“What do you think, Aster?” Delmare asked while we were gathered in our camp that night.

I didn’t need to ask to know that she was talking about Ather.

“Honestly… I don’t really know… She’s certainly dedicated to her art but I guess it’s to the point of an unhealthy obsession?”

Lisa suddenly appeared and hugged me from behind while giggling, “Ehehehe~ I know I have a totally healthy obsession with you, Aster~”

“Mmm… I love you too, Lisa.”

I tilted my head up so that she could lean down and kiss me before skipping away, her Infrid tail swaying behind her.

Delmare went ahead to act like nothing happened and nodded at my previous words, “I think so too, Aster… I think if she’s stuck in a burning building, she would try to save her paintings and wouldn’t mind perishing in the fire or sacrificing others to do so.”

Yeah… I can definitely see her doing that.

Emilia came over and sat down beside me, “What are you two talking about?”

“”Ather,”” Both Delmare and I answered her at the same time.

Her face immediately scrunched up in annoyance, “Ugghhh, that bitch is so annoying. I don’t understand how all of you stand her.”

Delmare poked her fingers together, “Umm… She does paint pretty pictures of Aster…”

“But she acts so self important all the time! Who does she think she is going around bossing us, especially Aster, like that?!”

“She is our client after all…” I pointed out. “Plus, she is paying quite a bit as well.”

Emilia huffed, “Hmph… I suppose she is. But I’m starting to question if the amount she is paying us is even worth the annoyance of having her around. At this point, she’s pretty close to the border where the cost of being in her presence outweighs the value that she is paying us.”

Delmare hesitated, “I think her paintings of Aster are worth it…”

“Well she didn’t give us the newest paintings of Boss, did she? Heck, even when I offered to buy them she refused to sell to me!”

I blinked at Emilia, “You offered to buy them?”

She clamped her hand over her mouth before looking away.

Eh? Wait… why did she even have that reaction? I mean… I already saw you girls collecting the paintings… Heck, they’re currently stored in my Bangle of Folding right now, you know? So why are you acting so ashamed?

As though reading my mind, Katsuki appeared like a shadow and answered my question for me, “Miss Emilia tried to offer a substantial amount of money in exchange for a single painting, Mistress. She’s ashamed of that uncharacteristic behaviour of hers.”

That’s it? That’s uncharacteristic? I would even argue that was totally in line with her usual behaviour though?

No doubt Ather’s paintings would definitely sell for a lot so if Emilia could buy one, she could most likely sell for a lot more than she bought it for so this was more like a business opportunity isn’t it?

I thought Emilia would explain it that way but my Nekomata stood up and growled at my Inugami maid, “You shut up, Katsuki! No one asked you!”

Katsuki didn’t even respond to her and merely just handed me the cup of tea that she had brewed for me.

Emilia huffed and sat back down again, “Anyway… I will just go ahead and say that I do not like her, especially not when she’s showing that kind of attitude to us. She can go and act like some kind of genius all she wants but her attitude still sucks.”

“Wahahaha! Weren’t you almost the same back then, Emilia?” Odeta laughed, also joining us.

The Nekomata merchant puffed up her cheeks at her, “No I didn’t! I was totally respectful to Boss when I first met her! And… Well… I suppose I was a little headstrong when I lost everything but… That’s different!”

Really? I thought Emilia was ok though? Or was there something I missed?

Lisa came over to join us as well, “I just want to say… That woman is still painting. Does that woman even sleep? I don’t even remember seeing her sleep last night.”

“No, she went to sleep the night before after she finished painting our camp,” I told her, turning to take a peek in the direction of Ather’s camp.

Sure enough, she had her easel set up and she was busy painting the night scenery of the carriages being bathed in the light from the campfire.

Despite her being at that distance, the painting itself almost looked like it was also radiating light somehow.

Lisa huffed, “Well, I think she needs to sleep more because she just flat out ignored me when I went to talk to her.”

I tilted my head at Lisa, “What were you talking to her about?”

“I just asked if she wanted anything to drink and she just acted like I wasn’t even there. Hmph.”

“Well… She is busy after all… You know the creative types might have all their focus on the thing they are doing and not realise someone was talking to them…”

Odeta chuckled, “Wahaha~ I know Sister Aster would also stop paying attention when you start eati–“

She didn’t get to finish her words when Katsuki and Emilia suddenly moved to cover her mouth without warning.

Eh? What are they doing? What was Odeta going to say?

Before I could ask, I felt a tug on my arm and I turned to see Delmare looking up at me.

“Aster? Do you think I can sing for you tonight? It’s been a while hasn’t it?”

I looked around, “Umm… I don’t mind but… I guess we should find a place where I can set up a barrier to stop your song from reaching the others.”

Emilia chuckled, “Ha, I bet that if that woman heard Delmare’s singing, she wouldn’t even budge from where she is and just continue painting like nothing happened.”

Odeta chuckled after being released from Emilia and Katsuki, “Wahaha! Now I’m curious, what would actually cause her to lose her composure? Whenever she’s in the carriage with us, she’s always so aloof and uptight! She doesn’t even want to talk to us!”

“Hmph… If she doesn’t want to talk then we shouldn’t even try. She’s already so annoying anyway.”

“Awww, but she seems strong though! I want to have a spar with her!”

“Didn’t you see the wings? She’s a Comissar! Someone who is in the service of the Gods! She’s bound to be stronger than normal! Hmm… Now that I think about it, maybe that’s where her attitude comes from. She thinks she’s better than all of us?”

Oh right… When I had that conversation with Ather where she revealed she was an Off-Worlder, the others weren’t around and I forgot to tell them about this as well.

I cleared my throat, “Ahem… Umm… I forgot to tell you girls but… She’s also an Off-Worlder apparently… And about her being a Comissar… She told me that her patron god was Ralaie.”

The girls seemed to be surprised by this.

“Eh?! Wait… Off-Worlders can also be Comissars?!” Lisa gasped.

“Is it that surprising?” I asked.

“From what we know… Comissars are supposed to be created by the Gods themselves to act as their servants to enact their will upon the World. So I thought that since Off-Worlders aren’t of this World, there wouldn’t be any…”

“Umm… We were presented with that option when we were being sent to this World…”

Emilia tapped her cheek with a finger, “Hmm… I guess I can understand that… Since they aren’t of this World, they are also presented the opportunity to serve under the Gods as people with otherworld views. So that woman is actually an Off-Worlder huh…”

All of the girls then turned to look at Ather who was still in the midst of painting.

I wondered what they were thinking about before they suddenly turned back and started whispering.

“For some reason, now I really want to mess with her…”

“That attitude of hers is really getting on my nerves too…”

“What do you think will make her lose her composure?”

“Wahahaha! Maybe we should just make a lot of noise around her or something!”

“I bet she wouldn’t even notice if we did that. We need something else…”

I blinked at them, “Err… Girls? Why do you even want to mess with her anyway?”

Emilia turned to give me a look like I just asked her why the sky is blue, “That’s because she doesn’t even know her place, Boss! She may be our client but don’t you think she’s being a little too arrogant?”

“I dunno… I think that’s her self confidence? She does have reasons for that confidence anyway since her paintings are actually really good.”

“That’s not the point, Boss! We should get her to realise that there’s other things that are more important! Like how I realised that there’s things more important than money!”

Lisa then gasped, “Girls! I got it! I got a plan to deal with her!”

Why did I feel a tingle go up my spine when she said that?

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