Chapter 38

I entered the Dragon’s Inn first, Zoe and Azura following just after me. The place seemed rather peaceful. There were a few tables scattered around the room, most of them occupied by men of various ages, talking and drinking beer.

Between the tables, two young waitresses moved, wearing short skirts and tight shirts that showed off a generous amount of cleavage. Their medium-sized tits were pushed up by bras that framed them enticingly. The customers’ eyes followed their bare legs and exposed curves, but no one seemed to bother them.

Behind the bar on the right stood an older woman, who still looked quite well, despite the few wrinkles that had already appeared on her face. Next to the bar stood a single table with a woman sitting there alone.

She had brown hair pinned in a ponytail and was scanning the room, her gaze mostly following the waitresses.

Even if I didn’t have a hunch that she worked as security there, the sword lying on the table in front of her was proof enough—and a clear warning to anyone thinking about causing trouble.

Her gaze lingered on me for a moment, quickly ran over Zoe and Azura, and then she focused back on the other guests in the inn. Beyond her, a few other people glanced our way as we entered but quickly averted their eyes and focused back on their talks.

Tori was sitting at the table farthest to the left under the wall. She was eating alone, and we joined her, taking the remaining three empty chairs. Tori was in front of me, with Azura and Zoe on either side of me.

“How was the market?” Tori asked.

“Gloomy,” I replied. “A dreadful place with a terrible atmosphere,” I added.

Tori nodded as one of the waitresses approached our table. She had blonde hair tied back in a ponytail, revealing her pretty face and bare shoulders. She looked at me with blue eyes and a faint smile. I ordered food and drinks for the three of us, then scooted a little closer to Tori.

“Is your offer to lend me money still valid?” I asked.

“Yeah.”

“I need fifty ryns by tomorrow morning. I made a deal with one of the merchants, and he’s going to sell me…” I hesitated, realizing what I was about to say. “And there’s a chance one more person might join us.”

Tori stopped eating and looked at me, frowning. “There are no prices that low,” she said. “It must be a scam.”

“It seems suspicious to me too. But she’s in really bad shape, she resists, and she was magically bound to her previous owner, but he’s dead now. The merchant says he just wants to get rid of her.”

Tori stared at me for a moment, thinking. “How can you be certain that her owner is really dead? Maybe he’s alive and looking for her, and you will get in trouble.”

“I considered that possibility and offered this woman that I would take her out of that place and bring her back to her owner, but she confirmed that he was dead. Bandits killed him and captured her. That’s how she ended up on the market.”

Tori didn't reply but still looked thoughtful.

“Anyway,” I started. “I want to take her out of that place. What they did to her…” I didn’t finish, shaking my head. “I offered her that she would work for me and buy herself freedom after she earns enough. If she refuses…” I stopped and sighed. “I will take the loss and just free her immediately, so she can leave.”

The waitress approached us with food, and there was a moment of silence as she passed us the bowls with stew and bread.

When she moved away, Tori spoke again. “I will give you the money later. Do what you want with it, but this whole thing is suspicious.”

I nodded and started to eat. “Did you take care of the things you had to do?” I asked.

Tori simply nodded, not elaborating, and I didn't ask, assuming she didn't want to talk about them.

“Do you have any plans for tomorrow?” I asked.

“I want to check if there are any quests available. Why?”

“After I saw this woman and heard her story… I don't want something like that to happen to me and Zoe,” I said, looking at her. She looked at me cutely. I couldn't let someone hurt her so much. And if it was possible that bandits could just attack us, kill me, and do…

Just no. I wouldn't let something like that happen to her. And for that, I needed to be stronger. Me and her. And the quickest way to do that would be to level up our classes. I could level up Sex Mage through sex. But my two remaining classes and Zoe’s classes didn’t work that way. We needed to kill monsters in dungeons, and even if it was a risk, I hoped that with Tori we would be safe.

“I want to go to the dungeon and get stronger. Zoe needs to level up her class. Would it be safe for us if we went with you?”

“On lower levels,” Tori replied. “But we would not earn a lot there. We can go, but I take all the loot. I will protect you, do most of the killing, and stay at lower levels so you can be safe. You will get experience points for Zoe,” Tori offered.

“Sure,” I replied, smiling. It would be good to earn money, but at the moment I had enough for food and a place to sleep, and safety was the priority. With higher levels and experience in fighting monsters, we could try dungeons on our own. Eventually, we could look for some quests.

Or Gemma would finally have a job for me.

“Is Azura going with us?” Tori asked.

I glanced at her. She sat with her head slightly lowered and hadn’t even touched her food.

“I want to go,” she said quietly.

I nodded and asked, “You don’t like the food?”

“She’s waiting for you to finish eating,” Tori cut in before Azura even had a chance to reply. “She’s lower in the hierarchy of our 'pack',” Tori explained, making air quotes with her fingers at the word pack. “As the leader, you eat first—unless you tell her she can eat or give her some food.”

I glanced at Azura, who was still looking at me. “Is that right?”

“Yeah,” she replied quietly.

“You can eat whenever you want,” I said.

Azura immediately grabbed the spoon, wrapping all her fingers around the handle like she was holding a dagger, and awkwardly tried to use it to scoop up some food. It didn’t look very graceful, but she started eating the stew, eagerly devouring the contents of the bowl.

“Are we renting one or two rooms?” Tori asked. When our eyes met, she glanced at Azura.

I looked at her too. She was focused on the food and didn’t realize that we were looking at her. She was eating quickly, leaning close to the bowl so it was easier for her to eat because the food didn’t have time to fall off her spoon before she could bring it to her mouth.

I wanted to have sex with Zoe and Tori, and both of them were eager too—but I wasn’t sure what to do about Azura. I didn’t want to pressure her into anything, and I didn’t think she’d be comfortable staying in the same room while we were fucking.

“We’ll take a separate room for her,” I said to Tori.

“I don't want one,” Azura said. She had finished eating but grabbed the bowl and started to lick the remaining stew out of it.

"Still hungry?" I asked, and Azura let out that humming sound of hers—her version of a yes.

"And you, Zoe?"

"Nope," she said with a playful smile. "Gotta keep my figure for you, Master."

"First of all, you need to eat properly and keep your strength up. And you’ll still be sexy, even if you gain a little weight. So?" I asked.

Zoe shook her head, blushing slightly. I flagged down the waitress and ordered another bowl of stew for Azura.

"Azura," I said while we waited for the food. "Are you sure we won't be bothering you? Zoe, Tori, and I are going to have sex."

"It doesn't bother me," Azura replied.

She usually didn’t say much, so when she did speak, it gave her words a certain weight. And it seemed like she was a little more talkative now than before, so I decided to ask my questions.

"Where did you live before you started living with the wolves?" I asked.

“In a place similar to the one we were in today.”

“On the **** market?”

“No. The building.”

The waitress approached us and passed the food to Azura, who glanced at me. I nodded, and she started to eat immediately.

“There were slaves there?” I asked.

“Yes.”

“Were you one of them?”

Azura had food in her mouth but hummed yes. After she swallowed, she said, “It was cleaner. Brighter. And didn't stink so much,” then continued eating.

“How did you get out of that place?”

Azura stopped eating and didn't answer for a moment as she stared at my chest, but then she replied, “From time to time, they were taking us to different special rooms and… did some things to us. One time, they told me that they needed to take my collar off. Then this weirdly dressed man fell to the ground and was not moving. The door was open. I ran into the corridor. And then to the forest. I ran. And ran. Until I met the pack,” Azura explained quietly.

“How old were you?”

“Eight. That’s what my mom told me.”

“She was there too?”

“Yes.”

“As a ****?”

“Yes.”

“How long ago was it?” I asked.

“I don't know,” Azura replied quietly. When I didn't ask her another question immediately, she started to eat again.

“What did you mean, that they did things to you?” I asked slowly, having a bad hunch.

“Mostly, they made me eat and drink weird-tasting things. They were awful. And made me feel bad. Sometimes they wanted me to change. And they had these weird shining stones.”

I glanced at Tori and Zoe, who watched Azura as she was telling this.

“They were experimenting on her?” I asked Tori, wondering if she knew something more about this.

“It sounds like that, but I had never heard about something like this,” Tori replied. “And I doubt it was legal. Especially that she was a child,” she added, before she asked a question. “Azura, were you born there?”

“Yes,” she hummed.

Tori nodded, wondering about it just like me. Azura, moments later, finished her food.

"Full?" I asked.

"Yes. Thank you," she replied softly.

"Alright. Let’s rent one room with two beds," I said, and then, as a whole group, we headed to the bar to pick up the key.