—Holy City of Rabona—
"Holy city, huh…"
Seth glanced around at the various well kept stalls and lively people.
The journey to Rabona hadn't been long. Since the city itself wasn't that far from their small camp, it took little over two hours to reach.
A speed that would've made any merchant green with envy.
Now, the three could be seen walking through the streets conspicuously.
"So handsome~" one chubby woman whispered to her friend.
"She's quite a beauty, I must say…"
"Do you think they're a family?"
"Don' know."
"Hear that? Seems they think we're a family of three… what do ya think, Clare?"
Seth turned to the young maiden walking beside him with a calm and cold expression as if none of the whispers around them concerned her.
Seeing no reaction from her, he signed as he gave her a glance over.
Before entering the city, Clare had changed out of her usual battle suit and was now wearing the dark dress that was in the bag.
Due to her being fully healed and able to fully control her powers now, her eyes had returned to their original green color from before she had become a claymore.
Thanks to this, even without wearing face covering, these common folks aren't able to associate her with being a monster and are fully able to appreciate her natural beauty.
This resulted in the yoki suppression pills being pointless.
Add Seth, who was naturally tall and handsome by their standards walking beside her, they stood out like a sore thumb.
Raki though… Well, he's Raki.
"Hey, Clare…what do we do first? Go straight to the client?" Seth asked.
Clare shook her head.
"No, we'll secure lodging at an inn first. Then we'll go meet with the client. We'll begin our mission at sun down and the people are less alert."
"Oh, cool."
After all, there is no telling when the mission is gonna be completed.
They kept walking for a few minutes before they reached an inn.
"Ah, welcome. You've stumbled on the cleanest inn around, you need a room or two?"
Pushing the door of the inn open, a bald headed man at the receptionist desk greeted in a welcoming tone as he inspected them.
"Ye—"
"Yes, two rooms," Seth suddenly spoke up. He placed a hand on Raki's and Clare's shoulder. "One for my dear brother-in-law here and another for myself and my betrothed."
"H-hey, what are you talking about!?"
Seth ignored Raki's outburst as he put on his strained smile and began delivering a sob story.
"…As you can see, I'm a humble warrior who works as a mercenary to put food on the table for my family," Seth said, his expression turning all kinds of tragic.
The innkeeper leaned in a bit, already hooked.
Seth let out a heavy sigh, like he'd been carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
"…Truth be told, we're the last ones left… Our families—both mine and theirs are gone," Seth lowered his head slightly. "War, disease, bandits, you name it."
The room got quiet.
Clare blinked.
Raki froze.
The innkeeper's face softened immediately.
"…You've had it rough, young man…" the bald inn- keeper felt sympathy for Seth.
He looks so disciplined and refined… The innkeeper looked at Seth's muscles, his clean skin and well kept appearance—it was quite clear he worked diligently—before secretly shooting Raki a disapproving glance.
Seth nodded slowly.
Outwardly, he looked disheartened but inside, he was dying.
"So now, as the man of the house… it falls on me…" He placed a hand over his chest dramatically. "…to carry on the bloodline."
Raki's jaw dropped.
Clare didn't move—but her eyes definitely shifted slightly toward him.
"…And yet…" Seth's voice cracked a little.
He slowly turned his head toward Raki.
"…my dear brother-in-law…"
Raki flinched and clenched his fist.
"…keeps getting in the way."
"HEY—!?"
Seth cut him off instantly.
"Every night…" he continued, shaking his head in disappointment, "…he finds some reason to interrupt us."
The innkeeper's expression turned serious.
"…Son…" he said, looking at Seth. "…you've been going through it…"
Seth nodded like a man on the verge of tears.
"All I want… is to fulfill my duty…"
He gestured lightly toward Clare as he finished his passionate speech.
"…and give her the life she deserves."
Clare: "…"
Raki: "THIS IS A LIE—"
Seth casually covered Raki's mouth with one hand.
"…You see what I mean?" he said tiredly.
The innkeeper's brows furrowed.
"…I do."
He then slammed his hand on the counter dramatically.
"Say no more!"
Raki: "MMPH!?"
"You'll have two rooms," the innkeeper said firmly. "Thirty percent off just for you."
Seth slowly looked up, like a man saved from despair. He clasped his hands, fake tears forming at the corner of his eyes.
"…You-you have my gratitude."
"Stay strong, lad," the innkeeper nodded and crossed his arms. "Family comes first."
Seth placed a hand over his heart.
"…Yes, Yes, it always does."
Ignoring her two companions who were wrestling back and forth, Clare quickly paid for the rooms and climbed the stairs.
Once they entered one of the rooms, Seth turned slightly and let go of Raki.
Raki immediately gasped and spun to Seth.
"WHAT WAS THAT!?"
"What could you possibly be talking about?" Seth replied casually as he looked around his and Clare's bedroom.
It had a single bed big enough for one and a half persons, just enough space to hold two if they cuddled tightly.
He took the sword off his back and placed it along with Clare's bag with her armor inside at the bedside as he fell on it.
The bed wasn't as comfortable as it looked.
"A little underwhelming."
"Hey, don't ignore me!" Raki was fuming.
"Hey man, what's the issue? We profited off my little play. It was totally worth it, don't ya think?"
"What do you mean 'what's the issue?' I was humiliated back there! If there had been more people back there, I'd have to commit suicide!"
Considering that Raki couldn't be agreed with on the matter, Seth turned to Clare for back up.
"How about you, Clare? Think it was worth it?"
"Hmm, I don't know if it was really worth it. But considering we spent less money… I suppose it worked," Clare finished calmly.
Seth immediately shot up from the bed and pointed at Raki like he just won an argument.
"See? Even Clare's on my side."
Raki's eye twitched.
"…You're both unbelievable."
He looked between the two of them, clearly outnumbered.
"…Whatever." He huffed as he folded his arms and turned his head away, pouting.
"Exactly," Seth nodded proudly, laying back down on the bed.
Silence hung for a second.
Then Clare spoke.
"…Why that story?"
Seth glanced at her.
"Hm?"
Clare tilted her head curiously.
"Out of everything you could have said… why that?"
Seth shrugged, hands behind his head.
"I guess that since we're in a city like this, we'll need a cover story and that one."
He tapped his temple.
"So we need a story. Something simple people can latch onto."
Raki frowned.
"…And that's the first thing you came up with? Couldn't you have come up with something better?"
"Nah." Seth said immediately. "Family, tragic past, clear roles are easiest to understand, easiest to act out, and most importantly—easy to remember."
He raised a finger.
"If something happens and anyone asks about us, the innkeeper will repeat that same story for us without even thinking."
Clare's eyes sharpened slightly.
"…So you weren't just trying to get a discount."
Seth smirked.
"That was a bonus… and to be honest with you, I didn't expect the innkeeper was that gullible to eat up every word I say."
Raki's eyes shot open.
"Now that Clare said it, you're actually scary."
Seth chuckled.
"Just trynna think ahead."
Clare stayed quiet for a moment before speaking again.
"…Still…"
She hesitated, a faint blush on her cheeks.
"…That part about… us."
Seth blinked once.
"Oh, that?"
He waved it off casually.
"Needed something that tied us together closely. 'Travel companions' is weak. 'Family' sticks better."
Raki immediately snapped.
"Then couldn't you have said we're cousins or something!"
"Too distant. Doesn't explain why we'd share rooms or move together like this."
"…I hate this."
Clare didn't respond.
…but she quietly turned her gaze away again, her expression calm—though the faintest pause gave away that she was definitely still thinking about it.
Seth picked up on this and though he wasn't a social butterfly, he could still sense that one of his feet is nearing the court's edge.
So he quickly tried repositioning…
He cleared his throat and casually sat up, raising a finger like he was about to explain something important.
"Ahem—anyway… changing the story now would raise suspicion."
Raki blinked.
"…why is that?"
Clare looked at him too.
Seth nodded seriously.
"Yeah. We already fed the innkeeper a full backstory. If we act differently now, it'll look off. Anything we do afterwards may be used against us."
He leaned forward slightly.
"So now…" he pointed between himself and Clare, "…we gotta act accordingly."
Raki frowned.
"…What does that even mean?"
"It means we gotta commit to the role."
"…And that role is?" Raki asked slowly, already not liking where this was going.
Seth crossed his arms and said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world—
"Breaking the bedframe tonight."
Silence.
Complete silence.
…
Raki blinked a few times.
Clare froze.
"…Huh?"
For a solid second, neither of them processed it.
Then Raki's face went bright red as he bugged out.
"W-W-WHAT!?"
Clare's eyes widened just a fraction before she immediately looked towards the corner of the room.
"…!"
Seth stayed completely straight-faced.
"You heard me."
"You can't just say something like that as if it's normal!"
"Just did."
Clare stayed quiet, but the faint blush creeping up her ears said everything.
Raki looked between the two like his brain was shutting down.
"…Y-you're not serious…r-right?"
"Mhm."
"…You're actually gonna do it!?"
Seth tilted his head slightly, then gave him a look.
"You got a problem with that… lil bro?"
Raki: "—"
That one line broke him.
"I—this—you—" he stammered, completely unable to form a sentence.
Meanwhile, Seth just leaned back again like nothing happened.
Clare still hadn't turned back.
"…You're ridiculous," she muttered under her breath.
But she didn't deny it.
And that somehow made it worse for Raki.
He became absentminded as she pushed the door open and went towards his room.
"Good choice," Seth replied instantly.
"SHUT UP!"
The door slammed shut.
Silence filled the room again.
Seth exhaled.
"…Man, that kid's dramatic."
Clare didn't respond.
She was still facing away.
"…You good?" Seth asked casually.
"…I'm fine."
Another pause.
"…We're not actually breaking the bed."
Seth blinked.
"…You sure?"
Clare shot him a look.
"…Don't push it."
Seth raised his hands.
"Aight, aight."
…though the small smirk on his face didn't disappear.
"Now then…" he got up from the bed.
"How about we go meet the client?"
Chapter 19 end.
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Should've sent this chapter from this morning but fell asleep and just not too long ago woke up.