I know or at least I'm almost sure. And she knows that I know. I know that too. And just thinking about it is driving me crazy. Thus I decide to drive any thoughts about the young lord from my mind as Lady Izolda sees me back out. I turn around one last time at the gate and bow, before she can disappear again.

"Thank you for accepting my help with your request. I'm very grateful for your trust in my abilities."

That is not very formal, but it's good enough for now. More importantly, it's a honest statement. I am quite grateful. Not just for the numerous notifications I earned today either. I just hope we can build on this foundation. I certainly wouldn't mind a few more lessons at her hands. I would benefit without a doubt. Hopefully she sees some benefit in my continued involvement too.

As she leaves with a curt nod, I straighten up again and leave as well. My first way isn't long. My destination is the adventurers' guild guild house across the central plaza. I still have to turn in my quest papers after all, to collect my reward. And what a sweet reward it will be, on top of my improving abilities. It'll be the first time that I have more coin in my purse, than what Fox gifted me with my starter gear. I chuckle to myself. It probably won't last long.

Well, I have to get my coins first of course. Thus I line up at the counter for handling quests, right as I step back inside the guild hall. The place is quite busy in the evening once more, as I'm not the only one turning their quest papers. I don't mind the wait though.

The scarred veteran lady behind the counter looks up when it's finally my turn and I hand her the sealed papers. She seems a little surprised, but not in an unpleasant way.

"No problems?"

"No problems."

She smiles at my quick response, files the paperwork and hands me the promised reward of two silver shillings. She doesn't do so without one last comment though.

"Keep up the good work!"

Well, it's not like I intend to do the opposite, thus I simply nod, as I accept the coins at long last. It's funny how just two coins more than double the worth of my purse's content. Maybe it's a little sad too. Never mind though, I have enough coin now, so I do not have to worry about the next meal. That's good enough for me.

I can even do some shopping! Or rather, I could do some shopping. I stop in my tracks before I step back outside again. The training over at the keep has taken quite some time. It's getting late already. The shadows lengthening in the evening sun and people closing up their shops already give testament to the fact.

I let out a soft sigh. I guess, I'll have to do my shopping tomorrow. Just as well. That means I can take advantage of the guild's facilities once more to take another quick bath. I have been sweating quite a bit today after all. Or should I head out and visit the bathhouse Matylda showed me? So I can get my clothes cleaned too? It would be appropriate, since those have gotten soaked in sweat too. Yes, I guess that is what I'll do. And maybe I can go and grab something to eat afterwards too.

With fresh resolve and a little spring to my steps I step outside after all. I head straight for the gate, to return to district outside the wall, where the bathhouse I intend to visit is. My guild tag gets me through the gate without a hitch too. That and maybe the guards on duty are getting used to the face I'm letting them see.

The gate is no problem. The bathhouse makes me wince a little though. Or rather the prices they charge do. Two pennies. One for my bath and the other to get my clothes washed as well. That is no small price. I'm willing to pay it though. I really am. I decide to enjoy my bath too in exchange though.

Afterwards, refreshed and clean, the next order of business is an evening meal. Something tasty preferably. After today's incredibly bland lunch I really need a dinner that will help my taste buds remember that food is not supposed to taste like wet cardboard.

Good gods and goddesses, I really pity the young Lord and Justyna. I'm not entirely sure if I should pity Lady Izolda too. She probably knows more about the reasons behind that culinary disaster to begin with.

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A nice roadside eatery serving grilled meat and vegetables on skewers, with plenty of sauce to go with both, eases my mind in that regard. The meal even comes with a small cup of beer to wash everything down. It hurts my poor purse though. This place charges more than any of the others I have visited so far. Another two pennies gone. The meal is worth the price, but I really need to start to watch my spending. It's either that or I need to accept more profitable and dangerous quests every day.

Or, of course, I could try to pull off a real big heist. Except usually, get real rich real quick schemes tend to be real dangerous and stupid too and stupid really isn't my style. Nope, I have no plans that will see my neck on a chopping block or in a noose. No thank you. I can do without that kind of drama. Very much so in fact. I'll leave that approach to other people. The kind too foolish to keep a cool head or possibly even too foolish to keep their heads on their shoulders at all.

Instead I head to the usual boardinghouse for the night. I do so instead of sleeping at the adventurers' guild's dormitory because I need some privacy. I need said privacy for a little experimentation.

Even better, the youngster who usually only gets to push a broom around here is taking care of business today. Thus I get a better chance to study him in detail, as I receive my key in exchange for a penny and as he leads me to me room. Even my [Perception] skill progresses a little as a result.

In theory I should know him well enough now to assume his appearance, even if certainly don't know him well enough to mimic his behavior. That is, if I can assume the appearance of someone who is not of my gender. I'm not entirely certain in that regard yet. The latter is something I plan to change though. Tonight, here in the small room I have rented.

I lock the door behind me, as the boy is off to return to his post at the front door. I check the window too, to make sure no one can catch a glimpse of me by accident. I should be in the clear. There are no windows across the alley that allow an easy view of the interior of my temporary abode. I could, in theory, use my cloak to cover the window, at least for a while, but I need what little light falls in for my planned experimentation, thus I don't.

Thankfully I have more than enough Mana right now to do some experimentation and still have enough left for emergencies afterwards. I might even meditate a little, both, to speed up my Mana recovery and to improve the skill. I can't help but grin. The day already has been quite fruitful and it is not over yet.

I check one last time to make sure I'm unobserved, take a deep breath and focus on the janitor boy of the boarding house. Nothing happens. Nothing at all. There isn't even the unpleasant feeling of my Mana draining away. No, my [Change Shape] skill doesn't activate at all. I give it another try, focusing on all I know about the boy a little harder, but the result is the same.

Well, I guess no result is a result as well. I certainly have learned something from this, even if my skill didn't improve at all. I'm limited to my own gender, at least until I manage to upgrade the skill. I'm pretty sure I can do the latter. It might take some serious effort though. I'll get there eventually, but certainly not tonight.

More importantly though, this provides an important reference point for my next experiment. If the young lord is in fact a young lord, I should not be able to assume his shape under this assumed limitation. If the young lord is a young lady in disguise though, there should be results. Actual results.

I crack my knuckles. This will be interesting! Very interesting indeed.

After taking another deep breath I focus once more. This time I focus on the image I have of the person that supposedly is a young lord. The effect is almost immediate. I can feel a considerable chunk of my Mana reserves drain away and as the changes start to wash over me my [Change Shape] skill improves a little too.

My hair shortens a little, which feels even more weird than when it grows out. It darkens somewhat too. My skin on the other hand pales until it matches the skin tone of the person I'm mimicking. The changes to my figure over all are rather minor though. Riverrun's young lady does not have a very feminine figure after all, even less so than me, which is probably why their masquerade works at all.

Well, that clarifies one particular detail about the shadowy dealings going on in this city or possibly the frontier lands at large. At the same time this revelation raises even more questions though. The most dominant of course is the why. I won't get any answers to this particular question here and now though. It leads to me cursing myself under my breath though.

Damn it. Curse me for a fool! A mirror! I need a mirror! Even a small one would do, but I don't have one. Damn it all. By using the [Identify] skill on the mirror image of my new self I might have been able to learn a little more about the city's disguised young lady. I'm almost certain that the young lady isn't quite human. But that's just it. I'm only almost certain and that won't do.

Well, there is nothing I can do about that now. It'll have to wait until tomorrow at the very least. Until I get a chance to buy a small hand mirror in addition to a buckler at Beldragor's place. Most likely though until I can get some privacy again afterwards. I don't want to betray Lady Izolda's trust by accident after all and I don't want to casually give away my own secret either.

With a sigh I slap my cheeks and focus on my usual self. Some more of my Mana drains away, as the change washes over me again and I become Viviona as everyone knows her once more. At least I can feel my [Change Shape] racial skill improve again.

I don't go to sleep right away afterwards. My remaining Mana reserves might allow for two more changes in appearance, which is good, but my Mana reservoir is still half empty. I intend to try and change that, at least a little.

Instead I sit down and do my best to reach the meditative state young Brygida has taught me. I close my eyes, control my breathing and empty my mind of all that is sending it into turmoil until my heartbeat begins to slow too. I'm not quite sure how long I actually meditate as a result, but it certainly is long enough to earn me a pair of notifications.

[*Ding!* Your skill Meditation has leveled up to level 2!]

[*Ding!* Through Meditation your Mana increased by 2!]

It may not be much, but it is much appreciated progress. In this case it's progress that counts towards my masked mediator class too. I let the notifications pull me out of my meditative state on purpose. I still want to get some real sleep too after all.

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