Pain shot up in the place his arm used to be, waking Arthur from his sleep. As soon as he opened his eyes, the soul realignment made his body convulse as his back arched backward. Arthur gritted his teeth and endured the pain until it passed.
When it was over, Arthur pushed himself up using his right arm. He looked at his left, but it was still a giant void. He looked at his recovery percentage and found it to be only 40% even after a full day.
The herb helped his recovery as much as it helped Dia. It became a lot slower after the herb was gone, making it a struggle to have any hopes in the light of the current situation.
Rae was gone and so was his arm. He thought about going after Larza, but he would be a fool. Duke Zenos must have already taken steps to ensure to trap him if he showed himself to her.
As he looked around, he found Gala to be sleeping on her ethereal bed. He couldn't believe that she made a contract with a spirit shaped like a bed. After she told him the benefits, he agreed it was quite a bargain.
She explained to him how contracting worked, and how not all souls being the same. That said, it appears that souls also had different rankings based on their soul power.
The more soul power one had, the more powerful the contracting spirit would be. As for the number of spirits, it depended on the number of vessels your soul had.
Arthur had no idea what any of this meant, as he never thought souls could be used. However, Jizo's soul was integrated into his, another proof that souls weren't simple.
He turned to see Dia leaning on the cave's wall, looking at him with furrowed brows. Her black hair strands falling over her eyes, giving her a haggard appearance.
"What was that?" She asked, seeming to have witnessed him suffering. Arthur was surprised that she didn't use that as an advantage to kill him.
'Well, I did ask her to protect me and Gala. Killing me would be going against the Order.' Arthur stood up and dusted himself.
"It's nothing." He walked toward the stone slab and took out food from his subspace. Dia glared at him with dissatisfaction. She stood up and sat next to him. "What?" Arthur was surprised.
"I'm hungry," Dia said while looking at him as if it was obvious. "I haven't eaten for so long."
"Oh," Arthur felt weird since he got used to being provided with food, not providing it. He looked at his subspace and found that there were only a couple of meals left. "Fine."
He took out a fresh loaf of bread and soup that he had stolen when Fen wasn't looking. Dia looked at the food and then looked back at him with shock.
"What is this?" Dia asked him.
"Food," Arthur answered while eating and going through his legacy. He tried to see if there was any food available but didn't know where to look. After browsing through the artifacts, he found several ones that delivered his basic needs.
[Food-Storage-Ring: One hundred plates of food. The meals enhance recovery and nourish the soul.]
Since the storage the ring provided was quite small, it wasn't that expensive, only two points. However, for Arthur, two points were almost a third of his remaining points. He needed to level up quickly. However, with his current strength, it was near impossible to do so.
"I want something else." Dia protested as she pushed the soup away. "This soup tastes like water."
"It's the same dishes you served in the mansion." Arthur sighed. "Just eat, I have nothing else." Hearing this, Dia started eating while sulking.
Arthur bought the ring. He treated it as an investment, as it would help him to recover. The faster he recovers, the sooner he can level up and obtain more points.
"Mm," Gala woke up and walked over to them. "I'm hungry too, Seika." Arthur nodded and took out two rations from the ring he just bought.
The aroma spread the moment he took them out. The dishes were seasoned steak and Almond Tofu. However, they were unlike anything Arthur had ever smelled.
The aroma was powerful and enriching. Gala's eyes spread wide as she snatched the Almond Tofu from his hand. She threw one of them into her mouth and her eyes sparkled.
"Heavenly!" Gala exclaimed, almost moaning in the process. "Where did you get this form, Dearest Seika?" She suddenly turned affectionate.
"You!" Dia slammed the bowl of soup on the stone slab and pointed at Arthur with anger. "You lied to me!"
"Uh." Arthur wanted to say he didn't lie but decided against it. "I want you to experience the life you gave to your servants." He came up with a random reason that made Gala nod in approval and Dia turn livid.
"I want from that food too!" Dia slapped the stone slab, freezing it in an instant. Arthur frowned at her actions and she flinched.
"Fine." Arthur gave in and handed her a plate of Caesar salad and meat. She snatched it and eat it with delight. Arthur looked at the two girls in front of him with surprise as he started eating his steak.
'Truly, divine.' Arthur's eyes shot open as the steak's rich flavor spread in his mouth. The moment he chewed on the meat, it melted into his body, and a warm current spread in it.
Rinzo came back at that moment and found the three of them chewing with their faces full of delight. His face crumpled as he cringed at their expressions.
"The situation is a lot calmer now." He reported. "It seems the Devils Hunter has escaped again, freeing a lot of slaves in the process."
"Were they caught?" Arthur wiped his mouth clean as he savored the lingering taste of the steak.
"The slaves? No," Rinzo shook his head. "A lot of them went missing because most were Verniz people."
"I see." Arthur nodded. "What are we going to do now?"
"I contacted Courage," Rinzo sat down. "she said we need the Seika's help on the border. We wanted to opt for a quiet crossing of the border, but we need the Princess's strength."
"For what?" Arthur was curious.
"A battle has broken out in the western border of Alva, east of Freda's city, Linos," Rinzo said with a worried expression. "Kidnapping the princess was the pin that blew up the tension. A full-blown war is nearby."
"This wouldn't have happened if you didn't kidnap me, Seika." Dia smiled in mockery. "How does it feel to be the reason for countless deaths?"
"The same feeling as being alive," Arthur answered while looking at Rinzo. "So, are we assisting in the battle?"
"Yes, we'll need to sneak in without being seen until we're close. After we aid The Knight of Honesty in his battle, we'll join him and go back to Freda. The only problem is getting close without being found out."
"War has its needs." Arthur pondered. He remembered how the Runes Association sent weapons over in the Yalveran war against his fortress. "There must be a supply chain to transport goods and weapons to Alva's side."
"I think there is a family that has a hold of the market," Gala added after finishing her food, a content smile on her face. "Their name is the Raygok family, merchants that trade in weapons and food. They supply the kingdom with the resources necessary."
"Raygok, huh." Rinzo nodded. "If we can know their routes and schedule, we can sneak in into one of the carts. When inspected, Lady Gala's spirit can hide us."
"Sounds like a plan." Arthur nodded and turned to Gala. "Where can we get this information?"
"We'll have to seek out a branch of theirs. There's a city in the west known as Greva, the City of Trades. We can find many branches of the Raygok family there. If we sneak into one, we can get a hold of the routes and schedule."
"To Greva it is." Arthur nodded and stood up. He left the cave and looked at the scenery in front of him. Intertwined mountains, valleys, forests, and rivers. He could never believe that this world was the one feared back on earth.
"Are you sure about leaving your arm here?" Gala stood next to him. "Larza might destroy if it she feels like you're not coming back."
"She told you?" Arthur turned to her. "Well, I don't have much of a choice." He shrugged. "Between my life and my arm, I'll obviously choose my life."
"How about I suggest something?" Gala looked at his shoulder with interest. "What use does a human arm has?"
"What do you mean?" Arthur frowned; he didn't like the look on her face. "Don't try your weird experiments on me."
"That's rude, but I think it's something you'll come to like." Gala smiled. "After all, you'll be more powerful."