5-5 Carnal solace
After a long week of handling the tedious aftermath of the devastation, Erin finally had some time to herself. Aside from meeting with various nobles that were closely acquainted with Melissa Valdrun, there were also the matters with the adventurer’s guild
As Erin was a registered adventurer, it was only natural that her deeds would be attributed to the guild and the Guild Master, Rigetta herself, had approved not just Erin but also her companions in attaining a star of accomplishment to their names.
But of course, since only Amyra, Lyra, and Nivia were registered adventurers, the rest received the star of accomplishment only in an honorary sense. Should they officially register themselves as adventurers, they would immediately be recognised and acknowledged as single-star adventurers.
In accord with Erin and her companions' attainment of the star, a festival was to be held in their honour while also serving as a relief and acknowledgement of the city folks and the adventurers’ efforts in rebuilding the city and restoring order.
To everyone’s surprise but also their indifference, Edmund survived the ordeal as the prison under the guild’s building was sturdy enough to keep people out in addition to keeping people in. However, Edmund's well-being had been neglected as no one could be bothered with taking care of a prisoner who had lost their worth in the midst of these trying times.
Speaking of prison, Lord Rylan Grid had been tried for his crimes, or so Erin heard from Melissa. The charges were many but the most severe one was the collusion with an underworld organisation that aimed to topple the kingdom. But of course, the name of the said organisation was not known or divulged to the public.
The now-former viceroy of Sephrodia Valley was facing a death sentence, which would be taking place in three days’ time. Erin was invited but she promptly rejected the cordial invitation. Erin could smell the scheme just from reading the first line of the invitation letter.
No doubt the nobles would use this opportunity to acquaint themselves with the saviour of the city.
In two weeks’ time, the inauguration of the new viceroy would take place even though the position in question was still vacant and the candidates were undecided. The candidates need not be a noble but they do need to have the backing and the influence of a high noble.
Melissa had jokingly suggested Erin for the post but Aedan, who caught wind of this, was seriously deliberating over it.
“Not a bad suggestion,” Aedan began musing after Erin had relayed this piece of news.
“You’re not seriously considering Melissa’s joke of a proposal, are you?” Erin had asked.
“No, but I am considering having one of my people take the office,” Aedan had answered.
There were only a few people that Aedan fully trusted and was competent.
Erin quickly excused herself from the discussion before she got involved any more profoundly than she wished.
At present, it was an hour after dawn and Erin had just finished her routine of tempering and refining her combat prowess so that it would not rust. She had retreated to the bathhouse after her training session.
Since everyone had their own timetable, Erin was alone in the pool of a bath and it was just something she needed at the moment.
Erynthea - Faerie-kin: Five-Tailed Fox-kin
Level: 59
Might: 30 | Arcane: 65 | Finesse: 53
Magic Arts
Spirit Magic Lv. 10 | Arcane Edge Lv. 7 | Arcane Armour Lv. 10 | Lightning Magic Lv. 10 | Arcane Aegis Lv. 7 | Mystic Tail Arts Lv. 6 | Spatial Magic Lv. 7
Combat Arts
Sword Art Lv. 9 | Fleet Foot Lv. 5 | Brawler Lv. 5 | Spear Art Lv. 1 | Body Strengthening Lv. 2
Innate Skills
Appraisal Lv. Ex | Night Vision Lv. Ex | Sixth Sense Lv. Ex | Toxin Resistance Lv. 7 | Lust Lv. Ex | Mana Harvest Lv. 1 | Lightning Resistance Lv. 5 | Darkness Resistance Lv. 1 | Cold Resistance Lv. 5
Unique Talent
Mystic Blade Lv. Ex | Revenant Lv. Ex | Bespoke Lv. Ex
Level Progression: 95%
Remaining Skill Points: 4
Remaining Ability Points: 8
It had been quite some time since she last properly reviewed her stats. She clicked her tongue when she realised she was so close to reaching the next level. She had not neglected her womanly desires and had been indulging in them almost every night with either Lyra, Aera, Siv, Lilian, or Aedan. Even so, she was short on a faint amount of experience.
With just a glance at her stats, Erin immediately allocated five points of Ability Points into Arcane and the rest into Finesse.
[Arcane: 65 - 70 | Finesse: 53 - 56]
Though the increment wasn’t as profound as before, the slight upward shift of her power did leave a smile on her face. The higher one’s level was, the harder it would be to ascend to the next. Naturally, no one would be finicky about the kind of gains they acquired, so long it was a gain.
When it came to her Skill Points, she did not make any immediate decisions. She considered all of her Arcane Arts as essential and crucial. Without even a single of them, she dared say she might not even have lived till this day.
She recounted her past and recent battles as she stroked and brushed her tails gently as if it was second nature to her. While she considered all of her Arcane Arts indispensable, her resources were limited.
She didn’t know how long she had been in deep thought but the warm bath had turned cool when she snapped out of her cerebration after she had come to a conclusion. She decided to invest in the most versatile skill first and foremost, aside from Spatial Magic.
She poured all of her Skill Points into Mystic Tail Arts, raising it to level eight. An abundance of knowledge flowed into her mind. There was a slight tinge of regret, not over the spending of her points but the decision of taking a bath.
[Mystic Tail Arts: Level 6 increased to Level 8]
As she had gained new skills under her level eight Mystic Tail Arts, she was eager to put those new skills to the test as soon as possible.
Then, an idea came to mind. She rose from her bath but she did not get out of it. She glanced around to make sure there was no one else but her in the room.
She brandished her tails as she assumed a combat stance. She put a foot forward and at the same time, she swung her hips and her tails lashed forward. It was faint but she could see how the air split apart at that move.
“Not bad,” she mused.
She took another step forward and swung her hips around once more, bringing her tails in a wide arc that sent the water surging like a small tidal wave.
She took one more step forward and she spun her whole body as she did so. Her tails spun along with her and a wave of unseen projectiles cut across the surface of the bath as if blades were rushing through.
Erin’s face brightened with glee and thrill. She couldn’t wait to use her new skill in actual combat practice. It was called Tempest Dance. It was the first actual combat skill under Mystic Tail Arts.
That was not all she learned with the increment of two levels. There was another. Mystic Flare, the name was. From what she could gather from the result of Appraisal, Mystic Flare was essentially Essence Flare but instead of using Spirits as fuel, it used Mana.
Since Spirits were not Mystic Flare’s fuel, it would not be as effective towards Demons as Essence Flare was. And from purely her own conjecture, Erin didn’t feel the same intensity from Mystic Flare as she did from Essence Flare.
Be that as it might, there was another difference, one that tipped in Mystic Flare’s favour. Mystic Flare was malleable and flexible in its own right without the aid of any other Arcane Arts.
Flames of rose pink burned vividly in Erin’s palm upon casting Mystic Flare. At her will, the pink flames morphed into a sword. She tried striking the water with it and it merely passed through the water without making it boil or sizzle. The pink flames were not at all. In fact, it was only flames in appearance.
Wielding the sword of the mystical flames, Erin stepped into a dance. More precisely, she was dancing to the tune of the tempest. Her flaming sword left behind a faint pinkish trail in its wake. The sword had no weight. The flow of her movements was swift and fluid.
“This would be extremely handy against opponents of ethereal nature.”
Essence Flare was not wholly reliable as places devoid of Spirits would render it unusable. However, Mystic Flare would have no such problem. It was always good to have alternatives.
“Someone’s very excited,” came a sudden voice.
Erin jumped and immediately spun around. She didn’t hear the individual approaching nor did she catch their scent. For the latter reason, it was probably due to the scented bath salt that the servants had put into the bath, masking nearly every other scent in the room.
“Aedan…” Erin tutted when she saw who it was. Of course, it would be him. “What are you doing here?” she asked upon noticing he was dressed. If he had intended to take a bath with her, he would be naked.
“I was passing by and I heard water splashing within. I thought that you were… having fun without me… in a certain sense.”
Erin rolled her eyes. “I may be the agent of lust but I am not without discipline.”
Aedan smirked. “We fucked right in the middle of the hallway just two days ago.”
“...That was a different circumstance. It was night and it was just right in front of your room.”
Aedan’s smirk only widened at her excuse.
Erin sighed. “Fine… I’m just a hypocritical horny bitch. Is that what you want to hear?”
“No, not actually,” Aedan said and began undressing. “I want something else.”
Erin narrowed her gaze. “Don’t you have some business to attend to?”
“I do but… I suppose I am just as much of a lustful deviant as you are.” In no time at all, Aedan had finished disrobing himself and entered the bath. His gaze stayed on Erin’s unclothed and glistening body all the while. “I don’t think there’s anyone in this world that could resist your… natural temptation.”
Erin dispelled her flaming sword and walked towards Aedan. “Nivia did. I have invited her a couple of times to join me in my chamber at night, but she refused my invitation, every time.”
Aedan tittered and pulled Erin to him once she was close enough by wrapping an arm around her slender but toned waist. “Mind if I make an attempt?”
“Be my guest,” Erin sneered as she intertwined her fingers behind Aedan’s head.
“What? You don’t think I will succeed?”
“She does hate your guts.”
“So did you, sweetheart, and look at you now.”
“What about me now?” Erin returned the question and pressed her ample bosom against Aedan’s bare chest which was slightly chiselled.
With his other hand, Aedan stroked Erin’s glistening hair with amorous intent. “Now, you turn into a licentious minx and a libidinous vixen whenever you’re in my presence.”
“You flatter yourself, Aedan. My lust is not exclusive towards you.”
Aedan chuckled. “Only you would admit such a thing so proudly and brazenly.”
Erin pressed her well-defined belly against Aedan with his standing rod sandwiched in between. “Seems like your thing down there is just as proud and brazen as I am.”
“Why wouldn’t it be when you’re openly seducing me?”
“I was not seducing you,” Erin corrected him. “But I am seducing you now.” She leaned forward and began pecking on his neck and shoulders, leaving her mark all over.
“You know… anyone could come in through that door at any time,” Aedan said in between his quickening breaths. Ever since his level was sealed to the minimum, his resistance towards Erin’s lust pheromones had drastically lowered. His hands move from her hair and waist, sliding down to her bountiful pair of mounds behind her.
Erin shivered ecstatically when she felt Aedan’s eager grip on her posterior. “Someone’s excited,” she riposted. “But so am I.”
Aedan scoffed and slid two fingers to Erin’s entrance, which was damped with her love juices. “You’re soaked,” he said in a breathless whisper.
“We are in the bath pool.”
“No bathwater has this sort of viscosity.”
Erin tittered. “I suppose not.” She then lowered herself onto her knees and Aedan’s vigorous phallus came into her view. “Aren’t you glad that you are the only man that I will allow to be in all of my holes?”
“I am extremely honoured,” Aedan said, his hand fell on top of her head and began caressing her ears and hair.
Erin quivered from having her ears touched. Instead of swatting his hand away, she embraced his touch. She chuckled and began gently stroking the throbbing cock in front of her face as she slowly swallowed the tip.