“Did you make contact with the cultists? Or do you have any leads?”
Marla asked her team the next morning after they met up at the inn as they had planned. But all she got was a negative response from all of the teammates. She sighed after knowing her recon plan wasn’t bearing any fruit.
“Alright. Tonight will be the last day. If we don’t find anyone tonight as well, then we will have to go back to LA without producing any results.
This would affect our mission rewards severely but I’m not too worried about that. What I’m worried about is that the city of Silvermoon might fall into cultists’ hands.
There are already campaigns taking place in random regions that are drawing races apart from each other. The cultists are funding this cause and someone from the inside is helping them. Yet we can’t destroy this channel even when we know so much about it. This is kinda frustrating.”
Marla said with disappointment laced in her voice. She wanted to help her friend in defending her city. Unknown to the fact that the very fried had shaken hands with the city’s enemies.
But this was not all. Marla finally gave Eren the news he was waiting for.
“Eren, your request has been processed. You will be presented with the official slave owner contract today by the city’s administration. Do remember that you will be held responsible for whatever crimes your slave comments after they sign the slavery contract.
The slavery duration is 20 years. After which, Agatha will be set free if her conduct is good and she hasn’t committed any crime during her slavery.”
Eren was instructed about the master-slave contract. The former listened to the explanation clearly before asking another question:
“Adept Marla, can I use my slave tonight in completing my mission after the contract formalities get completed today?”
“I don’t see why you can’t. Feel free to use her. And don’t do anything naughty with her just because you can. Hehe!”
Marla said this and chuckled. She knew Eren didn’t come across as a horndog as most teens his age were known to be. She just tried teasing her apprentice a little.
“She is not my type, Adept Marla.”
Eren replied calmly. He didn’t become flustered as she thought he would be.
“Hmm? What is your type then?”
Marla asked with some anticipation in her voice. This was not the first time Eren had replied boldly to her without caring about the difference in their backgrounds. And she appreciated his straight-shooter attitude every time she came across with.
“Why, it’s you, of course, Master Marla. I mean your type. A beautiful yet fierce woman who can take care of me when I’m in a pinch. Hehe!”
The butcher readily admitted having no problem on having to depend on his woman. As if he was trying to find a sugar mommy instead of a partner for him.
“Hahaha! Cheeky. Alright. You guys can rest for the day. Let’s commence our mission in the evening as we’ve done so far. Eren, someone from the city admin’s office will call you today and help you sign the contract.”
Marla dispersed her team after saying that. Eren went to his room and rested while awaiting the call from the city’s administration.
**************************
“What am I doing here, you terrorist? Let me go. It’s you who have hurt us. You should be punished for your vile acts. Not people like us.”
Eren’s inn room now had a loud resident. It was Agatha of course. She was sitting on the floor and was unable to move. Because Eren had told her so.
The terrorist Agatha talked about was having his tea while looking outside the window. He could shut her up with one command of his. But he let his new slave rage on. As if he was testing her breaking point.
“Why are you not even looking at me? Listen, I can’t be any use to you. Why don’t you let me go? And I can compensate you with something.”
Agatha said this while looking at her new master with determination in her eyes. She was going to do everything in her power to get rid of the forced enslavement placed on her.
“Hm? What can a lowly slave offer me? Do tell in detail.”
Eren finally looked at Agatha from head to toe after he said that. The latter felt goosebumps raised on her back after he did that. But she controlled her nerves and replied boldly:
“Listen. I don’t know much about the cultists’ plans. But I can show you one of their hideouts I was at.”
Agatha was hopeful the fish will take the bait. But alas, what she was fishing was not something that could be attracted with such a weak bait:
“That hideout is as good as gone after you were captured. Most probably, it must have been turned into a trap so that you can lead me there and get rid of me. So I’ll pass. What else?”
Eren swooshed his hands like he was swatting a fly while saying that. Agatha controlled her anger after looking at that gesture. This guy was too arrogant, she thought to herself.
She came to realize that her parlour tricks won’t work against this little terrorist. She needed to give him something solid.
“Ok. Here’s another something that might be important to you. I believe, there is someone in the city of Silvermoon…”
“If you are talking about someone from the city of Silvermoon in cahoots with the cultists, we already know about it. And I’m not interested in any of that either.”
“But this city…”
“I already know about the person who has betrayed the city.”
“Whaaaaa? You do? Even I don’t know about that. But then why are you not telling…”
“Because there’s no benefit for me in doing that. So I’m not interested. What else do you have to buy your freedom with?”
Agatha was left speechless after knowing her terrorist master’s ideologies. Who was the cultist between them exactly? This guy was even worse than the cultists who created unrest in the kingdoms because they wanted to break the shackles placed on the exchange of knowledge about magic and ranking journey.
Her new master didn’t place importance on philosophical things. He only looked for his benefits and was willing to cross the boundaries of morality like it was no big thing.
Agatha took a long breath after throwing the last card she had held onto as a last resort.
“I… I can tell you more about the Beast Bloods and how they turn humans into Anthrops.”
Eren finally smiled after hearing what he was craving to hear:
“I’m all ears.”
He said while finishing what remained of the tea in his cup.