Chapter 41

"What did you do." It was not a question, but a statement from Lemes as he looked me in the eyes. In my arm is the sleeping form of Lilia. Her mouth moves peacefully as she breathes.

"Nothing much...just threatens some slaver merchant...That's all. So...where is the merchant guild?" I just give him a smile of my own as I look at him. Waiting for the answer to the more important question I ask.

Lemes looks like he is about to say something but decides to swallow it down as he halves out a sigh.

"Look...You can't go around cutting people's arms, threatening merchants with violence, and beating people up. I know that you want the information about your family and honestly, you're doing a poor job right now. So just let me handle the rest and give me their description.

"Oh and the merchant guild? Isn't that like...on the way to ketosis dungeon? If I remember it correctly...it should be...there."

He pointed in the direction of the adventurer guild that I come from. Eh? That direction?

"So...it's just ahead? Walk straight?" Lemes nod.

Oh...well, this city is not that big to begin with, so it wouldn't be surprising to see it that close to each other.

"Anyway, what are you gonna do with that kid?" He was asking about Lilia.

"Hm, I'm going to take the slave seal off her then I'm going to take her with us. But I'm not sure about the other slave though. One that comes from the central continent I mean."

I answer him, waiting for his response. But instead of saying anything he just threw me a bag full of Shinsa.

"Removal of the seal should take around thirty coins. If that is not enough just go hunt monsters and bring the material to them."

With that finish, he walked back into the inn. But not before turning back to me one last time.

"Don't get in trouble." With that, he disappeared behind the inn door.

"Not like I was looking for it…"

/-\\\

The slave market...is just like what I imagine from it. The Rows of cells that line up together display the slaves like they are objects. Some of them got clothes on but most didn't, they were probably a sex slave then.

Although, it seems that they were treated fairly well, considering I see no bruises or signs of starvation. But this is just the 'front', just wait until you reach the 'backdoor' where they keep most of their injured or sick slaves.

"My my, what do we have here? A young girl shouldn't be in a place like this." A handsome man around the age of twenty greeted me. "This isn't a suitable place for a young flower like you." He took my hand up to his mouth but I swat away before he could do anything.

Amidst my disgusted glare, he just smiled at me like nothing happened. But his smile disappeared once he saw the girl in my arms.

"Ah...so you are the one that our customer complained about." He took a seat on the table, prompting me to sit down too.

"So...how can I help out a dear customer?" That smile appeared again. The smile seems to analyze me with my movement.

"The slave seal, I want you to take it off this girl," I told him while showing the sleeping girl, he observed it for a bit before looking at me, smiling.

"That, I can do of course. But the price...is a bit expensive."

"How much?"

He raises his hand up and shows two fingers in a peace sign. "Two hundred shinsa."

Hm... two hundred, huh… He is certainly right. That was expensive. Just one shinsa can buy you a meal in here but two hundred? That's just the price of a magic tool.

"Well, don't blame me. The ink I use to inscribe the seal is the blood of a red dragon imported from the central continent, you know? Of course, I need to use equally strong ink to erase the seal."

"...that means you can remove the seal?"

He nods.

I don't hesitate as I bring the bag full of shinsa from Lemes and throw it at him. He took it and poured down the coin onto the table.

The metallic sound of coins hitting each other while dropping to the table fills the room, my eyes watch as he counts the coins one by one, not bothered by my stare.

Each second passes with a coin being returned to the bag. He stops once there are only a few bits of coins left.

"Two hundred shinsa, paid in full. Please wait a moment while I go prepare the ink." With a satisfied smile, he got up and walked back to the backroom.

A few minutes later he came out with a glass cup filled with blood-red ink and two pieces of paper.

Without delay, he began to draw a magic circle. The one I have never seen before. His hand moves fluidly as each stroke of ink connects to each other without flaw.

Just after a few minutes, he had already finished the outer part, and he began to draw a similar magic circle but this one had a hole in the middle.

"Here, take a bit of her blood and press it down on the hole. The moment it detects the blood, it will disperse the Ink on her body."

I take the paper and create an ice needle, carefully, I pick up her finger with it. The girl startled in my embrace but soon she returned to sleeping peacefully.

With her bloody finger, I press it down toward the magic circle. It glows for a second before stopping.

Waiting for a few minutes, I don't see any difference or change. Looking at the slave merchant, he simply gave me a smile while holding a finger to his mouth prompting me to stay quiet.

Then suddenly, Lilia's chest glowed as red Liquid came out of her chest, from where the seal was placed.

"There, The seal is lifted. She is a free girl now, not a slave." The merchant said. "With this, our business is concluded. I will see you again next time."

"There will be no next time," I answer him curtly before taking Lilia out of there. I don't want to stay there any longer, his presence...makes me uncomfortable.

/-\\\

After tugging Lilia into my bed and applying my healing magic, seeing her face turn from frown to smile as the warm feeling of magic enters her body, I make my way downstairs. The Inn is a tavern downstairs. As I make my way through the crowd, I spot a familiar face of Karas and Karias.

The two of them are drinking...alcohol? Probably. Should I...go and talk? I didn't really talk with them much.

Karias reminds me of Paul, but he was less of an asshole and not a pervert. While Karas...is stoic but surprisingly has a soft spot for children.

Meh, what do I have to lose anyway, besides the only seat that is still open the one next to them?

Making my way past the people, I take a seat beside Karas and order some food.

Karas noticed me but didn't say anything. She was talking with Karias about the dungeon that they were going to explore tonight. Probably the Ketosis dungeon.

My food arrives as Karas turns to me.

"You wanna go together?" She asks straight to the point.

" Sorry, but where to?"

"The Ketosis Dungeon," She said, deadpanning all the way like it was something that I should expect. Taking a moment to think about it, There was a lot to see at the dungeon, maybe a monster I had never seen before, the treasure that was never found by anyone.

But there is still a lot to do.

"Sorry, but I will pass this time."

"Eh, okay." That was it.

Our talk ended just as fast as I finished the food and went back to my room where Lilia was still sleeping.

Huh? When did I become this anti-social? Wait...am I even a social person to begin with? Hm ... .Last life I had a boyfriend...and...no friend? Huh...maybe it's just not coming up?

Was my last life so restricted to the point that I didn't even have friends before my parents died? Probably…I do remember some good times though...only if I do good will I get praise but If I do bad then I get punished...hard.

Hm...where is it that only bad memories come up? Trauma? Yeah, that should be it.

"Nu…." The soft voice of Lilia woke me up from my thoughts. Looking at her, I saw her little eyes slowly open. Now that I get a careful look into her eyes it is not the green I was familiar with, but more of a blue-green kind.

"How was your sleep? Did you feel refreshed?" The girl nodded to me in her sleepy state, she wobbled left and right as she tried to wake herself up.

"Are you hungry?" I ask her again, she nods at me and tries to get out of bed only to trip on the bedsheet and fall onto me. I caught her with ease and took her into my arms.

Slowly, I applied a bit of healing magic to her, using too much would get them addicted to the feeling of an energy rush that could be harmful to a normal person.

"Can you walk on your own?"

"Yes...maybe?" Lilia answered with a question, I just chuckled slightly at her while slowly putting her down, letting her go when her feet were steady on the ground.

She was shaking a bit when she took the step but it went just as fast. While running away from her buyer, she pushed herself a bit too hard and there were several muscles torn apart as well as the damage from the seal.

Thankfully I can heal her with my magic fully, but it will take time. Not making her addicted to the rush of warmth and energy she gets.

Just like drugs, when used too much it will turn into a poison that bites you back instead of healing you.

Taking her hand with mine, we make our way downstairs.