Building a Harem in a Noble House

Chapter 108: Guess That’s Our Stop

"We’re well aware," Lyra said, a sour look on her face.

"Pay them little mind," Meredith said, raising a hand. "Their words may be sharp, but their wit and skill in battle are not. So long as we remain focused on our goals, they will remain as leaves passing by a moving carriage. I have no misgivings regarding my and Lloyd’s ability to overcome those amateurish nobles."

"Amateurish, huh?" Isobel said, raising an eyebrow. "Well, it’s good to know you’re competitive."

"It is simply an observation. Pay it no heed," Meredith responded, though the slight uptilt of her lip indicated it was far more than an "observation".

"Very well," Isobel nodded, leaning forward." Let’s see if that confidence remains while we go over the details today’s training, then."

Isobel folded her hands like she was about to talk us through a weather report instead of whatever madness she cooked up. The room seemed to hold it’s breath as we waited for her to continue.

"Today’s trial is simple in structure," Isobel said. "Not easy, but simple: you and Meredith will descend into a standard cavernous dungeon. You will be clearing out a goblin infestation and defeating two notable leaders. One is a brute type, the other is more cunning. Both meant to test different aspects of teamwork."

Meredith nodded along like she’d been expecting as much. "A classic format," she said. "Straightforward foes to assess readiness and efficiency. I have no objections."

"As long as it isn’t too cramped," I sighed. "We still need room to move."

Lyra snorted. "Oh relax. You’ll have room. Think massive underground system. Big ceiling, moisture everywhere, inedible moas, probably a waterfall or two. Like the ones in Ublar."

"Correct," Isobel confirmed. "It will be wide, deep and properly treacherous. I will also be watching closely for how you keep awareness of your surroundings. Dungeons can be trickier than they appear, you see."

Lyra made a noise under her breath. "Yeah. Tricky. Really tricky."

Meredith tilted her head slightly toward her. "You speak as if you know something more than what was shared."

Lyra sat back, suddenly stiff. "I mean. Kind of. Not like details details. Just that things might be more than they appear and maybe you two should be like a little careful because once you get down there it’s not going to be as–"

Isobel shot her a sharp look. It was the kind of look that said "shut it" without saying "shut it". Lyra shut it.

"What Lyra means," Isobel said in a calm tone, "is that you should train yourselves to notice traps, weaker illusions or environmental shifts. But she will not be spoiling anything, because in the actual exam you will go in blind. No information. No guidance. And so, our trial dungeons will follow the same parameters."

Meredith nodded solemnly. "A fair point. I understand."

I told my head, remembering my fight with Isobel against the goblin raider. "No bimbo corpses... right?"

"E-excuse me?" Meredith started, but Isobel cut her off with a hand as she stood from the table.

"Nothing of the sort. Now finish eating and meet me in the nearest training hall so we can get this started."

The three of us finished breakfast in varying degrees of silence. Meredith seemed laser focused on the mission, Lyra was jittering in her seat, kicking her heel against the floor, and I was trying to see what I could discern about the dungeon based on Lyra’s muted excitement. The answer was nothing, unfortunately. Even as we left for the training hall, the was nothing properly discernible on Lyra’s face other than the fact that she was eager for us to face whatever we were about to face.

When we got to the training hall, dummies were lined up in a standard battle formation. Targets were pulled to the side. The air had that faint scent of old wood and steel polish. Isobel walked to the center of the room like she owned the space.

"Stand together," she instructed. "I’ll explain the entry process now."

Meredith and I took our places. Lyra leaned on a pillar watching us with that restless bounce she’d been carrying all morning.

Isobel lifted her staff and rested the bottom of it on the stone floor. "When the spell activates, your vision will fade completely. You’ll feel disoriented for a moment as the world shifts. Do not be alarmed. Once your vision returns, you will be within the illusory dungeon. Nothing within can truly harm you. It will feel real, however. The fear will be real. Pain may be simulated but not inflicted. Your actual bodies remain here. You are in no danger."

"Understood," Meredith said. She placed a hand on her sword hilt in that Paladin way of hers. "I am prepared."

"What about you, Lyra?" I asked. "Are you doing anything in this or are you just moral support?"

Lyra’s grin was sharp. "I mean. I’ve got something to do. You’ll see."

"What does that mean," I asked.

Meredith looked at her with interest, but she didn’t say anything.

Lyra shrugged, looking almost sheepish. "It’s not a big deal. I’m like... part of the mechanics, you know?"

"No, I don’t know."

"And that’s the point," Isobel interrupted, clapping her hands together. "Now, stop trying to break my assistant. Be surprised."

Before I could l protest further, Isobel gathered aura all around her, purple spectral light enveloping her like a tornado. "Positions please."

Meredith straightened. I stood upright. Lyra stepped further back. Isobel snapped her fingers and, just like that, my vision was consumed by complete darkness. Blindness.

"Remember," Isobel said. "Nothing can hurt you. It is all an illusion."

The world seemed to shift around us, the suddenness of it causing my stomach to lurch. My feet scraped what felt like stone but definitely wasn’t the floor of the training hall. Voices echoed faintly but I couldn’t tell if they were real or imagined. The air shifted temperature, going from warm to cold in an instant.

Then I heard something else. Something that wasn’t from the training hall and wasn’t from Isobel’s spell. It was distant, like a growl, or a rasping breath.

"Guess that’s our stop."