"Roxanne, can you take out the black cloaks we bought earlier?" I asked once we were all done gearing up.
"Yes, Master," Roxanne replied, opening the cupboard and bringing out six pairs of black cloaks.
I had purchased them with the thought that one day we might need to move in full stealth. I instructed everyone to wear one. I put one on myself as well, while Roxanne folded the spare and placed it back.
Next, I took an oil lamp in my hand and placed another into the explorer's bag Roxanne carried. That one would serve as our backup in case the first went out.
Once everything was ready, we headed downstairs. The other girls were still gathered in the dining room, chatting in hushed tones about rumors of vicious bandit attacks spreading across the empire.
When we entered, they quickly stood up.
"I plan to find someone in the Adventurers Guild to take us to Braston City," I said. "Will there be adventurers present at this hour?" I asked, glancing at Sherry.
"The desk closes at night, but the guild building itself stays open, Master," Shea, the energetic rabbit, answered before Sherry could.
"Oh? Then will there be adventurers offering travel?" I pressed, since that was our only option to get there tonight.
"Hmm… Braston is a small town north of Vale, right? In that case, Master should try his luck at the Adventurers Guild in Vale itself," Sherry said, rubbing her chin thoughtfully.
I nodded. My own thoughts matched hers.
"Is Nayuta a famous village?" I asked Setsuna.
She shook her head. "No, Master."
"Then it might be difficult to find an adventurer who knows the place," I said, recalling that only an Adventurer who had already been there could take us there using Field Walk.
"Setsuna doesn't know, Master… but no outsider visited our village," she added softly.
"Well, we'll figure something out," I said, reminding myself to focus on what we could do instead of what we couldn't.
"Alright, we're off. You girls can tidy up the plates here. Hopefully we'll be back soon. I'll keep in touch with Sherry and give regular updates," I added, walking toward the side wall.
"Master, please come back home if it's too dangerous," Lilia said, worry written on her face.
"There's no need to worry, Lilia. No bandit should be a problem for our swords,"Roxanne said confidently.
"Still, Master, be careful. A clever retreat is also a strategy. If nothing else, you can bring us all there and we'll overwhelm them with numbers," Sherry advised calmly.
"Yeah… thank you. I'll keep that in mind," I said, glancing back at them. Many looked worried—some even envious of the ones accompanying me.
After giving a few last instructions, I smiled. "See you soon." With that, I opened a Warp Gate.
"May victory be yours, Master," Viviana said, bowing.
"Kick their butts, Master!" Shea shouted enthusiastically.
"Master, you can call on me if it's too tough. I'll shield you with my body!" Vesta declared with a firm bow.
"We will await your victory, Master," Ram and Rem said in unison, bowing together.
"All the best, Master. I still think taking me along was a better choice than Remu," Shera said, bowing, though the last part she just whispered.
"Let their blood paint the sands," Jasmine intoned ominously, bowing low.
"Teach them a lesson," Anastasia said firmly as she bowed.
"Best of luck, Master," Kunou said, her expression slightly fearful.
"Please come back safely, Master," Yasaka added, her face full of worry.
"Kill them all, Master," Nyx muttered quietly, bowing her head.
"You'll surely have more energy than them after such a hearty dinner," Erina said, fidgeting as though trying to hide her concern.
"Please take care of yourself—all of you," Lilia said, taking deep breaths to steady herself.
"We will patiently await your return, Master," Sherry said with a smile, her voice full of quiet trust.
I couldn't help but be touched by their words, wanting to kiss them all in return!
My heart was pounding so fast—it felt like I was about to march into war.
Of course, in reality, we were only heading to the Slave Merchant's place and not directly to the Bandit hideout just yet, so maybe their worry was a little excessive.
The girls with me—Roxanne, Miria, Setsuna, and Remu—seemed calm and mentally prepared, each thanking the others who wished them well. I smiled, gave a small nod, and stepped into the Warp Door while holding the lantern.
It had been a while since I last visited the Adventurer's Guild of Vale City, and I was reminded again of how small it was compared to the Guilds of Quratar or the Imperial City. Still, a few lanterns were set up near the entrance, the notice board, and along one wall where several people had gathered.
The desk stood empty, with no Guild employee present, though the Adventurers inside were still active despite the late hour.
I was informed that the desk was usually only staffed for exchanging Labyrinth drops, selling goods, and issuing missions, and its operating hours were from morning until dusk.
My companions arrived behind me, already wearing their dark hoods to cover their faces and bodies. It wasn't strictly necessary since it was quite dark, but better safe than sorry.
I led them aside and told Roxanne to wait while I approached the group of Adventurers near the wall. Asking if anyone could take me to Braston for a one-way trip, a middle-aged man stepped forward. He was a level 12 Adventurer, and he told me it would cost 1,000 nars, claiming that prices were higher at night.
From the way the other Adventurers stayed silent, I could tell he was probably overcharging me. But right now, I didn't care about such chump change—I just wanted to get there quickly. So, I agreed.
Through the party link, I informed the girls that I was disbanding the party for now and would return shortly. Even Sherry back home received the message.
The middle-aged man smiled as he chanted the Party spell, followed by Field Walk. I followed him close behind as he walked through the summoned dark door and emerged in a dimly lit building, the only light coming from a lantern near the entrance.
He explained that this was the Braston Adventurer Guild. Since Braston wasn't a popular town, no one was around at this hour. I nodded, paid him, and he promptly disbanded the party going back.
Casting Warp, I returned to Vale City and re-invited Roxanne and the others. Then, with another Warp, I brought them all to Braston.
"Let me make a quick trip back home," I said, handing Roxanne the lantern.
She nodded, and I warped home. It felt a little awkward seeing the girls so soon after their emotional farewell. They were still tidying up the dining table, but as I had arranged, Sherry was already waiting for me near the wall.
Without a word, I invited her to the party. Once she accepted, I waved goodbye to the others and warped back to Braston.
I had to make this extra trip because I had just disbanded my party, and staying connected to Sherry was crucial to know what was happening back home.
It hadn't even been a full day since I had bought these girls, I would be incredibly naive if I believed none of them had thought about running away, especially while I was gone.
Even if they didn't, my large open property was essentially unguarded. After splurging so openly today, it wouldn't be far-fetched for thieves—or worse—to target my home tonight. I had already shared these worries with Sherry and left her an Explorer Bag filled with spare weapons.
I had also warned the girls to remain alert and inform me immediately if they noticed anything suspicious. They were my precious waifus—I couldn't bear the thought of any of them suffering because of my negligence.
With that reassurance, I returned once more to the dark Adventurer Guild, where the girls were waiting.
"Here, Master," Roxanne said happily as she handed me back the lantern.
"Setsuna, will you be able to guide us from here to the Slave Merchant's trading house?" I asked, passing the lantern to her.
I had already clarified with the others that most Slave Merchants simply lived in their trading houses. They doubled as both their homes and their place of business, so Slave Merchant Mardel would surely be found there.
"Setsuna can," she nodded confidently, taking the lantern and leading us toward the entrance.
I followed behind her, with Remu, Miria, and Roxanne walking in line behind me. None of us spoke aloud; I had told them we would be using the party link from here on out.
From the moment we stepped out of the Guild building, I had been spamming Appraisal nonstop. It was pitch dark outside, and the streets were completely deserted.
It reminded me of a night back on Earth, when I had to walk home after staying too long at a friend's place. For some reason, all the streetlights on the road leading to my house had gone out. I won't lie—I was terrified, even though I was already in high school. I remember keeping my phone's flashlight on the entire way, my mind constantly imagining worse and worse scenarios lurking in the shadows.
Here, at least, I had Appraisal on my side, and I wasn't alone. Setsuna and Miria, both cat-girls, should be able to see in the dark, and Roxanne's nose could pick up anything suspicious nearby. There really wasn't much to be afraid of.
Still I couldn't help but think once again that these girls were far braver than I was.
As we kept walking, faint sources of light began appearing in the distance. Even then, I still couldn't make out much of the city itself. Within the lantern's glow, I could only see the rough cobbled road beneath our feet—a clear sign that this was indeed a small town.
We soon passed by an alley that was surprisingly well lit despite the late hour. Using Appraisal, I spotted a crowd of people gathered there—villagers, explorers, adventurers, and even a few shady types who were clearly thieves.
It didn't take much guessing to figure out this must have been the red-light district or something close to it.
Setsuna didn't so much as glance in that direction and kept walking until she stopped at the corner of a nearby building.
'Master, Setsuna is certain—the building ahead is the trading center where Setsuna was kept these last three days.' Her words came through the party chat.
My eyes, already adjusted to the dark, picked out the silhouette of a three-story building looming in the distance. I had already scanned it with Appraisal; no one was stationed outside, the whole place looked pitch black.
Now that we had made it this far, the real operation was about to begin.
The plan I had in mind was simple—rudimentary, really.
Walk up to the trading center and knock. If someone answered, I would ask to see Mardel. If they let me in, great. If not, I would force my way inside. And if no one answered at all… I would still find a way in.
Either way, I had to track down Mardel and rough him up until I got the answers I wanted.
Just as I was about to share the plan with the girls, the door to the trading house cracked open, spilling out a sliver of light.
'Hide, quickly,' I ordered, pulling the others into a side alley. I shoved the lantern into Roxanne's bag, plunging us into darkness.
'It's Mardel. And… some villager.' My Appraisal confirmed it.
[Mardel
Slave Merchant Level 20]
[Kel
Villager Level 9]
I couldn't quite make out the scene from this distance, especially in the darkness. The other girls stood behind me, peeking around the corner at the building.
'Master, the young man looks to be a slave—he just handed a lantern to the middle-aged man,' Remu told me in the party link, her green cat eyes cutting through the dark.
'That middle-aged man is Mardel,' I told them, watching patiently to see what would unfold.
'Master, I can hear parts of their conversation. The young man is asking when Mardel will be back,' Remu continued, her ears twitching as she focused.
I was honestly surprised—her cat hearing was sensitive enough to catch their words from here. I nodded, grateful I had brought her along; Miria might have overheard them too, but she wouldn't have understood their language.
'Mardel said he'll be late and told the boy to prepare warm water for a bath, since he will come back drunk,' Remu added, her tone shifting oddly. 'He's leaving, Master.'
I gave a slow nod, noting the door shutting with only Mardel heading out in our direction. The moment he stepped away from the Trading House, my Opportunity Sense ability began to tingle.
I couldn't help but smile. It looked like I was quite lucky tonight.
***
[Razor has redeemed an Extra Chapter this week]