Chapter 10: The Phantom of the Bathhouse
The heavy footsteps of the Head Cook echoed loudly in the humid air as she approached the wooden partition separating the hot spring from the changing room.
Leon felt a massive spike of pure adrenaline flood his veins as his brain frantically calculated how many seconds he had left to live. If Elara walked around that corner and found him standing over her clothes she would not even bother calling the estate guards.
She would simply rip his head off with her bare hands and bury him under the floorboards.
He rapidly scribbled a message onto the small piece of parchment with trembling fingers.
He did not have time to think of something poetic so he relied entirely on the arrogant persona his new Charisma stat was slowly building within him.
You look absolutely beautiful when you are angry but you look even better surrounded by steam. I will be keeping this as a souvenir. See you tomorrow.
He slammed the folded parchment down onto her neatly stacked uniform and quickly snatched the frilly white apron with his left hand.
The fabric was incredibly soft and carried the intoxicating scent of vanilla and cinnamon that he had come to associate entirely with the fierce woman.
[DING!]
[Quest Completed Successfully!]
[Your left arm remains fully functional and ready for future degenerate actions.]
[Distributing Rewards: +10 Strength, +50 Shameless Points, System Shop Item ’Stealth Cloak (Basic)’.]
A sudden wave of intense muscular density exploded throughout Leon’s body the moment the system text materialized.
The additional ten points of Strength layered seamlessly over his previous gains and made his physique feel tight and incredibly explosive. He now possessed a total of twenty five Strength which firmly elevated him past the realm of an ordinary commoner and placed him solidly in the territory of a trained physical combatant.
"Who is back there?" Elara suddenly called out in a sharp and authoritative voice.
She had noticed a faint shifting shadow cast against the wooden partition by the runic lamps.
Leon mentally commanded his inventory to open and immediately activated his newly rewarded Stealth Cloak. A completely weightless fabric made of dark shimmering energy materialized over his shoulders and rapidly completely cloaked his physical form in absolute transparency.
The basic version of the item only bent light and obscured his visual presence but it did not muffle his footsteps or hide his body heat.
Leon pressed his back flat against the wooden wall right beside the entrance just as Elara stepped around the partition.
She was completely naked and glistening with hot water while a fluffy white towel was clutched loosely in her hand.
The Lie Detector aura surrounding her flashed with sudden alarm as her sharp amber eyes scanned the empty changing room.
Leon was standing less than two feet away from her with his heart hammering against his ribcage. If she reached out her hand or took a single step to the left she would bump directly into his invisible chest.
He held his breath entirely and forced his enhanced muscles to remain completely statue still.
The sheer proximity to her stunning unclad figure was an absolute test of his newly found willpower. The steam rolling off her damp skin carried a heavy intoxicating musk that made his head spin but the very real threat of death kept his primal urges firmly in check.
Elara frowned deeply and marched over to her woven basket while dripping water onto the wooden floorboards.
She immediately noticed that her pristine white apron was entirely missing and a folded piece of parchment had been left in its place. She snatched the note with a wet hand and aggressively flipped it open to read the boldly written words.
Leon watched incredibly closely as the fierce Head Cook read his message.
The reaction was absolutely instantaneous and wonderfully violent. The faint pink flush of the hot spring rapidly shifted into a deep furious crimson that painted her entire face and chest.
Her amber eyes widened in absolute shock before narrowing into dangerous slits of pure murderous intent. She looked around the empty room with wildly flaring nostrils like a predatory cat searching for an invisible mouse.
"Leon," she whispered in a terrifyingly low voice that promised an agonizing amount of pain.
Leon did not wait around to see what she would do next.
He carefully utilized his enhanced agility to silently inch his way back toward the wooden rafters while she was entirely focused on crushing the parchment in her fist.
He hoisted himself up to the ceiling with effortless grace and slipped back out through the narrow ventilation window into the cool midnight air.
The Stealth Cloak deactivated the moment he landed safely back on the cobblestones outside the bathhouse.
He took a massive gulp of fresh air and stuffed the stolen apron securely inside his tunic before sprinting back toward the male servant dormitories. Surviving the night felt like an astronomical victory and the sheer power coursing through his veins promised that tomorrow would be a very different day.
The next morning the grand kitchen of the Sterling estate carried a highly oppressive and suffocating atmosphere.
Elara stood near the massive stone ovens with a completely unreadable expression on her face.
She was wearing a spare apron that did not fit her generous curves quite as well as her original one and she was aggressively chopping vegetables with a heavy cleaver.
Every single strike against the wooden cutting board sounded like a miniature execution.
Leon walked into the kitchen perfectly on time for his morning shift and picked up his usual wooden broom.
He casually made eye contact with Elara across the room and offered her a very subtle charming smirk.
The Head Cook completely froze her chopping and glared at him with an intensity that could have melted solid iron. She knew exactly what he had done but she could not publicly accuse a male servant of sneaking into the bathhouse without completely ruining her own proud reputation.
The slow burn of their dangerous game was heavily tilting in his favor.
Before Leon could properly enjoy his psychological victory a heavy hand suddenly violently shoved him from behind.
Leon stumbled slightly but his twenty five points of Strength easily rooted his boots to the floor.
He turned around to find Kaelen standing directly in his personal space with a highly arrogant sneer plastered across his face.
Kaelen was a low ranking estate guard who frequently hung around the kitchens to steal extra food and try to aggressively court the pretty maids.
He wore the standard runic armor of a Novice Aura Knight and carried a heavy steel broadsword on his hip to constantly remind the commoners of his superior status.
"Watch where you are standing you filthy little rat," Kaelen barked loudly while intentionally puffing out his armored chest to look more intimidating. "You are blocking my path to the lovely Head Cook."
Kaelen completely ignored Leon and took a bold step toward Elara while flashing her a highly sleazy smile.
He had been trying to sway the voluptuous cook for months and actively used his status as a guard to bully any male servant who dared to look at her.
Leon gripped his wooden broom tightly as he watched the arrogant guard approach someone he now wanted.
The old Leon would have lowered his head and scurried away to avoid a severe beating from a man clad in magical armor.
But Leon could clearly feel the dense power of his mana core loudly in his chest and he refused to let some pathetic side character disrespect him in his own territory.
[DING!]
[Emergency Quest Issued: Asserting True Authority]
[Context: A mediocre guard believes his cheap armor gives him the right to bully you and claim your target. Teach him a lesson he will never forget.]
Comments