The skill rippled out, a wave of power marking the area. The miss looked at the bandits calmly, then spoke, eyes locked on the leader. “It is rude to intrude on our gathering without introducing yourselves.”

The [Bandit Leader] responded with a knife.

It was fast, flying much faster than Fayette could block, at least normally. However, almost on instinct, her [Cutlery Control] stopped it midair, and she slowly let it float into her hand. She felt a charge of power building.

“A capstone skill, fuck! What did that bitch do?” The man muttered, slowly stepping back. He signaled his men to wait, and they all retreated back to their initial covered positions. Fayette felt exposed in the middle of all of them, but the [Lady's] skill had done something. [Cutlery Control] didn’t usually work that well for her.

“Miss, what are we doing?”

“For the moment, just sitting back and waiting. Be ready to block anything from them, Fayette, Martino. It should be easier. But it's not infallible.”

With that said, the [Lady] flicked her wrist, and glowing green veins expanded out from under her sleeve, covering the rest of her hand. A block of stone began slowly rising up from the ground in front of her.

Fayette's eyes widened. Spellcasting? She can do that? Is that the plan? Make cover for us?

The display of magic sent the bandits into a fluster—nobody wanted to confront a [Mage] who was aware of them. They were trying to stay silent, but Fayette found that she could hear them crystal clear even without her eavesdropping. She looked at the lady in front of her with a new measure of respect, but also curiosity. [Control Conversation] again, I see. But what was the big skill?

“Spellcasting!”

“What did she say?”

“My [Dangersense] isn’t ringing—”

“There’s some building energy—”

“Boss, can I take the shot?”

As she heard that last phrase, Fayette took a step forward, looking at the bowman who had said it. The [Lady] nodded as Fayette stepped in, looking in the same direction. The miss' words were simple. “Fayette, please punish them appropriately if they’re being rude.”

Fayette kept her eyes locked on the man, waiting for him to make a move. The [Lady] meanwhile finished with her magic construct. Not a wall or cover of any sort, but a simple stone chair. At least outwardly calm, she sat down on it, then began conjuring another next to it.

The [Bandits] reacted... poorly.

“A chair?”

“Is she mocking us?”

“I’m taking the shot!”

As soon as she saw the man jerk his bow up, Fayette threw the knife she had been holding at him with the full power of her [Cutlery Control]. She felt power flowing from the [Lady's] direction into her, and the knife flew with more strength than usual. Faster than an arrow, it struck the man's arm then punched right through, all the way to the other side where it lodged into the tree behind.

Fayette smiled as the man fell down, clasping his injury, and the others took cover. That felt good.

The [Lady] finished conjuring a second block of stone, then gestured for Martino to sit onto it. “Would you sit here? Thanks.” She then started conjuring up another block in front, this time a larger one. A table.

Fayette stepped back, eyeing her. Was the miss really...? At least her face really was calm, but she thought there was a subtle tenseness underneath. Are her hands shaking just a bit?

The [Maid] took another step back, so she stood side by side with the lady. “Miss, how does this ability of yours work? Should I go attack them? That power boost was no joke.”

The miss shook her head. “No, it’s better to be reactive here. We just have to be on our best behavior—etiquette is key. If they make a big error or lots of little ones, punish them. On my authority.”

Peeping at a [Lady] from behind a tree counts as an error right? With so many of them doing that… Fayette followed her hunch, drew a knife of her own from her [Apron of Holding], then threw it at one of the men.

Only his head was visible, hidden behind a thin tree, but Fayette’s knife went right through the tree into his forehead, and another man fell down. I think that used about half the charge we had built. Best save the rest for defense. She took out another knife, then a fork, and began setting out cutlery in front of the [Lady’s] table. I guess this is how we build that up.

“How many are we setting for, miss?”

“For four,” the [Lady] answered, then began conjuring two more stone chairs, this time on the other side of the table.

Fayette slowly nodded, hiding a subtle smile, starting to understand the full plan. Something about this felt... right. A [Lady] and her [Maid]. She stretched out, relaxing her muscles. And then she realized it.

No ache.

There was no subtle ache from her class, worming away at her mind. Just... peace. Throwing that knife through the [Bandit] had felt so easy. So calm.

She shivered. Scary. I'll have to be careful here...

The bandits were chattering more, and the leader was organizing them for a coordinated attack. Fayette turned her eyes back to them, feeling some nerves at standing still against something like that, but held firm. She was in pure [Maid] mode right now, setting up a tea party. This was not a battle. Not yet.

“Martino, you are my escort for this tea party. You are acting on my authority. Be ready on my signal,” the [Lady] said, carefully not looking at the bandits.

Just then, Fayette heard the bandit leader give out a signal. All the bandits leaned out of cover at the same time and activated skills. Arrows, knives, and some sort of smoke bomb flew out. A dozen projectiles.

Right at them.

“Now, shield!” the miss shouted.

Martino was almost shaking from his nerves, but managed to spread out his hand, and a clear shield was projected all around them, completely blocking all their view. An array of projectiles clattered against it.

The smoke still came through, over and under the glimmering ward, and Fayette felt her [Dangersense] spike. She picked up her broom, activated a [Sweep Dust], and swept it all away, right back at the bandits.

It was like clearing away dust from the area was particularly agreeable to the skill, as Fayette felt the charge growing further in the process, despite how she was using it already. The smoke engulfed some of the [Bandits], and one started choking out, while the others managed to activate skills to save themselves.

“A rude interruption for the second time.” The [Lady] said, voice shaking just a bit, still not sparing a glance toward their interlopers.

“Indeed, a most impolite crowd,” Fayette replied, smiling reassuringly. Despite the slight wariness she was keeping... she was starting to really like this skill.

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The [Bandits] were in disarray for a few seconds, before the leader suddenly started to laugh. He stepped out from the cover, waited for a second, then started calmly walking forwards, a growing smile on his face.

“I get it, I get it. Not supposed to strike first, are we? Some type of non-aggression deal?”

Fayette, the miss and Martino ignored his words, not looking his way one bit. Fayette produced two teacups from her [Apron of Holding], placed them in front of Martino and the miss, then poured some cold tea from a flask into them.

The grinning man stopped for a second, as if waiting for a reaction, then continued forwards after none came. He gradually approached their tea table, step by step. “Boys, how about we all get nice and close and wait this one out.”

The other [Bandits] came out of cover, carefully, slowly, and started approaching in a gradually shrinking circle. The [Bandit Leader] had again started to flip around a knife in his hand, his confidence returned. “A trick. A clever trick this one is, but not enough. How long can you maintain that effect?”

Not long, Fayette knew instinctively. Effects like these...

The [Lady] finally turned to Fayette, setting down the teacup she had been drinking from. “Fayette, would you say our uninvited guests have been following proper decorum?”

Fayette turned to look the [Bandit Leader] in the eyes, then shook her head. “No, ma’am. Not counting their intrusion, attire and language, just the fact they’ve yet to introduce themselves is quite enough.”

The man sneered. “What are you gonna do about it, wench? We’re not attacking you—just sitting calmly and waiting this one out. You’ll get your due.”

Fayette smirked. The man was wrong. She could still feel the charge of energy building up from the skill. It wasn’t about aggression per se, but about adhering to proper etiquette. Truly a proper skill for a [Lady]. She suspected the men may even be able to be quite aggressive, as long as they followed certain procedures. How would this work if they tried to force a duel using etiquette? Or introduced themselves first, then surrounded us?

That would have been... bad.

But they didn't understand yet.

So Fayette stepped forward to face the man, then looked over all the knives he was wearing and holding. Two belts, both full of them. She pointed. “Bearing arms at your host? Unacceptable.”

She activated [Cutlery Control] and felt it surging with more power than ever before. The man jumped back as all the knives on the his belts came out of their sheathes simultaneously. Even the one he had been flipping in the air stopped midway, slowly floating towards Fayette with the others.

The man’s smile vanished and he stopped, only taking two steps back. “I wouldn’t try that, miss. I’ve got [Nine Lives], so your attack won’t do much. We still have you outnumbered three to one. We can take a step back further to wait if you want, or you can come along now. It won’t make a difference.”

It was true—Fayette wasn’t sure about how long the [Lady] could keep up this skill, and they were still in a dire situation. What could they do if the men just walked a ways off, and waited to ambush them again after the skill ran out? Still… She glanced at the miss. If it was as she suspected, they would be fine with waiting a bit more.

“I think we’re fine to wait here, right miss?”

The [Lady] took a long sip from her teacup, then smiled, eyes closed. “Indeed, I’m very fine with waiting for a bit yet—” she opened her eyes, then finally locked gazes with the [Bandit Leader]. “—not all our guests are here after all.”

Because... this tea party was a reunion of sorts. There had already been one. The miss indicated the two other seats on the other side of the table. “Our tea party only has half attendance, and my invites are sent.”

Realization passed through the bandit leader’s face, and he turned to run right away. “Fuck, fall back! Backup!”

“Fayette, now!” The [Lady] shouted.

Then the [Elegant Tea Party] ended.

Fayette felt all the remaining energy from it flow to her, a well ready to empower her skills. A simple choice. The knives were hovering right in front.

She aimed them all at the man, who was dodging away. Then a set of needles flew out from the treeline and stabbed into his leg, interrupting his dodge. The wound made him miss a step, but then he blurred for a moment, and the wound was gone.

A moment, however, was all Fayette needed. She silently thanked Mireille, then sent the knives out, putting all the rest of the dwindling power in them.

Thunk Thunk Thunk.

One by one, the knives struck him, playing a simple melody of blood.

Sixteen knives embedded themselves in the man’s body. Three on each leg, four on the torso, then three again on each arm. They followed one after another, each successive impact pushing him forward half a step, until he finally slumped down onto the ground, a pool of blood forming under him.

Then pandemonium erupted.

Half the bandits tried to dash further into the woods, while the other half dashed at the tea table. Needles and thread hit those on the outskirts, while others received salt-laced daggers to their sides from the shadows. Fayette drew out her broom and sent out a wide spice-laced cloud around them, stalling approaches.

She then stepped forward to guard the [Lady] and Martino from anyone who got through. They had both gotten up now.

They stood in a loose triangle, guarding each other’s backs, waiting for the situation to calm down.

Martino seemed to have recovered. Whenever anyone emerged close to them, he struck out with his sword, driving them away, often straight into a strategically placed pit. The [Lady] wasn’t hiding her magic any longer. It wasn’t the most flashy, but she was slowly creating pits and bumps in the earth wherever she pointed, erecting a maze around them. Anyone who fell into the pits was soon enveloped in dirt, leaving only their head above ground.

Fayette maced one bandit down but mostly focused on her knives. It was best to stay stationary—she trusted in Mireille’s team. They could handle the main fighting.

It was a proper counter ambush. The bandits found themselves trapped between a maze of pits near the tea table, and a web of threads further out in the tree line. Those who ran in either direction got immobilized, while those who stayed out in the field faced a barrage of attacks from unseen opponents.

They had no chance.

It took a few minutes, but soon Fayette could breathe a sigh of relief. Mireille, Martin, and Foil the [Ranger] emerged from the forest, carefully walking down between pits. The miss slumped down onto her stool, face down on the table, and pointed one lazy finger towards them. Her hand glowed green, and a path cleared among the many pitfalls.

“Ugh—I’m spent! That was terrifying!” She said, shivering and making the most un-[Ladylike] sound Fayette had ever heard from her. But Fayette gave her a respectful tap on the back. She didn't seem used to battle, but she had done well. I guess she has earned an indulgent groan.

Mireille stepped forward first, focused on the [Lady] like a hawk. She said only one word. “Magic.”

Fayette stomped the ground with one foot. “That’s what you’re focused on?”

“What should I be focused on?”

Fayette pointed at the beavermonkey corpse, a bit forgotten amidst the fight, but still in perfectly good condition. It was right behind the tea table. Had been the whole time. Maybe a small etiquette loss.

“I got you a gift!”

“Well sure, that’s great, but you really managed to find a situation here. How did you end up in a blasted [Bandit] ambush?”

“I want to know that too,” Martino said, the hunter also slumping down on the table. He took a sip from his own untouched teacup. “This was supposed to be a little hunt, how can we be this unlucky?”

“Son, that is indeed the question of the hour. I don’t think there is such a thing as bad luck,” Martin said, stepping forward to the table. He was relaxed, but his eyes never left the [Lady], even laying down as she was. “You know, a proper [Bandit] can have rather interesting skills. A [Nose for Loot]. I don't want to point any fingers but... Are any of you by chance carrying lots of valuable items, magic and mundane on you?”

Fayette froze midstep, thinking of her precious [Apron of Holding]. And the collection of rolled paintings still inside it. And her pretty rock collection. And her alchemy gear. And all the other things she and the rest of her party had stored in there. And the [Bag of Holding] itself, most valuable of them all.

She and the [Lady] both raised their heads at the same time. “Um—I—,” they both stammered at once, then, surprised, they looked at each other. A brief stare, then they both laughed for a second. Nervous, but somehow relieved.

Martin looked up at the two and grimaced. “Wait, both of you! Walking in the woods with little to no other escort?”

Fayette straightened up and threw out a [Disarming Smile]. She honestly considered throwing a skill point in there. “Hey, now that you lot are here, why don’t you have some tea? Look I’ve set it up for you. You too, Foil.”

Martin shrugged and sat down. “Well, it is what it is. Give me a damn cup. What are we going to do with all these bandits though? We captured at least six from what I counted.”

Fayette hurried to pour him tea and smiled politely. “Don’t worry, just sip on your tea. I’ll go handle the pests.”

The miss watched as the [Maid] set down the teapot, called a knife into her hand, then started cleaning it of blood. It took her a moment to understand what she had just heard.

“Wait wait wait!” The [Lady] shouted, rising up and waving her hands. “You can’t just go kill them all!”

Fayette turned back and frowned, confused. “Why not? I’m a hunter. Don’t I have permission to kill bad guys from the [Queen] now?” She started digging in her pouches. “I really do have the license, just a moment…”

The [Lady] sat back down. “No, they’re bandits, yes, but they’re not all necessarily [Bandits], you know? We have to get them to the next city, where the church can look over their levels and judge things appropriately. Justice.”

Fayette frowned. Judge? She was a [Maid], she just did. But... she looked over the group. The others seemed to be agreeing with the [Lady].

“Wait,” Fayette objected. “We have to dig them all back up, watch over them and escort them, all the way to the next town with a church?”

Martin nodded. “Well, yes. That is the duty of a hunter. And how bounties are calculated.”

Fayette groaned, then set down a cup of tea for herself. “Get me one of those chairs.”

She wanted to slump down too.

Then, as she sat down and let go of her duty as the tea party's host, something else let go.

[Great work removing the disturbances from the tea party!]

[Progress towards next level: 60%]

Her head whipped up, eyes open.

The itch was back. Stronger than ever. Something was wrong.

Fayette slumped down, head on the stone table. Nonono. I was supposed to solve this.

She raised her face just a bit, glaring at the [Lady].

Did I get too close?