Chương 60: Chapter 58 - The Lords Manor

Chelsea woke slowly to warmth. For a few peaceful seconds, she remained half asleep beneath the blankets, her mind drifting comfortably in that strange space between dreaming and awareness. Something soft pressed against her side. An arm rested loosely across her waist. Steady breathing brushed faintly against the back of her shoulder. Ivy. The realization fully dragged Chelsea awake. Her eyes opened carefully toward the dim morning light spilling through the curtains.

Sometime during the night, Ivy had shifted closer. Very close. One of the elf girl's legs was tangled loosely with hers beneath the blanket, and her face rested only inches from Chelsea's shoulder blade. Her body, on top of one wing and tangled with the other. Chelsea stayed completely still. Not because she disliked it. That was the problem. She liked it. She could feel the warmth of Ivy's body through the thin fabric of the borrowed sleep clothes. The slow rise and fall of her breathing.

The softness of her hair brushing against Chelsea's arm. It all felt… nice. Too nice. Chelsea stared at the wall in growing horror. Nope. Absolutely not. Her brain immediately tried to defend the current actions. This was normal. Probably. Girls cuddled. Friends cuddled. Especially in fantasy worlds where apparently nobody cared about personal space, modesty, or sleeping arrangements. This meant nothing. Besides, Ivy was insanely pretty. Anyone could acknowledge that. Long blonde hair. Soft elegant features.

A slender yet toned figure. Gorgeous eyes. Soft, pretty voice. Chelsea loved doing things to see her amazing smile. Chelsea's face slowly heated. That type of thinking was not helping. Her traitorous brain immediately supplied another image… Ivy leaning back in the bath with wet hair clinging to her shoulders while smiling up at her. Chelsea squeezed her eyes shut. Nope! Absolutely not. She was straight. Very straight. She'd never thought about girls like that! Her mind thought for a second. Well…

Amber hadn't been pretty, but she was somehow attra… Chelsea's eyes snapped back open. Nope! Not revisiting that feeling. She carefully tried to shift away without waking Ivy, but the movement only caused the elf to make a soft sleepy sound and unconsciously pull herself slightly closer. Chelsea nearly stopped breathing. This was bad. This was very bad. Why wasn't she attracted to the men in this world? Seriously!? The women were pretty, sure. Adriane looked, fine.

Bea was a complete psycho but unfortunately it worked for her in a hot sort of way. Ivy… gods there was Ivy. Even Fiona was built like a warrior goddess, even though you could tell she'd broken her nose several times in the past. Meanwhile, most of the men she had met ranged from "perfectly fine" to "looks objectively rugged and hot." But… not to her. Why? Chelsea stared at the wall with all the desperation of someone losing an argument with herself. Maybe… maybe it was just because Ivy was emotionally vulnerable?

Or because they had bonded quickly. Or possibly it's that Ivy smelled really nice after the shampoo. And she was so soft. And so pretty. And her breathing against Chelsea's shoulder blade was… so adorable and sweet. Chelsea buried her burning face into the pillow. Gods. Chelsea remained frozen beneath Ivy's arm for nearly a full minute before finally deciding she was being dramatic. Carefully, slowly, she tried to slide herself free.

Ivy immediately made a quiet unhappy sound and tightened her grip around Chelsea's waist. Chelsea stopped moving. Her face slowly disappeared back into the pillow. How was Ivy this strong while asleep? The elf girl shifted slightly closer again until Chelsea could feel warm breath against the back of her neck. Ivy's leg slid over hers beneath the blanket in the process, tangling them together completely. Friendship. This was friendship. Maybe elves were naturally cuddly. Shit, was she being racist somehow?

Chelsea carefully turned her head just enough to glance backward. Ivy's face was relaxed in sleep, blonde hair spread messily across the pillow behind her. With the oversized robe, she looked strangely peaceful. Cute. Chelsea whipped her head back around. Nope! No, no, no. Her brain was malfunctioning from stress. She had been summoned, nearly tortured, adopted by a terrifying yet lovable family, and thrown into fantasy capitalism all within like ten days. Of course her emotions were scrambled.

That explanation held together right up until Ivy sleepily nuzzled closer against her shoulder.

"Chels…" Ivy mumbled softly, still mostly asleep. Chelsea melted at the nickname. Only her family and closest friends called her that. Ivy had not called her Chels yet and she… wanted her to say it again? The nickname should not have done that to her. Ivy's eyes opened slowly a second later before immediately widening in horror as realization hit.

"Oh gods," she whispered, jerking backward so quickly she nearly fell off the bed.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…"

"Nope. Totally fine," Chelsea answered far too quickly. The two stared at each other silently, with bright red faces. Ivy recovered first, awkwardly pulling the blanket tighter around herself.

"I move around a lot in my sleep," she explained quietly.

"Back home, my cousins used to complain about it." Chelsea nodded along, grasping at any explanation for both of their behaviors. She sat up, "We have a big day." Her voice sounded… off. Was it too high? Or was she talking too fast?

"You okay?" Ivy asked. Chelsea looked back at Ivy and their eyes locked. Chelsea's heart started beating faster again.

"Breakfast?" Chelsea managed to squeak. There was a light tap at the door followed by Adriane's voice.

"Chelsea? You up?"

"Nothing!" Chelsea exclaimed in a panic.

"Yes. I mean. Yes we're both awake." Adriane pushed open the door.

"We need to head out soon. It's already after seven." Adriane let out a quiet sigh as she held up a small marble-sized sphere between two fingers.

"Though we need to discuss this first." Chelsea immediately recognized the device. A cold heaviness settled in her stomach.

"Is that…" she started quietly.

"It is," Adriane confirmed. Chelsea slowly sat back against the headboard while Ivy moved closer beside her. Until now, the missing demon girl had just been a possibility somewhere in the back of Chelsea's mind. Now she was about to hear who was looking for her.

"Play it," Chelsea said after a moment. Adriane nodded once and crushed the replicator in her hand. A deep voice filled the room. Not quite as overwhelming as Bodarex's, but close enough that Chelsea immediately felt it in her stomach.

"Hello. My name is Jerems Wentall the Thirteenth. I am the King of the Dryscape Kingdom and patriarch of the Infernal Hellspawn Demons. I am looking for a young demon who appears to be a child. She has black hair and orange eyes. Her name is Celeste, and she is my daughter." Chelsea gasped.

"I implore you, if you come across her, please do her no harm. My daughter is harmless. She has a terminal ailment, and because of this, she is incredibly weak, fragile, and cannot level past level one." The hair on the back of Chelsea's neck stood on end. Adriane looked up at Chelsea. Weak. The original owner of this body had been weak and fragile. And the biggest revelation… she cannot level past level one…

"If someone in your guild comes across my daughter, I beg of you, send word to the Dryscape Adventurers Guild as soon as you can." The recording ended. Chelsea sat motionless for several seconds, staring blankly at the crushed remains of the replicator in Adriane's hand. Did she steal this body from some dying demon princess? Not only that, but princess explained… a lot. The strange body. The absurd racial abilities. The infernal hellspawn classification.

Ivy's hand settled gently against the middle of Chelsea's back.

"At least it doesn't sound like the other kingdom," Ivy said softly. Chelsea nodded faintly. She was right. The Nordrak Kingdom had probably stopped searching for her entirely. Honestly, Chelsea preferred it that way. She never wanted to see those people again. But this? This was way way bigger than some random kingdom. That voice had not sounded angry. It sounded desperate. Chelsea lowered her head into her hands for a moment before finally speaking.

"I think…" She swallowed once.

"I think we should get dressed." Adriane studied her quietly for a second before giving a small nod and stepping outside to give them privacy. Chelsea stood slowly and began pulling on her clothes, though her movements lacked their usual energy. Ivy dressed more quietly than normal too, occasionally glancing toward Chelsea with obvious concern.

"You okay?" Ivy finally asked gently as Chelsea tugged her shirt down into place. Chelsea stared at the floor for a moment.

"I don't know."

"I think…" She paused, struggling to sort through the mess in her head.

"I think the right thing to do would be to send word to that kingdom." She immediately wrapped her arms around herself afterward.

"But I'm scared." Ivy stepped closer without hesitation.

"I bet you are," she said softly.

"But you have me and your family beside you." Chelsea looked up at her. Chelsea gave a small nod and finished pulling up her pants.

"Let's just get to the guild," she said with a tired sigh. The trio finished their morning business at the adventurer's guild without issue or any drama and headed to see the manors that were being offered.

"Is this the place?" Chelsea asked hurriedly as the carriage slowed near an enormous wrought-iron gate guarded by a man in polished armor. The guard straightened immediately.

"Are you Miss Chelsea Wixx?" he asked.

"I was informed to expect a demon girl. Is that you?" Chelsea resisted the urge to laugh at how ridiculous that sounded. Demon girl? Like it was some sort of species.

"I am," she confirmed politely.

"This is Adriane Wixx and Ivy Leaf." The guard's posture shifted noticeably at Adriane's introduction. His eyes widened slightly before he quickly recovered himself. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

"It's a pleasure," he said.

"My name is Wyatt. I am one of three security officers assigned to this vacant property." He stepped aside and rested a hand against the gate.

"I was instructed to allow you full access to the grounds. Should you choose this manor, simply inform me and I will notify the castle steward. There will be no delay in the transfer. If you wish to move in immediately, you may do so." Move in immediately? The king really had just casually handed Adriane a mansion.

"Do you have any questions?" Wyatt asked. Chelsea gave a small curtsy despite wearing ordinary clothes instead of a dress.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Wyatt. I do have one question. Is anyone currently maintaining the property?"

"Yes, Miss Wixx," Wyatt replied.

"All lord's manors remain staffed even while vacant. This estate currently employs a groundskeeper, a butler, and three maids which is appropriate for the size of the property. They have already been informed of your appointment."

"Thank you so much," Chelsea said sincerely.

"We would love to see it." Wyatt nodded and began unlatching the gate. As it swung inward, Chelsea hesitated before asking another question.

"Were the staff warned about…" She awkwardly grabbed the edge of one wing and lifted it slightly. Wyatt winced faintly.

"I am… unsure," he admitted honestly.

"One of the other officers handled the briefing. If it was Wyland, there's a high likelihood he barely paid enough attention to know himself." The irritation in his voice suggested Wyland was not well liked. The gates finally opened fully. Ivy immediately stopped walking.

"So this is a lord's manor," she whispered in awe. Chelsea honestly could not blame her. The front lawn alone looked larger than many public parks Chelsea had visited back on Earth. The grass was perfectly manicured, trimmed so evenly it almost looked painted. A stone path curved elegantly from the gate toward the manor itself, lined with carefully maintained flowerbeds bursting with pink, yellow, and white blossoms. To the left sat a large gazebo surrounded by climbing ivy and flowering bushes.

To the right was a small pond where bright orange fish drifted lazily beneath the surface while ducks floated peacefully across the water. Chelsea could already picture Fiona sitting beside that pond while Maggie rambled excitedly about dresses for two straight hours. Honestly? That sounded like something Chelsea wanted. The walk to the manor itself took nearly three minutes. As the building finally came fully into view, Ivy let out a quiet noise of disbelief. The structure was enormous.

Not castle enormous, but still easily comparable to something like the White House back on Earth. Tall windows lined the pale stone exterior while dark blue roofing and elegant balconies gave the entire place an almost storybook appearance.

"Chels," Adriane said quietly beside her, "do we really need something this big? We could always take it, sell it, then use the…"

"No," Chelsea interrupted with a tired sigh.

"Adriane, please let yourself have something." Adriane looked mildly confused by that. Chelsea gestured broadly toward the estate.

"This could be your something. You spend all your time taking care of everyone else and nearly dying on horrible quests. Just… let yourself enjoy a nice thing."

"It feels so excessive though, Chelsea." Chelsea looked at her flatly.

"If a street vendor handed you a free apple because he thought you were awesome, would you take it?"

"Well yeah."

"This is just the king version of an apple." Adriane stared at her for a moment before shaking her head in disbelief.

"What is it with you and apples? You don't even like apples."

"I do," Ivy chimed in happily. She immediately pulled one from her satchel and took a crisp bite before offering it toward Chelsea. Chelsea hesitated before curiosity got the better of her. Slowly, she leaned closer to the offered fruit and took a small sniff. Her eyes immediately watered.

"Oh gods. Nope." She recoiled dramatically.

"Absolutely not."

"What?" Ivy asked between bites.

"It smells like swamp gas and sadness," Chelsea complained while covering her nose with one hand.

"And remind me not to kiss you anytime soon." The words left her mouth before her brain fully processed them. Chelsea froze, eyes wide. Ivy stared at her with eyes even wider. Adriane slowly turned her head toward the two of them with the expression of someone witnessing a carriage crash in slow motion. Chelsea's face immediately burst into heat.

"I meant because of the apple!" she blurted desperately.

"The apple smell! Not because I was planning to…" Ivy was already nervously laughing too hard to save her. The door to the manor opened, revealing the butler.

"Good after… noon," the older man corrected himself after seeing Chelsea. His composure slipped for only a fraction of a second before recovering flawlessly. Slicked-back gray hair, black formal suit, white gloves. He looked exactly like what Chelsea imagined when someone said the word butler.

"Welcome to the manor," he said smoothly. Inside, they were introduced to the staff currently maintaining the estate. The first maid was an older human woman with her gray hair tied tightly into a bun. The second was a young elf woman who looked barely older than Ivy. Chelsea already knew enough about elves to understand appearances meant absolutely nothing there. Both women became visibly startled upon hearing the names Chelsea Wixx and Adriane Wixx spoken aloud together.

The butler began leading them through the manor, giving what was clearly a well-practiced tour. He skipped over most of the twenty-four bedrooms after the third one because, according to him, "the remaining guest chambers follow similar layouts." Chelsea appreciated that immensely. The kitchen, however, nearly made her emotional. The stoves and ovens were beautiful.

"Oh, I could do amazing things in here," Chelsea whispered reverently while staring at the massive cooking stations. The dining room was far more extravagant than Chelsea would have chosen herself. Long polished table. Decorative silver. Fancy chairs that looked deeply uncomfortable. Still, that was fixable. She was already mentally replacing half the room with softer colors and less intimidating furniture. The indoor bath nearly made her say yes immediately. It was enormous.

"This is not a bath," Chelsea declared while staring at the massive tiled pool.

"This is a small lake."

"It is heated from below," the butler informed her proudly. Chelsea almost cried. They continued through the estate before eventually stepping outside into the backyard. A huge field stretched behind the manor, filled with waist-high wildflowers dancing in the breeze. A single massive shade tree stood near the middle of the yard, its broad branches spreading comfortably over the surrounding wildflowers.. Chelsea immediately wanted to nap beneath it.

After meeting the groundskeeper, the group began heading back toward the manor entrance. Chelsea turned toward Adriane.

"What do you think?"

"I think it's too…"

"Miss Wixx?" A voice suddenly spoke directly beside Chelsea. Chelsea let out a startled noise somewhere between a gasp and a squeak as her wings exploded outward instinctively. At the exact same moment, she grabbed Ivy's hand and yanked the elf halfway behind herself protectively. Ivy made an equally startled sound as she stumbled directly into Chelsea's back. The pale woman standing beside them froze in confusion. The woman looked vaguely human at first glance, but something about her was… wrong.

Her skin was unnaturally pale, almost gray beneath the daylight, and her movements carried an eerie softness to them. More importantly… Chelsea hadn't smelled her. Or heard her. Or sensed her at all.

"How did you get there!?" Chelsea blurted out. The woman looked horrified.

"I-I apologize, Miss! I did not mean to startle you!" Chelsea was still holding Ivy's hand. Very tightly. Ivy slowly looked down at their intertwined fingers. Then her eyes moved to meet Chelsea's. Chelsea immediately let go like she had touched a hot stove.

"Reflexes!" she announced desperately while her face turned bright red.

"Protective demon reflexes. Very normal. Happens constantly." The pale maid bowed quickly.

"My sincerest apologies. I am Rachel, I apologize for not greeting you with the other two, I am the night maid of the manor." Chelsea narrowed her eyes slightly.

"What are you?" Rachel hesitated before answering, "I am a revenant, Miss." Rachel explained.

"So we own a haunted mansion now." Chelsea mumbled as she began going through her drawers in the inn. She came across her shield. Instead of continuing to pack, Chelsea decided to test out a theory she had. Chelsea slid the shield onto her arm, and the transformation happened instantly. The dull metal brightened into something almost platinum in color, polished enough to catch the nearby light.

Intricate engraved patterns spread across the front in elegant curling designs that made the shield look more like a heroic relic than a piece of scavenged equipment.

"Oh, that is pretty," Chelsea breathed. She rotated her arm back and forth admiringly before grabbing the broken upper half of her spear from the desk and tossing it toward Ivy. It transformed in her hand but transformed back while in the air.

"Can you try hitting me with this?" Ivy caught it awkwardly.

"What if I actually hit you?"

"Then I guess you hit me," Chelsea laughed. Ivy shook her head with a smile and gave the shield an experimental smack with the broken spear. There was a sharp metallic crack.

"Do it again. Pretend the shield is Easton's annoying face." Ivy smacked it again, this time a lot harder. Text immediately appeared in the upper left of Chelsea's vision. Medium Shield lvl 1 Acquired. Evolve class? Y/N Chelsea's eyes widened.

"That's all it took!?" she yelled.

"Ivy, go grab Adriane!"

"I'll be right back," Ivy said quickly, tossing the broken spear onto the desk before hurrying from the room. Chelsea remained completely still while waiting, afraid moving might somehow interrupt the prompt. A few moments later, Ivy returned with Adriane following behind her. Adriane took one look at Chelsea standing there in partial armor and sighed.

"Chels," she said tiredly, "Why aren't you packing?"

"Shhh," Chelsea whispered urgently while holding up a finger.

"Evolve Class?" Adriane's expression changed.

"Oh."

"Oh!" Ivy echoed excitedly beside her. Adriane stepped closer.

"Does it give options?"

"There isn't anything yet." Chelsea focused on the floating text.

"Yes." New words instantly appeared in her vision. Would you like to evolve class to: Shield and Spear Maiden - Rare Hoplite - Uncommon Skirmisher - Common Chelsea quickly read them aloud.

"Does it give descriptions?" Adriane asked immediately. Chelsea shook her head. Adriane frowned.

"Of course it doesn't." Then her expression brightened slightly.

"You have that title that boosts The Eyes, right?" Chelsea nodded.

"Can I switch titles without losing the options?"

"I think so?" Adriane answered uncertainly.

"You already accepted the evolution prompt. It shouldn't randomly choose one." That actually made sense. Chelsea cautiously swapped over to The Inspector title and reopened the menu. The options remained. She let out a massive sigh of relief.

"Oh thank the gods." Chelsea focused on the first option. Shield and Spear Maiden - Rare Female einherin warriors of legend, the shieldmaidens stand side by side with their brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, and husbands on the battlefield. High damage and high defense, making use of the shield both defensively and offensively as a secondary weapon. Primary armor: Mail. She read it aloud. Ivy immediately nodded.

"That sounds awesome."

"It does," Chelsea admitted. She moved to the next option. Hoplite - Uncommon The hoplite is the ultimate frontline defender in war. When side by side with other hoplites, they create a phalanx, a solid shield wall with long spears to stab incoming troops. Medium damage and very high defense. Primary armor: Plate. Chelsea scrunched her nose.

"That one feels too specialized," she said.

"Like I need an actual army around me to get full value."

"And you hate heavy armor," Adriane added immediately.

"That too." Chelsea focused on the final option. Skirmisher - Common The common disruptive tactic is to send skirmishers ahead of the main army to delay the opposing force. Skirmishers do not excel in attack or defense, but instead specialize in mobility and slowing enemies. Medium damage and medium defense. Primary armor: Leather. Chelsea tilted her head thoughtfully.

"I don't hate that one either."

"It sounds the most mobile," Ivy pointed out.

"Yeah," Chelsea agreed.

"Which definitely fits me better than standing in one spot behind a giant shield wall."

"Over being a badass warrior woman who beats people to death with her shield?" Ivy asked with an amused smile. Chelsea stared at the floating options in silence. At first, the answer had felt obvious. Shield and spear maiden practically screamed Chelsea. Fast, aggressive, stylish, probably dramatic. It sounded less like a class and more like the sort of person bards wrote songs about after they died in glorious combat. But the longer she looked at the choices, the less certain she became.

Hoplite had initially been her immediate rejection, yet the more she thought about it, the more practical it sounded. Back when they first arrived in Junstruce, they had discussed her becoming more of a defensive frontline fighter. A guardian role. Hoplite sounded almost purpose-built for that. Then there was Skirmisher. That one also sounded exactly like her. Mobility. Chaos. Harassment. Annoying enemies until they lost their minds. That class sounded like it specialized in being an absolute asshole.

Chelsea could probably have fun with it. And honestly? It might end up being the strongest long-term option. Especially combined with Mayhem. Still… Shieldmaiden resonated with her in a way the others didn't. The description had actually been the vaguest of the three, yet somehow it felt the most right. She uses her spear along with the shield as a secondary weapon. Aggressive defense. Mail armor instead of heavy plate. It sounded balanced. Flexible. Chelsea closed her eyes and groaned dramatically.

"Adriane," she whined, "please tell me which one to pick."

"I've never heard someone read full class descriptions before," Adriane admitted while crossing her arms thoughtfully.

"Honestly, I wish we'd had something like that years ago. It would have saved Bea a ridiculous amount of suffering." Chelsea perked up immediately.

"Wait. Maiden classes are a thing? Like female specific classes?"

"Oh, definitely," Adriane nodded.

"There are all sorts of specialized female classes. Some are combat focused, some aren't." Unfortunately, she couldn't dwell on it. She currently had a giant evolution screen demanding answers.

"But yes," Adriane continued, "I agree with Ivy. Shieldmaiden sounds like something you'd benefit from." Chelsea slowly nodded.

"So how does this work exactly?" Ivy asked.

"Do you just think really hard at it?"

"Basically, yes," Chelsea sighed.

"That seems wildly unreliable."

"It really does." Chelsea focused inward and selected her new class: Class Evolved to: Shield and Spear Maiden Shield Specialty Lvl 1 Acquired Shield Bash Lvl 1 Acquired Shield Slam Lvl 1 Acquired Auto-Shielding Lvl 1 Acquired Advanced Mail Specialty Lvl 1 Acquired Chelsea watched as the skills rolled on.

"That's... a lot of new skills... or abilities. Whatever." Adriane smiled.

"Dewey is going to he thrilled you chose a maiden class."

"Oh? Why?"

"Maiden is the backbone of female einherin society. He doesnt exactly live in an einherin society but it's still a big deal." Oh! I had no idea. I just thought it sounded cool."

"That it does." Adriane added.

"I think it's about time we had you tackle your first labyrinth."