The walk there is quite long, but it allows me 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 me coldly, but responds in a perfect tone without any hint of rudeness, then he points me 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. Governments might change their alloy and weight as economic measures, 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 metals to dilute the alloy, or completely change the alloy when new mines are found or old ones are exhausted.
To my extreme 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 means 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 cumbersome 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 metal 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 someone who has the [Metal Appraisal] skill because that's the only reliable way to see the percentage of metal 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 me to hold it.
I tell the attendant that I want to exchange my coin, and he looks at me visibly shocked for a moment. I just hope I don't get accused of stealing from somebody, but considering the price of some of the adventuring equipment, I wouldn't be surprised if an adventurer eventually finds something worth a rose coin or two.
The attendant points me 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 me, then I take it and leave immediately.
Once I get out, I start to relax a little. The lavish atmosphere was making me uncomfortable.
There are still a few hours until dusk, so I kill some time 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 same 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 me.
After that, I find a stall selling Dragolite meat on a stick. It tastes like chicken, but there's a strong lingering taste of something that reminds me 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 me.
Shit, I'm not trying to steal your daughter.
He doesn't seem to be cold to me, 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 me up in the middle of the night, making me feel rather frustrated. After that, I dream of killing goblins, but it isn't another nightmare, it's just a memory of the adrenaline rush of a fight.
--
Today, breakfast has a salad with a dash of vinegar that tastes like apple, and this makes me want to look at the Farmer's Market for some fruit or something to make juice. If I buy some, I can just ask the inn's cooks to prepare it for me.
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 mean 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 time. It's made of blue-gray bricks and looks more like a super thick square tower than the usual medieval 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 same 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 me of modern rustic restaurants, furniture shops, real estate, and the closer you get to the castle, the more perfume shops appear.
I don't resist and buy the cheapest men's perfume I can find. Forty silver coins. It's damn expensive, but I need something to mask the smell of leather if I'm to enter a high-class establishment.
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 moment to gather my courage, then I get inside and immediately 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 comes to me. "Welcome, 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 recommendation 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 me and gently asks, "Could you follow me? 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 me 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 me 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 comes out. His face is so manly and gentle that it makes me oddly uncomfortable. He's wearing a lavish, purple silk robe, and a jeweled ring on each of his fingers.
The old butler comes after him, carrying a tray with a tea set and cookies, which makes me a bit excited.
Are those chocolate cookies?!
The man sits on the sofa in front of me and does a quick bow. "Welcome to the Golden Necklace. Your name 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 me a handsome smile and continues, "My name is Ghulam Bhatt, and I'm the Head of this establishment. I'm surprised at the contents of the letter given to me. You've made a powerful ally, Mr. Ryder."
He actually makes me blush, for some 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 requirements. I only want someone who can help me fight, so show me your best."
"Any preference on gender?"
That's a dangerous question.
"No…"
He simply nods again. "Then excuse me as I have to leave to collect the best and bring them here. We'll start with the women." And I suddenly feel a bit uncomfortable.
I nod and he leaves then comes back again in a few minutes with five women 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 women 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 home.
The seller follows my gaze and turns to me. "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 me too much of someone."
"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 comes 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 hammer 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 mean but sexy at the same time, 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 women go away, and he brings three men.
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 time, 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 melee weapons. Truly the greatest warrior of this establishment.
The second is a dwarf man. He looks the same age as me 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 some training in sword and shield. He allows being used as a sex slave, even for other men.
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 me.
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 shipment coming, and there are two great jewels there, even better than the ones here."
This takes me 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 meantime?" I inquire.
He gracefully shakes his head and responds, "I can hold them until the shipment arrives, and you have priority because of your recommendation. 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 come 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 come 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 time 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 me, mildly surprised.
Not even a greeting, just a mean 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 come back for more training. That usually means 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 means you care about me, Toga? Awn, I'm touched.
I smile wryly and confess, "Well… t-that was me. I fought the Orc Headhunter with three other people."
Toga doesn't even twitch, he just stares at me, judging my words, then he looks at one of the guys at the bench, the same one that healed me after the last beating I got.
"Harper! Who was the guy that killed the Orc Headhunter?!" He yells.
"I think it was some Wolf Ryder!" The healer yells back.
Toga slowly turns his head towards me in a perfectly creepy movement, then he stares at me 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 meekly answer.
He immediately throws a wooden sword at me. "Pull up your guard!"
And then he beats me again, even harder this time.
The other students and teachers start cheering me, encouraging me to not give up, crying in joy every time I manage to block, and flinching with every blow I receive. I think some are even betting, but I can't pay any more attention to them because my life and dignity are on the line.
This time, Toga doesn't just beat me, he turns it into a marathon of a beating. He wears me down until I'm about to break, then he lets me rest for a precise amount of time, only to wear me down to my limit once again. He makes me 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 me 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 me back to full HP.
--
I got back to the inn, and Selina cheerfully greets me.
"Welcome back, Mr. Ryder, did you fight something fearsome 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 immediately 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 me 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 remembered 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 something 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 Name: Level | Skill Name: Level | Skill Name: Level]
[Sword Use: 8+2 | Dodge: 2+4 | Parry: 0+4]
[Block: 2+4 | Shield Bash: 0+1 | Sense Presence: 5+0]
['Magical']
[Skill Name: Level | Skill Name: Level | Skill Name: 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 Name: Level | Skill Name: Level]
[Andraste Language: 10+0 | Dismantling: 0+1]
--
['Info']
[Name: 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'.]
[.Crimes: '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 time. Our relationship is kind of awkward. It's not like we're close friends, and I can't call her anytime I want. Also, we only talk during mealtime, 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 time for lunch, then I get the energy to walk around and search for some 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 me some 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 me 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 times until my MP is gone, then I put all my points in [Mana Recovery] and meditate until I'm back to full. I try casting it thirteen times, but I nearly faint from the blackout, and due to embarrassment, 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 mentally. A headache always flares when I start running low on mana, so it takes quite a lot of effort for me to concentrate on meditating, 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 meal the inn gives.
"What's gotten you so hungry?" Selina gently asks as she puts down the plate for me.
"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 mean by 'romantic'?"
She cutely rests her chin on her hand and starts talking excitedly, "Most stories of heroes are about people like you: melee 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 me a smile that melts my heart and continues telling her stories excitedly.
But then I remember Lily…
It's hard to admit this, but I believe I'll have to live in this world for a long, long time. My growth is slow, transmigration is something unknown to the natives, and I have absolutely zero idea about why I'm here. I don't even have a mentor figure to guide me and then get killed in the middle of the story to give me an impetus to fight.
I'm stuck here, and if "God's" message wasn't a lie, then it's for the rest of my life.
What happened on Earth? Did time stop? Are they looking for me? Are they even still alive?
The way Selina looks at me is quite obvious. The signs are there.
I know that Lily wouldn't wait for me, 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 me. I can't ignore it.
Lily and I wouldn't want the other to spend who knows how long waiting for me 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 me 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 someone to rely on… but I'm too scared to get close to anyone.
Then I remember 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 lifetime 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 mercy for someone delicate like me, 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 me with his beady little eyes. It does nothing to me 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 regimen. I can just do some quick exercises before bath like I did on Earth, but I need something 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 time 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 mentally 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 me, 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 time, Toga doesn't stare so much at me. He seems satisfied with the amount of pain I'm giving to myself.
Besides forgoing shame and losing my senses five times from blackout, nothing really happens, and I just robotically repeat my training sequence with [
Fireball
] followed by [Mana Recovery]-enhanced meditation. It gives me a bit of a headache from overuse, though.
After dusk, I come 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 time, 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 me up, and I immediately 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 same butler-like old man greets me with a bow, "Welcome again, Grand Sir. Would you like to go to the meeting room immediately? I'll call the Head; the new shipment is ready for inspection."
"Sure, please do," I whisper back, a bit aloof.
The moment I enter the room, I remember the heavenly cookies and tea, and my sweet-tooth aching takes some of the edge off.
The not-butler comes a few seconds later with a tray of cookies and tea, then leaves me 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 comes in and does a quick bow. "Welcome again to the Golden Necklace, Mr. Ryder. I'm glad you waited. I'm sure that you'll be pleased with the new shipment, they're astounding."
He sits and claps his hands, then the not-butler opens the door.
Two women come in, two beautiful women. 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 meant 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 something like that. And judging my current state, I don't think I should be in this room with these two girls.
Ghulam smiles at me 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 me 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 someone 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 extremely 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 punishment 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 men and women, 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 become an amazing magician in the future, if you train her right.
Then his tone becomes 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 women 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 fragmented 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 me," I stiffly ask, barely containing my anxiety.
Ghulam whispers honeyed words to me, "With the discount from your recommendation, 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 investment shouldn't be done hastily." Then he grins perversely.
He noticed how I'm desperately holding myself and trapped me 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 some happiness.
There's a devil disguised as a man that's tempting me. He threw two wonderful women in front of me and said: "Here! Pick one, grab her, fuck her, make her yours. She will be your thing, your toy, forever. No strings attached, no messy 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 me, and it's okay to not wait for me.
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 me! I was abandoned here without care, so I'll abandon whatever is holding me back from my previous world! This world will be
mine…
!
Wait no, too far.
"I'll take Alissa."
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