I trudged back to Rose’s secret hideout, the scent of blood and oil hitting me as I stepped into the dim, stone-walled basement. Her henchmen swarmed around the basilisk’s massive corpse, their tools clanging as they carved it apart under flickering lantern light. My scales tingled, picking up the sharp tang of monster flesh—damn, these lizardfolk senses were something else.
“Ara, ara! That’s one heck of a beast,” Rose said, leaning against a crate, her blonde hair glinting.
“Still, it’s pretty hard to imagine you managed to take it on by yourself. Normally you would need a full party to face one of these.”
“To be honest, it’s hard for me to believe it as well. I never could have imagined that I would face something like that myself. But, what do you think? Is it enough?”
“Yeah. I’ll soon prepare your change. 100 thousand eris and some meat, as promised. As for this bad boy, it will be more than enough to cover for the work I put into your little slave. But man, don’t fucking ever make me give her a bath again. She won’t stay still and she even tried to bite me.”
“That’s mostly because you’re scary, Rose-san.”
“Say that again, and I’ll punch you in the stomach.”
“Speaking of Rusalka, where is she?”
“Follow me. I left her in another room.”
We left the processing room, the stench of blood fading as we climbed to the first floor, where dim light filtered through cracked windows. Rose grabbed the doorknob of a small room, then froze, her eyes narrowing.
“What!? You little brat! Did you lock the door? Open up!”
“No! You’re scary!” Rusalka’s voice squeaked from inside.
“Just you wait! Once I get in there, I’ll give you a spanking you’ll never forget!”
“Then I’m not opening.”
I couldn’t help but giggle, the scene unfolding like a comedy skit. My tail twitched—still weird feeling that thing move. I stepped forward, clearing my throat.
“Rusalka, it’s me. Your master. Please open up.”
The lock clicked instantly. Swooosh. Rusalka launched herself at me, her small body slamming into mine with surprising force. I stumbled, losing balance, and we both crashed to the floor, her warmth pressing against me, her freshly washed hair carrying a faint floral scent. My scales prickled at the contact.
“UWAAA! Master, you came back! You kept your word! I’m so happy!! I don’t like the scary woman! Don’t leave me alone again, please!” she cried, clinging tight.
“Rusalka, calm down. I’m… sorry if I made you worried. But it’s only been a day and a half.”
“It felt like an eternity!!”
“Okay, okay. There, there.”
I stroked her head, her smooth hair slipping under my claws. Damn, she smelled good. And her… uh, assets pressing against me were—NO NO NO! I shook my head, fighting off the thoughts. Women were my kryptonite, and I needed to stay focused.
“Rusalka, can you please let go of me?”
“No! I want to stay as close to master as possible. Master is the best master in the world.”
I blinked. Best master? I hadn’t done much to earn that. Time for a different tactic. “Please, Rusalka. I want to get a good look at you. I want to see better how pretty you became.”
“I’m not worthy of such words… but ok.”
She released me, stepping back with a shy twirl. Rose’s handiwork was stunning. Rusalka’s angelic, petite frame was clad in sleek leather gear, her long goblin ears—bigger than any elf’s—framing her face. Her feminine curves were… distracting. A few days ago, I’d have laughed at the idea of a cute goblin. Now? I got why some people went wild for weiss goblins. Focus, Magnus.
“Rusalka… you’re truly beautiful. I never could have imagined this. But cute doesn’t even come close.”
She blushed, fidgeting, her ears twitching. “Awww! Master is praising me so much… It’s embarrassing.”
It’s the truth though.
“Sorry to interrupt you two, but I have one more thing to say,” Rose cut in, her voice sharp. “You’re going to have to lay low on the monster killing for a while. Or if you do kill a monster, you’ll have to take the proper channels in selling it. Through a guild or directly at the Church of Light. I won’t be able to make a move for a few days.”
“Hmm? Why is that?”
“Have you heard of Percival Alabaster?”
“Who hasn’t?”
Rose’s eyes flicked to the side, her tone dropping.
“Well, lord Percival will be arriving in town with his personal unit. During that time frame all black market transactions will be halted. Nothing shady can be done under his eyes. And I advise you to avoid him. If you see him, immediately bow. But if you have the option, just go in whichever direction he’s not going.”
Percival Alabaster—a name that carried weight. I’d never met him, but guild gossip painted a clear picture: a towering Holy Knight of the Church of Light’s main temple, level 228, with short red hair and blue eyes. Outside combat, he wore a red robe with gold leaf engravings; in battle, white-and-gold plate armor over chainmail. For comparison, Julius was level 160 when I left Crimson Raid. Percival was a league above, a legend even among adventurers. A nobody like me had no business crossing his path.
“I appreciate the warning. It means a lot to me that you went out of your way to tell me something like this. Is it perhaps that you like me a bit more now?”
A subtle blush crept across Rose’s cheeks, but she whipped her head away.
“D-don’t be silly. I’m simply protecting my investment. You’re like a cash pouch for me. That’s all.”
Is it really? I smirked but let it slide. Percival’s arrival was trouble—maybe he was recruiting for a raid, maybe sniffing out black market deals. Either way, I needed to steer clear. The eastern side of town, a low-level area with just slimes and minor critters, would be perfect for testing Rusalka’s skills. Safe, quiet, and far from Holy Knights.
“Well then, Rusalka, shall we rest a bit, pack some supplies and start a little adventure?”
“Yes. I’m looking forward to working with you, Master.”