Building a Harem in a Noble House-Chapter 77: What Do You Think, Lloyd?

I stepped into the bathing chambers, the steam hitting me like I’d opened a pot. Communal baths like the ones Paladins generally used were common. Hell, we had a few back at the House. This one, though? It felt... different. Much different. Maybe it was because I was with my lover’s brother and dad, plus a handful of who I assumed were retired paladins who looked like they could still bench-press a dragon, and the butlers hovering around like they were ready to scrub our backs at a moment’s notice.

So, I decided to focus back on the bathing chamber itself. The chamber had these vaulted ceilings that echoed with the low murmur of voices and sounds of water running from the many faucets around the room. Torches flickered in sconces, casting that golden glow over everything, and the air smelled like minerals and soap. It was that fancy stuff, too, not the cheap shit in the hotel. Likely imported from Eshil.

The retired paladins were scattered around the edges, these old dudes with scars mapping out their histories like tattoos. One had a missing eye, another a chest that looked like it’d taken a direct hit from a fireball. The butlers moved quietly, refilling bottles of soap or shampoo as needed while laying out towels and bathing supplies, eyes downcast like they weren’t even there. Laurence slid in across from me, his lean frame cutting through the water smoothly, while Lord Greaves settled nearby, his broad shoulders making waves.

We’d barely gotten our toes wet before the conversation kicked off, like they’d been waiting for me to join the club. Laurence leaned back against the stone ledge, arms draped out. "So, Father, you changed your mind about Ecril?"

Lord Greaves laughed, a deep rumble that vibrated through the water. "No, Laurence. In the best of cases, we’d run afoul of the Paladins and the Vampire Hunters. In the worst, we die... and run afoul of the Paladins and Vampire Hunters."

"Just what the hell are you planning...?" I found myself asking.

Laurence rolled his eyes, elbowing me. "So, I’ve been doing a little research on the Vampires, and it turns out that they have drinks they prefer other than blood: wine! My idea was to start sending wine to the Vampires. Since no one else is doing business with them, we’d effectively have a monopoly over there. Where else are they getting wine?! What do you think, Lloyd? You’re an Adventurer. Surely you have some insights that I don’t."

I shrugged, water sloshing around my elbows as both men waited for my response. "Vampires aren’t very dangerous. Last I heard, they had a standing relationship with the Vampire Hunters."

That was a bit of a lie. A lie by omission, if you would. From what I knew about the Vampires, they actually did have something of a relationship with the Vampire Hunters. A sort of "we’ll mind our business if you mind yours" arrangement. Apparently, that arrangement didn’t last that long. If things progressed as normal, the Vampires would end up wiping out the Vampire Hunters in a year. Of course, this timeline has been strange, so it wasn’t like I could count on that happening.

"See? Nothing to–" Laurence started to brag, but I cut him off with a hand.

"Actually, I wouldn’t count on that peace lasting. Tensions are high there, so the last thing you need is to get caught in the middle of a potential war."

Laurence sighed, rolling his eyes. "You see these Paladins in here. They can handle themselves."

"Vampires can live for hundreds of years. I’m not calling your men weak. I can see that they’re not. But, they’re a lot stronger than you probably think they are. And they outnumber you significantly. It isn’t worth the difficulty, I think. Also, you have to get through the Wastelands to even get to Ecril... or come back from there. Imagine barely surviving against some hundred-year-old Vampires just to face a swarm of Goblins and Half-Orcs? Not worth it."

"Oh, fine. I’ll drop it. But you have to admit the logic is sound."

Things went like that for a while, Laurence shooting off incredibly dangerous business ideas, Lord Greaves shutting them down, then both deferring to my Adventuring history to confirm that his ideas were indeed incredibly dangerous. It was fun. Far less awkward than the conversations I’d imagined–

"You know, this conversation has me thinking: you’ve been to some dangerous places, have you? You’ve gotta have some wild tales, Lloyd. Bandits? Dragons? That sort of thing. Spill." He said it casually, like we were at a bar shooting the shit, but I could tell he was probing for something deeper.

The other paladins leaned in a little, the butlers pausing mid-task. I hesitated, staring at the ripples on the water’s surface. What could I say? What answer were they looking for...?

I shrugged nonchalantly. "Eh, nothing too crazy. Mostly just Quests and odd jobs. Cleared out a few bandit camps, escorted caravans, and fought strong opponents. Most of what I’ve done is far more boring than you’d imagine."

Lord Greaves laughed heartily, "Reminds me of my youth! I gave adventuring a shot. Thought it’d be just as fun as the Bards make it out to be. Damn near lived in the Adventurer’s Guild at the time. I did fairly well. Got up to Three-Stars. Made decent money..."

"And blew it at the tavern," Laurence finished with a laugh, like he’d heard this story a million times. "That why you stopped? Got too drunk? You never told me why you stopped adventuring."

The man shook his head. "I never told you because you were too young. It was... these three women at the tavern. Flirty types, you know? Bought me a few rounds one night, next thing I know, I’m waking up in an alley with my pouch lighter than my head. I was drugged and robbed of everything I had. Quit adventuring right there in that alley and took up Traditional Dueling like Father always wanted me to."

The group chuckled, the retired paladins swapping nods like they’d all been there. One of them piped up, noting that he’d lost his first advance from the Order of Paladins like that.

Laurence smirked, shaking his head. "See? That’s why I never bothered with the adventuring life. Too chaotic. I prefer–"

"Women," Lord Greaves interrupted.

"Business," Laurence corrected. "The women I spend my time with are simply business partners. Charm an aristocrat’s daughter, and suddenly you’ve got prime real estate for your warehouses. Charm a paladin’s daughter? Bam! Out of jail for free, no questions asked."

He turned back to me, eyebrow raised. "What do you think, Lloyd? Surely an Adventurer as popular as you can see where I’m coming from."