Testing My Luck in the New World

From one mansion to another, it took barely a second to cross the distance of a couple hundred-miles back to Amoranth. And yet, the sight that greeted me when I stepped through the portal into the Bellenfort mansion's drawing room made me wonder if someone installed a different time zone over the city since our last visit.

There on the couch, her head of long green hair resting on a pillow was the form of a thin young maiden. Her modest chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm, unbothered by her lack of a blanket. Curled up with her knees pressed to her chest, she looked so peacefully asleep that it took a glance at the window and at the sunlight streaming through it to make sure it hadn't suddenly become night.

The twin facts that there was a half-empty cup of tea on the table in front of her, and that she was wearing her usual maid's dress were no doubt proof that she'd been awake at some point today. Meaning of course, that she woke up, spent an hour or two existing before heading right back to sleep.

"June..."

As someone that used to sleep till noon when I didn't have to work, I get it, but seeing someone else doing it is a little...

"Come on, Husband, move it!" Elane said, pushing me forward. "You aren't getting out of this by blocking the portal."

I stumbled, nearly knocking my shins against the coffee table. Thankfully, I managed to catch myself before I could fall onto the sleeping maid.

Like we had with the guild quests, we'd made it a point to share a meal with the maid quartet at least once a week and in that time, they'd lightened up to me a little. And I really didn't want to lose that progress by jumping on her while she was asleep.

My efforts were rewarded by June's eyes remaining welded shut as she snoozed. Assuming that was a reward.

"Geez," I sighed. "I wasn't blocking anything. Don't be so impatient. If I wanted to stop you, I would have just closed the portal behind me."

"Yea, sure. Then why were you..." she stopped, found the sleeping maid, then a wry smirk crept across her lips. "I see," she said. "Too busy enjoying the view. Fair enough."

With a hearty laugh, she slapped my back and strode over to the couch. As she did, Yua stepped through the portal to join us. Then she looked behind herself, sighed, and stepped right back through. She reappeared again, this time dragging Mana along with her and in turn, Mana dragged along the furball she held in her arms.

"Mana," Yua said. "You agreed to wear your armor if you got to bring Lucy."

"Mmnn... But these clothes are even more uncomfortable than the usual ones."

At this, with a strong pout on her face and with my black cat Lucy dangling helplessly in her arms, Mana turned her hips towards me and shook her skirt. The thin fabric swayed easily without exposing too much skin, but that was the problem. Her shoulders dropped.

Since we were planning on tackling a quest that would surely involve fighting, the girls and I were equipped for battle. Yua was wearing her usual leather vest and shorts combo, while Mana was sporting a dress made of extra thick cotton. Her bottom was covered with a knee-length skirt with long slits running up either side of her hips for ease of movement. And to round it all off, was a small steel breastplate that only covered her breasts.

It was meant to be both protective and lightweight, while not making her so uncomfortable it'd affect her aim. Unfortunately, she refused any leather outright due to how constricting it was, but the main problem was her underdeveloped Strength stat. The steel on her chest was about all she could handle at the moment without it slowing her down.