Taking this party back to his place.

"This is the inn where my bodyguard and I are staying. Will you two be all right walking home on your own, or do you need an escort?" He held out individual pouches containing their agreed-upon shares of the reward money.

Amara looked disappointed, but she tried to hide it. Eva, on the other hand, looked almost horrified. "Y-you're not inviting us in!? A-aren't we traveling together now?"

"In time, perhaps. But it's a big Guild, and I intend to explore all my options before settling on a regular group." While this was not a lie, a fuller version of the truth was that Shiroe was testing their independence, among other things.

"Don't get me wrong. You both did very well out there. And once you got used to staying in formation, you even started backing each other up. I'm proud of you."

"But that's not fair," Eva whined, "you haven't even see what I can do yet! I was stuck behind you all day, and you made me wear that stupid ugly cloak that covers everything up! Let me come inside, and I'll show you all of my amazing spells!" She struck a dramatic pose, and her ribbons, hair and skirt flowed around her. Huh. So that's what Ominous Breeze was for.

"Indeed," Amara said. "And I would be remiss if I did not accompany you inside and check you over for any injuries that we might have missed." Amara clasped her hands together meekly, her upper arms causing her breasts to squeeze together beneath the thin, silky fabric of her elven dress.

"What's the matter?" Niki teased, picking at her fingernails. "Are you scared you won't be able to control yourself all night, locked in a room with three hot chicks?"

"Heh." Shiroe pushed his glasses up his nose. "Do any of you actually think that you're being subtle?" His voice went low, all the way down into "tough love" territory.

The women gulped, almost in unison.

"The truth is, you're the only bodyguard in this city who can be defeated by tickling her to ****, and that's not even your biggest weakness. But whatever thrill you gain from leaving these vulnerabilities exposed is nothing compared to what you could experience by teaching someone you trust to exploit them deliberately."

"You, meanwhile, apparently believe that by dressing provocatively and putting on a show, you can attract attention. But I noticed that you were almost oblivious to the attention of the Guild hall dinner rush when every eye in the room was upon you. Were you too distracted by pride because you believed you had pulled the wool over my eyes, or do you just need mortal danger to get off?"

"And as for you, every single point of mana that you wasted today is a point of mana that you could have saved up for a spectacular big finish, if only you'd been patient enough to savor your own anticipation, instead of rushing to relieve yourself of it."

The aura of Shiroe's authoritative assertion was almost palpable as he looked over his party members. One by one, they hung their heads. He let a moment pass for the message to sink in.

"Now then. Show of hands. Who wants all four of us to sleep in the same place tonight?"

The women exchanged glances. Flustered, anxious, and prudent glances. Then every hand shot up.

"Too bad. If that happens, it's going to be on my schedule, not yours." Shiroe turned his back and began to walk into the inn.

"But what about me!?" Eva squeeled. "I don't even have an inn to stay at since I blew all my money on this outfit!"

"Yes! And I stay at the local temple. There are twelve blocks between here and there. Travelling alone, I could be mugged, or worse!"

"Those are both valid points. Bodyguard, please see these women safely home. Eva is welcome to rent a room at any inn in town, using her share of the money that she got from our quest today. (I recommend the Party's Rest, up the street, if you're into creature comforts, but there's a limit to how far your money will stretch there.) And I don't know where the temple is yet, but Amara should be able to point it out. Come straight back, afterwards. If you do a good job, I'll be pleased with you. If I hear laughter through my room's window, I won't."

Again, all three of them gulped, almost in unison.

What had they gotten themselves into?