The next morning.
As she said last night, Liz took a day off. She was still asleep by the time Arnold left the room. Ceru was also asleep so he left without making up his bed.
Arnold, on the other hand, had lots to do today so he'll attend classes as usual and handle other matters during breaks. He'll also need to pay a visit to the guild again today to properly discuss things since his previous visit didn't go as planned.
It was now lunch break. He's planning to meet Myrena and Wistorina right after he speaks with Rosalyn.
Meeting Myrena has to do with the dragon army, as mentioned before. Meeting Wistorina, on the other hand is for public appearances since the two are supposed to be lovers, after all.
Arnold and Rosalyn were sitting outside Melissa's lab, under a gazebo, two servants standing nearby but outside earshot range. Looking to the table at Rosalyn's side, there were a bunch of empty bottles that contained flavored cocktails before being downed before 11am in the morning.
Rosalyn wasn't wearing her lab coat and office clothes. Instead, she wore a bikini with sunglasses and a straw hat. This small bikini of hers accentuated her mature figure. Arnold could already spot a few boys spying on her with binoculars on the roof.
Despite what she had been up to the past few weeks or even months, this nonchalant behavior was very surprising.
Though Arnold wasn't planning on spilling the beans, he thought that the two would at least be worried the truth might leak some other way. Melissa still needs to take that scroll soaked in demonic lifeforce to the temple to have it exorcised, after all. Or maybe she'll just threaten a temple unaffiliated priest to do it for her.
Knowing how screwed she is if it gets out, she will probably go with the latter to minimize the risk. Then again, it's against the law for a priest to exorcise demon energy without a license.
Exorcism is powerful magic from the [Destruction and Sealing] arcane category. If something goes wrong, the caster could harm innocent people. Its purpose is to vaporize demonic energy from existence.
"A slave, hm? Why would you need to pay for one when you have the looks to pull any girl in this school?" Rosalyn put down her cocktail and smiled at him.
Since Rosalyn let it slip how she was involved in the market during her little quarrel with Melissa, he had explained that he knows how slave traders operate so he's looking for a particular slave that she might be able to help him get.
"I'm not looking for a sex slave. I just want to review them with a friend. Preferably an Elf…"
He doesn't want Sylphiala to find them first.
"We could get in a lot of trouble with the nobles if this information is easily accessible." She said with a sigh.
"Why is that? Slave trading is legal."
"Not just our unofficial business itself, but our method of slavery isn't exactly legally supported. We were planning on waiting on finishing the arrangements with the brothels which would have acted like shields. Kidnapping people who aren't war prisoners or in heavy debt with slavers is illegal, you know?"
Brothels can be used like money laundering businesses, even when trafficking humans, Rosalyn added.
"I'll have to quicken the negotiations when I go back. We need those papers in case anyone gets a little too nosy."
"You're spilling the beans as if I'm a customer or associate."
"Even if I am, you would need to prove that we're involved in the business. Remember, no papers so all you would have are accusations."
"Yeah, you're not wrong about that…"
She picked up her cocktail again then took a sip through the straw, "Lucky for you and your friend, we have Elves back home. And don't worry, we take good care of them since they will make us millions of gold once we get them to work."
"Was this your father's idea or yours?"
"Why am I being considered?"
"…"
"Tch, I know that look. No, I don't experiment on Elves just because they're a different humanoid species. Now tell me, who is this friend of yours and why are they looking for Elves specifically? I'm not going to judge if they have a fetish for long ears or something. It would be no different to feet fetishists in my eyes."
"She's also an Elf."
Rosalyn frowned slightly for a second then she said "aha".
"I see what this is. Are you working for them then? I don't see a guy like you acting as the spokesperson for some Elf tribe. You don't come off as the kind of guy who would care if someone is trafficked or sold into slavery. So? Are they planning on attacking the first slave trader they see with elves once they learn where the slaves are being kept? I must warn you, we are more than capable of dealing with arrows of barbaric tribes."
"Nothing of the that sort, actually. I'd like to make that person indebted to me. Since you can judge someone by their character easily, you would know that she's not the kind who would care for threats or money. I want to make our alliance a sort of transaction. Maybe I can even pay for their protection to ensure no human will ever invade their village again."
He could arrange to send Red Knights to the elf village. Since they're just overpowered homunculi, they don't need food, water, money or maintenance. All they need are orders and they will carry them out until the day they're no longer needed.
"Hmmm~ That mentality suits you better, stud. Gosh, I just can't see you being an altruistic person. But somehow that's hotter." She said shamelessly and bit her lip.
She's probably right. If he suddenly woke up one day and wanted to save a town just because it's the right thing to do, he would think that earthling's soul is trying to battle for dominance.
It's just unthinkable for him to imagine himself saving people without any benefits to himself.
Sylphiala will probably call him a scumbag but Elves are the kind of people who repay kindness—even if it's a transaction.
"I spoke to Morwenne this morning," Rosalyn traced her finger on the glass, "She said you are our benefactor. Within the next year, the city will go back to normal—tourism can resume and businesses can reopen. I'm curious, why not just threaten us to release all the slaves, Arnold? Oh my, forgive me for my disrespectful familiarity, Milord."
"I don't threaten a store to give me my products faster. Why should I do the same with you? Maintaining a healthy relationship with my partners is important for business."
"Oh? We're business partners? Father will think you're being sarcastic, which will hurt his ego and pride. Before all of this, he was always above others and could walk over everyone."
It's amazing how that hot-head became the richest man in the world. How did he even do business with people and maintain his connections?
"If he has complaints, he's welcome to give them to me."
"Hahaha, I better warn him not to. Negotiations are still not final so in the end he will suffer consequences when the deal could have been fair for both sides."
But that doesn't mean he'll let them walk over him with their demands. He's throwing money at their debtors so they will work for him not with him.
"I'm glad you understand your position."
"But where do his children fit in? Normally when there's a hostile takeover, the new boss either kills the men in the family or sends them out to war to ensure they die and then take the women of the household as his wives, regardless of their ages. Even if the daughters try to leave, the boss is protected by the old imperial law to hunt them down and force them into marriage. We humans are like dragons, aren't we?"
Even though she was talking about a very sad thing, there was a big smile plastered on her face as if the subject itself is amusing.
"My mother is still married to my father despite wanting nothing to do with him. This way she can divorce him at any point in the future and get over half his assets. Despite not being a matriarchal empire, we still have those ridiculous laws since so many noble women decided to get mad about their husbands leaving them broke in the past. But now that you are here, the hag will try to sign the divorce papers but it will be too late so she will be forced to become your wife as well. Oh, I'd like to see the look on that bitch's face when she realizes she's going to be stuck in this family until the day she dies and not dying in her young lover's arms that she spoils with our money."
…What a strange family.
"I'm not planning on marrying any of you. You can choose your own husbands and leave whenever you wish. Only your father isn't allowed that same privilege. Besides taking another wife, that is. But I agree with you on your mother, she will be a nuisance so I'll need to make sure their marriage holds until the day they die."
Having that bitch split up the profits and assets in half is something he won't let slide. He will kill her if she's not compliant with his demands. Then again, she could always just leave.
Rosalyn stood up and strutted over to him, hips swaying like she was auditioning for a stage play only she could see. Then—without asking—she plopped herself right onto his lap.
Normally, Arnold wouldn't think much of this sort of shamelessness. But last night's unsatisfying release had left him more irritable than usual, and now anything—even the breath of a maiden—could set him off.
"It's settled then," she declared, wriggling slightly as though his thighs were the plush seat of a carriage. "I will help you with the transaction, Milord. I can even take you there tonight, if you wish. A small carriage with just the two of us~"
"Let me contact my friend first."
"Eh? They're not in this school?"
"No. I'll let you know in the next few days what they say."
"Hmph, fine." She then went "Oh right."
"Rachel went for a checkup at the infirmary this morning alongside Morwenne. The doctor had to be told of what happened yesterday. But since medical confidentiality is a thing, he agreed to not say anything to the academy's shareholders or professors until the drug operation can be shut down."
"That was the right thing to do. Withholding that information would've made it harder for the doctor to know what he was looking for. So? What were the results?"
"She has one bad lung and her liver will need to be treated with antibiotics. He said that they must've been forcing her to take other drugs and drink alcohol to entertain her "guests". Besides that, she only needs rest. Maybe in the next few weeks, I'll get to see that energetic little gremlin again who always wants to bother me when I'm busy with work." there was a somber glint in her eyes as she spoke of her little sister.
"…Thank you, by the way. I almost lost my little sister." She hugged his head.
Why is this woman so familiar and touchy with her boss?
"What happened still feels so unreal." Her fingers trembled slightly, "…There will be others, right?"
Knowing what she meant, he said—
"Yeah."
"…There are over ten thousand students on this school. How could we possibly guess who or how many of them will turn into those monsters?"
"As long as there isn't any demonic energy in the air, nothing will happen."
He had already confirmed that being exposed to demon energy after injecting yourself with the drug is the cause of the transformation. It's what demons typically do to create more of their kind, though the results are always imperfect monsters. This is their method of reproduction when they are unable to increase their numbers naturally.
"…I want to fight the academy to keep Rachel in the school but something like that might happen again if I turn my back. She could be forced right back into the life she's trying to escape."
Arnold sat there like a rock, his attention elsewhere to listen to what she was saying.
"Ah!" her eyes shot wide open as if she forgot something. She then fired off on him, "You didn't tell me where you learned that spell from yesterday! How did you get it!? How did you become so strong!? Who's your master!?"
"I don't recall ever saying I would tell you that."
Rosalyn's fiery eyes burned even more, "May I request a training session with you? There are just too many interesting things about you that I just cannot ignore!"
"I don't have time to fit you into my schedule."
"Whyyyy!? Big Sis will let you do anything with her body, you know~?" Rosalyn pushed up her breasts to his face.
A jolt went up his spine to his brain then it was transmitted right into his groin.
Gritting his teeth and strengthening his core, he resisted the urges.
This vile succubus.
"I'm not into old ladies."
"W-Wha!? I'm not that old! I'm only 29!"
"Shouldn't you be looking for a husband instead of repaying favors with your body?"
"Guh…"
"…Truth is, there isn't a lot to share." He stared elsewhere because if he continued looking at this woman, he will push her down and do things he would rather not do in public, "I was in the Sky God Dungeon—you know this, right?"
"Yes, I heard you were with last year's graduates…"
"I found a grimoire in that dungeon. It was from that book that I was able to learn all sorts of techniques and spells."
He was bullshitting, of course. How would he explain that he obtained a new class? That's the kind of answer you give to another player, not someone who thinks classes are classifications.
By studying magic, you become a magician.
By studying divinity, you become a priest (the class, not occupation) or what is described in this world as a divine magician.
Swordsmen and warriors are born through training and dedication.
That's about it.
Arnold just got the class and didn't need to study or practice to use its magic since he had the knowledge all in his head.
"May I see it…?"
"No."
"Why would you reject a beautiful maiden so easily!?"
"I just said I don't have the time." He shifted uncomfortably, "Now, if you would get off—"
Her lips curved wickedly as she looked down after feeling something poking her. "Don't you want me to take care of that first?" She pointed directly at his crotch with the unsubtlety of a drunk bard, her voice sing-song coy. Truth be told, he'd been hard since she'd appeared in that bikini earlier. She'd probably clocked it the moment he sat down funny.
He stood up. Rosalyn yelped—"Ahn!"—as she tumbled straight through him and landed on the floor with a decidedly unladylike thud.
"Goodbye, Miss Rosalyn. I'm glad we could talk it out." He strode away, erection jutting forward like the prow of a warship.
The servants blushed violently but with the stoic face of a man walking to his execution, Arnold kept marching forward as if nothing was wrong. A third party would think he was gliding across the floor with how fast he was walking.
"Eeeeeh!? I wouldn't mind doing it, you know!" Rosalyn's desperate cry echoed throughout the grassy field, but Arnold only walked faster, his stiff gait somehow making the whole display even more ridiculous.