Noire then cleared her throat, getting us all back on the earlier topic of discussion, “Anyway, it seems there is no other information Gabriella and Tyvera can provide for us, so if there really is a third party that is on your tail, Jinma, then this is quite a bind. I can also understand why you are concerned to leave Sue alone while we are gone for a few days. What do you propose we do to solve this dilemma?”
“I was wondering if it was possible for Sue to come with us in the dungeon crawl,” I suggested.
“Art thou sure that solution is wise, Jinma?” Eugus asked with a furrowed brow, “In regards to the trip from Dondegarm to Palocaesy yesterday, while it was also initially a pre-trial to escort Sue, who was coincidentally going in the same direction as us, that had to be glossed over when we found out thy quest was being compromised by Lord Rowling’s authority. I was planning on giving thee an outing after yesterday’s events, but this arrangement thou art suggesting raises the quest’s difficulty level. Thou would have to assist Lady Noire in battle while making sure no harm comes to Sue.”
“I won’t get into anybody’s way throughout the dungeon crawl,” Sue intervened with a hand to her chest, “In fact, I wish to be a temporary member of Jinma’s party and be as much assistance to him as I’m able. It’s the least I could do for him to go out of his way to protect me. It may be dangerous deep in the dungeon, but I believe it’s safer for me to stick with Jinma and his party than to be on my own out here.”
“Hmm … so you trust Jinma enough to put your life in his hands? Is that what you are telling us?” Noire asked with an inquisitive stare.
“I’m … uncertain, if I have to be really honest, but I want to trust him, and I’m confident enough that Jinma can pull it off,” Sue answered with determined eyes.
It’s pretty much what she said to me back at the inn, only with some additional details, and I didn’t sense any hints of lies in them with my [Intuition] skill. Honestly, I was glad she didn’t fully trust me yet, because I’d question her sanity if what she did to Nyra and I last night was out of some weird ‘devotion’ to me instead of the Demon King.
“Jinma? Do you feel confident about protecting both Sue and myself in the case of dire circumstances?” Noire then asked me.
“Back in my bodyguard days, I had to put up with a lot of shit, but I never let my clients and coworkers get hurt under my watch. My track record as well as the scars on my body can speak for themselves how likely it is for me to protect you both,” I answered.
“Really? Do you mind showing us your scars to prove your point, then?” Noire asked.
“I don’t mind at all,” I said as I was about to start unbuttoning my shirt, but then a white beastly paw was placed on my hand to stop me.
“Please allow me to disrobe you, Master,” Ren said, standing in front of me with a stoic stare, but her erratically wagging tail told her mood otherwise.
Nyra’s logic in this seemed skewed to me, but that might be the common sense from back home thinking that. She’s lived in this world much longer than I have, and the memories of those she previously possessed could tell her plenty of how things have changed between her times of freedom.
Despite how excited Ren seemed, she was likely thinking of our social positions as well. That was why she jumped up to stop me, knowing how little experience I have in slave ownership so far. It was a bit unnerving, having someone do menial things for me, but I had to follow Nyra’s advice and go through with this just once.
“... Alright then, do your thing,” I said while holding my arms up on my sides slightly.
“Yes, Master.”
Despite how stubby Ren’s paws were, she was able to unbutton me very quickly. Maybe it was part of her slave training to tend to the clothes for their masters to change in and out of. In a matter of seconds, I was stripped of my dress shirt and blazer, totally topless. I felt strangely nostalgic as I thought back to my first big fight in Dondegarm.
“Oh my …” Noire said as I showed her and everyone else my front and back.
I tried not to let it show on my face, but I was unamused, <... Yeah, so, I don’t have a thing for guys like I do for girls, so there’s no way that’s ever happening.>
I’ve ‘seen’ my share of guys through all the brawls I went through on Earth, with the occasional passive-aggressive asshole who’s too chicken to say it to my face on the side. Putting the non-human males aside, seeing Julius being welcoming and kind to me was a surprising change of pace. I’ll admit he has his own charms in looks and personality, but I don’t ever see myself being with him or any other guy in that sort of way.
“Well, I think you have shown enough to prove your point, Jinma, you may dress yourself,” Noire said.
“Allow me, Master,” Ren said as she quickly put my blazer and dress shirt back on me with great dexterity and finesse, buttoning me up with impressive speed.
I smirked and petted Ren’s head, borrowing my [Petting] skill, “Thank you, Ren.”
“Mm,” she responded with a nod and a contented smile before sitting back on her seat cushion.
“Now then, if you really believe you can look after the both of us, Jinma, then I will allow Sue to join us in our dungeon crawl,” Noire stated, leaving all of us in my party shocked.
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“Art thou sure about this, Lady Krauss?” Eugus asked.
“I have found Jinma’s party to be interesting and full of surprises so far, so I am curious to see how they will fare escorting two people. Besides,” Noire said before looking over to Sue’s direction, calmly scanning her form with a calculating stare, “I have actually been curious to know who Sue is since I first saw her yesterday, so this may be a good chance for me to learn more about her. If you could enlighten me for a moment, Sue, but … have we ever met before?”
With a hand to her bosom, Sue bowed her head with eyes closed, “I am but a lowly Arch Imp who happens to be well-read of the Krauss family’s exploits throughout their history of nobility. I am as humbled to be in your presence today as I was yesterday in our very first meeting.”
“So, we have not met before yesterday?” Noire asked.
Sue shook her head, still holding her pose, “I am afraid not, Lady Krauss.”
Noire squinted her eyes at Sue more inquisitively than before, “Hmm … very well then, perhaps I was mistaken in my perception. Regardless, I hope that we may get along as Jinma escorts us.”
“I would be honored to make your acquaintance, Lady Krauss,” Sue said before sitting back up in her seat.
I didn’t notice any signs of my [Intuition] skill going off throughout Noire’s and Sue’s exchange, but there was something not sitting right in my own gut.
I just had to ask Sue through [Telepathy],
<... I am well informed of the Krauss family’s history and I do wish to get along with Noire throughout the dungeon crawl, but those are about the only truths I spoke to her,> Sue admitted with a straight face.
I mentally broke my [Telepathy] from Sue for a moment,
Putting Nyra’s antics aside, it seems Sue also knows Noire’s dad, the Minister of Defense and Weaponry, as well. Yeah, that’s not a total bomb dropped on my conscience, but that’s not what was standing out to me the most.
Since we first met yesterday, Sue didn’t hesitate on making physical contact with me, especially last night, yet I didn’t notice anything off about her through all those times we touched. If Sue was telling the truth about her magic disguise’s properties and restrictions, then the body I’ve been seeing and feeling on my side right now resembled her true form the most.
Sue was a legit shortstack, emphasis on ‘stack’ when it comes to her rack and trunk. The clothes she’s wearing right now must be real too. I’ve seen many Arch Imps up to now having a pinkish-purple color tone on their skin, so that has to be fake on Sue. What about her platinum-pink pigtails? Her amber eyes? Her pair of small white bison horns? Her purplish-black bat-like wings, or even her spade-headed tail of the same color?
Is Sue revealing herself like this to hint me on what her real identity looks like? Does this suggest that she’s planning on revealing her true self in due time? Once again, the more info I found on this Sue, whatever race she is, the more questions sprung up in my mind.
That knowledge made me realize something, and I felt a chill in my spine because of it, Sue doesn’t just have the [Deception] skill, but she’s able to fool my [Intuition] as well, even while it’s at max proficiency. So … whatever she’s doing to pull that off, I have literally NO means to tell apart her truths from lies. That means her saying of only telling the truth to me could also be a big fat lie, as well as wanting to trust me, and—
Nyra’s reason calmed me down somewhat, but I was still a bit on edge of this chilling discovery of not distinguishing between Sue’s truths and lies.
Sensing my anxiety, Nyra sighed,
<... Ah, right. Speaking of Obina, didn’t she say I should visit a church or something and try praying at an Immortals’ Monument at some point? Maybe she can guide me on what I should do about this.>
“Jinma? Is something a matter?” Noire asked, snapping me out of my thoughts.
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“You seemed like you had something deep in mind,” Noire said.
“Oh, no, it’s nothing major. I was just brainstorming how to go about the dungeon crawl tomorrow while escorting two people,” I lied on the spot, putting my [Deception] to work.
“Ah, slow on planning, I see. Very dependable,” Noire praised before giving a graceful, beautiful smile.
“It’s not much, really …” Still, for me to space out that long, even with my [Hyper Thought Processing] speeding up my thinking process, I was more rattled at Sue’s thing than I thought.
“Anyway, if Jinma can follow through with his word, Sue will be joining us in the dungeon crawl as a last-minute addition to the group,” Noire said, clapping her hands together, “Are we in agreement?”
“Personally, I, the Great Beelzebub! Am still not convinced,” the fly demon spoke up, hopping from her seat and pointing at me, “Your body may have shown how many close-calls you survived from, but that doesn’t speak to what you’re actually able to do, does it? I need some more eye-opening evidence than that.”
“I do see your point, Beelzebub, and perhaps we will see what he and his wife can do with a proposal I planned ahead,” Noire said.
“What’s that?” I asked.
Noire gave a brief smile that had a mischievous glint to it, “A demonstration of fighting prowess, of course, with a sparring duel between you and Mei versus Gabriella and Beelzebub.”