Primordial Villain With A Slave Harem

"Oh, that's because of my one-time use artifact. When I heard your lady's loud cries I thought I found the orc hideout and activated a rather expensive trinket that enveloped me in a silent spell for two minutes. I didn't want them to be ready for my arrival by holding their captives hostage at knife-point and such."

Oh. That explanation sounds rather reasonable. I glance towards Ayame, asking for confirmation. She is the only one that actually knows how magically imbued items work amongst the three of us.

A simple nod of her head ascertains me that she could be telling the truth. I can feel that the newcomer harbors no ill will, at least for now, so I quickly decide to get dressed. I'm still buck-naked, after all.

Furthermore, if she is a real mithril ranked adventurer then even if we work together I don't think we have much of a chance at beating her, no matter how ridiculous that statement sounds based on her rather comical appearance.

Marjorie continues; "as for how I know you were good scouts, I really don't, but I see that the blonde girl is a dog-kin, so she should have better chances at finding my destination than I do by default, thanks to her racial traits."

Another reasonable answer.

"Lastly, regarding your wares, if you promise to help me out I will use another one of my expensive artifacts that will hide it from prying eyes- and hands. I would never do this normally, but I'm very worried for my husband's safety, so I'm in a bit of a bind."

"So far I like what I'm hearing, but you know how the world works- there are no free meals. What's in it for us to help you?"

She sighs dejectedly and then begins whining; "I should've expected you to be like this, all the people I meet are so hung up on money and rewards! Well, whatever. Are you a well established merchant? My husband has some good connections in Braedon, we could help you evade taxes- I mean retain all of your revenue from the sales."

Now we're talking. Ayame told me that in her duchy taxation for merchants selling their wares in their big cities was 20%. We haven't researched whether things are different in Braedon, but in Aldoria it was 25%. If they have similar rates then I'm very eager to skim on the coins I give to the local noble's coffers.

"Quinlan, I've heard of this adventurer team before. They have a good reputation and a pristine record, though I wasn't aware of their… peculiarities. Nevertheless, I highly doubt she would stab us in the back." My adorable samurai informs me, then turns her head towards the massive woman. "That is, if you can actually prove your identity."

She giggles in response, which sounds more like an old, broken down car trying to start its engine up after being untouched for a decade, than an actual feminine laugh. "Oh, I'm honored to learn that a beautiful young lady such as yourself has already heard of us.

Sure, check my plate." She readily obliges and throws her adventurer necklace with the dog tag-like plate on it to Ayame, who catches it and inspects the item while keeping half an eye on Marjorie in case she makes any sudden moves.

After a few tense seconds she nods. "She is the real deal."

"Great, then do you guys accept my proposal?"

It could be a good opportunity to not only have more coins in my pouch but to also see a mithril ranked adventurer duo in action. Getting friendly with these weirdos does put me off a bit, or more like, quite a lot, but they might not be horrible people just because of their extreme quirkiness.

Furthermore, it's not smart to anger this being. Who knows how she would take our refusal? Let's not find out. "Alright, I'm in." I decide after a bit of thinking.

Marjorie beams at my agreement and rummages through the many pockets of her voluminous robe, producing a small, intricately carved crystal orb that fits snugly in her palm. Its surface glimmers with a faint, iridescent light, and tiny runes etched into it pulse softly, indicating its latent magical power.

"This is the artifact I mentioned," Marjorie explains, holding the orb up for us to see. "It creates a powerful veil of concealment around whatever it's cast on."

With the orb in hand, she waddles over to our carriage, her every step causing the ground to tremble slightly under her weight. She raises the orb high above her head and whispers an incantation in a language I don't recognize. The runes on the orb flare to life, casting a dazzling array of colors in all directions.

As the light from the orb washes over the carriage and our mules, a strange shimmer envelops them, like a mirage on a hot summer day. The shimmering intensifies for a moment, then gradually fades, leaving no trace of our wares or the mules in sight.

The entire scene is surreal. Our bulky carriage, once plain as day, now appears as nothing more than empty space. Even the mules are entirely hidden, their forms completely obscured by the powerful illusion.

"Incredible," Ayame breathes, eyes wide with fascination. "I've never seen anything quite like it."

If miss duchess-to-be herself hasn't seen an artifact with such an effect then this must be really rare.

Marjorie lets out a satisfied chuckle, more like a low rumble. "It's one of the best concealment artifacts you can find on the market, though it only lasts for a few hours and has limited uses. Still, it should keep your belongings safe while we're gone."

I walk around the now-invisible carriage, reaching out hesitantly with one hand. My fingers encounter solid wood where my eyes see nothing but air, confirming that the illusion is as convincing to the touch as it is to sight.

"I'm not even going to ask the price of the item…" I mutter.

"Hehe. You better not! My husband, me and my wife-sisters have worked as adventurers for decades, so you shouldn't compare yourselves to us if you are just starting out." Oh, she must've noticed our iron plates.

She might just be a better person than I imagined. People like Grunt looked down on us instantly as soon as they realized our rank.