Chapter 17

"Come on! Get a move on, you two!" a woman shouted excitedly, her tail wagging furiously as she waved over to two men. One had ashy hair, and the other had striking yellow eyes. 

"You're the one who needs to calm down a bit, Nariko! I can't keep up with you!" the ashy-haired man panted, clearly out of breath. Nariko huffed and put her hands on her hips, her enthusiasm undiminished. 

"You're just being dramatic!" she shot back before pointing to the yellow-eyed man. "Look! Clovis is fine, isn't he?" She gestured toward Clovis, who stood beside the ashy haired man, looking completely unfazed by the sprint. 

The ashy haired man glanced between Nariko and Clovis, noting with annoyance how the latter wasn't even winded. "You need to exercise more, Drave," Clovis said with a smirk, giving him a playful pat on the back. Drave swatted his hand away. 

"I exercise plenty!" he protested, pointing at both Nariko and Clovis. "But no amount of exercise is going to make me keep up with a dog-type demi-human and a damn werewolf!" His tone was a mix of frustration and exhaustion.

Clovis shrugged nonchalantly. "Hey, don't blame us for being different species just because you lack athleticism," he replied, his voice calm but teasing. 

Drave's face twisted into an annoyed scowl, clearly gearing up for a retort, but before he could get a word out, Nariko cut him off. "Enough talking, more moving!" she commanded. She grabbed Drave by the arm and started dragging him forward.

"Can't I please just get a break?" Drave begged, his feet dragging behind him.

Nariko shook her head, her determination unwavering. "This is our break! Now stop complaining and move!" she insisted. 

Drave let out a groan mixed with a sigh, clearly resigned to his fate. Clovis, meanwhile, watched with an almost sadistic grin, enjoying the sight of Drave being pulled along like a reluctant child. 

And so, the three retainers had only just begun their one-day break!

But where exactly were they? And what had they been doing all this time? Drave, Clovis, and Nariko were still within the domain of their individual masters castle, the heart of their operations. They found themselves in a village not far from the castle itself. If they turned around, they could easily spot its towering spires in the distance. The village, known as Night Dew, was a sprawling, rural settlement that could easily be mistaken for a small town at first glance. The population was a diverse mix—humans, demi-humans, and even more uncommon races like dwarves and half-elves, though these were far fewer in number. 

Despite a demon attack the previous night, the villagers moved about without any sign of fear or anxiety. The reason for their calm demeanor was simple: no one had died or suffered any severe injuries during the attack. While the sage, the vampire, and the succubus had defended the castle, their retainers—Drave, Clovis, Nariko, and the others—had protected the village, ensuring that every resident was safe. 

As for what the three had been doing up until now, Nariko, ever the diligent one, had insisted on checking up on every single villager, even though she knew that there had been no fatalities or serious injuries. She had dragged Drave and Clovis along with her for this task, which they had just now completed. The effort had already left Drave exhausted, especially after an entire morning of rushing from house to house. Ironically, it had been his idea for the three of them to hang out and enjoy their break.

They entered a tavern with a hanging sign that depicted a tiny red dragon sitting in a bowl of broth. The sign read, Fire Broth. Drave was still being dragged along by Nariko as the three of them secured a table and sat down. 

"So, what? Are we just going to drink ourselves into unconsciousness?" Drave asked, rubbing his sore arm.

Nariko smirked, her eyes twinkling mischievously. "If that's what you want," she teased, raising her hand to call over a waitress.

"That wasn't a suggestion!" Drave snapped, but it was too late. The waitress, a middle-aged woman with a friendly smile, had already approached their table.

"What can I get for you?" she asked.

"Six bottles of your strongest drinks, please," Nariko said confidently. The waitress nodded and went off to get their order.

Clovis glanced around the tavern, taking in the scene. "A lot more people than I expected at this hour," he observed. Although it wasn't packed, the tavern was still surprisingly full for 11 in the morning.

"There were demons attacking last night. People want to talk about that," Drave said, noticing Clovis's curiosity.

"You'd think they'd want to talk to us more," Clovis replied, his yellow eyes scanning the room.

Nariko smiled, leaning back in her chair. "We just went around house to house asking if they were okay. I think they've spoken to us plenty," she said, and Clovis nodded in agreement. "Makes sense."

Just then, the waitress returned with their drinks and three large tankards. "Enjoy, and call me over if you need anything," she said with a smile before heading off to another table.

Nariko rubbed her hands together and licked her lips, her excitement palpable. "What are we waiting for? Let's drink!" she declared, grabbing a bottle and starting to pour.

Drave followed suit but hesitated for a moment. "Um, I gotta ask," he began, glancing over at Clovis as he finished pouring, "Is it okay for you to drink?"

Clovis looked up, puzzled. "What do you mean?"

Drave shrugged, choosing his words carefully. "Well, it's just… you won't transform or anything if you get drunk, right?"

Clovis chuckled, a grin spreading across his face. "Don't worry. I don't get drunk easily."

Drave nodded, though his worry hadn't entirely vanished. "That's good then, but you didn't exactly say whether you'd transform or not."

Before Clovis could answer, Nariko interrupted. "Hey, let's all toast before drinking!" she said, clearly ignoring Drave's concerns.

Drave sighed, realizing his question wasn't going to get a real answer. "Okay," he said, lifting his tankard. (Like master like retainer, I suppose.)

"Sure," Clovis added, also lifting his drink.

They all clinked their tankards together, Nariko's voice ringing out cheerfully with a loud, "Cheers!" She was the only one who seemed genuinely excited. They began to drink, and Drave couldn't help but keep an eye on Clovis, thinking to himself, *I hope nothing bad happens.*