金瓶梅第2部

Coraline did not like the way Mister Ramon mocked his guild member for falling in love.

It was sweet! And as rough and somewhat violent as Mister Elladan was, it made her see him in a new light.

"As if there's something wrong with that, Mister Ramon?" She pouted.

"Ignore him," Tychon hmphed. "There's nothing wrong with a monogamous romantic relationship. I would prefer the same, concerning my own lady companion."

Coraline nodded in agreement... but she sighed in her heart. It was so difficult to fathom the young master's motives. He flip-flopped from speaking in support of her to actively opposing her to... reassuring her?

Was he an ally or not? She wished he would make up his mind.

It worried her that the young master might have even murdered Master Highblade based on a fickle whim...

"Pshhh, naw!" Ramon chuckled, waving his hand. "Not me, green-hair guy! THIS handsome horned fella won't be tied down to a single girl-- not as long as I LIVE! Ahaha!"

"I'd like to think it's love," Elladan shrugged. "But in the interim, the fear of magical vines strangling me in the middle of the night is enough to dissuade me from pursuing other partners."

"Is that a sex thing?" Ramon snickered immaturely, "Sounds like a sex thing."

"It is *not* a sex thing," Elladan glared.

"You're probably missin' out then, pal."

...Bleigh.

Coraline couldn't remember the last time she had... anything close to that. She had endured plenty of that kind of talk, listening to Felicity and Lady Lucrezia's gossiping.

GENTLEMEN didn't talk about those things in front of a LADY.

"Hey, Coraline."

"AIIIIE!!" Coraline grabbed Lone's wrist and the back of his neck. Rotating her body, she slammed the boy's broad face into the nearby wall.

Lone's forehead clunked... and he dropped to the floor like an accidental shove off of a pier.

Elladan and Ramon stopped, turning to stare with shock painted on their faces.

Tychon took a healthy step backward from where he was standing, "Miss Coraline..."

Coraline pulled her arms close to her chest, her hands balled up, "Y... yes?"

"Was that... necessary?"

Giorgio rushed to the fallen man, "Mister Lone! Are... are you dead?"

He began to shake him frantically, "I can't lose my second favorite Pettaia partner-- not like this!"

"If I'm the first," Tychon groaned. "You'd best hope he lives."

Ramon cleared his throat, "Uh... you sure you don't wanna join our guild, girlie? You uh... you're scarier than Elladan here."

"Really, man?" Elladan looked up helplessly.

"What?" The tiefling held out his empty palms, "She did good!"

...

After Lone was resuscitated, the boys' group (plus Coraline!) neared the Captain's quarters.

Olesya wasn't standing guard outside of it, like Coraline had seen her do prior.

Strange...

She had hypothesized that there was some sort of romance-triangle between the Captain, Olesya, and Miss Maisie... which was even more troublesome in the fact that the dragonblooded woman was bound to the Captain by debt.

Maybe she was influenced by recent conversations, but Coraline was terribly afraid that Olesya may have sought to 'make up' with Nikandros...

She couldn't judge the woman negatively. Olesya was in a deplorable position, where her livelihood relied on proving herself useful to her debtor's perverse whims.

If she was, in fact, taking care of Nikandros' needs... Coraline absolutely did not want to interrupt them.

Beh. Her mind kept drifting to... things a proper lady shouldn't be thinking of.

"I'll go and knock..." Coraline frowned, "But if those two are busy, I think we should just head back."

"Tss," Tychon scoffed. "Go ahead-- but I'm not going to leave without a key."

Coraline walked up to the door, then turned to glare at Tychon... which she regretted immediately, as she looked away almost instantaneously.

"M-miss Maisie can open your door if the Captain's unavailable..."

"Hmph," Tychon crossed his arms. "Right. I should have asked her earlier."

The man-child really wanted his puzzle box.

Coraline rapped her knuckles on the door, "Captain Nikandros, we've come to fetch you for lunch."

"The Captain is... indisposed, (little star)," Olesya responded, her voice muted by the wooden barrier.

"Well! Thaaaat's that!" Coraline lifted her shoulders in an exaggerated shrug, "Llllet's gOoOo~!"

"Hm. I do look forward to what the ladies are making for us," Giorgio muttered excitedly. "My wife makes the *best* fried foods."

Elladan grimaced, "Felicity too, but she'd never allow it. Ramon's been gaining weight."

"This is all muscle, guy," The tiefling complained. "I don't know why you two keep cuttin' my rations!"

"Because it's not," Elladan glared.

Though most of the group started to walk back towards the dining hall, Tychon... as expected, stood by the door, unmoving.

Before Coraline could stop him, he knocked thrice-- and quite insistently.

"Nikandros, it's Tychon. I'm coming in."

The sound of a heavy sigh came from behind the door... "If you must."

It was... Olesya's voice again.

A deep, uncomfortable feeling roiled in Coraline's stomach... a strange feeling of anxiety at what lied beyond. She wasn't worried about finding something inappropriate, anymore... she was worried it was... something else.

The noble put his hand on the door handle... but paused and looked back to her.

Coraline took a step towards him... gulped audibly... and nodded.

...

The dovahkiin woman's answer through the door was... most peculiar.

Tycondrius pursed his lips and looked back to the Elven would-be detective.

Her face was as pale as bleached parchment, even with the corridor lit by the skylights.

She had good senses. She too sensed something... not quite right.

Turning back to the door, he addressed a mental inquiry to his System.

Within his mind was a neatly organized framework of information, the contents accessible with a mere thought-- hence, a System. It wasn't a revolutionary concept, though its usage was more common amongst Rune Mages, rather than a Martial Class like himself.

In particular, his System had the ability to execute analysis routines, translating his superhuman senses into summarized information.

« System, inquiry: Who is in the room, beyond? »