When Emelia talked about Yuki it reminded him the way teachers talked about students during parent conferences. As he thought about the way the two of them were sitting talking about Yuki he couldn’t help but laugh. Shaking his head Ash noticed that Emelia was giving him one of her stern looks. “What?”
“Nothing I was just think we were acting like a set of old parents,” Ash replied as he held back another laugh.
“Parents hummm…” Emelia said with a thoughtful look on her face. “Then I would be the mother and you would be the father,” she added with a coy smile that was enhanced by the sight rosy blush of her cheeks.
“I was joking anyway you are only two years older than her,” Ash said laughing. “I think it would be a little odd to think of her like your daughter.”
“That is not what you’re supposed to say at a time like this,” Emelia complained. “It was a perfect moment for you to complement me and say what a wonderful mother I would make.”
“I am sure one day you will make a great mother but I think sixteen is a bit young for that,” Ash said bushing.
“What are you talking about? Most girls are getting married at fifteen and sixteen to start their families,” Emelia responded.
“That doesn’t mean they are old enough for it,” Ash replied. “I think one should wait until they are in their twenties at least before thinking of having children. I for one am in no hurry to be a father.”
Seeing Ash so strongly deny it Emelia laughed. “And yet here you are fretting over your new daughter.”
“Ugg,” Ash groaned. He couldn’t think of anything to say to dispute her claim. See as how he lost he figured he might as well drag her into it for a laugh. “You win dear so should we ask her to call us mama and papa?”
“Y-yo-you,” Emelia said with a beat read face.
Before Emelia could finish her retort three maids including Yuki entered the room carrying silver trays with their meal. Today was braised lamb with white sauce and fresh fruit. Ever since staying at the manor with Emelia Ash had gotten to eat better food then he could have dreamed about. In his past world most meals consisted of instant noodles and frozen meals that didn’t have much of a taste.
“I have to say the food here is delicious,” Ash said between mouthfuls. “I don’t care if it is an eighty year old woman ask her if she will marry me,” Ash said jokingly.
“So you like women that can cook,” Emelia said in a quiet voice.
“Huh?” Ash replied not hearing what she had said.
“Nothing,” Emelia replied turning her face away from Ash. “I was just wondering what your favorite food is.”
“As long as it taste good I don’t mind though I am not much on sweets,” Ash replied. “Something light and easy to carry with me to the labyrinth would be nice though, especially if it help my MP recover.”
“I see,” Emelia said pursing her lips.
“In five days I have to visit a few places within the city…I was hoping that you would accompany me. As a guard,” she said quickly adding the guard part at the end.
“Sure,” Ash replied taking another large bight of lamb. “It is the least I can do for you.”
“Good,” Emelia said her face beaming.
After the meal Ash retied back to his room and was quickly joined by a tired Yuki who was back to wearing her white dress. “How was your first day?” Ash asked as Yuki plopped down on the bed with an “oomph.”
Remembering that he was in the room Yuki shot up and gave a curtsy. Seeing her act so awkwardly make Ash laugh. “Once you are back in the room you can act like you normally would,” Ash said patting the top of Yuki’s head.
Hearing his words Yuki shook her head violently. “Lori said that at all times I need to remember that it was thanks to master I was saved and that I should serve him with my whole being. She said that master owned all of Yuki so Yuki should not disgrace him at any time.”
“Did Lori tell you to obey my orders?” Ash asked with a polite smile.
“Yes Lori aid that I have to follow any of your orders even if they are ones I don’t want to follow,” She said with her eyes looking upward as if she were in deep thought.
“Good,” Ash said drawing the girl’s attention back to him. “Then I order you to act the way you normally would while you are inside the room.”
“Mou…But,” Yuki said her face twisted in thought. “Ok,” she said smiling and jumping onto the bed after giving it considerable thought.
When Ash pulled out his armor and the oil Yuki immediately rolled over to where he sat on the bed. “Master can I do that today?” She said with her tail wagging slightly from side to side.
“Sure,” Ash said as he passed her the small bottle and armor. While she worked on the armor he started working on the sword. Unlike the other days where he only had to wipe away dried blood today there was a sticky sap like substance sticking to the blade. It was much harder to clean and polish but he was still able to finish long before Yuki who was taking her time and carefully caring for his armor.
Ash watched Yuki as she worked and was surprised to find that she was doing the work happily. “Why did you want to take care of my armor?” Ash asked more than a little curious.
“Master is an adventure and Lori said that your armor keeps you from getting hurt so that master would trust Yuki with it means he trust Yuki. Don’t worry master Yuki will take good care of it, because Master is a good master.”
“Oh I am a good master,” Ash said trying not to laugh at her energetic tone.
“Before Yuki first got sick some of the other slaves said it was a good thing,” Yuki said with a sad expression. “They said that the people who buy beast men for slaves are bad people who treat them bad. Some buy the men to fight in the games in the capital but they said since Yuki was not so bad looking she would be hired as a gift for fighters who do well.”
Ash knew what she was talking about. It was a common practice back during the Roman Empire. Gladiators who fought well were rewarded with women and those women were not treated fondly. Ash was about to console Yuki but she continued on. “But that was only if Yuki was luck. If she was unlucky she would be sold to work in one of the mines since she was small.”
“Sounds bad,” was all Ash could say.
“Yes that’s why Yuki is glad master bought her. Yuki doesn’t want to work in a sticky dark cave.”
As Yuki went on Ash started to wonder if this was what it would be like to have a little sister. She was noisy, rash, but cute and warm. Just watching Yuki make him smile and it had been a long time since he could smile freely. In face ever since he had met Emelia he had been smiling. He wanted to thank her for everything she had done for him but he had nothing he could give. “Maybe I can find something nice in the labyrinth,” He told himself as he lay back on the bed.
Once the sun set and the room started to darken Ash laid back on the bed and closed his eyes when he felt something crawling up next to him. What he found we he opened his eyes was a nude Yuki who was looking at him with slightly fearful eyes.
“Yuki what are you doing?” He asked quickly getting off the bed and covering her with a sheet.
“Mara said that at night room attendants had to serve their masters as well,” She said with a slightly shaky voice.
“I don’t have that kind of interest,” Ash said turning his head.
“It’s because Yuki isn’t human,” Yuki said as tears started to form in her eyes.
“No that has nothing to do with it,” Ash said quickly. “I have no interest in kids, so come back after you have aged a few years.”
“Mou, then Yuki will try again when she is an adult,” Yuki declared standing up and letting the sheet drop from her body making Ash turn red up to his ears.
“Fine, fine just put your dress back on,” Ash said pleadingly.
After Yuki put her dress back on this time Ash got under the covers and tried to sleep. Within moments once again he felt something tugging at his arm and t
urned to find Yuki clinging to him with a shy smile. “At least she is wearing her clothes,” He thought as he patted her head with his free hand.
1-11
The next morning Ash carefully opened his eyes. After making sure that Yuki was fully clothed he slipped out of the bed but found that she was firmly attached to his arm. “Masfter morfing,” Yuki said sleepily as she rubbed her face against his arm.
“Morning Yuki,” Ash said as he peeled the small girl off his arm.
Just as he was trying to pry Yuki off him the door opened and Lori walked in. “Miss Yuki that is not how one acts in the presence of their master,” she said giving Yuki a look that even made Ash shiver.
“Sorry it’s my fault. I told her to act as she wants while she is within the room,” Ash said not wanting Yuki to get in trouble.
“Hummm… Then it is your fault but that aside it is time for the little miss to start her training and Milady wanted me to let you know that breakfast will be served shortly and she requests your presence.”
Her eyes never softening she took Yuki by the hand and led her from the room. As she was pulled along Yuki gave Ash a quick smile.
After a quick bath Ash put on his armor and went down to the dining room where once again he found Emelia waiting for him. “Ash we need to speech before you leave today,” she said in a serious tone he had not heard her use ono anyone but Edgar before.
“Ah…Ok,” Ash said as he tried to think of what he might have done wrong to earn her ire. He couldn’t think of anything so he decided to remain silent until she spoke her mind.
Though the morning meal was extravagant with fresh bacon, and large eggs that took up nearly the whole plate it tasted like mud to Ash who was worrying over what Emelia wanted to talk about. Shortly after the meal ended she signaled for him to follow her. Emelia led him into a large room lined with shelves upon shelves of books along with two decent sized tables with large cushioned armchairs. “Please take a seat,” Emelia said keeping the same tone that she had used earlier.
Only after one of the maids brought them both a cup of tea, that had a slightly bitter taste, did Emelia speak again. “Ash today some visitors will be coming and staying for a few days. Demeter a small Earl and his son Julien will arrive under the guise of having his son fight in the labyrinth but in truth it is so he can try to show me his son’s good side. He has no land and little real power himself but he can cause no end of trouble if he puts his mind to it. Without any land to himself outside of a manor in the capital he has spent his life building the third largest merchant company in the kingdom so he has many contacts among the rest of the peerage but it seems that the title of Earl no longer is enough for his family so he will be trying to earn his son the title of Duke.
“So I should stay out of sight,” Ash said nodding his head.
“No quite the opposite,” Emelia said with a sly smile. “First I must apologize for the short notice for all of this but I just received a letter today letting me know that they plan to arrive this afternoon. What I want from you is for you to stick as close to me as possible. I will tell the story of how you saved me and play the dewy eyed girl who has fallen for her hero. The only downside is that this might put you in a bit of danger so I wanted your permission first.”
As Ash considered it he didn’t see what he would get out of it. It was true that Emelia had done many things for him and the gifts she had already given him were far above his expectations but was that worth putting his life in danger for. “If you will do this for me I promise you will be duly rewarded,” Emelia said as if reading his mind.
Seeing the pleading look on Emelia face Ash’s gut started to turn on itself. “I would be honored,” he said and suddenly the pain in his chest evaporated.
Emelia’s face suddenly lit up with a large smile. “Thank you…If I can just make those fools leave me alone for a short time my life would be much easier. First after our little display Julien will most likely wish to go to the labyrinth with you. He will see it as the perfect chance to get rid of you and claim it as an accident. I…I want you to accept.”
“Eh…Trying to get rid of your hero so soon, and play the grieving lover?” Ash asked trying to make his voice sound as if he were joking though a hint of fear lie in his voice.
“No nothing of the sort. I have two rare items that when broken will let you exit the labyrinth even if you are in a boss room. From what I understand Julian is a level nine novice who has just turned fifteen. He himself hasn’t done much fighting he has just joined in parties and let others fight for him so that he could gain the experience. Most likely it will be someone other than Julien himself who tries to get rid of you. I need you to find out who so we can put them on the defensive… I know its ris…”
“Ok sounds interesting,” Ash said quickly cutting her off as the sound of her pleading voice was making his chest hurt. “What about Yuki and the others won’t they give away our little play?” Ash asked.
“Lori will keep Yuki hidden from view. The earl is not keen on nonhumans. There is…One more thing. While they are here you will need to share a room with me,” as Emelia said the words her face turned red up to her ears to the point it almost looked as if she had spent too much time in the sun.
“Is that part of my reward?” Ash asked unable to keep himself from teasing.
“N-n-n-no,” Emelia stammered cutely.
“I was kidding. I promise to be a perfect gentleman,” Ash said trying his best to bow.
“I high doubt that,” Emelia retorted gaining a bit of her composure back. “I have already tasked the maids with bringing in a second bed as well as a large curtain to separate the room. The earl and his son will be staying in your room while Yuki will be staying in the maid’s quarters for the time being. My room is on the same floor as the one you have been staying in you just take a left at the top of the stairs instead of a right and it is the only door on the left hand side.”
“Ok anything else I need to know?” Ash asked hoping that he could hurry and gain some levels before the noble arrived. He didn’t want to get killed before he could even run.
“Nothing of importance. I just need you to act as if you were my l-lover.”
“Ok that can easily be done, though I am unsure what that entails to tell the truth but I will do my best with the limited knowledge I have.”
“Please come back early today. The earl and his son will arrive shortly before supper or late just to test me they won’t arrive any earlier and we need to prepare.”
“Ok then I better hurry otherwise I won’t get anything done today,” Ash said using it as an excuse to quickly leave the large study and make his way out of the manor. As he walked toward the labyrinth Ash caught himself daydreaming about the coming few days. He had never went on a date before but he had seen plenty of movies, and had seen others his age acting in their own little world. The idea excited him, even though he knew it was fake, it made his heart race.
Once inside the labyrinth Ash wanted to fight the Kobold warrior again but it hadn’t been a full twenty-four hours since his last battle with it so it wouldn’t reappear. Instead he pushed on and focused on killing the vine monsters as quickly as possible. They gave forty experience a piece which was pretty good compared to what he had been fighting.
After fighting four in a row Ash was starting to get the hang of fighting them. The vine monsters attacked with two vines at the same time to keep their opponents as far away as possible. Once you got close it would spit a brown liquid at you. Ash wasn’t sure what the liquid was since he had made sure to dodge it but from the sound the ground made it wasn’t good. Once he was close the monster was easy to kill as it had almost no resistance to bladed weapons. As long as he struck just slightly above the hard leaves at its base he would score a fatal blow.
Ash knew that he needed gold not the small amount of copper the vine monsters gave but he didn’t want to leave before at least getting one ability from the monsters. After killing ten ash found
an even more effective way of leveling up his absorption.
It was when he was happened upon a small group that had just killed one of the monsters and walked off leaving the monster’s corpse behind. Seeing no one else around he attempted to absorb it and found that it worked just as well as if he had killed it himself.
Rachel explained that monster corpses stay around for about five minutes after they die. It wasn’t a huge amount of time but would if he found a group fighting it gave him the chance to absorb without having to fight himself though that didn’t help him level up.
Oddly enough there were more people fighting on the fourth floor than the ones above. Rachel explained that it most likely had to do with the adventure school and the level of the monsters. After killing forty-two vine monsters Ash heard the welcomed “Tring,” that let him know that he had absorbed enough monsters. Thanks to the few monsters he found while fighting he had advanced faster.
[You have reached the absorption rate of 100% for the Abysmal plant. Abilities available: Vine whip (active), poison spit (active), absorb nutrients (passive.)]
“Tring.”
[You have been awarded poison spit randomly.]
“Tring.’
[You have been awarded poison resistance.]
“Wow two abilities. It must be because of the poison ability.”
[Poison spit: Cost 5MP. Level 1-0%: Spit a corrosive poison that sticks to enemy doing 5 damage a second for ten seconds.]
[Poison resistance: level 1-0%: 5% poison resistance.]
The poison resistance was weak but it was better than nothing. Ash wanted the other skills that the abysmal plant had but right now his most important goal was getting stronger and he had already spent two hours fighting.
The forest level was easy to get turned around in but as long as you went the same direction until you hit a wall of trees and followed it then you could easily find your way to the exit or boos room. After touching the plaque outside the room Ash quickly read it.
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