NOVEL NEXT 64. Cracks (II)
"I can't believe you did that!" Hannah shouted as Wynn walked ahead. The dragonmage ignored her party member. The girls returned back to their accommodations without the hero, temporarily sparing the hero from the consequences. Aman was saved by Peter, who requested for the hero to talk to him, one to one, after the party and dinners.
Wynn just ignored her. "You just lacked the guts to do it. You've been his friend for all this while, and here you are."
Hannah stewed. "I can't be so shameless!"
Wynn wasn't going to continue a conversation that went nowhere, so she went to her room and closed it. Hannah frowned, and she too returned to her own room. She slammed the door.
Raven walked at the back, and then, rather than return to her room, she sat at the dining area outside. Kiara then decided to join her.
"You look like you've got a lot on your mind." Kiara said, as she sat down opposite her.
"You're not much better." Raven countered.
At that moment, Nysta, the last of the heroines to return, saw the two, and decided to join them. "Can I join?"
Kiara and Raven nodded simultaneously. Once Nysta sat down, Kiara breached the subject reluctantly. She didn't realize it before, but now that things have turned out this way, she was beginning to reconsider Edmund's offer. "Let's face it, This party is screwed."
Nysta was stunned. "You- you really think so?"
Kiara, still tipsy from the wines from the dinner, raised her hand and ordered a mug of beer from the innkeeper. She then released a really long sigh. "I must admit, I am now seriously reevaluating my role in this party. I'm thinking at what Wynn did, and what Raven says she would like to do, and realize, well- I'm just selling myself one way or another. It's trading my body and my attention for benefits, and- well- I'm not sure I want to play a game where my chances are not great."
"That's a horrible way to put it!" Nysta said. "I'm sure those blessed by the goddesses shouldn't be looking at it that way. We're here to save the world."
The knight nodded. "That's really why I'm still here instead of just walking out."
Nysta paused. "-but- is there a way we can just hold this for later? I- I really don't want the party to be like this. We're a team. Aman needs our help to defeat the demons. He's strong, but he can't do it without the rest of us."
Kiara sighed. She looked at Raven.
Raven shrugged. "It's either I win or I quit. Wynn merely has the upper hand for now. Aman- well, you know how he is. He can be a little dense in this aspect."
Nysta thought about what she heard. "Really?" Was she imagining things, then? Rather than leave it hanging, there was only one person she could ask. Hannah.
***
Nysta knocked on Hannah's door. "Hey, Hannah. Can I talk to you for a bit?"
"Nysta? Oh. Sure."
Nysta walked into Hannah's room and saw her just brewing a small cup of tea for herself. Hannah's face was still a little flushed from the wines from dinner. "I- I wanted to ask you about something."
"Oh?"
"Two days ago- I heard you making out with the hero."
Hannah's face turned red as a potato. "It's- it's nothing like that!"
"Then what is it?" Nysta was suspicious as hell. Hannah immediately ran and looked for the special card. "Here. It's this special illusion service. They can transform into a lookalike of anyone-"
Nysta paused. She heard of some types of exotic play where women 'roleplayed' certain characters, but if men could do the same- No. It made sense. Such unique services exist. Hannah sulked like a kid who got caught. "Are you judging me?"
"-I- oh. I didn't realize there's such a thing." Nysta clarified, staring at the magical card. "You- you asked for someone that looked like the hero?"
"Yeah." Hannah said. "But we didn't do anything. He just gave me a massage! It was pretty nice. I paid like 1 gold coin for it."
"A massage?" Nysta suddenly felt her body feel sore. No. She felt as if her entire body was exhausted. "Can I look at that card?"
"-uh-" She paused as she held the card awkwardly. After a moment of hesitation, she handed the card over. "Yeah. Sure."
"Do you think I can hire him too?" Nysta wondered. She- she wasn't brave enough to do what Wynn did. She was a priestess! A healer! But sometimes, she wished she was on the other side of that act.
Hannah blushed. "-I guess?"
Nysta looked at Hannah, suddenly having an idea. "You know- do you think they'll let us hire one and uh- uhm- give us a massage together? I'm-"
Hannah could guess what's on the nun's mind. "You're really curious but you're afraid to engage him alone because it's sad and you want me to come along."
Nysta was red as an apple. The priestess who gave a handjob somehow still couldn't imagine hiring a prostitute, but hiring a masseuse wasn't entirely unimaginable.
The tank heroine chuckled. "Sure. I think when Aman's out preparing, we could hire the guy and come give us a massage."
Nysta nodded.
