At last, the spell succeeded and Cain could feel the curse fading away with his exhaustion. He wasn’t completely cured as he still needed to rest and recover his stats but he was better.
“It worked, congratulation you’re now a seventh-tier healer,” Cain said as he tried to feel the flow of Mana inside him, it was steady enough that he could start recovering his MP with potions.
As Daraku screamed, the door finally busted open and everyone rushed in. They let everything lose as they celebrated a happy occasion. Selena jumped on top of Cain, “Wait…” He screamed at the last moment before she landed on his chest, knocking him out. He was still too weak and couldn’t take her hit.
He opened his eyes the next morning, feeling far better. As he looked around, everyone was drunk around him. Three maids on top of his bed, a couple more on the ground, Daraku and Miko to the side, Takeshi and Yamauba at the corner, Alice was sleeping at his bedside with Selena and Sofia. Gracie was nowhere to be seen.
Cain tried to move, he could do it but he was feeling extremely light, in a bad way. His stomach growled as it yearned for food. He slowly walked outside the room and downstairs where he saw Gracie cooking in the kitchen.
“You already awake?” He called her, she slowly turned toward him, “Congratulation on your recovery master!” She said with a calm face.
After what he has seen from her stats he isn’t going to push her emotion further, her recovery should be slow to avoid scaring her further. “By the way, you know that the succubus we…” before he could finish she turned toward him.
“It was the same incubus I got imprisoned by, I know since it had the habit of turning into a succubus from time to time.” She paused for a second, “I hear that thing ran away.” Her voice changed slightly.
“Not with its tail, next time I’m going to skin that fiend alive!” Cain growled, that thing have caused him so much turmoil that he couldn’t just ignore it. He gently sat on the kitchen table.
Gracie served two plates of scrambled egg and some loaves of bread from yesterday that she just grazed over the fire. With two big cups of hot milk and some honey, cut a tomato with a generous sprinkle of salt. Lastly, tea that was left from yesterday.
The two of them started eating, Cain who was starving appreciated the quick serving. Gracie seemed to eat slowly as she always does.
“Listen, you’re already skilled enough, would you mind becoming a hired assassin?” Cain asked, looking at her in the eyes. Gracie looked toward him in silence, “I’m too weak, too dense, and too slow, and I don’t think I will be of much use to you.”
Cain wasn’t thinking of sending her on a mission to kill people, what he was thinking of was having her strive for strength in what she could do best. That was so she could build confidence and slowly regain herself.
“You won’t be fighting, all I want you to do is gather skills and strength. Keep doing it until you won’t be shackled by anything!” Cain said, gulping what was left of his milk in one go.
“Then I will try what I can do.” She replied sending a smile across Cain’s face, Clap! He clapped his hands. “I didn’t think I will need this type of magic but I will make sure you learn it, Shadow magic!” Cain intended to teach her the [Twinfangs] style and recreate shadow magic from memory to make her even stronger.
In his past life, he was an enchanter, someone who specialized in granting magic to inanimate objects. Fighting up close was a thing he could do but wasn’t heavily invested in, throwing fireballs was more fun after all. Even though learned two of the most overpowered fighting styles out there.
[Twinfangs] who he mimicked from the legendary assassin Mauzzkyl Jaezred, and the [Bladedance] that he learned when the opportunity arrived in the dark elves’ capital even though he can’t use it to its full potential. At the start, he wanted to learn the Twinfangs for himself, and create a Chimera or a homunculus in the image of Eilistraee to use Bladedance but that experiment failed.
He never bothered with shadow magic as it was hard to recreate and useless to him at the time, now that he was weaker, the thought of mimicking someone like Mauzzkyl Jaezred was just exciting.
Cain then thought of what would happen if he crossed paths with that man again, would end like the last time with them both at the death door?
Before long, Cain heard the low whimper coming from the basement. The thought quickly struck his head, yesterday was hectic so they must have forgotten to feed her! Cain asked Gracie to quickly bring him another cup of milk, and some bread and then start preparing a light breakfast. He quickly took the milk and bread to the basement.
Inside was the woman he spared from the interrogation, he did intend to use her as a punching bag for Alice but leaving her to starve like this was never his intention.
“I know it’s mean to leave you like this but come on, you lot are supposed to last a week without food or drink.” He said he gave her the food, she silently started gulping it down.
She silently stared at the open door behind him, she could try her luck and make a run for it. But something was off about him, no matter how she thought, she could only see herself getting caught and beaten down. Cain had no opening that someone of her skill could use.
Soon enough Gracie followed him with breakfast, Cain asked her to put it down and they quickly closed the door.
As they were getting up they could hear the maids scrambling upstairs, they seem to have woken up and are panicking that they were sleeping like that in their master’s bedroom. Gracie hurried to calm and organize them while Cain walked outside to take a breath of fresh air.
Stretching his arms in the garden, he looked toward the sky. “Better get back to work.” He headed back to his room, it was already cleaned. The maids seem to have woken everyone except Alice, Selena, and Sofia. To be honest it was their husband’s room and others had no right to tell them to not sleep there. Cain just wished they fixed their position a bit as they seemed a bit unhealthy sleeping twisted like that.
Opening the wardrobe and putting on something nice, Cain then wore his armor and tried to walk, he wasn’t able to yet so he took it off and walked out. He was already back to his original plan of reinforcing the city defense.
He headed to the market, slowly walking while using Sebas’s cane as a support. His goal was to secure alchemy supplies, for now, he did need to create the petrifying traps from the basilisk eyes and also use the Succubus’s tail to create an anti-charm for Sofia. Slowly finding some meat to eat on his way also worked to help him recover faster.
On his way he stooped on a stall that sells fried chicken legs with hot sauce, he did just have breakfast but he was ready for more. As he was eating he was surprised by a familiar voice behind him, “Give the usual!” The voice was deep and loud, Cain turned behind and smiled “I thought you were in the mansion.” Takeshi took a seat by Cain’s side, the stall owner served him a large full plate and he started gulping down on them.
Cain looked at him wryly, “Cain, how are you feeling now? Your movements were still dull, do you need more rest?” Takeshi asked as he noticed Cain staring at him.
“Just need some food and movement to recover, I will be running in just a couple of days!” Cain said aske bit down on one of the chicken legs.
“That’s good to hear, a swordsman like you shouldn’t stay down!” Takeshi slammed Cain on the back, almost making him spit what he was eating.
“Me a swordsman? You must be wrong, I’m better with my magic.” Tried to return the smack but Takeshi didn’t even flinch.
“Well it doesn’t matter, whether you’re a swordsman, a mage, or a brawler, those who lift their fists to fight against the evil of the world are all equal heroes. Eat and rest, you still have a lot of work, don’t you?” Takeshi looked Cain in the eyes. An ever-burning flame erupted in them.
After finishing Cain stood up to head toward the alchemist’s shop, “I’m going shopping, want to follow?” Hearing his words Takeshi stood up, “Thanks owner, keep the change.” Quickly turning toward Cain, he walked with heavy and firm steps.