Rupegia

Chapter 5: A Companion’s Promise

"Now, please cut your hand with this knife and fill this with your blood," Ghulam asks, then he gives me an adorned dagger and a small bowl. "If you can't do it yourself it's not a problem, Sebastian will do it for you and immediately heal you."

Nah.

I cut my hand.

FUCK! IT HURTS!

My face cramps, but I manage to retain my dignity and hold back the tears of pain.

I fill the small bowl with my blood, then Sebastian chants something and touches my hand. A faint pleasing cold covers my wound as the pain stops, then he releases me, and it looks goods as new.

Is this a thing that all butlers must be called Sebastian?

The old man Sebastian gives the bowl to Alissa, then she immediately brings it to her lips and drinks my blood while Ghulam chants something.

"[Contract of Servitude]," he whispers and touches Alissa's head. "Now, point the location where you want the symbol of slavery to appear. It'll be a small circle with your name on it, but If you don't want to show your name I'll hide it."

"It's okay to show. Put it on her left wrist," I respond.

She's right-handed, so it shouldn't show too much.

Ghulam gently grabs her wrist and chants. "[Mark of the Master]," he casts, and a faint light shines from between his fingers.

He releases her and shows to me that a small black circle has appeared, and I read "Wolf Ryder" written in Andraste with small letters. Around the black circle, there are a few letters from an alphabet I don't recognize.

"Now, do you want any additional spell? For you, it's for free," Ghulam offers with a gentle smile.

"Only the speech limitation."

He touches Alissa's throat and starts chanting again. "[Tongue of Obedience]," he casts, then a small orb of light comes out of the tip of his finger and enters her throat.

He smiles graciously and turns to me. "There, now she won't be able to tell others about anything you consider a secret. Anything else?"

I smile back. "No, thank you."

He gently nods and says, "Then it's done. I really appreciate doing business with you, Mr. Ryder. Though the letter only allowed for a discount this one time, I'll gladly do business with you again." His charming smile now seems like the devil's.

"I'll certainly come back," I happily admit. I've crossed the point of no return, so there's no reason to say no anymore.

He makes a signal with his hand, and Sebastian comes forward. "Here's the gift we give to anyone who buys one of our women." -The butler hands me a ring- "It's a Ring of Fertility. Put some magic into it, and the man or woman that wears it won't be able to impregnate or get pregnant." Ghulam smiles kindly, his words cause a chill to run down my spine.

He stands up and nods respectfully, then Sebastian picks up the documents I signed and the gold, then they both leave me alone with Alissa.

"Master, may I change to my other clothes now?" Alissa respectfully asks and looks at me with a neutral expression. Her voice has the perfect pitch to my ears, not too high, not too low.

"Y-yes, please do," I respond awkwardly.

She immediately pulls up her one-piece, and she's not wearing anything below.

GAH! Too much stimulation.

Even though I want to see, I'm not in the right state of mind to stare at her.

She changes into the normal clothes Ghulam gave to her: a white and slightly loose shirt, black pants, and some cute looking black shoes. I could only stare at her feet, and god, even they are cute.

"I'm ready now," she says in a low tone.

"Then let's go."

We silently make our way towards the inn, and she walks slightly behind me, but still pretty close. She maintains a neutral expression, but at least she doesn't look sad.

I don't know what to say. Am I supposed to make a conversation? I guess not since I'm her master now, so I don't need to be her friend, but it'll be lonely if I'm not friendly. I guess there's no need to rush or force anything, we'll get used to each other with time.

We get to the inn, and I talk to the innkeeper.

"I'd like to change rooms. I need one for two people, now," I request.

"Single bed or double bed?" He asks, then he glances at Alissa and fails in containing his smile.

Please, stop. I'm already embarrassed enough.

"Double," I respond nervously.

He nods gently and hands me two keys. "Second room on the second floor. Remove all your things from the safe, then return the key to me, please."

"I don't have anything in it, so here's the key."

After that, I immediately go towards my new room.

It's almost mid-day, and I'm starting to feel hungry, but I want to talk to Alissa in private first.

We enter the room, and I just fall face-first onto the bed. My nerves are killing me.

What did I just do…? I'm a slave master, now…

I turn around and look at her. She's just standing there, looking at me with her calm and neutral expression. I guess she isn't going to do anything unless ordered.

I clear my throat and say, "We're going to be living here… and we'll be sharing the same bed. You can come, sit, or lay down if you want. I don't want you to tire yourself by standing all the time."

She nods respectfully and obediently responds, "Yes, thank you, Master." I notice that her tail is standing still.

I pat the bed. "Then come and sit beside me."

"Y-yes."

What was that?

She has been calm and collected so far, but that voice just now wasn't congruent with her expression. Is she a master of poker face?

She sits beside me in a lady-like way and starts observing the room.

I sit up and gently grab her hand, making her twitch in reaction, then she looks at me curiously.

I knew it, she's tense and scared, but she looks so cute I feel like teasing her. Oh god, my shyness already went away, and the sadist is coming out.

"Well then, what have you heard about me?" I politely ask as I enjoy the softness and warmth of her hand.

She obediently responds, "Seigneur Ghulam said that you're a powerful and upcoming adventurer. You've gained the favor of someone with influence after saving them and showing your valor. Now you're in need of a companion for fighting, and that's likely why you bought me. I'm sorry, but he didn't say more than this."

Nour, please, that's too much.

I release her hand and massage my neck awkwardly as I say, "There's… no need to be sorry." -I shake my head in tiredness- "Well, then. The first thing I want to talk about is that I have a lot of secrets. That's why I bought a Blood Slave: I need a companion that can keep a secret."

She turns her body to face me, and her orange eyes stare onto mine with her full attention. "Then there's no need to worry about it, Master. Please use the [Tongue of Obedience] as you wish, and your secrets will be safe even during torture."

"No, no, no, no" -I look away for a moment as I cringe slightly- "There's no need to go that far. My secrets are just things that will attract attention, and I don't want it, at least for now."

Those were dangerous words, Alissa. Nobody is going to get hurt because of me.

"I see… I think I understand." She looks away and puts a finger on her chin. Cute. "Master is powerful, and other people might want to try to use you or interfere with your business, so you want to hide this power. Is that right, Master?"

I smile at her cute expression and nod. "That's right, it's like that. Now, we aren't leaving the town for two days. Today, I want to buy your equipment, and tomorrow, I want you to train at the hunters' guild to get used to it. If I'm lazy, we'll rest for a third day, and then on the fourth, we'll work again."

"I'm alright with whatever you wish, Master." She smiles back.

Oh, god, that's even cuter, please stop.

"Also… there's something I'm dying to do… can I touch your ears and tail?" I childishly ask her with puppy eyes.

She stiffens, making her fox ears perk up, then smiles shyly. "Y-you don't have to ask… but please be gentle, they're sensitive." She blushes and lowers her head for me.

Her fox ears are on the top of her head, and she doesn't have human ones. It looks weird if you pull back the hair, so I guess that short hairstyles aren't really a thing with wereanimals.

I rub her ears and I get filled with bliss. They are made of a very soft cartilage, and along with its furry parts, they're very comfy to touch.

Her hair makes even me envious. It's so soft to the touch and glossy. It flows perfectly when she tilts her head just slightly.

After getting enough of her ears, I tell her to turn around so that I can play with her tail. I notice that it has vertebrae, so she can move and wag it the same way a dog can, and its fur is even fluffier than that of her ears.

I want to hug it! Animal ears, animal tail, kemonomimi! This is really a Japanese game.

"A-ah… Master. Gentler, please," she whispers.

"Sorry, does it hurt?"

"No, it's just sensitive, and it tickles a lot," she responds while squirming.

Thank god it isn't an erogenous zone… Wait… some people also do erotic things with places like the armpits or earlobes. Just because it isn't immediately erotic, doesn't mean it can't become erotic.

I stop playing with her tail and say, "I'll get you a very good brush. We need to keep this tail and your hair as beautiful as possible."

She nods respectfully and shows a small smile. "Thank you, Master. I'll take good care of them."

I hug her from behind and pat her head. She freezes, then gradually relaxes, melting in my arms.

"I'd also like to help care for it myself. It feels good to touch," I whisper in her ear.

I used to brush Lily's hair once in a while. I liked to help keep her pretty for me.

I keep patting her head and ears for some time, and it seems to help us a lot in calming our nerves. I also can't deny that it feels good to hug a girl like this.

Her perfume has a faint fruity scent that feels slightly nostalgic, and my heart tightens as I try to grasp onto this nostalgic feeling.

I have to buy her more perfume.

After a few long and comfy minutes, I stop the patting and release her, then she almost falls down on her own. She must've gotten sleepy.

"Nah?" She lets out a small sound in surprise.

Stop with the cuteness.

"Let's go out and eat lunch," I gently suggest, and she nods silently while blushing.

I find a nearby restaurant and ask for a table for two. I sit down, but she remains standing by my side.

"Please, sit," I motion. "We'll eat meals together from now on."

This must be standard slave behavior that I need to nip in the bud.

She blinks in surprise for a moment and asks, "Is it alright, Master? I'm a slave, so I don't need to be treated equally."

I purse my lips and respond sternly, "Well, I want a companion that I can trust, not just a slave to order around, so I'll treat you equally."

She stares at me for a moment, then nods and smiles gently. "Thank you, Master. You're very kind." As she sits, I see her tail sway a little.

Being called "Master" is making me feel uncomfortable, but it also tickles a part of me that I didn't acknowledge before. Is it alright to let it come out of the dark?

Bah, screw it. I already said before that I'd abandon things that were holding me back.

I don't want to deal with her choosing a simple meal because she's a slave, so I order the same for both of us, but when the meal comes she hesitates.

"You also don't have to wait for me to start eating," I promptly say.

And so we dig in.

After our meal, we go out and talk as we walk.

I start counting with my fingers as I enumerate what we need to do, "First, let's buy you a pillow, some proper blankets, spare change of clothes, a hairbrush, a toothbrush, and spare shoes. We'll go to a first-hand store because I don't want to see you use hand-me-downs."

She seems slightly concerned with the amount of stuff we have to buy and frowns as she questions, "Is it really alright to treat me like this, Master? I'm a slave, and I'm trained to have strong endurance, so treating me softly might… negate this training."

I can't resist and entwine my arm with hers because I'm starved for skinship, then I pat her hand as I answer earnestly, "Yes. I'm sorry if your training ends up wasted or dulled, but we'll lead similar lifestyles, so I don't need you to retain your 'endurance'… Think of it like this: giving you hardships makes you tire more easily, which means you're more likely to die in battle. If you die, I'll be wasting the money, the huge favor I used to buy you, my feelings will be hurt by losing you, and my time training you will be wasted. So, this is why we need to keep you happy and well-rested: You need to be always at your best performance so you don't die or disappoint me.

"I'll give you two rules: the first one is 'don't die' because I don't want you sacrificing yourself for me; the second one is 'let's never get into a situation where someone needs to die' so you won't even have to think about sacrificing yourself for me if we don't even get in a situation that needs it. Now, do you understand your value to me?"

She turns her face away and reflects on my words seriously.

We continue walking in silence for a minute, then she turns to face me again and nods energetically. "Thank you, Master. I understand," she finally responds with determination.

Did that make you emotional? Well, I don't think that my philosophy makes me a "good person" because I still bought you… and I'm going to abuse you tonight. Might be even earlier if you don't stop acting cute.

After getting the essentials, I decide to buy her a simple but cute white, frilly dress. I'd like to buy her more, but money is short, and I need to buy her equipment.

I thank the God of Luck because I find a cheap perfume that I can give to her. Later on, I'll definitely get her a more expensive one like mine.

Damn, I feel like I want to dress her up like a doll the same way I used to do with Lily.

This time, I grit my teeth and don't buy a high-quality sleeping bag, but we buy a larger one for both of us.

Then I get her Young Ogre leather armor. It's a red-brown color, it's tougher than Hobgoblin leather, and it's also very flexible, which is good for an archer.

We get her a cheap iron short sword as a personal defense weapon, then we buy a good composite bow because it's compact and deadly. On the matter of bows, we can't hold back because archery is her main way of killing.

Warbows or longbows are a bit difficult for her to use. Sure, the penetration is unparalleled, but she has problems fully drawing them. She isn't a standard army archer that fights at long distances and whose job is to cover an area with arrows. She's a hunter, which means she needs to draw fast and accurately, so penetration isn't that important.

I sell my old equipment, but it's pretty shitty, so we don't get much money in return. I buy an upgrade to my shield: a black heater iron shield. It's slightly bigger and of a higher quality iron than the previous one.

My previous shield has three dents and a nasty scratch from the fight with the Orc Headhunter, so we'd need to spend money to repair it, anyway. The damage makes the smith curious, so I tell him how that happened, and he gives me a small discount in sympathy.

Alissa's [Item Box] isn't big, so she only keeps her arrows there and some small personal items, like the toothbrush and hairbrush.

Now that we bought what we need, we go back to the inn, then I reserve a room for us to take a bath, together.

We enter the room, and I lock the door behind me. The reserved bath is rather small, and it only has a simple wooden bathtub for a maximum of three people.

"I'll wash you, Master," she volunteers, but I see that her tail is stiff.

She starts taking her clothes off, and I just stare at her. No man should ever look away when a woman undresses.

Her nakedness is instantly arousing. Her body is very athletic, and she's slightly more muscular than me. Her breasts are a bit small, but I don't know the size. Perhaps it's C? I just know they're perky and cute, and they'll fit nicely in my hand. Her bush is actually orange, and I see that it's well kept.

She comes to me and her steps become awkward once she notices my stare.

She grabs my shirt and pulls it up, then she unfastens both my belts and pulls down my pants. She hesitates for a moment, then leaves my sword on the ground and undoes my shoes.

"You don't really have to do it like this, I can undress myself," I say, slightly amused, but also feeling a bit awkward.

"I want to do it, Master," she diligently responds.

Oh, boy, don't say things like that. I'm already excited.

Then she pulls down my underwear. She's crouching, so it's right in front of her face in its full glory. She stares at it for a few seconds then gets up.

She leads me near the tub and grabs a bucket of water, then she makes me sit on a stool and starts to wash my body with the soap and sponge the receptionist gave us.

Her hands are delicate and she moves with certainty, eliciting a faint groan of pleasure from me as I close my eyes and enjoy it. She certainly knows how to wash.

She washes my face with such delicacy that it's almost like she's just gently patting it, but I can still feel it's effective at cleaning my body. This is heavenly.

Then she washes my front. There's no way around it, she has to come in front of me, and she touches my dick.

"E-excuse me, p-please tell me if it hurts," she stutters, her voice trembling from the nervousness.

She pulls back the skin and rubs the sponge on the head with even more delicacy than my face. It's so stimulating I have to control myself from pouncing on her. I imagine her tightening her grip and giving me a handjob, and my dick twitches in her hands.

Suddenly, it finishes, and now she's done washing me.

"Now it's my turn," I say with a husky tone.

She swallows heavily. "You don't need to concern yourself with me."

"But I'll enjoy it." I smile mischievously.

She immediately nods, and we switch places.

"Sorry if I'm not as delicate as you, I'm not trained in washing others," I wryly inform her.

"No need to apologize for it, Master. You're allowed to enjoy yourself," she replies earnestly.

Ohohoh! Then don't mind if I do!

Her skin is soft, and there's absolutely no hair on her arms and legs, so my hand just glides along her perfect skin. I can feel the hint of muscle in her athletic body as my fingers trace her abs. It's a mix of toughness and softness.

Seriously, what is going on in this world? Nearly every person I've seen can be considered beautiful. It's just… "weird."

Now, look at her. Her skin is so perfect it makes me worried. Where are her veins? Does she even have veins? It's like she's artificial, and it's unsettling me.

She tilts her head adorably and innocently asks, "Something wrong, Master?"

I wipe away the stupid thoughts, then I smile mischievously. "Nothing… it's just that your skin is too perfect."

"Don't exaggerate like this, Master…" Her voice seems a little sad, but her tail twitches.

"I'm not exaggerating, but whatever…." I shrug and continue washing her.

As I slowly caress her skin, I leave her tail and ears alone. I don't know how to wash them, I'm sorry, Alissa. But I take special care of her hands and feet. They're just so small and cute.

Then I start working on the best part that I left for last. Her breasts are soft and bouncy, a delight to my hands. Lily had small ones, so I don't know what bigger breasts are supposed to feel like. I guess this is like jelly? I can't describe them perfectly, but I sure can enjoy them. Flat is justice, anyway, so size doesn't matter.

I work on her nipples, and I feel them poke against my palm, showing me that she's aroused. I just rub them gently, avoiding pinching them, for now, then her breath starts to get heavier.

Good…

I pull her closer, hugging her from behind.

She feels so warm, and I realize how much I've been missing this feeling. I want her to hug me, to make me feel safe… No, that'll come later. Right now, I need to show her my sensual touch.

My hand glides downwards, reaching her neat little bush, and I start to play with it. It feels good on my hand since the hair is a little thicker there.

I don't want to waste any more time, so I pass my hand over her entrance, and her breath immediately becomes haggard.

Her pussy lips are small and slightly wet, so I just delicately rub them until they start to feel warmer, then I penetrate her with my finger. She flinches backward, and I pinch her nipple at the same time.

"Ahn…!" She lets out a cute little moan. This is a holy sound that men hear when the gates of heaven open, and I shall never forget how hers sounds.

I slowly move my finger in and out, and I feel her legs quiver. With one hand, she grabs the side of my head while I breathe down her neck, and with the other, she grabs my hand on her breast and squeezes it.

My hand pleases her with steady movements, and I increase the speed little by little. The typical lewd sounds and smells of sex come out, then she closes her eyes and lets out her voice. It's a piece of beautiful music to my ears.

I bite her neck, I lick it, I kiss it. I keep going for a few minutes until she arches her back and her body tenses, then she slowly relaxes and nearly collapses in my arms.

"What… was… that…?" She asks, out of breath.

"You don't know? That's a... climax," I mischievously answer with a smile.

She looks away, a little embarrassed. "Oh… that was much… stronger than I imagined."

I smile a little sadistically and caress her cheek. "There's still more, but I'll let you rest until later."

She grabs my hand and nods while smiling, then she looks at me a little anxiously. "T-thank you… Master… but, I haven't done anything for you."

I get an idea that makes my dick twitch. "Do you know how to use your mouth?"

She needs a little stiffly. "Yes… I was taught that."

I wonder how.

I release her from my hug, and she leaves the stool, then I sit down on it, and she gets on her knees.

She stares at my cock and blushes, then resolves herself and grabs it delicately. She opens her mouth wide, revealing her four cute canines, then slowly swallows it all. That was slightly scary, but she seems to know how to keep those teeth away from my skin.

Her mouth is warm and soft, but to be honest, the feeling isn't special, it's the view. A cute woman with a dick in her mouth is one of the most erotic sights I can imagine. You shouldn't watch too much porn, it'll rot your brain and make you fantasize wildly about sex, only to be disappointed at reality when you finally get laid.

She starts to carefully move her head, and I feel her tongue moving around. Now that feels good.

"Rougher," I whisper, and she moves her tongue with more vigor.

What a good girl.

She grabs the shaft and moves her hand along with her head, which just adds to the eroticism.

The pleasure; her face; the tension of these past few days fading away; my fears and guilts surfacing; my dark desires that I'm forced to face; my wish for comfort and skinship. All these things contribute to me just wanting to let it out, so I don't last long, barely two minutes. This is the fastest I've ever came.

"I'm coming," I warn her.

She doesn't pay attention and chokes on it. She only partially swallows, and the rest is wasted on the floor.

"Sorry, Master," she apologizes, sounding disappointed with herself.

I laugh and pat her head as I respond, "There's no problem, you were perfect."

I see a white trickle coming from the corner of her mouth and smile. This scene is just so erotic.

Oh, shit, I still haven't kissed her yet. What kind of gentleman am I if I got the order of things wrong? Now there's no way I'm kissing her like this.

I awkwardly ask her, "Sorry, but can you brush your teeth? I want to kiss you, but I don't want to do it like this."

She widens her eyes for a second, then pulls out her toothbrush with a *poof* and starts brushing her teeth. After a few seconds, she murmurs something and casts [Clean] on her mouth.

Now that she's ready, we finally get into the bath together. She sits on my lap, and I hug her tight, then she relaxes her body against mine.

I look into her large orange eyes lustfully, then I finally kiss her.

She doesn't move her tongue much, so I work for both of us. I explore her mouth and cautiously avoid her sharper-than-normal canines. I'm really glad she's trained because those four teeth could've given me a nasty cut and a new trauma that I don't need.

She slowly gains confidence and starts moving her tongue energetically, rubbing it strongly against mine, asking for more pleasure. Our tongues wrestle for a long time until they finally tire out. Kissing inside a hot bath is truly therapeutic.

I break the kiss, then she hugs me tight and leans her head against my mine. It feels so good that it warms my heart, and I almost cry. This is honestly the thing I needed the most: a hug. I just want to fall asleep like this.

I'm not alone anymore.

My eyes start closing in sleepiness, then I hear a knock on the door. Our time is up, and we have to leave.

While feeling like I'm lifting a ton of concrete, I break our hug. She suddenly twitches and wakes up.

Oh, fucking hell. How're you so cute?

"S-sorry, I fell asleep," she sleepily says and rubs her eyes.

Is she blushing or is it the hot bath?

I yawn and pat her head. "No need to apologize for that," I whisper gently.

We quietly dress ourselves and go back to the inn to have dinner. She hugs my arm as we walk, then sits right beside me. I missed cute acts like this.

Selina comes into the dining hall, and she sees us both. I instinctively freeze as if I was caught red-handed, and I clearly see her mouth move into an "ohoho~" kind of laugh, then she smiles and goes back to work.

What was that…?

I shake my head and stop thinking about it.

I don't have the mind to think about it right now, and I don't even know what I want my relationship with Selina to be.

Basking in a post-orgasm glow, we don't talk much and just enjoy our meal, then we go back to our room for round two.

I lay down on the bed first and smile at her. She skips forward, then lays on top of me, and we start kissing.

We spend long minutes just kissing while my hand slowly explores every centimeter of her body, then I finally reach between her legs and start moving the same way as before.

Her tongue moves with a new thirst she hadn't shown yet, then she suddenly breaks it and motions to take my clothes off. I stop playing with her, and in a flash, we're both naked again.

I suddenly grab her and switch positions, putting her below me. She looks at me in surprise and freezes from my sudden action, then I smirk, and she relaxes again.

Sorry, I'm the one in charge for our first time.

We immediately resume madly kissing, and I feel her down there. Lewd noises come out as her wetness sticks to my fingers.

I untangle her from me and sit so that I can pull out my Ring of Fertility, which I promptly wear and turn on.

I like this name.

Then I pull out a towel, and put it below her because you never know. She just patiently waits for me, but her body fidgets with anxiety.

I smile suggestively, and she spreads her legs for me, and her pussy lips part, showing their wetness to me.

I look her in the eye and scooch closer so that the tip of my dick touches her lips. She stares intensely at it, then her tail starts wagging slowly.

I whisper sultrily, "I'm putting it in, okay?"

"Okay…" She responds shyly, her eyes glued to my cock.

I like how she's straightforward and doesn't hesitate. I guess this is the result of her "training," which makes things so much easier.

I control the sadism inside me and softly add, "If it hurts, tell me, please. We'll do it slowly."

She nods, then I push my hips forward and I slide in. She's tight, so deliciously tight I almost grunt with pleasure.

She lets out a faint moan, then I feel some resistance. I put a little more strength in it, and I get through.

She makes a pained face, so I stop and apply [Regeneration] on her.

"W-what? Magic?" She asks, completely surprised.

I nod and caress her cheek. "Yes, I don't like seeing you feeling pain."

She puckers her lips cutely, a little embarrassed. "Thank you. It's alright now."

I feel her vagina relax, reducing the tightness just a little.

I lean forward until I can feel her hot breath on my face, then I whisper sultrily, "Tell me if it hurts again. I can apply [Regeneration] for a long time."

"Regen-... that's okay." She nods repeatedly and smiles.

I push until I'm as deep as I can inside her, and we both moan, then I start moving my hips, and she doesn't complain about discomfort. It seems the spell did a little more than just healing and helped her vagina get comfortable with my thick cock spreading her small flower.

I don't try to hold it in to last longer. It's her first time, I'm tired, and I just want to enjoy myself, so there's no pressure for me to perform.

Alissa's cute moans gradually become voiceless as the pleasure builds up inside her. She starts writhing, then she closes her eyes and hugs me, digging her nails deep on my skin.

I cast [Regeneration] again on her just to be sure, but she gets so consumed by the pleasure that she doesn't even notice it.

She starts to move her body to impale herself harder on me. Her desperate thirst for cock is just delightful. I want to burn in my memory her cute, moaning face. I want a painting of it.

She bites her lip, then she turns her head away and opens her mouth, letting her moans freely escape. Her pretty little red lips are so captivating that I feel like biting them.

She opens her eyes, and her two pretty orange irises stare deeply into me, then she grabs my head, and we kiss wildly.

You're my precious treasure.

I don't last much longer and release it all inside her, then we let the embers in our hearts slowly cool down as we just stare at each other's eyes. Our hot and quickened breaths slow down, then we kiss one more time.

Alissa conjures some water into a bucket to clean us both. Her finger turns into a faucet as a substantial trickle of water comes out of it. I guess this is what Ghulam meant when they said she's trained in "lifestyle" magic. She knows enough magic that it's useful in the day-to-day.

I take a look at the towel and see a small drop of blood on it. She notices it a moment after and quickly snatches it to give it a wash.

After she washes us both, we go back to hugging on the bed and sleep together naked.

This time I don't have a nightmare. I just dream that I'm back on the bath, hugging her.

Someone knocks on the door.

"The breakfast is ready," I hear Selina's voice.

I open my eyes and see Alissa's face. Her pretty orange eyes stare lovingly at me, then her ears twitch, and she smiles adorably. Cuteness, first thing in the morning.

"Good morning, Master," she whispers, and I see her tail swaying from behind her.

"Good morning…" I whisper back, then I cup her cheek, and she closes her eyes in delight from my touch. "Were you awake for long? You don't have to keep hugging me if you were uncomfortable."

Her arms push me closer, and she pouts. "I wasn't uncomfortable. I've never slept like this before, but I enjoyed it a lot."

I nod gently and caress her. "We'll always sleep like this from now on. I don't want to sleep alone ever again."

She smiles and nuzzles her face on my chest. I want to close my eyes again and go to sleep like this, but hunger wins. We get up and start getting dressed, then I stretch and yawn happily.

I slept like a baby. I didn't toss around my sleep, and my back doesn't hurt. It seems the best medicine for sleep is Alissa.

I turn around to put on my pants, and she gasps.

"Master, I'm sorry about this," she apologizes worriedly.

I look at her and raise an eyebrow. "What?"

"Your back is scratched," she mutters, then looks down, and her posture shrinks.

I chuckle softly. At least whatever compels her to not "harm" me isn't that sensitive. Then I shake my head and reassure her, "That's proof that a man did his job, so don't worry about it."

She nods, still worried, but lets it go.

We happily eat our breakfast in silence, but I just want to stare at Alissa eating, though.

Did they put extra spice? The soup tastes better today.

Once she finishes it up, I say, "If you're hungry, it's okay to ask for more. If you get malnourished, your performance will fall."

"Understood, Master," she responds with a happy nod.

Good girl.

"Also, are you okay?" I probe and watch her intensely. "Thinking of last night, are you uncomfortable or feeling pain somewhere?"

Her ears stand up in attention and she shakes her head emphatically. "I'm fine. Your spells eased any pain I had. Thank you, Master."

We smile at each other like two silly lovebirds and finish our meal.

After breakfast, we go back to our room. I'm starting to feel like doing it again, but I need to take it easy with her. She was a virgin just yesterday, after all, and we also have to talk about something serious.

We sit on the bed facing each other, and I assume a more serious tone as I ask, "Now, then. Can you open your own status window?"

"Yes, Master," she diligently replies.

I open my own "Status," and see that under "Affiliations," there's the entry: "Alissa (Blood Slave)."

"Then tell me every-…" I stop mid-sentence.

Ho-ho-ho, Christmas came early.

There's a new button below all the other "menu" options I have, it's named "Followers."

I click it.

Damn, girl. Those are some high stats. I'm jealous.

I also have the option to look at her skills and magic.

Holy shit girl, you're strong.

[Tracking] is a skill that goes up to level five, so I guess it's not a bad thing she's at level two. Miscellaneous skills like [Cooking], [Cleaning], and [Housework] go up to level ten, so she's not inexperienced in them. Oral and [Hand Technique] are clearly sexual. Also, now I know why she's so good at washing. And what's that (innate) skill? I never saw it on my skill list. And finally, I'm really worried about how she got that [Pain Resistance].

Her magic is:

I guess that "(weak)" means she learned [Item Box], [Conjure Bland Meal], and [Spirit Light] even though she doesn't have enough skill points for it.

I see she has four unassigned skill points, and I can edit them, just like I can do for myself. I can add and remove points, but I can't remove from trained skills, and I can't add to that (innate) one.

Still… This. Is. Fucking. Amazing!

"Master, what is it?" She innocently asks and tilts her head cutely. Heart damage.

"Hmm…" I rub my chin in thought and tentatively ask, "Is it possible for someone to see someone else's status screen?"

"You mean, like the Inspection Crystal?"

"More like seeing someone else's screen like you see your own."

"Huh…" She mumbles, and her ears flick. "Never heard of it. Only the Crystal should be able to look into someone's soul."

"Well. Here's a secret you have to keep." -I smile excitedly- "I can see your status screen like it's my own."

"Wha-wha-what?!" She stutters and stares at me incredulously.

I shrug. "That's how it is. To prove it, let me tell you something personal: you have four skill points in [Oral Technique]," I teasingly say with a smirk.

She gasps and her eyes widen, then she starts blushing heavily.

I tease her further, "Tell me, how did you learn that skill?"

"I-I didn't!" She suddenly exclaims and her arms twitch in exasperation, her tail goes stiff, and her voice cracks, seemingly about to cry. "I mean, it wasn't real… I swear! I-it's wood…! Please!" She's in a full-on panic.

I grab her shoulder and look straight into her eyes. "Calm down! That's not what I meant."

She freezes completely and starts to control herself again. "Y-yes… that's right… I'm sorry, I lost my temper, Master. I-I deserve punishment for this." She suddenly bows and keeps her head low.

"You don't deserve punishment," I flatly respond, slightly annoyed at her behavior. I grab her shoulder and gently pull her straight, but she still keeps her head down.

"Thank you, Master," she mutters.

"Now, you said wood?" I ask, trying not to giggle.

She raises her head and looks at me nervously, then her eyes shift about. "Y-yes… The Chieftess brought wooden penises for us to practice on. She showed me the act, and I copied it. It was so embarrassing…"

I wonder how she'd feel if she had to show her skills during customs. Well, anyways… I at least have to give my thanks to this "Chieftess" for her thoughtfulness. Alissa's blowjob felt really good.

I simply smirk at her, and she starts pouting from my teasing, then something dawns on her, and she asks, "But, Master, how are you doing it? I've never heard of such a skill."

I awkwardly massage my neck and look away.

I don't want to tell her the truth yet, and she doesn't need to know everything, so I'll just tell a small part of it.

I turn to her and answer seriously, "It's only possible with you because you're my slave, but I can't tell you how I do it. Also, remember that this is a secret, so don't tell anyone."

"Understood," she nods energetically. Even her nods have their own charm.

Fuck, I'm way too crazy about her right now.

I clear my head of these silly thoughts so I can focus on continuing the questioning. "Now, how did you learn [Item Box]?"

She hesitates for a moment, then she responds unsurely, "I copied the Chieftess' mana manipulation until I was able to cast the spell." My questions may be confusing her, but she's not comfortable enough in asking what the fuck is wrong with me, yet. 

"Hm… let's start at the beginning. How is magic learned, in general?"

She nods slowly, and her voice becomes even more hesitant. "It's common to start learning spells while one's still a child. In my case, I hugged the Chieftess while she practiced magic until I learned [Sense Mana], then I copied the feeling I had when hugging her until I learned [Mana Control]. After that, I trained to increase my mana pool until I had enough mana to use [Item Box], then, finally, I copied her mana manipulation until I was able to cast it. It went the same way for [Conjure Bland Meal] and [Spirit Light]. It's essential for a hunter to have those spells, so I trained more intensively than a normal child to learn them."

Then I'll do the same thing with her until I learn those skills and spells. Possibly at night, before I abuse her body.

I rub my chin in thought. "I see… Now, what is [Muscle Explosion]?"

Her voice now becomes completely robotic. "It's a skill that lets me do a really strong or really fast movement for a split second. It's useful in avoiding a fatal strike that you can't avoid entirely."

I guessed so from the test I did on the skill, and it also seems to be how the Orc Headhunter might have been able to dodge the [Ice Lance] from Rania.

"How did you get [Pain Resistance]?"

"That's…" -She looks down worriedly and her ears go flat- "Please understand that I'm the one who insisted on it." If she wasn't talking in such a serious tone, I'd be squealing at her cuteness.

I frown in confusion. "What…? What does it mean?"

"I asked for the Chieftess to torture me."

Wow.

I let my eyebrows shoot up and stare at her very worriedly. "Uh… and why would you do that?"

She straightens her posture, and her ears perk up, then she puts her hands on her lap in a lady-like way, and proudly declares with a practiced tone, "I'm supposed to be a tool. I'm to be used in combat or as a sex slave as you see fit, so I can't afford to fail because of pain. It would bring great shame to my clan if the soldiers they train can't reach the utmost of their potential due to such a simple weakness. The Chieftess was too soft, she didn't want to do it, but I insisted until she gave in, so please, don't think she's a bad person. It's just my duty to be strong."

That's excessive. She really takes her duty seriously, but I'm starting to feel bad about her. That Chieftess also sounds like a mother, but I don't think I should ask her about that right now.

I straighten my posture, too, and assume a more serious tone. "Well, again, I must say I'm sorry because I don't plan on putting you in any sort of situation that will require you to have that skill."

She stays still for a few seconds, then lowers her head, bites her lip, and clenches her fist. After a few seconds of emotions building up, she leans forward and rests her head against my shoulder.

The composure from before is completely gone as she softly whispers, "Thank you, for being so kind. I… am glad you bought me. I know it's my duty to be a tool, but I'm still glad you're my master."

Even if she's brainwashed into wanting to fulfill her "duty," it doesn't change the fact that she'll feel better if she's treated like a human… werefox, I mean.

I hug her and pat her head, then we stay like this for a while. This position is a little uncomfortable, so I turn her around and adjust myself so I can hug her from behind.

My cheek rubs on hers, and I can clearly smell the perfume I bought for her. She slowly recovers from her emotional state, and I feel her cheeks burn against mine.

After a while longer, her embarrassment subsides, so I continue, "What is [Fox Transformation]?"

She turns her head to the side and sends me a subtle confused glance. Then she speaks and her breath tickles my neck, "It's the racial skill of all wereanimals. My type is fox, so I can turn into a large one, and I'm really proud of its size" -she smiles excitedly- "and since you're small, you can even ride on me."

Argh, emotional damage. I'm conscious of being small and thin, but still, that's cool as fuck.

"That's amazing, I really want to see that," I approve and give her a warm look.

She smiles back, then faces forward and returns to our previous hugging position.

"Master… do you allow me to ask one question?" She asks tentatively.

I pat her head. "Yes, you may. You can ask anything you want, actually."

I'll likely lie because I still don't want to explain everything to her. I also don't feel like talking about home because explaining my background might be really hard and not that important in the end. Creating a rather believable lie might even be useful in the future if I have to explain myself to others, so I can determine its believability by her reactions.

She frowns slightly and her ears twitch cutely as she asks, "The questions you ask me are… odd. Forgive me for saying this, but why haven't you learned these things? Even a commoner's child would've learned from their parents a simple spell like [Clean]."

I gently caress her head and calmly lie through my teeth, "Think of it like this: I'm a foreigner from a really, really far land. The common sense here is just way too different from the one in my homeland, so I've been trying to get the general sense for how things are done here to not stand out."

Her ears perk up as it dawns on her. "Oh! I understand, Master, but how far is it that you never met another wereanimal?"

I look away and think for a moment. "I'm… well, it's difficult to give you a sense of distance since even I don't know because I teleported here. My origin is another secret, so let's just say that I come from somewhere far and poor when asked. Also, it's okay to say I never told you its name."

Her tail stops swaying as she mutters, "I see…" And I feel a hint of disappointment in her voice.

Can't let the awkward atmosphere settle, so quickly I move on. "Next topic. Do you pray?"

Her tail starts swaying again, and she answers earnestly, "Yes, I do. I pray to the God of War for glory in battle and the God of Endurance to allow me to fulfill my duty." -I'm not really surprised with her choice of gods- "Do the people of your homeland not know about the Humanoid Gods, Master?"

"Correct. Which is why I think I should start praying to them, but how should I do it?"

She tilts her head cutely and I pat her harder. "Hm… just ask for help? The gods may have lost their mortality and bonds with the land, but they still have their own personalities, their likes, and their dislikes. The God of War and the God of Endurance were simple men during their lives, so I just ask them for glory in battle and the power to keep standing after."

I scratch my head as I think. "Do you like, hold your hands to pray or do some sort of ceremony, like, get on your knees? Do you give them offerings or something like that?"

"There's no need. Praying is the way you tell them how you wish to be helped, and they're gods who focus on results, so they'll help you when you need and become happy when you succeed."

How practical. I like these gods.

I pat her head absentmindedly. "Hm… I'm thinking about praying for the God of the Sun, the Goddess of Growth, and the Goddess of Knowledge. What do you think?"

She sends me a curious glance. "God of the Sun? I don't know why people would pray for him unless you're royalty."

I smile wryly. "Yeah, well, I have my reasons."

"Okay…" She mumbles, still a bit awkward with my ignorance. "Then the Goddess of Growth is a good one to pray to if you're training hard. She's also known to help the Goddess of Fertility and the Goddess of Plants."

I guess the interpretation of "growth" is quite liberal, then.

"But why the Goddess of Knowledge? Wouldn't the God of War be better for an adventurer?" She continues probing. Her curiosity has led her to forget her slave training, which pleases me greatly.

"I'm actually more of a mage, so I want to improve my magic, and I also think knowledge should be helpful in understanding this place since I'm a foreigner." I smile wryly.

Her ears twitch again and I almost squeal. "Oh! You're a mage who can use the sword? Ah, yes, you did use [Regeneration] on me last night. But that's amazing, Master!" She looks at me wide-eyed. That's enough praise, please. "Then I think the Goddess of Knowledge is a good choice. If we please the God of War enough, then he could bless you even if you don't pray to him."

What a nice guy.

"Then how should I pray for them?"

I pat her head more intensely, and she closes her eyes for a moment to enjoy it before answering, "I don't know much about the God of the Sun, but maybe you should ask for a hard day's work? For the Goddess of Growth, you have to wish to improve with all your willpower; that's how the priest taught me. The Goddess of Knowledge is very fickle, so you should ask a scholar about it. From what I understood, you need to wish to seek knowledge without 'cloudy eyes' and to always write a book about what you know."

"Cloudy eyes"? Is that bias? I guess I should talk to Ciel about it.

I give her a little squeeze in appreciation. "That's all I had to ask. Do you have any questions about me?"

She grabs my hand on her belly and also gives it an appreciative squeeze. "Not right now, Master."

"Then let's form a fellowship."

A fellowship of the rin-... nah. Anyway, it's like a game "party." It allows us to share experience and to always know the position of each other. The dungeoneering advice book said it's the first thing a group of people working together should do. Also, I feel like I don't want to ever break this fellowship with her.

We interlace the fingers of our right hand with each other and recite the phrase in unison, "We swear to share our war and our soul and to always keep each other's company."

On my menu screen, under "Companions," the entry "Alissa" appears. If I concentrate and think about her, I should be able to sense the direction and her distance from me. But since she's too close right now it doesn't work properly.

I release her hand and crawl close to her. I caress her cheek as I say to her, "Let's go to the hunters' guild after lunch. Right now, I want to savor you." I suddenly hug her tightly and throw us onto the bed.

"YAH!" She screams in surprise at the sudden attack.

I kiss her deeply as my hand explores her body, then her tongue starts to respond.

I've always considered myself the "clingy" type, and it was so bad that I'd hold myself back because I always wanted to touch and hug Lily whenever possible. I feel like Alissa won't say no to me, even if she doesn't want to cuddle, so I'll have to learn her limits with skinship, too, even though I don't want to.

Shit, thinking about Lily makes me feel guilty, but I told myself I'd enjoy this world, dammit. I'll do whatever I want!

The kissing escalates, and soon we're naked again.

I lick her nipples, suck on them, pinch them lightly, worship them. This time, I take my time caressing her body until I make her wet without even touching her down there.

I stop and stare at her with a grin. Her thighs rub against each other and she pants softly, getting out of breath already.

"You want it?" I whisper in a husky tone.

She doesn't answer, but she licks her lips.

"Tell me what you want," I press her further.

She looks at me with a mix of a pout and a shy look on her face. Her delicate whisper makes my cock twitch as she pleads, "P-please put it in, Master."

If a phrase could be considered art, that would be it.

This time she's more relaxed, so she's not so tight, and she doesn't make a pained face when I slide in.

She keeps her eyes open, locked with mine, and we enter a trance as our bodies move on their own, fueled by the mad desire to fuck.

I don't try to hold it in, and soon, I splurge all over her taut belly.

I'll slowly increase the time I last to match her own sexual stamina. Doing too much and too hard might hurt her for now, so I have to ease her into the world of sex.

After a quick wash, I hug her, and we doze off.

I wake up feeling hungry. By the position of the sun, it's not even noon yet. I slowly detach myself from Alissa's body and get up, then she also gets up immediately after. She must've been sleeping lightly.

This time, I have her teach me how to brush her hair and tail. I'm a little bit afraid of damaging her fur or hurting her, so I let her finish the job after learning the basics.

We get up, and she cringes again at the new set of love marks she left on my back.

We go downstairs, and I see something that melts my heart.

"What is that… animal?" I point to the cute little creature.

I see a forty centimeters tall cute little squirrel with a cute little apron and a cute miniature broom. It sweeps the floor of the inn while humming in a cute little voice and smiling cutely. It has a slightly oversized cute hand with rather long fingers that let it grip things easily.

Alissa hums mirthfully and assumes a teaching tone as she educates me, "That's a nature spirit. They're souls of people who didn't want to leave the land, so they fused with the souls of nature and materialized like this. If you give it something it likes, it might help you. Also, it's a good omen to see an inn being able to make one happy…" -She squeezes my hand and lowers her voice- "But, Master, they're everywhere, how come you never saw one?"

I scramble to search for another lie. "Erm… perhaps the souls in my homeland never linger long. I guess our priests are just good." I shrug.

She gives a look of wonder. "I see, so it must be a place full of good Spirit mages, then."

I grin and whisper, "Can I pet it?"

Her expression becomes a bit pitying. "It'll just dematerialize if you try. You have to win its trust first."

Awn… let's just move on and have lunch.

Every so often, we find a minstrel on the streets, singing about something random. This seems to be a profitable job since most of them have quite a bit of coin in their tipping hats. Though, for me, they sound kinda bad. The instant translation inside my brain prevents me from enjoying the poetry, and the instruments they use, mostly lutes or harps, are rather crude.

"Curious about the minstrels, Master?" Alissa asks, failing to hold back a slightly smug smile.

I smile wryly. "Uh, yes. Seems profitable to sing on the streets."

"Only because it's the month of Song. Because of the Festivals of Seasons, the temple encourages us to tip the singers."

"Huh, curious…"

Alissa smiles at my innocence.

Money is short, so we buy a cheap meal with some Rabid Rabbit meat, then we go to the hunters' guild.

I'll register Alissa because that gives the guild a paper trail that she's with me. This also marks that she's reliable so she can do business in my stead in the future.

The attendant raises an eyebrow when she looks at Alissa's ID card.

It's the sexual skills, right?

I also register the fellowship. It's just a courtesy, but the guild likes it because they can better organize the hunters in times of crisis.

For some reason, you have to name your fellowship. I think about naming it "Fellowship of the Ring," but I worry about copyright laws in this game, erm, world, so I try to think of something more appropriate.

Alissa tilts her head in confusion and questions, "Master… why are you looking so serious? It's just a name isn't it?"

No, little one, this is my banner, my heraldry, my legacy, my legend. I can't screw up and end up like I did with my new name where I feel uncomfortable when people call me Wolf Ryder. I need a strong name that instills pride when it's uttered.

"You wouldn't understand," I wryly answer.

Alissa gives me a troubled look while the female attendant shrugs. She has seen this scene more than once.

Honestly, nothing feels appropriate, but it's not like people are going to laugh at this name, so I'll just pick a reference to something I like. I kind of like astronomy even though it's not my area, so I pick something in reference to that.

"Helios," I write down the name. Maybe the God of the Sun will get the reference.

The attendant takes the papers away, and under "Affiliations" on our status screen, the entry "Helios (fellowship)" appears.

With that, we move towards the training grounds.

I give her hand a gentle squeeze and state, "I want to see you train the sword and the bow a bit to get a feel for your strength. I also want to spend the afternoon here so that I can train my magic."

Her ears point up and her tail sways faster as she gives me a slightly proud smile. "Understood, Master. I'm sure you won't be disappointed with my skills."

We enter the grounds, and Toga's gaze immediately finds me.

Nope, not today. I'll be training magic on my corner veeery far away from you.

But first, I watch Alissa spar with an instructor, and thankfully, it isn't Toga. It's a much gentler man, but he's no less skilled.

Alissa flows with the sword, making dodging and parrying seem effortless, then she smoothly weaves in attacks with blinding speed. She's truly fast, though the instructor is still faster.

I'm actually curious why she's so good at dodging and parrying since her level in those skills are lower than mine. Perhaps it's the "Speed" and "Dexterity" that combine with the skill and work as some sort of multiplier, so she doesn't need a high skill to be effective.

A few men stare at Alissa intensely.

Shoo, go away, that one is mine. There are other women here that are also training, so go bother them.

After a few minutes, I go to my corner and continue watching from afar. I ask the Goddess of Growth to help me increase my MP so I can always have mana to heal and support Alissa, then I start my [Fireball] routine.

After an hour, Alissa switches to the bow and she quickly starts drawing a crowd with her archery skills. Her speed is comparable to the instructors, but her accuracy is unmatched. She's my own female Legolas.

She looks ferocious as she fires arrow after arrow, her eyes staring towards her target like a hawk does to its prey. It's a complete reverse of how she is in bed, kind of the inverse of me.

Alissa keeps taking my concentration away with her beauty and magnificence, so my training routine is sloppier than before. But it's okay since I enjoy watching her very much.

When dusk starts to come, we go back to the inn and reserve another bath. I'm way too tired for anything, so we just cuddle and kiss in the hot water.

After dinner, I ask her to use her mouth, and she happily gobbles it up, eager to show her skills.

She gives me a constant and smooth pleasure, and I close my eyes to enjoy it to the fullest. This time, she understands my warning and doesn't choke.

Then we sleep together while hugging each other again.

I dream of Alissa shooting goblins while I laugh and drink tea.

I wake up quite well-rested and get a deep kiss from her as a greeting. I think this should be a morning routine.

My MP increased by 40 (now 255). That's kinda high since I didn't train very well yesterday, so could this be the result of prayer?

I decide to look at the extermination requests at the hunters' guild. With Alissa's tracking, we can hunt for some of those juicy bounties.

We walk along the streets with our arms entwined. She's a few centimeters taller than me, so it's a bit awkward at first until we get used to each other's rhythm.

We enter the guild and start looking at requests, then I hear footsteps approach.

"Hello! Are you Wolf Ryder?" A chipper and gruff male voice greets me. We turn around and see a short and wide man in full chainmail armor. He has black hair and droopy eyes that make him look like he's always thinking. "I'm Targua, from Honest Shield." He adds after a moment and gives us a diplomatic smile.

"Uh… hi, hello, yes, I'm Ryder," I confusedly return the greeting.

Another voice comes from further back in the guild, "Oi! don't listen to him, join my fellowship, instead!" A blonde and lanky man with a bow slung over his shoulder comes running and interjects. His face seems a bit roguish, and he sports a considerable nose.

"What?" I mumble, dumbfounded.

Stop, rewind, and start from the beginning this time.

Targua facepalms and chides him, "Bug off, mate. I haven't even asked him yet and you just jump in the middle."

The lanky man stops in front of me and gives me a business smile while extending his hand for a handshake. "I'm Simon, from Swift Wind. Pleasure to meetcha, yeah? How about you join my fellowship?" He quickly introduces himself and immediately announces his offer.

Where did you two even come from?

I hesitantly shake his large and rough hand, then Targua sends us a strained smile and continues, "Uh… sorry, but yeah, how about you join my fellowship instead?"

I frown in confusion and sincerely ask, "Why are you guys asking me to join?"

"No shit we're looking for you, mate," Simon grunts and snorts. "A magic swordsman who can kill and carry a Grey Berserker or an Orc Headhunter is no joke. And then yesterday, everyone at the training grounds was raving about your new companion who's a crazy pretty lass with an extremely deadly bow."

His speech sounds weird. Is this the effect of the [Andraste Language] skill trying to translate casual slang?

I look at Targua and he shrugs.

The thing that annoys me is how they want us to join their fellowship. No, thanks.

I shake my head and reject their offer, "Sorry, but I prefer to keep walking my own path for now."

"Ehh. Really?" Simon frowns reprovingly, and I nod at him. "Well, that's a shame, mate. We could make a killing with you and the girl."

I feel Alissa's grip tighten in subtle anger.

Targua takes a step closer and clasps his hands in a subtle pleading gesture. "Is that so? Is there no room for negotiations? We could always search for a good deal that'd benefit both of us."

I kind of like your attitude, but back off, you're too close to Alissa.

I look at them sternly and stand my ground, "No, sorry. It's not a question about money, it's personal."

Simon shrugs and makes a sour face. "Well, I tried," he mumbles and walks away.

Targua gently nods in understanding and accepts, "Sorry to bother you, then. Be well Mr. Ryder" Then he also leaves.

"I fully agree with your decision, Master," Alissa whispers while sending a mean gaze to the two men walking away. "Those men would exploit you. It's almost always what happens when getting scouted by veterans. Fellowships are bonds made of trust, and those which are made of money are weak."

How romantic.

I nod in agreement, then we turn back and continue searching for a request.

There's a good one. It's a bounty for an Oodogloo which was found yesterday. This monster is a threat level three. It's a large, transparent slime with a human skeleton inside. Because it can walk with the skeleton, it's faster than normal crawling slimes that move like caterpillars or worms. It should have a distinctive ammonia scent, so it's easy to track with Alissa's nose, but it's a very annoying enemy to catch because it runs away from everything and preys on livestock. It was last found half a day away northwest from here, at the farms past Royd's Kerfuffle.

Alissa follows my eyes and sees the request I'm interested in. "I can take you there on my fox form," she suggests.

Oh, yes.

I smirk and reply, "Want to go there right now?"

She smiles brightly and her tail sways. "Yes! I want to test my bow. The Oodogloo is good for target practice because it's so nimble."

"Then let's go."

I want to go not because I'm excited to fight, but because I want a reason to ride Alissa. We already have all the requirements for sleeping outside, so we're completely ready.

We pass through customs with ease since we're both adventurers.

A few meters away from the crowd trying to enter the town, Alissa turns to me and excitedly says, "I'm skilled enough to absorb my clothes after transforming, but you'll have to hold my weapons, Master."

I hold them for her, and she turns around.

Here comes the trademark of magic in this world: she starts to shine. Her skin turns black, and her armor disappears inside her body, then orange fur starts to grow everywhere and her limbs warp. In just a couple of seconds, she turns into a one-meter tall orange fox.

Her big orange eyes look at me, then she opens her mouth and talks, but her jaw doesn't move, "Master, get on me, please." Seeing her speak like this is really weird.

"Uhh… shouldn't we get a saddle?" I question.

"There's no need; just grab my fur. This form is made of mana, so I don't feel pain."

I shrug. "If you say so."

I awkwardly mount her and delight myself with her incredibly soft and warm fur. I immediately notice that a big part of her body is pure fluffy fur and that she isn't very muscular.

I nuzzle up to her neck and secure myself.

Once I'm comfortable, she starts walking forward and explains, "I'll increase speed slowly, so tell me if it shakes too much."

"Alright, let's go."

Then she starts running, and I start to feel weird from the rhythmic swaying. She's fast, though, so it's really advantageous for us to move this way. I've never ridden a horse, so I need some time to learn how to deal with this.

During the trip, I keep thinking about what to do with her skill points. She has six free points that I can assign, and that's kind of a lot.

It's going to be hard to explain this ability to her, though. I can just use the "it's a secret" excuse, but this is kind of a big and weird secret because it seemingly violates the laws of the skill system. She could even think I'm a demi-god, or something, and I'm not comfortable with that.

I think I'll lie to her, again. I'll look into the skill she wants to improve the most and slowly put those points there. It's just the less messy way, I believe.

Well, I could just do whatever I want and shrug if she notices something wrong. It's not like she's going to assume I'm the one doing it. But I'll tell her the truth, one day… just not now.

To test things, I put one point in [Enhanced Stamina].

The landscape remains the same all the way: long plantations on one side of the road, and a small wall on the other with the Sea of Trees behind it. It's a rather calming trip through a soothing scenery.

It takes us less than half the time to walk there, and we reach our target location a few hours before midday. We stop in front of the farm that was attacked, Woodwick Ranch.

Alissa slows down and stops under the shade of a tree by the road, then I drop down, and she reverses the transformation. She graciously gets up from being on her fours and looks at me, then I notice her posture seems a little droopy from tiredness.

I sit down on the roots and pull out the old sleeping bag beside me. I return her weapons to her, then she ties the sword and quiver to her waist and slings her bow over her shoulder.

"Lay down here, please," I ask and pat the bag.

"Thank you, Master," she diligently obeys.

She's so polite. She's always thanking me, but it does make me a bit uncomfortable, though.

"This is odd, I'm not as tired as I thought I'd be," she remarks and lays down.

So she noticed.

I pat her head, then she closes her eyes, and her tail twitches under her.

"Is that so? Didn't you miscalculate the distance? Or perhaps just by sleeping with me you got stronger?" I suggest with a grin.

She opens her eyes in surprise and stares at me.

"That was a joke, my body is no miracle drug," I add flatly and snort.

She awkwardly looks away for a moment. "Y-yes. That's not what I was thinking, though."

"Then what were you thinking?"

"It's what you said about being happy increases performance. It could be true."

So she's actually happy, now? I'm glad.

"Well, I wasn't lying," I tease her with a pout.

Her face warps with fear. "I'm sorry! That wasn't what I meant. I wanted to say that I just noticed it for the first time."

I chuckle at her, and she immediately pouts at my teasing. "It's okay, I understand," I whisper and pat her head faster.

She calms down and closes her eyes again.

She gets up after a good half-hour, fully recovered from our trip.

"Oh? I got a new skill, [Enhanced Stamina]," she observes and knits her eyebrows in confusion.

I hold back my grin and respond, "That's great. It means you can stay longer in your fox form right?"

"Yes, precisely," she mumbles with a puzzled face.

"Something wrong?"

Her tail lazily sways. "It's just that it was too easy. Like 'Endurance,' these sort of skills are hard to come by."

"Maybe you put more effort than you thought. I think you're a serious and hard worker, so this isn't unexpected for me." I give her shoulder an assuring squeeze.

She shrinks her posture, feeling a bit shy, but her tail starts wagging.

"Perhaps…" And her voice trails off while she looks into the distance.

Now that she has a better [Sense Presence] than me, I decide to remove it along with [Mental Resistance] since there's no need for it here. I increase [Blessing Magic] to level ten so I can use [Swift Foot] to give us a boost in speed. I increase [Electric Magic] to five and [Mana Control] to one so I can use [Lightning Bolt] more effectively to stun the Oodogloo because it's likely to run away.

My skills look like this:

Now I need to explain my skills to Alissa, it's time to lie… again.

"Alissa, strategy meeting. Time to tell you another secret," I call her attention, and she sits down again obediently. I clear my throat and continue, "I have a power that basically allows me to use all kinds of magic, but it takes time to switch between magic types, and I'm not exactly proficient in any of them."

"Wow… that's amazing, Master," she innocently coos in wonder. "So, you're actually a genius magician."

Not true, but it's convenient that you think like this, so I won't tell you otherwise.

I awkwardly massage my neck. "Well, err… perhaps it is so. I just know it's something I'm capable of. But like I said, I'm not very proficient in magic in general. I'm a jack-of-all-trades, master of none."

"'Jack-of-all-trades'?" She tilts her head. Her confused face is adorable.

"An expression from my homeland, it means 'a person who can do anything,' but I'm not particularly good in any of them, therefore, I'm a 'master of none.'"

"I see…" She nods in understanding.

"Then, for this hunt, I'm going to use [Blessing Magic] and [Electric Magic]. I'll give us [Swift Foot], and when we meet the monster, I'll use [Lightning Bolt] to try to stun it. You just turn it into a pincushion."

"Pin… cushion. Ah, with the arrows. Another reference, I think." She looks puzzled, then smiles faintly once she gets it.

The pincushion isn't a thing yet?

"Ready?" I ask.

She gets up and hums confidently, "Yes, let's start looking for the monster."

Since Alissa has [Sense Presence] and the bow, she'll be basically assassinating every monster while I kind of do nothing until the battle, but there's no way around it, that's how trackers work.

Still, we're going to search the Sea of Trees during the day, so we could meet something that won't go down so easily. That's when I'll have to protect Alissa from getting into melee.

I cast [Swift Foot] on both of us, and two-thirds of my mana disappear.

We'll search the Sea of Trees for the Oodoogloo during the day while it sleeps, then we'll return to the farm to protect the livestock when the night falls.

This monster is the annoying kind that preys on large animals, but it isn't smart, just cowardly. It attacks the farms at random, so finding it before it leaves its nest is a better option than waiting for the night to come.

I bought a small compass, which will help with navigation, but we're basically going to wander around until Alissa catches its trail. If a farm gets attacked tonight, then it might leave tracks for us to follow, but the reward will drop a bit if it kills anything, so we don't want to rely on that.

As we make our way into the Sea of Trees, a familiar scenery appears before me: huge trees, damp air, dark atmosphere, unfamiliar fruits, gigantic entwining roots, hanging vines everywhere, and random patches of weirdly colored trees. I'm surprised there aren't more insects here considering how warm and wet this place is. Thank god for the Japanese devs who must hate bugs.

I lead the way with the compass, and we go directly west, deep into the forest.

After half an hour of walking, Alissa stops me. "Something is coming. Two small monsters," she whispers soberly.

We hide and wait for them to get into visual range, then Alissa ID's them: two lightly armored goblins. They have leather jackets, loincloths, a stone-tipped spear, and a crude wooden shield.

I give the order, "Fire at will. I'll block the second one if it reaches us."

She nods vigorously. "Understood." Then she gets up and fires two quick arrows.

Both goblins silently die with an arrow between their eyes before they can even react.

"Well…" I shrug and smile wryly.

I collect their ears and return to her.

"Likely scouts. There could be a small group camping nearby," Alissa guesses.

"Let's not get close to their camp."

"Understood."

Her demeanor has become as serious as when she was training, and I guess it's because she's fulfilling her "duty."

We move west again, and only a few minutes later, we have our second encounter. This time, there are three enemies coming, fast.

Alissa doesn't recognize what they are, and she doesn't believe they've detected us, but our paths are going to cross, and they're too close to safely avoid.

I decide to ambush them, so I'll get the one on the right, and Alissa will try to quickly kill the two on the left.

We patiently wait for them to approach, and I start to hear the pitter-patter of multiple small feet scurrying closer to us.

Alissa gives me the signal, then we spring out of our hiding spot and attack. Our enemies are three Mossy Fangpines.

I immediately cast [Lightning Bolt] at the first Fangpine, and the second receives an arrow on its head. A second arrow immediately flies towards the third Fangpine, but it's way too agile and manages to dodge, then it charges towards us.

I cast another [Lightning Bolt] at the stunned Fangpine, then an arrow sinks into its forehead and it dies.

I prepare myself to receive the charging monster. With my sword hiding behind my shield, I wait until the last moment, then I thrust.

The Fangpine is stupid and jumps into my sword, which sinks into its body, then it falls on my shield and I nearly lose my footing.

It starts to wriggle wildly, so I cast a [Lightning Bolt] with my shield hand right at its face and it goes limp, then I use my shield to push it off from my sword.

It falls on the ground with a thud, but it doesn't get up.

"Dead. You must've pierced its heart," Alissa comments.

"Lucky strike, I guess," I respond nervously.

"Perhaps… you could use a spear?" She suggests tentatively.

I scratch my head. "Perhaps… I feel a bit more comfortable with the sword, though."

She gives me a rather pitying look. "Your sword has a small reach, and I don't think you have the 'Strength' to use anything bigger."

I feel like pouting, but I hold it back.

I'm working on it.

The Fangpines are valuable, but their price varies depending on the stocks of ingredients for the alchemists or meat for the restaurants. So far, I haven't seen their meat being sold, so maybe the stocks are low.

"They must've sensed the goblins' deaths," Alissa speculates.

"Then let's change our direction. Let's move towards the north a little."

I collect all of their bodies and we move on.

There are no encounters for another hour, so we decide to have lunch early.

I spread a large cloth over the ground, and we sit down on it.

Our meal is a bean paste and Rabid Rabbit meat sandwich on a not-baguette. Unfortunately, the crust is not as crunchy as I'd like, but at least it doesn't make a mess. I forgot to buy fruit for juice or to even bring tea, so the meal is kind of boring.

"Next time, we should buy tea," I mutter.

Her ears twitch and her tail wags. "Oh? You like tea? You didn't tell me."

I smile awkwardly. "I forgot…"

My mind was too busy with abusing your body.

After our meal, I cast [Wind Armor] on both of us and [Sharp Blades] on myself. After the next break, I'll cast [Sharp Blades] on her. It's kind of annoying that I don't have enough MP to cast all my [Blessing Magic] in one go, but that can only be solved with more training.

We get up and move southwest since there's not much sense in going north too far. The Oodogloo nests deep in the forest during the day, but it's not smart enough to move diagonally to purposely avoid those chasing him.

We walk for another half hour before Alissa detects the next enemy.

"This one is large. I don't think it's a Grey Berserker, but I don't know what it is," she reports.

"Then let's observe."

Alissa leads ten meters in front because I don't have [Quiet Steps].

She makes the signal for me to stop, then sneaks ahead, circling a large root. She sights our target, then comes back to report.

"It's a Young Ogre."

A threat level 4 monster. It's capable of wiping a squad of soldiers, but we should be able to deal with him if we follow proper tactics. A simple plan is the most powerful power multiplier.

They're becoming a common sight after the culling, it seems, and this must be why their leather is cheap. The new monster is emigrating into the empty territory. They'll likely remain a common encounter until the next culling.

I store my shield inside my "Items" and give up on using a spear. Neither of these will be useful in this fight.

"Standard formation. For your first arrow, aim for the eye," I order, and she nods in acknowledgment.

Our "standard formation" is her being the damage dealer while I'm the bait and controller. She'll fire the first arrow, then I'll cast [Lightning Bolt] repeatedly and keep it busy while she aims for the vitals.

She sneaks towards it again without making a single sound, then she draws her bow and releases.

"UGOOOOH!" The ogre's scream makes the trees tremble. If this is a young one, then the adult will cause an earthquake.

It rushes from behind the root with an arrow sticking out of its right eye. I observe it and wait until it gets into range.

The ogre is a two meters tall red-brown skinned humanoid with ridiculously thick arms, legs, and a six-pack that makes bodybuilders jealous. He's bald and his face is round, flat, and deformed, making him look like a cartoon character that hit a wall.

He's especially resistant against blunt force attacks, but his vulnerability is slashing and bleeding to death. His body is very thick, so he's not fast or dexterous. For me, the best strategy is to just avoid him and counterattack by slashing whenever an opening appears.

Alissa runs past me and stops a few dozen meters away, then carefully aims her arrows. Even for proto-Legolas, she can't hit the eyes of a moving target, so she's aiming for the neck. The other vulnerable spot would be the groin, but I'm in the way, so the neck it is.

I try to ignore it, but it's impossible, he's way too tall. The worst thing about this monster is that it's naked. A long, dangling, disgusting thing sways threateningly almost at eye-level as it comes towards me. Fuck this world.

With [Mana Control], I can put a little more or less mana into the spell and control the discharge for a second or two, so I charge up the stronger version of [Lightning Bolt] while wrinkling my nose in disgust.

I release it, and the Ogre grunts, then decrease his speed a little. It's subtle, but I noticed that the bolt is stronger.

I cast it again, and his speed reduces even more, falling to more manageable levels.

Because of my spells, he ignores Alissa, and focuses solely on me. He gets into melee range and tries to kick, but I jump sideways and slash his leg, drawing blood.

He growls, then tries to do a sweep with his arm. I duck, and an arrow appears on his neck.

Another kick with the other leg, another dodge and a slash.

He tries to smash downwards with both hands held together, and this time, I dodge further away to get out of counterattack range.

Once his hands hit the ground, a second arrow appears next to the first.

I dash towards his blind eye, and he loses sight of me for a second. That's enough of an opening, so I charge forward and slash his flank.

I immediately run away, and he sluggishly turns towards me.

I realize this is not a good position for Alissa since the back of his neck and head are more protected than the front due to his spinal bones and thick skull. Ogres are built like tanks, it seems.

I stop and let him approach, then he tries to do an arm sweep again. Since I'm further away this time, I easily dodge and counter with a horizontal sweeping slash.

My sword sinks into his left forearm, opening a huge wound, but it's almost ripped from my hand as he yanks his arm away. I'm not sure I should do this again.

He growls even harder, and now things might amp up in difficulty. Like the Grey Berserker, he becomes faster the angrier he gets.

I circle him to give Alissa a good angle again. He remains in place while sluggishly turning, then a third arrow appears on his neck, and a considerable trickle of blood starts to seep from his wounds.

I cast Bolt again, and he twitches in pain. It's enough of an opening for a fourth arrow.

"UGOO-BLEH!" He tries to shout while punching but coughs.

His punch comes too slow and sloppy, so he gets another deep cut on his other arm. The blood starts pouring faster than the other wounds, so perhaps I cut a large vein or something?

I need lessons in anatomy.

He protects his neck with his right arm and glares at me hatefully.

It's kind of late now, you dumbass.

Alissa can't act, but now his actions are more limited.

He sweeps with his arm, using the back of his hand, and it creates a huge opening. I jump forward and cut near his armpit, drawing a spurt of blood.

He kicks me in response, but the angle is awkward for him. I twist my body and block with my sword. The force of his kick nearly makes me trip, but I jump backward and recover.

He becomes cautious and stops attacking.

I cut his leg once and start to circle him.

After a few laps, he sways slightly, seemingly becoming dizzy. I must've cut something important, so I'll just wait for now.

After a minute or so, his skin gets covered with vibrant blood. His punching arm slows down to a laughable speed, and his kicks completely lose accuracy. His body starts to sway heavily, and he becomes out of breath.

Then he finally falls on his ass. He's near death, but his eyes still spell anger instead of fear.

An arrow pokes his last eye.

"Ugooo…!" He lets out a weak scream.

I jump forward and slash his neck where his thick fingers aren't covering. A large amount of blood pours, and then he falls on his back.

We wait another minute in silence.

"He's dead," Alissa finally announces.

That was fucking brutal.

As the adrenaline runs out, I start to get very anguished at the sight in front of my eyes. I clean my blade and quickly put his body on my "Items," Then I look away from the large pool of blood.

"Let's move, quickly," I order, and we jog away from here.

"Master, we shouldn't encounter anything this far…" Alissa points out, and I stop. She walks closer to me and lands a hand on my shoulder. "May I ask you a question?" She requests soberly.

I turn around to face her and reply hesitantly, "Y-yes, what is it?"

Her serious gaze turns to concern and worry. "Are you okay? Your expression changed, and your face is much darker now."

I look away from her and stay silent.

"Are you tired? Let's rest," she tries to comfort me.

"No, it's… not that…" I mumble tiredly.

"Then what is it?"

"I just..." I sigh and frown. I just don't want to admit this, but I also don't feel like forcing her to stop probing my feelings. "I feel bad about the ogre we killed."

"What?" She asks with a deliberate gentle tone to not hurt my feelings.

"He looked too human, and I didn't want to make him suffer."

"But he was a monster."

"Still…" Another sigh escapes me. I didn't want to say it like this, but I have to now. I face her and confess, "My homeland was too peaceful, so I didn't have to fight there. I'm not used to seeing so much blood, to hear the death cries of things, of… living beings that look so human. It makes me feel sick and guilty."

She stays silent as she reflects deeply on my words, but her gaze is still gentle and reassuring.

After a few moments, she suddenly pulls me into a hug and whispers into my ear, "That's okay, Master. Forgive me for saying this, but I'll selfishly ask for you to continue being the way you are even if it makes you suffer. I think that the realm needs people like you, someone with a truly kind and merciful heart. I'll support you, I'll help you, I'll heal you, and I'll give you my all just so you can continue being like this."

That was completely unexpected, and I don't know how to answer, so I just remain still.

Aren't you naive? How long have you known me? It's been just a few days. No matter how close we are, or if we had sex or not, it's just not enough time for you to say things like that.

But still… I want to believe this. I tried to throw away what held me back, but some things are harder than others. I needed someone to support and love me, so I changed, but now I want to keep this part of my humanity.

I want to believe that she's right… No, I will believe in her.

I hug her back and rest my head against her shoulder. I must not cry.

After a few minutes, I start to feel better and awkwardly break the hug. She lets me go with a slightly smug but still adorable smile.

I clear my throat and propose, "Let's go back. It's still early, but we should take another less direct route, so it'll take more time."

"Understood. Please rely on me more, Master," she obediently responds, then clenches her fist over her chest.

I nod and smile.

We move southeast with a gentle jog.

[Swift Foot] is a really nice spell. It lets us walk almost effortlessly, so we can maintain this pace for a long time. Even in this forest full of roots and bushes, we quickly cross the obstacles without any problem.

Then Alissa gets another hit.

"Four goblins," she reports.

I knit my eyebrows in worry. "Hmm… they're increasing in number."

"Perhaps there's a nest nearby?" She supposes again.

"Let's observe them."

We get closer so we reach visual range, and we see four fully armored goblins. Two use spears, and two use swords, but all have shields.

I don't feel comfortable using a spear against shields while outnumbered…

They seem very aware of their surroundings, but since we're hidden in the bushes, they can't detect us. They cautiously explore forward at a very slow pace.

"They look awfully intelligent," I comment.

Are they searching for something?

"You think you can kill two if we ambush?" I whisper.

She matches my volume, "Unlikely; they're alert for something. One is guaranteed, the other I'm not so sure."

"We'll sync our attacks. You kill the one on the right, and I use a Bolt on the one on the left. It might stun it long enough for you to fire another arrow."

"I'll use [Muscle Explosion], but I can't use it repeatedly."

"It's alright. I'll be bait, and once the first strike is launched, you sneak around them until you have a shot. When I remove my hand from your shoulder, we attack."

She responds with a steady and unwavering voice, "Understood."

I charge the spell, then I get up and let it loose as I take my hand off her shoulder, and the forest resounds with the roar of the thunder.

The first goblin doesn't even react, it gets hit by lightning and its body locks in place for a moment, then the other goblin falls with an arrow through its temple.

The stunned goblin raises its shield to defend itself, then the brim touches the shaft of the arrow stuck through its face. It's already dead.

The two sword goblins hide behind their shields. They're teardrop-shaped and taller than mine, and with a goblin's small stature, they can easily cover their entire bodies with it.

I get in the open and wait for the goblins to come, then Alissa starts sneaking around them.

Since they're not charging forward, I have time to cast [Lightning Bolt] again. The left goblin twitches and groans, but it doesn't fall. It's likely that the shield reduced the damage to its body.

Suddenly, the right goblin falls with an arrow poking out of its forehead. The last goblin notices it, then turns towards where the arrow came from. That's enough of a distraction; I charge forward.

I thrust towards the goblin, but it suddenly reacts and blocks, then counters. Our shields and swords get tangled in a messy battle, but we're both too cautious to score a hit on the other.

It growls and gets into a rage, then wildly tries to stab me.

Its ferocity gives me pause, and I fight defensively, but I keep it occupied so it doesn't notice Alissa.

The goblin is smaller than me, so when it foolishly decides to hide its eyes behind the shield to dodge my attack, I follow with a kick, and it staggers backward.

Its eyes lock with mine, then an arrow sinks into its temple. It winces for a second, then it goes limp and falls down.

Alissa comes back, and we inspect the bodies.

They may be armored, but it's all shitty, old, and tattered. The weapons must've been pillaged from some adventurers because they look relatively new, so they might be worth something. I grab the weapons and shields, then I cut the ears from the goblins and move towards Alissa.

"Honestly, we make a pretty good team," I happily comment.

She smiles faintly, but she sends me a worried look. "I'd prefer it if you weren't used as bait. We need another companion to act as the front line, Master. Preferably a spearman."

"Yeah, well…" I shrug.

She's not wrong. I don't really have the stats to be front line, it's just that I don't have the money. I used it all on her and her equipment, but I don't regret it, though.

We keep moving forward and meet two other duos of goblins. The first duo one isn't alert, so Alissa kills them both with ease, but the second one is, and it takes a bit more effort. By that I mean I shoot lightning twice, stunning them long enough for Alissa to finish the job.

If you don't have a shield, you're fucked against Alissa.

Then we meet a group of four Mossy Fangpines. They aren't coming directly towards us, so this means that the anti-odor powder is working. But perhaps they're searching for the trail of blood we're leaving behind us?

Killing monsters attracts more monsters, so being a good hunter takes a lot more than just winning the battle. You also have to survive the following encounters.

I start debating whether or not to fight them when Alissa gets another hit: another two-meters tall Young Ogre.

"Now, we wait. They aren't going to get too close to us, right?" I question.

She nods and agrees, "Yes, we'll be safe if we wait here. No need to endanger ourselves unnecessarily."

The two monsters end up meeting, and something interesting happens: the Fangpines attack the Ogre. We decide to move a bit closer so we can see.

With his back against a huge tree, a red-brown ogre swings his arm around while fast and small monsters dash all around him.

"Wow, can they really kill him?" I wonder.

Alissa whispers in a teaching tone, "If they can avoid getting crushed, they can certainly poison him slowly until he dies."

"Hm…" I rub my chin in thought as a dirty idea enters my mind. "Let's third-party this fight."

"'Third-party'?"

I scratch my head awkwardly. "Erm… Let's wait until the ogre is almost dead, then we jump in and kill the Fangpines."

Alissa nods, content. "Oh, I see. Yes, that sounds like a good idea."

"I want the Experience more than anything, so we need to be near the Ogre when it dies by the Fangpines."

Her expression instantly turns serious. "I see. Once he starts to move slower, we should get closer and prepare for the ambush. I'll warn you once his movement pattern changes."

"Alright," I agree and nod. Alissa has better eyesight, so she'll be able to notice this detail easily.

The fight takes a while. The Ogre gets bitten multiple times, but he just can't catch the Fangpines as they're smart enough to let go before they're crushed. I see the ogre growing hair all over its body. It's stiff, slightly green hair, the spikes from the Fangpines.

The fight could be said to be entertaining if I was into blood sports. The orc is surrounded, and the Fangpines maintain a continuous attack towards his blind spots. The small monsters get plenty of close calls, but none of them get hit even once, a testament to their nimbleness.

The ogre stops trying to punch and kick them, then he tries to grab their heads when they come for a bite.

"The Fangpines are salivating, I think they're starving," Alissa comments.

Makes sense. The culling removed food sources, and the ogres are the ones who are moving in, so they became the new targets of the predators here. Though a huge monster like an ogre becoming "prey" seems "wrong," somehow.

Suddenly, the Ogre stomps behind him, and the head of a Fangpine becomes mush.

"Oh!" Alissa whispers in surprise.

The Ogre managed to predict the attack, but I think it was pure luck.

"The rest of the body is still valuable, so it's a good thing that it was only the head," I remark.

It takes around ten minutes, but the Ogre's movements finally start to slow down.

"It's time," Alissa reports.

We sneak forward, and I manage to catch a better view of the battle. I can finally see the Fangpines, and they're all out of breath and salivating.

Just how much saliva can they produce?

"You take the one on the right, and I'll stun the one on the left. Same thing, hand on shoulder," I order, and she nods obediently.

The ogre falls to his knees, then I charge my spell, get up, and take my hand off her shoulder.

Thunder roars through the forest again, then a Fangpine rolls on the ground as smoke comes out of his body, and another dies with an arrow through its eye. The last one turns around and charges towards me without hesitation.

Really vicious, these pieces of shit.

The monster jumps towards me, and I skewer it with my crude goblin spear. The body falls heavily on me, but I can deal with it, just barely.

With a grunt of effort, I throw the spear, and it falls a few meters away. While it writhes in agony, an arrow sinks into its throat.

It screams like a wounded dog and writhes, then I draw my sword and dash forward.

The zapped Fangpine weakly gets up, then an arrow ends its life.

I kneel and stab down, and my sword sinks into the Fangpine's head, ending its life.

I immediately get up and dislodge my sword, then I turn around and see that the ogre is still on his knees, but his eyes can barely maintain focus.

"Ugoo~..." He lets out a faint moan.

I dash and slash his neck. He doesn't even resist, and I open a deep wound that lets a stream of blood pour out.

He falls on his back, then he dies after a minute.

"You're now level 11."

I collect the ogre and Fangpines.

"I leveled up," I dryly say.

Alissa grabs my hand and reassures me, "That's good. Our plan was perfect."

"Indeed," I whisper and smile, trying to remove the image of the dying ogre from my mind. "Let's move. I have something to think about, so I'll just follow you."

"Understood, Master," she obediently responds and takes the lead.

My skills are like this now:

The next level, I'm increasing my melee skills. Possibly [Block] and [Sword Use].

We're past half the way back, so we turn towards the north-east. We're likely to exit the forest near our point of entry this way.

The trees slowly thin out, and no more encounters are found, then we exit the forest.

"I think we're a few minutes south of the farm," Alissa estimates.

"Yeah, let's just go north along the road."

"Want to ride me again?" Alissa suggests with an innocent smile.

"No man will ever say no to that," I reply and smirk mischievously.

She takes a moment to understand, then she starts blushing. "What…? Ah, M-Master!"

I shrug. "You set yourself up, don't blame me for easy pickings."

She whimpers softly and pouts.

"Let's go," she mumbles embarrassedly and transforms into a fox.

The farms are surprisingly orderly, so there's always a sign telling their names, and a road leading to the manor, making it easy to find the house of our employers.

We find the sign for the Woodwick Ranch, then Alissa enters the trail towards the manor. It's made of packed dirt, so Alissa kicks up some dust.

The large golden plantations of something similar to wheat pass by our sides in a blur as Alissa dashes down the road. Moments like these remind me of road trips, making me feel nostalgic.

After a few minutes, we reach the manor. The plantation opens up, and I see a large blue and purple three-story house. It's timber-framed with purple beams and blue stone, which is a rather odd choice of color. The stones and the logs aren't painted, so perhaps they're found in the valley north of here.

A large grass garden surrounds the house, and I see a not-apple tree with a swing and a clothesline at the front; far behind the house, there's an enclosure where the livestock grazes; like a golden wall, the plantations surround all sides of this open field.

We make our way towards the porch, where a pale old man in simple clothes is dozing off.

He hears Alissa's footsteps, and opens his eyes, then jumps out of his cushioned chair from the odd sight of a large fox being ridden by a young boy quickly approaching.

"Oooh! Oh…? OH!" The man lets out multiple sounds as his brain processes what his eyes see. "YOU BE THE HIRED HUNTERS!?" He yells excitedly.

Why yell? We are coming, so just wait for us to get near.

Alissa slows down near the porch, then I dismount.

I clear my throat and serenely greet him, "Yes, we're the Helios fellowship."

The guild has a variety of ways of contacting people when someone accepts a request. Like magic stones, spirit messaging, telepathy, summons, and many others. Depends on the price paid.

Our employers chose a homing carrier-pigeon, so they should've gotten word of us an hour or two after we accepted their request. We could've reached this place faster than the pigeon if we came directly without searching the forest, though.

Alissa transforms back and I return her weapons.

The old man grins and laughs excitedly, "Ohohoho. How nice, a wereanimal. Impressive, too…" -His excitement suddenly fades and he clears his throat awkwardly- "Erm, anyway, you're here to spend the night, right?"

I nod and politely answer, "Yes. We were roaming the Sea of Trees, but we didn't find the Oodogloo."

He clicks his tongue. "That would be some damn luck if you found it like that, but did you find anything interesting, instead?"

"Two Young Ogres and a bunch of goblins. There might be a goblins' nest nearby because we found a squad of four that were well-armed and intelligent."

He claps his hands and scowls. "AH! The little shits made another nest! You're going to report this to the guild right?"

I twitch and almost recoil from his overly-energetic demeanor. "Yeah, but only tomorrow."

He waves his arm dismissively. "Eh, that's fine. We can find a passing traveler to send word or something." Then he goes inside the house, and a scream suddenly booms through the entire house, "OI, BELTA! THE WHACKERS ARE HERE!"

"I HEAR YE!" A female voice screams back.

I knit my eyebrows and whisper to Alissa, "Whackers?"

She obediently instructs me with her teaching tone, "Slang. Farmers always have to keep hiring hunters to kill pests that come back all the time, so they started calling it 'whacking' monsters instead of 'exterminating' them." She shrugs.

A chubby, round-faced, and well-tanned woman appears. Then we see a girl which is a mini version of the woman and a pale-faced boy coyly hiding behind the stairs.

The woman smiles brightly and greets, "Ah, welcome. You must be the Helios duo, am I right?"

"Yes, that's us." I nod respectfully.

She motions for us to come in and returns the nod. "Enter, please. I'll make you some tea and we can wait until my husband comes back. He's at the nearby farms sending word you came."

The Oodogloo might attack a random farm, so the man must be warning the other farms to come here if the monster appears tonight. They'll likely stand guard all night, waiting for it.

Belta lays out for us a simple weak tea with a little bit of sugar and some simple nice cookies. Alissa gracefully eats the snacks, showing more class than I do, and making me feel like a smelly adventurer. The tea and cookies are pretty good, though, so they're worth the awkwardness.

As we tell the woman of our small survey of the forest, a small, wide, and pale man suddenly comes in. He seems to be a man of excess. Excess black hair on his head, excess hair on his chin, excess fat in his belly, and excess muscles in his arms. I see a shortsword hanging on his waist, which should be enough to keep the usual naked goblin away, but not much else.

He doesn't want to make small talk, so we immediately discuss the simple plan for the night. We'll stand guard near the livestock and sleep in turns. The other farms have a bell alarm system, so when the monster is sighted, they'll sound the alarm. The monster will run from the alarm, but since we have a tracker, we can follow its trail.

Then we continue our tale of the expedition until dusk comes. The woman lends her bathtub to us, and we're very thankful for that since bucket baths are quite awful, then she invites us for dinner, and we fill our bellies with a simple but tasty meal. After that, we leave the house to stand guard.

I look up into the night sky and get stunned at the sight. I see a giant moon with a storm of colors raging all over its surface. Each blotch of color is in constant movement, changing every few seconds to another random color. They create waves and crash against each other, causing ripples upon ripples, like a lake's surface under the rain.

Then I notice seven smaller moons, each a different color of the rainbow, orbiting the bigger moon at a visible speed. They seem to make a full turn every minute, which is blindingly fast for a celestial body.

Are they even actual moons?

"Hm? What is it, Master?" Alissa curiously whispers.

Just what the fuck is this? Why a rainbow? Why is the moon… moons so different from the sun? I slept two days under the night sky and didn't even notice this? Oh, yeah, it was cloudy…

"I'm just wondering why is the sun so simple and the moons so colorful," I casually lie.

She laughs girlishly. "What kind of thoughts are you having? The sun is the same as the moons, but he gives us light instead of life."

I blink repeatedly in surprise and look at her. "Wait, what? Remember, I'm very ignorant about things."

Her ears go flat and her posture shrinks shyly. "Oh, I'm sorry, Master." -She quickly recomposes herself and assumes her teaching tone again- "Well, scholars have found that the sun looks the same as the moons. The God of the Sun gives us light to work during the day, but with that, we can't see him properly. The Goddess of the Moons gives us a blessing that replenishes our life, increasing our HP and MP recovery during the night. This is why we sleep when she's watching over us: it's so our recovery is even greater."

Well, at least it ain't just some boring old rock.

I look back at the moon and imagine what an acid trip would be to land there. "But why does the moon look like this storm of color, and why are these seven smaller moons orbiting it?"

"That is the Goddess' avatar in our realm. We don't know exactly why it looks like this, and it's said that we can't really understand something that is above our existence. I think I heard that the smaller moons and colors are said to represent 'aspects' of the god. What 'aspects' are, I don't know, so you should ask a priest." She shrugs.

I'll need some time to process this, so I motion for us to keep moving.

The livestock grazing area covers a large corner of the backyard, and we set up camp as far as we can from it so Alissa doesn't suffer from the smell. Her nose is quite sensitive.

I tell her that I'll switch [Blessing Magic] for [Summoning Magic], then I put ten points in it.

The spells of this magic school give me a ball of light that I can throw to summon things, so it kind of feels like I'm using pocket monsters. If I put a little more "effort" in summoning when I press the "cast" button inside my mind, I can instantly call a summon in a small radius around me.

I press the [Summon Dog] spell in my mind, then force a German Shepherd to appear beside me, and Alissa coos in wonder and claps.

With that, half of my MP is consumed and my max MP is reduced by one fourth. This is quite an improvement in comparison to the bird I summoned for the first time.

I keep the dog's hearing sense, and tell it to patrol the farms in search of the Oodogloo's scent, which is ammonia. If it finds the monster, then it should bark for a while to warn me and the farms, and also chase after it if it runs away.

I take the first watch and put down an hourglass. It'll mark one hour, and once I turn it three times, I'll switch with Alissa. It's kinda sad to see her sleep alone, but it'll be even sadder when it's my turn.

My watch goes without a problem, and I practice my [Mana Control] while staring at the moons, then I wake up Alissa and switch with her.

This tent is cold, not physically, but it makes my heart feel cold. I just want to sleep hugging my cute fox.

I wake up to the sound of angry barking. Through my dog's eyes, I can see it staring intensely at some weird, black humanoid outline frozen in fear. The dog's vision is monochrome and poor, but there's no mistaking it, that's the Oodogloo.

"Alissa! The dog!" I exclaim.

She's in front of the tent, maintaining my sword, and she immediately stores the oil in her [Item Box], then hands me our weapons and turns into a fox.

In a hurry, I sheath my sword, strap on my shield, store the tent and sleeping bag on my "Items," grab her equipment, and mount her.

"To the Jolly Ranch!" I command, and she darts forward.

Even though Alissa can see well in the moonlight, I can't, so I add one point to [Light Magic] and cast [Spirit Light]. A small, light-blue, glowing ball appears above my head and illuminates the whole field with eerie colored light.

This color really makes me feel like it's a "spirit" light.

A minute later, Alissa casts her own [Spirit Light], but hers is white, and it reduces the spooky air caused by mine.

The dog stops barking, and I start to hear the bells being rung from the farmhouses.

I cut the hearing sense, then I turn on the olfact, and I immediately sense the ammonia.

Suddenly, the shape turns away and runs into the plantation. The dog gives chase but keeps its distance.

I take my melee skills off and put them on [Blessing Magic], then I cast [Swift Foot] on Alissa, and she speeds up a lot. We fly through the dirt roads between the plantations as she runs with the wind.

She shakes so much that it becomes rather uncomfortable for me, but the trip only lasts a few minutes, and we reach our destination.

The bells all around the neighboring farms quickly reach full blast, creating a painfully loud cacophony.

Like a fellowship bond, I know at all times the direction and distance my summoned dog is, so I guide Alissa into the plantation.

"I got his scent!" She suddenly announces.

It's a bad idea to fight it in the middle of the plantation, so we slow down and wait until it enters another open field.

I switch my points back into combat mode. I also won't be able to use the spear this time, not unless I want the Oodogloo to use a tentacle to steal it from my hands and use it against me.

After a minute of painfully running through the middle of the plantation, we enter another backyard. We can see another manor to the side and a dark humanoid figure awkwardly running away with the dog chasing a few meters away.

I dismiss the summon and see it instantly turn into a cloud of smoke that completely disappears in a few seconds, then I cast [Lightning Bolt] at the Oodogloo and hit its back.

The figure falls, then Alissa slows down and keeps her distance.

Not yet.

The figure gets up and starts to run away. I cast [Lightning Bolt] again, now with the full power of level three [Mana Control]. The figure falls again, but it doesn't get up, and its shape starts to melt.

"Now!" I give the signal.

Alissa stops and I dismount, then put her equipment on the ground.

As she shifts back to humanoid, I unsheathe my sword and jog towards the enemy.

I hear a commotion near the manor, but I ignore it. They won't help us because they could get in the way, so they just leave it to the "pros." The farmhands can deal with the occasional naked goblin, but this monster is way above their level.

I cast [Lightning Bolt] again to provoke it, then the now unidentified black mass comes in our direction.

"OOOOO...duh… GLOOOOO!" It lets out a long and dull scream.

This sound is what gave it its name. This ridiculous slime who wishes to be human tries to imitate our vocal cords, but it can only let out this silly sound. It runs away whenever it sees an enemy, but can it be enraged if provoked repeatedly, then it loses its human form and attacks with the bones it has inside.

The slime reaches our Lights, and we see its transparent gooey mass sliding forward at a frightening speed. An amalgamation of human bones floats inside it, constantly moving in a wild storm, reflecting the slime's mood.

An arrow sinks into the slime with a watery "thunk" sound.

I cast [Lightning Bolt] again and it convulses wildly, stopping its advance for a second. Another two arrows enter it, and the slime starts losing liquid like a leaky water balloon.

A tentacle shoots out like a bullet, and I block it with my shield, then my shield resonates loudly. Its attacks are tough like a hammer strike.

I counter with a slash but it whiffs, the slime is just too fast.

I dodge a few smaller and slower tentacles, then a third and a fourth arrow creates more places for it to leak.

I see a thick tentacle is forming, telegraphing a massive attack. I grit my teeth and charge [Lightning Bolt].

The next moment, a huge tentacle flies towards me, and I release my Bolt. The shield resonates again and I stumble backward as my shoulder flares with pain.

I steady my feet, then I jump forward and chop without even looking.

My sword sinks into the huge, convulsing tentacle and splits it in two, then a large amount of liquid and a variety of human bones drop from the wound.

It uses a mass of bones like a sledgehammer, while the small, pointy ones are used as piercing weapons. Fortunately, the small tentacles aren't as powerful as the large one.

Grievously wounded, the slime tries to run. It's leaking water from everywhere, and Alissa continues free-firing, increasing the number of holes.

I cast a short [Lightning Bolt], stunning it again, and I take the opportunity to attack.

I slash open an even bigger wound than the one before, then its whole body wriggles in panic, and an uncountable number of little tentacles appear on the surface of the slime.

I dive backward and the tentacles absolutely fill the area where I just was.

I immediately get up and start retreating, keeping my distance from it.

The slime tries to chase, but it has lost too much water, and its surface has become wrinkly, greatly reducing its speed.

For the next half minute, it tries a desperate last effort to hurt me, but it has trouble moving due to the number of arrows poking out of its entire body.

The tentacles lose power and speed, then the slime finally stops moving.

Everything becomes completely silent as the bells stop ringing, then I see seven heads peeking out of the windows of the manor.

"Fuck yeah! It's dead!" I cheer and throw my arms up.

Alissa laughs girlishly, then I hear cheering from the manor.

We collect the bones and the remaining slime skin, then we give a short greeting to the family inside the manor, and the man of the house gives me a bottle of wine as thanks for dealing with this pesky monster. I don't drink, but Alissa whispers for me to accept it, so I try to do it graciously.

Then we leave and return to the manor of our contractor. Belta is ecstatic, and her husband gives me a painful pat on the back then laughs with a booming voice. Alissa squirms from seeing my pain but says nothing this time.

They let us stay the night in the guest room, which has two single beds, but we can't stand to sleep separately anymore, so we crowd on a single one. It's a little hot and cramped, but we manage to fit in.

"Honestly, I don't see any problem with our teamwork. We do well together," I comment.

"Aside from you being in the front," Alissa responds worriedly. "I can see you struggling to defend against the monsters' attacks. No shield-bearer should struggle so much."

I awkwardly massage my neck."Well… I'd already decided to train my body and skills more. With this reward, we can spend a good time training without worrying about hunting monsters. Also, I'll level up soon, and that should help a lot."

Alissa pouts and retorts. "Still, I don't think I'll ever be comfortable with you in the front line. Your talent is magic, so you shouldn't need to spend so much time training melee." She lazily traces her finger on my chest as she talks.

I smile warmly at her. "Your concern makes me happy, but my real advantage is versatility. We just have to hold on and be careful for a while longer," I reassure her and kiss her nose.

"A while longer…" She repeats, then she kisses my lips lightly.

After some light kissing, she breaks it and turns her face away.

"What is it?" I ask.

"Hm…" She pouts again, and I see her tail is swaying.

She stays silent for a few seconds, then she moves down, below the covers. I feel my pants going down, then something warm and wet wraps around my dick.

She's really good at this, so I don't last long again.

Intermission 1

Now I'm sure that Master is someone special. He's a kind and calm, but a completely different person in bed; he has the knowledge and curiosity of a child, but the wisdom of someone much older; he has mercy and compassion for monsters, but the resolve to keep fighting. Those aren't things you find among the common man, but those are things that must be protected.

Master is alone, that much I'm sure, but I'll do what I can to fill that hole. I'm already happy enough that he depends on me in battle and in bed, but I'll show him I can do much more. Even though I know he's letting out his lust on me, I'm content with being able to help with this. Once the lust subsides, his heart will be ready for a deeper bond with mine.

He tries to look collected and composed, but I know he's anxious about something, and he has no one to confide on, so I can only try my best to lower his burdens. He doesn't trust me enough to tell me his secrets, but I'll support him regardless until he opens up one day.

I thought that my endurance training would be wasted living such a lavish lifestyle, but now I know it's merely going to be used in a different way than what I'd imagined. His mind is fragile and precious, his will is so strong he's bound to hurt himself, and his code of honor will soon have him face the wicked, which will leave a wound on his soul. All I wish for is the ability to support him through whatever destiny the Gods have for him. I'll stay by his side, no matter what.