lupa nodded. “Mm. Hi, Stella.”
“So.” Stella looked at me again. “First, I don’t hear from you for two days, then I find out you’re a vampire, then you come over here in a hurry acting all worried. What gives?”
“I was planning on telling you everything after work, but it’d probably be better to have this discussion here. The guild master—is she working today?”
“Yeah, but why?”
“I need to meet her.”
Stella gulped. “She—she’s a pretty intimidating woman to be around. Are… are you sure?”
“I know what to expect. Can you get us a meeting with her?”
“I… can… but… ugh. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“By the way, your hair looks cute like this.” I brought my hand up to the locks of hair she had hanging in front of her shoulders. “These, too.” Then I reached up to touch the mini tails she tied up on each side of her head.
Stella was quick to blush and smile upon hearing that. “Hehe… you noticed.”
“Of course I did.”
Stella planted a long kiss against my lips before hopping off my lap. “I have to stop there or else I’ll get way too worked up. I’ll go get that meeting for you.”
“Good idea, and thanks.”
Stella walked away, leaving Lupa to straddle my lap in the exact same way Stella just did.
“Mm, have to practice newly learned techniques from Teacher,” Lupa said.
“You can’t keep an eye on everyone if you’re on me like this,” I said.
“Already checked everyone out. I’ll hear if anyone new comes in.”
“Then I guess we can stay like this.”
“Mm.”
I placed one hand against Lupa’s lower back to rub her as my other hand stroked through the back of her hair.
Even if she was facing me with her eyes closed, watching the ways her ears twitched and rotated to track every single sound made it clear she was still being cautious.
We stayed like that for a few minutes—until Stella returned and said, “She—she’s ready to see you.”
Stella looked awfully nervous, but I couldn’t blame her.
The guild master had a certain reputation in the game.
Stella led Lupa and I upstairs and into the back down a long hallway where a single, wide door was waiting for us at the end of it.
“Are you ready?” Stella asked me.
“It’ll be fine,” I answered.
“If—if you say so.” With that, Stella opened the door, stepped inside, and politely bowed. “Madam, I have brought the adventurer who wishes to see you.”
An old, familiar scent reached my nostrils.
The scent of tobacco smoke.
I only ever smelled it once before when one of my old roommates in the nursing home had his son sneak some cigarettes in for him. The nurses were not happy about that. Still, it was impossible to forget that scent.
“Come in,” the raspy, mature voice said from within.
I went in with Lupa following behind me.
Surely enough, the guild master was sitting behind her wooden desk with a smoking pipe held in her hand.
Aurelia ‘Emerald Blade’ Fontaine. Former adventurer, now guild master.
A woman in her seventies with an eyepatch over her left eye, salt and pepper hair that didn’t go lower than her shoulders, and a high-class robe that looked far too gaudy for her personality.
The robe made her look like a villainess who wanted to turn dalmatians into fashion.
The color of her hair didn’t help, either.
“So, what do you want?” Aurelia asked us, not even bothering to look our way.
I cleared my throat and said, “It’s an honor to meet you in this world, Emerald Blade.”
That got her attention. Now looking at me, she took another puff from her pipe before saying, “You’re bold, boy.”
“Then allow me to be even bolder. I know the weakness of the monster that killed your party—and husband.”
Her single eye glared at me while Stella looked back and forth between us with a confusion expression. Aurelia then asked, “Who sent you?”
“I sent myself.”
“I don’t know you, and the amount of living women who know about that can be counted with one hand.”
“Then let me tell you something that you’ve told me yourself—that you’ve only ever told one other man.”
Aurelia raised her eyebrow.
Abusing forbidden knowledge was my best choice with Aurelia. She was an old, tired woman who was difficult to gain the trust of. I had no doubt she wouldn’t believe in my story of being from another world.
So, I had to pull everything out to convince her.
“Melody,” I said. “When you found out you were pregnant, you told your husband you wanted to name your child that if she was a daughter.” But that child was never born.
“How… do you know that?” Aurelia asked me, clearly caught by surprise.
“Because you told me. After you gave me the quest to go kill Grimzok and to bring back his head, you told me everything. You told me about your old party, your husband, and the child who would never make it. And here’s something you never told me, but that I saw in a cutscene.
Your husband held you beneath the stars while caressing your cheek, telling you that the reason you didn’t have friends was because of how cold you were to everyone, and that everyone would love you if you opened up to them more. ”