Friend

This chapter both starts and ends with inferences of serious note. Both Arthur will still be emotionally numbed from what he saw of his ties to Pernam, and at the end Roia may be caught up in something not so pretty. I do though hope and pray life for each of you never is as drastic as the characters I write ― remember; it's all only a story, I'm just exploring the nature of these things through it.

PoV: Roia Hartzell.

As expected of a slave, I follow the royal family out of the dining hall; behind me came the twins, chattering over something unimportant. King Bonner in the lead, Queen Carissa is a step behind and to the right, by the ritual holds onto his arm. Following is both heir princes, and heir princesses; and then the other slaves ― with me leading the twins and the food carts out.

Brutus faces to his back right, torturing Candra verbally ― calling her a failed bride and worse, to her heated protest. Candra is near tears, the first time I have seen the royals so emotional, except when I should hear the king say demeaning words to his wife. He makes his wife so angry, she runs to her secret boyfriend ― while he too runs off into the arms of one of his array of other slave girls. Which may make me wonder, which of 'her' children are also 'his' ... or not. It's gotta be intentional; it can't be an accident. Or, does it matter now-

In the two months I have been here, it has never been clear ― how a queen who is a former summoned one with the slave collar too, herself could be allowed to see someone other than the king. Except, her collar was much more ornate than mine. Hmm; perhaps the slavery magic isn't so good ... in this world? I had thought it was absolute; but if even I am able to imagine things, maybe even rebellious things, versus the fat jerk of a king-

-then ... their hold over me, is ... not so strong?

The king himself also has his 'on the side' flings. Some busty maids or servant girls who get fairer treatment than I, though it does seem their one purpose of being here is ― to service their king. I feel so thankful in how I did not yet have the fate of being forced to service him too. No; instead ― for my private hell treatment ― I am passed off to the other more brutish men who serve the king in other ways ― from soldiers, to nobles, to even the criminals. I hate this life; it leaves me either drained of energy and will to live; or fills me with ... things I don't want to be filled with, inside my body-

Exiting the doorway to the balcony, I note something new ― seen in the corner of my vision ― a doorway, or passage maybe ― a way to see or maybe go into a new world? What is it-

I stop involuntarily in surprise at seeing this, and wonder ― why did he put this pane of light there?

This king has summoned by estimation in the recent two decades maybe hundreds of beings, from all over the cosmos of other worlds. Males, females, young, old, human, hairy beasts, clawed or scaly beasts, plus more ― all in the godless causes of 'kill the demon lord' or 'fight the enemy nation' or even 'secure our seaport'. Once even, only to mate with a widowed queen, but what they got was ... another female-

I know the reason is not so simple. From the words I'd heard before, nobody here in the last two centuries has succeeded in defeating the current demon lord. And even then, a body of a demon lord never got found ― as if it's some ruse. A way for the demon race and its ruler to continue ... elsewhere?

Myself summoned too ― they collar me, send me to fight against some 'captured' demon lord's creature, to validate my fighting ability. It's the 'daughter of a demon lord' the king mentions. I did get wounded, without even defending myself ― thus I'm marked a 'failure slave'.

-in truth, I still feel in shock at being pulled away from being a mother to my only infant, so ... I did not even try to fight ― collared and commanded to it, or not. I found myself unable to move, in terror. Thus when I could not move ― they gave up on me. I got put into the crappy roles.

The other reason ― being called a failure slave ― when royals call for a summoning they hope for one to be mated to their royal heirs. As of this time, the only remaining unmarried candidate to obtain a summon is Candra, because ... all older heirs already had their own mates. I found out later ― my summon copies a mentioned earlier summons. Supposedly a female from another world came here as a male, and caused freakouts of massive proportion ― yet still got enslaved to the queen and forced to mate, to produce heirs. Icky politics; I wonder how both of those persons felt about it; the tale told did not say.

Pairing Candra and I just can't work ― royals expect heirs. Not as if I would have resisted being mated to her, if I were changed to male ― after all if they pull me from Earth and also switch me to a new race, why could this not make me a male? It would also be nice if I did not exist as a female to be so abused.

But, I see it here ― a new thing, right there. I know only the new summoned guy could have done it. It means he has some existing skills or abilities ― something unique, this kingdom would abuse or misuse him mercilessly to his doom, and maybe to the rest of the world's doom. And then what-

In staring vaguely at the wall and the doorway to another place, I forgot to keep moving at the same pace; I'm holding up their lines. The food cart bumps the back side of one of the twins who shouts 'hey' ― halting behind me ― and the cook pushing it calls out her gentle 'oops sorry there miss' as the whole line comes to a halt. Even the king ahead, hears the commotion.

"Hey get moving, Roia," calls out the twin who glares.

"Yeah what's the hold up, you failure?" spits the other one.

Even realizing now the reason they call me such, the words still hurt. I couldn't turn back the clock, could not take the fight test again to prove my worth-

"-s, sorry."

Oops. Ahead of us, most of the royal family turn slowly too.

"What's the commotion," calls out the king. "You see the boy again, slave?"

"N, no."

"Well then, keep up! Or I'll send you back to the soldiers for their use again!"

I can only hurry onward, to escape such 'punishment' for so simple a reaction. I will have to wait to explore this place; my own 'free time' would come soon enough, and then I would then sneak back around here ― maybe.

Assuming, this new guy means what he says ... I might need to make myself available or visible for him to find. And then ... no more rape, right?

... r, right?

-please?

PoV: Arthur.

I almost cannot watch, yet strangely have to, in the interest of hoping the dragon lady calms down before getting to my fam-

-no. She will save this place, for the very last hit.

In the short span of a half hour, I'd eaten maybe a third of what was on my plate in abject dread, while watching ― fearing a fate in all my locations. I don't even remember eating, so much; I just know of what food spills on the ground when the plate somehow falls out of my weak grasp, how much remains uneaten. Reliving flashbacks only delays this.

... I guess ... this means ... I'm in shock? Is this drained feeling ... is this what being 'in shock' is like?

"How many people dead I wonder." This is the only thing I can say while my head is spinning, for some time. It's a stupid thing to say, even stupider to think in the first place, in having seen through a few of the portals what is going on in another world. Nobody answers; I don't really need answers to ... this.

I see or sense more than three quarters of these portals ― all of what are visible in a ring around this core ― just go ... drop silent. They lose their connections; nothing exists on the other side, even this mana splitter project may have gone super critical if I guess right its power potential-

-and the dragon lady, she has to have been flying at supersonic speeds just to do it all ― even spewing fire across the land. Part of me is also proud in knowing ― a dragon lady is so capable of those actions if thus inclined or motivated. Supersonic ... impressive.

Though on behalf of the fated innocent ones who just took her wrath ― on my behalf, and never seeing their end ― I am so, so, so sorry. I had no idea; I never, ever wanted for this-

But the instruction manual on setting up this place and the portals between worlds ... never mentions portals falling dark like this. I have literally no idea what is going on, in the other world. From some of them, I have seen fast blurs of light and flame and ash; and then an ultimate of darkness upon each one of them. It's like having an enclosed dark room with those same number of light bulbs all lit up; but then one by one knocking out a bulb at a time. Poof, there goes one in the queen's residence; poof, a second one in the wizard's tower; pop, a third ... my home where my wife and child are-

-I ... just ... saw ... death.

What's my risk calculation for super critical failure if my project back in the Wizard's Tower, goes boom? Will it make some 'mushroom shaped cloud of superheated mana' reaching to the heavens ― and then suddenly five million people in the country vanish, just like dust? Could it even damage a dragon lady, who could do so much, there?

'That dragon bitch ― she just slags half the capital, and the country too ― for this?'

All this? because of me? playing around? having a little fun? wondering how it would feel?

S, s, surely not!

Well maybe. But I hope it wasn't all because of me.

... certainly leaves openings for more portals, for other places-

-shut up. Just. Shut the hell up!

I'm wiping my cheeks clear, this strange liquid seeping across them; I'm wishing I could see straight just now-

Maybe this thought is in bad taste ― but I do feel relief, even a little. First, I feel the loss of my wife and child, maybe all of the places around the great city I'd been ... 'checking up on'. I probably won't find another lamia so adept with 'tail play' as I had, in the one rich brothel.

Second, I realize ― I will come to miss lots of people ... in the following days, months, years. All ended, in a span of a half hour or less.

Which leaves me ... what ... free to consider taking on the nature of this world? Since I have 'free' portal slots now ... do I want to. Two portals left in the last world ― I am afraid to return to those places, to be seen ― one just setup here a short time ago ... and thirteen free slots now, to use?

-but ... I just want to go home, to Earth. Want to see Mom, and my twin sisters, and-

Could I even go back to Earth from this world, if I try ― or is it as the goddess said, it has to be from the original world which summoned me? Or, worse ― because I again am summoned, does this somehow also negate my Earth connection?

In either case, I have some serious things to work out, here. I'd promised to at least lend Roia some aspect of my 'help'; and for my own mind I'm curious as to whether the demon lord setup here is so bad as the king said. It might mean, this time I should just go and try to talk to the demon lord or lady, whatever gender this one is, directly. Hmm, it has the benefit of being a simple and direct solution, for the both of us.

But at least in this time, I've eaten something more than the mere piece of salad out of Roia's brief meal. One of the items my cook hands me earlier was a mana potion which restores me to full MP. I already have a thousand such potions in my inventory; but I could not refuse the way Ceevah my caring but somber cheetah girl pushed it to my trembling hand.

Gimu steps quiet beside me, calm as well but patient. He likely knows as well as I do, what he's seen ― he can see the suddenly dark portals arrayed around here. He knows they mean ... something.

"Master ... sorry."

"... nothing you could have done, Gimu."

I sigh, turn around, and view my 'estate', to wonder what I can do next.

This space, a 'constructed realm tying portals to one place', is just this. It's an interchange ― a circle of land through which sixteen portals are setup in a radial array ― where a portal owner could develop-

Originally just the ten meter radius of land, one portal at its perimeter, is built according to those ancient manuscripts my former trainer and mentor let me see within the kingdom's ancient library. None of those librarians ― theologians, they called themselves ― would decipher the scroll for me. But I had, through cross references in other manuscripts of the same era; I had to perform the research for it, on my own efforts and time.

Also due to the radial size of my space, it limits an amount of summoned entities to be called forth. Through calm calculation, a current 250 meter radius allows 20 entities. The first one is my trusty cheetah girl Ceevah; the second is Gimu my goblin warrior who has since evolved into a goblin prince form; and then others. Rata the small effeminate rodent like being, Chace the much larger wolfkin warrior. The rest of the twenty here now came through time and effort. As the space grows slowly ... I summon new ones or subjugate the random spawns.

Being in the last world just weeks shy of a decade, only the first two fifths passed to find and defeat the demon lord by this cursed collar's hold on me, I'd accrued a serious amount of 'stuff'. Stole some of it, without a catkin queen or her people knowing. Stole some other stuff, without the demon queen knowing, either. None of it traceable to me! Blame it on each other! Either that, or the rebel anarchists!

... always have a rebel or anarchist faction to blame, it can save you ... unless someone catches you pinning something on them-

And the original realm, in the last half dozen years, I'm expanding through personal efforts, to this quarter kilometer radius. On average, this means a growth of around forty meters per year, or less than 80 cm per week. This growth should also take into account the depth of ground and height in air ― it's a complex realm, with systems and everything. But, whatever its growth rate, it never shrinks; I'll consider this almost like my own personal kingdom right here. I'd clones or copied so many of those manuscripts from the old library ― for better handling, reading, and storage ― thus built up my own library. Eh ... some of the 'rare' originals, I may even return, in time, to the library ― instead of leaving the copies.

The fountain at the center gives pure water, from stored water mana; it lets water gush from the center into four cardinal directions, flowing along the four streams to the edge of the space. Then at the end of this journey an oversight magic 'sucks up' the water and anything flowing within it, cleans and stores it again as water element mana, for the fountain to again gush forth. A perpetual water machine of sorts; sort of like mother likes to have in her living room-

The four structures coming diagonally from it were my manor to the northeast, library to the southeast, warehouse and granary to the southwest, and secondary residential structure to the northwest. The manor is this fairly spacious three floor building, with a number of spare rooms inside for my key staff; and it's the first structure I leveled up. The library, obviously the second structure, after gaining access to the kingdom's library and needing a separate place to store all those written things, and a place for research. Warehouse and granary structure ― yeah this space is fertile, and so has produced tons of fruits, grain, and vegetables. Even now, I would never need starve, not for a hundred years; all gained in a mere handful of years of this space existing.

And, for the overflow of minions summoned since the mansion got full, the remaining fourth structure built ends up being minion barracks, for the additional minions present. It is, presently, full ― with the nearly all goblin population in its rooms.

All in all, for this much land, I had twenty servants who I more or less treated as equals. Having a worn collar, back then, I did come to understand the nature of free will along with freedom in the direct way, and so chose to treat them better than they thought they would get. I think it has paid off ― not only would I do anything to keep these minions safe, but also they would do anything to keep me safe, if someone should try to harm me ― rightly so.

Even now, just by memory, I knew the full demographics of what I'd summoned to be here. Eleven of them are of the goblin race, five are various mammalian types, and four are other creatures. Exactly three to one ratio, for female to male, though ― I had not forced this to be this way, it just ... happens!

A 'quarter kilometer radius' is still ... only 250 meters. Less than a sixth of a mile, going by what I recall. Or, spanning in diameter, it's 5/16 part of a mile, or 31.25 percent of a mile in length. Only slightly hilly, the dirty roads flow each eight directions like spokes on a wheel, and the rest of the space farmed as well as manicured for the small orchards and extra trees around here. I could probably double the amount of summoned minions and still have plenty of space, if I were not already at current maximum capacity. Aha, first realm problems-

And those goblins are industrious, for all the other people would say about them. Not just loyal to the one who summoned them; but so eager to please, and willing to do it ― for what lifestyle I allow them to live.

I like it here; I could stay here forever, and have some peace and quiet-

Quiet, yeah I wish. Peace ― hmm? What's this, can I eat it?

-n, not a chance. Not with what I just ... witnessed.

Still, since I have just drank down the draught of mana restoration, now I'm full on my mana gauge and maybe ready to find Roia again. Even so, about an hour and a half of invisibility seems to be the current limit. In all my effort to the rest of this day, I ... just hope I'll not fall to pieces, in front of her. Well ... if it ends up an emotional moment ... I can always leave-

Roia might not have seen it, but I did leave a 'marker' upon her arm while in the king's dining hall. At least it gives me a faint directional arrow to lead me when I walk back into the other realm, a way to ensure I can always find her. She's the only one who 'saw me' from before; and since she did not yet betray my presence ... I'll also hope, she's hoping ... we can work together. At least if I have questions about this place ... she's the only person who I feel close enough to ask them.

But first, when I go back there, I am gonna climb to the highest floor I can, to the roof even, and see the surroundings ― use the 'mapping' magic to chart the general city layout.

The castle extends up to a fifth floor, where I find a smaller set of stairs up to its roof. It's only guarded by one female soldier, a young woman probably wishing she were given better duty; or, maybe this is the punishment ― her assignment here. Either way, I am able to slip by without making a noise ― a thin guy like me can go almost anywhere without being revealed, now ― for almost a next hour and a quarter, if this mana regen holds. Yeah, right, so I got the extra MP potions, should I need a refill ― with the only problem being: as powerful as they are, continuous use of them burns out part of the brain. And then where would I be, if I could suddenly no longer 'access' my own MP?

I pulse a link to Roia; a virtual arrow hangs in the air, pointing off across a courtyard to a second story window, on the near building. It's far enough I cannot tell if the feminine form at the window is Roia or not. Probably is ― I see hints of long messy hair, dark skin, but then this could be any female slave who looks this way. But, since this arrow points straight toward the girl, I'll assume she's there. Oh! She moves away from the window for a minute and the arrow deflects just a tiny bit, then back again as she returns to the window. As if she were looking for someone or something ― me, maybe? Is she eager to see me, and ... ask things?

Back to mapping ― turning, mapping, turning, mapping, potion ... repeat. Aha. Got it; now I think I'm all set, for whatever will come next.

A map has more or less detail based in how much mana is used. It takes four full mana potions to map it ― each slice of map sips forty four percent of my mana, yet gives one eighth of a finished map. That's a limit of potion saturation in my body, in twelve consecutive hours or so ― while I metabolize its hard effect. But in the end the map shows fairly accurate, at least to a two kilometer radius; some of the building layouts look like 3D 'raised impressions' of the buildings represented. In Pernam, mapping should be instantaneous and free of MP cost; I'd had a dozen deities to support me. But, here in this unknown world, where I know only one lone goddess exists ― she might not even know how to supply the map data; instead I tried a manual mode scan.

From above, the city's like an egg cross section. Wider west/east than north/south; the point end aims west. The dungeon prison Bonner mentions, is where? Not sure; I think it's ... there in the north northwest. A good half kilometer from here, near a city wall. Such a fortified building ― all those tiny dots; bustling, busy people at work. Then I can just ― change my appearance, go find the nearest friendly looking person, and ask for directions to the local adventuring guild?

I walk out of here ― still invisible, but seeing and hearing all around me ― and into the 'slave quarters' without problem; a guard woman stands guard by Roia's apartment, currently sneezing and with runny eyes. Allergies? Must be early to mid summer here. It helps me get in, so ... it's fine.

Head up the stairs to the second floor, look around to see if it's safe ― steel my nerves ― drop the invisibility, and then just knock lightly-

-three rapid taps-

The door opens a crack ... showing Roia, lightly dressed. Worn garments, probably the best she can afford or can find ― rough cloth bra, panties, nothing else; but even those are worn, and torn. I could see hints of her body she might wish to keep private. But worse ― bruises, cuts, scar tissue ― healing damage.

Her eyes pop open and she lets out an involuntary yip-

"-just, just a sec!"

She shuts her door, to hurriedly pull on some other fabric ― sounds I hear through this thin panel door; then she opens it again, more calm but clothed. Ah she is back to wearing the clothes she wore before; they are not a borrowed thing?

"S- sorry ― please come in." With a whisper, she motions me in, but also she looks down the hall, both ways, to see if anyone else sees this. Perhaps a female slave is not to have any male guest, in here-

-at least I assume we are safe to talk, if she isn't acting like I should hurry then leave; but I will ask, just to be certain.

"Are we safe to talk? Do you have any pull on your time-"

"-yes ... this is safe ... enough. But please, keep the volume low. These walls are not so thick; neighbor rooms can hear this ― but I believe a small party a few rooms away covers some of it."

I nod. And also, blanket the room in a sound dampen effect.

"I am Arthur King."

"Roia Hartzell."

We shake hands; nice to know this works here too. Or was she summoned from Earth, and has this habit too?

"Thank you for earlier ... of not telling on me ... and sorry for not getting back sooner; but ... to hold the invisibility takes a lot out of me."

She nods, not understanding but knowing I mean it. "But ... did you mean it ― you said you could help me-"

Right to the point; this is probably the main and only thing she has on her mind.

"Yes. At least if I can know some things of the places and peoples around me. I intend to be as free as possible. If you believe me ― I was first summoned from Earth, to another world before; but just today summoned from that existence to here. Thankfully I got the 'slave collar' off and gone in the last world; so ... maybe I'm immune now, if it's the same magic. Don't wanna test it-"

"-I'm afraid I'll die before I get this off, though." She slaps a hand to her own thick leather collar on her neck. "In this world ― called Klee ― slaves are treated like trash. No, sometimes worse."

"I see. It was not so, in the last world ― Pernam ― or at least in my situation they allowed me some leeway. I am sorry for you-"

"-b, but it's not all so bad! Um, we do have some limited freedom too; as long as I serve from sunrise to shortly after noon, then I can have the rest of the day to myself and the afternoon slave can take my place. Also, bad ― because I do not get fed the rest of the day," she grins weakly, though it's nothing good to admit now. "We don't get any days off ― no 'weekends' for slaves."

"Oh ... sorry, then, if me eating your food at noon causes you distress now; I will repay you soon. But. You being a summoned one too ― did you not get any special systems or abilities, like Analysis or Inventory?"

"Yes both ― plus Alchemy and Crafting and other things, but this slave collar ... blocks some. I can only see a status screen five percent of the time, since the collar got put on me. Before collar ― I saw it all-"

"-but ... if you saw a collar before it's forced on you ... and knew what it means-"

"-because when I resisted, tried to run ― the knight captain grabs me, and forces the collar on me anyway!" she seethes in loud whispers. "I can't use the things too until this collar comes off! I can't get the collar off because this royal family only removes it, if and when I should die! Or get sold ― but what new master frees someone they just bought! It ... it's madness," she trails out.

I wait mere seconds, to see if more will come.

"Sorry. I was in the same pattern; but did find a way to break the slave magic ... and collar containing it. But, maybe to surprise you ― can I somehow 'purchase' you, then give you freedom? Will you work with me if I buy you?"

Her shock is real-

"-maybe. I'm not against working with you if you promise to not touch me. The king did say something last week I overheard ― he set my price at a quarter million kob. A kob is a coin, where a loaf of bread can be bought for maybe seven kob, a cheap meal for twenty to twenty five, and so on. But my price might be too much if you just arrived and have no coin-"

"-let me worry about the price okay. But. A kob is ... the gold rimmed silver coin I saw the prince toss at his sister, at the dining table?"

"Yes this. A copper is one kob; a silver is eighty kob; a silver with gold band is 6900 kob; a gold kob is 16000 kob; and a platinum rimmed gold coin is 133456 kob. A solid platinum exceeds nine million fifty thousand kob."

"What strange values. But then; why is the heir prince such a jerk? Why did he toss that coin at the princess-"

"-because, royals value themselves as platinum coins; upper nobles as platinum rimmed gold coins; lower nobles as solid gold coins. But beneath them are gold rimmed silver ones equating to rich artisans and aristocrats; and plain silver coins as merchants and 'professionals' like craftsmen. Anyone else like commoners and the working class are like copper ― slaves or criminals are fractions of a copper or else even valueless. The act you saw is an insult ― to say she was of little value to both the royalty and nobility. But maybe still had some small way to be of use to the working public ― Brutus notes her focus on your clothes ― as if she should dirty her hands with the commoners."

"... why-"

"Because of you, sadly. If you got collared, you would have been wedded to her as a prize, 'validating' Candra. Before this summoning, she was told how to remain aloof yet approachable, to draw your attention with a subtle comment. This 'I want to go riding' comment was her mother's idea, because it was thought any male would be thinking of ... riding along with her, or going to do more provocative acts. The king even means to infer you're owed a 'courtship' to such a girl, using subtle innuendo. But instead of being lured you escaped, so it was seen by the remaining royal family as if she did not hold your attention. You did not see it, but after walking out, she ran off with tears in her eyes ― mostly due to her brother's words."

"Oh. And ... when you were summoned, before I-"

"As you'd think ― I saw the people, and collar, guessed what was bound to happen ― freaked out but did not have the strength to fight back. I tried to run, grabbed before even one step, then collared without being able to resist. They want a male as Candra's mate; but instead got me ― sadly another black mark they put on Candra too. This is a second month I've been here, but even when I came through they said I did not fit their plan, they would retry a summoning when they got the key component again. Still, they kept me alive all this while."

"Eh? But ― a quarter million kob ― pretty strange for them to demean you yet put such a high cost on you for purchase. How long to make so much, on average?"

"I don't question why; I don't think they know why ― except to recover a material cost associated with summoning us. To make this much depends on what job a person has. Artisans in high demand might make a hundred twenty thousand kob per year, not counting expenses which take a significant portion-"

"... aah. Dang. Two years, of artisanal wages-"

"And plus it is seasonal, I have been told. Fishermen might make sixty thousand kob a year, but always do better in warmer summer months than winter. They mostly fish in deep waters during those times."

I see-

I've been next to this girl for a good half hour, talking over some general matters. In this slave house, she knows of thirteen others from the last two years before her, summoned various times; and this is only one female slave house. The kingdom might summon between six and ten persons per year, it has been said before on average less than eight. Others have come, and gone-

But I am beginning to suspect, part of their summoning rituals depend upon a particular resource ― either mineral or magical ― which is the limitation on why and how it can be this way. If only I could find out the extents of the summoning for this place, and see how different it is to how I summon minions-

She tells me a fair bit more on what economic matters she sees. It seems the demon king is not so bad, if you consider ― he wants to open trade with this Kingdom of Povrah, which sent this king here into a frenzy to worry why. With perhaps other kingdoms nearby watching (spying), such an act more or less pins King Povrah as an 'ally to the demon king'. Then suddenly the neighbor nations take aim at this kingdom!

All in all, not bad for strategy; if the demon king wants to weaken one or more nations, or pit them against each other. It matters only whether the demon king truly has such overarching and extensive plans. Or in my case if I do want to help the demon king take over ― well someone should unite all the lands of this world.

Still, I see how sleepy she is. Plain tired, plus looking like she needs every bit of sleep she can get. Or maybe just plain tired or weak from not so great a nutritional diet. I hand her a granola bar ― a thing Ceevah copied from my description. She wolfs it down, in thanks.

... here's the thing: I want to invite her to come into my realm. My secret space, where I've brought in so few outsiders, for reasons ... of what they could see from the other portals. Not so much an issue, now.

In there, I've made each and every bed give their most restful sleep ever; a person essentially gets eight hours' worth of sleep in just under six hours. Cutting it down by twenty five percent rest time but getting the same effect too. Or when sleeping longer, it also leaves a positive effect in the Conditions section in a status screen. Well ... my own bed might be even higher a ratio though, so if I can convince her to come with me-

Also a problem with this here is if she sleeps in this room alone. It has two small beds, so it might be possible she's forced to share; but I think somehow since she's so new, maybe she doesn't share a room? Or possibly she might be 'difficult to get along with' so nobody else wants to bunk with her? ― Hard to believe, since I've been talking to her, this long.

"What, Arthur. I see you thinking-" She's got a trace of a smile on her cheeks.

"-wondering if you're all alone here-"

Her eyes just grew large, and her dark elf face darkens in a blush. "D, d, don't ask this!"

"Sorry! I don't mean ... like this. But, I wondered ― if I should come back with a plan to help you, or ask something ― would a roommate be in the way or wonder what's going on-"

"... aah ― s, sorry. I assumed you mean-"

*cough*

"-don't mention it. I didn't give context for this, beforehand, so-"

"-n, no, I encouraged you. And ― I'm ... alone."

She is cute, as she blushes. But a 'half dark elf' blushing only turns her skin a deeper shade than medium brown, her skin pigment is so thorough. Not a bad sight; just one I'm not used to seeing.

"So ... here's the thing. I have some place connected to me ― call it a dimension, a pocket realm, where I can access it via a portal-"

"-it's the thing I saw on the third floor of the castle? That's the portal you mean?"

"Yes. You saw it?"

"I saw, but ― why could I not go through it? I tried, even when I was sure I was alone, but in the end ... had to leave."

She tried? Well naturally; she probably wants out of a bad situation; plus I don't think she's told me the worst of it here.

"It's keyed to me, right now. But, I can take anyone with me who holds my hand when I enter-"

She reaches out, without a second of hesitation ― placing her hand on mine. And blushes, some more, before giving an explanation.

"I ... I want to go; I'm tired of this place. I cannot bear being ... passed around to the males anymore." She looks away, at this admission. "I can't go but come back again ― to have someone see me and use me again; because I'm remembered by some people here. So if I go, I gotta be fine with going elsewhere, and not coming back. If you have this ― a place I can go ― then, why not?"

"It will make talks simpler, since sound does not cross the portal bounds by default ― except when I allow it. Plus you'd see other benefits ― a mild healing effect just being in the realm, plus my beds have this sleep support trait. Get eight hours worth of sleep, in only five or six hours. Plus longer sleep time grants extra health boons-"

"Yes!" she squeaks, her eyes going wide. "I'm soooo tired. Arthur. Please take me now?"

Aah ― now my turn to blush. Though I know she didn't mean it as it sounded ― it's just, my mind went there. She only grins, with expectation.

"I'm not going directly back, no. I want to explore a small bit of the city, listen to people gossip, then head home. Are you allowed or constrained to be outside after a certain time? Or is your free time, your 'free time' here?"

"Somewhere between the two," she explains with renewed vigor. "More to the latter ― though, with your escape ... it's likely to be, I will get challenges everywhere I go. But like I say, I'm a known thing here. So, I can get by with 'I forgot this thing in that room' and get through. Maybe. Your plan then is for me to go there, to your portal, when I'm ready?"

"Yes. I have summoned minions too in this realm, half are goblins ― but I treat them as my equals; they're nice once you get used to them. The one I have as an unofficial overseer is a cheetah girl, and I think she'd like to be your friend too. She's a type you can confide your worries, and know it's safe to say."

"Arthur, how much space in this realm?"

I wince. It's not so much a secret ... but if I am to trust her, I should tell-

"A quarter kilometer radius. Beyond this you only see a pale grey haze. But it has a day/night cycle, depending upon the average among all the worlds I have portals connecting to-"

"W, worlds?"

"Yeah. I'm trying to save one to get back to Earth, with others in my last world, Pernam. The one I saved for Earth ... is the one used in this world-"

"-Klee. By this nation's language anyway. One local race who comes here to trade also calls it 'Mother' in their words." She smiled. "From Earth ― me too. Within driving distance of the Great Lakes region. I want to go back but ― I died. Can't face my jerk ex boyfriend, don't want to shock the family who loves me by showing up suddenly, so-"

"I understand; we each have circumstance." I exhale, looking once more through the somewhat messy room, then back to her. "Well I should probably go ― before that guard who sneezes is changed for one else who is more observant."

"I think you're safe to get past her. She was just put on duty when I came back here; she may be here til evening."

I nod once more. "Any item you want me to take and store for you, so if you need to leave here, you leave nothing of value behind?"

She looks around, gently surveying her meager objects. "I don't ― I do not really own much yet. Only been two months, I don't even feel settled here too. I value what I know more than what I have. I only know what I've been told, and that's all I can tell you too."

"It's fine; I thought I should at least offer. Since I have an inventory system not held back by a collar-"

"-yeah so rub it in okay. Ha, I know you're just teasing. Oh but as a forethought, if the coast is clear and you can take me into your place, I will try to stand within four steps of the portal; if not then probably further away ― ten steps. Agreed?"

I nod, then stand. She also rises, then leans into a brief hug. Her body's ... warm.

"Thank you for even this small consideration, Arthur King. You should have been the king here instead." She snorts at some thought. "King ... Arthur King ... I like the sound of this."

"Ha, yeah well I'm more or less like a king in my realm anyway, but no title. Though I say this ― I wouldn't want to rule; too much hassle. I'm pretty typical; so ... normal, for a human male. See you later ... Roia Hartzell."

"Later ... Arthur King."

I feel embarrassed. Telling this pretty girl I am normal ― for a human male ― she probably expects me to do ... perverse things?

I sigh.

... no ... I won't do them, to her.

At least ... I don't plan to.

Oh who am I kidding, I'd-

Sigh again.

So ... 'normal' yeah; I watched my targets through portals ― and I know it.

Invisible, slipping past an itchy eyed sneezing guard woman ― plus one inbound grinning soldier ― I get my bearings to consider a next move. Probably something with doing deeds in less perverse ways, or from actions less misunderstood as perverse.

Which reminds me. I gotta go back and 'hint' for my minions to not tell those kinds of things, about me, should Roia ask-

PoV: Roia Hartzell.

I am so glad. He came!

So now what. I think, I have to be ready to leave in some hours? Hmm, yeah.

Down the hall ― other slave girls make party noise. Already acclimated to the world, even in the midst of all this. They are the same age range, maybe five years older, than me; but somehow they did not include me in their impromptu party? Am I so easily overlooked? I don't care, have your fun; I will soon be on the way to free with Arthur ― or sold ― or dead. Any way is better than this.

Arthur forgot to ask if other former slaves may like to go back. Well even if he asks, I do not think they will. Or, at least maybe the one, who always had a kind word for me. The one who is in her late twenties but might also miss 'home'. The rest of them can kiss my scrawny ass-

I shake my head, trying to clear away a sudden thought, about this Arthur. Eh ... I don't know him so well to think that, of him-

Besides. He is handsome enough and well enough endowed ― not like I looked! Okay at least as much as he looked ― but he probably can get all the girl he wants, slave or not. Maybe dampens his romantic chance, figuring the hunt for him is on ― but even so ... some women in this world would swoon over his looks-

-I am not. Stop it! Why ... am I smiling, and humming? Aah! No I am not!

I sit for a good two minutes, just thinking it through. What's the same, what's changed ― or how I feel about it.

... feel about it? How the heck should I know!

*knock-knock*

"Hmm?"

"Roia, open up!"

-oh.

Already I feel all happiness drain from my face. I fear even opening this door but I know the penalty for refusing. Only one girl has been known to barricade herself inside a room; but in the end, her arranged fate went ― not so pretty.

Slowly opening the door, I saw what I was expecting; it's the guard who's sneezing.

"Roia come on, you gotta report to barrack seventeen, and do as you are told by them."

I stare, in sheer horror ― I ... I don't wanna. I realize what is going to happen; it's happened far too many times already-

I, will be, used.

-used!

-and then ... only let go ... when they are all done ... with me.

I can't. I just can't, any more.

Maybe seeing my face ― this sudden terror ― the woman shouts gruffly, "Don't make me drag you all the way there, and hold you down for them!"

She ... she knows. She knew all along. She knows how long this has been going on. Or, maybe she is just glad, someone other than her has to go, and service those ... male soldiers.

... I-

... but I ... wanna go-

She cannot grant mercy. But at least she says one last thing: "Hurry up; finish the order, slave. It'll be done ... soon enough."

I step forward at her command ― tears streaming from each eye. It's because I know ― if I had only just left this place a couple minutes earlier, I could have escaped this scene ― as Arthur did, his own moment.

Arthur. If only you could help me, save me ... from this night of terror-

PoV: Arthur King.

It's been more than an hour since I met with Roia; after walking around half the time then heading back 'home' ... still she hasn't shown up here. I'm starting to wonder if something happened.

... minds wander ... start thinking things ... lacking certain knowledge-

Oh I could easily just step back in there, to find her arrow. But what if she's already on her way here ― or if I go there but it somehow causes problems for her? I don't want her hurt; I only want to help her survive, if able.

She might be acclimated to this place; hmm, I should have asked her about it. And I could have asked about the others too. I do wonder, would they also be just as willing to come along with me?

-ah no I can't get ahead of myself. First, I can't handle caring for so many others' emotions, as I'm sure with the king's summoning of 'heroes', or whatever he wants to call those who end up in collars, does bring people who have issues here. Second, Roia herself said little to nothing of them; either this means she is not getting along with her fellow slaves, or for some reason she just knows few would come along. Third-

I don't think I can reason out a third point. Until I see her again, I must let her finish whatever task is assigned her or whatever plans she's made, in order for her to arrive here safely. Because, if it's something else, if she were being hurt somehow, I would go there and ― well, 'not so accidentally' wreck things.

Be safe, Roia; maybe the only thing I can do for you, is hope for your safety.