The activity ihe House of Worldly Delight stopped as people began to notice Dink standing in the middle of the room. He could feel all eyes on him as they processed the fact a goblin was ihe building. One of the courtesans hurried through the gambling area to gh a staff doorway into the main side of the building where the nobility and iial members were eained.

  Dink gri the attention as he leisurely crossed his arms. He could feel ay from the cloaked figures of Lady Estra and Murkuk through their bond. He wasn’t ed even when he felt the familiar tingle of mana being elled. He trusted in Lady Estra’s ability to defuse it. Dink thought about other things while he patiently waited.

  My sixth sense for mana only awakened after being a goblin. I’ve heard that mages feel mana move in the air. Judging from Lady Estra and Murkuk’s reas, they vaguely know that someone is casting a spell. But this is different, it's a physical disfort for me. I evehe dire of who’s elling mana.

  Dink looked casually at the man who had beeedly slumped at the gambling table. There was also a wood-elven man with an unbuttoned shirt, his exposed neck covered in love-bites. He yawned, showing off his savage fangs as he tio wait. Lady Estra watched him with at his disregard of the crowd’s hostility transmitted through their bond.

  A short time ter, a high-elven woman emerged from the staff door oher side of the gambling area. She was followed by the topless courtesan who had goo alert her. The courtesan approached the table with the mage, reag up on tippee-toes to whisper into the air of the liofolk male who leaned down to listen. He nodded in uanding, revealing beads braided into his dark mane.

  The liofolk man walked around the gambling table to pce a hand on the mage’s shoulder, saying something that Dink couldn’t hear. The mage relutly nodded. Dink’s tingliion lessened as the mage stopped elling mana.

  The high-elven woman hurriedly spoke to the ed looking wood-elf man, causing the itg sensation at the nape of Dink’s o disappear. He could feel relief from Lady Estra as Murkuk remained vigint. Dink could see four bronze earrings in the high-elf woman’s left ear, symbolizing that she belongs to a tier four h-elf House. That’s when he realized that she was the model for the entig illusion ireet. The madame of this establishment had e to greet them personally.

  Dink gave an eborate bow, fring his cloak-turned-vest with a flourish. He gave the madame a wry smile as she was taken aback by his courtly manners. She was momentarily speechless while trying to process the best way to hahe situation.

  “There seems to be some kind of misuanding here. I am not a goblin as some seem to believe. I am merely a very dark-skinned halfling. When have you ever seen a goblin with my c?” Dink easily lied with a grin.

  “Haha, a halfling? Here of all pces? Are y to get yourself lynched by your wives?” A drunk dwarf called out with a chuckle of amusement, sloshing ale from his tankard.

  Dink gri the ued response. He didn’t expeyoo fall for his deception. He was very clearly a goblin. He wao take the initiative and catch the spectators off-guard. The madame’s stuttered response was drowned out by the crowd’s murmuring. It was vehat most people were too inebriated to see the differeween a halfling and goblin. The mage and wood-elf weren’t fooled, but they resisted the urge to el mana as they frowned.

  A halfling ihe House of Worldly Delight would be a rger sdal than a goblin. If their wives had to march down here and create a se by dragging them out by the ear, they would never be able to raise their head in public agai’s see how they hahis situation.

  The House of Worldly Delight was taboo for a halfling. They wouldn’t even dare to walk down the same street. Halflings, due to their childlike appearance, are only sidered an adult ohey secure a potential spouse. That’s not all, the first wife must find a suitable sed wife for their betrothed. The marriage ceremony also includes the rite of passage ceremony into adulthood. Each spouse has a role to py in halfling society.

  The first wife is the leader of the household, representing them in publid managing outside affairs. The husband provides for the family. While the sed wife maintains the home and raises the children. For a Halfling man to be seen ihe House of Worldly Delight would be inviting disaster.

  “If that is the case, I will have to kindly ask you to leave,” the madame said in feigned regret.

  “Ah, I will have to dee. I am esc this young dy, here, to visit her mentor,” Dink said while dramatically gesturing to Lady Estra. He could feel her anxioushrough their bond, making him grin wider.

  “Is that so? I would request that you wait outside. Because of many is in the past, the House of Worldly Delight of Chiset has stru agreement with the Women’s cil. We have agreed to restrict access, barring Halfling men from entering,” the madame requested.

  “I do not ao the Women’s cil of Chiset,” Dink tered with a smirk.

  “That may be so, I still o insist that you leave this establishment. Your charge may tio meet with their mentor. I guaraheir safety. Who is it that they are here to see?” the madame stubbornly insisted.

  The madame was pletely aware that Dink was a goblin, but chose to py along with his ruse. He could smell her nervousness as she looked at the hilt of the bastard sword strapped to his back.

  “Madame Celeste,” the liofolk male loudly interrupted from the gambling table. It appeared that he reized the cloaked figure of Lady Estra.

  There was a loud scraping sound across the floor as the lion man pulled a chair out to sit down at the gambling table. He didn’t add anything else as the madame stiffened in surprise. She trusted the lion man’s word without a hint of doubt.

  “Lady Estra! Excuse my rudeness, please be wele. Madame Celeste has been expeg you. I’m sure that we aodate your escort while they wait. Or would you prefer that they apany you?” the madame asked Lady Estra politely, while l her eyes and making an elven curtsy.

  “They shall apany me. Madame Celeste will be most ied in making their acquaintance,” Lady Estra replied haughtily.

  “Of course, right this way. We will have to trao the main building to reach Madame Celeste’s suite,” the madame said.

  The madame hurried to Lady Estra’s side aly pced a hand on her hand, gesturing toward the staff entrance she had arrived from. She was close enough to see Murkuk’s savage appearander his hood, watg her. The madame stepped backward, quickly regaining her posure uhe goblin mage’s cold gaze.

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