The results of Leticia check up were out:
Josh had broken his nose and had a few light scratches.
Jack only had a dump on his head and should be well in a new days even without magic.
As for me, I had a deep cut on my back, and it would take two weeks to heal, even with magic helping. Or I could summon some magic herbs to make some potions...but thinking about the price, I decided to wait.
"Now that the fight is over, what do we do with the two stalkers?"
I couldn't help but ask.
Leticia stood still thinking for a bit and answered me.
"Hmm, this time it was their fault for come looking for trouble. They should know that we are already grown women and can take care of ourselves. Just lock them up for one or two days, so they can reflect on their mistakes..."
I couldn't help but let out a strained smile.
Hey, isn't this a bit too heartless?
They were doing this because they were worried about you two, you know?
Whatever, it's not my problem, let them suffer a bit to wise up and learn to talk next time...
"OK, I will make a room, when you want to free them just say the word."
I lifted Josh over my shoulder.
Damn, he is heavy!
As for Jack...well, let him wait until I come back.
I came back to the large hall and saw the wheelbarrow empty, and on it's side a plate of iron that used to be my armor and the seeds all spread around.
"My...armor...my...seeds..." T_T
That's it! I was feeling a bit of sympathy for the two of them but not anymore!
Maybe I should force them to till the field until they learn their lesson or at least until they make enough money to buy a new armor for me...
You know what, forget it. The faster this is over, the faster I can kick them out of this place.
Finally reaching the Dungeon, I called in a loud voice.
"Building mode!"
[Understood!]
All this last week magic training had helped me a lot in improving my Mana Manipulation a lot, to the point I could finally do what the Tutorial taught, creating a Mana barrier and pushing it against the wall. So, without losing time I created a rectangular barrier and pushed it against the wall, easily building a room.
"Wow! You are good!"
"I never saw anyone use magic to do something like this!"
I got a bit embarrassed by the compliments and answered.
"Thanks but this is mainly due to the Dungeon Core, I can't do the same outside."
"Oh...such a pity."
"And here I was reading myself to ask you to build us some new houses..."
"Hehe..."
I forced myself to laugh at her joke...it's a joke, right?!?
"OK, let me bring the other one before closing the wall..."
In a minute or two I came back with the other guy and added him to the cell, then I rose the walls, making sure to leave two windows big enough to take a look at what was happening inside and small enough to ensure they couldn't escape.
"Done."
"Nice work...You really can't do this outside?"
"Hmm, no I can't. Now, please, let's go, your patient is waiting..."
"Riiiight."
I followed the corridor and reached the farming camp.
"Wow!"
"It's so bright here!"
"This is my farm, it's divided in 4 fields and there is a tower in the middle with an artifact producing sun light."
"Hey, why are those turnips so shinny?"
"Oh, those are not turnips, they are turpins, the magical variant of turnips. I have no idea who was the one who named them that but anyway, the name doesn't change what they are..."
"Magic Vegetables!? Aren't those pretty rare!? If you sell them in town you should be able to get their weight in gold coins!"
"Really? Hmm, I will think about it. But for now I plan to use it as our main source of food, so any plan to export them will have to wait."
Bia approached me by the side and poked my arm, then said with a big smile.
"Hey! We are guest's right?"
"Hmm...yeah..."
"Then you should treat us, right?"
Oh...I see, she wants some...
"OK, but only one."
"Yay, thank you!"
Bia started to run toward the planted turpins.
"Hey, wait! Leave those alone, I got ones here that I harvested yesterday, as for those ones I'm waiting them grow seeds to plant them again."
"Oh...all right."
Taking the left after reaching the central tower, we walked the whole way until we reach the storage room.
I took two turpins and gave one to Leticia and another to Bia.
""Thanks""
I answered them with the wise words from my merchant friend.
"First one is free, next one will be paid."
""Eh!???""
"Hehe, now that you got what you wanted, let's proceed."
Going back to the central tower, we took left again, and as we reached the end of the corridor, we arrived at the stairs.
"OK, now hold on my arm, I will teleport us to him."
The two hold my left arm, meanwhile I put my arm on the stairs wall and call:
"Teleport! Dungeon Core!"
Before the two can even understand what happened, we three are transported to the Dungeon Core.
I take a few steps and signal to them.
"This one here is my subordinate, Ruyk. Please take a look."
Leticia takes her time checking him, meanwhile Bia observes the new room.
"Waaaahh, this place is so pretty! Hey! Can I have a piece of this Huge crystal!?"
I forced a smile and answered.
"Sorry, that's not possible, this is the Dungeon Core. Asking me to give you a piece is the same as if I asked a piece of your heart."
"Oh!? So you are finally interested in obtaining my heart?"
"No, what I mean is..."
"I know, I know, I'm just joking. Even if you wanted, my heart already belongs to someone else."
"Yeah, the thin guy on the cell right?"
Bia turns scarlet and start stuttering.
"H-how did you know?"
"Well, it was quite obvious by the way you two acted a few minutes ago."
"Hmm.."
"But what I don't understand is the following: If you already have someone you like, why were you forcing yourselves to flirt with me?"
"Well, whatever, you already know the truth so I might as well tell you everything...But you need to promise to not get angry!"
Sigh....
"OK, OK, I promise. Now tell me."
"Jack and Josh are both our boyfriends from a long time ago... We like each other and are supposed to get married eventually. But this eventually has already extended for 5 years to Leticia and I don't want the same to happen to me..."
I knew this would be a headache, but I didn't expected this much... sigh...
"So when I met Leticia and told her about you, she proposed that we could use you to make them jealous and force them into action..."
"Couldn't you use somebody else?"
"Hmm, well, everybody is familiar with each other so it wouldn't really work out if it was somebody else..."
"Oh... So all that about me showing my face was just to give you an excuse, right?"
"Yeah! But don't feel too bad. Our reaction at the time was real! I bet that if me or Leticia weren't already taken, you would have a big chance of taking one of us."
"Hahaha... no thanks. You two seem too troublesome to me."
"Anyway, sorry for using you. We didn't expect things to escalate in this manner..."
"I would love to say no problem, but the wound in my back says otherwise. Well, consider us even after my back joke earlier."
"Oh, yeah, what was that treasures in the room we woke up?"
"That was the treasure chamber of the church of death. All those treasures are cursed so I don't recommend taking anything without a light priest to help."
"Really!? So what you were saying about the church was true!?"
"Of course! Aside the joke of me being a member, everything else is true. I, as an archaeologist, can attest it's veracity to you."
Bia went pale and took out a pendant from god knows where and put it on my hands.
"Then I will give this back to you..."
Sign...This girl is really...
Leticia, who seems to be hearing us talk, threw me a ring as well.
Et tu Leticia!? (Even you, Leticia!?)
And that's how our flirting period ended.
Although I had an odd feeling that this would happen from the start and even rejected them myself, I couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed now that it was over. Well, it's not like this is my first time being rejected, and I have my doubts this can even count as a rejection, but the feeling of loss remains unchanged. Looking at the bright side, in my other life I had quite a few experiences as well and this one is just starting, so I have plenty of time to find the one...that's right, this time I don't want to die alone...??
Die alone??
Why did I think that?
Did I really die alone?
Sigh...
I don't understand this memory of mine. I seem to remember everything but my own identity. No, actually people's faces and names are also quite blurry... It's like a seal not allowing me to go back to my past... I wonder if I will be able to break it someday...living without a past self feels quite lonely...
As I was thinking over my own problems, Leticia seems to have finish her check up on Ruyk.
"Well, I'm not an expert in Goblin's anatomy, but it seems that aside from a light infection there are no other problems. As long as he takes the remedy I gave him once a day, he should be fine in one week."
Saying that, Leticia took out a little box of pills and gave it to me.
"Don't forget! Everyday! I will come back in three days to see how he is healing."
"Good! This is really good! Thanks! I will escort you two to your village."
"Oh, no need for that, we can take care of ourselves, we have been playing in there woods since we were kids."
"Then that talk about not going back at night..."
They just blink an eye and show their tongue in a playful way.
Sigh...these two...
"Then at least let me escort you two out of the cave."
"Sure, after all we have no idea how to get out of here anyway."
So I escorted them out of the cave and stayed the whole night awaken gathering the seeds spread on the hall.
T_T
Damn it...my seeds...