“Azel, you have to carry me,” Sekh complained as she tried to get up. “My whole body feels so sore right now.”

“Fine, fine,” I conceded as I hoisted her in a princess carry. “Now I’m going to put your clothes on for you then carry you downstairs. Apart from that, you’ll have to manage since we’re going to leave today.”

“Thanks for taking responsibility,” Sekh cooed. “I think you would make a great husband.”

“Um...thanks,” I replied in surprise, my face becoming unexpectedly hot. 

“Incredible,” Sekh said with wide sparkling eyes. “I finally got to see you blushing. I’ll be sure to ingrain this treasure into my memories.”

Once I had finished dressing Sekh, the two of us descended the stairs. Or it might be better to say that I went down with Sekh in hand. As I set Sekh down a chair, I could feel the questioning looks of the patrons and owner. 

“Do you feel embarrassed?” Sekh teased as she poked my cheek. 

“Not at all,” I answered as I gulped down a mouthful of fish soup. “In fact, I think I’m the winner out of the two of us. I can even feel the jealousy radiating from the other men here.”

“You’re no fun,” Sekh laughed. “See, I’m trying to find out how to recreate your blush. For future references, you know?”

“Well I won’t be able to help you,” I said with a shrug. “Even I don’t know why I end up feeling certain ways.”

“Then I’ll find out for you,” Sekh asserted cheerily.

After the two of us had finished eating, we began to pack up our belongings in preparation of another trip. In particular, the owl-tiger pelt that I had cleaned was still in our possession. Although I could give the pelt to the village, I’d rather sell it. I believe that it could net a fair price if I get it tanned. Still, the creature looks positively stupid. The pelt was almost identical to that of a tiger, all the way up to the head. Once it reached the head, there was a jarring cutoff as the tiger fur morphed into the feathered face of an owl. Even the mouth consisted solely of a beak and no teeth. 

“It looks pretty cool right?” Sekh asked as she inspected the owl-tiger pelt.

“By cool you mean objectively stupid?” I replied.

“So what is a cool monster then, huh?” Sekh inquired in argument. 

“Dragons, it’s not even a competition,” I asserted.

“You’re so basic,” Sekh said with mock disappointment. 

The two of us finished packing up a few hours before noon. Although we mostly got a warm sendoff, Sekh’s bow legged movements were drawing quite a few eyes towards us. 

Compared to our prior trip during which Sekh was sick and I was refusing sleep, this journey felt substantially better. In addition, the closer we got to Damask the more people we saw along the road. Most of these travelers were people coming back and forth from Damask to sell their wares.

To my surprise, the farmland around Damask was better maintained than I expected. Although there was a good amount of vacant land, the majority of arable land was being tended. The land closer to the large Chrysor river was used mostly to grow rice while the drier areas were populated with wheat, legumes, and a plethora of vegetables. Sekh was particularly excited to see farmers catching fish in the rice fields. 

“Quick question, do leopard-folk all like fish or is it just you?” I asked the almost drooling Sekh.

Sekh scratched the back of her head thoughtfully as she began to formulate a response. “Well everyone in my village liked eating fish. But we also lived by a river so that might be a factor. Honestly I don’t know.”

“Interesting,” I said while recalling my own experiences. “Like I know that domestic cats enjoy fish, but that’s not really a good comparison. The only time I’ve encountered other leopard-folk was during a few border skirmishes. The supplies that we pilfered from them were mostly flatbread and gazelle or ibex meat.”

“Now a quick question for you,” Sekh shot back. “Have you fought battles in places other than Stygia and Fars?”

“The only other place is in the Marches,” I replied after thinking for a bit. “I’ve never had to go to Taras or Aeolia as a part of a raiding party. And all the fighting in the Marches was for the sake of protecting the citizens, not expanding geopolitical influence. Well, it did inevitably contribute to the political power of the ruling house of Hayan.”

“No wonder I’m such a rookie compared to you,” Sekh remarked. “Before the Stygian campaign, I’ve only been involved in a small skirmish against a band of gnoll raiders.”

I decided not to pry about the gnoll raider topic. Generally speaking, most people who have experienced gnoll raids don’t have the most positive experience. Although her immediate family seems to be unaffected, the possibility of neighbors or distant family is certainly a possibility. 

It was during the afternoon of the next day that the two of us reached the city of Damask, the former jewel of southern Stygia. The city was built on the east bank of the Chrysor river, the impressive whitish grey walls encircling the entire settlement. The walls by the river even had openings with portcullises to allow water to flow into the city in the form of canals. Within the city was another set of inner walls that encircled a castle atop a hill, the citadel of Damask. 

“Incredible,” Sekh remarked in astonishment. “This might be the biggest city I’ve ever seen.”

“There’s bigger,” I told her as I examined Damask. “But it’s definitely one of the most impressive cities I’ve seen. It’s a shame that the Chrysor river doesn’t lead to a good natural harbor. If this city could have been established by the sea, I can’t even imagine how much the geopolitics of this region would change. At the very least, I think that it would have formed the center of an independent state. Similar to how Tyrus, to the west, did for Iasor’s vassal state of Lycia.”

The two of us continued to marvel at the city all the way until we reached the north gate. Although the portcullis was kept open for the movement of people, soldiers went about regulating the traffic going to and from the city. The guardsmen stationed at the gates looked to be a mix of town watchmen and supervising professional soldiers. The watchmen wore gambesons or tunics accompanied by a simple cap made of metal or fabric. Their arms were equally simple spears, shields, shortswords, and self bows. In contrast, the soldiers wore lamellar cuirasses over their gambesons and every man had a metal helmet. Though the soldiers also had the very reliable spear and shield combo, their swords were no longer short and their bows were actual warbows in comparison to the hunting bows of their militia counterparts. As we went to go through the portcullis, a watchman came and stopped us. 

“Sorry, but there’s a 1 nummus fee to enter the city,” the man informed me. “Unless you have a Labor Bureau registration, we can’t let you enter without paying.”

“Just wait a bit then,” I told the man.

Sekh and I soon pulled out our Labor Bureau cards which the man inspected before letting us enter. Most likely the Doux of this region had decided to implement a gate tax for income, but excluded Bureau workers to increase the labor supply.

“My admiration has been completely betrayed,” Sekh remarked disappointedly as we walked through the city. 

“Based on the reports, I expected something like this,” I glumly said in response. 

In spite of the walls being mostly repaired from the effects of the war, the rest of Damask was not necessarily doing as well. Most of the canals seemed functional, but that was one of the few good things. A fair amount of buildings looked damaged or poorly maintained and the regular citizens roaming the streets didn’t have the friendliest look in their eyes. Granted they didn’t appear to be starving, so things weren’t as bad as possible. However, there were a considerable amount of people living in the slums, these ones actually looking like they lacked nutrition. In comparison, Jericho’s slums look far more welcoming than the ones in this city. Even with a drug problem, I would still prefer Jericho to Damask. 

The two of us quickly hauled ourselves towards the wealthier part of the city near the citadel. There, we found a nice inn by a canal called the River Lord's Abode. Sekh and I decided to share a single room and bed, while getting daily meals and stable usage. The total cost amounted to 1 denarius and 4 nummi a night. 

“Maybe we should find somewhere else to stay,” I told Sekh as we walked towards the Labor Bureau. “It’s a temporary solution, but let’s explore other options if we plan to stay in Damask.”

“There seem to be some vacant houses around,” Sekh remarked. “We could buy one and settle. Then we can have all the privacy we want.”

“That’s possible,” I sighed. “But with the amount of money that we have, I don’t think we can get a nice house. Still, I think we could purchase a alright one.”

“Sorry, but I don’t share your desire for luxury,” Sekh replied. “My main requirements for a house is that it’s clean, the neighbors are tolerable, and you’re there with me.”

“I almost agree with you,” I answered. “But I think more wouldn’t hurt, especially since we can obtain the means.”

“Well, if we get a mansion I want to roleplay being a maid,” Sekh said unabashedly.

“For sex or do you just want to keep things tidy?” I joked. 

“Both and preferably at the same time,” Sekh told me with a straight face.

“I don’t think the house will be very clean if we do that,” I remarked. “But I'm certainly not opposed to the idea."

While I was speaking, I was doing a very good job of pushing my dick down my pants to make it look inconspicuous. I’d rather not have more blatant proof that I’m the hero of the spear.

After walking around the city for a bit, the two of us found the Labor Bureau building. The process was greatly expedited by asking for directions, which were surprisingly accurate. 

The Labor Bureau building in Damask was a five story building constructed of stone with glass windows. In contrast to the Labor Bureau building in Jericho, this one even had its own stable. Although not in disrepair, the once majestic building had certainly seen better days. 

The insides of the building looked fairly clean. The stone wasn’t discolored and the rugs were tidy. The receptionist desks looked to be properly staffed, though closer inspection would reveal that many of the clerks weren’t the best at their job. In particular, I could hear someone harassing a clerk at a desk on the right side of the building. 

“6 denarii?!” a female mercenary shouted in indignation. “The job we took was far more dangerous than that. I demand that we get paid quadruple the amount.”

“I’m sorry but it’s not under my jurisdiction to adjust payments,” the orcish clerk replied. “If you feel that you’ve been wronged, please file a complaint and we will review it. Or if that’s not possible, please talk to our manager.”

“Review it?” the woman asked in anger. “I bet you fucks are just going to throw it away.”

“I see what’s happening here,” I sighed as I motioned Sekh to follow me towards the commotion. “She’s might be trying to scare the poor clerk into giving her extra money. That’s why she’s avoiding the manager. Doesn’t help that she’s picking on an orc too.”

The other clerks stood around, too nervous to provide direct help. Though I believe that one had just run up the stairs to call for reinforcements. Meanwhile the rest of the crowd just looked at the commotion with either amusement or disdain. The main reason that nobody dared to do anything yet was the threat of the woman’s party. Though her two other companions were also female humans, the three of them looked to be experienced fighters. Most likely these women were part of the Stygian army during the war, since Ahriman’s desperation had led to the conscription or at least training of most of the populace. 

“Excuse me, what’s going on?” I interrupted the woman as she stared down the clerk.

“It’s none of your business,” she shot back with a glare.

“I don’t know about that,” I argued. “You’re causing a commotion and making it hard to get the clerks to do their job, which leads to me not being able to conduct my own business.”

“Well I’m trying to get a proper payment, since our job paid too little,” the woman spat out impatiently.

“Then just go talk to the manager,” I advised her.

“Absolutely not,” she said indignantly. “That woman is a cheapskate whore.”

“Who are you calling a cheapskate whore?” a sharp voice chimed in from behind.

When I looked for the source of the noise, I saw a tall elven woman. Due to her tanned skin, silver hair, purple eyes, and pointed ears, I could tell that this woman is a southern elf. Well the slang is dark elf, but the term used by proper historians is southern elves. 

Calling this woman a whore seemed to be a bit of a stretch. Although she was certainly voluptuous with an hourglass figure and generous assets, she wore a pair of glasses that gave off an intellectual air. One could best describe her as a sexy librarian. But that wasn’t the most noticeable part about her. The most distinguishable thing about this elf was her height. This elf absolutely towered over the other women in the crowd. At a glance, I could tell that she’s around my height, possibly taller. 

“If you didn’t notice, the person I’m referring to is you,” the complaining mercenary answered with a smug smile. 

That smug smile was almost pulverized by the elf’s fist when she lunged forward to slug the mercenary in the face. However, I caught the blow before anything could happen. 

“Sorry about that,” I said with a smile while the entire room stared me down. “But I don’t think you should beat her up yet. Let’s hear her out before we do anything rash.” 

The dark elf’s eyes went wide for a moment before she finally spoke up. “No, thank you for that. I let my emotions get the better of me. I’ll hear her out now.”

“So why was your job more dangerous than expected?” the Bureau manager asked the startled sellsword. 

“Well we encountered a reed serpent king instead of just a regular one,” the mercenary explained. 

“Then let me see the entire snakeskin,” the dark elf requested.

“Well...um… we don’t have it,” the mercenary said as she averted her eyes. “We just have the fangs here.” 

One of her companions brought out a pair of large serpent fangs, which both the Bureau manager and I began to inspect.

“This isn’t from a reed serpent king,” the Bureau manager asserted after some examination. “They’re far too small in comparison to what a king would have. These fangs indicate that what you killed was only the size of a normal one.” 

I was unsure of the truth of her statement, particularly because I have never seen a reed serpent in my life that wasn’t a drawing. Around that time, Sekh came in to take a peek at the fangs.

“So what do you think Sekh?” I asked the leopard girl as her head hovered over my shoulder.

“Yeah, they’re definitely too small to be from a king,” Sekh confirmed. “Besides, I think the skin is the most valuable part. So if they could loot the fangs, then they should have been able to salvage at least some of the skin.”

The moment the dark elf heard Sekh, she began to narrow her eyes at the party of three. 

“So not only did you harass my subordinates, but you also lied,” she spoke ominously. “Well you won’t just be getting your pay revoked, but I intend to suspend your licenses and put this on your record.”

“Wait, you can’t do that,” the sellsword argued. 

Unlike her, the other two in the party were shaking with fear instead of anger. I guess they’re also victims of this lunatic, though complicit ones at that.

“I hate to tell you, but she can definitely do that,” I informed the raving mercenary. “She’s the manager if you haven’t noticed.”

“Shut the fuck up you limp dick fucker!” the woman shouted as she started to lunge at me.

That’s not a particularly creative insult. In fact, she used the word fuck twice. While I was complaining about her jokes in my head, I had slammed my fist into this idiot’s chest. Strangely enough, below my fist was the foot of the Bureau manager. It seemed that the two of us were in sync on this one. 

I don’t know if the dark elf was holding back, but I was. Not because my opponent was a woman, but because I didn’t want to be responsible for accidental murder. Said potential murder victim was thrown backwards, the air knocked from her lungs. Fortunately for all of us, she was caught by her two frightened companions. 

“Alright everyone, see what happens when you violate the rules,” the Bureau manager announced to the crowd. “Now, I recommend that you all get back to your business.”

After hearing the intimidating voice of the manager, the clerks and clientele began to shuffle back to their original business.

“Hey, can you two help me keep watch of those three?” the Bureau manager asked me and Sekh when the crowd had mostly dispersed. 

“Sure thing,” I said as I took a stance with my spear. 

While Sekh and I stood menacingly, the dark elf manager quickly gathered the necessary paperwork to punish the three out of line mercenaries. Once the papers were processed, the party of three was evicted from the building.

“Thanks for the help,” the dark elf said as she shook my hand. “My name’s Minerva.”

“No problem, I’m Iblis,” I replied. 

“Glad to help, I’m Sekh,” Sekh said when she got her turn to shake hands.

“If you two don’t mind, I’d like to interview the two of you for a position,” Minerva requested.