Chapter 17 - Escape from Ezra

Lancer is finishing up her adventurer registration. The receptionist Paula hands her a small tablet of some sort the size of an iphone. Paula explain it is an adventurer identification tablet. It records personal adventurer related information and keeps track to help an adventurer rank up.

The adventurer tablet is powered by a small magical beast core. Making it a magic item. These items are created by magic craftsmen. Due to the fact magic power is needed to work in such a profession. Also, the limited number of magical beast cores. It mean magic devices and items are expensive.

In this case the adventurer tablet ends up costing one gold forian coin. Which is a considerable sum. I am only able to salvage around seven forian gold coins from raiding the noble’s house in the frontier village. The rest of the money. I have are copper and silver coins taken from the people we killed.

This only shows it is not easy to become an adventurer in this world. The cost and need for great strength to fight monsters to retrieve their magic cores. I end up paying the one forian gold coin fee for Lancer’s adventurer tablet. I have to find ways to make money soon.

“Thanks for joining the adventurer guild. Lancer your rank will start at [F]. Good luck on your adventures.” –Paula

“Thank you Ms. Paula. The cake was delicious.” –Lancer

“Hohohohoho. I aim to please young girl.” –Paula

“Oh I almost forgot. Can we hand over monster materials here for money?” –Dasas

“We can accept monster cores here at the guild. Other materials such as meat and furs. You will have to turn them in at meat butchers and tanner’s stores.” –Paula

“Thanks for the info” –Dasas

“Hohohoho. No problem. Not to mention you all are interesting folk. Entertained me greatly.” -Paula

“Little-one. We done here. Let us head back to the group.” –Dasas

“Okay master.” -Lancer

I notice Lancer is humming happily as we head to our table in the tavern. There are bits of cake sticking around her mouth. Makes her look like an innocent little kid. Aside from the menacing black dragon tattoo on her left cheek. We reach our table and I end up noticing Rider is not among the group.

I now realize. I did not pay attention to everyone. I can’t multi-task worth a damn. I prefer to do and concentrate on things one at a time. People tend to think I am lazy or dumb. I motion for our group to head out into the town. We are done with our business here. As we head out the tavern. I notice Rider coming up to us.

“Yo chief. I checked in our horses and wagon into the stables. Got us signed into an inn if that’s okay with ya.” –Rider

“Well damn Rider. Good job you so reliable bud.” –Dasas

Nice to know my NPCs are able to take independent action to get things done. Without me having to direct them all the time. I should really rely on them more. The stress will build up if I had to do everything on my own.

“Haha. It’s all good chief. Just leave it to me.” –Rider

“Well since its all taken care of. We can just check out the town. Not to mention I wanna try selling the boar monster materials. I been keeping in my personal inventory.” –Dasas

That is when I am suddenly reminded about the monster core and didn’t think to take it out for Paula to inspect it. Seriously, I am so unreliable. It won’t look good in front of people. I want to project a majestic reliable leader.

Being a loner in my previous life is really showing its effects now. I am unable to make strategic planning or handling business. I will have to find a way to rectify the problem. For now I push it aside in my mind. I prefer living in denial it is what I always do. I was obsessed with the game Arlenia Fantasy Online, because I wanted to escape reality after all. Dive into a world where I can feel special.

While my crew and me is walking along the path towards the town center. The aroma of cooking meat is lingering in the air. I heard a small grumble and look towards Lancer. She is staring off to a food stand cooking meat on skewers in an open fire. How stupid of me. I forgot Lancer did not get a chance to eat a meal at the tavern before leaving. I had her register at the adventurer guild.

My new divine body not needing sustenance really is changing my perception of the world. I end up looking over small details. Only thing Lancer was able to eat so far was the small cake given by the Paula woman. I doubt she is satisfied.

“Little-one. Interested in an order of meat skewers?” –Dasas

“Eh…master?” –Lancer

Lancer looks down embarrassed like she was doing something shameful. Which I didn’t get. Are meat skewers a big deal or something in this world?

“What is wrong little-one? Want one or not?” –Dasas

“Ah yes…master…is it okay for me to have such luxurious food?” –Lancer

“What the hell. It’s just meat skewers. I have no problem with you getting some little-one.” –Dasas

“Eh. Meat is expensive. Especially fresh cooked meat...” –Lancer

“No matter. Just treat it as a reward for being such a good girl so far.” –Dasas

“I’m honored…master…” –Lancer

I end up buying two meat skewers for a single silver coin. I see tears are coming out of Lancer’s eyes as I handed her the meat skewers. I did not realize it is such an emotional event. Lancer just receiving some food. Then I recall Lancer used to be a slave. Maybe they are not allowed to eat meat and are treated only to scraps.

I do remember she did get to eat meat with my crew before so why now. It is pointless to try and understand how people feel inside. I will just ignore it. I love the proverb "ignorance is bliss."

As Lancer is finishing up her meat skewers and licking the meat juices from her fingers. I am checking around the town buildings. Hoping to see if I can locate the stores to sell my monster materials. That is when we come upon a wooden building with a stone sculpture in front of it.

The crude stone sculpture is made into a figure of a woman from the looks of it. I decide to check out the building. It looks like a church and it got me curious. A man in robes which I assume is a priest is talking to some people. He notices my group approaching and raises his hand.

“Hello there fellow worshippers. Are you here to pay your respects to the goddess Lana?” –Priest

“Not particularly. We are just travelers that have just arrived in town today. We became curious about this establishment and wanted to check it out.” –Dasas

I don’t know if I said something wrong but the priest end up giving me a maddening glare. Like I am some sort of heretic. It kind of pisses me off to be stared down like that by someone.

“For you...to not recognize a church of the goddess Lana…” –Priest

“Uh my mistake. We got the wrong place. If you will excuse me.” –Dasas

I decide to get away from the church. It will only cause trouble. Since I can’t explain why I don’t recognize their god. I gesture for Assassin to listen up. I got a task for her to carry out. Assassin nods as she understands I needed something done. I start to tell her of my plan.

“Assassin with your stealth abilities. I will need you to burn down that church without being detected.” –Dasas

“I shall carry out this mission at once my lord” muttered softly by Assassin. Assassin disappears and a grin forms upon my face without me realizing it. Goddess Lana must be the previous administrator that quit. It is a waste for her to keep receiving faith energy. I will be sure to destroy her religion when an opportunity presents itself.

I have to start preparing to gather faith energy for myself. It is imperative I get rid of the old and present the new god for these people to worship. I decide to forgo looking for a store to sell my monster materials today and leave it for tomorrow. My crew and me head to the Inn.

Rider guide our group to the Inn he signed us in for. We came upon a building two stories high with the first floor being the common area where meals can be eaten. The hotel rooms are located on the second floor. As we enter the inn an unpleasant odor attack the senses. I notice a man is literally having intercourse with a female slave at one of the tables. Where meals are eaten.

Slaves are not considered humans but property. Such things will take place but even so. Having sex in public is still disgusting. I should really start to consider the people of this world as nothing more than animals. Treat them as such so it will be easier for me to cope with destroying them if need be. Lancer a former slave just stares at the incident with no particular feelings being shown. It is probably the norm for slaves.

“My master. Wish for me to cut down that insolent dog?” –Saber

“No need Saber. If we keep cutting down people for every little thing. It will never end. Animals will always act like animals. Best to ignore them unless they bare hostility towards us.” –Dasas

“Understood my master.” –Saber

We just head upstairs to our rooms. I got my own room, which is a huge relief. I need time to think for myself. I decide to wait for the report from Assassin when she returns. While pondering what I should do. Hours later. When night almost descended. Assassin returns to report the mission is accomplished. I congratulate her for a job well done.

A little while after Assassin returns. A huge commotion is happening outside of the Inn. The racket is loud enough that the townspeople have probably noticed the burnt down church. Being curious. I left the Inn to get the reactions of the people. I stop a running passerby to know of the situation.

“Hey you. What is going on?” –Dasas

“The town is on high alert. The church is burned down but worse than that. There are a lot of shriveled up corpses around the vicinity. Only demons are capable of such an atrocity as feeding upon the souls of the living. It is what they are known for. Those vile monsters.” –Passerby

“Demons?” –Dasas

“Yes demons!! For them to be this far up north. Extremely bad news that will mean the whole kingdom isn’t safe from them as we thought. This means it is big news!!” –Passerby

“Thanks for letting me know…” –Dasas

“No problem you look like an adventurer. You better prep for a battle since demons are among us.” –Passerby

I see off the passerby as he runs off in a panic. I am displeased that this became a bigger problem than I previously planned. If people are looking for demons then Assassin will be targeted. Which is not a good thing. I better have her sneak out of the town using her stealth abilities. I don’t want to leave her outside alone. I have to cut short the stay in town and leave at once to meet up with her.

I head back into the Inn and let everyone know we have to leave the town at once. Assassin is the first to leave town since it is easier for her with her stealth abilities. My crew and me start to proceed to the stables. Getting the horses and wagon. Done packing we start to head to the town entrance to leave. We come upon a blockade with soldiers being on alert and checking everyone’s identities.

Since Assassin is not with us it should be okay. I still do not like being checked before we can leave town. The girls are covered in hooded cloaks. They were forced by the soldiers to take them off to be identified. Usually there is no problem even if they are seen since they aren’t demons. Once Saber took off her hood something big happens.

“It’s an elf woman!!!” –???

“Oh goddess Lana!! If I sell off this elf!! Then I be set for life!!” –???

“Capture the elf!!” –???

“My goodness! The other girls in the group are extraordinarily beautiful as well. We hit the gold mine.” –???

“A huge treasure just easily presented itself to us!! We lucky guys!!” –???

“Fucking shit…” –Dasas

A huge commotion is happening at the entrance. They make a huge deal out of Saber being an elf. It alerts the other townspeople. They also have light of greed in their eyes. Seems in this world humans value elves highly as slaves. Especially the women. This is extremely bad news. Means we will be targeted, so we are forced to escape. The soldiers take out their weapons and telling us to surrender, but I won’t have it.

“Battle formations everyone!! Prepare to escape Ezra town!!” –Dasas

“Haaaaaaaa!!!” –My Crew

I hope we can escape town without having a huge massacre. Once again my plans fail. I did not get anything I want done. It really makes me wonder if anything will ever go right for me.