Wiedergeburt 3

by Brandon Varnell

  Vance blew out a large breath. “How much valis are you looking to spend?”

  “Fifty thousand.”

  “Well, I can definitely get you some top-quality furniture if you’ve got that much.” Vance rubbed his thick beard. “I can even do some nice custom work for you if you’re willing to pay that much money.”

  “Currently, I’m looking for premade furniture,” I told him. “My house is practically empty, so I just need something to fill it.”

  “Right.” He nodded. “Let’s take a look around the shop and see if there’s anything you like.”

  The shop was pretty spacious, but most of that space was filled with different types of furniture being displayed. There were beds, armoires, dressers, nightstands, couches, chairs, tables, and desks, all of which looked fairly standard but also durable. My guess was that these sets of furniture were simple because they were premade. Vance probably made most of his money doing custom work.

  It took around an hour to decide on what I should get. I eventually bought a table and two chairs, a six-meter-long couch, an armoire, a dresser, and a nightstand. The bed I wanted to buy Lin didn’t exist. There was no bed in the size I was looking for, which meant I had to buy a custom bed. Fortunately, I had the money. After totaling up the cost of everything, it came to about 29,000 valis.

  “I’m assuming you’ll want help moving all this to your house, right?” Vance suddenly asked. “We do offer that service to people.”

  His words caused me to suddenly remember that I had not told Lin to hide, which in hindsight was something I really ought to have done. Of course, moving all this furniture was going to require help. That much should have been obvious, but I hadn’t even been thinking about what would happen after I bought all that furniture.

  All I could do was silently lament.

  Chapter 10

  The Honor Duel

  I was really glad Erica found us when she did. It took fifteen days in her carriage to reach Midgard, which meant it probably would have taken us around a month if not longer had we traveled there on foot. Actually, it probably would have taken longer because Kari would have dragged me off to explore any ruins we found along the way.

  Kari was gawking as she looked out the window, and I didn’t think I was much better. The first thing we laid eyes on was a gigantic gate that towered over us like an S-Rank Goliath—a Demon Beast so big it was said to be the same size as a mountain. It was bigger even than the mountain that the Imperial Royal Castle of Nevaria had been located on top of.

  The gate was currently open, but we had to stop at the front, where several guards were inspecting the various carriages, carts, and people attempting to enter the city. I looked at one of the guards as she walked up to our carriage. She wore a shining silver breastplate with a fierce-looking beast etched onto the front. Polished shoulder pauldrons and gauntlets clicked together as she moved. A skirt swished beneath her breastplate, revealing powerful legs clad in metal plating. Her outfit was topped off with a gigantic claymore strapped across her back. It looked even taller than the woman carrying it.

  “May I see your identification papers?” the guard asked the driver, a young woman who was quick to produce a sheet of parchment. The guard inspected the parchment, nodded, and then handed the papers back. “You may enter.”

  “Who are those people?” asked Kari as the driver cracked on the reigns and got the carriage moving again.

  “They are members of the Midgard Spiritual Knights,” Erica replied, gazing at the woman with a strange gleam in her eyes. I wasn’t sure what that look meant, but it gave me chills. “They belong to an elite group whose job is to protect the city.”

  “They aren’t a sect?” I asked.

  Erica shook her head. “The job of a sect is to take jobs that happen outside of Midgard… usually. The job of the Midgard Spiritual Knights is to protect the peace within Midgard. Of course, this is a big city, and they cannot be everywhere at once. However, the Midgard Spiritual Knights are the most powerful and populous force within the city.” She paused. “Part of this is because a sect’s headquarters is not actually located within Midgard itself, but it is also true that this group has far more members than any one sect.”

  “What do you mean by ‘a sect’s headquarters is not in Midgard’?” asked Kari, turning away from the window to look at Erica.

  “The Northern Plains is a vast place,” Erica explained. “There are hundreds of cities located across these plains and even more villages and towns. Most sects are stationed inside of these cities, towns, and villages. However, there may be people from other cities, villages, and towns who wish to hire a specific sect. For example, say you have a Demon Beast rampaging in an area near your town. You wouldn’t want to hire the Alchemist Association for that. You’d want a fighting sect like the Battling Valkyries or the Paladin Sect. Midgard, being the central hub of the Northern Plains, is a great place for people who wish to hire a sect but cannot afford to travel all the way to that specific sect’s headquarters. Every sect on the Northern Plains has a branch office here for that reason. Requests for jobs come into Midgard for sects every single day.”

  “I see…” Kari mumbled, her eyes quite wide.

  I listened to Erica explain things to Kari, but most of my attention was focused on the city outside of the carriage. Buildings that were easily four, five, and even six stories high sat on either side of a street paved with stone. Like Vahn, the streets here had walkways on either side of the road for pedestrian traffic. Many of the buildings were made from brick and stucco. Quite a few had motifs and various designs etched along them and even more had signs that signified each building’s purpose. There were shops, sect branch offices, inns, and various other residences. Everything seemed incredibly orderly despite the amount of hustle and bustle.

  Looking further down the road, my jaw dropped and my eyes felt like they would roll from their sockets.

  Towering over everything from much further in were seven massive towers. I remembered seeing them from a distance when we were in that small town, but it was only now that I truly understood their magnitude and majesty. They stood over everything like silent sentinels. I had no idea what they were made from, but each one looked like a stake attempting to spear the heavens. From this distance, I couldn’t tell how close together they were situated. The closer we got, the further apart they seemed to become, but I knew that was my perceptions playing tricks on me. The first six were surrounding the last one, which was larger than all the others.

  “What are those towers?” I asked.

  “Ah.” Erica made a sound in the back of her throat. “Those towers belong to the most powerful sects within Midgard. The first six belong to the Paladin Sect, the Spiritualism Research Sect, the Alchemist Association, the Poison Sect, the Healer’s Sect, and the Battling Valkyries. The last one in the center is the grand headquarters for the Midgard Spiritual Knights.”

  “That means your sect is one of the most powerful sects in Midgard,” I muttered, staring at the woman sitting across from Kari and me in shock.

  Her sweet smile did not settle my nerves. “You are correct. Our sect is the most recent to occupy that tower. Our previous leader, Alexis, was so strong she could defeat A-Rank Demon Beasts without aid.”

  Kari and I gawked at the woman, stunned into silence.

  An A-Rank Demon Beast was an incredibly ferocious and powerful monster that was capable of using Spiritual Attacks strong enough to annihilate whole swaths of Spiritualists. Kari and I had faced a number of Demon Beasts while journeying across the Endless Desert and the Northern Plains. However, even with the two of us combined, we could barely manage to defeat a B-Rank Demon Beast, and that was considered an incredible accomplishment by the people of Nevaria.

  It made me wonder how strong the many sects of the Northern Plains really were.

  “That leader of yours must be a frightening individual,” Kari muttered.

  Erica’s smile widened. “You would thin
k so, but she was actually quite kind, if a tad standoffish. She could also be surprisingly childish, especially if you commented on her height.”

  I wasn’t sure I believed that, and I could tell from Kari’s expression that she didn’t either, but neither of us said anything.

  “In either event, I will drop you two off at a good inn that you can stay at,” Erica continued despite our expressions. I had a feeling she was amused by our response. “It’s called the Antiquity Inn. Aside from being one of the oldest and most well-established inns, it is also the one with the greatest amenities and has the most affordable prices.”

  “Thank you,” I said. “We really appreciate what you’ve done for us.”

  “Pay it no mind.” The woman waved her hand as if it wasn’t a problem. “I learned a lot from our conversations these past few days, and I rather like you two.”

  “I hate to ask for more when you’ve already helped us so much, but do you have any advice on how the two of us can find work?” asked Kari. “Should we join a sect, or…”

  “That is a very good question.” Erica nodded and crossed her arms. She uncrossed her legs, setting her left leg on the ground and raising her right leg to cross them again. “You can, of course, join a sect. However, you do have to be careful. There are many sects within Midgard, and not all of them are good. If you wish to gain steady employ and income, I’d personally recommend joining the Midgard Spiritual Knights, but that would mean staying in Midgard, which I don’t think either of you want.”

  Kari and I shook our heads. While I personally didn’t care too much, I knew that Kari wanted to go exploring. She wanted to travel the world, visit ruins, and go on adventures. For me, as long as I was with her, nothing else mattered.

  “In that case, I would recommend joining the Explorers Guild,” Erica informed us. “They do a lot of traveling and excavations of ancient ruins and unique sites with great historical significance. Because of the dangers that are inherent with exploring newly discovered ruins, they are always looking for strong people who have a good head on their shoulders.” She gave Kari what I was going to call her signature smile. “I’m certain you will flourish in a sect like that.”

  “We’ll be sure to look them up.” Kari gave the woman her brightest smile. “Thank you!”

  That strange look appeared in the woman’s eyes as she stared at Kari, the same look she gave that female Midgard Spiritual Knight. It made me shudder. That expression made it seem like she wanted to devour Kari… and I didn’t mean that in a literal way.

  Erica dropped us off in front of a large building that was at least five stories. I was judging its height from the number of windows. It looked a lot like an ancient structure that had been refurbished, with large columns spaced evenly around it and several statues of various mystical creatures near the entrance. I recognized the Dragon and Griffin, but there was another beast I had never seen before that resembled a Chimera but was slightly different.

  A sub-variation perhaps?

  The inside was every bit as impressive as the outside, though I was speaking mostly in terms of size. Kari and I walked into a lobby that was incredibly spacious. A number of columns supported the ribbed ceiling. They were thick enough that it would take three of me to wrap my arms around them.

  Quite a few people were in the lobby. Now that I was paying more attention, I realized this city had more than just humans. There were a group of Lamia to my left. Fortunately, these Lamia actually wore clothes. On my right were a group of catlike people. Their bodies were covered in fur, a tail jutted from their tailbones, and they had ears on their heads. I believe they were Pantherians, a race of the Beastmen species. I had seen a few of these races after we entered the Northern Plains, but seeing so many in the same place was shocking.

  “Let’s get a room,” Kari said, seemingly taking in all these different races much better than I was.

  She led me to the inn’s front desk, where a young woman in a tailored suit stood with her hands clasped before her. The sharp accents of her clothes gave her a professional appearance, and her smile, clearly one meant to make people feel at ease, added to her visual appeal.

  “Welcome to the Antiquity Inn,” she greeted us. “I assume you wish to book a room with us?”

  “Yes,” Kari said.

  “For how long?” asked the woman.

  Kari went silent as she realized she didn’t know how long we should stay. I stepped forward and took over the negotiations for her.

  “How much does a single night with a one-bed room cost?”

  “For one night in a room with one bed, it will cost 150 valis,” she answered immediately. “For every night after that, it will cost an extra seventy valis.”

  Nodding at her information, I quickly calculated how much money we could afford to spend on housing. We currently had 14,600 valis on us, which we had earned by doing odd jobs while traveling. I wasn’t sure how much food cost in Midgard, but if we went by the standard price of goods in the cities we visited, it would probably cost around 4,700 to 6,000 valis for a single month. I used the higher cost as our estimate because it was better to have a margin for error.

  “We would like to book a room with one bed for fifteen nights,” Kari answered before I could.

  “Very well.” The woman grabbed a quill, a jar of ink, and a sheet of parchment, all of which she set on the counter. “Could I ask that you both sign your names right here please?”

  Kari grabbed the quill first and signed her name. She handed it off to me, and I signed next. Once our signatures were filled out, we were asked to exchange the valis for all fifteen nights in advance. Apparently, if we wished to cancel at any point in time, we would receive a return for the nights we had not stayed for, except they would take a fifty valis fee. After she explained this, the woman handed us a key and asked a porter to direct us to our room.

  I wasn’t sure what to expect from such a fancy-looking inn, but the room we were led to was quaint but nice. It didn’t have any embellishments. It was just a decently sized room with a single bed, a nightstand, a dresser, and a room off to the side, which we learned from the porter was actually a personal toilet.

  “This place is really impressive,” Kari muttered as she stared at the toilet. “Even the toilets in the Imperial Royal Palace were not this nice. It actually has running water!”

  “I didn’t realize there was such a unique use for runes,” I added. The toilet apparently used a rune array to create water, which flushed the waste through a set of pipes that went into a sewer system beneath Midgard—so the porter said.

  “Me neither.”

  After locking the door, Kari and I walked further into the room. She set her ranseur in a corner and stretched her arms. This seemingly innocent action caused her long, luxurious hair to shift and shimmer, but I was paying more attention to her chest.

  “We’ve finally made it to Midgard,” Kari said. “What should we do now?”

  “Well, we could rest,” I began, “Or…”

  Kari smiled at me with a mischievous look she only had during certain moments. “Or?”

  I walked up to her until there was barely a centimeter of space separating us. I placed a hand on her cheek and slowly caressed her fair skin, causing Kari to close her eyes and lean into my palm.

  “Or you and I can enjoy our first time alone together in fifteen days,” I said in a husky voice.

  “Mmm… I like your second idea better,” Kari admitted before leaning up on her toes.

  Our kiss did not start off slow. I don’t think either of us was in the mood for slow and soft just then. Fueled by the burning desires we had suppressed during our time with Erica, the two of us attacked each other's mouth with passionate zeal. Our tongues became almost warlike as they collided and danced.

  Nasally gasping soon echoed around the room as I pushed Kari against the wall. She didn’t resist. Raising her left leg, she hooked it around my hips and ground her pelvis against my crotch, instantly bringing
my erection to full stiffness. In response to her actions, I stopped kissing her mouth to attack her neck. Kari released a loud, lyrical moan from her already open mouth as her hands came up and grabbed the back of my head as if to pull me in.

  “It has been far too long since we’ve done this,” I muttered.

  “Hmmm…” Kari seemed to agree, but she wasn’t speaking.

  I reached underneath her shirt and pressed my hands against her warm stomach. Her flat, soft belly twitched underneath my fingers as I moved them up, slowly gliding my fingers along her skin. I was soon cupping her chest, massaging it and causing Kari’s breathing to grow heavier.

  I worked my mouth along her collarbone, neck, and jawline, but I soon began traveling further down, kissing the small bit of cleavage visible between the gap in her shirt. Wanting more, I pushed her shirt up. Kari raised her hands, allowing me to remove the offending article of clothing. Now with her torso revealed, I was able to admire her large, round breasts, which looked quite heavy as they rested against her chest.

  “It isn’t fair if I’m the only one half-naked,” Kari said, leaning back and breathing heavily through her nose. Her cheeks were flushed, while her eyes glimmered with excitement.

  “You’re right.” I reached down and removed my leather tunic and shirt, which I tossed aside. “It isn’t.”

  We began kissing each other again, our bodies pushed together so her breasts were squashed against my chest. I could feel her nipples rub against me. They had grown hard at some point, creating an electric feeling like lightning traveling along my skin.

  When I removed my mouth from hers, Kari complained for but a moment before I kissed my way between the valley of her breasts. At the same time, I reached out to pinch and tug on her nipples. Kari squealed as her already hard nipples became engorged. While allowing my hands to toy with her chest, I knelt down and kissed and licked her stomach, enjoying the slightly salty taste of her sweat, before I reached her pants.