The Legendary Monster Layer!

“It’s expensive running a guild,” Ari said, finding the thread. “I hit level six, and that gave me five more slots, for a total of ten. I have a feeling that capacity is gonna keep increasing, and pretty fast. So, until proven otherwise, I need to plan for how I’m going to make a monstergirl guild.”

Ari was still perched firmly on Elise’s lap, pressing the other girl into the bed. Elise had given up on trying to squirm away. She chewed her lip, staring up at the ceiling as she considered the topic Ari had broached.

“Well,” she said slowly. “I don’t even know where to start. There’s so much to deal with, there, it’s making my head hurt.”

“Tell me about it.”

“Money’s gonna be a big one. Conspicuity, the next.”

“Yup.” The mention of money reminded Ari: “Oh! And I wanted to talk to you about my monster milks.”

Elise stared at Ari. Ari blushed, remembering that the weird terminology of her skills and class—despite Ari having gotten used to them—were seriously strange to everyone else.

She coughed. “That’s, um, a skill of mine. It turns … Claire and everyone’s …”

Oh no. This was so awkward. She was getting flashbacks to the first reveal.

She powered through: “It turns monstergirl cum into magical potions. And I think they could sell super well. But, um. There’s a few reasons I haven’t brought it up to Madam Iris.”

“It turns cum … into potions.”

“Yeah? I bet you wish you had such an awesome class.”

Elise looked at her, incredulous. Ari grinned, despite the blush on her face. It was awkward, but she didn’t mind being awkward around Elise. And honestly, it was really funny.

“I’m quite pleased with being a mage, thank you very much,” Elise said. “I’ll pass on skills like those. But, to the point. You want to sell these … potions.”

“Cum potions.”

“Have an ounce of civility,” Elise huffed. “You want to sell them, but you’re not comfortable doing so without disclosing what they are.”

“Keeping it a secret would feel …”

“Unethical,” Elise said. “Having strangers drink … that sort of thing, without knowing.”

“Yeah. Obviously.”

“So you’d have to come up with a story explaining it, or tell the truth.”

“Yep. Which is better?” Ari chewed her lip. “I’ve been wondering whether I should stop caring about keeping it all a secret, even. Do I just introduce the Menagerie? Drop the act, stop slinking around?”

“No,” Elise said immediately. “I don’t think you should.”

It was a more instantaneous answer than Ari had expected. “Why not?”

“It’d draw too much attention.”

“And why is that a bad thing?” Ari knew a few reasons why it would be—her embarrassment to name one—but she wanted Elise’s thoughts on the matter.

“I don’t think …” Elise frowned. “It just doesn’t seem wise. Without someone to patron you.”

“Patron me?”

“You have an incredible class, Ari. I think people will try to bully you into their guild if they find out. Or … worse.”

“Worse?”

Elise grimaced. “Well, that’s probably jumping to worst-case scenarios. But from what I’ve seen—and you haven’t even explained everything to me—your class is insanely strong. Equally as weird, sure … but pragmatically speaking, I mean—look what you’ve done. It’s been, what, a week, Ari? Since you came to Molehill? You’re level six, have four loyal, equally powerful, equally fast leveling teammates—“

“Five. Her name’s Opal.”

“I’ll have to meet her,” Elise replied idly, then continued: “Which is probably the most significant part. You can make powerful adventurers. Monstergirls who level just as fast as you, and—according to what you said—are skilled in their respective domains. It … it boggles my mind, Ari. Your class isn’t like anything I’ve ever heard.”

“So I should keep it a secret.”

“You should definitely keep it a secret,” Elise said flatly. “What I think you really need to do is find a patron. Someone powerful to sponsor you.”

“I’m part of the Goldshields?” Ari offered. “Er, technically. I’ve been thinking about disbanding. Why keep paying their fees?”

“I really don’t know where to start with all this,” Elise sighed. “The Goldshields definitely don’t count. They only care about you because you pay monthly dues. But maybe it’s a good place to begin. Talk with one of the higher ups … maybe the guildmaster himself. I don’t know. It’s all politics. I’m just worried for you. You need a powerful backer.”

“I guess I do,” Ari said quietly. She hadn’t considered—not to the appropriate depth—that her class made her a ‘person of interest’ in no small way. Because really, long term, what was going to happen? At the rate she was leveling, wouldn’t she be a high-ranker in no time? A year or a few at most, from the blazing-fast pace she was setting? And she would have a Menagerie of dozens of other high-rankers. She’d be … well, mind-blowing as it seemed, she might be a political entity. In and of herself, with that kind of squad. A full team of high rankers—and Ari would have more than a full team, but an entire guild—could literally change the world.

“Ergh,” Ari said. “You’re making my head hurt.”

“That’s why you wanted to talk to me, isn’t it?”

“Honestly, I was looking for advice on way smaller stuff, like selling cum potions,” Ari said, exasperated. She collapsed forward, pressing her head into the sheets next to Elise, and groaned. Elise patted her back.

“Okay, then. Cum potions. We’ll figure out the harder stuff later. Just make sure when you’re Kalatain’s most famous adventurer, you remember your boring, low-level mage friend.”

Ari pulled back, affronted despite the lighthearted joke. “Honestly, you’re gonna be the reason I get there. Every famous guildmaster needs an adviser, doesn’t she?”

Elise wrinkled her nose. “Adviser? I hope you pay well. That sounds awful.”

“I’ll pay in kisses.”

“In that case, I could be convinced.”

Ari grinned. “I’ll pay for the first session in advance, then.” She leaned forward, doing as she’d promised.