When Paige comes to visit with Cain the following day, she finds him happily braiding the hair of his Lamia companion, Cyrene. The relationship between those two is a bit odd, and she can't seem to decide what exactly their status is. The Lamia is clearly, even obsessively smitten with him, but Cain treats her somewhere between a favored child and a beloved pet.
The human, Misha, is clearly his wife. But seeing the affection between him and the Lamia, the possibility that Misha is actually the head of his Harem is one she can't ignore. Simply put, the indeterminate status of the Lamia makes the way the group will receive her next offer uncertain.
Once the Queen calmed down a little and realized the benefits of her new body, she graciously offered the Duke an apartment in the upper levels as a reward for his service. But if he's got a Harem, the small bedrooms of the upper levels of the city might not be suitable.
There are three bedrooms arranged around a central living room and a kitchen. One of fifty similar units reserved for foreign Nobles who wish to visit the city regularly, in a building located close to a travel circle that will take them to and from ground level effortlessly.
Finally, she decides to make the offer, then realizes Cain hasn't noticed her yet and watches his interactions for a while. Someone is in the shower, likely Misha, but possibly the Bunny he Summoned, and Cain is almost finished braiding the slightly damp pink hair of the Lamia.
Once he finishes, he starts working the lotion into her scales, and Paige wonders if she should announce herself and interrupt the oddly sensual scene. But he's not touching the Lamia anywhere inappropriate, just moisturizing her body. Then he hands her a piece of clothing and kisses her forehead.
"Get dressed; we've got company." He says softly as the Lamia changes into the short red dress in a light fabric suitable for the tropical heat.
So he noticed her here and kept on with what he was doing? That makes Paige even more confused. Does that mean it's innocent behavior, or just that he doesn't care who is watching?
Misha and the Bunny both come out of the shower in a towel, waving their greetings to her before receiving their daily outfits from Cain.
"So, do you usually dress everyone, or is it just because you've got the storage chest full of clothing?" Paige finally asks.
"A little bit of both. Are you coming with us back to the dungeon today? Or did you have another activity in mind?"
This man's ambiguous answers aren't helping.
"The Queen would like to reward you with an apartment here in town. There are no houses big enough to be called a Guild House anywhere inside the city itself, though I know you would likely prefer one. Those are built in the surrounding forests and need to be defended by their residents, but the apartment is a lovely place in a prime location."
"That would be amazing. I think everyone enjoys it here, so I would love to come back regularly, and not just for the dungeons." Cain agrees, and Misha nods happily. Cyrene has gotten distracted by styling the Bunny, Daisy's hair, but gives them an enthusiastic nod.
"Let's go and see the apartment then; I've got the location information and the scrolls that will attune the spells to your presence, much like a key in a conventional lock. We use them all over the city since everything is open-walled for ventilation." Paige explains, leading them through the Royal Home and out into the upper levels of the city.
This seems to be the downtown core of the Elven city, with the pathways between trees built five meters wide to accommodate the foot traffic and what Cain sees as apartment buildings designed as if they're growing up the trees for dozens of levels.
Near the building they're headed for, there are a wide variety of shops around a central platform, which holds a cluster of transport circles that are labeled as heading to various spots at ground level.
It's as beautiful as expected of this city, and Paige leads them in to one of the apartment trees, with a guard standing on duty at the door, who smoothly moves aside to let them through.
"This is the building, and the unit the Queen has gifted you is on the First level. This is the seventeenth level, so you'll be at the very bottom looking out over the city. It's a bit of a walk down the stairs, but worth it for the view."
The Princess is absolutely right, this view is worth it. They're all high enough level that a dozen levels worth of winding staircase isn't going to be an issue for them, and the floor they're on is smaller than the others.
Only eight apartments ring the prodigious width of the tree on this level, with open-air balconies between the paired units. From the collection of chairs, loungers, and such, they seem to be public use spaces that double as event rooms.
Paige opens the apartment for them, showing an interior made of almost white wood, polished to a shine. Each of the three bedrooms on the outer side of the open concept kitchen and living room combo is decorated with cloth in different colors, giving a sense of vibrancy to the natural wood of the rest of the unit.
"This is beautiful. Oh, look down below; there are trampolines!" Cyrene cheers, looking out the window, down at the ground a hundred meters below their unit.
"That's a safety net, in case someone falls off a balcony, not a trampoline, sorry. But if you're satisfied, I can transfer the unit over to you right now, and we can head out for the morning. Mary lives next door, so it will be easy to pick her up."
The Puppet Master is their new neighbor? That's perfect. Nothing builds experience bonuses quite like a second puppet master in the dungeon. Hopefully, she's not too freaked out at being assassinated by that Obsession Demon Boss to agree with coming along again today. The odds of getting ambushed like that are incredibly low, and they can keep a few summons nearby today.
Safety first and all.
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