"Alright, Munchkin. Let's get out now and get dried off," I said, standing up and lifting Eliza cleanly out of the water. "We'll check on your guards before leaving, and we'll probably end up bringing one of them with us. There's no way anyone back in your town will believe you managed to capture me single-handedly."
Thanks to the freezing water and the distraction of our conversation, my erection had mostly subsided, though it was still lingering. Having Eliza's wet, bare body slide against mine as I set her down wasn't helping matters, so I turned my back to her.
I'd certainly claim my reward with this girl eventually, but in a private room—not out in the open river. Right now, I had business to take care of, and I wanted to check on Renna and Cindy.
Given that sudden Karma point notification I'd received earlier, those two must have worked out whatever was going on between them. I was curious to see how things stood.
"Get dried off and dressed," I instructed as I quickly grabbed my towel.
Eliza held her arms out to me, pouting slightly. "Dry me!"
I tossed my towel directly into her face.
"If you plan on being my partner, you'd better start learning to do things for yourself," I said, pulling my pants back on. "Now is a great time to start."
"Fine! But there are some things I genuinely don't know how to do!" Eliza complained, awkwardly dabbing at her skin with the towel.
"When those things come up, I'll teach you so you can handle them on your own," I explained. "If you truly can't, only then will I step in. Up until now, you've lived a life where everyone did everything for you. That ends today."
Eliza nodded slowly, her expression crestfallen. "Everything? I can brush my hair, but it feels better when someone else does it. And I can prepare food, but I'm terrible at it. Do you mean I have to do all of that by myself?!"
I held back a heavy sigh. Back in my past lives, I had to manage all of those basics myself, so hearing her complain didn't draw much sympathy. Still, I could understand her perspective. Throwing her into the deep end all at once might be overly harsh; she needed room to grow first.
"Fine. I'll help you with daily tasks," I conceded, "but you need to build some self-sufficiency. If you're going to travel with me, you have to learn how to survive on the road and sleep outdoors."
Eliza looked up, beaming slightly. "I'll try my best! I'm not as useless as people think—it's just that no one ever made me learn before."
"As long as you give an honest effort, I'll be satisfied," I said. "Now finish up and meet me back by the horses. I also want you to select one of your guards to ride with us."
"Understood!" Eliza agreed eagerly. "Where are you heading?"
"I need to check on the other two girls, and then I'm having a word with the Elder," I growled, my anger flaring back up as I looked toward the center of the village. "Honestly, I'm starting to think letting you beat the hell out of her wouldn't have been such a bad idea!"
I strode straight toward the central structure and threw back the flap.
"I assumed you would come by before leaving," Elder Lily said, looking up from her seat. "Girls, please give us the room—"
"Don't bother sending them away to save face, you old witch!" I barked, cutting her off. My glare pinned the two younger assistants directly to their cushions. "You knew exactly what you were setting up! Why didn't you suggest someone else clean her?!"
"I simply thought this would be a good outcome—"
I didn't let her finish. Stepping across the tent, I grabbed the old woman by the collar of her robe and hauled her off the floor. Her terrified face was suddenly inches from mine, my expression locked like carved granite.
I was beyond pissed.
"Next time you 'think,' you'd better remember this exact moment," I growled, holding her suspended. "I am a reasonable man, but do not mistake my patience for weakness. If you ever try to manipulate a situation like this on my behalf again, I will be the threat you need to worry about—not some visiting Countess. Considering I stepped in to save you from a beating twenty minutes ago, I expected you to be smarter than this."
"I... I..." Lily stammered, completely paralyzed with fear—until a wet stain rapidly bloomed across her robes.
I groaned in disgust and dropped her back onto her cushion.
"Clean yourself up," I spat, stepping back. "And remember this warning well. I am not a woman, and my presence is far more dangerous than anything you've dealt with before. Smarten up. Stop playing manipulative games with me or anyone else. You just stripped a massive personal choice away from that girl out of convenience. You're quick to judge others like Cindy, but maybe you're the real problem around here."
I turned on my heel toward the exit.
"I... I will take your words to heart," Lily squeaked out from behind me, her voice trembling violently. "I am truly sorry..."
I walked out without looking back. The point was made; I wouldn't need to repeat myself.
Now I just needed to check on Renna and Cindy before heading to Northwall to rescue the captured villager. I had a feeling the trip wouldn't be a simple snatch-and-grab, either—this Lady Katarina character sounded like the real root of the regional corruption.
As I walked through the dirt paths, I called out to an older villager passing by. "Excuse me!"
The woman stopped and turned to me with an entirely deadpan expression. "Yes? Did you fluff?"
I rolled my eyes into the back of my head.