“Swanky.” said Scott.
“Swanky?” asked Mina.
He grinned at her then nodded. “Yeah, swanky.”
“What does that even mean?” asked Scarlet.
“It means I need to learn local slang, I guess. Anyway, let’s go inside and locate Rowan.” replied the man. The trio entered the building and approached the receptionist on duty.
The receptionist turned out to be a platinum blond bunny girl, of all things. “Greetings! Welcome to the Ervice auction house. How may I help you today?”
Scott smiled at the perky feisty feline girl then asked, “I have not been to the auction house before, but I am supposed to have someone waiting for me here.”
The receptionist tilted her head to the left causing one of her ears to flop over. “Oh? Did you have an appointment to meet a staff member?”
“Ah no. I am picking someone up who will be added to my team. I am a demi-human Trainer. The one I am seeking is a centaur named Rowan.” replied Scott.
“Oh, I see. You’re a trainer. There are not many people in your line of work who come to our auction house.” replied the receptionist. She tapped her desk and a holographic display appeared in front of her. It looked like a more detailed version of the message screens that he worked with frequently.
Scott considered the girl sitting at the reception desk. She did not seem to be unsettled by his line of work. If anything she seemed curious. Were trainers not seen as a bad thing in this world? The people who had called out to him on the street did not seem particularly put off by his line of work either.
“Aha! She is currently housed at Ariadnos city’s auction house. We can transfer her here if you like. There is no charge since it is an auction house located on the same network as our own.”
They can transfer people like that? That could prove to be quite useful in the future. He had wondered how he would get to her if he had to travel to a specific auction house. “Thank you, please do.”
The bunny girl receptionist smiled at him then tapped a few keys on a holographic display. She watched the screen for a moment then nodded. “Alright, the transfer is set. She is third in line for transport, and will arrive in approximately twelve minutes. You can retrieve her in transport room number three.”
“Thank you, Ms. you have been a great help.” said Scott.
A soft pink glow crept along the bridge of her nose. “Do you really think so?”
Scarlet groaned loudly and Scott turned to look at her. She shook her head at him.
“Hmm?” asked Scott.
“Nothing....” said the dragon girl.
Mina placed a hand to her lips and tried to stifle a giggle that threatened to burst forth. She failed miserably.
The unnamed bunny girl laughed nervously then ran her hands along her well-proportioned body in a non-subtle display. “You know, bunny girls can be good fighters...”
“Can they?” asked Scott. He was intrigued now. He had always liked bunny girls for some reason. The imagery always made him want to cuddle them, much like he wanted to pet cat girls.
“Yes! We are quite popular battlers. Of course, that is also up to the trainer...”
Scarlet snorted loudly and rolled her eyes. “Geeze, just ask him already.”
The receptionist pouted at the dragon then turned back to Scott. “Uhm, I am under contract here at the moment... but if you are looking for more members for your team, I only have two months left before my term here ends. You could acquire my services without great expense.”
Scott rubbed his chin. This was a far from what he had expected with this job. The girl was asking him to take her on! “Why would you want that? You don’t even know me?”
She shook her head rapidly. “Trainers are able to bring out the greatest strength inside someone. I want to be stronger and live a life that doesn’t involve as much paperwork.”
“I see. Is there any other reason?” he asked.
The receptionist’s face turned bright red and she nodded a little. “Yes, of course...”
Scarlet placed her hand to her forehead and sighed loudly. “Seriously, just tell him that you’re in heat and get it over with.”
“How rude!” exclaimed the bunny girl.
“In heat?” asked Scott. He looked at the girl carefully and noticed a subtle nod. The poor bunny was ever so ready for proper training.
“Yes... I suppose I am, but I do want to be stronger as well.”
“I’m not sure how you would fit into the group I am forming. How much do you think it would cost to acquire your services?”
She coughed a little then sighed. “It would require at least eighty silvers, not expensive at all compared to buying someone at auction....”
“Ah, no problem then... but you’ll have to work hard and do as you’re told. Is that fine with you?”
“R-really? That was not too much?” she asked, mildly surprised. Eighty silver coins was nearly one gold coin. That was equal to the basic living expenses over the course of an entire year for many people.
“No, but you’ll have to work hard to earn back that money.” replied Scott with a smile.
“Oh yes! Work me as hard and as long as you like!” cried the girl.
Mina smirked at Scarlet. “And you call me slutty.”
“You are.” replied the dragon in an off-handed manner.
Mina pouted at her sister. She did not deny it, but she did certainly pout about it being stated so openly.
“How do I do this? You know, acquire your services?”
“It’s automated. All I have to do is call up a contract screen. It is customary for authorized purchasers to buy out the contracts of demi-humans. You might want to look into that in the future instead of buying someone at auction.”
“You make a good point. If I can acquire the services of someone interesting at a lower price that would be best.” replied Scott.
The still unnamed bunny girl fiddled with her holographic display for a moment then a screen appeared before Scott.
<<< Contract Purchase Agreement >>>
You have been asked to agree to a contract. Please read carefully.
--
The demi-human Deanna has offered to sell her current contract with the Ervice Auction house. The contract stipulates the following:
You must care for, feed, and clothe Deanna.
Deanna will require frequent social interaction.
Deanna enjoys being cuddled frequently.
Contract Time Remaining: 2 Months 3 days
Contract Transfer Cost: 80 silver coins
Do you accept this contract? Yes | No
<<< * >>>
Scott looked at Deanna the bunny girl then smiled. “You entered a contract for frequent cuddling and food?”
“Yes...” replied Deanna.
Scott chuckled softly then clicked ‘yes.’ The contract screen disappeared and a new message appeared.
<<< * >>>
Congratulations!
You have acquired a new harem member, the bunny girl Deanna.
Her level was seven, but it will revert to level one.
She is under contract for two months. You may negotiate a change in terms one week before the end of term. It should be noted that she will have to finish her remaining receptionist shift for the day at the auction house.
<<< * >>>
“Wow, great!” exclaimed Deanna. She hopped over the counter and gave Scott a friendly hug.
He reached up and ran his hand over her hair. She began to rub up against him in response.
“Oh that feels nice.” said Deanna.
“Well, you do require lots of cuddling...” said Scott. He wanted to abide by the contract after all.
Deanna giggled. She looked up at him, her eyes slightly glazed over due to building emotion. Her fluffy tail began to twitch excitedly. “Yes, I like to be petted like this as well.”
“I like to be petted too, you know.” said Mina. Her tail lashed back and forth in o
bvious expectation.
Scarlet grumbled a bit then said, “Yeah, no kidding...”
“Girls, don’t be jealous. I’ll pet everyone soon.” said Scott.
Scarlet snorted at him then looked away, her face slightly reddened. “Don’t we need to go pick up your other new girl?”
Scott looked at her for a moment then politely disentangled himself from Deanna. He walked over and pulled Scarlet into a tight hug. Scarlet did not fight his attention at all, but neither did she reciprocate.
“Hey, Scarlet...”
“Yeah...?” she asked softly.
“Isn’t this what you wanted? You told me that I needed to acquire more girls.”
She sniffed softly then nodded. “Yeah, I did... but...”
“If this will be a problem then we can stop adding new people to the team? We might never be able to achieve the goals that we set, but we can still have a good life.” said Scott. He liked the idea of having his own nubile monster girl army, but an adventurous life could be had with only a small harem after all.
“No, it’s OK. I just... We haven’t spent any time alone together recently.”
Scott placed his hand to Scarlet’s cheek and gently redirected her gaze toward his face. “Tell you what. After we get everyone settled in and equipped let’s we go on a training trip by ourselves. Just like we used to do?”
“I... really?” she asked him, her eyes wide and hopeful.
Scott kissed her on the nose then pressed his forehead against hers. “Yes. Really.”
She leaned in and pressed her lips softly against his then snuggled into him. “I’d like that, but it would not be fair to the others.”
“True, but you’re my queen.” said Scott.
“Maybe for a few hours... We should all go hunting or something before that, though.”
“Sounds good.”
Scarlet pulled back and wiped her eyes a little. “You... You might want to do that with everyone else as well. Girls need alone time with their master after all.”
“We’ll set up a schedule. Say, Monday through Friday there will be a six hour block of time where I spend time just with one of your girls. Weekends can be group outing days.”
“It doesn’t need to be that strictly regulated... Though if we are in town for a week or two at a time that could work. Out in the field we’ll just all be together. Is that alright?” asked Scarlet.
Scott kissed her sweetly on the lips then nodded. “I have a slot for one more girl right now. So, we should all decide on the type of person to add to the team. I won’t add anyone else for a while unless there is some sort of agreement that adding them is good.”
“Aww, how sweet. I can’t wait till I am done here.” said Deanna. The bunny girl smiled and happily wiggled her fluffy tail. Her new master seemed like a nice guy.
“What about the reception desk here? You have to finish your shift right?” asked Scott.
“Yeah. Unfortunately, I just started my shift three hours ago. I have another few hours left.” admitted the lop-earred demi-Human.
“Alright, I’ll gather up our other team member. We can all meet here after you finish work. Does that sound good?” asked Scott.
Deanna hopped up and down excitedly. The movement caused many intriguing counter motions. “Very. I’ll be waiting!”
Scott smiled. “Alright. I suppose we can all just get together for today and get to know each other. We can do some field work tomorrow.”
“Sounds great...” said Deanna before kissing her new master softly on the lips.
“I suspect that I am going to be a very dehydrated man soon. I wonder if it’s too late to just be a warrior or something.” he said.
Scarlet laughed at him and the other girls joined in, he had little choice in the matter. He wanted to be a master of monster girls. Now he had to deal with that aspect of existence.
They parted ways with the bouncing, bodacious, bunny girl and headed toward the third transport room. Once they arrived they spoke to the attendant and were informed that the new arrivals would appear in roughly two minutes.
Scott slipped his left arm around Mina and his right arm around Scarlet. He pulled them close. “Girls, our family is growing. Are you both really alright with that?”
“I’m good. I do want some alone time with you sometime, though.” said Mina. She ran her hand down to caress his ass.
Scarlet said, “As long as I’m queen, I want the family to be bigger. I simply demand alone time as well.”
“I’ll need to work on my stamina and find more hours in the day.” he replied with a grin.
“Well, we can always play with each other too...” said the buxom minotaur.
She flushed prettily when he looked down at her. “You enjoy that don’t you?”
“I’d rather be with you, but so far playing with Scarlet has been a lot of fun.” said Mina.
“I feel the same.” said Scarlet. The dragon leaned against her master and sighed.
“It is not really fair to you girls, me raising an army.” said Scott.
“Well, you don’t have to mate with everyone. You do know that right?” asked Scarlet.
“I don’t?” asked Scott. He was honestly surprised to hear that.
“No! Geeze, you are such a moron. Just keep a group of powerful commanders, as you said. The rest can be your common soldiers.” said the dragon.
“I suppose, but won’t the soldiers be unhappy if I don’t give them that good lovin’?” asked Scott.
“Maybe, but you can put them on a rotating schedule by squad or something.” she said.
“Just don’t forget to milk Me.” said Mina.
Scott reached his hand up and massaged her left breast. “Who would forget to do that?”
Whatever she was going to say died on her lips as the transporter pad in the room began to light up. They turned toward it and watched as several items appeared. They came in waves and many different things were sent to the local auction house from afar.
Finally, a much larger item appeared. This item arrived in the form of a naked creature with the upper body of a beautiful, voluptuous, woman. Her lower body was that of a brown colored horse. It was an impressive and appealing mixture.
“Ah...” The centaur looked around carefully then spied Scott and the girls. She looked to them curiously, as they were the only people there other than the uniformed attendant.
“Hello, are you Rowan?” asked Scott.
She inclined her head gently. “Yes, and you are?”
“I am Scott. Technically speaking, I purchased you.” he said. Why beat around the bush?
“Oh, I see. I’ve been sold. That explains why I disappeared from that locked stall that they kept me in.”
“They kept you locked up?” he asked. That was not something that he had wanted to hear.
“Yes, dangerous beasts and demi-humans are kept locked in cages and stalls.” replied Rowan.
“Well, no matter what you decide that won’t be happening anymore.”
“What I decide? What do you mean?” She took an experimental step forward then then walked down from the platform.
“I purchased you, but what you want to do is up to you. I prefer to have people on my team who want to be there. If you would prefer to simply work to repay your debt, and then be set free, you can do that. Otherwise, I’ll welcome you to the team and get you situated.”
She canted her head to the left slight then flicked her horse-like ears. “Why would you afford me such a luxury? By law, you own me completely.”
Scott smiled at her. “I’m not an asshole.”
Rowan blinked at him then leaned back. She snorted softly then tried to fight back a laugh. She managed to rein it in, but it threatened to return. “Very well... Since you wish to afford me such a luxury, I will take you up on your offer. May I work with you until my debt is cleared and then decide if I wish to stay with you?”
“That sounds like the best way to go about this, so yes.” r
eplied Scott. He was visibly relieved by her decision. If she had been adamant about leaving, he would not have tried to stop her. He wanted powerful minions, but he did not want slaves.
She smiled at him then cantered over to where the group waited. Perhaps this would turn out to be an interesting new relationship.
Chapter 4
The sun gently shined down upon the garden. It was a simple but lovely scene complete with several rose bushes and a few flowering trees. The soft scent of roses and fresh earth drifted through the air putting Scott and the girls at ease.
“Would you like more tea?” Scott looked to Mina then to Scarlet. Finally, he turned to the newest arrivals, Rowan and Deanna.
The dark haired centaur quickly held up her hand and shook her head. Deanna, however, gladly took a cup. Mina mimicked Rowan, but Scarlet answered with a simple, “No thanks.”
“Alright, well let’s get started then.” said Scott.
“Fine by me.” said Scarlet.
“Right.” said Mina.
Rowan quietly nodded. She slipped her arms around herself and drew her body down a little. She was nervous about this meeting, and about having clothes. She was unaccustomed to wearing shirts and the one that she had borrowed from Mina was a little tight.
Scott looked at the girls then said, “We need to plan our next moves carefully ladies.”
“Next moves?” asked Mina.
“Yes, I intend to make our family one of the strongest around. This means we’ll need more members. However, it also means that we will need to take control of land and territory.”
Scarlet placed her hands together and smiled in a predatory manner. “Really! We’re going to work on building a kingdom?”
“Yes, but that will require lots of time and resources. Our family will need to be quite substantial in order to hold position as well.” said Scott.
“Well, first I think we should buy the best equipment possible. We also need to locate one more person for our party.” said Scott.
“Yes, I suppose we do. What kind of girl is it that you are thinking of adding?” asked Scarlet.
Freelance Saga Episode 4: Beta Shift Page 6