Chapter 33: Isekai Life & Knights of Esche

I knelt in front of Calliope, who was despondently flipping through her spellbook. She glanced at me momentarily, before looking back to the pages, chin in her other hand.

I shifted to a sitting position and sighed. “Yeah, I’d be pretty disappointed in myself if that happened to me, too.”

“Well, it didn’t,” she replied, “So you don’t have to worry about it. You’re not a burden on anyone.”

“Except that it could’ve happened to any one of us, you just got unlucky. I’m sure you’ll have plenty of times to prove your worth, in the future.”

Calliope closed her eyes and sat up straight. She took a deep breath, and then, “I know I’m not easy to get along with. I don’t know why, but I have a hard time hiding my disappointment if someone else screws up, and because of that, I have a hard time making friends. I always figured that if I couldn’t win people over as friends, I could at least earn their respect. And, well, you can’t do that if you’re paralysed for three hours because you were bitten by a centipede.”

“If you’re worried about that, why don’t you just ... be honest with people, and tell them how you feel? I know opening up like that can be difficult, but it might earn you some sympathy.”

“That’s just what I need, people being nice to me because I’m over here pouting like a child,” she said bitterly.

I decided to take a gamble, so I reached out and took her chin in my hand and made her look into my eyes. She glared at me defiantly, but didn’t stop me.

“I like you because you’re intelligent, competent, and brave. Walking into a fight with nothing but a dagger and fighting hobgoblins when you’re out of spells? I wish I had that kind of nerve.”

She flushed, and pushed my hand away, so she could look back at her spellbook.

“Please consider opening up. You might be surprised at the reaction you get.”

“Sure,” she said, softly, “Maybe.”

That seemed the end of that, so I scanned around the room. Ashryn was, somehow, entirely unhurt and happily playing with one of the Lazy Ox’s mousing cats, and I’d have plenty of time to speak with Voss when the girls went for their bath, so I walked over and plunked myself down beside Enna and she sorted the looted into piles.

“How’s the count going?” I asked, picking up the sheathed bastard sword to examine the stamped artwork on the leather.

“Pretty damn good, if’n I do say so meself,” the Mul replied cheerily, “Just under twelve hunnert gold in mixed coin, thirty-two hunnert in bank notes, and prolly around four grand in miscellaneous loot. S’kind of haul that you could retire on, if you live modest like.”

I blinked, impressed. That was a damn fine haul, especially for a low-level party.

“So, are you all going to be aroun’ while I finish my sentence?” Enna asked cautiously, “I mean, if’n this is the kind of business you get up to regularly, I wouldn’t mind taggin’ along, if you’ll ‘ave me.”

“Maybe. I’m sure we wouldn’t mind having you along, but we don’t know where are plans will take us after this,” I replied, “You’d have more than enough gold to follow us to our next destination, if you really want to join us, so even if we have to leave it isn’t the end of the world.”

She barked a kind of nervous laugh at that. “Uh, I’ve never really left Tresens before, least not any further than Whitewater Tower,” she said, “So, uh, Idunno if I’d be able to find you all without a lil’ help.”

I smiled at her. “Well, we don’t have to decide just this moment. You’re really good in a fight, and handy with those picklocks, so I think we’d all be willing to accommodate you.”

She smiled back, then nodded at the sword in my hand. “What’s with them black bladed swords, anyhow?”

“They’re magical,” I replied, drawing a half-foot of blade, to watch the light make iridescent patterns on the metal, “Alchemical steel, not a true enchantment, but made from magically-treated metal. It’s too bad that, so far, out of all the magical weapons we’ve found, we don’t have a single one anyone really knows how to use. Katriana is practising with that broadsword, but who knows when she’ll be good enough to use it properly.”

“Well, if’n you don’t mind, I’d be interested in taking that there pick off your hands and doin’ the same,” she said, “Might even keep you out of trouble and in your sister’s good graces if I do.”

I drew the crowbill and ran a finger along the carvings in it’s handle, then passed it over. “Use it in good health.”

She grinned, and gently set the weapon onto the sheet. “Yeah, well, I can get a tiny bit o’ practice in, then you’ll be takin’ care of it for me once more, right?”

“Sure, of course.”

We were interrupted then by a knock at the door. It was a serving maid, here to collect the women for their turn in the baths. She also came over to me, and dropped a curtsy.

“Master Braedon wanted you to know that a room on the third floor has opened up,” she said, “Two beds and a couch, similar to your current room but with a pair of like-sized beds. If it suits your party’s needs, it’s yours.”

Thinking about the cramped quarters of our current sleeping arrangements, I nodded, picking a few more platinum out of the treasure pile for the room. At least, even though we still wouldn’t quite have the privacy for sex, everyone could have something resembling a bed.

The girls cleared out and it was just Bekker, Voss and I.

It was Voss that started the conversation. “So I guess you’re going to want me, Enna and the butler to take the new room, so you can be alone with your girlfriends?”

“Uh, sure, if that’s what you’re offering,” I glanced over at Bekker. “You know, you don’t have to stay with us if you don’t want to, right? We just need you to testify about Lord Gauthi. If you have family or something to stay with...”

“Thank you, sir, but my home was Highcroft Manor,” he replied, “I have small desire to stay there. If it’s alright, I will impose myself on your hospitality, sir.”

“Fine by me.”

Voss and I busied ourselves with a game or two while Bekker helped himself to one of the inn’s books. Voss was in the middle of giving me a very sound thrashing (the man wasn’t a genius but he had plenty of skill at his game) when the ladies returned, wearing fresh clothes and with wet hair.

As soon as the door swung close behind Ashryn, Enna clapped me hard on the back. “You’re a for-real prince!? Who woulda thought? A real-life prince robbin’ folks an’ stuff!”

I winced, and look to Katriana for an explanation. She just shrugged. “Calliope was talking about how she felt useless, and trying to make her feel better, Ashryn blabbed about you having so many wives and needing other wizards to take back your throne and all.”