KAPPA 36 (Patreon)

After politely declining Maribelle's invitation, Cairn was shown to where Elle was hard at work crafting a three-ringed, latticed wristlet. He didn't want to disturb her, and so, after a bit of back and forth with Maribelle, who asked him to refer to her as Mari, Cairn abandoned Tarou to go meet up with Kaia.

Following Kaia's marker to a somewhat seedy-looking inn half covered in moss and vines, a wry smile developed across Cairn's face. He found the multiple steepled roofs, white stone brickwork, and redwood trim fairly charming, but it was clear from the building's condition it wasn't the most reputable inn in the area.

Stepping through the inn's front door, leading to a small dining area, Cairn immediately noticed Kaia waiting at the counter, opposite a fairly homely-looking woman with messy brown hair and eyes. She wasn't ugly, but the condition of her clothes, consisting of a well-worn linen shirt and a pair of fraying leather trousers, didn't do her any favors.

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Name: Reine Dakota

Species: Human

Gender: Female

Age: 23

Title: Persevering(Increases stamina and reduces chances of falling ill.)

Class: Commoner

[Attributes]

Level: 20/43(129,753/-)[Commoner(20)]

HP: 1,992/5,200

MP: 472/615

Str: 23

Agi: 19

Vit: 124+25

Int: 43

Dex: 33

Cha: 48+19

Talent(s): [Resilience(20/20)], [Cooking(43/65)], [Nurturing(39/58)], [Pain Tolerance(33/49), [Swordsmanship(29/46)], [Bartering(24/40)], [Bedroom Arts(17/35)]

Skill(s): [Charge(MAX)], [Parry(7/10)], [Shoulder Tackle(5/10)], [Lifestyle Magic(5/5)]

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"Ah, you must be Cairn! Come on in!" exclaimed the woman, adopting a smile despite her complexion and the bags under her eyes making it clear she was exhausted.

Approaching the counter smiling, Cairn questioned, "Were the two of you talking about me?"

"I told her we traveled here from the Southlands to witness the Decennial Tournament of Champions," supplied Kaia, subsequently asking, "I take it you already met with Elle?"

"Yeah, she's with Tarou and one of her older sisters," replied Cairn, turning his gaze to Reime to ask, "Are you the Proprietress of this inn? You seem a bit young."

"I'll take that as a compliment," replied Reine, exhaling a soft chuckle. "I'm Reine, by the way. Reime Dakota. And allow me to welcome you to the Rainy Day Inn. Our rooms aren't the best, and we don't have much in the way of amenities, but our prices are affordable, our beds are warm, and I'm pretty confident in my cooking."

"Then, how about a meal?" asked Cairn, adding, "Anything with meat will do," as he set a gold coin worth 100 Graadis on the countertop. Reine's eyes lit up when she saw it, not because 100 Graadis was a significantly large sum but because most people didn't casually whip out gold coins when asking for food. Most of her customers only carried around bronze and silver, not gold.

"I have meat stew on the stove and can have fresh bread ready in twenty minutes," revealed Reine. "If you've a healthy appetite, that comes out to around 30 Graadis for two people."

"Then make enough for four," replied Cairn, sliding the gold coin toward Reine as he added, "One portion is for you, and you can keep the change if you answer my questions."

"Gladly~!" replied Reine, hurriedly snatching the gold coin before Cairn could change his mind. More surprising was the fact that she slipped it into her shirt, presumably allowing it to fall into her deep, very prominent cleavage. Cairn didn't know for certain, but he would guesstimate her to be around a G-Gup, even at a glance...

"I'll be back in a minute with some cold water for you to drink~!" chimed Reine, practically skipping as she made her way to the kitchen, providing Cairn a view of her equally large ass. He was perfectly content with Elle, but as fond as he had become of her petite yet 'accommodating' body, he could definitely appreciate Reine's charms.

Once Reine was out of earshot, the amicable smile on Kaia's face was replaced by a look of concern as she whispered, "I noticed your health decreased by more than half at one point. Are you okay?"

"I could definitely do with releasing some tension, but I'm otherwise fit as a fiddle," replied Cairn.

Understanding what Cairn meant by 'releasing tensions,' Kaia asked, "Did Elle say when she would return?"

"According to Mari, her elder gen-mate, it will likely take a few days, if not longer," replied Cairn, punctuating his statement with a sigh. He wasn't a reprobate who 'needed' to have sex all the time, but he and Elle had been going at it nearly every evening for the past three months. Not having her around just felt weird...

Catching Cairn completely off guard, Kaia revealed, "Ms. Dakota offers those kinds of services. She's trying to amass funds for her daughter's schooling and a second advancement test, and the inn doesn't bring in a lot of money after overhead."

"Seriously?" asked Cairn, wearing an incredulous expression as he said, "Look, I get that this world has 'relaxed' views regarding sex outside of marriage, but you shouldn't be encouraging me to sleep with someone I just met. It doesn't matter if Elle is okay with it...I'm just not that kind of person..."

"I apologize..." muttered Kaia, ears drooping as she hung her head with an ashamed look marring her face.

"It's fine," assured Cairn, regaining a smile as he said, "I know you were just worried about my mental state. But I'll be okay. Besides, this gives us time to focus on becoming Freelancers and visiting the Church."

Extending his hand, Cairn habitually caressed the space between Kaia's ears, causing her face and body to heat up. Before suggesting Reine, she had briefly considered offering to use her hands. But, knowing Cairn, she was fairly certain he would refuse, causing things to become more than a little awkward between them, at least for a while...

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When Reine returned with their drinks after placing bread in the oven, Cairn surprised her by asking, "I hear you have a daughter and are trying to save up for a second advancement test. I have some connections with the Church. I can talk to them about letting you take it for free."

Recovering quickly, Reine adopted a forced smile and said, "I'm grateful for the offer, but I don't have much to provide in exchange. The past eight years have taught me there's no such thing as a free lunch."

"You have plenty to offer," assured Cairn, pointing to the ceiling and moving his finger in a circular motion as he added, "This inn. It has eleven rooms, and unless I'm mistaken, we're your only guests right now. I'd like you to lease out the entire place to us. We'll pay, of course."

As he had already learned about the price of their room from Kaia, Cairn was confident they could lease the entirety of the inn long-term. A week's occupancy, without meals, was only 200 Graadis. Mari had passed him an advance of 100,000 before he left her workshop, but that was only a part of why Cairn made his proposition. The other was...

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Quest Name: A Young Mother's Struggles

Quest Rank: D-S

Description: The concept of Motherhood is sacred across the Dimensional Corridor. Helping a young, struggling mother overcome the adverse fate that has been thrust upon her is an excellent way to accrue some positive Karma.

Objective(s): Support Reine Dakota until she has taken the second advancement test(0/1)

Optional Objective(s): Help the Rainy Day Inn book all its room(2/11),  Help Reine Dakota save 100,000 Graadis, or Sponsor her daughter's enrollment in the Royal Academy's Youth Division(0/100,000)

Rewards: I'd like to say that bringing happiness to a young mother and her daughter is its own reward, but how about a [Magic Cottage] for your troubles?

Failure Condition(s): There are a lot of eyes on you, so there's a chance the duo will be targeted. Try and keep them safe, okay?

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As even the cheapest Magic Cottage on the market was valued at more than ten million Graadis, Cairn had no reason to refuse Restia's request. He was also a bit of a busybody, so now that he knew of Reine's and her daughter's circumstances, he would feel like shit if he ignored them. He knew he couldn't help everyone, but he could at least extend a hand to those right in front of him.

With Cairn punctuating his words by placing a large bag of gold on the counter, Reine found herself slackjawed as she stared at the open bag's contents with wide eyes. Warning bells sounded in her mind, telling her Cairn's offer was too good to be true, but Kaia, a Neophyte, wouldn't be traveling with him if he was a bad man. He also mentioned he had ties to the Church. It would certainly explain his sudden, charitable nature...

Still a little bewildered, Reine began combing through her hair with both hands as a self-calming gesture, responding, "I mean...if you want to rent out all the rooms, I have no reason to refuse. But what could you need so many rooms for? Aren't there only three of you and your pet...?"

Providing some reason for his actions, Cairn activated his Sophistry as he explained, "We came to the Capital with the intent of scouting talent for an upcoming expedition to the Frontier. However, power isn't as important as a person's character, especially on a protracted mission. If the people we scout can't stand to stay in a comparably cozy place like this, there's no way they could endure 2-3 years in the Frontier."

Though Cairn's comment was a slight jab at the quality of her inn, Reine felt more at ease hearing his explanation. She was a bit worried he was the eccentric, spendthrift son of some Merchant or Noble, but he seemed to have at least a little bit of sense. He was also really handsome...

Realizing her thoughts were wandering, Reine surprised Cairn and Kaia by firmly smacking the cheeks of her face with her hands. Then, with a bright smile and artificially reddened cheeks masking her faint blush, she said, "I would be happy to accept your patronage. I can even give you a discount. How about 10% off the lot? That basically gives you one room for free."

"That's unnecessary," replied Cairn. "I'll pay in full, but I'd like access to your kitchen, pantry, and storeroom. I'm the leader of my Party, so I have an obligation to ensure my people eat well. As such, I'll be providing the funds for your restocking from now on."

Feeling a little dizzy, Reine violated her usual policy of never sitting before guests by plopping her pert rump down on a wooden stool. She had been considering making the meals for Cairn's Party complementary. Now, here he was, proposing to foot the bill for all her supplies and ingredients...

"Are you okay...?" asked Cairn, raising his right brow ever so slightly. He never expected that, in response to his question, Reine would cover her face and start sobbing. Being a single mother of an eight-year-old at 23 wasn't easy, especially in the Capital. It took every ounce of her will not to give up and crumble under the weight of her debts and loneliness, so Cairn's sudden and inordinate kindness overwhelmed her, destroying her facade...

Seeing Reine break down, Cairn felt empathetic but uncomfortable as he looked to Kaia, silently petitioning her for guidance. However, as he had already made it clear he had no interest in Reine, Kaia wasn't sure how he could comfort her without his actions being misinterpreted.

Realizing Kaia didn't have an easy solution, Cairn exhaled a sigh through his nose before raising the part of the counter that allowed people to pass behind it. Then, while doing his best to ignore the pleasantness of Reine's breasts and body pressed against him, he lent the slightly shorter woman his chest and shoulder to cry on...

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(A/N: The walls of the heart can endure countless hardships, but empathy and kindness pierce through them like a hot knife through butter. Be good to each other (U w U)...)