Chapter 95: Ch 95. Playing Doctor

After the attack, it was apparent that things would never go back to normal. Not entirely anyways.

Every few hours a trickle of prospective soldiers visited, shepherded by Tristan as he brought them in to get my approval. On one hand, I was satisfied with how industriously he was working on the task I had given him, but on the other it was beginning to fray my nerves. Eventually I had to chase him out, telling him to settle these matters on his own. I didn't need to personally approve every single new member. 

Resuming where I had left off before the interruptions. Feeling Belle's arm gingerly as she stared into my eyes with a sultry expression fluttering her eyelashes cattily at me, fidgeting her other hand with her tail while I poked around. I wasn't trying to play doctor, rather I had actually discovered a new application of one of my skills, [Anatomy]. At first I had thought it was only something that related to knowledge, but now I could clearly tell that was only the start. 

The real intriguing part of the skill turned out to be that I could vaguely sense what was going on a person's body when I began examining them, after I invested additional points, the new sense became more acute, my medical intuition growing to a point to the point that I probably had a better understanding of what was going on in her body than even Belle herself. Able to clearly tell where the bones were broken and how they were healing up. 

From what I knew all skills had a scaling effect with one or more attributes, given the effectiveness that I was now experiencing, there was no doubt that [Anatomy] had a strong scaling effect with constitution.

Poking her arm softly again, Belle made a strangely erotic voice, a moan that was half pain over her arm and half panting heat, trying to draw my attention no doubt. I knew she really wasn't in much pain at all, or at least she shouldn't have been. She was handling it fine before the potion, it was only that there may have been some... unforeseen side-effects. Not only was it doing its job of healing her arm, it also happened to make her extremely aroused.

Even if we happened to be in the company of others. Like we were right now. 

Clearing my throat uncomfortably as I saw Tammy from the side, looking beet red in the face as she watched Belle put on such an embarrassing and shameless display.

"Both of you, don't you have anything better to do?" Addressing our guests. 

"How cold, Mr. Keaton. I thought we were friends?" Bael said, flashing one of his usual inexpressive smiles. Creeping me out with how he could manage to do so without moving his facial muscles at all, aside from his lips.

"I hardly know you." I said, narrowing my eyes. 

"I'm aware. Consider this as a wellness check, I understand you were attacked and I am glad to see you are doing well. I hope this situation will not cause any unnecessary delays."

I simply nodded my head, weary but understanding of his situation. Knowing his connection to the church, and the church's true origins, I didn't want to keep them waiting too long either. 

"And you, Cal?" I asked with a tired voice. 

"Can't I hang around here?" Cal frowned at my cold attitude. Drumming his fingers against the edge of the table before shifting uncomfortably, adjusting his position as Kaya sat in his lap, his younger sister looking up at him briefly with innocent eyes.

"You should have warned me that this was going to happen." I said, looking back at Belle, who was in the beginning stages of attempting to lick my fingers in a suggestive manner while purring. 

"How was I to know that a beastkin would react to it like that? It's not like they buy many of my potions you know." Cal responded defensively, before quieting down. 

"I'd rather not be at the mansion right now if I can help it. Father is in a really bad mood right now. I introduced you to the family... and I don't feel like being a lightning rod right now."

"Fair enough," I sighed.

I couldn't be too upset with him, even if I knew the side-effects I'd still have Belle drink it. Besides, I knew Cal's situation was mostly my fault.

Ever since I had begun my open recruitment of Jagen's forces, Jagen knew our relationship was over. It was an open provocation. He was done playing father-in-law and I was done playing family. His daughter tried to kill me, twice, even. Not to mention that the second time was partly his fault. The security had obviously been lax, whether he was trying to give his daughter an out, or simply never expected her to attempt an escape, I still didn't know which of those were more likely. Even if he didn't mean me harm, there needed to be consequences. Jagen included, but especially for Marcella, and I had just the thing in mind.

I knew Jagen had spent a great deal of money and effort advertising the fact that Marcella and I were engaged. He had even paid for a grand reception and ball to be held once we were in the capital, exhausting all his clout to invite every influential royal, noble, and businessman that he knew. This was supposed to be the grand revival of the Marcet family, their phoenix-like rise from the ashes of a self-imposed political exile. But, now that Marcella had instead ended up as a criminal and my slave it was obvious to everyone that the social debut had to be canceled. It should be canceled... but somehow a seed had grown in my mind, persistent as it was.

What would happen if we didn't cancel it? Who says we can't have our introduction to high society? 

A grin slowly creeping up my face as I thought about it. 

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We'd have our party, we'd have our guests. But rather than being introduced as husband and wife, we would be master and slave. Marcella cared a lot about her image, wouldn't it be the most fitting of punishments? 

Jagen certainly wasn't happy, that's for sure. It was his family's reputation that was going to be driven through the mud. Smart enough to quietly swallow his words, knowing that he was on shaky ground. And not just because of what Gawn and Marcella had done. Having after the fact discovered additional collaborators within Jagen's own men; the two gatesmen stationed on the outer walls, the ones who I had seen flashing their spyglass towards the city instead of doing their jobs monitoring the plains. Gawn certainly had more friends than I previously expected, people who were willing to betray their lord and employer for no apparent reward.

Bringing my thoughts back to a serious topic as I summoned out a folded parchment. Handing it over to Bael for him to examine before feeling Belle's arm again, able to sense the bones mending at steady but noticeable speed. 

Bael's eyebrow raising at the sight of the paper. The parchment was covered in a strange script, the runic words written so as to bend around in the shape of a circle. Lines drawn between the words, and in the center, was an oddly familiar sigil. A lion and shield, that of the church, the guild, and the Stromgarian royal family. Only this tattoo had the shield drawn in front of the lion, obscuring its face, a strange inversion on the original symbol. 

It was something related to the attack, or at least that's what Jagen had thought, but it wasn't obvious to me what he had meant and he refused to speak any clearer on it. Even knowing the power I held over him, leaving me no choice but to ask others. 

What this was about, I still didn't know exactly, but I knew at least that it had to do with the dead men who had attacked my home. Who were they? Marcella was the only living witness, and neither she, nor the previously executed guards had an answer for us. I assumed at first they were soldiers, an assumption that ultimately turned out to be not true. None of them were working for Jagen, none of them were even registered as being residents of Tromwell at all. The plot only thickening with the discovery of tattoos on the lot of them, found on the soles of their feet. 

"A street gang." Bael answered disinterestedly, handing me back the paper. 

"Gawn seemed to have been talking a lot about overthrowing the government, is it possible this gang is political?" 

"Impossible." Bael smiled ever so slightly. "And even if they were, they'd be suicidal to try it. Stromgar is a much more stable country than you realize."

I didn't know what else to say about it. And while I didn't like unknowns, there wasn't anything point in worrying about it for no end. 

Eventually Bael went home, having promised that we would soon leave within a matter of days. While Cal and his younger blood sister looked awkwardly at the display of affection Belle was showering me with, rubbing her cheek intimately against the back of my hand. 

"We'll take our leave as well." Cal spoke, nudging Kaya to show that it was time to go. Probably a wise choice, seeing where the mood of the room was headed. 

Giving Belle's leg a knowing squeeze after they had gone. 

"Belle's treatment is done for the day, Tammy." I spoke up loud enough for her to hear us from across the room.

Tammy who had been somewhat nervous since the day before, had said she felt like cooking something for the three of us. 

The girl adding a bevy of spices and poking around at whatever was inside the iron pot she had cooking over our fireplace, covering the lid back up again before responding. 

"How is she?" Tammy asked. 

"Horny." I said, looking at the catgirl who was rubbing herself under her dress as she pressed against my leg. Acting even more unrestrained now that our guests had left. 

"Care to join?" 

Tammy looked back at the pot she had just hung over the fireplace, placing a finger to her chin as if she were thinking about it. 

"I think we have some time." She replied, cocking her head cutely. 

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