Rupegia Novel Chapter 4: Nour’s Gift

Chapter 4: Nour’s Gift

A knock on the door wakes

up, then a female voice calls out, "Breakfast is ready!"

My body is light, but my soul is heavy.

I don't want to get up.

I can still sll the orc's blood. It has been imprinted upon my heart.

I didn't dream of the Gargling Goblin, but now I think I might have acquired a bigger trauma. The scene of stabbing the orc in the neck keeps flashing in my eyes when my mind wanders. The fear of sothing coming to attack

from my back assaults

repeatedly, giving

chills with each attack.

If it weren't for Nour, the orc would've grabbed my head and crushed it…

Eventually, hunger wins over fear, and I go down to eat.

The al is a simple vegetable soup with Rabid Rabbit at and toasted bread. The vegetables are savory this ti, so it goes well with the at.

Selina cos to my table and concernedly asks, "Say, what was all that blood you had on you yesterday?"

I give her a slightly bitter smile as I answer, "It was from an Orc Headhunter. I had a very unfortunate encounter with it yesterday."

Her jaw hangs in surprise, then she takes a seat and looks at

worriedly. "The one inside Royd's Kerfuffle? Why did you fight it? I only heard stories of people running away from him."

I nod. "It was a runaway. I t it on the sixth floor."

She gasps and covers her mouth with her hands.

How cute.

"Did you fight him alone?!" She exclaims, and I see a few custors start to listen intensely.

Please lower your voice, Selina.

I shake my head while smiling wryly and answer, "Heavens, no. I fought it with three other people. We were cornered and couldn't run away, so we were forced to fight it. I ended up being the luckiest one and got hit the least while one guy got poisoned, and I'm sure that he broke a few ribs since the Headhunter kicked him twice."

"Wow. But to co back that bloody… did you have a knife fight with him, or sothing?" She giggles softly.

Please stop being cute, I'm not in the mood to smile.

My faint, involuntary smile gains a subtle smugness to it as I reply, "Actually, I did. My sword got stuck in its body, so I had to use my knife to stab it in the neck."

I won't say that I got it stuck in his groin, that's a sight I want to forget.

She lets her jaw hang loose again while she stares at

with shock in her eyes.

Did I brag too much?

I awkwardly massage my neck and explain things properly, "Well, the most important person was the magician woman. She cast [Ice Lance] and pierced the Orc's shoulder so it couldn't use its shield arm anymore, then she used [Shocking Touch] and fainted. With that, I had a good opening to stab it until it died. There was also another guy who helped by throwing himself onto the arm of the orc and holding it in place so that I could finish it. Then there was the poisoned guy who fought while weakened and got kicked twice. It really was a desperate fight."

She closes her mouth and her eyes shine while she smiles. "Wow. That sounds amazing…" She whispers in wonder.

I knit my eyebrows in worry at her sudden shift. "Really? Is fighting so interesting?"

She nods repeatedly, and rests her elbows on the table, leaning a bit too close to

as she stares with dreamy eyes. "Yes! I know that I'm not strong, and I don't like fighting, but to think that there are people who work so hard, who can achieve so much to protect us, that makes

really happy."

Oh, boy, stop, my heart is lting.

Even the eavesdroppers smile at her innocence.

I beco awkward again and reply, "I-Is that so… well… your enthusiasm makes

a little happy."

She giggles girlishly and gives my hand a comforting squeeze, surprising . "Thank you for your story. I gotta continue working now, so co back later to talk." She winks then gets up and leaves.

Honestly, that conversation healed my heart, just a little, but still healed.

I guess this is why so people fight, because if it weren't for us killing that runaway, then soone else would have to suffer.

I finish my al and go back to my room.

I have so ti to kill, so I think about what I should do with my new skill points. I open my "Status" and see that my "Willpower" increased by 1 (now 12), my [Sword Use] also increased by 1 (now 8 2), my MP increased by 20 (now 135), and my "Magic Power" by 5 (now 190).

How does this magic increase work? It just increases with use, or do I have to "exercise" sothing within my body like a muscle?

I put my four unused points in [Reduced Mana Cost] because I need to be able to cast magic more often. Perhaps at the next level, I should get more [Mana Efficiency] to balance things, then later improve my lee skills again.

I think I'll waste another hour here at the inn. Nour said to be at the hunter's guild just before noon, so there are still a few hours until then.

I really have to steel my heart because that won't be the last ti that I have to fight so desperately. I'm going for the life of a warrior, so my weak and soft Earth-born heart won't survive. This is a brutal world, and after thinking about Selina's words, I understand that there's a need for strong people who protect others.

This skill system gives

the potential to grow quickly and beco extrely strong, and I think that whatever god threw

here probably won't let

lead a peaceful life, so going for the crafter's route might not be the best idea. Besides, it's a bit "romantic" to be a warrior in a monster-filled world.

My motto has always been: "do the thing you won't regret in the future," so, becoming a selfish hermit hoarding all this power to myself doesn't sit right with .

Well, saying is different than doing. Even after this period of reflection, I still feel pain and fear, which is a bit laughable. Perhaps I need so ti to let the fear subside. I'd already decided I should take a week off, anyway, so there's no need to keep thinking about this.

I spend so ti massaging my sore muscles, and it actually feels good.

Is there perhaps a massage parlor around here? I know that there's a [Massage] skill, so it could be a common profession. I'd definitely go there if I found one.

After relaxing for a while, I decide to go et Nour.

The hunter's guild has its usual rough atmosphere, but the number of people around the hunt report boards is larger than what I expected. I quickly find Nour at the tables along with his companions. Liam and Rania are drinking sothing while Nour is simply chatting with them.

They notice

and wave as I approach.

"Good day, Mr. Ryder," Nour greets casually.

"Good day, Sir," Liam greets formally as usual.

"Morning, Mr. Ryder," Rania greets more energetically than the last ti we talked.

"Good day, everybody. I hope you all slept well," I respond with a smile.

Nour grins and confesses, "I don't even rember going to bed, I just blacked out from drinking too much. We partied a bit too hard, and even Liam was quite drunk."

"We have to let it out once in a while. It's not every day we fight so hard," Liam calmly defends himself.

"Well, little brother, it seems that your next lesson is about how to hold your own liquor," Rania teases and shows her tongue cheekily.

Nour's eye twitches, then he smiles with a faint pout as he replies, "That's… not true. I can hold it just fine."

"You did just admit to the contrary a few seconds ago," I comnt with a wry smile.

He turns to

and exclaims in disbelief, "Even you…!" Then he grits his teeth and declares dramatically, "You know what, I'll drink every day until I learn my lesson!"

"Please, don't!" Liam suddenly pleads.

"I retract my previous statent," Rania calmly replies and chuckles.

I let out a few shy chuckles along with her. Seeing them all like this makes

feel a little silly I got so scared.

Nour calms down and his expression softens, then he continues, "But anyway… let's get down to business. I wanted to reward you, and I knew that you were going solo, so I prepared this." -He pushes a sealed letter towards

with a sly grin- "You see, I'm a stupid son of a wealthy rchant, and although I decided to take on adventuring, I still have my own connections, so I made a letter of reference. This will open the doors to you to the most expensive Blood Slave trader of this town, and I obtained a heavy discount for you there, so you might be able to choose among the best that they have to offer."

I lift my eyebrows in surprise, then I tense up a bit as I awkwardly reply, "Oh, wow… that's incredible, but… I don't really know much about Blood Slaves…"

I know that level 1 in [Slavery Magic] there's the spell called [Contract of Servitude], then at level 10 there's the spell [Mark of the Master], and at level 20 there's the spell [Tongue of Obedience], but that's absolutely all of the information that I have on it.

Rania raises an eyebrow and curiously asks , "Your parents didn't teach you about Blood Slaves?"

I force a smile and look away. "They did… I just didn't pay attention," I lie and try not to blush in embarrassnt.

Nour and Rania chuckle, while Liam holds back a smile.

"It's why I'm here. I'm a bit… 'free-spirited,'" I lie again and chuckle at myself. My own awkwardness and embarrassnt only serve to improve the character I'm trying to sell.

"I see…" Nour mutters while smirking, then he leans back on his chair and taps his temple in thought.

Rania clears her throat and starts, "A Blood Slave is a specialized servant that you buy to perform a specific duty. Their performance is assured by the seller, while their loyalty is enforced through [Slavery Magic]. They ingest your blood, and then a spell is used to bind them to your Fate."

"Fate"? What's that? Can I eat it?

I hold back the urge to ask about Fate, and instead ask about sothing else, "What types of 'duties' do they perform?"

Nour shrugs as he answers, "Anything. If soone thinks that they're skilled enough in sothing and that they're worthy of becoming a servant, then they could sell themselves as a Blood Slave. Take Liam, by example." He pats the older man's shoulder, then smiles at

proudly.

Rania pats his other shoulder and continues, "Liam has a real talent for the sword and protecting others. He cost a lot, but he was worth every coin." She smiles warmly at him, and I get suspicious about these two.

Liam stiffens for a second, then nods respectfully towards

and adds, "I was having trouble making money through adventuring, so I decided to sell myself for ten years. By the end of my contract, I'll have a small fortune, so I'll go back to my hotown in Faium and inherit my father's smith. If the smith fails, then I'll still have enough money to live comfortably for a while."

"Contract?" I reflexively question. It seems slavery has so sort of structure or possibly laws behind it.

Rania rolls her eyes at my question while Nour smiles. I believe they're thinking I'm a country bumpkin due to my lack of knowledge.

Nour leans forward and happily answers, "The person selling themselves stipulates limits to what their duty entails and the length of their servitude. Usually, the fewer the limits, the more expensive the slave is, but few put strict limits because if there are too many, then it's easier to just buy a traditional slave, instead. A lot of won sell themselves as sex slaves, so the most common limitations are related to that."

Uh… sex slaves…?

I glance at Rania, but she's just casually sipping her drink, she doesn't show a single reaction.

"With the discount in this letter, you can get yourself a young female warrior, if that's your thing, of course," Nour adds, then he smirks when he sees my awkward reaction.

Holy shit.

"You're pretty versatile yourself, but I recomnd you think carefully about what kind of warrior will work well with your style," Rania casually advises.

Nour nods and continues, "You got so good skill with the sword, you can heal yourself, you can sense monsters, and you have a spell you can cast chantless, so you can choose basically whoever you want and they'll still be useful to you."

Ah, shit. I guess mages should chant before casting their spells, but I know nothing about that. At least now I know why it took Rania so long to cast her spells and why she scread their nas.

"You're not very tall or physically strong, if you forgive my bluntness, so I recomnd soone more robust instead of a mage like Da Rania," Liam adds and lowers his head respectfully.

"No offense taken," I reply and politely smile.

Rania's gaze becos slightly stern and asuring as she gives

another piece of advice, "Keep in mind that the Gods watch over the Blood Slaves, so if the master is being abusive, they can interfere and nullify the contract without the intervention of a priest. It's rare, but it happened before."

I stiffen instinctively and nod.

The 'Gods'? So it's god-sanctioned slavery? That's… a little concerning.

Since they're already thinking I'm a dumb peasant, I'll just lean on it and ask whatever I'm curious about. "What's [Tongue of Obedience]?"

Rania doesn't seem to have the patience for this, so Nour answers, "That spell prevents the Blood Slave from spilling your secrets. There are a few others, like one that prevents the Slave from hurting you, or another that gives you full control of their body, allowing you to even kill them with a word, but that's illegal, of course."

Full body control seems worse than normal slavery, but my curiosity makes

want to ask questions like: "Can I control their intestines?" Can I control their eyes? Can I stop the blood flow of certain veins?" Maybe I can perform surgery without the need for anesthesia or blood loss if I can cut blood flow or nerve response at will.

"That sounds a bit much," I comnt with a wry smile.

Nour shrugs, Liam chuckles once, and Raina nods in agreent as she takes a sip of her alcohol, then she explains, "Yeah, but it's really useful. Most aides of nobles and Lords are Blood Slaves because they're much more reliable and trustworthy than free n."

Nour happily takes Raina's hook to interject, "Of course, there are loopholes to their contracts and these spells, but they're so roundabout and require so much effort that you need a slave who really hates their master for them to do that. It's easier for them to concentrate the effort in breaking the contract than for them to go around those limitations. Any contract can be broken by a slave that hates its master enough, by the way."

"Which is why it's important to treat them well," Rania adds and glances at Liam, who nods subtly.

So, leaving the moral question aside, I guess this is a really thoughtful gift from Nour. He put so thought into what I needed and delivered sothing that's really valuable.

After allowing

a few monts to think things through, Nour gets to the final point, "I know that you got so good money from yesterday's rewards, so, with my discount, you can get yourself a pretty good fighter. You might even get lucky." -He shrugs- "Sotis there are Blood Slaves with specific circumstances, and these sell for much cheaper than they would normally go for."

Well, I got a trump card: my rose coin. It should be really valuable. Well, at least I hope it is.

I nod in understanding and smile gently as I express, "Thank you, Nour, I really appreciate this. I think this will help

a lot."

Nour gives

a wide smile, and even Rania seems pleased. He tells

where the slaver is, and I write it down on my rough map of the town.

Nour loudly hits his palms against the table and announces, "Now, then. With this business done, I have a personal request for you." -His face turns serious- "How about you join us? A man with skills such as yours is a rarity."

I smile bitterly. I knew that this was coming. I honestly would like to join them because they're good people, and even if I don't know what their goals are, I'd like to spend more ti with them. But no, I can't. They already saw a lot of my skills, so I can't really show them more.

"I'm sorry, but… I'd like to walk my own path," I politely answer and lower my head for a second.

"Told you," Rania mumbles to Nour and they both smile bitterly.

Nour shrugs, and his tone gains a hint of sadness as he replies, "Well, I had to try. It's a sha that we can't walk together, but I don't want this to be the end. I'm going back to my hotown for a short trip, but I'll co back here later and continue my adventuring. When I co back, I'd like to et you again, if you wish."

"Oh, yes. Please, let us et again," I eagerly agree and give him a genuine smile.

"I live in Hurfa, the capital of the Faium Principality. If we don't cross paths again, then co visit . My family runs a magic tool shop, and we produce a lot of the Wind stones used in the country. My last na is Asaf, so you can search for my family with this. You... shouldn't have much problem finding the family shop there." He smiles awkwardly.

I have no idea where Faium is, but I'll write it down later so that I don't forget to look for it on a map. Also, his last na sounds Arabic, but he's as Caucasian as they co.

I nod and affirm, "Understood. If we don't et here again, then I'll search for you. I don't really have plans to leave this place for quite so ti, though."

He taps the table loudly and gets up. "Then it's decided! I look forward to eting you again. For now, we have to prepare for our trip, so we must take our leave. See you again soti, Mr. Ryder." Then he gives

a quick bow.

I imdiately get up and return the bow. I have no idea if this is the custom here, but it seems to please them, so whatever.

Nour grins and gives

his blessing, "One last thing, Mr. Ryder. I wish you good luck in the future. You'll need it since you seem to be making waves already." Then he points towards the small crowd near the hunt reports.

I wish I wasn't, Nour, I wish I wasn't.

Rania and Liam also bow and say their goodbyes, then I'm just left with a few curious gazes, a letter, and a head full of thoughts.

I leave the guild and take a stroll along the streets looking for books while thinking about what they told . A companion would certainly be helpful. If I had soone to watch my back, then there'd be no need to fear the Orc Headhunter crushing my head. If I had soone like Nour to help , then for sure I'd feel much safer, and it's not because of his skill, but because of his actions. I might be considered the one who saved them, but the mont that Nour threw himself at the orc's arm was when he saved .

And it's not like Blood Slaves are completely miserable people. They seem to have their own rights, the ability to escape abuse, and they need to be treated well. Take Liam, for example, he seems pretty proud and content with his job, and he seems no different than a knight or a retainer with the task of protecting his lord. If I just hire soone for a few years, then it might be the sa as hiring a bodyguard, or sothing like that.

The concept of depriving soone of their freedom might put people off, but I'm a bitter realist. Blood Slaves are rely rcenaries that co with a magical contract. Hell, even the gods are monitoring us so that they're not abused.

Oh!

I found a small book telling the Tale of Creation. It even has a lot of cute drawings in it.

It's just two silver, I'm buying it!

Now that I think about it, I should ask Ciel about what the gods think of slavery. It seems odd to

they are getting involved with Blood Slaves, but if the gods themselves say it's okay, then who am I to go against them?

But this also ans that society won't really progress. This world might be safer by having the gods watching over the people, but it's like an overprotective mother. The people won't suffer, but they won't learn.

Adding that to the skill system, and I think that the social progress here might be slow. I want to take a look at the chronology of this world, and I bet that it'd show how slow this world develops in comparison to Earth. This world's "Cycle" is called a "Playground," after all. If things change too much and too fast, the genre of the ga changes to sci-fi while you're not looking.

I think the best thing about Blood Slaves is that I can prohibit them from talking about . This way, I don't have to worry too much about my abilities showing. I could even tell the truth that I'm not from this worl-…

What the hell?

I see a man flying around on a literal carpet, darting up and down the street repeatedly while making quick turns and barrel rolls.

What's the matter Aladdin, looking for Jasmine?

Once the passersby start to stop to stare at him, the man lowers the carpet close to the ground and stands up.

"Good day, gentlen and gentlewon!" He exclaims in a loud voice that has the characteristic buzzing of soone talking on a microphone. He waits a mont to make sure that everyone is looking at him, then he continues, "I have shown you all just a small glimpse of the newest magic tool developed! The true [Fly] crystal! This gem is incomparable to that common fake jewel that only allowed you to slowly float around. Now you can fly as gracefully as a bird, turn so fast a dragon would be envious, and make tricks that could impress even the Emperor! This gem is the bleeding edge of technology. Even the imperial army is buying it in droves to construct a new generation of the dream of every adventurer: the airships!"

Ooooh, airships, my nerd heart is pounding.

"Co to the Quizzical Emporium at the Bazaar for the latest [Fly] gems. We have magic tools so big you can build airships that can hold as many as eight people! I hope to see you there, honorable citizens!" And he darts away, this ti for good.

The street starts buzzing with people excitedly talking, and I even feel like clapping my hands. I add this flying gem to my notes as research options. Airships and the [Golemancy] skill are the two things that I'm most eager to research.

Wait what was I thinking about?

Uh… oh yeah, I think that I could even tell the truth about my origin to the Blood Slave. It's risky, but if I make a contract of at least twenty years, it might be enough to get the trust or goodwill for them to keep quiet about it. At that ti, I might even find a way to deal with it if the word gets out, and if I acquire enough power, I might be able to squash the rumors, too.

But do I have to tell the truth…? It's not like a slave needs to know everything about their master, they're just there to serve. I also can't just tell them that I ca from another world and leave it at that. If I tell them the truth, then I'll need to tell a lot more than just that to answer their doubts. It's not a kind of conversation that I'm looking forward to.

Regardless, I see little reason to not buy one.

I don't really have an idea of the price a good slave might go for, so I should go look for the value of the rose coin.

The banker is near the Nobles' Quarters, so I need to go across the town. I'll first go to the temple, eat sothing nearby, talk to Ciel about the gods and slavery, and then go to the banker to see the value of the rose coin.

I think I might visit the slave trader tomorrow morning. It's near the castle in the north, so it's another long trip there. It's a bit tiring walking everywhere, so maybe I should look for the price of that magic carpet. I also don't feel like paying for a Space mage transport; I always hated taxis.

I look for a better restaurant this ti, and I find one serving Great Boar at. They aren't commonly found here, but a hunter expedition deep into the Sea of Trees found a pack there, so so restaurants have a lot of Boar at to offer for the next few days.

The beans are good, but I miss rice, too. I'm a Brazilian who immigrated to Canada, and I miss the staple food of my holand once in a while: rice, beans, and Brazilian-style barbecued at.

I waste so of my ti in a tea shop. They serve sothing similar to black tea with an unidentified citric fruit. Is this Earl Grey? It tastes similar, but it's closer to the average orange than the bergamot. They serve a few simple butter cookies that go really well with it.

Then I go to the temple and search for Ciel. I take a walk around the outer ring looking for her while also taking a closer look at the statues, but she's not down here. I ask a standby priest and he tells

that she's at the orphanage. Luckily, today isn't her free day.

The orphanage looks exactly the sa as the priests' living quarters, with the only difference being that instead of priests, there are children entering and leaving all the ti.

The orphanage is a large, box-shaped white building with a brown tiled roof, which looks a little expensive for a religious institution. It has flowery carvings covering all of its walls, and the channels are filled with a gradient of colors. The orphanage and the quarters seem to be the only buildings where so decoration is allowed. It's quite pretty and makes

feel like I'm looking at one of these "trendy" and "artsy" places back on Earth.

There's only a brown picket fence surrounding the orphanage and the priests' quarters, but is it really okay for

to enter uninvited?

The orphanage is in the middle of the plot, covering most of the available land. At the front, there's a simple grass garden with a cobbled path towards the entrance, but I can see so sort of small flower garden behind the building. On this grass garden, there's a tal swing, a rry-go-round, and a raised goal where the children are playing so sort of ga of hot potato with a small leather ball.

I gather so courage and enter the area. A few boys look interested in my sword while the rest ignore . Then I quickly enter the building and look around. The inside is made of gray square stone while the floor is made of light brown wood with the only decoration being so wooden pillars around.

Just as I finish observing my surroundings, an old male priest walks by.

"Oh, hello, can I help you?" The chubby priest asks as his small eyes look at

warmly. His voice is so gentle that it tickles my ears.

"I'm… looking for Miss Ciel," I reply, a little srized by him.

His expression brightens and he smiles. "Oh! The sister is in the kitchen. I'll call her over for you. What's your na?"

"Wolf Ryder. Uh, if she's busy, I'll just co another ti; it's not an urgent business."

He shakes his head gently. "She's not really busy, so don't worry. Wait here in the guest room while I call her over."

Then he takes

to a really cozy room. There are a few simple sofas around a low coffee (do they even have coffee here?) table; a small fireplace that crackles with burning logs, yet I sll no smoke; and a "Last Supper"-style painting of the multiple Humanoid Gods hanging above it. I like this painting more than Earth's because it's full of different, colorful races and people, and has both genders instead of just boring, bearded n.

After a few minutes, Ciel cos into the room carrying a tray with a tea set and cookies.

Oh, no, I just drank tea, but I don't want to deny her hospitality, so I'll just pretend I'm not full.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Ryder. I was wondering when you'd co back," she greets as she sits, then imdiately pours tea for .

"I spent the last few days training in a dungeon, and I only ca back last night," I respond with a gentle tone.

She nods and smiles warmly. "I'm glad you're okay. Every day-cycle, we have news of soone disappearing inside a dungeon, so please, be careful."

I smile awkwardly. "My motto is 'don't die,' so I have no plans of dying soon."

She chuckles softly and lays back on her seat, then sips her tea. "So, what did you want to talk about?"

I swallow heavily. There are a few things I want to ask, but I'm sure she'll be thinking I'm a weirdo after I tell her.

Fuck it. Curiosity wins.

I clear my throat and start, "There are a few things I want to understand better. The first thing is, what's a day-cycle?"

She exhales loudly in amusent and raises her eyebrows in surprise as she replies, "Well, a day-cycle is a period of ten days and a half-cycle is five days. Every day-cycle you are advised to deeply bathe once, to pray once, and to make rry at least once; every half-cycle you're advised to make love to your partner at least once and to change the ingredients of the als, and that's also the ti between the monster cullings that the Townsguard is responsible for."

"How about months and years? How many days a month has and how many months a year has?"

"A month has thirty days and a year has ten months, so a year has three hundred days."

So, a day-cycle is equivalent to an Earth's week. Perhaps ten days is chosen because of the ten "base elents" in the Tale of Creation. I don't know why thirty and three hundred are chosen, though. Maybe it was made this way just so it's sowhat similar to Earth. I don't think the Japanese believe there's anything special about the numbers three or ten.

I look at Ciel and see that she seems both amused and confused by these questions.

I nod in thought and reply, "Hmm, I see. In my holand, we say weeks instead of day-cycle and it was seven days, not ten."

She knits her eyebrows and holds back a chuckle. "How curious…" She mutters.

I quickly change the topic to not let her think too much about it. "Anyway, I also heard about Blood Slaves, and I got curious about why the Gods would get involved with this matter."

Her face softens as she starts thinking more seriously. "An interesting thought…" She spends a mont thinking, then assus a teaching tone as she answers, "The Humanoid Gods are chosen to be our guides. They keep us on the correct path so we don't make a mistake so terrible that we destroy ourselves. We need to keep united and strong so we can always put a front against the Monster King. Therefore, it's their reason for existence to get involved with every aspect of our lives."

I'm not sure how safe it is to push these sorts of questions to a priest of all people, but I need to get a "feeling" about how slavery is treated in this world. "But why do the Gods accept slavery?"

She raises her eyebrows in surprise for a mont and asks back, "What do you an by that? Why wouldn't they accept it?"

I awkwardly scratch my head as I rethink this question.

It's better to be direct.

I breathe in and start my speech, "Isn't it cruel to chain innocent people into servitude regardless of the reason? Isn't it too much to have absolute control over soone's life? To be able to toy with their bodies, to force them to do anything and everything you want against their wishes? Even if it's not imdiately harmful, why should anyone have this much power over others?"

She leans forward and her face becos serious as she asks, "Do you believe people should be able to sell their bodies?"

I'm taken aback a little. "You an… like… prostitution?"

She shakes her head. "No, not just that. A bodyguard is soone who sells their sword and their health to protect soone or sothing important. A craftsman is soone who sells their hands to their employer. A slave is soone who sells their ti and loyalty to their master."

"But… are all slaves voluntary?"

She nods, and her face softens. "Most are. Debt slaves, criminal slaves, and war slaves are involuntary, but they make for bad workers and they lack loyalty, so they aren't as popular."

Wait… it's like this world's slavery is the inverse of Earth's chattel slavery.

I blink blankly and imdiately ask, "Why wouldn't they be popular? It's free labor."

She knits her eyebrows in worry as she responds, "They're being forced to work in sothing they don't like and to a master they hate, of course they'd be horrible workers. Because of this, the masters have to spend more making these slaves happy than voluntary slaves."

Make them… "happy"…?

I awkwardly retort, a bit uncomfortable with what I'm suggesting, "Can't they 'motivate' the slaves to work harder with lashings? By that I an, can't they punish the slaves if they don't work hard enough?"

She frowns and her tone becos slightly indignant, making

think that I might be pushing too far. "I sincerely hope you aren't thinking that slaves should be treated like that, Mr. Ryder. We aren't in Bestiaram; committing the Sin of Torture is punishable with death."

I force an apologetic smile and quickly deny, "N-no, no. I was just asking to satisfy my curiosity. It's hard to truly understand things without asking questions from all angles."

She opens her eyes wide in surprise and looks away as she coughs awkwardly. "I-I see. It's always good to be curious…" -She turns to

and lowers her head for a mont- "I apologize for doubting you. I didn't realize what you were doing, and it's bad form to assu the worst of soone during a discussion."

I wave my hand. "It's fine, it's fine. I should've been careful with my wording." And we share an embarrassed smile.

Her tone becos more casual and amused. "Are you sure you shouldn't call yourself a scholar? I rember going through these sa argunts when being taught about philosophy and morals."

I blush faintly. I only have a surface-level understanding of philosophy, but it might be above the average for the commoner in this world.

I shake my head and deny, "I'm not a scholar, I'm just a curious person."

She smiles warmly and takes another sip. "Then continue as so. The Gods like people like you."

I nod and bring us back on track, "So, why would anyone sell themselves voluntarily?"

"To have a better life; to serve a better purpose; to aid a better person. The reasons are endless."

I frown. "A 'better person'? What do you an by that?"

She assus a teaching tone again as she explains, "We aren't all born as equals, but we all have a capacity to grow. So people grow faster and further than others, so it's your duty to find these people and aid them. Those who can protect others, lord over those who can't, and the weak aid the strong, so that the strong can protect the weak."

Okay, I like the last part, but…

"Why is it our 'duty' to aid others?"

She smiles smugly like a teacher about to lay unto their students a long lesson. "We are all children of the God of Creation. Regardless of where you're born and what you believe, our mission is to survive and keep the Cycle going. That is our main purpose, our reason for existence, but we're still subordinates of the God of Creation, so our second purpose is to create as many new and interesting things as possible. Lastly, we've also inherited the will of the God of Change, so our third purpose is to keep civilization moving forward and progressing.

"Do you understand it now?" She kindly asks with expectant eyes.

I nod confidently. "It's the will of the God of Change. If you can't aid others yourself, then at least aid soone who can."

She smiles brightly like a mother who's proud of her son's school grade, making

blush again. "Perfectly stated."

I cough and recompose myself, then I continue, "But what if we want to abolish slavery and institute a democracy?"

She chuckles once, amused at my suggestion. "The strong serving the weak? That wouldn't work very well. The Gods won't stop you from trying, but you'll have to face the consequences if you fail."

"'Consequences'?"

She nods sternly. "The nobility exists to protect us, but if they fail, they have no reason to exist anymore, so they're deposed, if not outright killed as punishnt. The sa will happen to anyone trying to bring about change."

Oof, that's harsh…

She seems amused with my surprise and continues, "Rember that, just like the God of Creation is a subordinate of the God of Change, we are subordinates of the God of Creation, and the slaves are subordinates to us. To abolish slavery would be aningless since we'll always be compelled to serve our betters due to our reasons for our existence. You can run and hide from that reason, but the gods will find a way to guide you back to the path or simply kill you. 'Slavery' is just a system to aid us in fulfilling that purpose."

"What do you an by 'kill you'?" I ask with a worried frown.

Her tone becos so gentle and certain that I feel a chill due to the contents of her explanation, "Exactly that. The Genderless God of Existence is a subordinate from the God of Creation that watches over us and kills those who stand in the way of our reason for existence."

"What do you an by 'stand in the way'?"

And her tone becos serious again. "Those who only want to spread chaos, those who cause the realm to wither, the Sinners who go too far, and the heretics that stand against the Gods. These are the kinds of people that are killed by the God of Existence."

So, being smited by the Gods is a real possibility. I better not antagonize them… but wait…

"If they can do that, why don't the Gods govern us like a king does?"

She leans back on her chair, seemingly slightly amused by my question. "Because that goes against the main purpose of the God of Change: to keep things moving forward. If a God, who exists only for a single purpose, is given the power to govern us, then civilization will be forever bound to that God's ntality, impeding us from growing or evolving."

"And that would be the wish of the God of Order? To have things stagnate and decay?" I question tentatively.

She nods and smiles. "Indeed, but rember, the God of Order and Destruction are still Gods, so we can't ignore their wisdom."

"Huh? What do you an?"

She chuckles softly at my confusion, then she assus her teaching tone again and explains, "They may be trying to destroy us, but the principles they're based on are still very important to us. Just because our purpose is to create, it doesn't an that we can't destroy. It's necessary to kill a monster or an animal before you can cook a delicious steak. Just because we are to cause change, doesn't an it has to be in every single aspect of us. We're encouraged to kill bad kings, but a kingdom still needs peace to be allowed to grow and thrive. The Overseer created the Gods to maintain the balance on the realm so that the Cycle could continue, therefore, we must preserve this balance, too."

Oh, I understand… they don't see the God of Order and Destruction as "evil," only as an "opponent."

I grab my chin in thought and deliberate, "So it's all a hierarchy. No matter how we're pitted against one another, we're to keep the balance, not eliminate the other."

She nods emphatically, very pleased. "Precisely. It goes from the Overseer, to the God of Change, to the God of Creation, to the Genderless God of Existence, to the Humanoid Gods, to the royalty, to the nobility, to the commoner, to the Blood Slave, to the normal slave, and finally, to the criminal slave.

"The God of Order rules over the God of Destruction, who rules over the monsters. They're opposed to us, but that's just their nature, so we accept that their presence is necessary to force us to adapt and grow."

Though there's a certain amount of freedom, the overall structure of this society is still controlled by the gods, and if I want to change it, I'd basically have to destroy half the gods in this world. Social progress must be truly stagnating because of this.

"Going back a little, do the gods specify when they intervene?"

She takes a sip and observes

intensely as she answers, "To prevent people from abusing the line if the criteria are known, we're never told exactly why soone received Godly punishnt."

This is a bit worrying, but I kind of understand the reasoning.

"So, the only safe choice is to keep being as good as you can to avoid punishnt?"

She smiles warmly and hums, "Exactly."

"But what does it an to be a 'good person'?"

She becos quite happy and energetic, and I feel like her deanor is quite cute. "Well, you basically follow the teachings of the Humanoid Gods. Don't waste food, don't hurt others against their will for pleasure, don't commit cris like theft or extortion, help others whenever you can, things like that. It depends on the God, and there are many, many teachings, but you aren't required to follow them all perfectly. The Gods are reasonable and understanding, so you won't be punished just because you wasted a piece of food, but if you keep doing it, then the Gods will send ssages and warnings, and if you still defy them, then you get punished."

Alright, reasonable, but inflexible. Morality really is defined by the gods, but since they're chosen from the mortals, then, in a way, morality is actually defined by us. It just depends on the criteria of how the gods are chosen.

"Are there any known criteria for the Humanoid Gods being chosen?"

She shakes her head."That's not known to prevent it from being exploited, but we know that all Gods were once people who achieved sothing great."

Eh, maybe it isn't so bad.

I massage my neck to dispel so of the tension that has accumulated. Talking about religion to a priest where you don't know what their reaction to questioning will be is a little frightening.

I finish my tea and start to wrap things up, "Well, I think that's enough about slavery for

today, but I have one last question: I want to choose a god to worship, so can you tell

a quick resu of the Humanoid Gods?"

She suddenly brightens up and giggles. "That's a good idea! Most people choose around three that might help their lives the most, but if you have the ti to study what they represent you could choose more.

"Anyway, their nas are quite self-explanatory, they are: Genderless God of Existence; God of the Sun and Sister Goddess of the Moons; Goddess of Fertility; Goddess of Piety; Goddess of Will; Goddess of Love; Goddess of Growth; God of War; God of Law; God of Festivity; God of Endurance; God of Luck; Goddess of Knowledge and Brother God of Intelligence; Goddess of the Plants and Twin Brother God of the Animals."

"Moons" as in, there's more than one moon? I've realized I haven't seen the night sky yet. I had no reason to since I imdiately went to sleep after getting dark, but now I have to rember to check the sky tonight, otherwise, my curiosity will kill .

"What does the Goddess of the Moons and the God of the Sun do?"

"They were the first Gods, so their teachings are broader and more general because of that. These days, their focus is bringing happiness for those who work below the sun or the moons, but they aren't worshiped as much as they were before, though they're still the ones who talk the most to their worshipers."

So, I guess I should choose one of them if I wanted to talk to a God.

I hum in thought, then I lower my head for a mont and express, "Thank you for your ti, Miss Ciel, this is really enlightening. I'll think about choosing one for now."

She giggles cutely and replies, "Thank you for choosing

to talk to. I enjoyed talking to you quite a lot because you made

rember the basis of my faith and stimulated my thoughts."

I smile back and get up. "Then I'll be off. I'll see you another day."

"I'll be waiting." She waves goodbye, and I leave.

As I make my way out, I see that the old priest I talked to when I first ca here is in the room beside ours, casually reading a book. Perhaps he was eavesdropping? Well, it doesn't matter much to .

Now, I have to go to a bank and look at the conversion rate for the rose coin. The bankers are all over the noble quarters as a safety asure, and since it doesn't matter which one I go, I'm just going to choose the closest one.

The walk there is quite long, but it allows

to observe the carnival that the adventurers wear gradually turning into the more delicate clothes of the wealthy, who at least have a better sense of style than them. It seems that cloaks, sleeveless velvet jackets, and thin cotton pants and shirts are in fashion right now, while their wealth is shown through lavish decorations on the side of the arms, flanks, and legs.

I think about passing by the university's library, but after taking a look at my clothes, I realize that it might be a very uncomfortable experience. From what I understood, the university is either for the gifted, the wealthy, or the noble. I don't have any of these three to show, so I need at least a better set of clothing before I even try to go there.

This thought gets reinforced when I enter the bank. This is a fancy, fancy place. I see spiral pillars with details in gold and purple, black floor tiles with a perfect shine, couches that make my ass tingle just from looking, uniforms that make the employees look as fashionable as nobles, and a large line of decorated booths where attendants wait with a perfect smile.

I don't belong here. I need to finish my business as quickly as possible and then leave.

I find the nearest attendant and shyly ask for the conversion rates of the coins. I feel that he looks at

coldly, but responds in a perfect tone without any hint of rudeness, then he points

towards familiar black boards hanging on a wall. They're just like the ones at the hunters' guild.

These boards hold conversion rates for a variety of coins, and while most are for foreign coins, the board in the middle with the decorated borders is the one for the local coins. They explain the materials that the coins are made from, and the conversion rate between each of them.

All coins are made with alloys, and their value depends on the alloy composition and weight. Governnts might change their alloy and weight as economic asures, so it's important to always know the precise make-up of each coin. For example, they could reduce weight to save costs, introduce cheaper tals to dilute the alloy, or completely change the alloy when new mines are found or old ones are exhausted.

To my extre happiness, rose coins are very valuable.

The normal exchange rate that the empire aims to maintain is that copper, silver, gold, and rose coins have a 1:100 exchange rate. This ans that 1 silver equals 100 copper, 1 gold equals 100 silver, and so on. I guess this is to prevent high-value transactions from becoming cumberso since coins can get quite heavy.

The attendant explains that a few months ago, a mine that holds a massive amount of platinum was discovered, which is the tal used for the rose coin. This coin is just an alloy of gold and copper for color-coding the coin, giving it its rosy color, while a small amount of platinum is added to give it value because it's too small to make it into a coin by itself.

This rose coin is also never used without soone who has the [tal Appraisal] skill because that's the only reliable way to see the percentage of tal in an alloy, and if you're dealing with rose coins, then you have enough gold to hire an appraiser for the transaction.

The current version of the rose coin is worth seventy gold, but the empire will soon mint a new coin with a higher platinum content to adjust the price. The attendant says the value is going to drop one or two more gold before it stabilizes, but my rose coin won't be as valuable as the new one once it's out, so there's little reason for

to hold it.

I tell the attendant that I want to exchange my coin, and he looks at

visibly shocked for a mont. I just hope I don't get accused of stealing from sobody, but considering the price of so of the adventuring equipnt, I wouldn't be surprised if an adventurer eventually finds sothing worth a rose coin or two.

The attendant points

to the end of the line of booths where a few attendants deal with money exchange. There's no queue, so I go there, present my coin, and get the gold counted in front of , then I take it and leave imdiately.

Once I get out, I start to relax a little. The lavish atmosphere was making

uncomfortable.

There are still a few hours until dusk, so I kill so ti by browsing through books. I buy three about random hero tales and one about romance. I'm not the romance type, but I feel interested in knowing what love is in this world. I also find a very fluffy pillow, which I'm going to use to sleep from now on.

Then I decide to buy a middle-range set of clothes and a cloak. It's a dark-blue woolen shirt with golden lines running along the sides of the arms, black pants following the sa design, black leather shoes, and a fashionable dark-blue velvet cloak. The cloak is a bit stylish. It has a bracelet that fastens its bottom to my wrist, so it reaches my waist, then turns to the side, covering only one arm. I've seen a few people using it, so I don't think it's too out of the norm, even if it looks weird to .

After that, I find a stall selling Dragolite at on a stick. It tastes like chicken, but there's a strong lingering taste of sothing that reminds

of a herb. I don't know if it's the seasoning or if that's just its usual taste.

Back at the inn, Selina seems cheerful as usual, but the innkeeper seems to be observing .

Shit, I'm not trying to steal your daughter.

He doesn't seem to be cold to , though.

Then I relax and go to sleep feeling very content in my choice of pillow.

I have a short nightmare with the Gargling Goblin that wakes

up in the middle of the night, making

feel rather frustrated. After that, I dream of killing goblins, but it isn't another nightmare, it's just a mory of the adrenaline rush of a fight.

Today, breakfast has a salad with a dash of vinegar that tastes like apple, and this makes

want to look at the Farr's Market for so fruit or sothing to make juice. If I buy so, I can just ask the inn's cooks to prepare it for .

After filling my stomach, I put on my new, more fashionable clothes and start walking towards the castle.

Today, I see a few pamphlets advertising the Quizzical Emporium. They have a pretty detailed hand-drawn airship on them. They're going all out on the advertising.

The airship design is that of a horizontal egg, and the top half of the egg is smaller, which creates a deck for people to walk on. At its back, I see what looks like a dozen propellers, so does this an that this world has a concept of aerodynamics?

I move on and look ahead. After a few minutes of walking down the main road, the castle starts to peek over the roofs of the houses, and I gradually see it in its full glory for the first ti. It's made of blue-gray bricks and looks more like a super thick square tower than the usual dieval castle. It starts massively thick and gets smaller the higher it goes, towering twice as tall as every other building and tower in this town, then it ends with a huge flag hung from a pole.

Even at this distance, it's possible to discern the details on the flag. It's the sa as the heraldry on the tabard of the guards: a black background with a simple white kite in the middle, which has a golden sword and a red rose crossed over it.

It takes a while until I can see the castle entirely since the streets are pretty crowded with crooked multi-story buildings. It only clears once I get on the main brick road that goes to the castle.

The stores around here are of high quality and with a lot of variety. Restaurants, tea shops, bakeries, bookstores, magic shops, magic crafters, smiths, magical smiths, potion sellers, high-class inns, taverns that remind

of modern rustic restaurants, furniture shops, real estate, and the closer you get to the castle, the more perfu shops appear.

I don't resist and buy the cheapest n's perfu I can find. Forty silver coins. It's damn expensive, but I need sothing to mask the sll of leather if I'm to enter a high-class establishnt.

Then I finally find the slave trader. It's a large white and black building with the words "Golden Necklace" written in gold on a sign above the entrance.

I stare at the sign for a mont to gather my courage, then I get inside and imdiately wish I had bought even better clothes.

The slave trader is as lavish as the bank. It has an incredibly glossy dark floor and golden seams connecting the tiles, while the walls are adorned with dozens of crystal statues of naked humanoids. The building is large, but the lobby is small as the walls are covered with doors to other rooms.

An old man wearing clothes that are strikingly similar to a suit and tie cos to . "Welco, Grand Sir. How may I help you?" He politely inquires as he bows in a right angle.

I still have no idea how formal greetings are done around here, so I just stiffly respond, "Good day. I have a letter of recomndation here."

I extend the letter to him, and he delicately takes it. He looks it over but doesn't open it, then he turns to

and gently asks, "Could you follow ? I'll take you to a private room and then take the letter to the Head so he can verify its contents."

"Understood," I accept with a nod.

He opens one of the nearby doors and leads

inside. The room is rather wide, but there are only two lavish couches around a glass table in the middle of it, making the room rather bare. There are no windows as the illumination is magical, coming from shining jewels embedded in the ceiling, and I see a small vent at one of its corners.

Seems like they even have ventilation technology here.

The old man motions

to one of the sofas and then leaves.

I awkwardly sit there and wait. After a minute, another door opens on the other side of the room, and a middle-aged man cos out. His face is so manly and gentle that it makes

oddly uncomfortable. He's wearing a lavish, purple silk robe, and a jeweled ring on each of his fingers.

The old butler cos after him, carrying a tray with a tea set and cookies, which makes

a bit excited.

Are those chocolate cookies?!

The man sits on the sofa in front of

and does a quick bow. "Welco to the Golden Necklace. Your na is Mr. Ryder, as the letter says, correct?" He calmly asks, his voice is surprisingly deep and stimulating.

"Correct," I answer with a nod.

He shows

a handso smile and continues, "My na is Ghulam Bhatt, and I'm the Head of this establishnt. I'm surprised at the contents of the letter given to . You've made a powerful ally, Mr. Ryder."

He actually makes

blush, for so reason. This man has a perfect tone, the perfect face, and even the perfect body language. If I were a woman, I'd easily fall in love with him.

"H-hello, Mr. Bhatt. I just did what I thought was right," I awkwardly reply.

He nods slowly. "And a reward was given… Now, the letter says you're looking for an adventuring companion, is that right?"

I swallow heavily and steel my nerves. "Yes, I have no real requirents. I only want soone who can help

fight, so show

your best."

"Any preference on gender?"

That's a dangerous question.

"No…"

He simply nods again. "Then excuse

as I have to leave to collect the best and bring them here. We'll start with the won." And I suddenly feel a bit uncomfortable.

I nod and he leaves then cos back again in a few minutes with five won following behind him. They're all wearing a loose-fitting and small white silk dress that keeps their legs bare, showing up to half the thighs. It's also open at the sides, and two of the won are so well endowed that the breasts spill through the openings, and the cloth is so thin that I can even see the form of their nipples. This is way too dangerous and stimulating.

What am I doing here…?

When I see the last woman enter, I freeze completely.

No, no… this is too much.

A slender body that shows a hint of muscle, a light brown skin, slightly wavy black hair that goes a bit below the shoulder, and a small feminine face.

That's Lily…

No, it's not! It looks like her but it's not!

I want to jump and hug her then kiss and make love to her.

I miss Lily so much…

I want to go ho.

The seller follows my gaze and turns to . "That one is a mage with knowledge of Blessing and [Dark Magic], and an inkling of knowledge in the rare [Summoning Magic]. If you wish to study exotic magic, she's the one you need. She was also trained in simple [Potion Brewing]. She's not a front-line fighter, but she'll be a perfect support for you. Even in bed."

A shiver runs along my spine.

"Please remove her," I request with a flat tone, holding back my emotions.

The seller gets taken aback, but he nods to the old man, who guides her away.

"Was she not satisfactory?" Ghulam tactfully asks.

I clench my fist and lock up again the emotions that are about to burst out. "It's not that… she just reminds

too much of soone."

"I see…" He whispers in a soothing tone, then he continues introducing each woman.

The first is a raven-type demon race woman. She's tall and well-endowed. Her skin is a beautiful pure black, her charming straight white hair falls on her shoulders like drapes, and her bright red eyes stare with interest. She can materialize a huge blade that cos out of the back of her hand, and she can even fly by summoning bird wings. She specializes in spear fighting and knows [Wind Magic] to support her flight. She allows being used as a sex slave.

Oof, that last part is scary. I'm just going to ignore her for now.

The second is a dwarf woman, but she looks like a short teenager. She has brown hair styled in a bowl cut, and a round, funny nose that makes her look rather adorable. She uses the traditional dwarven shield and hamr combo, and she has a racial skill that converts mana into "Strength," but without it, there's no way those thin arms of her would be able to lift a tower shield. She has a few levels in [Earth Magic] for utility and [Light Magic] for healing, so she's rather self-sufficient and lasts long in a fight.

The third is a human woman. She's well-endowed, and her face looks an but sexy at the sa ti, enhanced by her short boyish blonde hair. She's tall, strong, and can hold her own against a knight. She used to be an adventurer, and her body shows plenty of scars as evidence of her experience.

The fourth is a human girl. She's average-looking but has pretty brown hair. She excels in Water, Fire, and [Wind Magic], but only that, so she's basically a glass cannon. I'm slightly interested in her since she has such a large magic repertoire.

Then the won go away, and he brings three n.

The first is a large dragonkin. A tall and rather ugly man with short brown hair. He has dragon wings that he can use to fly for a short amount of ti, and small patches of sharp scales protruding from the side of his arms and legs. These scales can act as armor or even be used as weapons since the edges are sharpened. His specialty is that he can breathe a sand storm and blind his opponents, and he's also experienced with all sorts of lee weapons. Truly the greatest warrior of this establishnt.

The second is a dwarf man. He looks the sa age as

despite his real age being double of mine. His skills are similar to the dwarf woman, but he can't use [Light Magic]. He may lack the healing magic, but he has his experience as an adventurer to his advantage.

The third and final is a bald human man with a boring face. He specializes in [Blessing Magic] and [Light Magic], knows a little bit of [Wind Magic], and has so training in sword and shield. He allows being used as a sex slave, even for other n.

Oh, boy…

I blink repeatedly to clear my mind from the weird thoughts.

All of their contracts are for either one or two decades, which is perfectly acceptable to .

So, who is the best: the girl mage, or the dragonkin? The dwarf woman is also attractive because of the healing magic. With the amount of money I have, I can buy more than one, but can I really take care of more than one person for now?

I think hard and thoroughly, but I don't think that I should make a decision right now.

Seeing my indecisiveness, Ghulam suddenly suggests, "Mr. Ryder, would you be willing to wait two days before you make a decision? I have a new shipnt coming, and there are two great jewels there, even better than the ones here."

This takes

by surprise. Who could be better than the dragonkin and the genius magician?

"What about these ones, aren't they going to sell in the anti?" I inquire.

He gracefully shakes his head and responds, "I can hold them until the shipnt arrives, and you have priority because of your recomndation. Also, the ones I've shown to you are my jewels, and slaves of this quality normally take a few months to sell. It's unlikely anyone capable of buying them is going to co so soon."

I see no reason not to wait, and I was already going to relax for a few days, anyway.

"Alright, I'll wait," I accept.

I want to co back and eat these cookies again. The brown one isn't made of chocolate, but it's still a delicious mix of vanilla with a fragrant fruit that goes perfectly with the tea, which seems to be a mix of ginger and cloves, and it tastes really good.

I leave the Golden Necklace and waste ti until noon by window shopping on the main street, then I change back to my normal clothes and go to the hunters' guild for training.

"So, you're still alive?" Toga sternly questions , mildly surprised.

Not even a greeting, just a an gaze and straight words.

"Uh, were you expecting the contrary?" I ask worriedly.

He snorts, looking a bit peeved, then nods and answers, "You didn't co back for more training. That usually ans you recklessly delved into a dungeon and got yourself killed."

I chuckle self-deprecatingly. "Wow, that's not far from the truth, but I played it safe and went to Royd's Kerfuffle."

He purses his lips reprovingly. "Even that was dangerous. Did you hear an Orc Headhunter was found at the sixth level? That could've been you."

So, this ans you care about , Toga? Awn, I'm touched.

I smile wryly and confess, "Well… t-that was . I fought the Orc Headhunter with three other people."

Toga doesn't even twitch, he just stares at , judging my words, then he looks at one of the guys at the bench, the sa one that healed

after the last beating I got.

"Harper! Who was the guy that killed the Orc Headhunter?!" He yells.

"I think it was so Wolf Ryder!" The healer yells back.

Toga slowly turns his head towards

in a perfectly creepy movent, then he stares at

even harder, as if his eyes could pierce my soul, and I see a small smile forming on his mouth.

"So, Mr. Slayer, are you here for more training?" He sternly asks, his voice sounding even more threatening than before.

I avoid his gaze and tense up. "Y-yes… I would like to spar again," I ekly answer.

He imdiately throws a wooden sword at . "Pull up your guard!"

And then he beats

again, even harder this ti.

The other students and teachers start cheering , encouraging

to not give up, crying in joy every ti I manage to block, and flinching with every blow I receive. I think so are even betting, but I can't pay any more attention to them because my life and dignity are on the line.

This ti, Toga doesn't just beat , he turns it into a marathon of a beating. He wears

down until I'm about to break, then he lets

rest for a precise amount of ti, only to wear

down to my limit once again. He makes

last the whole afternoon and only ends it when I can barely stand anymore. The beating is so bad that I even get bloodied.

Then he suddenly stops and lowers his sword. "That's enough. Today was a productive day, and I'm pleased with the results," he calmly states, and I swear his voice is tinged with sadism.

More like pleased in seeing

suffer.

"Thank you… for the session." Those are all the words I can say until I'm fully healed, and it takes two instructors to heal

back to full HP.

I got back to the inn, and Selina cheerfully greets .

"Welco back, Mr. Ryder, did you fight sothing fearso again today?" She asks with a slightly teasing tone.

"Just a bloodthirsty instructor," I answer with a wry smile.

She raises her eyebrows in surprise, then imdiately exclaims, "Ah! I-I'm sorry…" And covers her mouth with her hand as she giggles.

I shake my head tiredly. "Don't be, it's training… it's a life I chose."

"Thank you for your effort." She bows and sends

a wink, then walks away while smiling.

When I get back to my bed, I take a look at my stats. My "Endurance" and "Willpower" increased by 1 (now 9 and 13), and [Block], [Parry], and [Dodge] increased by 3 (now 2 4, 0 4, and 2 4), which is rather impressive. Though I guess I just didn't have much of a chance to use my sword for attack during this beating.

Then I rembered that there's a skill called [Shield Use], so why didn't I learn it, already? Is this an offensive skill like [Sword Use]? Do I need to attach a blade and kill sothing with it so it doesn't count as [Shield Bash]?

Whatever. If it isn't increasing, then I'll just ignore it for now until I learn more about skills.

This is my progress so far:

Wolf Ryder Skill Report

Physical

Skill Na

Level

Skill Na

Level

Skill Na

Level

Sword Use

8 2

Dodge

2 4

Parry

0 4

Block

2 4

Shield Bash

0 1

Sense Presence

5 0

Magical

Skill Na

Level

Skill Na

Level

Skill Na

Level

Mana Efficiency

4 0

Mana Recovery

4 0

Reduced Mana Cost

4 0

Fire Magic

1 0

Electric Magic

1 0

Blessing Magic

5 0

Nature Magic

5 0

Miscellaneous

Skill Na

Level

Skill Na

Level

Andraste Language

10 0

Dismantling

0 1

Info

Na

Wolf Ryder

Age

16

Race

Human

HP

100

MP

135

Magic Power

190

Level

10

Stats

Strength

8

Endurance

9

Dexterity

9

Speed

10

Intelligence

20

Wisdom

15

Willpower

13

Charisma

10

Piety

3

Perception

15

Sanity

9

Other

Status Effects

'NONE'

Titles

'NONE'

Affiliations

'NONE'

Companions

'NONE'

Cris

'NONE'

After that, I go to sleep, and I have a few confusing dreams about fighting, so I don't sleep very well.

Today, my body is way too sore for training, and it hurts to even walk around.

Since I don't have much to do, I wanted to talk to Selina, but she's way too busy this ti. Our relationship is kind of awkward. It's not like we're close friends, and I can't call her anyti I want. Also, we only talk during alti, and I don't even know where she goes outside of that.

Since I don't know what to do, I eat my breakfast and spend the morning in bed, dozing on and off until it's almost ti for lunch, then I get the energy to walk around and search for so exotic food.

I find a place with a super spicy Dragolite soup, and it has a hint of curry in it. The problem is, it's hotter than Satan's butthole, so it takes

so effort to eat it, but I do it. I'm not weak to spicy food, so I wonder what the hell was the cook thinking when he made this.

Then I decide to go to the hunters' guild to train magic. People should already know I have Fire and [Electric Magic], so I'm just going to train my mana pool.

I tell the manager that I'm going to train with [Fireball], and he gives

the ok, so I go to the furthest corner of the magic training area. Over here, people won't notice that I don't chant, and I can also stay far away from Toga's sadistic gaze.

I observe the other mages as they cast [Fireball], and I notice that they can cast a very small one almost instantly. I think about putting points in [Mana Control] so I can change the size of the [Fireball] and mimic them, but I don't think it'd be necessary to go to this level of deceit.

I put all my points into combat skills and start casting [Fireball] until my mana is exhausted. I can only cast it twelve tis until my MP is gone, then I put all my points in [Mana Recovery] and ditate until I'm back to full. I try casting it thirteen tis, but I nearly faint from the blackout, and due to embarrassnt, I decide to not do it again.

I feel tempted to put on [Blackout Resistance] to get used to the pain of casting spells with negative MP, but the adventurer tips book also said that this lowers one's lifespan since it uses the caster's souls to fuel the spells, so I think I might pass it.

Training [Mana Overuse Resistance] might be more useful, though, since I only need to let my MP fall too low or use it up too fast to risk suffering from loss of senses, painful headaches, or sore muscles due to mana overuse. The tips book also advised that mages should exhaust their mana every day before going to sleep until they develop [Mana Overuse Resistance], but it doesn't seem like a lot of people follow this advice.

If I keep practicing my magic like this every day, then maybe I could learn it in a year, but it'll take a lot of diligence.

I quickly realize that this sort of training is really taxing ntally. A headache always flares when I start running low on mana, so it takes quite a lot of effort for

to concentrate on ditating, but I manage to keep a steady rhythm going until it's almost dusk, then I go back to the inn.

I'm starving.

It seems that using mana makes you more hungry than normal as I have to ask for a second serving of the already generous al the inn gives.

"What's gotten you so hungry?" Selina gently asks as she puts down the plate for .

"It seems training magic makes you super hungry," I quickly answer and dig in.

She sits down and coos in wonder. "O~h? You can use magic, too? That's amazing. What spells can you cast?"

I swallow hurriedly and reply, "Oh… it's nothing, just a small [Fireball] and support spells for myself, like [Regeneration] and [Wind Armor]."

She giggles cutely. "'Nothing'? You're quite humble. A magician who knows the sword is such a romantic way of fighting."

I stop eating and frown in confusion. "Uh… what do you an by 'romantic'?"

She cutely rests her chin on her hand and starts talking excitedly, "Most stories of heroes are about people like you: lee fighters with a trump card in magic. They live dangerous and exciting adventures that give them the wisdom to push their powers to the limit.

"My favorite is about a mage whose entire strategy revolved around finding the chance to cast a single [Shocking Touch] on his enemy's most vulnerable spot. His way of fighting was all or nothing, and he bet it all on that spell when he fought a dragon. A huge, dangerous, and feared monster being brought down with a single, simple spell. He was so witty he convinced the dragon into getting close, even though it knew what the adventurer was capable of. I got chills when I read that book."

Is this what a normal girl of this world thinks about or are you just special?

"Indeed, it sounds like a poetic fight," I coolly reply and chuckle.

Selina gives

a smile that lts my heart and continues telling her stories excitedly.

But then I rember Lily…

It's hard to admit this, but I believe I'll have to live in this world for a long, long ti. My growth is slow, transmigration is sothing unknown to the natives, and I have absolutely zero idea about why I'm here. I don't even have a ntor figure to guide

and then get killed in the middle of the story to give

an impetus to fight.

I'm stuck here, and if "God's" ssage wasn't a lie, then it's for the rest of my life.

What happened on Earth? Did ti stop? Are they looking for ? Are they even still alive?

The way Selina looks at

is quite obvious. The signs are there.

I know that Lily wouldn't wait for , and I shouldn't wait, too. We aren't idealists who believe in the existence of "true love," we're bitter realists who just found happiness with each other.

The subtle glances, the brief smiles, the slow inching closer, the dozens of excuses Selina finds to touch . I can't ignore it.

Lily and I wouldn't want the other to spend who knows how long waiting for

to return. We love each other to the point we'd want the other to find happiness, even if it isn't together. We're just that pragmatic.

Selina makes

laugh and lightens my mood, but there's nothing she can do to fix the storm of emotions brewing within my heart.

I can't just do this all by myself forever. I need soone to rely on… but I'm too scared to get close to anyone.

Then I rember the raven-type woman and shiver.

I'm so goddamn fucking lonely I think that's what keeps my "Sanity" so low.

I drop on my bed with a sigh, then I curl up into a ball.

It hasn't been even a month, and I'm already breaking down, but to be fair, in just a few days I've already gone through enough life and death situations to last an entire lifeti on Earth.

I need to think only about myself, otherwise, I don't think I'll last long. I'm the only thing that matters right now! I should think only about my survival!

I clench my fists in anger.

This world will have no rcy for soone delicate like , so I need to change, but I don't want to.

Silent tears run along my cheeks, and I cry myself to sleep.

Lily, I'm sorry…

I have a nightmare of the Headhunter staring at

with his beady little eyes. It does nothing to

except stare like an ever-present threat.

Today, I wake up with my body feeling better, but I'm still not good enough to be beaten into pulp again. My "Strength" didn't increase, too, so I think I should start a muscle training regin. I can just do so quick exercises before bath like I did on Earth, but I need sothing to replace dumbbells.

I look at my MP and see it increased by 30 (now 165). That's a nice amount. I can certainly cast [Fireball] one more ti now. No "Magic Power" increase though, so I wonder what's needed for that.

Breakfast is bean salad with not-corn crumbs and a leg of Rabid Rabbit. Honestly, the cuisine around here is not bad, but I just really miss rice.

Now, what do I do today? I'm not really in the mood for exploring the town since my head is still heavy with the thoughts from last night.

I feel like I've ntally cornered myself. I'm stuck in a dilemma caused by two conflicting parts of my beliefs. Any decision I make will end up hurting a part of , so how should I even start to make this choice? It's easy to find the logical path to follow, but it's hard to actually go through with it.

I try to pick up the romance book to read, but I can't concentrate, so I just absentmindedly turn around the pages without absorbing anything.

After wasting my morning, I just pick a random stall and eat lunch on the street. I barely even pay attention to what I'm eating, I just know that it's bland.

After that, I decide to hurt myself and go to the training ground to increase my MP again.

This ti, Toga doesn't stare so much at . He seems satisfied with the amount of pain I'm giving to myself.

Besides forgoing sha and losing my senses five tis from blackout, nothing really happens, and I just robotically repeat my training sequence with [Fireball] followed by [Mana Recovery]-enhanced ditation. It gives

a bit of a headache from overuse, though.

After dusk, I co back and absentmindedly eat my dinner. Selina isn't serving today, and I don't ask why.

I go to sleep with my mood worse than when I woke up.

I dream of the Gargling Goblin again. This ti, I tell him to fuck off, but it doesn't help, and I wake up in the middle of the night sweating cold.

Selina wakes

up, and I imdiately look at my MP. It increased by 50 (now 215). It's quite a large amount, so I believe I did well on yesterday's training.

Now, it's finally the day to buy a slave. I anxiously eat my breakfast, then I go to the Golden Necklace.

I don't even know what I want from it anymore…

The sa butler-like old man greets

with a bow, "Welco again, Grand Sir. Would you like to go to the eting room imdiately? I'll call the Head; the new shipnt is ready for inspection."

"Sure, please do," I whisper back, a bit aloof.

The mont I enter the room, I rember the heavenly cookies and tea, and my sweet-tooth aching takes so of the edge off.

The not-butler cos a few seconds later with a tray of cookies and tea, then leaves

alone to devour them, and I notice that there's double the amount than the other day.

Did he notice I liked them?

Then Ghulam cos in and does a quick bow. "Welco again to the Golden Necklace, Mr. Ryder. I'm glad you waited. I'm sure that you'll be pleased with the new shipnt, they're astounding."

He sits and claps his hands, then the not-butler opens the door.

Two won co in, two beautiful won. I suck in a breath and freeze.

Astounding indeed.

The first is a fox girl. She has light brown, almost orange hair styled in a cute bob cut, a diamond-shaped jaw, thin lips, a small nose, round, orange eyes, and pointy orange fox ears on top of her head. Such an incredibly cute face.

When she walks, I see an orange fox tail dangling about, and it even has a white tip. It looks so soft I want to hug it.

The second is an elven girl. She has silver straight hair that's so glossy it almost shines, an adorably short stature, skin as white as snow, an oval face, upturned blue eyes that look almost Asian, a small and pointy nose, small red lips, and the unmistakable long pointy ears of the elves protruding at a right angle from her head.

That's honestly not what I thought he ant when he said the new slaves would be even better than the previous ones. I imagined a bigger monster than the dragonkin would appear or sothing like that. And judging my current state, I don't think I should be in this room with these two girls.

Ghulam smiles at

with grace, making it hard to look away from him as he announces, "These are my two new prizes. The werefox is Alissa. She's an offering from an exclusive deal Rabanara has with the Misty Low Forest. They raise and train a slave every five years, then sell them to us. It took

a lot of luck, but I managed to acquire her.

"She has been taught since she was a child that her destiny is to be a combat slave, and due to her beauty, she has also been trained on how to serve a man. She's the most skilled archer and hunter of her clan, and you won't find soone better than her outside of a Lord's retinue. Her 'Speed' and 'Dexterity' are very high, which gives her pinpoint accuracy and high lethality. Her olfact and hearing are extrely sharp, and she even has the rare [Sense Presence], making her the perfect scout. She was also trained in the traditional lifestyle magic, so she's ready to live even among the nobility.

"The other one is called Silvane. She's the daughter of a fallen noble from the elven lands of Elaria, so she has no relation to the elves on this side of the continent. Her father, mother, and brother were executed as punishnt for failing to fulfill their duties as nobles, so she hopes in finding a master who achieves heroic feats to regain her honor, and perhaps even her noble status. Like all nobility, she was trained in serving n and won, and how to care for and manage a house or a business.

"Her skills are in [Light Magic], [Blessing Magic], [Wind Magic], [Nature Magic], [Earth Magic] and [Fire Magic]. She has an amazing mana pool since she was training to help her family in managing the dungeons in their territory. She's guaranteed to beco an amazing magician in the future, if you train her right.

Then his tone becos deep and husky as he adds, calling forth feelings I'm not proud of having, "Both accept being sex slaves, and they're virgins. They also have contracts for life."

Oh, boy.

I need to leave this place. I'm not in the right mindset to make a rational decision right now. Only one of the won from before talked about being a "sex slave," so I tried to not think about this, but now, seeing these girls who are ready (and willing?), my body aches for comfort. This craving fights against my fragnted will and my guilt from my love for Lily.

What am I supposed to do…? Wait, there's a way out! They must cost an exorbitant amount, so there's no way I can buy them, right?

"W-What's the cost? They must be too expensive for ," I stiffly ask, barely containing my anxiety.

Ghulam whispers honeyed words to , "With the discount from your recomndation, sixty gold for the elf, seventy for the werefox."

NO!

He chuckles softly and gently adds, his silky tone causing his words to slither into my ears, "There's no rush. If you want to talk or observe them closer it's allowed. Such an investnt shouldn't be done hastily." Then he grins perversely.

He noticed how I'm desperately holding myself and trapped

here. Now there's no way I'm leaving without buying one of them now.

I force myself to breathe deeply, managing to calm down a little.

I'm weak… I'm sorry, Lily… but I'm far too weak. Being alone in this world hurts too much, and I'm far too scared that I'll die to pass on the chance of so happiness.

There's a devil disguised as a man that's tempting . He threw two wonderful won in front of

and said: "Here! Pick one, grab her, fuck her, make her yours. She will be your thing, your toy, forever. No strings attached, no ssy relationships, no love dynamics, no anxiety from rejection, she's your perfect woman. Even the fucking gods tell you it's okay to do it, now fucking choose!"

I'm sorry Lily… I'm a horrible husband. I'm sorry you fell in love with , and it's okay to not wait for .

An undercurrent of anger rises to the surface, clouding my mind further.

I'll do what I want in this fucking world because there's no one fucking else that'll help ! I was abandoned here without care, so I'll abandon whatever is holding

back from my previous world! This world will be mine…! Wait no, too far.

"I'll take Alissa."