A Start of a Tour

It was three days after the werewolf attack, for two days Lady Kethel kept Wyrian inside the manor doors, one day full of lessons on etiquette and the other is aristocratic work for the manor budgets and cases supervised by Lady Kethel so that Wyrian can get his reasonable breaks, and went on their nightly strolls.

Finally it was time for Wyrian to tour his given domain as a pretext for him to survey the land, *"Or was it the other way around?"* Wyrian thought. But he thought of something that would become a problem.

"Where should I start first?" Wyrian asked with a cup of coffee in hand, with Ceora the recipient of the question.

"Frankly speaking milord, I am not sure." She replied lazily straightforward.

They were both having a morning tea party as Lady Kethel instructed and was there to supervise, but instead of using tea leaves, they used coffee, Wyrian's favorite. Ceora quickly volunteered herself when she heard that Wyrian would be taking "tea" parties for the maids to practice serving guests and for Wyrian to practice etiquette and was in need for a partner. In Ceora's case, a wonderful way to laze around.

"Normally the town would be the best place, wouldn't you say, Lord Kepper?" Lady Kethel suggested.

"It is obvious." Wyrian admitted, "But I needed to be cautious, I don't know what to expect when I'm out there." He also thought that going straight to the town near the Kepper Manor would be the obvious choice, but ever since the werewolf attack, he placed Duke Krestus' description of Liefnin as "Ridiculous and Dangerous" into heart.

"And besides, the town of Cilimma is a half hour ride in carriage, and we don't have any!" Wyrian expanded, sipping his cup of coffee. Impressed by the taste, "This coffee is really delicious, my thanks Lydia."

Lydia smiled brightly as a reply, who was standing there serving the participants of the "tea" party alongside Quara in the other side.

The house of Kepper was given enough budget "loaned" from the King of Lativia for Wyrian to buy selfish necessities such as a carriage or pairs of clothes and jewelry as reward for his numerous achievements and his status as one of the heroes of the state, but because of Wyrian's upbringing as a poor commoner, he raised himself to be extremely frugal, that any purchase that make the Kepper Household increase their, in this case, *his* reputation was not in the priority, as for the carriage that brought Wyrian into Liefnin was of Duke Krestus', he immediately sent it back as quickly as he climbed down the carriage on the first day.

"I might ride the wagon where our subjects deliver the supplies for the manor with." Wyrian jokingly suggested.

"Absolutely not!" Lady Kethel exclaimed, "A hero of your stature should not settle with low quality services."

Shocked about the sudden scolding, he thought of something.

"We only have one horse, I could go alone but I am not familiar with the valley at all."

"Then you should need a guide milord, there is one extremely close from here." Ceora suggested, sipping her coffee and making an impressed face and then looks at Lydia and made a proud smirk.

*"What is there to be proud for?"* Wyrian asked himself silently.

"Ceora's words do take weight, Lord Kepper." Lady Kethel agreed to Ceora's suggestion reluctantly, "It frustrates me to say, but we do need her assistance."

"Is there a problem with the guide?" Wyrian asked, curious as to why Lady Kethel seems to dislike this guide. "Can she be any use in a fight?"

"..." She paused, uncomfortably so, and then she sighed heavily, "She's a huntress and she is nothing to scoff at, her abilities alone show her reliability that even I wouldn't want to be her enemy." She sang praises, but stoically and reluctantly, from the words of someone who can fight a werewolf alone, her praises from this huntress must be real deal.

"Then she has no problem."

"But her personality is... crude and eccentric." Her eyes, sharp as ever became blunt out of disappointment, "I would not rather meet her first but feelings aside, her help is crucial."

"I'd take anyone at this point." As Wyrian finished his coffee, he stood up and bowed to Ceora and excused, "Then, I should be ready to depart, and thank you for the delicious coffee, dears."

Wyrian already left the scene but Ceora still asked for another cup, Lady Kethel walked towards Ceora who was enjoying her third cup, pulled her cheek out in frustration as Ceora cried in pain.

A few moments later, Wyrian was near the stable gate, wearing a loose white tunic tucked inside the leather trousers, Wyrian was holding a leash that came from a yellowish white horse with numerous black spots and shiny wavy hair from his crest and tail.

"Are you excited, Vilis?" Wyrian chimed as he patted his horse's head, and Vilis neighed happily in return. Vilis was Wyrian's beloved horse during the war, he was always with Wyrian ever since he received Vilis from a certain noble friend as tribute for becoming an auxiliary commander.

"Mind if I intrude on your conversation, Lord Kepper?" Lady Kethel entered, wearing a different attire, she discarded her glasses, tied her brown hair in a somewhat fashionably messy bun, she still wears her greyish long sleeve shirt but instead of an ankle length skirt, she wears white silk pants that reveal curves that Wyrian didn't expect, alongside a very short sword suspended with a frog belt attached to her waist belt and leather riding boots. Lady Kethel is in her riding attire, but in Wyrian's case, a good time.

"Are you in need of something, Lady Kethel?" Wyrian asked, masking his excitement with calm and indifference.

"Not at all, I am here to accompany you to your guide, so that I can convince her to give you the tour you needed, and of course to ride your beloved horse back home." Lady Kethel replied.

"Ride Vilis home?" Wyrian asked, confused about returning his horse during the tour, "Shouldn't I be with Vilis during the survey?"

"The guide have a mount that is capable of carrying two of you and is more effective that having a horse." Lady Kethel explained, Wyrian began to give Lady Kethel stink eyes when she started to disrespect Vilis indirectly, "I'm very sure Lord Kepper's Vilis is more capable than most horse's, but comparing to your guide's mount is just cruel."

"Say, this huntress really looks like she needs a lot of convincing..." Wyrian commented, holding his chin in thought, "Why shouldn't you be my guide instead, Lady Kethel?"

Wyrian made a flirty grin and leaned closer to Lady Kethel, "Being guided by a beauty must be super rewarding."

"I would love to, however, my responsibilities are in the manor, so I will give this opportunity to others." Lady Kethel replied downheartedly, expressed by covering her mouth with a red handkerchief with a certain embroidery of a symbol of a rose petal, "Besides, I cannot always be with you, since I am but a humble maid and you are my master."

Disappointed, Wyrian didn't continue to comment, he knows he didn't mind if someone ignored the status between them, he was a former commoner after all, but during his time with Lady Kethel and her jam packed lessons, he learned that ignoring his rank and status would lead to more detriments than benefits.

"Then, let's go." Wyrian announced, dragging the leash as Vilis followed through.

Lady Kethel raised her hand halfway, right below the line of her face.

"Mind if I get the privilege of driving Vilis, Lord Kepper?" Lady Kethel requested playfully.

Wyrian froze at the sudden request, but after a few seconds Vilis bunted Wyrian's head as a sign of accepting Lady Kethel's request.

"Vilis, you damn cheater!" Wyrian playfully exclaimed as he rubbed Vilis' forehead, "You found someone who let you ride other than me, huh?"

"Is it unacceptable, Lord Kepper?" Lady Kethel asked, worried that Wyrian might be angry.

"No, no, not at all." Wyrian reassured, he then handed the leash towards Lady Kethel and she accepted it without protest. "Do be careful with him."

"Of course I will." Lady Kethel replied, then she jumped onto Vilis' saddle without a problem and gracefully so. Wyrian unsurprised about the agility Lady Kethel is performing, as expected of an assassin, he rested his two hand above Vilis' behind, and jumped from behind, landing in the back of Lady Kethel who is the one holding the leash. "Let us go then?"

Moments later they are in the middle in the forest, heading towards the guide's home. They were silent the whole time, but Wyrian decided to break the ice.

"Lady Kethel?" Wyrian asked.

"Yes, milord?" Lady Kethel responded.

"I tried to be ignorant and turned a blind eye about that confession a few days ago." Wyrian informed, "But now I know who you really are, and I admire your work during the war."

"I have no idea what you are talking about." Lady Kethel dodged without a change of tone.

"You cannot fool me, Crimson of the Court of Red."

Lady Kethel was stunned in silence for a while, "Did someone mention my alias before?"

"Someone's tongue did slip out that information." Wyrian replied.

"That was careless of them." Said Lady Kethel, disappointed.

"Ironic." Wyrian commented, "Since the first and biggest clue came from you, Lady Kethel."

"I should scold myself then." She joked, "How did you find out about the Court, Lord Kepper?"

"Tied the strings together; your confession, a certain someone's slip of tongue, and your red handkerchief." Wyrian explained, "Paired with a series of Gleathanian deaths with similar consistency; their faces covered with a red cloth embroidered with rose petals. I must say: thank you for making my job far easier, Lady Crimson."

"I prefer if you never call me by my alias." Lady Kethel informed, "But, you really are a special person, aren't you, Lord Kepper."

"If you mean by figuring your association, with clues handed like that, even a toddler would immediately realize that." Wyrian humoured.

"That, I can't deny." She admitted, "But I'm more impressed about how someone carelessly blurted something so important in front of you."

"What do you mean?"

"I trained my people to not give off any information regarding our Court and anything about Duke Krestus except among their peers, no matter the tortures, physically or mentally." She informed Wyrian, with the same tone as she always has whenever they have lessons, "The fact that they felt comfortable around you that someone let their guard down in such a very short time is nothing more than impressive."

"Qualities of a good spy, don't you say?" Wyrian joked.

"Or maybe it's milord's natural charm." Lady Kethel responded back.

"Now those qualities are useless since I'm quite well known now." Wyrian laughed.

"I somehow doubt that, milord." Lady Kethel replied.

They were silent for quite a while during the ride, but Wyrian's curiosity isn't satisfied yet.

"What is your real occupation, Lady Kethel?" Wyrian asked, "The Crimson of Red or Lady Kethel of Kepper Manor?"

Lady Kethel gave it some thought, and answered, "I take both occupations seriously, Lord Kepper." Lady Kethel replied, "What would you do with this information?"

"Nothing at all!" Wyrian playfully announced, "Even if I did rat the Court, Duke Krestus would be disappointed in me for exposing his assassin order and send you to my death."

"Well, sooner or later you would still learn about us, it wasn't a big secret anyway." Lady Kethel said, which made Wyrian confused, "Lord Krestus has given the reins of the Court of Red to the Kepper Household, for reasons we did not know. I will serve you as Kethel of the Kepper Household, but I am not convinced to serve you as Crimson, you haven't reached that level of trust yet."

"That's understandable." Wyrian admitted, "But I doubt that I'd be able to use the Court's services as of now, since just recently the war is over."

"Do not drop your guard down, Lord Kepper." Lady Kethel warned, "You will never know when our skills may come in need for whatever problem awaits in the future."

"I'll keep that in mind."

"Thank you milord." Lady Kethel responded, "We have arrived."

Wyrian and Lady Kethel arrived at the huntress' home, it was a hunter's hut, but bigger than most and it was surrounded by trees, it has a shed with open doors bigger than barn doors, and rows of tanning equipment.

They both climbed down Vilis who was feeling unnerved, Wyrian calmed Vilis first before walking towards the huntress' door and Lady Kethel held onto the horse's reins.

Wyrian knocked three times on the huntress' door, there was no response.

"Of course she is." Lady Kethel sighed. Wyrian knocked again but louder.

There was a muffled groan coming from the inside. Moments later someone opened the door, and what met Wyrian's eyes was a gigantic woman, taller than Wyrian by mere inches. She has messy frizzled red hair with green fierce eyes, she is more handsome than beautiful, a chiseled muscular body that Wyrian wouldn't want to mess with. She only wears a loose pair of cloth trousers, and her muscular breasts were only covered with a towel.

"What'chu need?" She said, sounding like a drunkard in the middle of the night.

This will be Wyrian's guide.