Free Web NovelChapter 50: 050. On A Date...
Astrid stood up dusting off her dress. She clapped her hands together, shifting the mood of the room instantly back to its lively state.
"Right then," Astrid announced, looking toward the hallway. "Ren must be starving after all that moving around... I am going to the kitchen to make him a welcome feast."
Eternia immediately stood up, her competitive instincts flaring. "I will assist."
Astrid raised an eyebrow. "You know how to cook?"
"I know exactly how Master likes his food prepared," Eternia declared proudly, puffing out her chest. "I am his primary sous-chef."
It was a gross exaggeration of what had happened last time while he did all the actual cooking but Eternia wasn’t about to let the blonde woman secure all the points without a fight.
"Alright, bet," Astrid smirked, fully accepting the challenge. "Let’s see what you can do."
The two women marched out of the parlor and down the hallway, heading straight for the massive kitchen.
When they pushed the swinging doors open, they found Mandy happily polishing a row of silver serving platters, humming a cheerful tune.
The butler froze as the two powerful highly competitive women entered his domain.
"What’s his name?" Astrid asked.
"Mandy..."
"Alright... Mandy," Astrid commanded, pulling a frilly white apron over her elegant dress. "Grab the premium Horned-Boar cuts from the stasis box. We’re cooking a feast."
For the next hour, the kitchen became a battlefield of egos.
Astrid brought out her high-tier magical ingredients, expertly slicing the meat and preparing complex heavily mana-infused sauces.
However, Eternia refused to be sidelined even if she didn’t know how to cook.
She hovered over the Vice Guild Leader’s shoulder, constantly offering aggressive corrections based on the single cooking lesson Ren had given her this morning.
"Master does not like the garlic sliced," Eternia criticized, crossing her arms as Astrid worked the cutting board. "He prefers it crushed to release the aromatic oils evenly into the butter."
Astrid paused with her knife hovering over the garlic clove.
She narrowed her blue eyes at the Snakekin. "Crushing it ruins the texture."
"Master prefers flavor over texture," Eternia retorted instantly. "If you slice it, he will be disappointed."
Astrid let out a sharp breath dropping the knife and using the flat of the blade to violently smash the garlic clove into paste.
"Fine. Crushed it is. Now hand me the wild thyme before I decide to roast you instead."
The combined effort of Astrid’s high-tier ingredients and Eternia’s strict adherence to Ren’s specific flavor profiles produced a meal that smelled absolutely divine.
Upstairs, Ren was fully exploiting the benefits of his new title.
He was lounging comfortably on the massive silk-draped bed, being entirely relaxed.
’Haah~ I wouldn’t mind some good food with this...’
He had pulled up his System interface, scrolling lazily through his accumulated SP and checking the store as a scent wafted under the crack of the bedroom door, making his stomach rumble loudly.
A moment later, the heavy oak double doors swung open.
Astrid and Eternia walked into the room together, walking shoulder-to-shoulder in perfect synchronization.
They were each carrying a massive polished silver tray loaded with steaming, perfectly seared meats, roasted vegetables, and warm buttery bread.
Ren swiped his system screens away, sitting up against the plush headboard with a highly amused expression.
The two women approached the bed. Without asking for permission, they both climbed onto the edge of the mattress.
Astrid knelt on his left side, while Eternia knelt on his right. They set the heavy silver trays down on the blankets, essentially boxing him in with a mountain of incredible food.
Astrid picked up a silver fork, cleanly spearing a perfectly seared, garlic-basted piece of Horned-Boar meat.
She leaned in close with her blue eyes shining with affection as she held the fork up toward his lips.
"Say ah, Ren," Astrid smiled warmly. "I made sure the sauce was extra rich."
Before Ren could open his mouth, Eternia mirrored the action.
She snatched a fork from her tray, spearing a piece of meat that was slightly darker and heavily crusted with wild thyme.
She leaned in from the right, aggressively invading his personal space, holding the fork directly in front of his face.
"Master, try mine first..." Eternia demanded, her golden eyes burning with competitive fire. "I ensured the garlic was crushed exactly to your specifications so it is vastly superior."
Astrid glared across Ren’s chest at the Snakekin.
"The sauce is what elevates the dish, Eternia."
"The foundation of the sear is more important," Eternia shot back without missing a beat.
Ren looked back and forth between the two beautiful incredibly lethal women currently engaged in a heated argument over who got to feed him first.
He looked at the perfectly cooked food hovering inches from his mouth and he felt the ridiculous comfort of the silk sheets beneath him.
Ren simply leaned his head back against the plush pillows then he opened his mouth, leaning to the left to bite the meat off Astrid’s fork, chewing the rich tender cut for a brief second before immediately leaning to the right and biting the meat off Eternia’s fork, mixing the flavors entirely.
"They both taste excellent..." Ren mumbled around a mouthful of premium boar meat.
Astrid flushed bright red while Eternia looked incredibly smug that her meat had been consumed in the same bite.
Ren let out a long contented sigh chewing his food as he looked up at the painted ceiling of the master suite.
He had officially achieved peak villainous comfort!
...
The evening sun began its slow vibrant descent over Astelvern Town, casting long stretching shadows across the pristine manicured lawns of Astrid’s sprawling estate.
Behind the main manor lay the private training grounds. It was a massive, enclosed courtyard paved with enchanted stone, surrounded by towering hedges and reinforced magical barriers designed to absorb high-tier spells.
THWACK!
The sharp sound of dense wood striking hardened leather echoed through the quiet evening air.
THWACK! THWACK!
Lyra’s boots scraped against the stone as she pivoted, driving her hips into another brutal sweeping strike.
She was currently standing in the center of the yard, completely drenched in sweat.
Her auburn hair, usually tied up in a neat ponytail, was plastered to her forehead and neck.
Her chest heaved, pulling in desperate ragged breaths, but her grip on her wooden practice sword didn’t loosen for a single second.
’More...’
She was pushing herself past the absolute brink of her physical limits.
Moving into the Vice Guild Leader’s mansion had been a dream come true for her and Kala.
They had proper beds, incredible food, and a level of security that Lyra had never thought possible for two slum-dwelling orphans but with that luxury came a crushing sense of inadequacy.
Lyra wasn’t stupid... She knew exactly who she was surrounded by.
Ren was a walking natural disaster... Eternia was a lethally fast Snakekin assassin who could kill her in an instant and Astrid was an A-rank mage, the fearsome Twilight Witch, capable of flattening a lot of things with her twilight magic.
And then there was Lyra... A commoner girl who had only recently learned how to hold a sword properly from Ren.
She refused to be dead weight.
If she was going to stand by Ren’s side, if she was going to earn her place in this terrifying overwhelming household, she needed to be stronger.
Lyra let out a sharp grunt, gritting her teeth as she stepped forward and launched a flurry of rapid thrusts against the reinforced magical training dummy.
The wood clattered against the dummy’s thick hide, but it didn’t leave a single dent.
Her muscles burned and her arms felt like they were made of lead.
"Again!" Lyra hissed to herself, forcing her tired legs to carry her forward. "Faster!"
She raised the practice sword high above her head, preparing to bring it down in a devastating overhead cleave but suddenly, something hitched in her chest.
It wasn’t exhaustion... rather it was a sudden violent spark of heat that ignited right in the center of her ribcage.
Lyra gasped with her eyes flying wide open.
The sensation was incredibly familiar.
It was the exact same strange churning heat that had flooded her veins on the very first day she had sparred with Eternia back at the inn.
But this time, it was stronger.
The heat rapidly expanded, racing through her mana veins like liquid fire.
Her heart hammered against her ribs in a frantic rhythm as a deep dormant energy that had been sleeping inside her bloodline for her entire life violently ripped itself awake, answering her desperate desire for strength.
VWOOM!
The ambient air in the training yard abruptly warped around her.
Lyra didn’t even have the time to process what was happening.
A sudden, brilliant flash of blue-gold aura erupted from her skin, spiraling down her arms and aggressively coating the dense wood of her practice sword.
The heavy weapon, which had felt like lead a second ago, suddenly felt as light as a feather.
Her muscles coiled with explosive terrifying new power and Lyra brought the sword down.
She didn’t use a technique... It was just a raw swing fueled by the sudden eruption of her bloodline.
KRA-KOOM!
The wooden sword collided with the reinforced training dummy and the impact didn’t just dent the leather; it generated a massive, concussive shockwave that blasted outward, completely shattering the dummy into a thousand jagged splintered pieces.
Wood and torn leather rained down across the enchanted stone of the courtyard.
The heavy echo slowly faded, leaving the yard in absolute silence.
Lyra stood there, completely frozen.
Her chest was heaving, and the crimson-gold aura slowly dissipated into the evening air.
She looked down at the wooden hilt in her hands as the blade of the practice sword had entirely disintegrated from the force she had channeled into it, leaving her holding a broken jagged stick.
"What... what just happened?" Lyra whispered as her went eyes wide with shock.
She stared at her trembling hands, unable to comprehend the devastating power she had just unleashed.
"That," a smooth relaxed voice echoed from above. "was your potential finally waking up."
Lyra jumped, whipping her head upward.
Standing on the second-story balcony of the manor, casually leaning his forearms against the ornate stone railing, was Ren.
He was dressed comfortably in a clean white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, enjoying the cool evening breeze.
In his right hand, he held a crystal glass filled with a high-end amber-colored liquor he had raided from Astrid’s extensive liquor cabinet.
Ren took a slow sip from his glass with a satisfied smile on his lips.
He had felt the sudden spike in her mana signature from his bedroom.
The Sub-Heroine’s latent bloodline was finally breaking through its limits, reacting perfectly to the grueling foundation he had built for her.
"Master!" Lyra gasped, quickly dropping the broken hilt.
She suddenly felt incredibly self-conscious about destroying Astrid’s expensive training equipment. "I... I didn’t mean to break it! I just swung, and my blood felt incredibly hot, and then it just exploded!"
Ren chuckled, swirling the amber liquid in his glass.
He wasn’t mad... he was thrilled.
Every ounce of strength Lyra gained was another piece of the original protagonist’s narrative that Ren had successfully hijacked and polished for his own use.
’Though I need more Heroines... whatever the Academy will soon come around.’
"Don’t worry about the dummy... Astrid has plenty of money to buy another one," Ren assured her easily. "You just experienced a bloodline surge... Your body is adapting to the mana circulation techniques I taught you so in short you’re getting stronger, Lyra."
Lyra’s eyes sparkled with a sudden wave of pride. She had done it... She had finally taken a real step forward...
"Now," Ren continued, pushing himself off the stone railing and offering her a charming smile. "Hit the showers and get some rest. You’ve earned it and besides, I have somewhere to be tonight."
Lyra immediately remembered what Eternia had been bragging to her... Though it made her a bit jealous, she wanted to circulate mana more.
Her face split into a wide knowing grin.
"Right! Your date with Eternia! Have fun, Master!"
Ren gave her a lazy two-finger salute before turning around and stepping back inside the master suite.
He set his glass down on the bedside table and walked over to the massive, full-length mirror.
He threw on his tailored charcoal-grey coat, adjusting the collar.
Thanks to his new Mother-In-Law’s Favorite title, the ambient mana of the manor was passively draining away all his mental fatigue, leaving him feeling incredibly energized and ready for a relaxing evening out.
Ren opened the heavy oak double doors and walked out into the grand, velvet-carpeted hallway of the second floor.
Just as he stepped out, the door to the adjacent guest room slowly creaked open.
Ren stopped, turning his head.
Eternia stepped out into the hallway, and for a brief fleeting second, Ren’s brain actually short-circuited.
The lethal Snakekin who usually practically lived in her dark, blood-stained combat gear had undergone a massive transformation.
She was wearing a pair of incredibly sleek, dark leather trousers that hugged her athletic legs perfectly, allowing for maximum mobility without sacrificing style.
On top, she was wearing a cute, casual white blouse with slightly flared sleeves which was a piece she had clearly borrowed from Astrid’s wardrobe.
Her dark purple messy hair had been brushed out and tied back into a loose, elegant braid that fell over her shoulder.
She looked stunning.
The harsh terrifying aura was entirely gone, replaced by the striking, exotic beauty of a young woman going on her very first date.
Eternia stood in the hallway, looking incredibly nervous.
She tugged slightly at the hem of the white blouse, her golden slit-pupils darting away from his gaze as a furious vibrant red blush quickly spread across her pale cheeks.
"Astrid... Astrid said human women wear things like this when they go out," Eternia murmured with her voice sounding uncharacteristically shy. "Is it... is it acceptable, Master?"
Ren recovered smoothly with an effortless charming smile spreading across his face.
He took a step closer, his crimson eyes sweeping over her outfit with genuine appreciation.
"It’s more than acceptable, Eternia," Ren said with his deep voice carrying a tone of sincerity. "You look beautiful."
Eternia’s breath hitched.
The compliment hit her square in the chest, making her heart flutter wildly.
"However," Ren added with his sharp eyes catching a few very subtle rigid bulges breaking the smooth lines of her leather trousers. "Just out of curiosity... how many daggers are you currently hiding on yourself?"
Eternia blinked, looking up at him with complete deadpan innocence. "Six."
Ren let out a laugh that echoed warmly in the quiet hallway. "Six? We’re going to get street food, not storming a fortress."
"A blade is useless if it is not present when needed, Master," Eternia replied stubbornly, though the massive blush remained on her face. "I am your sworn blade. If anyone attempts to interrupt our evening, they will be dealt with."
"Very practical," Ren nodded, entirely unbothered by her lethal paranoia.
He casually offered his arm to her. "Shall we?"
Eternia stared at his extended arm for a second with her heart hammering against her ribs.
She reached out with her fingers timidly wrapping around the fabric of his coat, linking her arm securely through his.
The solid warmth of his body sent a rush of joy through her veins.
Together, they walked down the grand staircase, stepping out of the serene, quiet opulence of the manor and heading into the city.
The transition from the upper ring to the lower ring was always a shock.
While the affluent districts were bathed in refined magical light and soft classical music, the lower commercial district was a chaotic, vibrant explosion of life.
Thousands of glowing, multi-colored paper lanterns were strung across the narrow streets, casting a warm flickering glow over the cobblestones.
The air was incredibly thick, carrying the aggressive mouth-watering scents of roasted meats, heavy spices and caramelized sugar.
Street bards played lively, upbeat tunes on wooden lutes, merchants shouted their daily discounts over the roar of the crowd, and groups of off-duty adventurers laughed loudly outside crowded taverns. frёeweɓηovel.coɱ
It was loud and messy.
Ren and Eternia walked side-by-side through the bustling night market and the atmosphere was a stark contrast to his date with Astrid.
Well the first half at least.
There were no polite hushed conversations here and there were no waiters in crisp suits.
It was just regular life and Eternia was absolutely terrified of it.
She wasn’t scared of the people... she was terrified of the variables. Her golden eyes darted frantically left and right with her ears twitching at every sudden shout or clattering cart.
In her mind, every single person in the crowd was a potential person sent to murder her Master.
A large, heavily intoxicated dwarven adventurer stumbled out of a tavern, laughing loudly with his friends and accidentally took a step too close to Ren’s side.
Eternia didn’t even hesitate.
Her hand dropped to her thigh like lightning with her fingers brushing the hilt of a hidden dagger.
She bared her sharp fangs, letting out a low dangerous hiss.
The dwarf froze mid-step. His drunken haze vanished instantly as his survival instincts screamed at him.
He took one look at the terrifying, glowing golden eyes of the Snakekin glaring daggers at him, turned entirely pale and practically sprinted in the opposite direction.
Ren sighed, gently placing a hand over Eternia’s, stopping her from drawing the blade.
"Eternia..." Ren said softly, leaning down slightly to catch her eye. "Relax. You don’t need to kill the locals. Nobody is coming after us tonight. It’s just you and me, remember?"
Eternia blinked as she looked up into his calm reassuring crimson eyes.
"I... I apologize, Master," Eternia murmured with her grip on his arm tightening securely. "I just... I want the evening to be perfect for you."
"It already is," Ren smiled easily.
He pointed toward a brightly lit, extremely crowded stall up ahead as thick plumes of savory smoke were rising from an iron grill. "Now, come on. I promised you street food, and that place smells incredible."
