Rupegia Ch. 04: Nour's Gift

A knock on the door wakes me up, then a female voice calls out, "Breakfast is ready!"

My body is light, but my soul is heavy.

I don't want to get up.

I can still smell the orc's blood. It has been imprinted upon my heart.

I didn't dream of the Gargling Goblin, but now I think I might have acquired a bigger trauma. The scene of stabbing the orc in the neck keeps replaying flashing in my eyes when my mind wanders. The fear of something coming to attack me from my back assaults me, giving me repeated chills.

If it weren't for Nour, the orc would've grabbed my head and crushed it...

Eventually, hunger wins over fear, and I go down to eat.

The meal is a simple vegetable soup with Rabid Rabbit meat and toasted bread. The vegetables are savory this time, so it goes well with the meat.

Selina comes to my table and concernedly asks, "Say, what was all that blood you had on you yesterday?"

I give her a slightly bitter smile as I answer, "It was from an Orc Headhunter. I had a very unfortunate encounter with it yesterday."

Her jaw hangs in surprise, then she takes a seat and looks at me worriedly. "The one inside Royd's Kerfuffle? Why did you fight it? I only heard stories of people running away from him."

I nod. "It was a runaway. I met it on the sixth floor."

She gasps and covers her mouth with her hands.

How cute.

"Did you fight him alone?!" She exclaims, and I see a few customers start to listen intensely.

Please lower your voice, Selina.

I shake my head while smiling wryly and answer, "Heavens, no. I fought it with three other people. We were cornered and couldn't run away, so we were forced to fight it. I ended up being the luckiest one and got hit the least, while one guy got poisoned, and I'm sure that he broke a few ribs when he got kicked twice."

"Wow. But to come back that bloody... did you have a knife fight with him, or something?" She giggles softly.

Please stop being cute, I'm not in the mood to smile.

My faint, involuntary smile gains a subtle smugness to it as I reply, "Actually, I did. My sword got stuck in its body, so I had to use my knife to stab it in the neck."

I won't say that I got it stuck in his groin, that's a sight I want to forget.

She lets her jaw hang loose again while she stares at me with a blank expression.

Did I brag too much?

I awkwardly massage my neck and explain things properly, "Well, the most important person was the magician woman. She cast [Ice Lance] and pierced the Orc's shoulder so it couldn't use its shield arm anymore, then she used [Shocking Touch] and fainted. With that, I had a good opening to stab it until it died. There was also another guy who helped by throwing himself into the arm of the orc and holding it in place so that I could finish it. Then there was the poisoned guy who fought while weakened and got kicked twice. It really was a desperate fight."

She closes her mouth and her eyes shine while she smiles. "Wow. That sounds amazing..." She whispers in wonder.

I knit my eyebrows in worry at her sudden shift. "Really? Is fighting so interesting?"

She nods repeatedly, and rests her elbows on the table, leaning a bit too close to me as she stares with dreamy eyes. "Yes! I know that I'm not strong, and I don't like fighting, but to think that there are people who work so hard, who can achieve so much to protect us, that makes me really happy."

Oh, boy, stop, my heart is melting.

Even the eavesdroppers smile at her innocence.

I become awkward again and reply, "I-Is that so... well... your enthusiasm makes me a little happy."

She giggles girlishly and gives my hand a comforting squeeze, surprising me. "Thank you for your story. I gotta continue working now, so come back later to talk." She winks then gets up and leaves.

Honestly, that conversation healed my heart, just a little, but still healed.

I guess this is why some people fight, because if it weren't for us killing that runaway, then someone else would have to suffer.

I finish my meal and go back to my room.

--

I have some time to kill, so I think about what I should do with my new skill points. I open my "Status" and see that my "Willpower" increased by 1 (now 12), my [Sword Use] also increased by 1 (now 8+2), my MP increased by 20 (now 135), and my "Magic Power" by 5 (now 190).

How does this magic increase works? It just increases with use, or do I have to "exercise" something within my body like a muscle?

I put my four unused points in [Reduced Mana Cost] because I need to be able to cast magic more often. Perhaps at the next level, I should get more [Mana Efficiency] to balance things, then later improve my melee skills again.

I think I'll waste another hour here at the inn. Nour said to be at the hunter's guild just before noon, so there's still a few hours until then.

I really have to steel my heart because that won't be the last time that I have to fight so desperately. I'm going for the life of a warrior, so my weak and soft Earth-born heart won't survive. This is a brutal world, and after thinking about Selina's words, I understand that there's a need for strong people who protect others.

This skill system gives me the potential to grow quickly and become extremely strong, and I think that whatever god threw me here probably won't let me lead a peaceful life, so going for the crafter's route might not be the best idea. Besides, it's a bit "romantic" to be a warrior in a monster-filled world.

My motto has always been: "do the thing you won't regret in the future," so, becoming a selfish hermit hoarding all this power to myself doesn't sit right with me.

Well, saying is different than doing. Even after this period of reflection, I still feel pain and fear, which is a bit laughable. Perhaps I need some time to let the fear subside. I'd already decided I should take a week off, anyway, so there's no need to keep thinking too much about this.

I spend some time massaging my sore muscles, and it actually feels good.

Is there perhaps a massage parlor around here? I know that there's a [Massage] skill, so it could be a common profession. I'd definitely go there if I find one.

After relaxing for a while, I decide to go meet Nour.

--

The hunter's guild has its usual rough atmosphere, but the number of people around the hunt report boards is larger than what I expected. I quickly find Nour at the tables along with his companions. Liam and Rania are drinking something while Nour is simply chatting with them.

They notice me and wave as I approach.

"Good day, Mr. Ryder," Nour greets casually.

"Good day, Sir," Liam greets formally as usual.

"Morning, Mr. Ryder," Rania greets more energetically than the last time we talked.

"Good day, everybody. I hope you all slept well," I respond with a smile.

Nour grins and confesses, "I don't even remember going to bed, I just blacked out from drinking too much. We partied a bit too hard, and even Liam was quite drunk."

"We have to let it out once in a while. It's not every day we fight so hard," Liam calmly defends himself.

"Well, little brother, it seems that your next lesson is on how to hold your own liquor," Rania teases and shows her tongue cheekily.

Nour's eye twitches, then he smiles with a faint pout as he replies, "That's... not true. I can hold it just fine."

"You did just admit the contrary a few seconds ago," I comment with a wry smile.

He turns to me and exclaims in disbelief, "Even you...!" Then he grits his teeth and declares dramatically, "You know what, I'll drink every day until I learn my lesson!"

"Please, don't!" Liam suddenly pleads.

"I retract my previous statement," Rania calmly replies and chuckles.

I let out a few shy chuckles along with her. Seeing them all like this makes me feel a little silly I got so scared.

Nour calms down and his expression softens, then he continues, "But anyway... let's get down to business. I wanted to reward you, and I knew that you were going solo, so I prepared this." -He pushes a sealed letter towards me with a sly grin- "You see, I'm a stupid son of a wealthy merchant, and although I decided to take on adventuring, I still have my own connections, so I made a letter of reference. This will open the doors to you to the most expensive Blood Slave trader of this town, and I obtained a heavy discount for you there, so you might be able to choose among the best that they have to offer."

I lift my eyebrows in surprise, then I tense up a bit as I awkwardly reply, "Oh, wow... that's incredible, but... I don't really know much about Blood Slaves..."

I know that level 1 in [Slavery Magic] there's the spell called [Contract of Servitude], then at level 10 there's the spell [Mark of the Master], and at level 20 there's the spell [Tongue of Obedience], but that's absolutely all of the information that I have on it.

Rania raises an eyebrow and curiously asks me, "Your parents didn't teach you about Blood Slaves?"

I force a smile and look away. "They did... I just didn't pay attention," I lie and try not to blush in embarrassment.

Nour and Rania chuckle, while Liam holds back a smile.

"It's why I'm here. I'm a bit... 'free-spirited,'" I lie again and chuckle at myself. My own awkwardness and embarrassment only serve to improve the character I'm trying to sell.

"I see..." Nour mutters while smirking, then he leans back on his chair and taps his temple in thought.

Rania clears her throat and starts, "A Blood Slave is a specialized servant that you buy to perform a specific duty. Their performance is assured by the seller, while their loyalty is enforced through [Slavery Magic]. They ingest your blood, and then a spell is used to bind them to your Fate."

"Fate"? What's that? Can I eat it?

I hold back the urge to ask about Fate, and instead ask about something else, "What types of 'duties' do they perform?"

Nour shrugs as he answers, "Anything. If someone thinks that they're skilled enough in something and that they're worthy of becoming a servant, then they could sell themselves as a Blood Slave. Take Liam, by example." He pats the older man's shoulder, then smiles at me proudly.

Rania pats his other shoulder and continues, "Liam has a real talent for the sword and protecting others. He cost a lot, but he was worth every coin." She smiles warmly at him, and I get suspicious about these two.

Liam stiffens for a second, then nods respectfully towards me and adds, "I was having trouble making money through adventuring, so I decided to sell myself for ten years. By the end of my contract, I'll have a small fortune, so I'll go back to my hometown in Faium and inherit my father's smith. If the smith fails, then I'll still have enough money to live comfortably for a while."

"Contract?" I reflexively question. It seems slavery has some sort of structure or possibly laws behind it.

Rania rolls her eyes at my question while Nour smiles. I believe they're thinking I'm a country bumpkin due to my lack of knowledge.

Nour leans forward and happily answers, "The person selling themselves stipulates limits to what their duty entails and the length of their servitude. Usually, the fewer the limits, the more expensive the slave is, but few put strict limits because if there are too many, then it's easier to just buy a traditional slave, instead. A lot of women sell themselves as sex slaves, so the most common limitations are related to that."

Uh... sex slaves...?

I glance at Rania, but she's just casually sipping her drink, she doesn't show a single reaction.

"With the discount in this letter, you can get yourself a young female warrior, if that's your thing, of course," Nour adds, then he smirks when he sees my awkward reaction.

Holy shit.

"You're pretty versatile yourself, but I recommend you think carefully about what kind of warrior will work well with your style," Rania casually advises.

Nour nods and continues, "You got some good skill with the sword, you can heal yourself, you can sense monsters, and you have a spell you can cast chantless, so you can choose basically whoever you want and they'll still be useful to you."

Ah, shit. I guess mages should chant before casting their spells, but I know nothing about that. At least now I know why it took Rania so long to cast her spells and why she screamed their names.

"You're not very tall or physically strong, if you forgive my bluntness, so I recommend someone more robust instead of a mage like Dame Rania," Liam adds and lowers his head respectfully.

"No offense taken," I reply and politely smile.

Rania's gaze becomes slightly stern and measuring as she gives me another piece of advice, "Keep in mind that the Gods watch over the Blood Slaves, so if the master is being abusive, they can interfere and nullify the contract without the intervention of a priest. It's rare, but it happened before."

I stiffen instinctively and nod.

The 'Gods'? So it's god-sanctioned slavery? That's... a little concerning.

Since they're already thinking I'm a dumb peasant, I'll just lean on it and ask whatever I'm curious about. "What's [Tongue of Obedience]?"

Rania doesn't seem to have the patience for this, so Nour answers, "That spell prevents the Blood Slave from spilling your secrets. There are a few others, like one that prevents the Slave from hurting you, or another that gives you full control of their body, allowing you to even kill them with a word, but that's illegal, of course."

Full body control seems worse than normal slavery, but my curiosity makes me want to ask questions like: "Can I control their intestines?" Can I control their eyes? Can I stop the blood flow of certain veins?" Maybe I can perform surgery without the need for anesthesia or blood loss if I can cut blood flow or nerve response at will.

"That sounds a bit much," I comment with a wry smile.

Nour shrugs, Liam chuckles once, and Raina nods in agreement as she takes a sip of her alcohol, then she explains, "Yeah, but it's really useful. Most aides of nobles and Lords are Blood Slaves because they're much more reliable and trustworthy than free men."

Nour happily takes Raina's hook to interject, "Of course, there are loopholes to their contracts and these spells, but they're so roundabout and require so much effort that you need a slave who really hates their master for them to do that. It's easier for them to concentrate the effort in breaking the contract than for them to go around those limitations. Any contract can be broken by a slave that hates its master enough, by the way."

"Which is why it's important to treat them well," Rania adds and glances at Liam, who nods subtly.

So, leaving the moral question aside, I guess this is a really thoughtful gift from Nour. He put some thought into what I needed and delivered something that's really valuable.

After allowing me a few moments to think things through, Nour gets to the final point, "I know that you got some good money from yesterday's rewards, so, with my discount, you can get yourself a pretty good fighter. You might even get lucky." -He shrugs- "Sometimes there are Blood Slaves with specific circumstances, and these sell for much cheaper than they would normally go for."

Well, I got a trump card: my rose coin. It should be really valuable. Well, at least I hope it is.

I nod in understanding and smile gently as I express, "Thank you, Nour, I really appreciate this. I think this will help me a lot."

Nour gives me a wide smile, and even Rania seems pleased. He tells me where the slaver is, and I write it down on my rough map of the town.

Nour loudly hits his palms against the table and announces, "Now, then. With this business done, I have a personal request for you." -His face turns serious- "How about you join us? A man with skills such as yours is a rarity."

I smile bitterly. I knew that this was coming. I honestly would like to join them because they're good people, and even if I don't know what their goals are, I'd like to spend more time with them. But no, I can't. They already saw a lot of my skills, so I can't really show them more.

"I'm sorry, but... I'd like to walk my own path," I politely answer and lower my head for a second.

"Told you," Rania mumbles to Nour and they both smile bitterly.

Nour shrugs, and his tone gains a hint of sadness as he replies, "Well, I had to try. It's a shame that we can't walk together, but I don't want this to be the end. I'm going back to my hometown for a short trip, but I'll come back here later and continue my adventuring. When I come back, I'd like to meet you again, if you wish."

"Oh, yes. Please, let us meet again," I eagerly agree and give him a genuine smile.

"I live in Hurfa, the capital of the Faium Principality. If we don't cross paths again, then come visit me. My family runs a magic tool shop, and we produce a lot of the Wind stones used in the country. My last name is Asaf, so you can search for my family with this. You... shouldn't have much problem finding the family shop there." He smiles awkwardly.

I have no idea where Faium is, but I'll write it down later so that I don't forget to look for it on a map. Also, his last name sounds Arabic, but he's as Caucasian as they come.

I nod and affirm, "Understood. If we don't meet here again, then I'll search for you. I don't really have plans to leave this place for quite some time, though."

He taps the table loudly and gets up. "Then it's decided! I look forward to meeting you again. For now, we have to prepare for our trip, so we must take our leave. See you again sometime, Mr. Ryder." Then he gives me a quick bow.

I immediately get up and return the bow. I have no idea if this is the custom here, but it seems to please them, so whatever.

Nour grins and gives me his blessing, "One last thing, Mr. Ryder. I wish you good luck in the future. You'll need it since you seem to be making waves already." Then he points towards the small crowd near the hunt reports.

I wish I wasn't, Nour, I wish I wasn't.

Rania and Liam also bow and say their goodbyes, then I'm just left with a few curious gazes, a letter, and a head full of thoughts.

--

I leave the guild and take a stroll along the streets looking for books while thinking about what they told me. A companion would certainly be helpful. If I had someone to watch my back, then there'd be no need to fear the Orc Headhunter crushing my head. If I had someone like Nour to help me, then for sure I'd feel much safer, and it's not because of his skill, but because of his actions. I might be considered the one who saved them, but the moment that Nour threw himself at the orc's arm was when he saved me.

And it's not like Blood Slaves are completely miserable people. They seem to have their own rights, the ability to escape abuse, and they need to be treated well. Take Liam, for example, he seems pretty proud and content with his job, and he seems no different than a knight or a retainer with the task of protecting his lord. If I just hire someone for a few years, then it might be the same as hiring a bodyguard, or something like that.

The concept of depriving someone of their freedom might put people off, but I'm a bitter realist. Blood Slaves are merely mercenaries that come with a magical contract. Hell, even the gods are monitoring us so that they're not abused.

Oh!

I found a small book telling the Tale of Creation. It even has a lot of cute drawings in it.

It's just two silver, I'm buying it!

Now that I think about it, I should ask Ciel about what the gods think of slavery. It seems odd to me they are getting involved with Blood Slaves, but if the gods themselves say it's okay, then who am I to go against them?