Chapter Thirty-Two

  With a grunt, Harmony sawed off the hardened vine looped around her leg

  “Greh, greh, greh.”

  “Laugh it up, it isn’t like you haven’t gotten tangled a time or two.”

  The virictors were tricky. They either y traps along the path t you deeper into the woods, like their first enter. Or they waited along the side waiting to ambush you with multiple vi once as you got close.

  Hyath, beiively fast, had gotten good at sniping any of the trap vines before he ged too far with his spurs. For all his initial protests, he seemed to like the ons, but Harmony could not get that out of him.

  The st battle had been two virictors and a twiggy waiting in ambush along the path. Unlike wooze, they did not work together. This made battles uable but allowed for them to get tangled up in ve ways, or in this case, inve, as she’d found herself tugged in opposite dires only saved by Night's sturdiness.

  The whole experience made the saying of feeling like you've beeen by a stipletely accurate. Per the guides, they'd made it about two-thirds of the way deep into the sed floor.

  Popping a healing potion, she downed about half of it and moved towards Hyath who scooted away.

  “e on. You have as many bruises as I do. You just 't see under your shadowy exterior.”

  “Bleck!”

  “I'm sorry it doesn't e in dirty alley cat fvor. Now take your medie.”

  Harmony liked the fruity sweet taste. Mr all-raw-ivore would rather suffer with his bruises. Which ain because she could feel them toh [Familiar Bond].

  “Don't make me wrestle you.”

  Relutly he opened up. But it didn't stop him from making a show of hag and coughing after she dumped the rest into him.

  The itch to finish the dirty job of clearing the floor was there, but one didn’t do all the spring ing in a day. As for this st battle, if Hyancith had been there a few moments ter, [Stride] had been calling to be used. The feeling was there, but also was that it would cost her because she was restrained. [Final Silence] with all its help was now level five. That hurt like it had been stretched in a growth spurt, pain from when she leveled a skill too quickly.

  “Groak?”

  “Yeah, time to head back.” She pced his hand on him.

  The dungeon only allowed short jumps, but it was safer than running. What’s missing to push further? [Recall] repyed the struggles.

  Five bodyguards now greeted her upourn. The little boy group from the guild with ora from the city guard, a girl, with blond hair chopped short in a way that showed no respect for styling it, wearihers marked by a badge representing the city guard, her short sword at her side. “Suze, at your service, Lady White. Botty is reviewing the guestlist with your knight making sure there will be no threats there.”

  “Honored. I’m sure Ma Bell appreciates the extra eyes on her guests.” Harmony replied dryly.

  “Anything to keep you safe,” Suze responded, oblivious to the hint that it might annoy their host.

  At oint would she bee too much trouble for the master innkeeper, ao move locations? Shouldn’t doubt Ambrosia that much. Helpiertais nearly every night might be a tad onerous, but it was doubtful her maid hadn’t made sure there was some guarantee of lodging for this stay.

  “I’m going to freshen myself in my room before heading down to dinner.”

  Hyath had already blipped away to nap in his pillows at the stables. Gohe days she could cuddle up with him to calm down. Her little p toad, or even big p toad, this rge pony toad was hard to hold. At least tonight there was enough time she could wear a dress rather than Night to dinner.

  Head full of dress options, [Poise and Bearing] wasn’t ready when she opened her door to seven people standing in her room. “What in the broken bones is this?!” She blurted out.

  Five strangers straighteheir spines, eyes ahead in an orderly line while Bates and Ambrosia waited. The strangers had servant uniforms as well, some not quite fitting right. [Beauti] was already critiquing how some of them fit. And the maid in her saw that even the ohat fit were not a fit for the person in them like it was their first time in uniform. As for the strangers, [Recall] made them less strange.

  The meical spider sitting on the skinny girl's shoulder as she unfortably wore a maid's uniform was as memorable as the red bowtie Hyath had long ago grown too big for attached to it. Clearly Ambrosia’s idea of a joke. The tall duelist she’d tenderized was at the end of the row, impossibly trying to look smaller while worry fshed on his face. All the most desirable applits from st night stood at attention in front of Bates, in a way she had not too long ago.

  [Poise and Bearing] now worked overtime as Harmo her face calm.

  Bates, having ignored her outburst, turo her with a polite smile. “Lady White, I’d like to introduce you to our household staff members.”

  None of this roved of! What was he thinking? They couldn’t afford this! And why them? “An honor to meet you all again,” Harmony responded instead with a slight tilt of her head rather than exploding.

  “The gift of their paid work tracts came as a bit of a surprise. However, the temples have uhods of repensing people for slights and harm. The fruit from this season’s Harvest of Talents. All of them are excited to serve and advander your household.” Bates answered those unasked questions.

  “You have your assigs. Dismissed.” Ambrosia followed up towards this new group.

  The aff effitly left. The duelist erhaps a bit quicker thahers.

  As the door shut. “I always wao say that.” Ambrosia cackled.

  Harmony waited a few more seds before she unleashed herself. “What in the forbidden fates is that?”

  “We needed more staff, Lady White. Their tracts are paid in full for three years.” Bates respoiffly.

  “You drop the Lady White, Bates. What’s going on.”

  Bates let his formality slide some. Harmony only noticed because she knew him. “We do need more staff. Ambrosia and I work harder than we should. And you won’t stop. I know it was “skill” training, but you were on your hands and knees fixing the floor of the Hazeldown manor. They might not all be servant professions, but if anyone is going to respect differing skills to roles, it will be you.”

  “Where will we keep them?”

  “Servant housing above the stables has already been arranged. I’d discussed the possibility of having us recruit aff when I made this arra.” Ambrosia answered for him.

  “Didn’t they all want to be priests or some such. They ’t be happy to be demoted.” Harmony ranted.

  “I see how you ofteend you are still just Harmony White, maid. But you’re not. As much as the other aristocracy has been doio ignore you. You’re a rising star and they want to be here. Much like Sir Maxwell could have been, most of them weren’t at the Harvest of Talents for any religious reason, but instead for the opportuhat they could have earned. We could also use any sign that the temples support you.”

  Bates knew his job better than she khe role of being a dy. None of this had been expected. Worse was that part of her, the part she’d acquired that day on the Colosseum, was happy and satisfied by this in a way that felt stabilizi alien. It felt mht than when she’d curtsy deeply and acquiesced to a request at Coodly Manor as a pin maid. [Recall] made it hard to lie to yourself. “Fihis is all approved. Haaff as you see best, Bates. You have my utmost fidence.”

  “Ha! I told you she wouldn’t put up that much of a fight.” Ambrosia crowd.

  Harmony sighed heavily towards her friend. “Any news about Adric?”

  “Nothi. I’m assuming you have some pns if you don’t hear from him or the royals as a whole.”

  “Of course.” Harmony lied but caught Ambrosia's slight twitch revealing she hadn’t fooled her friend. “Adric is a big boy. Now he knows I didn’t get his messages and want access to him. He'll get it sorted out. More pressing is that I’m still struggling on the sed floor of Nae’s Garden. We’ll o look for skill stones I might be able to use to improve there.”

  They both nodded seriously. Advance or the sequences would be unpleasant, possibly lethal. ventional wisdom was to take your time, even Harmony had to fight that long-taught belief, despite evolved tourists making a mockery of that fact with their visits.

  “I’ll lean on our es, a a list of options avaible with our funds.“ Bates answered.

  “Avoid Lord Tyler?” Ambrosia asked.

  Harmony nodded, “Lady Coodly too. I fear she feels I be the oo put him ba the proper path. I’d rather not send them the wrong message, et ied to them at this point. Life is plicated enough as it is.”