I look at them curiously, but as they make no further moves, I speak up; “what are you ladies doing?”
“I-I don’t know. It just feels right…” Anna responded with a tone that resembled more a question than a statement.
“I feel the same…” freeweɓnovel.cm
“Although we haven’t heard about your lordship’s race before, it is crystal clear that you are a special existence, a one-of-a-kind being with a potential that triumphs all. It’s an honor to meet you, let alone serve you.” Iselda conveyed the thoughts that the two simpler girls weren’t able to get across.
“So you have no problems with me being a villain?”
All three shake their heads in sync. “No, My Lord. A higher existence like you simply can’t be expected to move according to the wishes of a puny human king and his book of laws.”
The maids nod vehemently. Looks like they’ve found their spokesperson.
“Great. Then raise your head, and get back to your seats. If you paid close attention to my status screen, you would know that I’m a Slave Master as well. I have an ability that lets me, and my slaves speak among ourselves with telepathy. We’re going to be using it whenever there’s a speck of possibility of others spying on us.”
<Quinlan speaking.>
“This day just keeps giving! How do I respond, Boss?”
<Just think about speaking to me with your mind.>
<Iselda speaking.>
<Ronan speaking!>
<I hear you perfectly.>
<This is amazing!>
<I have to agree.>
“Great, with that done… Hm, is something wrong?” I interrupt myself upon seeing the uncertain and worried gazes of my two maids.
“Lord Quinlan, should we also…?”
“That’s for you to decide. Aurora is facing the same dilemma as well, you can speak with her if you wish. If you decide to be my slaves, we can write a non-sale clause into your contracts if that’s what you’re on the fence about. Consider it and come to me if you’ve decided, or wish to ask something.”
Two heads nod, their minds occupied with inner thoughts.
Afterward, I detailed my expectations towards the stronghold, how it would be built in bumfuck nowhere, only approachable by my gate spell. How it will be protected by the veil of a legendary artifact and a monster that’s rarer than a dragon. How the two girls will have to care for the said creature in our absence, and so on.
Upon learning everything, both Ronan and Iselda had gained an immense desire to design a base of operations better than I could dream of, according to their words, while the twins decided to learn botanics in their free time to better care for Geim when the time came.
It’s good to see that we have such dedicated servants.
“So, with that out of the way, how about you twins also tell us about yourselves, your father, the gang that you were sold to, and whatever else you deem good for us to be aware of.” Ayame instructed, wishing to progress the meeting.
They glance at each other for a few moments, their eyes turn from reverent to dejected and depressed rapidly. Being sold as children by your own father, the one who is supposed to protect you at all costs is a trauma so great that I wouldn’t be surprised if they remain emotionally crippled for their entire lives.
Anna begins the tale. “We are from Lidol, a village on the outskirts of Aldoria, the county’s capital city. Growing up we enjoyed a good childhood- well, as good as peasants get- but we had no reason to complain. Our mother was kind and loving, and our father was strict but protective. Things changed a few years ago, when the local small gang, they call themselves Wraithclaws started branching out.
Wraithclaws is a small organization that only functions in Aldoria’s outskirts, in villages that the Vesper Consortium deems too small time to bother with, as each settlement only consists of a few dozen, maybe a hundred people. At first, they were only asking for protection money, but then they got their hands on the Consortium’s drug contact and began distributing in our villages.
For a reason we’re still desperately trying to unearth to this day, our mother also bought some, and only after a few uses her mouth began foaming, her eyes rolled back, and her heart simply stopped beating.” I can see tears forming in their eye sockets.
Truly, what a tragic upbringing these two endured. Drugs, huh? I’m not going to pretend to be a saint, I did try a few types back on Earth, though I always stayed away from the addiction-inducing ones. I liked the recreational types.
In a medieval setting drug making simply can’t be very hygienic, especially since based on their story, the gangs seem to synthesize extremely strong drugs that induce as much addiction in as few uses as possible.
“Aurora, does your Alchemist class help you make drugs? I’m wondering if the creators of these drugs were just run-of-the-mill nobodies or at least professional elixir makers.”
“There’s no spell in my repertoire that would allow me to magically make drugs healthier, cleaner, less addicting, neither their adverse. Well, it depends on what you define as a ‘drug’, to be honest. From a certain point of view, all my products could be considered drugs, but here I mean the creation of narcotics.
Us Alchemists can synthesize narcotics at a much greater pace than an ordinary person could thanks to our spells, and as a talented potion-maker, chances are that I would fail much less often during the concocting period, but I can’t make them suddenly have magical properties, like boosting health and such. At least, not without coming up with a recipe myself, as it doesn’t exist as of now.”
I see. So narcotics in this world are similar to the ones present back on Earth, without having a fantasy element to them.
I can already smell business here if she can somehow come up with such a recipe. Hell, even I might be able to grow cannabis and turn it into marijuana, as long as I manage to find the plant itself. My uncle was growing it in his secret little place and he took me there sometimes, so I know the basics at least.
I bet people would love the stress relief. Living in such a dangerous, stressful land where they only have disgustingly strong drugs that are a suicide to consume can’t be ideal. That is, if my guess is correct and they indeed don’t have recreational narcotics here. Maybe I could even hook up the king and queen. Well, that’s a plan to be shelved in the back of my mind for another day’s Quinlan.