We both just sat there, enjoying the hot water and each other’s company as we soaked in the bath. We stayed like that for some time, before we were brought back to our surroundings by the sound of approaching footsteps.

“I knew they were doing something like this, look their clothes!” Said a familiar voice I knew all too well.

Serin and I both turned to see who was entering the room, Serin with a concerned look on her face. We were just in time to see Lillia and Altria enter the room, both wrapped in a towel.

“There they are.” Lillia exclaimed as soon as she noticed us.

“What are you two doing in here?” Serin asked.

“Us? What are you doing in here? It is the men’s bath you know. Keeping all the fun with Theo to yourself.” Lillia said half jokingly.

“No, we were just bathing…”

“More importantly, you shouldn’t be here Lillia. What if Siofra saw you in here with me. I’d be in big trouble.” I reminded her.

“But this is the men’s baths! She’s unlikely to come here.” Lillia protested.

“He’s right. We should leave before anyone sees us in here.” Serin said whilst climbing out of the bath and trying to usher the others to the door.

“Before who sees?” Asked Siofra as she entered the room.

I was just quick enough to plunge my head under the water before she saw I was there.

“Anyone. We entered the wrong bath, and I was just trying to get them to leave before we have an incident.” Serin explained without hesitation.

“Oh, I wouldn’t worry. The only man that is likely to come in here is Theo and from what I’ve seen he has more sense than to gaze on the princess as she bathes. I’m sure he knows the consequences.” Replied Siofra.

“He does, but Serin is right. We should leave before there is an accident. I wouldn’t want any unsuspecting person to be caught up in trouble.” Lillia said backing up Serin.

“Suit yourselves. I’m going to stay in here.”

“No, you can come with us to the women’s bath!” Lillia said grabbing Siofra by the arm and leading her to the exit.”

The rest of the girls left along with them. Only Altria looked back giving me smile and thumbs up as she left. I finished washing and waited until I was sure that I was in the clear before making a quick exit. It could have been written off a simple accident, but I had no idea whether Siofra was likely to report something like this or how Lillia’s family would view it.

I crept out of the baths, I was in luck there wasn’t another person in sight, and I could make out the sounds of the girls messing around in the women’s bath next door. I was in the clear, so I left the men’s bath and made my way back upstairs and to my room for the last time tonight.

I was kind of relieved to make it back to my room. Once inside I decided to change and go straight to bed, it was no longer that early and the events of the evening had taken it out of me a little.

The next day I woke of my own accord. I quickly dressed and checked over my pack before heading down to the guild hall. The hall was quiet, which was pretty standard for this place from what I had seen of things. Lillia, Serin and Siofra were already at a table waiting for breakfast when I got down there. It was just Altria that was still in bed.

“Morning all.” I said as I joined the table.

“Morning Theo. Sleep well?” Asked Serin.

“Yes thanks.”

“Are you all ready for your first big quest Mr Hero?” Siofra asked a little playfully.

“I think so.”

“We’ll get you through it safely, don’t worry.” Siofra assured me with a wink.

As we were making small talk waiting for the waitress to come over, Altria finally joined the group. Yawning and wiping the sleep from her eyes as she walked over. With the entire party now gathered it was time to get breakfast and then head out for the dungeon.

Despite now being a day ahead of the original schedule set out by Lillia, we weren’t about to waste any of the time we had gained. As soon as we had finished eating, we set out. While we walked across the quiet town, I wondered if the greatest danger I faced right now was from Lillia being overly familiar with me in front of Siofra. One wrong word from her to Lillia’s family could spell the end of my existence, we had already come very close to her finding out last night. I made up my mind to be extra careful, at least I knew Serin would keep an eye on Lillia as well.

Once we left the city gates it was Siofra that took the lead.

“I suppose it’s time for me to show my worth.” She said as she made her way to the front of our party.

“How far away is this dungeon?” I asked.

“It will take us about an hour on foot.” Replied Siofra.

Our route took us over the planes that surrounded Lintz. It was just as Siofra had said, after almost an hour’s walk the ruins of an old fort started to come into view. The crumbling fort was situated at the western edge of the planes, a short distance from a large forest. It wasn’t a particularly imposing sight. Even when it wasn’t a ruin, I could tell it wouldn’t have been a huge place.

I knew from what the others had told me that what was visible from the surface was only a tiny fraction of the dungeon that lay below ground. The officer in the demon lord’s army had been here for years now and they hadn’t been lazy in that time. From Siofra’s report they had excavated and fortified several layers underneath the ruins above.

We were a short way off when Siofra called the party to a stop.

“The dungeon is below that fort. If anyone wants to opt out, now is your last chance!” Siofra announced as we came to a halt.

No one spoke up.

“Looks like everyone is still on board.” Siofra noted.

I really didn’t want to go down there when I thought about it, but I knew that it was my only chance to stay alive. Not trying to fulfil my guild duties wasn’t an option. My only chance was to get strong enough to stand a chance of facing the demon lord and to acquire my relic. Neither of these things were currently within my reach. I had to do this.

“Of course, everyone is.” Lillia said confidently. “It’s time for us to form up. Altira and Siofra you take the front. I’ll follow and Serin and Theo, you bring up the rear.”

The formation made sense. Altria was our best scout and Siofra was the only one of group that had been here before. Once we got inside, we could be attacked from any angle, so it made sense to position our primary healer in the middle of the group and have a strong rear. Even if it was likely to be stronger with Lillia taking it than me. There was just one thing that was bothering me.

“Are we just going to walk straight up to the entrance?” I asked.

“Yes.” Replied Lillia.

“We aren’t going to try to make a stealthy approach?”

“No.”

“Isn’t that a little reckless?”

“Look at our surroundings, if they have anyone up there keeping watch, they will have already spotted us from miles away. There was no way we were going to be able to get in there without being spotted. We’re going to have to fight our way inside.” Explained Lillia.

Looking over the surroundings, I knew she was right. The fort may be in ruins, but it was on a slight rise and still basically towered over the entire area. If there was anyone up there at all, we wouldn’t have escaped their sight. There was no cover, no way that we could have made it up to the entrance without being spotted.

“I suppose you’re right.” I agreed.

“There will only be minimal numbers guarding the entrance. The real dangers come from the monsters that spawn inside and the traps. Then the demon lord’s officer, of course. This place was set up to kill adventurers once they enter, not to repel a force. Getting inside is the least of our worries.”

That made sense, there was very little chance of a large suppression force coming here and if one did the whole place would simply be abandoned. There were probably only a small number of the demon lord’s subjects inside. It was mostly filled with mindless monsters. The only forces that were likely to come and try to overthrow them was a small band of adventurers, just like us.