“It seems she’s asleep. Dineria, what do you make of it?” whispered Nimyra. She rubbed the red-eyed human’s head and silently wished her a restful slumber.  

Dineria stared at a woman she used to pay for sex with her green eyes—a determined, playful smile remained across her luscious lips. She cuddled close to Servi to ensure she was warm, although she knew that wasn’t necessary.   

“It’s a lot to take in, but it’s the truth. I know it is. She needs support. I can’t imagine how she’s feeling… How heavy the weight on her heart must’ve been. Goddess Itarr?” Dineria stopped for a moment. She didn’t know what to say. She didn’t even know if the goddess could hear her until Itarr summoned the Skill Phone. It floated in the air, and Dineria noticed it flashing. She asked if the goddess could blink once for yes and twice for no, and the phone’s display flashed.   

Dineria had never spoken with a goddess. She wasn’t even sure if they were real, which didn’t make much sense since she was blessed by one. Atheism wasn’t that common, but it did exist.   

But for the next hour, Dineria and Nimyra asked a series of yes or no questions to learn more about the goddess. And if they had any doubts, they were assuredly eliminated within seconds.   

Albert also materialized after shattering a crystal, but he closed his eyes and hid his face with his hands, citing that he could act as an in-between since he could freely leave the ring.   

“That would’ve accelerated the progress,” Nimyra said. She chuckled at how cute and abashed he was. 

Albert was a gentleman—through and through—and even though Dineria and Nimyra wore pajamas under the covers, he didn't look. 

He chatted with them while keeping his eyes closed. After answering their questions for Itarr, he wished them a good evening.  Before he returned to the ring, Nimyra said something to make him blush. “I’ve always thought you were handsome. You were so refined and put together, my dear,” said Nimyra, admitting she had a crush on him when he was alive.    

The situation was absurd. It was abstract. Dineria had once looked at a book of gods and goddesses at the guild’s libraries during her travels, and she had never once come across anyone called Itarr. The name was unfamiliar. It lingered on her tongue and almost numbed the tip, so she was partly leaning towards it being a cursed name or word.    

Perhaps the fact that the two truth-holders were Elves was why they took the information as well as they did. If they were human or singi, they’d have been dead from old age six times over.   

But that didn’t mean they took it as Servi had thought. That was just an illusion. They were struck hard by what she had said.   

“Did you think Harold was that type of man?”  

“He’s one of the few who has never approached me for my services. He cares deeply for his wife and daughter. He’s a hard worker. The employees at Lando’s Nail oft have nothing but good news about him. He’s fair and honest, yet he’s the king’s executioner?”  

Dineria bit her lips lightly. “If word ever gets out about Parrel being Keywater’s prince… No, I don’t wish to imagine the fallout.”  

“Neither do I.” Nimyra imagined people would outright demand for war to be called. It wouldn’t take long to combine two and two and figure out that the incident with the underground slave market was related to the influence of a foreign empire. Even if permission was granted with King Lando’s authority, it was still a state secret. Most nobles probably weren't even aware of the  ‘invasion’ that happened so long ago. Every detail was kept hush and mum.   

“Are you scared for her?” Dineria suddenly asked.   

Nimyra shook her head. “I’ve seen her immortality. But it’s… No, I don’t wish to speak ill of the goddess. Goddess Itarr, please forgive me for my earlier comments when Servi told me the truth.” 

Nimyra asked Dineria the question she was asked, and the green-haired elf nodded. “I don’t see her as anything other than my student. It doesn’t matter if she’s part goddess. She’s just going to be Servi to me. But… I sense trouble brewing. I don’t like the feeling taunting my heart.”  

Nimyra switched topics to Momo and Srassa. Dineria said she had a good idea of what they did in the dungeon because she sensed they were closer. And then she knew it immediately when she returned to their room at the inn and saw them cuddling in their sleep.  

But most didn’t know Srassa existed. It was probably another secret, but why? Nimyra said talented and intelligent men often thought decades in advance. If that was the case with Harold, he was frighteningly competent at the game of politics. But it was a risk. Conceiving a child, then spending nearly two decades ascending through the political minefield that was Landonian politics, where backhanded deals and shady friendships were struck in the capita’s underbelly?  

His thought process was unlike any human or elf Nimyra had ever seen.   

“But seeing yet another delicate flower being rescinded to the gilded cage? It’s always saddened me… From how Servi spoke, she doesn’t want Srassa to live that life.”  

“It’s a shame. It really is. They’re cute together, don’t you think?” asked Dineria. She smiled. Inside, she felt as if she was having a sleepover. And being with Nimyra, who had made her cry and shout with pleasure like no one else, made her heart pound rapidly against her chest.   

“Srassa’s the awkward, slightly clumsy knight. Momo’s the experienced leader with a good head on her shoulders. Servi’s the cool beauty with a mysterious past. It’s almost like something out of a fairytale. But… Do you think they can remain together?”  

“I don’t know, Nimyra. I want them to, but… Let’s just say Servi ‘kidnaps' Srassa. She’ll have the Landonian army chasing after her. And bounty hunters. And mercenaries.” Dineria stopped right there and didn’t want to think about it anymore. It would mean an army against a goddess incarnate—and there was no doubt Servi would win.   

But at what cost?  

Her sanity?  

Her friendship with Momo and Srassa?  

Dineria knew she didn’t envy Servi, but her heart constantly cried out. She was an empathetic person—Dineria had to be if she wanted to heal from her dark days when she was, essentially, a hired killer—the Dreadwood Shadow.   

Nimyra leaned over Servi and kissed Dineria. “There, does that feel better? You appeared to be lost in thought, so…”  

“It does…”  

The two shared one last smile, and then the Elves merely looked at the other and supported the one in the middle until they naturally fell asleep. 

---

I awoke the next morning with a renewed sense of…something.   

It was…a calm mind—a consciousness cleaned by finally telling someone the unadulterated truth.   

Nimyra and Dineria weren’t in bed, so I dressed and walked to the kitchen, where I found two elves dressed in silk pajamas. 

One sat at the table, and the other stood at the stove, scrambling a pan of eggs while cooking sausage and bacon on the other burners.    

“Good morning, sweetie. Did you sleep well?” Nimyra’s smile was always so charming. Dineria offered a friendly wave as I sat at the table.   

“I did. Umm… Thanks a lot… I feel a lot better.”  

“That usually happens after a good cry.” Dineria poked my cheek in a friendly, mentor-like way. “What’s wrong? The sound and visual seals are still up, so...”  

I talked with them about…how I didn’t want things to change. I still want to be their friend. And they just laughed and said they wouldn’t ever think of acting differently around me. I also learned they talked with Itarr and Albert. And my heart felt even more at ease.   

But then it quivered when Nimyra said she knew I had...gone all the way with Itarr the night of that party before Lucy went to Adenaford Academy.

That’s right... I guess that spilled out last night when I was venting... 

I couldn’t dare handle that disapproving look. It was enough to make me want to cry. I didn’t want Nimyra to hate me. 

And she had...more than enough reason to never want to see me again since I broke her cardinal rule.  

Emotions poured from my eyes as I stood up. “I should’ve said something earlier,” I cried. “It wasn’t fair to you! I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!” 

Nimyra sat her spatula on the cutting board and approached. She deserved to slap me. She had every right to call me an idiot for taking advantage of her goodwill and body.  

“I’ll leave. If that’s what it takes for you to not hate me, I’ll... I’ll find somewhere else to stay. I don’t want to cause you any more trouble. I mean, why would you want to stay with someone like me? I lied to you about--” 

But my punishment never came. Nimyra wrapped her arms around me and softly rubbed my head.  

“You don’t have to leave,” she finally whispered. “I wouldn’t make you homeless. But listen to me, Servi. That wasn’t a nice thing to do. You know how important my rules are to me. And you broke them. Even if you couldn’t bring up Goddess Itarr’s name, you could’ve said you didn’t want to continue. And I would’ve been fine with that.” 

“I’m sorry...” 

“I know you are.” 

“Please, don’t hate me.” 

‘I don’t hate you. Look at me.” Nimyra gently grabbed my chin and tilted it up. I met her eyes, and she smiled.  

Really, Nimyra was always so friendly... So nice and gentle...and kind to a fault.  

“You’ve learned your lesson, so sit down. I’ll get you something warm to drink.” 

“Okay.” I hugged her once more, sat down, and... 

I felt relieved... 

Dineria just smiled, and Nimyra soon placed a mug of hot tea on the table. “I know I need to tell Momo and Srassa. And probably Harold. And what about Claire?”  

“Claire does care about you,” said Dineria, sipping her coffee from a wooden mug Nimyra had kept over here just for her. “She’s the type of woman who becomes too invested in her job. She’s totally empathetic to a fault and cares about everyone she meets through Warden, but she’s a good person. I’m certain she’ll appreciate it if you tell her. And I’ll be there, too.”   

“Really? That’s good to know. Maybe… If it’s okay, maybe I can head to her place? Not today or anything, but… I don’t have many friends. And I doubt I’ll make many more because of my secret. But I don’t want to keep lying. I wanna keep the friends I do have.”   

“It sounds like you want to throw another party,” Nimyra noted. She brought three plates of food to the table and sat.  

“Maybe not that,” I replied, cutting into my sausage. “Just a nice get-together. And maybe Marissa and the kids can come. Fisher’s not here. So…I need to look out for them. It’s my responsibility. I need to face my own sins and take care of them.”  

“I don’t mind doing it for you. I’ve told you before, but I have more money than a family can spend in a dozen generations.”  

“Really?”  

“Yep! However, I’m not sure they’d take it. I’m sure Fisher left them more than enough to survive on.” 

“I’m…still surprised you two don’t hate me,” I confessed. 

I immediately wanted to smack myself. 

 My moment of weakness turned into a ten-minute…learning experience? It wasn’t so much a lecture as a stern, gentle talk. But then the topic was expertly switched to the necklace and bracelet I had made for them. It was probably dangerous to wear them in public because those two robberies I committed had blood crystals left at the crime scene. Marissa indirectly knew that, so she had told me she’d let the girls wear the cat ear headbands when they were home and not in public.    

“We figured. But it’s a gift. If we can’t wear it, we’ll always have it with us.” I told Nimyra that there might be a way to alter the color. I mean, I couldn’t die. So…maybe I could inject my body with dye to change my blood’s color?    

The idea was crazy, but it wasn’t out of the question.    

As we talked, I internally wondered what I could make for Momo and Srassa. I changed the topic to them, and I felt my heart’s resolve grow as the seconds passed.    

“I need to tell them. The end of the week… That’s going to be my deadline. I’m scared, of course, but… I can’t keep lying to them.    

“Have faith, my goddess friend,” said Dineria. “You told us. I’m sure that was scary, but things worked out for the best. Say, do you have any plans?”  

“Yeah. I’m meeting Momo and Srassa at the guild in an hour.”  

“Then I’ll leave with you. Ni-Ni was kind enough to give me some sweets. I’d figured I’d share them with Butterfly Rumble and my Claire-Bear.”  

“Butterfly Rumble… That's a good name.” Nimyra smiled. “I’ll be expecting to read about your accomplishments. Let’s say I have high hopes for you.”  

“And now you’re making me nervous…”  

“Hehe!”   

And so, twenty minutes later, Dineria and I were standing at the entryway with my hand on the doorknob.    

“I would say be careful, but I know that’s not needed. Still, that doesn’t mean you can't get hurt, okay? So be careful. Be safe.”   

“I will,” I replied, breaking off from the embrace. Nimyra looked me up and down, then gave us a polite and charming wave as we left.   

---

We saw Momo and Srassa happily chatting with Claire after entering the guild. Her lovely red hair was always vibrant, and her purple eyes sometimes sparkled.   

And we hadn’t seen her since before we left for Waveret.

When I walked over, Claire hugged me out of the blue and said she was so happy we returned safe, then ushered us into a meeting room, where we proceeded to catch her up on everything that had happened.   

Baring some of the more…steamier moments, of course. 

Honestly? We should've caught up with her earlier, but our schedules just didn't align. Then again, I was dealing with a lot. Or maybe I was just...unconsciously developing reasons to avoid meeting her?

But we were here now...

“This'll be a moment I look back on in the future, right? When I can’t believe I sat in a room and ate cookies with the Butterfly Rumble?” Claire had asked when all was said and done. She leaned back in her chair and crossed her legs, nursing part of a sweet treat in her hands.    

“Tell you what. You’ll get the first autograph from the three of us. It’ll be worth a mega fortune in the future, so ya better keep it safe and sound until then, okay?” Momo tore a page from her notebook and had us scribble our names. As expected, Srassa’s signature was the prettiest and cleanest. And Momo went ahead and drew a cartoon cat face beside her name. She said it’d add about 2,000 more dupla to it.    

This chatter was fun for the heart, yet I felt it was a prelude to uncomfortable times. Much like the darkening of the skies when a storm neared—the feeling of uncertainty stubbornly hooked itself in the air.   

But I had to be strong. Itarr and Albert were there, reassuring me. And I had Dineria and Nimyra. If…things went wrong, then…I knew they would talk to my friends.   

It wasn’t a hyperbole to say that…these might be the only friends I’d ever have.   

Because…while telling the two elves made me feel better inside, I desperately hoped it was the right thing to do. There was no way Harold’s spies saw any of it, right? Not when Dineria used those spells to prevent any unintended scrying?  

…  

“Anyways,” Claire said, wiping her face after the last cookies had been devoured. She pulled a letter from a nearby bag. The elf cracked a grin and closed one eye. “An anonymous client has approached the guild to request Butterfly Rumble for a quest. We received the notice late last night.”   

“Really?! Really?!” Momo's ears stuck straight up. She stood and hopped like a happy, overactive bunny rabbit. “Someone’s really requested us?!   

“And for the record, no. I didn’t embellish anything in my report. I merely wrote the unadulterated truth.”  

“She’s right,” Claire added. “Dineria was called in for clarification by the guild master, and she answered under oath. You three made an impression on my boss when he read the review of your Waveret trip.”   

“Hehe! That makes my heart pitter-patter. Doesn’t it feel good, Srassa?”  

The poor noble girl was blushing hard. Her face was as red as a cherry pie, so I imagine all of the praise was…too much for her. But she nodded and covered her face, which got a ‘that’s totally adorable’ from our dear captain.   

“Sorry, but I don’t know who requested you. Only the guild master knows, and it’s not something he can reveal as per our privacy policy.” Claire handed us the letter, and Momo opened it and read it.   

The client wished us to deliver a package to Arcton, a town about a week away to the north. It didn’t have the best reputation, but it wasn’t somewhere overly dangerous. Dineria said it was filled with pickpockets, though.   

We left the meeting room and walked to the desks. Claire excused herself and went through a separate door to reach the safes, then appeared in her usual spot carrying a small box. It was wrapped with colorful threads and held a pink bow.   

Another letter was folded on top, but Dineria didn’t stay long enough to know its contents. She said her goodbyes and said we’d definitely meet again while hinting at a future get-together at her and Claire’s place.   

And our red-haired Elven friend was all for it.   

The letter attached to the box said the contents were for the anonymous client’s grandmother, who lived in a shop located in the medicinal district. Claire pulled a map of the city and laid it on the counter. Arcton was split into different districts, which matched their primary function. You had the medicinal district, crafting district, commerce district, noble district, and housing district. It was also a city that belonged to the Duchy of Canary, so the new duchess ruled over it.   

Although I didn’t care much for that or her policies concerning the place because it didn’t matter to me.   

“Under no circumstances are you to ever peek inside a deliverable. You can’t violate the client’s trust in adventurers or the guild,” said Momo. “Besides, the guild checks every box for contraband, so you know it’s safe to transport.”   

“Right! I understand, Ms. Momo!” Srassa’s armored gauntlets made a clinging noise when she formed a pair of fists. She was pumped, primed, and ready to go. Even her armor had been freshly polished, which extended to her shiny sword and shield, whose embedded green jewel seemed to be even fancier and more vibrant than usual.   

“Let’s hit the market before we leave,” said Momo. She handed the box to me and said it’d be safer in my ring. “We’re getting paid 50 dupla each! That's a lot, so let’s get what we need here. Claire, prices are higher in Arcton, aren’t they?”  

“Yep. Even if you paid for everything here, it’ll be cheaper than going to the markets there and getting the supplies for the return trip. That’s a bright mind you have, Momo.”  

“Hehe!” Momo’s beautiful tail wagged.   

I thought about Nimyra and asked if I could have a message sent. Claire said it was possible. It was but 1 dupla to deliver one within the city, but she leaned close and said she’d waive the fee for us. I wrote her about the delivery mission, and Claire prepped the letter before calling over a guild-affiliated messenger.   

Srassa was about to do the same, but then we heard a familiar butler.   

“Lady Srassa! Lady Srassa!” said Jony, who quickly approached after entering the guild.   

“What’s wrong?” 

“Nothing wrong, my lady! It’s good news! Your father has asked the king about your request, and he wishes to meet with you in person to discuss it. A royal mage is at the estate. They’re waiting on you.”   

“Really? That’s wonderful. I—” Srassa stopped speaking. “But Butterfly Rumble has been requested. What do I do? Ms. Momo?”  

“The king does not have any more free time after today. His schedule will be packed with meetings and other royal duties for the next two months. He’ll be free during the festival's last day, but it’ll be too late. Unless you wish to ask him about the next festival…” Jony said.    

“Go see the king. You want us to attend the ball with you, right? I’ve been kinda looking forward to it. I don’t know how to dance or act like a prim, proper ‘lady,’ and I don’t know much about etiquette, but I want to learn." I echoed what Momo said. Srassa seemed sad she was leaving us, but I leaned close and hugged her, whispering that I wanted to dance with her.    

It wasn’t a lie. The more I thought about Srassa, the more…I felt something tingle in my heart. And it was the same with our captain. We had done almost everything you could without having sex. And maybe we wouldn’t get there, but… Even I knew dancing together at the ball was going to be romantic. And I wanted to share a moment like that with them.    

“And… I have something I want to talk with you two about… But it can wait until after we come back.”  

“Talk about? Is everything okay, Servy?” Momo sounded different. Her tone was…not so much scared as concerned. “It’s nothing bad. I promise. It’s…just hard to talk about. I need to prepare the words I want to say.”   

“Very well. I’m sorry I must miss this quest, but I’ll get the king to grant his permission. I’ll return as soon as I can, and then we can have this talk.”   

“You do that, girlie. And Servy and I’ll ensure the delivery goes off without a problem.”  

We shared one more group hug, then had Claire cancel the quest for Srassa. She didn’t have to do that. It was possible to pay people to join your party, accept a mission, and sit back and reap the rewards without lifting a finger.   

That didn’t mean it was legal, of course. 

Srassa didn’t want to be that kind of person. They were called leeches. Most were rich, wealthy nobles who desired power and strength without putting in the blood, sweat, and tears to earn SP.   

We walked outside with her, then waved as she entered the carriage.   

“I wanted us to do this together. The very first job for Butterfly Rumble.”  

“I think you mean the second job, captain. Remember Operation Cheer Up?”  

“Does that count?”  

“It should. Come on, let’s hit the market.”