The sun was setting over Vale; evening was fast approaching.
It hadn't felt quite as late in Quratar. The city must be further west than Vale. The difference wasn't several hours, of course, but there was a noticeable time lag.
After checking the time, I warped to the Vale Labyrinth. There wasn't much time left before nightfall, but I had gone to the trouble of procuring new weapons and I wanted to test them.
"It is this way," Roxanne said.
I followed her lead. With Roxanne’s tracking, we found monsters immediately. This experiment wouldn't take long.
First, before testing the wand, I used Durandal to recover my MP.
Warping was convenient, but it wasn't free. Traveling from Quratar to Vale seemed to consume a significant amount of MP. However, with Durandal's MP Absorption, it was practically a net zero cost.
"Now then, could you lead me to something other than a Kobold?"
"Of course."
Once my MP was topped off, I tried out the canes.
Clutching the wand, I fired a Fireball at a Green Caterpillar Lv 3 as it appeared. I braced myself and fired again. One shot, two shots... three.
With the wand, the monster collapsed after the third hit. It was a clear upgrade over the copper sword.
Next, I tested the wood stick. I launched a Fireball at a Needle Wood Lv 3. In the wood stick’s case, my performance remained unchanged. That meant the wand was objectively superior to the wood stick as a magical catalyst.
I probably didn't need to buy both, but I hadn't known for certain which would be more powerful. I could have asked the clerk, I suppose, though I had to buy multiple items to trigger the thirty-percent discount anyway.
I could have opted for a wand and a rod, but rods were likely far more expensive. Since I had the wand now, I decided to be satisfied. If I could kill enemies in three hits, the risk was minimal. There was no need to chase higher performance just yet.
If I dumped my Bonus Points into Intelligence Increase, my magic attack power would rise further. I could probably measure the exact difference in power between the copper sword, the wand, and the wood stick if I really tried, but it wasn't worth the effort. Knowing the exact numbers wouldn't change my reality. It wasn't as if the game interface showed me precise damage values anyway. Intelligence and a cane's inherent attack power might even be calculated separately.
There was no point in overthinking it.
"Using a cane really does increase the damage. It's just like you said, Roxanne. Thanks."
"It is you who are wonderful for mastering it so quickly, Master. As expected of you."
"Your advice is always helpful. I’m counting on you from here on out, too."
"Yes! Thank you very much."
After a brief exchange of mutual praise, I concluded the weapon test.
We left the labyrinth after that short session. I warped to the wall of the Adventurer Guild and walked back to our inn.
"A double room for one night, dinner included. After the meal, I’ll need two servings of hot water and a lantern."
I paid the fee at the Vale inn. This would be my last night here.
I felt like I should probably mention that we were moving out, but I held my tongue. There was no real need to say it. It wasn't like they’d give me a free side dish for my farewell dinner.
In fact, it might be safer if they didn't know. I didn't want anyone getting any strange ideas for a 'last chance' score—like trying to break in and rob me. Not that I had much worth stealing that I didn't carry on my person. I didn't sleep with Durandal lying around, after all.
The only thing worth stealing would be... Roxanne.
S-steal Roxanne?
Unforgivable.
I would never allow that.
I definitely made the right choice by staying quiet. Safety first.
"Much obliged," the innkeeper said.
I took the key he offered without a word. I trusted this easygoing guy well enough, but the inn had other employees. It would be enough to tell them tomorrow morning when I left after breakfast.
We entered the room. A wave of sentimentality washed over me when I realized this was our final night. This was the place where I had stayed while desperately scraping together the funds to buy Roxanne, and the first place we had shared once she was mine.
I sat on the bed and looked around at the walls and ceiling. Roxanne immediately sat down beside me. In the beginning, she had been so stiff and nervous, but now the movement was natural.
Of course, that was partly because I’d ordered her to act that way. I was happy to have a beauty like her so close, but a part of me felt a little guilty about it. Plus, I’d promised her I wouldn't do anything like pinning her down. I almost felt like I wanted to start our relationship over from scratch.
I’d have to endure for a bit. Just a little longer. At least until I finished cleaning the equipment, ate dinner, and we came back up to the room.
"Alright, I’m going to wipe my body down. Get undressed."
"I cannot allow that, Master. Wiping you down must come first."
Despite my patience, I was shot down. Since I didn't want to waste time arguing, I stripped down and let her wipe my back.
Afterward, I wiped Roxanne.
I wiped her thoroughly. I wiped her completely. I wiped her until I was utterly content.
Reaching around from behind, I meticulously cleansed her noble, beautiful peaks. I was painstaking. I was thorough. I was delicate. I made sure not a single square micron went untouched, ensuring not a picogram of grime remained.
Over and over, time and again. I did it until my heart was satisfied.
Though, admittedly, I was even more satisfied by what happened immediately after.
The next morning, I did a quick run in the Vale Labyrinth while it was still dark. After exiting, we ate breakfast and prepared for the move.
I established a warp connection between the inn room and our new house. I moved the case containing the maid outfit and Roxanne’s rucksack, which was packed with our belongings, into the house. My strategy was to only put half my body through the portal to move the luggage in a single warp.
Movement Magic didn't seem capable of transporting very large objects; furniture was out of the question. However, a rucksack of the size Roxanne and I usually carried was no problem. Even someone as unremarkable as me could manage that much. It seemed the case for the maid outfit also counted as 'hand luggage,' and I successfully moved everything without a hitch.
Well, 'without a hitch' might be an overstatement. It cost a lot of MP.
Keeping a space connected while moving luggage through it seemed to consume far more MP than a standard personal warp. Maintaining the link clearly had a high cost. Since we didn't have much to carry, I managed to scrape by.
When my MP dropped too low, my mental state took a hit, and every thought turned sour. It was a dangerous state of mind. I never wanted to feel that way again; it felt like my very soul was being eroded.
"Well, it's a bit sad to leave, but shall we go?"
"You're right," Roxanne replied. "This is the place where you first loved me, Master, but I know you will continue to love me plenty from now on, too."
I had been looking around the room to make sure we hadn't forgotten anything, but her words nearly did me in. I felt a sudden urge to go for one more round, but I settled for a light stroke of her dog ears. I had already graduated from the desperate thirst of a high school boy who didn't know the touch of a woman.
I was no longer a virgin. I was different.
But I had to remember that I hadn't cast that status aside through my own power alone. I couldn't forget that it was thanks to Alan the slave merchant.
I slung my empty rucksack over my shoulder and headed down to the lobby.
"My stay ends today. I’ve taken care of all my belongings," I said, handing the key to the innkeeper.
"I see. Thanks for staying with us."
"I appreciated the hospitality."
"If you'd told me yesterday, I could have at least given you a free lantern for the road."
A lantern? He wouldn't even offer a free night’s stay, or maybe a meal? I definitely made the right call by not saying anything yesterday. I didn't mind losing out on a ten-Nahl lantern; I’d much rather buy peace of mind.
Maybe I was a loner because I refused to get involved with people like this. Or maybe...
No, stop. My thoughts were turning negative again. It was just the lingering effect of the MP depletion.
I said my final goodbye to the inn. We warped from the Adventurer Guild to the labyrinth once more, where I topped off my MP using Durandal.
"Alright, back to Quratar. Should we go to the house? Or the Adventurer Guild?"
"The Adventurer Guild, please. We don't have any tools if I’m to start cleaning."
"Good point."
"For today, I’ll just do a light sweep of where the furniture will go. Over the next few days, I’ll make the whole place beautiful. Please, leave it to me."
"Sorry to dump it all on you. I'll help, too."
"No. This is my job. Master, you shouldn't have to do such things."
She seemed to have a peculiar pride regarding housework. I figured it was fine to let her handle the cleaning.
We warped to the Quratar Adventurer Guild. I sold our loot and we headed outside. The shops were already open for business.
The shops in this world started early. By that same token, they probably closed early, too. A normal shop wouldn't bother with the expense of lighting just to stay open late into the night. Even the brothels in Vale had closed surprisingly early.
I let Roxanne pick out what she needed at a general store—brooms, towels, and the like. Apparently, there was no such thing as detergent here. We returned to the guild and warped back to the house.
Emerging from the guild wall with a broom in hand made me look like an adventurer going about his daily business. I wondered if that was a bit strange, but I couldn't think of a reason why it shouldn't be allowed. I’d used the wall yesterday and today, and I’d likely use it every day moving forward. There was no harm in being seen as an adventurer.
My only concern was being spotted by the lady from the hardware shop. She’d checked my Intelligence Card, so she knew I was an Explorer. But she’d usually be in her shop, so the chances of an encounter were slim. Even if she caught me later, I could just lie and say I’d changed jobs to an Adventurer.
The guild wall was safe to use.
After dropping our purchases at the house, we went back to the guild. I made several trips between the guild at the edge of the central district and our new home, gathering cooking utensils, daily necessities, buckets, and water jars. Apparently, water for laundry, cleaning, and the toilet was kept in buckets, while drinking water was kept in jars. It was a distinction I didn't quite grasp.
"Well then, I shall go fetch some water," Roxanne announced once we had the jars home.
She still didn't get it.
"I’ll produce the water with magic. No need to go to the well."
"Are you sure? I have heard that using magic for such things is quite a burden..."
"It's no problem as long as you help me out."
"Um... what should I do, then?"
I pulled out Durandal and we warped straight to the labyrinth. Going from the house directly to the workplace without even stepping out the front door was incredibly convenient.
"Find me a monster."
My head felt a bit heavy from the repeated warps. I was definitely overusing my MP.
"Yes. If that is all you require... but may I borrow the equipment?"
"I’m only going to hunt one or two."
"That will not do. One never knows what might happen in the labyrinth. We must never be negligent with our preparations."
I got a scolding from Roxanne. At her insistence, I pulled out the gear, donning my leather hat and gloves. It was a hassle.
Roxanne found monsters immediately, and I slaughtered them with Durandal in short order, easily topping off my MP. Roxanne really was a godsend.
Back at the house, I lined up the buckets and jars in the room with the drain and used Water Wall directly above them. The wall of water held for a moment before collapsing into the containers. I could have just blasted a Water Ball directly into the buckets, but that would have splashed everywhere and been inefficient.
As long as I had a steady supply of MP, spamming water magic was trivial.
However, warping from the house in Quratar all the way to the Vale Labyrinth was a waste. The round trip consumed a lot of MP just to go and recover MP. That was a problem. And putting on the full gear for such a short trip was a pain, too.
"Is this enough water for now?"
"Yes, thank you very much. I shall begin the cleaning immediately."
Once I had filled the containers, Roxanne picked up a bucket.
"Alright, I’ll head to the Quratar Labyrinth for a bit while you do that."
"Yes. Have a safe trip."
Leaving the cleaning to Roxanne, I headed out. If warping back to Vale was too taxing, I should just start using the Quratar Labyrinth right in my backyard.
I warped to the guild and walked to the rotary in the center of town. The labyrinth was bustling, just as it had been yesterday. It seemed this was the norm. People were even lined up at the Knight Order station. It was nearly noon, but that didn't seem to matter. Time of day meant nothing to a labyrinth.
"Get your Quratar Labyrinth Guide Maps here!"
When I joined the line at the Knight Order station to pay my entry fee, I saw they were also selling maps. This Knight Order certainly had a head for business.
Coarse brown paper was lined up on the counter, marked with simple arrows. They looked like basic floor plans.
"Entry fee only. For six people," a voice ahead of me said.
"That will be six silver coins."
"Entry fee for five."
"Labyrinth Guide Maps! Floor-specific maps are twenty Nahl each! The full-floor booklet is a bargain at one thousand Nahl! Or perhaps you'd prefer the deluxe parchment edition for twenty thousand?"
Twenty thousand Nahl was definitely too rich for my blood.
As for the paper maps, I didn't know how many floors this place had, but buying the booklet was likely cheaper than buying them one by one. The paper looked incredibly flimsy, though; it would probably fall apart in no time. Even the booklet might end up being a waste of money.
Should I buy it page by page? Or just get the booklet?
Then again, I had 20x XP Gain and Required XP 1/20 active. Even if those were my maximums, I’d still progress much faster than anyone else. The risk of the booklet becoming obsolete was far lower for me.
"Entry fee for one. And give me the booklet, too."
I decided on the booklet and handed over the money.