The dragon's harem

Chapter 652 Did He Only Mention Names?

”So...” Roberta looked toward Selica and Mira as the guards dragged the frozen thugs on large planks of wood drawn by horses. ”Needed to buy anything?”

Selica looked toward Mira, ”Deal with her first. Iʼm here on a more. Official matter,” She pointed with her head.

”Donʼt tell me there is a problem with the shop?” Roberta gasped. She had bought the shop from Sena and had been using it for a while. But it wasnʼt that long, and troubles could have still arisen if nobles interfered with the dead under the table.

”Nothing like that,” Selica looked toward Mira, ”Weʼll talk inside. So get her order done first. Our conversation might take a bit of time.” She smiled, ”You donʼt want us to keep you waiting, do you?”

Mira stared at her, ”You sound like you donʼt want me here,”

”To be blunt, thatʼs right.” Selica said with a straight face, ”What I need to talk with Roberta about is something private. Since I donʼt know if sheʼs okay with sharing it with others, Iʼll only talk about it with her.”

”I see,” Mira sighed, waving her hand and pulling out a paper, ”The order and measurements, Iʼll take it if itʼs a bit bigger, but not smaller,”

Roberta looked at the paper, ”I see, Iʼll get it in line. Should I send it to Madam Lylaʼs shop? Or to Aradʼs house?”

”Send it to my shop in Aradʼs village.” Mira turned to leave.

”Wait a bit,” Roberta called her and then looked toward Selica, ”Is it bad or good news?”

”Bad news,” Selica replied with a straight face.

”From one to ten, how bad is it?”

Selica started thinking, scratching her chin with a worried face, ”Depending on what I know and feel, Iʼll have to say itʼs youʼre fucked out of ten,” She growled. ^Itʼll be a ten if itʼs a mortal problem, and now thatʼs a devil involved, itʼs only right itʼs gone off the chart.^

”That bad?” Roberta gasped, ”Mira, can you stay? I donʼt feel like I could take the news on my own,”

”Of course, if you donʼt mind,” Mira smiled, ”We can get Arad to help once he wakes up. If itʼs someone targeting you, Iʼm sure he can beat them senseless.”

Selica stared at Mira, ”I doubt even Arad...” She paused for a second. ^No, I can imagine that muscle mountain dancing topless into the devilʼs mansion and slapping him.^

”... could help...”

”Letʼs hear what it is and then decide,” Mira smiled, walking into the shop, ”The sooner you pluck that tooth out, the sooner itʼll stop hurting,”

”Youʼre right,” Roberta smiled as she walked behind Mira, and Selica followed her.

The three of them sat inside the shop, and Roberta closed the door, lighting some candles as they sat around a table. ”So, what is it?” Mira looked toward Selica.

”To start, I donʼt have all the details at hand. For those, you must head to Senaʼs office and read on your own,” Selica stated, ”Get ready, and donʼt panic,”

”Itʼs this bad?” Roberta stared at her, worried.

”A devil has you chained in a contract,” Selica said with a serious face, ”He demands your fatherʼs and Princess Isdisʼs lives.”

The two stared at her, puzzled for a second, ”Wait? A devil?” Mira gasped.

”Are you joking?”

”Sadly, Iʼm not, and you know Iʼm not good at joking,” Selica said, ”Iʼm as cold as a stone, or should I say a pebble,”

”A devil once tried to force Arad into a contract, and he managed to beat him, with help, yes, but he was weaker at the time.” Mira smiled, ”Letʼs wait for him to wake and ask him to go teach that devil a lesson,”

”I canʼt stress this hard enough,” Selica stared at them, ”The difference between fighting a devil without being in a contract. Or while being in one is stupidly massive.”

”We must play by the rules,” Roberta mumbled, ”Is it what I think it is?”

”Your mother made you sign that contract eighteen years ago when you were a little girl. I donʼt know why. But the devil showed up today to deliver a copy of the contract.” Selica looked at Roberta, ”The situation is bad,”

Roberta started scratching her head, looking at the table.

Mira shifted her eyes between the two, sitting straight, ”Did the contract ask for Isdis and Robertaʼs father by name?”

”Yes,” Selica replied, ”There is no mistaking that.”

”Did it specify anything else? Like humans, born at a certain date, or I donʼt know? Or have certain marks?” Mira tapped her finger on the table.

”I donʼt fully remember, but I donʼt think it did. It mentioned their full name, and what the terms are...”

”Well then, itʼs simple,” Mira looked around, her eyes stopping at the burning candle lighting the table.

With a gentle move, she lifted it, getting it closer to her lips. And with one blow, the flame vanished only leaving faint white smoke. ”Isdisʼs life snuffed out,” Mira smiled, grabbing the candle with her second hand and breaking it in half, ”And her body severed into two parts.”

Selica and Roberta stared at the candle.

Mira smiled, ”If he didnʼt specify what they are exactly, this candle is Isdis for all we care. If someone contracted me to make a house and they were skimping on the materials expecting me to pay for them out of my pocket, theyʼll get a house as per the contract. Itʼll be a dog house instead of a human one, but they didnʼt specify what, so they get their materialʼs worth,”

”We need to read the fine print before,” Selica scratched her chin, ”But this might actually work. Only delivering what he asked.” She giggled.

”Iʼll keep my hopes down,” Roberta sighed, ”It doesnʼt feel real,”

”Worry not,” Mira smiled, ”This is only my idea. I bet everyone else has their own say in how to outsmart a contract. Even if my idea doesnʼt work, Iʼll bet Doma or Zephyr would have something to say,”

”Wind Spirit Zephyr?” Selica nodded, ”You might be right, such an ancient and wise being. Iʼm sure she has dealt with a devil at least once,”

”Youʼre right,” Roberta smiled.

Mira stared at them, remembering Zephyr dancing at the wedding on a table, drenched in dwarven fire wine, drunker than anyone she ever saw, shaking her thin hips from left to right, chanting, ^Ay! Ay! Ay!^ With a stupid face.

^Not a single drop of wisdom in that,^ Mira sighed, ”But, we have two people we could ask for help. Abel and Sara, Iʼm sure those two would have a lot to say,”