"So you're really not from here?" the scarred-faced woman asked. Corina was her name, the de facto [Guildmaster], and she had a nasty and heavy intonation at the back of her throat. Rennia shielded her face from the smoke that was flying against her face. They sat in a closed-off room, shut tight. Mara stood behind her, quiet, watching Rennia with mild concern.
"No, I've told you enough. Don't you think it's time to let me go now? It's not like I'm formally under arrest for doing anything wrong. I'm just trying to get back into delving again," Rennia pleaded, but Corina didn't care one bit. There was no doubt about it—Corina was a dangerous individual. Rennia could feel it with [Mana Sense]. Too dangerous, the same danger she felt when her mother got really angry.
"Awfully suspicious, and out of all the places in the borderlands, you came to this city. But I wagered there was something you weren't telling, and I was eager to know," Corina stated. Mara shifted uncomfortably and tapped Rennia on the shoulder. She was a sharp contrast to Guildmaster Corina's behavior.
"I don't know what you want me to say." She did know what to say, just not when and how.
"You can start by explaining your class to both of us. All of the details, and the nasty ones too. We've had named and known classes of gods, goddesses, and spirits, and it has been nothing but problems in the last two decades. And as de facto member of the city council, it's my job to keep the itinerant adventure guild stable. Now out with it."
Corina slammed the desk. Mara rubbed at her shoulder. "Rennia, it would be easier if you would explain to us exactly 'what' you are. 'Maidens,' 'saints,' 'chosen'—they often caused serious disruption for cities like ours. I know this is hard for you, Rennia, but please cooperate."
Rennia took a deep breath. She needed to make a choice. Without drawing her attention, the guild's interest would remain no matter what after this, but trusting these two was a wildcard—she barely knew them, and yet sleeping in the cells tonight wouldn't do, nor would having a law bounty put on her head.
All of that said, should she tell them about Ishmere? Probably not.
Rennia stood up from the chair she was being kept in. Corina inched forward, ready to stop her. Mara moved uncomfortably.
"Promise me?"
"Promise what?" Corina inquired.
"I'll show you, but you promise to keep it a secret," Rennia pleaded.
Mara turned to her superior for a brief moment. The pair stood uncomfortable but watched with intrigue. Mara nodded to her.
"Very well, then."
Rennia leaned back against the wall where the light shone through the window. She let her pants fall and then turned her face away, blushing. She wiggled her hips a bit to make it abundantly clear what was present. "There, there it is. I'm not quite a normal woman anymore. I knew I'd have to explain it a lot, but this is—it's a problem. This is a part of my lineage, supposedly. I ate an eve's apple, changed my classes too. I had to flee. The town exiled me. My mother sent me here."
Corina gawked. Mara's hands covered her mouth, turning partially red. Corina shook her head in quick succession. The guildmaster was quick to compose and impose herself. "So you're one of those, huh? Troublesome. Unfortunately, you could still be lying to us. You could've hidden a phallic object in your pants. The issue demanded more than some visual trick."
Rennia shook her head rapidly. "I'm not lying!"
"Corina, no," Mara shouted. "This is already treading on unprofessional ground. What will the city council do when they find out we forced a young adventurer to undress? They'll start thinking things. Dastardly things."
Mara clicked her tongue.
"Be quiet, Mara. Your pacifism won't help us here. Ms. Rennia Perillion, show me proper proof, or I'll have you flogged for lying and maybe charged for fraudulent activities."
"Corina!" Mara complained.
Rennia stepped back, her breath catching. "You mean… you want to see more than this? Really?" Her voice trembled, her cheeks flushing as hot as her ears. "You actually want to see it?"
Mara looked at her, lips parting like she might say something, but didn't. She turned away instead, stiff and silent. Out of respect? Modesty? Or fear of what it might mean if she looked?
Corina didn't blink. She slapped both hands on the desk, leaning forward like a judge delivering sentence. "Well? She's not watching. Prove it."
Rennia took a deep breath. Her pulse was hammering in her heart, and her blood was pumping. The room became unbearably silent. Showing her penis on full display in front of two women she didn't know—it was weird and it was hot, and she could feel the heat pooling lower near her stomach.
Rennia's fingers slipped beneath her waistline, into her undergarments, and gripped her cock, just enough that the hardened nerves stuck out and into view. Corina seemed eager to see it even more up close. Rennia's breath hitched, and she let go. She let her whole member flop out, semi-stiff, close to six inches—would be seven if she was stuck in this room for hours.
Now she had to prevent herself from stroking her throbbing member in front of two professionals.
"Oh!" Mara gasped.
The blonde and scarred guildmaster poked her head forward to take a closer look. Rennia, already red, felt exposed, but her penis twitched a bit when Mara turned her head to give her a little stare. That felt weirdly good—her semi-flaccid penis voluntarily exposed to someone she had a crush on.
"A penis? Really? So it's true," Corina whispered. Her tone was very logical, analytical, as if it didn't matter all that much to her.
"It's quite small... compared to some of the other folk I've seen," Mara commented.
Others? What others were around that weren't her and Ishmere? Other futanari with bigger cocks?
"Yes, there was that one dark elf, that strange messenger," Corina stated.
Rennia took it as a cue and tucked it back in, pulled up her pants, and swore to the goddess that cursed her with this. The room kept quiet. "So... are we done now? Do you want to do more inspections? Put me against the wall maybe, spread my butthole open, penetrate my pussy, stroke my balls?"
"Gods no, Rennia... I'm sorry it came to this," Mara said. "Right, Corina, she proved she spoke the truth."
Corina's head was bowed deep in thought but staring at Rennia. She clearly knew a bit about this—why else would she want to be so interested? She was still quiet, observing.
"I proved it," Rennia growled. "What more do you want? The guild back home didn't go rifling through my pants to validate my skills."
"No... I don't trust you, not until you explain what exactly happened back where you came from. Why come all this way? Why leave a stable country for a damned city-state like ours?"
Rennia's jaw tightened. Did she have to relive every moment of it? "Look, this is hyper-unprofessional, and you know it!"
"Then understand this: ever since someone very much like yourself caused massive problems a while back, people like me have had to be on edge so I don't catch a knife in the back."
Mara's voice lowered into a whisper. "Is this about that fire duchess?"
Corina flinched. "Don't say that name so loud, Mara! We have enough bad omens to deal with in the dungeon. The witch—"
Rennia didn't say anything. She had no idea who this duchess was and what her issues were. New history, new people, new rules.
"Look, I made a bad judgment call. She's clean as far as I'm concerned. I think we should just expedite the process here and now," Mara said to her leader. "No tests, except a trial dungeon."
Corina didn't respond immediately. The guildmaster's brows furrowed, and then she let out a sigh. She retrieved something from her drawers—a piece of paper—slammed it on her desk, and tilted her head toward Rennia.
"Sign."
"What is it?" Rennia asked, eyeing the paper warily.
"Just admission into the guild. You think we just let anyone in without vetting them? Truth is, you're a problem in the making, and I don't want to deal with that right now. So sign here, get your weird little ass into a dungeon as soon as possible, and come back with proof that you're as capable as you claimed earlier."
Rennia narrowed her eyes. "So... what was all that about earlier? You wanted to see my dick just to sign a form?"
"You think people just waltzed around with skills such as [Sexual Discipline]? No! You're going to raise eyebrows. You're invariably going to cause trouble. This just skipped the whole half-process. We don't need more eyes on you, do we? You're a risk, even taking you in."
Mara whispered, voice dropped low, "She'll be catching more than eyes."
Was that a sexually charged comment? From Ms. I'd-love-to-fuck? If by some virtue her class forced her into these positions, she would have a serious talk with her "patron" saint goddess thingy.
"Anyway, Rennia, stay away from the temple of Arosia. They will have problems with you, no doubt."
"Or they'll start worshiping her," Mara noted.
"Yeah," Corina said, exasperated but half-laughing, "maybe they'll start worshiping your cock."
That wouldn't be so bad. "Look, futanari like you aren't unheard of. But most keep low profiles. You? You're dripping with attention. So keep your dick in your pants, or I'll be the one who has to keep it there."
Rennia kept quiet, going through the contents of the page, embarrassed but persevering. She'd been through much worse, and Mara hadn't been freaked out by her "waist problem" at all—perhaps there was a chance.
Her eyes caught something.
"Tin rank?" she snapped. "The fuck is this? I was bronze back home."
"Ahem, level 4 rare class with a sexually disruptive subclass. No, if you think you'll be treated like royalty, go slave your ass off like the rest of us. You think you're special because of that thing between your legs?"
Mara took a deep breath and waved at the heat of her face. She stepped toward the door. "I think I'm not needed here currently. Rennia, meet me outside when you're done."
Rennia, anxious but affirmative, signed the paper. Her jaw was stiff. Corina watched her for a few seconds, then inquired.
When Mara left the room, Corina whispered in her ear, "Strange report came in this morning. Guards saw someone leaving Kibblestadt at dawn. One of the old carpenters headed to the city's edge—to a burned-down ruin no one touches. You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"
Rennia shook her head. "No, and it's relevant why?"
"No reason." She pulled back and gestured lazily at the door. "You may leave. Mara will give you the basic tour."
Rennia turned to go.
"One final thing," Corina added, as she started going through a stack of documents. "Tomorrow, Mara will assign you to a trial dungeon in two days. No excuses, no explanations. You'll find a partner within the building. That's how I'll let you in."
Rennia froze in place. A partner? Where was she supposed to find people for a weird partnership? Would she have to pay someone?
There was nothing else to say. Rennia stepped out, shut the door behind her, and let the weight of the morning settle in her stomach. Her heart was still racing—and not from fear alone.