Seeing an old friend (Varrick POV)

Varrick silently walked through the bustling crowd, ignoring the many merchants and prostitutes offering him their services. He soon made his way to the heart of the city, idly watching his surroundings and noting the faces. He didn't sense anything amiss, but he knew the Company of Roses were watching him, flawlessly embedding themselves within the locals without arousing suspicion. Eventually, he reached the upper district where only the wealthiest and most lavish members of society were permitted to enter, the area wholly alien to the degeneracy surrounding it.

The area was cordoned off by vast silver fences protected by solid gold golems crafted to serve as both sentries and a show of wealth. The prostitutes that offered their services for mere coins throughout the city could be seen being escorted in and out of the gates by the local guard under cover of night, the nobility no better than the commoners in their weakness for the fleshly pleasures. The buildings were constructed from the finest imported wood and stone, each mansion designed with robust ventilation systems to stave off the sweltering heat of Olskroya. Rather than being owned by one particular person, each mansion was rented out to the upper echelons of society or served as vacation homes for them.

Despite heroes, lords, and mid to upper royalty being allowed to enter, he'd never seen past the towering silver gates. Commoners, dishonored heirs, and lowly mercenaries were unwelcome to enter such lavish regions. Even the wealthiest merchant was denied the right to enter these hallowed fences unless they were given express permission, the city's elites preferring to rub shoulders with those of status over wealth. Varrick couldn't help but smile thinking back to his youth as he gazed upon the vast gates, noting several fist shaped dents decorating them. Despite nearly 2 decades passing, nobody dared replace the gates out of fear of inviting Eren's wrath.

"Halt! Who goes there!" One of the human guards up front said, his eyes laden with disdain as he gazed at the ratty, soot stained armor Varrick wore. He felt a tingle on his neck as the guard used an appraisal skill on him, only to be hit with random gibberish thanks to the enchanted ring Varrick had on, the goddess of deceit imbuing it with a portion of her power. Reading his status wasn't something anyone could do unless they were a particularly powerful being on par with a hero.

"My name is Varrick Dolshton. I'm here to see the Vampire Lord Daria. Please open the gates." He requested as the guard's eyes went wide with horror, regretting every second of his rudeness as he looked to the sentries behind the silver gates.

"Y-Yes sir! Apologies! I had no-OPEN THE GATES!" He bellowed, terror filling his eyes as the gates were **** open. With a soft nod, Varrick entered the gates and took his first step into the city's core, the cobblestone road clinking against his feet as he walked. Though this was the first time he'd been behind these gates, he remembered the directions to Daria's vacation home. Eventually, he stopped before a vast manor 80 feet in height built out of the finest materials money could buy. Though the main doors had the sigil of a pair of devil horns engraved upon it, the manor's front was decorated with strange red flowers whose petals seemed to spiral outwards in strange patterns, as though the petals were protecting the center of the flower. The stem of the flowers were laden with thorns, each one razor sharp and capable of pricking someone at the slightest touch. Varrick could only sigh at the sight, silently applauding the sculptors who crafted such a masterful imitation.

Roses were a contradiction of the multiverse that nobody had a true answer for despite millennia of searching for answers. Heroes from parallel worlds always spoke of powerful warlords, invincible armies, and even heroes who all wore the sigil of a rose upon their backs as they fought. Some of them fought demon kings to save worlds, others fought against human royalty to plunge the world into a technological dark age, but all of these figures wore the emblem of a rose somewhere on their person. There was even talk that anyone who saw the fabled flower was chosen by the gods to change the world. Considering Eren was the only person in Ruyanei's history to have seen the flowers, the legend seemed to be quite apt. According to Eren, the truth of the name was far more mundane. In his youth, he was taken in by a powerful mage that cultivated the flowers upon his land. The name and sigil of the Company of Roses was just his way of showing respect to his mentor wherever he went.

"Ah, master Varrick. So good to see you aren't dead yet." A soft voice said, snapping Varrick back to reality as he looked up to see a butler standing by the manor's doorway. He had deathly pale skin with matching white hair and glowing red eyes that glowed underneath the night sky, his appearance ominous to any who gazed upon him. He was clad in the attire of a butler, his clothing nigh identical to Harvin's usual work attire despite the difference in their appearance. He looked young, almost a late adolescent in age despite being decades older than Varrick.

"I wish I could return the compliment." Varrick said flatly as the vampiric butler merely bowed in response. "Is she around?" He asked patiently, the butler knowing full well who he was referring to.

"The Lord is around. Please wait in the lobby while I alert her of your presence." He answered, opening the doors and beckoning inside. With a gracious nod, Varrick walked forward, entering the manor as the doors shut behind him. As soon as he entered the waiting room, a flood of memories filled Varrick's head as he found himself surrounded by tokens of his past. He also felt a wave of nausea and terror as he looked at the wall's decorations.

An old ratty helmet covered in dents that he discarded when he was a kid. An old, rotted sock from their job in the Amazonian lands. The half melted sword from their fight against the fire spirits that he tossed out. A fork he used to eat one time. He had no idea when he used the fork to eat, but he knew it was his fork since it was framed like a trophy. Resisting the urge to cast smite on the accursed room full of garbage he threw away, he felt a pair of arms wrap around him, embracing him from behind as he sighed.

"Oh Darling~ I knew you'd visit me again~" Daria said, hugging him tightly as she hugged him. Releasing him, Daria hopped in front of him and clasped her hands behind her back, pressing her chest out as she smiled a toothy grin, her right fang still a hair shorter than her left. Despite being a vampire, she had dark brown hair and peach colored skin, the result of artificial dyes and make up applied to almost every inch of her face to conceal her monster heritage. She had on a dress as black as the night sky while her arms and legs were covered in either long stockings or gloves, concealing whatever parts of her weren't covered in make up. The only proof of her monster blood were her eyes, both of them glowing with a soft crimson light. Her chest jutted out ahead of her by a wide margin, puberty being quite kind to the Vampire Lord over the years.

"Hello Daria. Sorry I haven't been stopping by as often. I've been busy." Varrick said, raising his hand and giving her a pat on the head as Daria giggled and hugged him again.

"Don't be! It's about time they acknowledged your dashing looks and gave you the position you deserved~" Daria said, far more happy about his current position than Varrick himself. She soon sighed while shaking her head. "If only Mathias was half as mature as you." She complained, the last member of their little band refusing to fulfill what was expected of him.

"Mathias has his reasons for making his choice." Varrick said flatly, unwilling to speak of their friend's choices in life. The mood grew somber as Daria regained her toothy grin and snuggled close to Varrick, some of the ash on his armor getting on her dress as she sat him down on a nearby couch.

"So, shall we start with dinner, a bath, or me? Oh, pish posh, why not all three?" She asked as he gently pushed her back, taking care to avoid grabbing anything soft or letting his eyes wander to the window in her dress where her cleavage resided.

"I'm actually here since I need your help." He said, his voice stern as Daria's carefree attitude dissipated, her eyes gaining a cold professionalism demanded of a Lord.

"What's wrong?" She asked firmly, abandoning her cutesy persona for a more business oriented voice.

"Tristiana is in the city. I need your help in case she attacks." Varrick answered as she frowned, his words incomprehensible to her.

"What do you mean? Did somebody reanimate her corpse?" She asked, startling Varrick.

"Harvin didn't send a letter?" He asked in disbelief.

"I mean, I just got here last night. Before that I was fighting for Raela's armies out east." Daria answered, only to bite her tongue when she sensed how concerned Varrick was at the remark, the paladin still viewing her as the same child he always saw her as. As much as she wanted to enjoy his undivided attention, she hated having him concerned for her. "So what happened?" She asked awkwardly as Varrick cleared his throat.

"It's a long story..." Varrick said as he went into the details of just what he found out from Belsach. As Daria listened, her concern turned to worry as she paced to and fro, realizing just how dangerous the former hero of magic had become and just how powerful the puppet master controlling her was.

"Can't believe it. From the way you talk, whoever revived her must have an absurdly massive magic pool. Are you sure it wasn't a fake?" She asked, hoping that Varrick's intel was incorrect. The paladin merely shook his head as he sighed.

"Mathias and Harvin say they saw her." He said before looking up at Daria. "If you're scared, it's fine to say no. I understand putting your life on the line for strangers isn't something I should demand from anyone." He said, unwilling to pressure a friend into anything against their will. In truth, he was less interested in having Daria serve as a guard and more interested in keeping her close to him in the off chance she was somehow targeted. Tristiana targeted her own sister in Kolderia. It wouldn't be a stretch if she would try abducting past colleagues as well.

"I won't risk my life for strangers, but I'd risk anything for you Darling~" Daria said, eagerly hugging Varrick as he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thanks Daria." He said while patting her on the head.

"Just remember, if she manages to kill me, you GOTTA give me a loving kiss as I drift into the abyss." She chimed in as Varrick bopped her on the head.

"You're not going to be killed as long as I'm alive." He scolded as she snuggled within him even harder.

"Ah~ You're just as romantic as ever~" She said as Varrick sighed, unwilling to continue the charade any further.

"Stop that. You're like a younger sister to me." He said, giving her nothing but the truth. She had grown into a beautiful young woman over the years, but that didn't mean he saw her as anything but the same girl he grew up with.

"Ah, so that's your fetish. I can work with that... Brother~" Daria said seductively while pressing her chest against Varrick's armor, the soot staining her pitch black dress as she stared into his helmet's slit, her crimson eyes meeting his gray eyes. His eyes caught an eyeful of her cleavage, both of her breasts on the verge of spilling from her dress as he looked away from her and scolded himself for even entertaining the notion.

"Please don't say brother like that. It sends goosebumps down my back." Varrick said, completely unfazed by the seductive act. Rather than be deterred, Daria merely pouted.

"I'm sorry... Daddy~" She said in a sultry voice as Varrick flinched.

"... Please go back to calling me brother." He requested Daria as she separated from him. "Come on, I'll go introduce you to the rest of the party. They're probably at Belsach's bar. Hopefully, they haven't gotten into too much trouble." He said, her face souring as though she smelled something particularly vile upon hearing the hobgoblin's name.

"Was hoping to avoid meeting that degenerate." She mumbled, far from enthusiastic as they left the city's upper districts for the slums once more. Reaching the set of stairs descending to Belsach's bar, they noted that the crowds were larger than usual, the patrons eagerly watching something on one of the stages and cheering as they heard a deafening howl of bliss. Following the eyes of every patron, Varrick made a choked noise as he saw Verdi, Fenri, and Belsach on stage partaking in the most idiotic contest in history.

"GIVE IT UP FOR CHAMP! ANOTHER FLAWLESS VICTORY!" Belsach screamed, grabbing Verdi's arm and lifting him in the air to the cheering crowd. His face was glistening with equal parts victory and vaginal juices as he let out a cheer for himself, proud at his own skills. Several goblins marched up with moist towels, helping Verdi clean up as he pointed at Fenri and laughed at her, her face devoid of any stains as she separated from a lamia, her tongue somehow longer than the massive snake girl's. It looked no shorter than 8 inches, yet she was somehow still capable of speaking normally.

"Ha! That's 8 victories, 3 losses!" Verdi shouted arrogantly as Fenri made a fist and grabbed at her wrist with her other hand, the gesture quite rude in her home world.

"Shut up!" She said as her voice was overwhelmed by a loud, contented sigh.

"F-fuck... E-Eris, I can't... I can't feel my fucking legs..." The hellhound Verdi was eating out said with a tired voice, twitching in her chair as she **** the words out. A nearby hellhound in the crowd laid slumped on a chair with her tongue lolled out while clutching her own crotch as though she were the one that had climaxed. Varrick stopped and stared at the two hellhounds, their faces somewhat familiar, yet unfamiliar to him. The two girls looked somewhat like the previous hero of obedience, but the fact that there were two of them was proof that it couldn't be her. He was tempted to use Eye of the Beholder to identify them, but opted against breaking a cultural faux pas over nothing.

"... Varrick, is that... Is that fucking Sarah? Was she hybridized and replicated?" Daria asked, staring at the two hellhounds and trying to make sense of what she was seeing.

"How could one person be split into two bodies?" Varrick pointed out. "Plus, why would she be here of all places?" He added, killing any prospect of pursuing the two hellhounds for further questioning. There was being bold in scouting out enemies, there were honey traps, then there was being eaten out on a brightly lit stage by your target. Only a complete moron would do something this blatantly stupid when stalking their targets. Sarah was cautious, concise, and a bit of a prude when it came to sexual tastes. Partaking in a depraved event like this in public was the last thing the hero would do.

"Un..." The other hellhound said while fanning herself, gasping for air as Verdi pointed to the two hellhounds.

"Belsach, get these two girls a drink before I kill them from dehydration!" He said with a proud voice as Belsach raised a warty thumbs up.

"You got it champ! Two large beers coming up!" He said, walking behind the bar and grabbing two massive wooden mugs the size of pitchers. Placing it against a metal tap, he filled them with thick, unfiltered beer and handed them to Verdi as he leaned forward, the sheer weight of the mugs sending him off balance. Walking to the hellhound in the crowd, he slammed the mug on the table in front of her.

"Drink up girls, you'll be sweating out of your pussies all night." Verdi said, freezing the beer that spilled on his hand and sending a tendril of ice into both mugs to chill them. Both girls graciously accepted the mugs, downing them with gusto to rehydrate themselves.

"Fuck... Dinner, a show, and drinks? You really know know how to make a lady feel special." The hellhound on stage said, wiping her mouth before drinking another mouthful of beer. Before Verdi could say anything, he ducked as a red blur flew past his head, Citrinas' throwing arm surprisingly accurate as she grabbed another fruit from a nearby platter. To Varrick's relief, she was ashamed of being in such a setting, removing her usual pointed hat and donning a bandana enchanted with the goddess of deceit's blessing to hide her identity.

"Are you telling me you've been prostituting yourself this entire time!?" She asked, her voice tinged with disbelief, fury, and horror at the same time as Verdi shook his head indignantly.

"I'm not a prostitute! I compete in a strict, skill based contest with impartial judges against my peers! It's classy!" He explained in a concise voice as the two hellhounds gave him a thumbs up to support his argument, their other hands occupied with their drinking mugs.

"You pleasure women for money! That is the definition of prostitute!" Citrinas countered as Verdi pointed to Fenri, who was busy wiping her face off with a rag she grabbed from her inventory.

"Hey, at least I'm getting paid! Fenri's losing money doing this!" He said indignantly as she grabbed her wrist and made her rude gesture again.

"Kiss my ass!" She said, walking off stage to get a drink as Verdi smirked and cocked his head to the hellhound he pleasured.

"You heard the woman, Sarah. It's Fenri's turn on the fun chair." He said as Varrick stared at the two hellhounds again. Their resemblance to the late Hero of Obedience was staggering, and one of them was even named Sarah. Yet again, he shook his head, unwilling to harass two innocent women over nothing. If she was truly here on a covert mission with Tristiana, there was no way she'd be stupid enough to enter this bar. Hopping off the stage, Verdi beckoned to Belsach.

"Get Fenri, Eris, and Sarah another round." He said as Belsach nodded, filling up more mugs as Verdi casted a quick formulaic ice spell to freeze all three mugs.

"You two are lucky, LUCKY women." Sarah said as her larger twin nodded in sympathy, her mouth occupied by the fresh pitcher of beer. Making his way to Varrick, Verdi turned back to see Fenri drowning her sorrows and cursing her resistance to poison while Citrinas was sitting in a table rubbing her eyes to relieve the headache he was giving her from his latest stunt. Once he reached Varrick, he looked at Daria before gesturing towards the paladin to lower his head so they could speak quietly.

"Do you need a room? I can get you one covertly. Scout's honor, I won't tell a soul and I'll make sure the other two don't know." He said while looking at Daria, assuming her to be a different Lady of the Night than the one she was famous as. Rather than correct him, Daria reached behind her back and pulled a bag of coins from her inventory.

"Go get me a room, your finest wine, and mix a bottle of your strongest aphrodisiac into the wine." She demanded, handing him several silver coins. Instantly, his face broke out into a grin befitting of a weasel as money signs popped into his eyes. Somehow, Varrick felt a strange, almost primal fear arise when he looked into the alchemist's eyes.

"Instead of wine, might I recommend an aphrodisiac candle accompanied by massage oils? He doesn't scream drinker to me, and I think you'd both have more fun if you were lubricated." He said, his tone that of a seasoned merchant as Daria fell for his sales pitch, her eyes going wide as she grabbed him and dragged him to the side. While the two were discussing the specifics of their arrangement, Varrick decided to make a mental note of checking up previous heroes of commerce in case Verdi was one of them, his ability to smell psychological weakness and exploit it on par with a master tradesman.

"Do you have any other recommendations?" Daria asked, preparing to hand Verdi more money as he tried to upsell her on everything he could think of.

"I advise costumes for roleplay." Verdi answered, hitting Daria's weakpoint as she held him closer.

"And what costumes and roleplay would Darling enjoy?" She asked, as though he were a wise philosopher-king dispersing the wisdom of a generation.

"For normal customers, I'd say holy knight saving his princess and living happily ever after, but I can tell that's just your normal life." He said, stroking Daria's ego as she puffed her chest out.

"You're a smart one." She said, taking the compliment without even thinking of his ulterior motives.

"How about naughty maid who made a mistake being punished by her stern master? I can get you a powerful aphrodisiac potion, you'll "accidentally" spill it on your dear master, and you'll take responsibility by relieving his lusts as you oil him up with your chest." He said, his words catching the Vampire Lord's interest immediately. He continued the offensive as he grabbed her arm and gestured to the empty wall to let her imagine his words. "Imagine it. You're rubbing away at his body with a cloth, apologizing for the mistake only to be thrown onto the bed and stripped naked. You can't resist, he's your master. He has his wicked way with you, and teaches you a lesson."

"And what is that lesson?" Daria asked with an excited voice.

"That he owns you. You are his and his alone." He said as Daria handed him a coin pouch, the sheer weight of the gold inside knocking Verdi off balance.

"Get me a maid costume, your best room, your strongest aphrodisiac, and enough lotion to lubricate a minotaur." She ordered with a stiff voice. "Do well and you'll be rewarded. Fail and I'll have you killed." She said as Verdi saluted her.

"Yes ma'am. I shall fetch them post haste." He said, running to Belsach only to have Varrick grab him by the shirt and lift him up like a mother cat grabbing the nape of her kitten.

"This is Daria Cohola, a friend. NOT my lover. Daria, this is Verdi, one of my party members." Varrick said as Daria's previous warmth towards him faded away as she stared daggers into him. Bloodlust oozed from her body as she clenched her fist, staring him down as Verdi slowly cowered behind Varrick in the face of such powerful hatred. "Is something wrong? Do you know Verdi?" Varrick asked as the alchemist perked up.

"... No, but I know a lowly harlot when I see one!" Daria answered angrily as Verdi frowned and looked at her.

"Harlot? Fuck are you talking about?" He asked as Daria raised an accusing finger.

"Don't deny it! You've got your eyes on my man's body!" She accused as Verdi rolled his eyes, no longer capable of being angry at the repeated mistake.

"... I'm into women. Also, I'm a guy." He said wearily, now fatigued from constantly correcting others about his gender. Rather than being deterred, Daria's fury was unchanged as she pointed at him.

"That changes nothing! I see that look in your eyes!" She bellowed with indignant fury. "I bet you'd crawl through a mile of broken glass to get a whiff of his socks!" Daria declared as Varrick stiffened, embarrassment washing over him as Verdi looked up at him in disbelief.

"... Varrick, what the fuck are you telling your friends about me?" He asked inquisitively, more shocked than angry at the paladin.

"I'm really sorry Verdi, ignore Daria. And Daria, he's not part of my harem. I don't have a harem. I have a monogamous relationship." Varrick said as they heard a set of footsteps making their way to the group.

"Oi, Verdi, Belsach wants-oh, who's the dead bitch?" Fenri said as Citrinas followed her. The second Daria saw the two girls, she threw a sour look at Varrick while crossing her arms.

"So, you don't have a harem. Your party just so happens to all be women or feminine men. I see." Daria said.

"I am not feminine!" Verdi exclaimed indignantly.

"I'm not into Varrick." Fenri said.

"Same." Citrinas chimed in as Verdi looked to Varrick.

"Oh please. Who wouldn't want a slice of this juicy beefcake in their mouth?" She asked, sending waves of shame through Varrick's very core as he cringed at his description. He was silently thankful for his helmet concealing his face as he resisted the urge to crawl into a hole and die from the shame. Fenri, scoffing at Daria's words, grabbed Verdi by the arm and hugged him in front of her, pressing her chest against the back of his head as she held him tightly.

"Why would I want a beefcake when I've already got a cupcake right here?" She said while stroking his hair like a cat. Instantly, the short alchemist's face turned beet red as he visibly heated up from the casual show of affection. Reaching into his pocket, he took out a silver coin and fiddled with it between his fingers as he spoke, doing his best to hide his discomfort.

"D-did you just call me a fucking cupcake, stupid?" Verdi said, his words uncharacteristically stuttered and his usual wit absent as Fenri frowned and looked down at his nervous fidgeting. An evil grin spread across her face, her green eyes nearly glowing as she hugged him tighter.

"Aw, does my little cinnamon roll not like his pet name?" She asked in a cutesy voice, Verdi's body heating up even more as he looked even more frazzled, his body going stiff under her cuddling as he clutched the silver coin tightly. Citrinas soon mimicked Fenri's grin, spotting a weakness as she walked towards them.

"St-stop calling me sweets! And-and-and let me go! I'm not fucking around!" He threatened, his appearance now feverish as Citrinas gave him a hug, much to Varrick's disbelief. Citrinas was infamous for her cold, callous personality and disdain for physical contact ever since the war ended. To see her harassing someone AND hugging them out of her own free will was jarring to say the least. It seemed Verdi's personality was starting to rub off on her.

"Don't be like that honey bun~" Citrinas said, joining in bullying Verdi as he mumbled some vague threats to her, his hands occupied with the coin he was playing with to hide his own shame. Before long, Verdi had neatly imitated Citrinas' mannerisms as he stumbled over his threats and insults and spoke in a quiet, reserved voice. Daria watched the entire display and visibly calmed down as she looked to Varrick.

"Alright, I'm convinced. They aren't after you Darling." She said with a relieved voice as Belsach walked towards the party.

"Hey Champ, you told me you had a handful of neat little toys you wanted to show me. You wanna do that shit now or do you wanna rent a room to fuck your girls?" He asked, giving Verdi an escape route as he broke free of Fenri's embrace and ran to the goblin, almost crying tears of joy.

"Let's go find a room! I had a few ideas for your bar you're gonna LOVE." He said, pocketing the coin he was playing with earlier as Citrinas and Fenri followed him. Rather than join the rest of the party, Varrick opted to give them some privacy as he took Daria along to plan out their next moves.