Even more meetings! Part 3

Upon our arrival, I took some time to observe the building we were supposed to meet in. The building mostly was made out of stone, with some wooden details near the windows and corners to the place. On some of the surface, you could spot words or images carved in the face of the rock, some of which had colored details to them. There was a small garden in front of part of the building, yet it felt less like it was there to showcase the flowers inside it though instead the sculptures placed within it. Most of which, like the carvings, followed the trend of somehow representing things connected to drinking. Something else of note was that contrary to the rest of the street around it, the building was partially underground, hence there was a stairway leading down to the entrance. On it, two lamps inside it stood out for having completely different style from those surrounding it, and the name of the place was atop the front door, in a plate in which you could read the dwarven words "Homely Winter". I mean, the place's architecture pretty much screamed "Dwarves!", so I would have been shocked if either of the Galecirnan official languages was being used. I could read* the variety of dwarvish used in their nearest region, so this wasn't that big of an issue in either case.

(*Emphasis on reading and hearing in this case. Technically, I could speak it as well, but my vocal cords weren't very fond of any variety of dwarvish I've ever heard. Their language somewhat works based on their usual pitch, after all, so trying to imitate it tends to hurt a little.)

The front door was pretty wide, to the point the three of us walked in side by side, and there likely still was enough space for another human. Inside, the place was just one or two degrees colder than the outside, if I had to guess. Based on the feel of the place, no temperature control was active on it at that point, though likely once the morning started getting hotter the intention was to keep this kind of chill. Fits better with the spirit of the place I imagine. Most dwarven drinks or food are partially meant to heat up the consumer in the first place, so they wouldn't work as well in warmer climates. And as you might expect, the majority of the people inside of that place were dwarves at that point. In part due to nostalgic visits from some of their people living on foreign lands I thought. But also likely because most other peoples who visit dwarven places do so with the intent of getting messed up in drinking. It wasn't even 8 o'clock yet though, so I figured only a dwarf would have the guts to start their breakfast with dwarven spirits. Or the elf sitting at the center of the room, who apparently had already downed a bottle or two, judging by their disposition along the counter in front of her* or how the locals were acting challenged around her. 

(*Dwarves have the habit of keeping a bottle of spirit close to the drinker in a bar, in case they finish it fully. As a trophy of sorts, to judge how good each guest at their establishments can handle their drinks. They hated competing with elves, though. Something about spitting them for having the highest resistances to poison among social kinds. Especially so when you consider the size of an elf compared to the other natural heavy drinkers in the social world.) 

"Long ears, a mantle of will, pink skin, hair matches the description too, a knight is sitting beside her, she is the only elf in the room… Yep, that's our girl." I might be worried about the number of dwarven shots she had apparently downed by that point, however I had seen elves drinking enough to tell this wouldn't be enough to affect her a whole lot, even if she had been downing those bottles like she was drinking water. The scarlet may only be second place on toxin resistance when compared to the other elven kinds, though let's be honest, being the runner up to the leaf elves* would hardly be considered an insult for most. A scarlet still could drink at a pace that would be debilitating or potentially lethal to most other social beings. That, and like leaf elves they could heal from toxins regardless of how messed up their heads got, seeing as their self healing operetes like corporeal magic, regardless of the form of healing or the level of it that they activate on themselves. 

(*I've seen Falminoria, a friend belonging to this elven, outdrinking entire bars before. A leaf elf can only ever get drunk if they are actively trying to do so, as the saying goes.)

As we finished entering the building and started heading towards the pair, I noticed her ears moving for a moment. This usually was a sign an elf was enhancing their hearing, and shortly after I noticed that, she raised one of her hands towards her face for a moment, before turning around on her seat and greeting us with a smile. That simple smile was enchanting enough to almost stun me for a second. "By the Liberty's text. I get why she was described as she did now, at least." Her face felt flawless. Which admittedly wasn't that uncommon for elves, seeing as they are typically described as next to flawless in appearance by default. At least, most of what a human could think of as a flaw seemed to be lacking in their species as a whole. Despite the similarities between our kinds, a lot of the random, small scale imperfections you might notice on a human were filtered off from elves entirely*. Hence why so long as you were fine with the differences in skin tone you might expect out of magical creatures, the elven race as a whole tended to be above the standards for beauty any human could dream to come up with. After all, if an elf isn't good enough for a person to feel attracted to them, the same likely can be said about over 90% of humanity. Somehow, Nalfimiria felt like something beyond that, though. 

(*Likely also part of the reason why despite our similarities they are immune to a ton of diseases and inherit issues that occasionally pop up on humans. Never seen an elf that needs glasses and most likely never would in the lifespan of a human being.) 

I mean, having no faults doesn't necessarily mean all of your good points are at their best possible state, after all. Never missing the target doesn't mean you're hitting it as hard as you can, or firing at your maximum rate. In this sense, despite all seeming somewhat flawless, elves don't all look the same, just their own versions of this concept, if you would even call them that. This makes it feel like each still has their own particular strengths, as the ones considered the most beautiful species on the planet. This concept didn't seem to apply to Nalfimiria. It felt like she was the perfect representation of all the traits considered positive associated with elves. The gleam in her eyes, skin and hair - a strange mix of biology and the magic applied directly to the constitution of elves -, the length of her ears, the fact elves always looked slender, regardless of how much muscle their body truly contained, the format of every little detail in her face, like her jawline, nose, position of the eyes and whatever else… It felt like she was drawn, not born normally. Beauty is ultimately something subjective and all, and in the end a lot about it changes based on species. Still, it felt like it would be weird to describe this woman's appearance in any way but positively. Even a dragon or a tide ruler might compliment her to an extent, seeing how well she represents the boons of the kind chosen by the Greater Ones as their form, as different reptiles and fish were in appearance from us. 

And speaking of the Greater Ones, it felt like her body was modeled after one of their statues. Normally I would be able to take a guess at which of their proportions she got closer too*, though for some reason in that situation the part of my brain that makes those comparisons was refusing to work. Still, any comparison to the Great Sisters should be taken as a compliment in this context. I haven't met many women who fit the proportions seen in the statues, much less that do so while being of comparable size. That comparing her to one felt so normal was in itself very weird, even if she seemed to have the same tone of skin and hair as Lady Melynaris, as a scarlet elf. "Like, shit. Is this what elves consider the peak among them? This girl probably could only be considered below average if she was surrounded by the Great Sisters. Weird, but whatever. She is real, so this is normal. Maybe not common, but as I can see, she exists." With all of that said, though I was still surprised as she fully turned towards us, I wasn't left stunned for long. 

(*Courtesy of Kalfisnar for drawing beautiful naked pictures of herself and her kind every three weeks or so, over the course of 3000 years, as well as writing sexual stuff better than anybody else ever managed, most of which involving them. What can I say, who can't enjoy pornography when it's done to perfection, especially given the creatures used as the topic. You can't see their faces in it, but that set back is still mostly worth it. The curiosity in what's hidden above their smiles is also really enticing too, as I'm sure plenty of you are aware.)

I mean, sure, she was the most attractive woman I had ever met in person. I had no doubt of that. If that was all it took (And to be fair it's a pretty big part of the selection process) I could have said with confidence I was already down for it. But, you know. This really just meant the limit I had in mind for elven women wasn't accurate. So I just swallowed that and moved on. I wasn't particularly interested in looking for sexual partners at around that point either, and though I probably would play along if she pushed for it, I knew that wouldn't happen because the law said she couldn't try that*. If I felt like going for sex at some point and she was in my immediate surroundings, she would be the first person I would think about, I'm sure. Yet I didn't think something of the sort might happen around that point. Not being in the mood for it wasn't something just for that day, or week, it had lasted for some time since the split happened. "If I feel up to it, I can think of it then. If not, if we're in the same unit by the end of the day we'll be spending a lot of time with each other in either case." 

So in the end, I was shocked, but overall fine. Maybe this also had something to do with my preferred type, seeing as although I still thought she was extremely hot she didn't fit my preference exactly. She was really balanced in terms of proportions everywhere, and on the extreme end on both the top and bottom curves, but personally I thought bottom heavy women looked a bit better. The bias probably formed because both of my former main crushes in my life fit that description, seeing as there is no such a thing as an elf with a bad looking ass (Regardless of sex.). Lady Saeynomalia might have also had an impact on this quirk of mine, seeing as she is the closest thing to a woman like that among the Great Sisters, as well as the first Great Sister I got to see getting Kalfisnared.

(*The international law involving sex between individuals of largely different lifespans said the following in our age. So long as both individuals have been acknowledged as capable of consenting to sex, it can happen, on the condition the older person involved had no active effort in talking the member of the younger species into it. This was valid for any interaction between species where the differences in age between the potential partners was bigger than 25 years, though there were also some clauses that would increase that number when applied to humans reaching the start of their adult life. At 19 that still included me, so needless to say at over 6 times my age, if Nalfimiria tried aggressively seducing me that would put her in elven jail, if denounced directly by people around us or if hints of strange behavior from my part were noticed in public. A similar law applied to almost every way in which the members of the older folks could influence the younger person involved.) 

That said, based on his reaction to the woman just described, it appeared the same logic didn't apply to Senshin. Who would have guessed I would end up seeing him perform his soul silencing methods just a few minutes after hearing him describe them. From the application of Iscathnerin based recovery and spiritual focus, to his trained breathing and posture, it might have looked impressive if he wasn't doing so while staring at the ground and shivering. Not the picture I had been imagining based on his descriptions, though I figured this likely was just as surprising to him as it was disappointing to us. "Guess he wasn't expecting to meet a woman quite like this. Maybe my theory had an effect as well, but it's possible he simply wasn't ready for this sister in particular." 

I couldn't exactly blame him. If my trained mind got excited with the thought of introducing Nalfimiria to Ginny (and introducing me to hers) for a second just based on her looks, I could say with confidence if this was me before ever having any sex I would be freaking out way more blatantly. Or rather, if my 4 years of training had been any less intensive it's possible I would have still reacted visibly. That's why I thought it always paid off to have a good relationship with Ginny, as I would prefer not to have her dragging me around to show her off to people at random*. "Still, my call literally was just made, huh? Like, ten minutes from now! I must be looking so smart in his eyes right now. Or at least I would if he wasn't struggling not to stare at our insanely hot sister friend. Do I tell him it was pure chance or pretend I saw this coming? Hehe. Hehehehe. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Silly question brain, we both know what I'm doing." I don't need to tell you my decision, do I? And yes, I occasionally like giving shape to stereotyped laughter in my head when I'm talking to myself. This shit is fun, you should try it when you find a good situation for it. 

(*—Look how much she can stretch! You could pass an entire baby through her, let alone your fist! She isn't patient, but together we can keep it up for hours on end too, right Ginny?)

Reaching this conclusion, I gave Senshin a slap in the shoulder, to call his attention back to reality. I made sure to look at him as someone saying "I told you so" when he glanced back, though a part of me doubted I could have pulled it off without starting to laugh. My restraint was successful however, and after trying to gain confidence for a moment while stealing the occasional look at the two of us, he found the courage to look at this sister directly again, only to immediately ask us to guide him towards that area while he continued staring at his feet. If it hadn't been obvious by that point, and I suspected that it would have been for an elf, that marked the point from where I could say with confidence Nalfimiria knew what was going on. I also thought I spotted Chiaisei grinning while observing the interaction, but decided to ignore that to preserve in my mind the image of her as a nice, and definitely not slightly sadistic girl. 

After that little scene, I also decided to take a more detailed look over the knight beside her, the one called Sowanarcistvir most likely. He was handsome, but almost looked average when beside someone like Nalfimiria. His uniform didn't have even the slightest irregularity in it, both in how well kept it was and the fact there were no personalized parts to it, as few of these as there are even allowed among knights. His sword was the only thing that wasn't perfectly on the standard for knights, as it appeared to be enchanted and somewhat personalized, and it appeared there was an inscription of some sort in the handle, though it was too far to read. Some letters also were carved on his scabbard, spelling the words "Serene Tempest" on one side, and likely something akin to "Champion of Radwinvhyr" on the other, based on my understanding of similar costumes. It was possible his Light Scale* was also engraved there, but that part was optional based on what I heard. 

(*Titled knights have two titles, the Light title and Earth title. I'll be putting the exact definition of this on the glossary, but the short version of it is, the Light Scale refers to who gave them that title and therefore how much respect it offers and follows a clear mold. The Earth title on the other hand, is symbolic of a knight's characteristics, and is therefore far more variable. Oftentimes it refers to the magical abilities of the knight, though.) 

"A titled Champion, then. His Earth Title isn't one of the generic ones either, so his patreon likely knows him personally. Probably wasn't titled just as a means of directing attention at this lord too, then. Maybe he is a Moon Knight as well, based on circumstances." This kind of information was valuable when dealing with knights. As a general rule of thumb, I prefer not to deal with nobility or standard bigshots if at all possible, and since two of my past coworkers belonged to high nobility we usually let them handle this kind of thing. (It was always fun to see some of this kind shivering when Clarssimin and Siegdrazir would drop their last names without previous announcement in a conversation.) But when we needed to work with knights, speaking to them was unavoidable for the unit as a whole. And though they don't embody the normal complications of contact with nobility, it was important to keep track of how big the backer behind a titled knight was when taking into account how to speak to them. The employer could take offense if we disrespected their sword too blatantly, and even if they can't do much for that alone, even short lived attempts at blacklisting can reduce the amount of easy work we find for a month. 

The second thing I took note of when greeting this guy from a distance is that we were dealing with a beef monster. The likes of which probably could kill me with a hug, without even using infusing magic. By my ratings for muscle mass based threat, in a normal battle this guy would automatically get the ratting "Do not approach at any cost". He was likely the kind of infuser who could punch his way through buildings already based on his build, and little old me couldn't dream of taking one of those even while putting a barrier in front of me to soften the blow. Which was sad, in a way. I probably would be into a bulky kind of guy way more if the sight of chiseled for violence kind of muscles didn't put me on guard immediately. Of course, this trigger was only upon first meetings and all, otherwise I would never be capable of fucking an elf*, or the vast majority of guys at my job. Still, a part of me feared that if I was ever in a public orgy and a guy like him managed to catch me by surprise while closing in, I might reflexively end up zapping him into unconsciousness**.

(*Because I mean, can you see a difference between an elf weighing 140 Fjorwiec and one weighing over 190? Because despite my many attempts at doing so around that time, I barely could. And the second elf could kill me with a punch at that point in time, without even needing magic. So yeah, unlike an orc or an ogre, who practically scream "I could punch a bear to death" just by standing in a room, telling an elven civilian from a magical super athlete is next to impossible, making the unwritten rule when fighting an elf to always assume they can overpower you. Means the warning siren always triggers with them, though in the case of Nalfimiria it was lessened by the fact she is a sister.)

(**Good old fair Thalgignir, debatably the highest ranged form of offensive magic and even then, it grows stronger the closer you are to the target. Nothing quite like greeting an idiot who thinks I'm harmless at close range with a thunder punch.) 

—Hello. You're Nalfimiria, right? We're the ones sent by the guild. — I went to the point, while still trying to be nice. The caution needed with knights also applied to those in direct contact with them. I doubted either of them would miss all of the obvious hints to our affiliation, but it was still best to declare it out loud with this kind of thing. It's technically a part of the job by that point, and even I take this sort of thing seriously. 

—I am indeed. Guessing there's no need to declare my color? — She returned a smile to my own, giving out a welcoming feeling to me. She seemed to be exuding friendliness, possibly intentionally. And weirdly, her smile looked both professional and relaxed at once. Like, I felt the smile was sincere, but it was still clear she was somewhat on guard beneath it, as if her eyes were taking note of everything around us. In a sense, it felt like this kind of thing already came naturally to her. I decided then I liked that expression. — And you three? — Listening to her, we each gave our names. Senshin was a little hesitant and distracted, trying to quiet down his breathing even harder than before, so when he didn't answer I gave her his name. 

—Senshinzako and Chiaisei… You're both Gujimatsukin, then? Or at least, your names originate from there. I believe yours is a reference to a local song even, right Chiaisei? "The Dance of Seasons'', if I recall. That would make you the spring envoy, if my memory serves me well. And Fasnilthar was it? How does our great Aeyxos look from the distant sky? Hopefully brilliant, at this moment in time. 

She sounded courteous as she spoke, while flashing her smile our way. Senshin and Chiaisei confirmed her questions through nodding, while she was still talking. I was a little surprised that she recognized the story behind Chiaisei's name instantly, but it was likely she had been to Xarzin Lawqzarch personally in the past, and it's not like I knew the song or about its popularity in the first place. At least I never heard of it until Chiaisei told me that story fully, though I wouldn't know if it was common knowledge globally or not. With my name however, I wasn't as shocked. I had been named after the star Fasnilthar, which may or may not have been some ancient human hero in Galecirnan at some point. Wouldn't know, that story is probably too old to be preserved accurately. 

What I did know is that Fasnilthar was the star at the tip of the constellation known as the "Guiding Lance" in the region. My home country for a long time prided itself on its history with the seas, despite how small the patch of it we were allowed to sail on was. And the Guiding Lance's tip is pretty easy to spot, it makes an excellent compass, and it is also visible almost the whole year around. Hence why the name continued being occasionally seen in my country or other parts of Galecirnan. Even thousands of years since our pact with the surrounding Tide Rulers stopped being relevant the name wasn't forgotten, seeing as in modern days the only advantage we got out of it was having higher range for fishing than our neighbors. 

—Not very big, I would guess, supposing it could even be seen. — I don't typically like star jokes due to my name, but that smile was pretty enough to where it was hard not to play along. Or rather, it's less that I disliked the star jokes, just that I had heard enough to be tired of them by that point. 

—That is indeed likely. Not even the light of the Greater Ones could make up for the lack of size in just one planet before the universe, after all. But even if life is something even tinier, that would never stop it from seeking fulfillment, wouldn't it? Purpose isn't reserved just for the stars. For hope is born from life, and even at its smallest it is still the rarest resource throughout our vast cosmos. — She said, while paying close attention to each of us. This felt like her way of testing the waters through poetics. Wouldn't be my pick for a meeting, but it worked well enough.

—I guess the big mystery would be where the fulfillment comes from, in the end. Understanding what you need from your life and reaching it are big tasks in themselves. That's where hope is born then, I guess? — She nodded in reply to my answer, while shifting her stance to face us completely, moving her seat with her, to an extent. Up close, she somehow looked prettier, as if to confirm there were no bad angles from which to view her. Still, the change didn't really mean I was back to being stunned, as her beauty was strangely calming. Seeing her robes directly also made me realize she was jacked, by elven standards, more or less confirming she wasn't someone I would recommend anyone to fight against up close. Considering Nairsylvir was inherent in her subspecies and that they excelled at Life Augmentation, I really hoped I would never get to see what a full powered blow of hers would do to a person. 

—And so long as hope is born, life may continue seeking to grow. To where that cycle might bring, the mystery remains. An enlightening means to start these connections, my lord. Still, with it aside, may I assume my introductions have been made by the association, or should I state them now, my friends? — The knight besides Nalfimiria then tossed his own verse into the ring. I wasn't sure if I was qualified to continue it, so I answered his question regarding introductions before the topic could evolve any further. If the philosophical stuff returned, I would be sure to use him and Chiaisei as the shields for my lack of brain power for this sort of activity. 

—Very well, then. I go by Sowanarcistvir, but if my full name proves to be a mouthful at times, feel free to call me Sowanar. I am currently assigned as the adjutant to sister Nalfimiria, and if you will accept us, know that I'll be glad to devote my full strength to this group. On another note, I would also like to ask to keep my family name silent as of now. That isn't how knights typically operate, but my line has no recent history of significance with the orders, so for now I would rather avoid attracting much attention towards it, until I have grown enough for my name and title to have earned merit on their own. — Saying so, he also explained he would prefer if his documents were kept to him for some time, though he mentioned Nalfimiria had seen them on her own. People put a lot of emphasis on family history among the knights, so I understood how some might want to hide theirs, be it for a negative legacy or for the lack of one. If you have nothing to brag about, it was best to keep quiet when dealing with the sort who cares about this shit, and as a titled champion I was sure he had plenty of experiences with similar situations. 

—That should hardly be an issue. Sounds like a rather minor secret, and I doubt any of us can lay claim to having none of those as of now. It would hardly fit to complain so long as that remains unchanged. — Chiaisei answered before any of us could. Personally, I had been expecting her to resist the idea the most, so if she was fine with it, I wouldn't complain. Her language and posture seemed all the more refined as she said this and looked at our knight, and for some reason as he finished listening to her, he was nodding his consent to something she said. Didn't look to me like she was asking him a question, but something about her sentence was interpreted as one by Sowanar. 

—Before anything else, can I confirm something with the sister? — The other man at the counter spoke. He was some distance away from the rest of us at first, so he likely wasn't hearing the full conversation. Still, it was clear he had been paying attention to us since we arrived. While asking us the question, he moved to a seat closer to Nalfimiria, though. During it, I also noticed his eyes glancing through me and Chiaisei, and even Senshin to an extent, before he quitted the act on the spot, likely because Chiaisei brought a hand to her flute while taking in that glance. 

"What was that about? Well, whatever." It didn't look like he was after verifying any equipment on me, but I wasn't sure of what else he might have been looking for. Thus I felt a little conflicted for the ease with which Chiaisei threatened a civvie in response, though I was sure that if she followed through with her promise she probably wouldn't have done much more than simply rough up his ears for a second.

—You do? I've already said I'm not interested, but if you insist, what is it then? — Nalfimiria answered. Her smile lessened a bit, yet she still turned to talk to the guy. 

—You said you were not interested before hearing anything about the job. Can't you at least hear the full pitch before turning it down? — He said, trying to sound playful while at it. And upon a closer look, I could say for a fact that this was a civilian. A moderately rich one, based on his clothing and accessories. He might be skilled with talk by the standards of normal people, but Nalfimiria didn't seem to be impressed at all. 

—I don't need to. The only things you knew about me when you started talking about this job are the fact I'm attractive, that I'm a scarlet and the robes I'm wearing, perhaps added with a couple of rumors. And how long has it been? Fifteen to thirty minutes since you started following me and asking for time, if I remember correctly. Judging by how hard you may have delayed your other duties to try to chat me up, it's likely both of those things are relevant in this case. So it's something that needs good looking people, and healers are considered especially valuable. I can fill in the remaining blanks from there, yes? — Saying so, she took a long sip out of her cup, while holding her hand as if to say for this man to wait for her to finish. 

—I wouldn't say I need much money right now, and even if your joint is the most expensive in town, the extra revenue you can offer me hardly would make a difference as it stands. Especially not if it would take away time from my actual job. If I ever find some vacant hours and decide I could use the extra coin, I'll consider looking for you then, though if I were you, I wouldn't be expecting that to happen. Is that enough of an answer, or is my reasoning lacking? 

—I understand, but I'm not asking even for a full shift in this case. Since you're working alongside the guild, I'm guessing you get around two or three break days every week, right? Even if it's just one or two hours out of those days just so long as they're arranged beforehand, for anything up to 80 Tralglyr an hour, if it's for you. I know sisters aren't lacking for much, but this could offer some extra expenses you normally wouldn't get access to, right? We should have work for someone like you at any point you might be free. Also, I'm scouting mainly for the events part of our firm, but I'm connected to all sorts, from all kinds of modeling to… — The pitch he was planning seemed like it could last much longer, before it was interrupted. 

Honestly, if it were me I would have taken whatever deal it was for that much money for an hour of work. Nalfimiria's method of interrupting him kinda told us the whole deal, though. Instead of interrupting his speech through her voice, Nalfimiria simply took one of her coin purses from her bag, before skillfully spilling its contents in the counter before us, doing so in a way none fell to the ground below. Other than shutting up mister scout, the gesture stunned myself and the barkeep, watching the scene from nearby. 

"Huh? All of those are 50 Tralglyr coins, aren't they? 1Oh… And there are twelve of them?! And I thought Chiaisei was a princess. What in the actual world is she planning on buying with all of that?! This isn't her only purse either, is it?!" Looking at it then, I noticed she had four different coin purses on her, likely each loaded with a few different sets of coins in value. I guess once you're rich and strong enough, banks start sounding like a waste of time. I had no idea why someone would carry this much money with them at any given time, though. Even magical gear wouldn't put a scratch to those numbers, and it's not like she needed to buy any, regardless. "If you value each this little, give me some!" It was difficult to imagine why someone would have so much on them, unless they were trying to sign onto a house with live money, but at least I could say her disconcert for theft probably was merited. A pickpocket would have to be insane to target a sister in the first place, even if I had the suspicion that if one of them knew how much this one carried with her they might attempt it. 

—Yeah, I think I see your point. You already have too much of it on you to even know how to spend it, right? Also, sir knight… I didn't hear your full conversation earlier, but I do believe you mentioned being an adjutant to the sister here, didn't you? — He asked after standing up. It looked like he was reaching into his pockets for something while stating so. Over the course of his answer Nalfimiria had been putting her coins back in her bag once again. 

—Indeed. My lord and patron assigned me to her as a sign of her gratefulness to be the host to a guest such as sister Nalfimiria. — Hearing Sowanar talk like that almost made this guy fall over for a moment there, but he managed to stay on his feet. While trying to retain his cool, he pulled out a business card from the pocket, before offering it to Nalfimiria. 

—I know that some of our service isn't popular among elves, but if you meet anyone who might be interested, I would be thankful for any recommendations in our direction. This blunder aside, I assure you our house and its affiliates are proudfull of the quality of our service. If you meet any healers that could qualify and have the interest for this kind of work and have the time for it, we would also be pleased for any recommendations you send to us. In either case, thank you for offering me of your time, my lord, and until we meet again. — He said, almost sounding like a different person from that point on. 

There was a pretty stark difference from this guy's tone up to that point and during that last sentence, even down to the way he made his exit from the bar. There was also some evidence he was freaking out on the inside, other than the fact he almost fell on his face at some points while trying to get up. Overall, if the situation was stressful enough for someone trained in scouting to react like that, a part of me felt he had been pretty well composed when dealing with the situation. I noticed Chiaisei gripping part of my fingers while the interaction was taking place as well, while subtly pulling part of my wrist towards the scene in front of us. I figured she was trying to tell me to pay close attention to that interaction. 

—Sheesh. He went from casual to my lord in a second, didn't he? Should we also address our fair ma'am by her station or is sister just fine? — I said in jest. Didn't take an expert to know that sort of posture wouldn't be popular with a sister. 

—Worry not, dear plebeian. This fine miss would much rather drink piss than partake with this nonsense. — She said while forcing herself to sound as posh as possible. Impressive stuff, might I add. 

—Ah, what a pity then, my lord. I dearly wish upon you that avoiding talk from your local peers has been feasible, then. — Since we were doing it in irony, I figured I might try to flex my noble speech for a second there. I considered skipping on it, seeing as there was a knight with us, but seeing as I wasn't the one who started it, I figured this wouldn't merit any offense, especially not from a knight disconnected to nobility. 

—No worries needed there then, friend. Other than the boy sent to accompany me, avoiding them has been rather easy. And I wouldn't say either the boy or his employer have been a bother up until now. 

—Really? That's surprising. From what I heard, this kind of socialite tends to be really persistent when possible connections are at stake. And seeing how casually you just tossed your wallet around, I figured there might be some behind its weight. 

—You're right, but they also tend to be easily intimidated if their position might be at risk. Those contacts reach way too high for them to risk offending me, and even the more entitled ones are aware elves don't tend to receive this sort of practice nicely, and neither do emblem bearers. Even the most out of touch among them has been kept from taking initiative with trying to contact me, as a result. As for my own interest in meeting these contacts, well, need I say any more? — The smile she had sharpened itself a little while she stated her final suggestions, before she took another sip from her cup. 

—Not at all. As someone equally distant to this culture, I would prefer to avoid contact with it as well. Still, to intimidate these groups so easily just through the possibility of an indirect insult… May I assume the contacts you spoke of have a relevant standing on international trade? — Chiaisei asked, appearing quite interested in that aspect of the conversation. I imagined this might be connected to the doubts she still had regarding the situation we took part in at the guild, seeing as she still was pressuring part of my hands. 

—You could say that, yes. Some of the people I know likely have enough of a reputation to sway things a little just by publicly criticizing some of these pretenders. Not that it particularly matters. I carry the emblem of the High Queen, just as any other sister or brother in my path. If they're so worried about Althnalmir's position, they should be more worried about that than my direct connections in the first place. Acting as the eyes of the Great Sisters is hardly a secretive role of the sisterhood in the first place. 

—Indeed. They probably grew accustomed to the tension caused by the sisterhood already, though. Still, this reminds me of a question I had earlier, regarding this meeting. Would you mind listening to parts of it? — After hearing Nalfimiria's consent, Chiaisei told her some of the irregularities that happened before we had headed in her direction. Nalfimiria listened to the whole story quietly, and over the course of it Senshin recovered his composure enough to stop looking at the ground, though he still would avoid looking at the sister directly, or for longer periods of time. 

—If this is what you're wondering, I wasn't the one requiring them to act differently than the norm. I think I know what they're trying to do, though, as well as the culprit behind the incident. We should discuss what I know elsewhere, however, preferably in a place away from potential listeners. As good as you seem to be at manipulating sound, girl, in a bar filled with magic kin, having this kind of spell active draws too much attention. — Nalfimiria said, while subtly pointing to our surroundings. The bar was pretty big, but if packed there would be no telling how far we would have to be from everybody else to stay safe from everyone else's hearing. There was also no guarantee that in a place so packed with dwarves none of them would have higher rankings in wind casting than Chiaisei. 

"Her words imply she has seen Chiaisei use her spells too, then? I guess she might have been using sound manipulation without the rest of us spotting it at some point." At an adept rank, Nalfimiria's magical sensitivity would be far higher than any of ours. That, and it was very likely she could use interference magic, a practice that sharpened Magic Detection all the more. It was likely she could detect far more than any other of us, at that point in time. 

—See, that should give us enough answers for now, right? 

—Right. No confirming the unit's formation until then, however. — Chiaisei was still adamant on that point. 

—That's fine, it shouldn't be an issue. And have you all had breakfast? Maybe we should relocate to a table and grab a quick grub while we're here. — Nalfimiria suggested, while ordering another bottle of what she was having. It looked like she finished her second one between the point we arrived and she made the suggestion. Scary. 

—Also, what was that guy trying to recruit you for? Wasn't sure what exactly the end goal was. — The emphasis on the value to Nalfimiria's beauty and healing skill made me think some kind of sex work, but it didn't sound like it was simply about prostitution. One hour per week wouldn't be enough to cover a full event, especially not the sort that would be requiring a mage. 

—Right. Who was that man? — Surprisingly, I heard Senshin's voice just then. He was trying to look directly at Nalfimiria, and his voice was far less loud than usual. Judging by his attitude, I was guessing he spent that whole scene drifting off while trying to regain his cool. I wasn't expecting him to show any interest in this, though. Good on him, trying to walk on his own just after the initial push. 

—Oh, he speaks! I was expecting you to remain in meditation for some minutes longer by this point. Surprised I got to hear your voice this soon. — The teasing response from Nalfimiria maybe made him want to shrink back into silence, with that said. I could already tell just from that interaction that she had no plans on helping him keep control over his crush. 

—Not one fixed job, if I had to guess. Training boys and girls alike, managing orgies directly, doing healing duties on them or simply working as a security member that also raises the rating for the place. Maybe being sent to private events, modeling or line luring* as well... If the card is anything to go by, the firm he works for has some strands or connections to almost any field of this work. From what I gathered, he is less the representative of a specific spot but from the place that prepares and organizes girls and boys that fit any such given role. Hardly surprising he was so insistent on going after me. More likely than not, my skin color, appearance and robes already say that I could do any such work pretty well. — The robes, because almost any sister or brother knows a method of healing. The appearance, I don't think I need to go over again. And skin color? Because it meant she likely was Althnalmirian. And as most know, Althnalmirians tend to like their sex in large groups. As do the elves of most other elven nations, to be fair. Hence, it was fair to expect one to have way more experience taking part or leading orgies than most humans by default. 

(*Not sure if the practice or name will be preserved for the future, but if that isn't the case, that term indicated models that were paid to stay in line for sex bars or orgy houses while the places were still opening up. Most of them would also end up being paid to take part in the thing, but even in those cases they were asked not to enter through the employee doors since doing so would spare the place of easy advertisement for its hosts and hostesses.) 

—I guess. 80 per hour of work, though… I understand why you decided to pass and all, but that's higher than our average, even. I would have taken it easily. 

—At initiate level, maybe, but as an adept? The association would be offering you much more than that per job, and I'm sure my age likely played a role in this choice as well. Though if you're interested, we could always sign ourselves for the occasional healing job on the side during break days, if you have the ability. You could make a decent clink in this kind of setting as well, even if not one as big as mine. 

—Maybe. My healing is still in low rankings, but if it's just exhaustion I could handle it. I'll keep it in mind. Thanks. — Pretty indirect way of complimenting someone but it counts. 

And hey, if she did find that sort of side job and it paid well, who would I be to turn it away. Never took part in any large scale orgy before by that point and didn't really plan on trying it any time soon, though if doing it for money isn't a good incentive for a try what else could be? I mostly never thought to try it because I felt like sex lost some of the appeal when it was with people I literally had just met. And that's more or less inevitable in that kind of scenario. What can I say, something akin to a connection to the partner always helped me feel more involved with it, even if fucking strangers has its own excitements. Else it all just feels too mechanical, you know? It takes some of the fun out of it for me. Hence, I would much rather have group sex among a small group of friends than an enormous group of strangers. In public orgies you barely get enough time to figure out the taste of everyone you meet, right? 

—Okay then. Should we go ahead to the new seat, then? Also, if anyone wants to share some of my drink, feel free to ask. — I politely declined Nalfimiria's offer, and advised the youths among us to do the same. She was having dwarven spirits, and through experience I could tell two subsequent doses of that was my limit before my head started getting messed up. Worse thing of all, these things are so tasty despite the concentration of alcohol you often forget you're drinking something capable of toppling an ogre in three or four bottles. 

Anyways, this marked a small shift in location to our talk, as we moved to a less occupied corner of the bar. I think I heard the barkeep lamenting Nalfimiria's soon to be departure from that place, but I decided not to intervene (Nalfimiria had been very consistent with waiting for talks in that place specifically for almost an entire week, and apparently she had enough of an impact on the environment to impact the sales of the place.). From there, we had a quick grub while talking. So that the three of us could learn more about these two new potential companions, and they could learn more about us. This continued for some time, and though I feel like I had more of an active role in the chat, it's that time again. My boy probably has some shit to write for himself after the heart-stealing sister encounter. Therefore, Fasnilthar calls a narrator swap! Go, Senshin!