CHAPTER 23: AN OFFER OF ADVENTURE

~Amanda POV~

Once I watched Lilly and Kana leave I felt an aching feeling of both hunger and loss that left me stunned for some time, trying to process this feeling. I knew it must be from my race but Iv never experienced anything like this before now it even when I saw some truly strong adventures back in the capital.

Deciding it must be an eleven thing or just a specific Lilly thing I don’t know but I do know that I must see her again, that I must get closer to her.

With determination in my eyes I stride out of the back room and went to my desk, deciding that the best thing I could do to spend some time with her would be to invite her on an adventure. But it couldn’t just be any old boring monster slaying quest, it has to be something special.

Deciding to go over every quest and notice that I can I begin feverishly looking through request after request. Notice after notice, and eventually I found it. The perfect quest, "with this it should be possible"I softly mutter to myself.

Letting the rest of the day go on by I pull a favour from a adventure I know asking them to find out where Lilly and Kana are staying as my plan started to come into fruition.

Hours later I was finally done with work and headed immediately towards the inn, asking after then I found they were not back yet so I found a quiet table and waited. More time passes and just as I was beginning to get worried they wouldn’t show up the door to the inn opened and I looked up only to see her again. I felt my heart beat faster as excitement made it near impossible to sit still, before I even realised what I’m doing I am waving at her with a goofy smile in my face. I notice a flash of weariness cross her face when our eyes meet cause a sharp stab of pain to course through me but it quickly disappeared when a small smile spread across her beautiful lips and she began making her way over to me.

———-

~Lilliana POV~

My mind is racing worried that iv managed to pick up another stalker, one was more than enough for 2 lifetimes thank you very much! But nethertheless I make my way over to her Kana right behind me. "Amanda right? How are you?" I tentatively ask.

Her face flushes slightly before quickly comming back under her control. "Yes it’s Amanda I’m happy you remembered. And yes I’m doing well thank you, how has your day been?" She asks back to me her voice seeming a touch more... seductive? I’m not sure it has a layer of heat to it that is hard to describe.

"Yes has been a productive day, managed to spend nearly all of my money haha!" I joke hoping to keep the tone light.

Supprisingly she looks quite pleased at that statement, and before I can work that one out she just goes ahead and explains the reason why that might make her happy. "Well I suppose it is good news I came along then. You see as I was going through some of the requests that passed over my desk today I managed to find a job that I think would be perfect for you to tackle!"

"Oh?" I inquire genuinely supprised at that and quite interested to see where this will lead. It seems Lana is also quite intrigued by that as she too leans forward to listen to what Amanda has to say.

"Yes so a couple of months back a old fort was discovered about a weeks journey south west of us it’s within the outskirts of the Forrest and is apparently quite well hidden and is within a valley with only 1 entrance. But the thing that stopped anyone else from exploring this fort is the thing that is defending it." She explains leaving us both on a cliffhanger and draws out the suspense.

"Well the valley is being protencted by a living vine." She finally states.

Kana almost chokes as she states. "How would living vine be enough to stop anyone from exploring that place they are pretty weak from my experience."

At this Amanda nods before continuing. "Normally I would agree but the thing is this is no ordinary living vine. Instead of just taking over a singular tree this vine has claimed the entire valley and fort as its domain." She explains with a sense of gravity.

Kana rocks back on her seat at that. "Well by the goddess that sounds horrifying! But wait how on Azue do you expect us to manage anything in that evironment?" She asks with some incredulity.

However at this point I have managed to put the pieces together so before anyone else speaks I do. "Well whilst that might be an impossible task for most it will likely be quite simple for me." Amanda nods at that with a smile across her face whilst Kana’s mouth hangs open in a perfect O shape as she puts two and two together. "Well I’m not going to lie that does indeed sound like a pretty perfect quest for me. But I have to ask, why did you personally come to informs me? Why not just wait till we next show up at the guild?" I ask.

At this the woman gets a pensive look on her face and a slight blush touches her ears, which I only just now notice are actually slightly pointed. Not quite as much as mine are but they do have a definitive point to them. However, she soon speaks up. "Well it’s a bit embarrassing to be honest." She mumbled before coughing and shaking her head before continuing in a clearer voice whilst looking up into my eyes. "I think I love you Lilly." She states with complete sincerity.

I blink once, then again, and one more time for good measure as that seemed to come completely from my blind spot and swept my legs right out from under me. Kana is no better as she actually chokes on the ale she was drinking.

Eventually I manage to get out. "Hu what do you mean you love me? We have know each other for less than a day and only spoken with each other for an hour tops?!" The complete confusion and supprise clear on my face.

Amanda try’s to reassure me. "I know it may seem sudden but from the moment I saw you walk through the guild door you are all iv been able to think about." I really don’t know how to respond to that but she continues her voice getting lower with each statement she deliveres. "You voice, your eyes your poise and your smell they all make me want you." At the end I can hardly hear her over the noise of the other bar patrons.

I can see Kana staring at her with a complicated look on her face. Whilst I am still quite stunned by the whole thing. I eventually manage to form some words and reply. "Umm I am flattered really but I hardly know you and I’m also intimate with Kana here." I fumble out whilst grabbing Kana’s hand and waving it at Amanda.

Amanda nods as if that’s the most natural thing in the world. "That doesn’t worry me I don’t mind what role I may play so long as I get the chance to be with you." She says that with such utter confidence that I truly don’t know what to do with myself and looking back to Kana it’s clear she doesn’t know either.

Seemingly sensing how we don’t know what to say or do in this situation Amanda speaks up again. "I know that this must seem quite sudden but I am quite decisive when I want to do something. Also you don’t have to answer now I just ask that if you take on the mission I asked of you that you will consider taking me along with you. But I won’t ask for an answer now. Please come by the guild tomorrow and let me know your decision." With that she smiles warmly at me before standing up and heading out of the inn.

We sit there in silence for a while before I break the tension. "Well I was not expecting that one to happen." I eventually get out.

Kana nods before adding. "Yeah same." Then after a moment of pause she adds. "I mean she is pretty hot though." My head whips in her direction.

"Eh your not annoyed that a random girl just up and confessed to me out of nowhere, and right in front of you?" I ask with genuine confusion.

She just nods. "Well yeah I’m part succubus don’t i?" Seeing my confused stare she adds. "Right outworlder my bad, so yeah succubi don’t really believe in monogamy, don’t get me wrong I’m not about to go sleeping with anyone else behind your back or anything but I’m pretty open to adding a few new girls to our bed." She explains very matter of factly.

I splutter that that before a trickle of knowledge comes to the fore of my mind reminding me that as it turns out most beastkin don’t practice strict monogamy. They won’t go sleeping with anyone but it is fairly usual for 3 or 4 people to be together with one person as the central figure. So basically harams are pretty common here. How I didn’t know that till now annoys me slightly as it seems thst knowlage bundle I got back during the choice selection has been quite the let down so far only letting me know things after the fact.

"Hu I mean I guess that’s fair, it’s just not what’s done often where I’m from so it threw me for a loop." I think for a moment before continuing. "I agree that she is also quite pretty but I just don’t know how I feel about adding new people. I love you Kana and don’t want to have to share you with anyone else." A bit of posesivness creeping into my voice towards the end which causes Kana to shiver and look at me with a fair bit of lust in her eyes.

She manages to blame down her list slightly before speaking albeit with a huskier voice than usual. "Well then let’s just bring her along with us on the quest and we can figure out if she will work with us during the journey." She decides and honestly I am only nod in agreement. Then Alana add with a smirk as her voice holds more authority indicating her succubus half is comming out. "But for now I guess I best make sure to make the most out of having you all to myself." Sending shivers down my spine and a flush to darken my cheeks.

"I-I guess you should." I manage to squeak out. Smiling at me Kana grabs my hand and pull me up the stairs.

———

Ohh a new confession, any thought on Amanda?

Also don’t worry not planning to make this one of those stories with dozens of partners will be kept to below 5 I recon at most and they will only be added fairly slowly after this.