123. Beauty and The Noble's Obsession.

Nytri and her party have been going on quests for a while but mostly gathering quests. They'd camp outside the city for the night and go on quests in the day, the inns weren't made to support Azurian.

It's a peaceful night and the stars are shining brightly in the sky. The campfire is blazing and the smell of roasted meat filles the air. Nytri sat next to the fire grilling meat and staring into the flames lost in thought, even if she burns it she can reverse time on it.

The Azurians had taken a quest normal people consider dangerous but it wasn't fun for Nytri so she stayed behind with Lilia and Sylwia. The rest returned from the quest with bored looks, apparently they had to clear a bandit hideout.

Kael notices Nytri staring into the flames lost in thought, he walks up to her. Kael sits beside her, "Nytri? What's on your mind?"

Nytri smiles, "Nothing, just heard the voice of my adopted family. Seems things aren't going to well for them."

Kael tilts his head, "Wait, the same family that had you thrown in the dungeon to have you killed?" Nytri nods, Kael squints his mouth. "The same family that treated you like a dirty rag even though they adopted you?"

Nytri looks at Kael with confusion, "Yes, but dirty rag is a bit harsh even though that's how it was."

"Do you care about them?" Kael speaks.

Nytri shakes her head. Rhydderch unsheathes his sword with determination to go somewhere but Lilia and Eryndor pins him down. Kaida seems to be lecturing him on something but she often says restraint and letting the past go.

Nytri sighs, "Honestly, if he hadn't done that I doubt I'd make you guys." Things seem to calm with Rhydderch. Nytri keeps speaking, "If he hadn't done that, I'd probably be married of to some family and living like a pathetic noble lady who only cares about dresses and dances."

Kael raises a brow at Nytri and she chuckles and continues speaking, "Not all noble ladies are like that though. But given what I know of my past, it's a probable future."

Kael looks at the stars in the sky, "From what I know about you, you'd still be a kind person. Though I prefer you this way."

Kaida leans over Kael with her weight on him, "Me too! Mum's the best!" the others agree and Eryndor speaks, "Except mum won't show me how to make a gun."

Nytri shrugs, "If I did you'd show Isa and who knows what she'd do?"

Kael rubs his chin as if remembering something, "Oh yeah! Isa managed to get her hand on one of the bombs you made. I asked why she wanted it and she laughed maniacally like some mad genius."

Nytri facepalms, "Oyy, I didn't tell the Xenos not to give it to her."

"She stole it." Kael speaks.

Lilia is confused, "Wait, she stole from a Xeno? How is that possible? They share mum's storage space."

Nytri has a wry smile, "Could you reduce calling me mum? It makes me feel old." Nytri rubs her cheeks and Eryndor speak, "But you're our mu-" Nytri cuts in, "I'm a normal kid…..I'm 14 so teen?"

Eryndor's thoughts, "Ri~ght, normal." he tries to create a gun from ARMORED SHELL but he can't make it work as one.

Lilia walks up holding a flower but it's turning black, "Hey Kael, what quest will we go for tomorrow?"

Rhydderch speaks in a dramatic tone, "We must seek to challenge our limitations, only then can we surpass our limits and become better. So I suggest we kill a dragon."

Kaida looks at Rhydderch with a blank look, "You got a problem with dragons?"

"A~nyway," Eryndor cuts in, "How about we go for an extermination quest? Herb gathering…." He speaks with a flat tone, "….is as fun as it can get."

Sylwia is stuffing her face with food, "Hwo aho-" Nytri flicks her on her head, "Don't speak with your mouth full. Sylwia holds her forehead and swallows, "Oww! How about we pick an escort quest?"

Kael shakes his head fervently, "No no no no no! Anything but escort!"

Nytri raises a brow, "What's gotten into you?"

Eryndor shrugs, "Escort quests always end with us receiving advances or extra labor. They dare us to do things to prove our strength and if it's not that, it's the annoying scholars."

Sylwia looks at Nytri, "I think mu- Nytri should decide when we get to the guild tomorrow. Who knows, a dragon slaying quest might be available." Rhydderch grins sharpening his sword.

Kaida points at Rhydderch as if to report him, "MUM! Rhydderch wants kill dragons!"

Nytri claps her hands, "Alright you two, settle down. Kaida, you're no longer a dragon remember? And Rhydderch, if you want to spar with a dragon, I could ask your uncle or grandma to spar with you."

Rhydderch sucks in cold air, he cups his hands and bows. "Thank you mother but I'm alright." And his thoughts, "I prefer fighting people I have a chance at scratching at least." He walks to the side and looks at the city, then he starts to monologue. "Night, the s-"

Nytri speaks, "No brooding. Get back to bed."

Rhydderch looks to the stars, "A warrior must follow the orders and must be loyal." He walks over.

"And don't narrate how we sleep." Nytri speaks. Lilia takes a take and gets ready to use it. Kael and Eryndor are back up.

Rhydderch sees the tape, "Huh? Isn't that the legendary restraining tape of- Mmmhm! Hmmm! Hhmhmm!"

And that's how the night came to an end.

The next day Nytri and her party are walking through the streets to the guild, she's sitting on Kael's shoulder and they get a bit of attention at how cute the father-daughter duo look. At this moment a noble carriage is passing by, a lord is looking outside and notices Nytri's party from afar. He signals the coachman to stop and he gets down, his guards follow him down the street.

The stand before Nytri and her party, he smiles in a sickening manner staring at Nytri. "Ah, what a beautiful lady. May I have the honor of knowing your name?"

"None your business." Nytri replies sharply. Nytri observes the man standing below her as if he's important. He's a middle-aged man in expensive yellow clothes and a moustache which he keeps pulling for fun.

The Azurians are still walking forward not paying any attention to him, he's about 5 steps before them. The man arranges his collar with a smile, "My, that is not how a lady should-" He looks up and sees Kael to be an insuperable mountain.

Kael looks down on the man and he flinches before his arrogant gaze. The man takes a step back and Kael speaks, "Move, worm."

One of the man's guards unsheathe his sword and charges, "Insolence! Is that how you speak to lord Caden!" He swings his sword but Lilia catches it with her bare hands. He looks up into Lilia's eyes and a chill goes down his spin.

Lilia covers her grin, "My, how should I curse you to death?" her eyes are like the bottomless pits, the guards stare into her eyes traumatizes him. Lilia grabs him by the hair and pulls him off his feet.

Though Lilia is Azurian with the height, watching her lift a grown man by the hairs on his head attracted the attention of a lot of people. They watch the show before them.

As for the other guards, they didn't make a move. The strongest of them is treated like a thing, what more them.

Caden grins through sweat, "I apologize for his behavior, I believe we got off on a wrong start. My name is Caden, a nobleman serving in the eastern territory." He gets bolder, "I noticed how beautiful your daughter is and I wanted to have her. Name a price, I can pay any amount." He starts puffing his chest out in arrogance, "I'm a powerful man and I get what I want, so let's settle this while I'm in a good moo-"

Kael repeats, "Move, worm." He now turns his head to look at him, "Or I'll crush you like the worm you are." The arrogance Caden had before deflates under Kael's gaze.

Nytri stares at the nobleman and her thoughts, "Level 0?! How is he a powerful man? Oh, he means money. Hmmm, maybe I could shake him down for some change. Naah!"

Caden notices Nytri's gaze and thinks she likes him. He smiles about to speak then Nytri speaks. "I want nothing to do with it." 'It'? She called him 'It' this statement shattered him to the very core.