BB, Guest Services and Reception, [Radiant Fang] Guild
Lord Jaigia returned drenched in blood, his murderous aura so intense that it jolted everyone awake from their slumber.
He ordered the main team to clear out a newly spawned dungeon.
The sword must be gone for sure—that' s why he' s this enraged.
At first, I thought it would end with just deploying the main team. But then Lord Jaigia approached me and ordered me to retrieve a young woman from that dungeon.
He emphasized that she must be treated as a VIP guest, and whatever she requests, we must fulfill without fail.
After describing her appearance and build, Lord Jaigia hurriedly left the guild.
Poor Rachel.
The main team prepared swiftly, and soon everyone was on the carriages, ready to depart.
I ended up being the slowest, even though it hadn' t even been five minutes. I quickly got ready, hopped onto the guest reception carriage, with the main team escorting us from the front and rear.
The speed difference between the main and support teams was stark. Their superior breed of horses, lighter and more agile carriages, and sturdy, durable wheels allowed them to maintain top speed even on rough roads.
When we spotted the dungeon from afar, the main team was already gearing up, ready to leap into action.
But as we neared the entrance, I overheard the main team discussing a carriage that passed us not far from the dungeon' s entrance.
I opened the carriage window to take a look. When I saw the emblem, I realized it belonged to the [Chain of Flame] Guild.
It wasn' t surprising to encounter them, as this route is a common path for their slave-hunting trips to the borderlands.
What was odd was that they were heading back to the city, despite being on their way to hunt slaves.
Could they have witnessed what Lord Jaigia did in the dungeon and decided to target our guild because of it?
The main team' s leader ordered our carriage to block their path and sent a portion of the team to clear the dungeon first.
If it were a lesser guild, we' d have already attacked and interrogated them.
But against a guild backed by royalty, the main team could only surround them and have me negotiate to uncover the truth first.
If they intended to harm Lord Jaigia' s guild, we were ready to engage immediately.
When their carriage was stopped, their escorts drew their weapons, ready for a fight.
The atmosphere was thick with tension, ready to erupt into violence at the slightest signal from either side' s leader.
And now, it was my turn. I walked forward, raising my hands to show I was unarmed, approaching alone to signal that I came to talk.
"Good evening. I' m BB from the [Radiant Fang] Guild. We have some concerns about your presence near a dungeon owned by our guild. I' d like to ask a few questions to avoid any misunderstandings between us. Could you kindly ask your leader to spare a moment to speak with me?"
The head escort, initially hostile, relaxed slightly.
"Wait a moment. I' ll inform them."
"Thank you very much."
The man stopped in front of the most luxurious carriage and said something.
Then, the guild leader, Istaf, stepped down to meet me, looking utterly displeased.
"What' s the issue, Miss BB?"
"No need for formalities, Lord Istaf. Just call me BB. I' m not worthy of such politeness."
"Get to the point."
"…"
Something' s definitely up. I just hope it' s not related to us.
"What were you doing near our dungeon?"
"Just passing through. You know well that our guild has no interest in dungeon delving. We don' t bother with such pointless, life-risking tasks."
His words heightened the tension further. I don' t know why he' s so agitated, but it' s strange.
From what I' ve heard, Istaf is skilled at hiding his emotions. So why is he losing it now?
If I had to guess, it' s something big or important to him—something he doesn' t want us to know.
"I understand, Lord Istaf. Dungeon delving must be unfit for your inexperienced guild. We thought you might have sneaked in to see how real adventurers fight."
"Sounds like you' re inviting us to take a look. Shall we head there now?"
"Oh, no, I wouldn' t dare. I' m sure you have more pressing matters, and we just happened to interrupt."
"You' re well aware you' re meddling in others' affairs."
"Why, we' re all friends here. If we can help, we will. So, why don' t you share what' s so important? Maybe we can assist."
"Mind your own business. I don' t have a taste for sticking my nose in others' matters like you do."
Just as I was about to fire back a sarcastic retort, something happened at one of their luxurious carriages.
Bang!
A beautiful, well-dressed woman stepped out, looking at us with eyes pleading for help.
Two maids hurriedly followed, draping a fine fur cloak over her.
"Milady, please return inside. It' s not safe out here."
"Yes, Milady. It' s too cold; you might fall ill. Let the master handle this."
We were all stunned by her beauty. Even Istaf' s escorts stared, dumbfounded.
It was clear she hadn' t been with their convoy from the start.
Istaf moved first, rushing to shield her from our view.
"Calika, go back inside the carriage. It' s warm and comfortable there. I can' t bear to see your beautiful skin reddened by the snow."
Istaf, notorious for his cruelty and lack of interest in marriage, was treating a woman with such care?
Then it clicked.
Though her condition differed from Lord Jaigia' s description—she was pristine from head to toe, dressed in clothes only the wealthy could afford—her figure, face, and golden hair matched his description perfectly.
That bastard Istaf was hiding her from Lord Jaigia.
I signaled the mage in our team to pull me back with a wind spell.
Both sides immediately prepared for combat. The main team spread out to encircle them, weapons drawn and aimed.
"That woman is Lord Jaigia' s honored guest. We' ll take care of her from here. Please release her."
At my words, our team prioritized securing Lady Calika over killing the enemy outright.
"Watch your words. If anyone' s kidnapping, it' s you. Calika is my fiancée."
"Show me proof. Oh, wait, you don' t have any, do you?"
"She will be soon. Right, Calika?"
Before Calika could respond, I cut in.
"Lady Calika, whatever threats they' ve made, just speak up. We' ll neutralize them immediately."
"Use your brain and consider the consequences of making an enemy of the [Chain of Flame] Guild."
"No problem at all. A pathetic guild like yours can' t compare to [Radiant Fang] ."
"Calika, get back in the carriage. I don' t want you to see anything unpleasant."
"Ooh, how scary."
I taunted him before turning to Lady Calika with respect.
"Lady Calika, you can take shelter in the carriage for now. I' ll come for you once this is settled."
With that, negotiations broke down.
I spread my hands, activating my skill to summon threads from my five fingertips.
Istaf summoned black chains from his entire body.
Everyone else drew their weapons, activated skills, or prepared spells, choosing their targets.
All that remained was the final signal: Lady Calika retreating to the carriage, the only neutral zone neither side would touch.
*****
Calika Nehu
I survived the [Radiant Fang] Guild, only to be targeted by a slave trader who wants me as his wife.
His offer sounds tempting—it could change my family' s life. No more risking death, no more work, just food, shelter, and servants to tend to us.
But when he threatened my siblings, I grew to despise this Istaf.
Who' s to say that once he gets what he wants, my siblings will be safe?
And if I ever defy him, he' ll likely use them against me again.
I don' t know what he' s planning, but if you love someone, shouldn' t you love their family too?
Who' d want to marry someone like that? No way.
It sounds nice, but it' s not real.
Too powerless to resist, I followed the maids back into the carriage like an obedient cow led by the nose, a dog on a leash, with no freedom to decide.
Inside, I was stunned. The carriage was as spacious as a large room. This must be the dimensional magic I' d heard about.
As I gazed around in a daze, the maids stripped off my clothes and discarded them. They used an item to clean the grime from my body.
Then, they brought a soft, clean cloth soaked in warm, fragrant water. They insisted I choose a scent, so I picked a relaxing one, though it took me a while since the bottle looked so expensive.
I told them I could clean myself, but they insisted on doing it. I let them scrub every inch of me.
The soft, warm cloth felt like nothing I' d ever experienced. It cleansed not just the dirt but my soul, leaving me relaxed as if I' d ascended to heaven.
They prepared a tub of fragrant warm water and had me soak. One scrubbed while the other massaged my pressure points.
I never imagined bathing in warm water during winter. The magical device producing it must cost a fortune.
As they tended to me, they never stopped complimenting my figure and skin.
I was surprised by my own body too. It felt like I was in someone else' s—my hair color, the length of my limbs, everything was different.
Yet, strangely, I was accustomed to it, moving without a hitch.
I was even more shocked when I saw my face and eyes reflected in the water. They were so beautiful, I was mesmerized.
While bathing, the maids said if I was satisfied with their service, I should consider hiring them as personal attendants.
Having lived in the slums, I could tell from their eyes, demeanor, and flattery that they didn' t genuinely care for me. They just wanted to latch onto me for their own comfort.
The role of personal maid to the wife of a slave-trading family must carry some power.
I simply nodded.
After the bath, I had to let them dry me, as they refused to let me do it myself.
I must be the only one who can see this translucent window, as no one else mentions or looks at it, not even Istaf.
Once dried, they dressed me.
They said Istaf keeps women' s clothing and undergarments in every size for when he travels, in case he meets a woman he wants as a wife—especially slaves or the poor—so he can dress them in these fine clothes.
I almost misunderstood Istaf for having some strange hobby.
The maids dressed me skillfully, not letting me lift a finger.
It was my first time wearing undergarments. They were soft, snug, and warm, unlike the loose, single knee-length shirt I' d always worn.
The patterns were cute too—I almost wanted to use them as a handkerchief.
The dress was made of fine, soft fabric, with intricate designs so beautiful I was afraid to move too much, lest I ruin it.
No winter had ever felt this warm in my life.
I wished Tiara and Elda could wear something like this. They' d sleep soundly all night.
…
A chance to transform our lives without risking death is right in front of me.
As much as I hate it, I might have to accept the marriage. At least Tiara and Elda' s lives would improve.
No more worrying about food, medicine, or suspicious people. No more seeing the pained looks in their eyes every time I go out to find work.
After the marriage, as the lady of the house, I might have some authority. I could plan for Tiara and Elda to escape.
If that fails, I' ll threaten to kill myself. If Istaf truly loves me, he might let them go.
I guess I was born to be used by others.
Fine, I' ll let myself be used—and use them back.
It' s a shame about what this window in front of me says, but for someone powerless like me to obtain a dungeon core? Impossible.
Even back when I was stronger, I couldn' t handle a mere feral rabbit.
"Milady, the bed is ready. Please rest."
"You can sleep soundly, Milady. We' ll be here to attend to you."
I walked to the bed, reaching out to touch the fine, soft bedding.
My hand sank into it easily, feeling as gentle as a cloud.
Drawn to it, I crawled onto the bed like a kitten.
Ahh ~ So soft and comfortable ~
I laid my head on the pillow, filled with bliss.
But then—
"What' s the issue, Miss BB?"
A voice laced with concern made me sit up quickly. I didn' t expect the maids to immediately prop pillows behind me for comfort.
Forget that for now. I strained to listen to the conversation between Istaf and a woman.
Luckily, the maids went quiet, sensing I was eavesdropping, and busied themselves elsewhere.
Top-notch maids.
I heard everything they said and realized they might help me escape Istaf.
I pretended to get off the bed slowly, but once both feet touched the floor, I bolted, flung open the door, and stepped out.
Then I turned to the other side, my eyes pleading for help.