Monster Girl Menagerie - Celestial Archive-Chapter 45 - 44 - Underlying

Athea poured the scalding hot tea into a clay cup, the steam wafting off to hit her in the nose. She took a deep breath to savor the earthen flavor, the floral bitterness leaving her refreshed. It was a luxury to taste a brew of this quality, especially when existing in the middle of a battlefield.

She settled the pot back upon the table, picked up the cups, and proffered them to her guests.

"Thank you," the man accepted with a smile and a nod. The silver-haired beauty, on the other hand, offhandedly glanced at the cup before leaning back to zone off. The armored beauty was the only one to show appreciation. Athea respected that.

She took her seat beside Ark, taking delight in the warmth the cup seemed to radiate. The young man, Markus, took a brief sip, relaxing slightly. What an odd boy, Athea thought.

"It has been a rough few days for the Barony," Ark said, pausing to ingest a gulp of his own tea. "Due to the lack of reinforcements and also because we share a sizable length of border with the End Forest, our forces were stretched too thin. We had to build checkpoints along the line, stave off any monster horde that attempted to charge through."

Athea scoffed inwardly at that. Lack of reinforcements, he had said, and while that remained mostly true, his statement hugely undervalued the ramifications of the affair. It still bothered her that not only had the Royal Court refrained from sending them any aid, but they had also restricted the Baron from leaving the capital.

"Our post is the closest to Erdwatch, right next to the Prune Town," Ark added. "There are two other defense lines situated to our west. One near the Oak Town and another at the Red Town."

Oak Town was right at the center of their borders and faced the most pressure. Captain Aldrin was situated there alongside the majority of their forces. In comparison, Red Town received much help from Greystone County, though their aid only extended to that point.

"So," Markus said, leaning forward to rest his cup on the surface of the table, "what you're saying is that I might be able to find my friends at one of the other towns?"

"Essentially, yes."

Markus beamed at his admission and shared a glance with his companion. Though Amara seemed to barely register his glance, Athea found the vampire was a bit chipper afterward. Odd vampire, she thought, her brows creasing slightly.

Even by that moment, the duo and their relationship still seemed to mystify her. Trio, she corrected, momentarily shifting her glance to the quiet woman. Her presence and armor contrasted sharply.

"That's certainly good news," Markus said, nodding his head repeatedly. "Since we still have half a day ahead of us, we might as well depart now."

Impatient, She observed, quaffing the rest of the liquid down her throat. Markus appeared to be under duress, though she couldn't determine the cause. As a swell of heat forced the chill to escape her body, Athea couldn't help but recall yesterday's incident.

Compared to the man of yesterday, Markus seemed calmer. Docile, even. Though it was hard to forget the rage and aggression he had displayed that night. Most of them had ignored his strangeness to avoid provoking the vampire's wrath. But Athea remembered and wondered if that could be the reason behind his restive behavior.

Or perhaps he was just that eager to reunite with his friends.

Friends, Athea snorted inwardly. She wasn't fool enough to believe something like that. Guilders didn't disregard their orders to have a chat with their friends. That was audacious at best and downright suicidal at worst. Even B-ranks wouldn't remain exempt from the consequences.

They either have a strong backing or are just that foolhardy.

Neither case was enough to dismiss the eccentricity of their group. Guilds employing vampires wasn't strange, and even within the Kingdom, hardly anyone would ever discriminate so openly. He's definitely not her blood bag, though.

"And that's why Athea will accompany you to your destination," Ark said, startling her out of her ruminations. "She knows about most of our safe routes and will make sure that you arrive at the earliest."

Athea gave the man a critical eye, though he ignored her. Markus glanced between her and Ark before nodding his head. "We will appreciate that."

The tent fell silent, the men taking this opportunity to finish the rest of their tea. Tania had long rested her empty cup upon the table, while Amara had hardly touched hers.

"We will be waiting outside," Markus spoke, pushing to his feet. Amara and Tania followed the man outside.

Athea waited for half a minute before addressing her companion. "What was that about?"

With the outsiders gone, she finally allowed the aloofness to ease from her body. Though the glare remained, fixated on her companion.

"They are suspicious," he said, leaning back into his chair. "We can't let them roam free in our territory."

"And you think we can stop them if they did intend to?" She asked, her tone mirthless.

"No," he replied brusquely. "But I doubt they intend to go that far. If they did, we wouldn't have had a civilized discussion minutes prior, now would we? Look, the point is, they either won't or don't dare cause a scene. Which gives us with ample opportunity to observe their actions."

That was certainly logical in her opinion. How that logic would hold against a vampire who seemed to regard everything with a touch of apathy was anyone's guess.

"What do you think about these friends of theirs?" Ark posed, cupping his chin.

"I don't believe them," she provided. "I mean, who would? Why would the guild even let go of a B-rank hunter at times like these? Why would she? The logic appears a touch too fragile against such evidence."

Ark pursed his lip, regarding her with a silent stare.

"You're not serious?" She spoke, exasperated.

Ark shrugged.

"Goodness..." Athea closed her eyes and grabbed her head. "Are we dealing with some lunatics here?"

"Or some very confident people?" He suggested.

Athea sighed and leaned back. "Either way, it's none of our problem," she paused to consider, before continuing, "so long as they don't make it our problem."

"Listen," Ark said, leaning forward, "you have to be careful. I know you feel grateful for the help Amara has provided, but it would cost you nothing to remain cautious. Your presence is absolutely necessary there."

She would not only have to keep an eye on her guests, but she would also have to report everything to the captain. This was the only way to ensure that what he heard were facts rather than woven lies the trio had spun to achieve their goal.

"Don't worry, I got it." She offered a smile and felt warmth in her heart as he held her hands. They had faced horde after horde of monsters, from dusk to dawn, and they had survived each encounter. They would survive this; she would survive this.

When Athea exited the tent, she found a rare moment of peace settling over the camp. The soldiers that shuffled about did so with relieved faces and hopeful gazes. Though the chances of another monster surge were never zero, their experience confirmed the scenario as unlikely.

She smiled and ambled toward the trio who stood near a hovel, discussing in quiet whispers. They caught her approaching figure and halted their conversation.

"I suppose we're ready to depart?" Markus asked, offering an easy smile.

She nodded her head and shifted her attention to the vampire. Much like earlier, the vampire played deaf to all their discussions. Was he acting as the group's face? She thoughtfully eyed the blonde-haired young man.

With a slight gesture, Athea turned around and started walking. The trio followed a step behind, observing the camp with interest. That only lasted until they stepped back into the forest, at which point they conversed about the battle.

Athea listened with half an ear, finding Amara's tactical insight remarkable. Though it was her behavior that made her more curious. Normally the vampire acted cold and detached, but whenever she talked with Markus, there was a hard-to-conceal affection laced underneath.

The entire sequence confounded her, especially when she glanced back and saw him holding Tania's hand. Were the trio in a three-way relationship? How would that even work?

Though curious, Athea decided to act ignorant, as if the little details never registered to her notice. Her work was simple, and if the three lovebirds made it easy, then she obviously wasn't going to refuse.

The sun glided across the horizon like an angry disk of fire. A cold chill blew across the woodland, prompting deep and refreshing breaths from the group. By the time the sky had adopted a shade of orange, their entourage was already near the Oak Town.

Athea heaved a sigh of relief, thankful that nothing untoward had taken place. Then she proceeded forward; the end of their journey lay in sight.

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