I woke up to find myself using Roxanne as a body pillow. She was lying on my left side, and I was clinging to her with both hands and my right leg hooked over her.
It was a pleasant way to wake up. Or rather, the moment I opened my eyes, everything felt wonderful.
Roxanne’s skin was incredibly smooth. It felt amazing—sleek and gentle to the touch. Holding her was just as great; there was a soft, moist elasticity that pushed back whenever I squeezed. I could feel pleasure radiating from every point where our bodies met. My left arm was tucked underneath her, but she wasn't heavy enough to make it go numb.
I pulled her a little closer and stroked her back, enjoying the soft sensation of her fur.
Both Roxanne and I were wearing nothing but our pumpkin pants. I could feel a heavy, unmistakable weight resting on my left arm. She didn't have anything like a bra; they probably didn't exist here, or if they did, they were likely expensive luxury items.
Suddenly, my lips were covered.
Roxanne was kissing me. She must have realized I was awake from the movement of my hands. Come to think of it, I was the one who had ordered her to kiss me every night before bed and every morning when we woke up.
She was surprisingly literal about following instructions. I wondered if she was just doing it out of a sense of duty to her master.
I savored the soft sensation of her lips and tongue. It was a refreshing way to start the morning.
"Good morning, Master."
After indulging myself for a while, I pulled away, and Roxanne offered her greeting.
"Thanks. Good morning, Roxanne."
I opened my eyes, but it was still too dark to see her beautiful face. Relying entirely on my senses, I pulled her close and stole another kiss. I could manage just fine even if I couldn't see.
I slipped my tongue between Roxanne’s half-parted lips, teasing her until our tongues entwined. She wasn't exactly passionate, but she responded to me perfectly.
I took that as a sign that she didn't dislike it. Even if she was just enduring it, she didn't seem like she wanted to run away. I felt a surge of desire to pin her down right then and there, but I restrained myself.
I’d been cautious last night and only went one round, so I was bursting with energy, but we had things to do. For the last five days, I’d always headed to the labyrinth before sunrise. If I didn't leave the inn at the usual time, the man downstairs might realize we had spent the morning "enjoying ourselves."
Not that it wasn't obvious already, considering he'd seen us into a double room.
While still kissing Roxanne, I reached up to stroke her hair, enjoying its fluffy, silk-like texture. Finally, I pulled my mouth away.
"Shall we head to the labyrinth for a bit?"
"Yes, Master."
It was a shame to stop, but I let her go and sat up. I could enjoy myself tonight anyway. And tomorrow, and the day after that. As long as Roxanne didn't run away, there would be plenty of time.
I sat on the edge of the bed to pull on my leather boots, and Roxanne came over to help me into my shirt.
"Whoops. This is nice. I feel like a king."
"I’m sorry," she said, her movements a bit clumsy. "I do not have very good night vision."
"Don't push yourself," I told her. I took my pants from her and finished dressing myself, then pulled my leather jacket out of the Item Box and slipped it on.
"By the way, do you know what an 'empty slot' is?" I asked. It seemed like a good time to bring it up.
When I was pulling things out of the Item Box, I’d used Appraisal to tell them apart. The leather jacket I was wearing had an empty skill slot. Of course, "empty skill slot" was just my own term for it.
"What might that be?" she asked, sounding confused.
"It’s... a state where a piece of equipment has room for a skill."
"On a piece of equipment? There are certainly grooves and gaps, I suppose..."
She was taking the word "slot" too literally.
"I mean, you can attach skills to equipment, right?"
"Yes."
"I think the 'slot' is the place where that skill goes."
"I am very sorry, Master, but I do not quite understand. If there is no skill, isn't there simply... nothing?"
It seemed the concept of an "empty slot" wasn't common knowledge. Even the weapon merchant hadn't known about them.
"How do you attach a skill to equipment, then?"
"Usually, one simply purchases equipment that already has a skill attached. Only a Blacksmith can perform the fusion of a skill crystal."
So I needed a Blacksmith.
"And what is a skill crystal?"
"They are said to be the manifestation of monster abilities that have accumulated over time. They are rarely found in the labyrinth. If you fuse one with equipment, a skill might attach to it."
That made sense. It was exactly what I’d imagined. But there was one more thing I suspected.
"If there isn't an empty skill slot, the fusion will fail, right?"
"Whether a skill attaches is said to be determined by the quality of the crystal and the luck and skill of the Blacksmith."
"So they do fail?"
"I hear they fail more often than not."
I wouldn't know for sure without trying, but if a piece of gear didn't have an empty slot, the skill probably wouldn't stick. If that was the case, my Appraisal gave me a massive advantage. I would never waste a crystal on a failed fusion.
"Do you know how someone becomes a Blacksmith?"
"I am sorry, but I do not. Blacksmith is a race-specific job; only Dwarves can have it."
That hit me hard. So I couldn't become a Blacksmith. And apparently, Dwarves existed in this world, though I hadn't met one yet. I wondered if there was a way to bypass the race requirement, but if it was hard-coded into the world's logic, it would be difficult.
"I see... So if I want gear with skills, I have to ask a Blacksmith?"
"Unless you are very close with one, it is difficult. Blacksmiths hate direct transactions. Do you have an acquaintance among the Dwarves, Master?"
"Is it impossible without a connection?"
"If a fusion fails, the crystal is lost. Most Blacksmiths won't accept direct requests because it's impossible to prove if they actually failed or if they simply stole the crystal. It causes too much trouble."
I understood immediately. A Blacksmith could just hide the crystal, claim they failed, and then sell the crystal later or use it for themselves. It was the perfect scam.
"So skill fusion is a source of conflict?"
"Exactly. Even if you watch them do it, it is said that skilled Dwarves can trick the eye. A long time ago, a Dwarf allegedly made a fortune by claiming he would perform fusions right in front of his clients."
People will find a way to scam you no matter the world. It’s like a magician doing card tricks; most people wouldn't be able to see the sleight of hand.
"Because of that, almost no one asks a Blacksmith for a fusion directly," Roxanne continued. "If you find a skill crystal, you sell it. If you want magic gear, you search the markets and buy it."
If direct trade only led to suspicion, I could see why the system worked that way. Still, it was a pain. If I couldn't become a Blacksmith and couldn't trust a third party, my ability to see empty slots was almost useless. Was my equipment Appraisal a dead skill? I’d relied on it so much for everything else that I couldn't really complain, but it was frustrating.
I either needed to find a way to get the job myself or find a way to get a Blacksmith I could trust. Or...
"A Blacksmith..."
"Yes?"
I almost asked if it was possible to buy a Blacksmith slave, but I caught myself. That wasn't a question for Roxanne. I should ask the slave trader once I had enough money.
I made a quick excuse to Roxanne and walked toward the door, feeling my way through the dark.
"I’m opening the door, okay?"
"Yes, that is fine."
I waited for her reply and opened it. The light from the hallway lanterns spilled in, allowing me to see the layout of the room.
"Roxanne, wear this leather armor."
"...Yes. Thank you very much."
I sat back down to finish with my socks and boots. On the floor sat the washbasin we'd used last night. I’d used a towel to clean up, so the water was likely... tainted. If I left it for the staff to find, it would be a dead giveaway.
I picked up the basin and carried it to the toilet, dumping the water. The fact that the basin was empty might be suspicious, but it was better than the alternative.
When I returned, Roxanne was standing in the light from the hallway, wearing the leather armor. They say equipment magicially adjusts to the wearer, and this was no exception. On her, the armor looked more like a corset. And because it had adjusted to her specific proportions, the chest cups were... significant.
This was bad. Very bad.
"Uh... try wearing this jacket instead."
"I am sorry," Roxanne said, sounding apologetic. "Leather armor is not usually something women wear."
She must have realized it was strange. Maybe she hadn't said anything because I was her master.
"No, it's my fault. I don't know the common sense of this world yet, so please, tell me if I'm doing something weird."
"I... I understand."
We swapped gear. The jacket didn't emphasize her body nearly as much. I didn't want to show her off to others, and I definitely didn't want to be "distracted" while we were fighting in the labyrinth.
I shouldered my backpack and slid my copper sword into my belt. I was ready. Oh, wait—the party.
I focused on the "Party Formation" command. I'd never used it before, but as I focused, a prompt asked me to designate a target. I chose Roxanne.
"Oh."
It worked. I could feel a connection, knowing she was now in my party. I wondered if I was in it by default. I tried the command on myself.
"Ah."
"Oh."
The party disbanded. I guess as the leader, I couldn't "add" myself, and trying to change my status just broke the group. I reformed the party with Roxanne. Then I tried the command on her again. She was removed.
"Um, Master?"
"Sorry. Just an experiment."
"I see."
So using the command on someone already in the party acted as a "remove" function. Good to know. I added her one last time.
"What are the benefits of being in a party?"
"Warp magic will take everyone in the party with you. Even if we lose sight of each other, you will be able to tell what direction the other members are in. And it is said that we share experience."
"Shared experience, huh?"
"Yes. When a noble's child is born, they often form a party of six with the baby and five elite vassals. The baby grows stronger from the experience the vassals earn in the labyrinth."
That was incredibly underhanded. Rich people really did have it easy.
"Wait, if that's the case, why do they ever go into the labyrinth themselves as adults?"
"Some people simply use groups of vassals their whole lives. But to never enter at all is rare..."
I suppose if you never enter the labyrinth, there isn't much point in having a high level anyway.
"Is it possible to just send slaves in and live off the profit?"
"Um... well..."
"Ah, no. I'm not planning on making you do all the work."
I realized what I’d suggested. It sounded like I wanted to be a lazy slaver. Though, practically speaking, it would be hard to pull off. Slaves would probably just slack off if you weren't there to watch them.
"You could use them to raise your level, but I have not heard of people living solely off a slave's earnings from the labyrinth. Usually, the items found belong to whoever is physically there to claim them. Sending someone else... it doesn't work well."
"I see. Well then, shall we go?"
"Yes."
We stepped out, locked the door, and headed downstairs. I handed the key to the innkeeper just like I did every other morning. Business as usual.
"Be careful out there," he said.
We stepped out into the pre-dawn darkness.
"Follow me."
I took Roxanne’s hand just to be safe. I walked toward the outer wall of the inn and focused on my Warp skill. Even though I couldn't see a thing in the shadows, I walked straight into the stone wall.
"Wait, what—?"
Before she could finish her sentence, I pulled her through. We emerged onto the first floor of the labyrinth.