I was currently in the heart of the slums. It should be just about time for the date to change over. Though I say "heart," I was actually on the rooftop of a building.
As for why I was here—well, it was a request from the Marquis, but more than that, I just couldn't stand being in the same room with a woman I'd only just met. To be clear, I'm completely normal. I'm definitely not into men. It's just that, including my previous life, I've never shared a room with a woman outside of family.
For that reason, I'd slipped out early and been killing time in the slums. Oh, and yes, I was doing my job.
Still, I had to admit—getting here had been quite the experience.
Before I came, when I tried to leave the room, I noticed several unfamiliar men standing watch outside, in addition to the Marquis's personally-retained knights.
So, acting as if nothing was wrong, I went back into the room, and this time I had Slarin swallow me—an awkward way to put it, but basically I had her put me inside the Dimension Bag within her body, slipped out into the dark night, exited at a distance from the room, and headed for the slums.
Right now, Slarin was resting inside my bag. I'd coordinated my entire outfit in dark, ragged clothing, and my face was covered by a similarly dark turban-like wrap, so that at first glance,
Jin
would not be recognizable. Since Jeanne and Aura were sleeping in the room, Shiromaru and Solomon were standing by inside as a precaution... but this outfit was seriously uncomfortable! I occasionally cooled my body temperature with magic, but I still couldn't wipe away the sweat. I wanted to finish up quickly and take a bath.
For now, I decided to use Search to look for Geiri's location. Fortunately, since I'd met Geiri before, if I focused, the Search should pick him up.
Surprisingly, Geiri was very close by—not just close, but right inside the very building I was in.
I was a bit underwhelmed, but finishing the job quickly was a good thing, so I reassessed and decided to scout the interior.
The building was four stories tall, and the exterior was so decrepit it looked like it might collapse in a serious earthquake. I used Search to survey the inside: near the entrance on the first floor, four people, and two on the stairs; the second floor had three on the stairs and two in the hallway; on the third floor, Geiri's room held Geiri plus three others, with three more in the hallway; the fourth floor had two in the hallway and three in the room directly below. That made twenty-two people plus Geiri.
In addition, there were probably watchmen for me and the Marquis as well, so the total was likely in the low thirties.
I decided to start moving.
First, just as I'd done when leaving the room, I had Slarin swallow me and infiltrated the room directly below.
Once inside, I probed the situation and found three men—apparently the bosses of the kidnappers—having a drinking party.
So I extended just my arm from Slarin's mouth, set up a barrier on the room to prevent any sound from leaking out, and then—
"Stun."
I hit the three of them hard with lightning magic, immobilizing them. Then I climbed out of Slarin, bound them up tight with rope, stowed them in my Dimension Bag, and crawled back inside Slarin.
Next, I infiltrated Gary's room, set up a barrier the same way, and gave him the same treatment as the first three.
Gary had been tied up and gagged, but the moment he saw me, he was muddling and muttering like he desperately wanted to say something. So I slid the gag aside, and—
"This is all your fault! Look what happened to me because of you! What are you going to do about it?!"
He started carrying on like that, so I gave Gary a Stun too, same as the kidnappers, and calmed him right down.
After that, it was easy. I walked straight out of the room, Stunned any other kidnappers before they could make a fuss, tied them up and left them, Stunned again, and just kept repeating. In less than an hour, the whole kidnapping case was practically wrapped up.
All that was left was to toss the kidnappers lying on the floor into the Bag, and while I was at it, I took every weapon, gem, and valuable I could find in the rooms before leaving the kidnappers' hideout. From the outside, I probably look like the one doing something terrible, but when it comes to criminals, it's all considered justified—so not taking the loot would just be leaving money on the table.
On the way back, I apprehended the guys who'd been watching my room and the ones who'd been tailing the Marquis and his knights near the Guild, stuffed them into the Bag, and headed inside.
"Marquis, it's done."
I told him that the moment I walked in, then pulled Gary out of the Bag.
Gary was still unconscious, but I figured he'd come to on his own eventually, so I just handed him over as-is.
"O-oh, Lord Tenma... Thank you. You went out of your way to rescue Gary despite all the trouble he's caused you. I'm truly grateful."
Even a hopeless son like that was still precious to his father, the Marquis. As I was thinking that, something suddenly came to mind.
"Oh, by the way—how are we handling the compensation for this?"
That was something we should have settled upfront, but with everything that had happened (mostly because of Jeanne and the others), I'd completely forgotten about it. Well, if they tried to play dumb, I'd just keep the kidnappers and release them somewhere instead. I'd even be willing to indirectly help them target Gary again, if it came to that.
"Ah, about that. Consider it compensation and an apology for all the trouble—fifty thousand gold from the ransom we collected, plus a metal plate bearing the crest of House Samons. We may not be on the level of House Sanga, but my family is still a noble house of considerable standing among the upper aristocracy. Having it on you could prove useful someday."
I'd apparently been underestimating this Marquis. Accepting compensation that included an apology for "all the trouble" meant I was forgiving everything Gary had put me through in this city up until now. And if I refused, I'd be branded as someone too petty to accept a Marquis's apology. That kind of reputation could make life difficult for an adventurer going forward.
He'd probably thought all of that through. And more than that—if he maintained a connection with me here, then if anything ever came up, having a
Dragon
on his side wouldn't be out of the question.
Whether or not he was thinking that far ahead, it was best to accept this reward. However,
"Thank you for the generous reward. Let's let bygones be bygones. However, if your son targets Solomon again or makes a move against my companions, I will not hesitate to take action on my end."
I made sure to drive the point home.
The marquis seemed to understand the meaning behind my words, a bitter smile forming on his face.
"Ah, right, right. I almost forgot."
Putting on a bit of an exaggerated act, he pulled all the kidnappers out of the bag. There were thirty-one in total. In the end, four had been tailing me and five had been tailing the marquis.
It seemed they hadn't expected me to capture this many kidnappers alive, as the marquis, his knights, and the remaining guild members all had their eyes wide with interest.
"I'll leave their punishment to you. I believe I've captured all the kidnappers, but there may have been a few accomplices I wasn't aware of."
With those words, I left the stunned marquis and the others behind and headed back to my room.
When I returned to the room... everyone was asleep... Obviously, but couldn't Shiromaru have at least come to greet me? Was it selfish of me to think that?
First, I decided to wash up outside. I really wanted to take a bath, but I felt like if I did now, I wouldn't have time to sleep, so I held off.
That Shiromaru had warmed my bed. Well, even when I tried to lie down, she stubbornly refused to move off the futon!
For now, I forcibly moved Shiromaru aside and went to sleep.
When I woke in the morning, Jeanne and Aura were already up. Aura was in the kitchen, and Jeanne was sitting on the bed.
"Good morning, Lord Tenma."
"...Good morning."
I wasn't sure whether Jeanne wasn't fully awake yet, or whether she simply hadn't accepted me as her master—probably both—but her greeting was a bit curt.
Aura seemed to have recovered considerably, as she was making breakfast in the kitchen.
"Breakfast will be ready shortly, so please wait at the table."
Aura had directed me to the table, but I had forgotten something important.
"Morning, both of you."
In response to my greeting, the two of them replied with "Good morning" and "Mmn" (the former being Aura and the latter Jeanne).
"I've kept you waiting."
What Aura placed before me with those words was a potage made from leftover stew seasoned with grated potato and a consommé-like soup, along with lightly toasted bread and a salad.
However, the amount set on the table was clearly only enough for one person. When I asked Aura about this,
"A slave cannot eat at the same table as her master."
...was her answer. I had initially asked her to eat alongside me, since I didn't like the idea of her standing behind me while I ate alone, but Aura stubbornly refused. In the end, I ordered her to eat at the same table and at the same time as much as possible — it was a waste of time, and besides, I wasn't a noble, so there was no reason for such formalities.
Only after that did Aura finally relent, so we agreed to have our meal together after a short wait.
During breakfast, I noticed that the two of them apparently had nothing to wear but the same dirty clothes from yesterday.
So I decided to go buy new outfits and necessities for them, but unfortunately, I had absolutely no idea where in Seigen one could find women's clothing.
That's why I decided to call in powerful reinforcements. Namely, Amy! ...Or rather, she was the most accessible woman (girl) I knew in this town, which was precisely the reason...
When I went to ask Amy for her help,
"Sure thing! I know some shops that are cheap and good quality — I'll introduce you!"
She was quite enthusiastic about it. However, Amy had some unusual visitors... Lina and Menace.
When I asked why they were here, Lina said they had the day off from adventuring and had come to dote on "Ii-chan" and "Shii-chan," while Menace claimed she was just tagging along as a guardian.
Lina was upset by Menace's words, but apparently, because Lina had a bit of an airheaded side, Menace made a point of going out with her as much as possible... It was an answer I could more or less accept.
In any case, since the two of them were coming along as well, I was about to head to the shop Amy recommended when—
"Tenma... are you seriously planning to help pick out their underwear too?"
Menace said to me, so I simply paid the money and declined... For reference, the bill came to fifty thousand G, which included meals for all five of us... I honestly don't know the going rate for women's clothing, but that seemed obviously excessive to me, but—
"Women just cost more than men, that's all!"
And Menace pushed me into it, so I went ahead and paid without complaint. But since I suddenly found myself with free time on my hands, I decided to get started on crafting some armor and headed to the dungeon's secret base.
First up was the gauntlets. The materials were Mithril and silver ingots, plus anaconda leather. I started by cutting the anaconda leather to a size that would cover from my hand up to around the elbow, then began shaping it.
For the hand portion, I made it like a half-finger glove, using basting stitches to figure out the sizing. I adjusted it to be slightly snug, then sewed it together. On the outer side of the forearm, I added double stitching, and the gauntlet plates would be attached over that section.
For the crucial metal parts, I used the Adamantine gauntlets as a reference but scaled everything down to better fit my body, stripping away any decorative elements. Around the wrist, I planned to make something like a Mithril vambrace with a wedge-laced design.
The shape I had in mind had actually been prototyped in iron once before. I could technically reuse that one, but it had ended up too small for my arm, so it would need modifications.
Originally, I'd planned to melt down the iron prototype after finishing the Mithril version, but it might actually fit Jeanne or Aura, so I set it aside for now.
As for the shape, I designed everything to be rounded for easier deflection. The back of the hand portion would be protected by Mithril all the way to the base of the fingers so they could still move freely, and the forearm section was built from multiple interlocking parts.
I didn't get far enough today to finish forging even one arm's worth of parts, so I called it there and used the remaining time to mine a bit of silver.
After about thirty minutes of mining, I'd collected roughly two kilograms of silver. I consolidated it into an ingot and stored it in my Dimension Bag, deciding I'd figure out what to use it for later.
When I stepped outside, long past noon, it was probably around three o'clock. Jeanne and the others should be heading back around now, so I made my way to the room — and found Amy and Lina waiting outside.
They'd been lying in wait for me, judging by the grins on their faces.
"Tenma, we're coming i~n!"
At the sound of Lina's ditzy voice, the room door swung open.
I was essentially pushed inside by Amy, and what I found within was...
"...Who are you?"
Not a pair of beautiful strangers — but Jeanne and Aura, transformed beyond recognition. For the record, my remark earned me a sharp elbow to the ribs from Amy, delivered as a form of punishment.
That's just how stunning the two of them had become... I'd heard that women can undergo dramatic makeovers, but I'd never actually said it out loud.
Both of them had tidied up their previously unruly hair, giving it a light trim. Jeanne's beautiful white hair, which had once fallen halfway down her back, was now gathered behind her and held in place by a square, floral cameo-style barrette. She wore a pale blue dress — the skirt fell to just below her knees in the front but was shorter, reaching to about mid-calf in the back. A white shawl was draped over her shoulders and fastened at her chest.
Aura's hair was a rich golden blonde and cut short, but what first caught my eye was...
"Maid outfit?"
That outfit. And not the kind of cosplay costume you'd see often — though I have no idea if cosplay even exists in this world — but a classic-style maid uniform... Well, the apron and such did have frills on them, so...
"Does it not suit me?"
Aura asked, though it was obvious she was already well accustomed to wearing it.
"No, it suits you just fine... but you could have bought everyday clothes instead of work clothes..."
At my muttering, Aura,
"This is my everyday clothes!"
declared with her chest puffed out... About a D-cup, was it?
"Sensei?"
Amy's voice jolted my consciousness, which had momentarily stalled back into gear. None of them seemed to have noticed my gaze... no, Menace had noticed, it seemed. She made a gesture like tipping back a drink with her hand... Fine, I'd treat her next time as hush money.
After settling that negotiation through eye contact, Amy timidly,
"So, about the money you entrusted to me... I'm sorry! I spent all of it!"
She pressed both hands together in front of her face and apologized. I had told her not to worry about it since it was within expectations, but—
"Menace and the others went shopping too, so it wasn't quite enough."
Whether it was relief at not being scolded by me, or something else, she let slip something I absolutely could not ignore.
"What did you just say?"
The words were directed at Amy, but my body and gaze were aimed squarely at Lina and Menace.
At the receiving end of that gaze, the two of them were making a break for the window, so—
"Shall we wait a moment..."
I immediately grabbed them by the back of their collars and pulled them back. I had them sit seiza-style, and when Amy also tried to voluntarily sit seiza, I stopped her, handed her the snacks I had stored in my bag, and sent her home.
"Now then, you two... if you have any excuses, I'm all ears..."
In response to my words, Lina raised her hand with a "Yes!"
"Menace told me to do it!"
And just like that, she
sold out
her comrade in record speed. Naturally, Menace panicked and tried to cover Lina's mouth, but—
"She said it was Tenma's treat anyway, so wasting it would be a shame!"
—it was clear she wasn't taking any blame herself, so when I looked at Menace—
"...You know, there's this thing called a perk..."
—she mumbled, so I decided to let them both sit with the numbness for a while.
As I watched the scene unfold, Lina was nonchalantly making her way toward the door, so I made sure she got the same treatment as Menace.
The two of them being all numb was in the way, so I wrote down what needed to be done on a memo, had Shiromaru carry it, sent him to find Jin and the others, and had them take over.
Leaving those two to their own devices, I decided to consult with Jeanne and the others about what to do going forward.
Basically, the question was whether they could fight if we went dungeon crawling.
Their answers were:
"I can use light, fire, water, and earth magic, and I'm a bit proficient with swords and maces."
"Fire and water magic, plus sword, spear, bow, and the bare minimum of hand-to-hand combat."
The first was Jeanne, and the second was Aura. I already knew Jeanne could use magic because I'd seen it when we first met, but I was surprised Aura could too. However, when I heard more, it turned out the two of them didn't know many types of magic. They could cast simple healing spells, but they'd never had the chance to learn high-powered magic or spells that cured status ailments.
Name... Jeanne
Age... 14
Race... Human
Title... Cursed Child (Saint) · Former Viscount's Daughter · Slave
HP... 1500
MP... 7000
Strength... E+
Defense... D
Speed... D+
Magic Power... B-
Spirit... C+
Growth... A+
Luck... E+
Skill... Light Magic 4 · Water Magic 3 · Endurance 3 · Abnormal Status Resistance 3 · Fire Magic 2 · Earth Magic 2 · Life Force Boost 2 · Recovery Boost 2 · Swordsmanship 2 · Staff Arts 2 · Magic Boost 2 · Growth Power Boost 2
Blessing... Blessing of the Goddess of Love · Blessing of the Goddess of Earth · Blessing of the Goddess of Life
Name... Aura
Age... 16
Race... Human
Title... Maid · Slave
HP... 3000
MP... 5000
Strength... D+
Defense... D+
Speed… C+
Magic Power… C+
Spirit… B-
Growth… A
Luck… B-
Skills… Cooking 8, Endurance 5, Archery 3, Swordsmanship 3, Spearplay 3, Hand-to-Hand Combat 2, Fire Magic 2, Water Magic 2
The two's stats aren't bad. But you couldn't call them good either. Whether they'll improve from here remains to be seen, but what worries me is Jeanne's Cursed Child (Saint) title. It's puzzling why someone who has three Goddess Blessings would have a title like that.
Times like these, I wish the gods would offer some advice…
Well, for now, let's start having them do various things tomorrow.
Before that, I need to get their equipment sorted. But if I buy everything before we head to the dungeon tomorrow, there shouldn't be any problem… Since I'm planning for it to be practice gear anyway, I'll just choose items with the bare minimum performance.
When I told them that, tension crossed both their faces, but…
"Don't worry. Tomorrow we'll just be practicing in an area with no Monsters."
I told them I'd protect them if anything happened, and their tension seemed to ease considerably.
After that, I was about to start preparing an early dinner, but…
"That is the maid's job!"
Aura took the work away from me… Her cooking is delicious too, so it's fine, but I've always been the one cooking (even when grouped with Riri and the others), so it felt strange.
The food that came out was quite delicious.
After dinner, I really wanted to take a bath today, so I brought the carriage outside the room and set a tub inside it, filling it with hot water.
Around where I placed the tub, I rigged up a tiled board and a drain, so I don't think the floorboards will rot or anything.
First, I ordered Jeanne and the others to go in, showed them how to use it, and handed them soap and a towel… Of course, I'm not the type to peep or anything!… But I had underestimated the length of women's baths… It was too long… By the time it was my turn, well over an hour and a half had passed… Still, the bath felt really nice…
Since I was planning to head to the dungeon early tomorrow, I decided to go to sleep much earlier than usual.
By the way, today I set up another bed of the same size, so I wouldn't have to sleep on the floor. I also put up a simple divider between the two beds (a rope strung across with cloth draped over it like a curtain), which should ease the mental burden a bit.
When I opened my eyes, that white expanse had spread out before me once more.
"Again...?"
Wondering who would be visiting this third time, I propped myself up on my hands—
"Ahn."
Along with that plush, soft, and springy sensation, I heard a sultry voice.
"Whoa!"
Startled, I pulled my hand away, and there lay the Goddess of Love.
"Oh, Tenma... you're so bold..."
As she said that and tried to throw her arms around me, I placed a hand on top of the goddess's head—
"Hiyah!"
And delivered a light chop.
She went "Ow!" or something like that, but she didn't look hurt at all.
When I asked what she wanted, she said:
"That Jeanne, you know—you can break her curse pretty easily."
As it turned out, Jeanne's curse had the effect of hindering her own growth and lowering the luck of those around her. Jeanne had been born with the curse, but since she also held the Title of Saint, the damage had apparently been minimal.
"What's the method?"
In response to my question, the goddess grinned and said:
"It's... having her drink your bodily fluids!"
She said it in a tone that seemed to expect something,
"So blood works too, then."
When I said that, she wore the most bored expression imaginable and,
"That's right... How boring!"
she pouted. But when I asked why my bodily fluids had such an effect,
"That's because Tenma has the Blessings of multiple gods, and on top of that, you're close in age to Jeanne and the opposite sex."
was the explanation, apparently. In short, a curse carries negative properties, while the Blessings of gods carry positive properties.
Therefore, by giving something opposite to the curse, it's possible to neutralize the negative aspect.
However, there are several conditions. The person receiving the curse and the person giving the fluids must be of the opposite sex, close in age (roughly plus or minus five years is most effective), and the person giving the fluids must hold the Blessings of multiple gods.
Furthermore, a single time is not enough to dispel the curse—fluids need to be given multiple times.
When I asked what a curse even was in the first place, it apparently originates from stagnant pools of Magic Power in this world, and very few people manage to live as long as Jeanne.
This time, she had also forcibly connected to my dream, and apparently this space would only last a few more minutes, so I decided to ask my final question.
"Haven't you been connecting to this space more frequently lately?"
When I asked that, the goddess said with a smile,
"I've been working the God of Creation to the brink of death to force the connection!"
she replied cheerfully... Poor God of Creation... For the first time, I actually felt sorry for that guy...
After that, for some reason, the Goddess of Love clung to me until the space faded away.