The caravan stops in the line to customs and the commoners continue on, going towards the "express" lane of customs.
Klein and I approach Rande and I say, "So, when are you leaving?"
He turns to me and smiles wide, creating dimples on his tanned cheeks. "On the second, at first light."
Osaria approaches from behind and lays her hands on my and Klein's shoulders. "We should celebrate the Turn together," she says in her sultry tone.
"Not that way?" Rande asks his mother.
"Not that way," she repeats and leans over so she can look at my face. "What do you think about seafood?"
"I like it," I answer.
"Then how about the Dansstroom?" Her droopy red eyes seem to smile on their own.
I look at Klein and she smirks. "I'm sure you'll love it," she answers.
"Well, how's it like?" I ask.
"I'm sure you'll love it."
I look at Osaria and Rande and they both smirk.
I pout at Klein and say, "Uh-huh, 'love it.' I can just imagine what kind of opinion you all have of me."
Osaria raises an eyebrow at me and asks, "A very good one?" Then she smirks again.
I fail at coming with a comeback and blush a little.
"We might want to check that they aren't already full," Klein says.
"Right. We're going to be busy, so please go check for us. We'll be staying in the Wind'he Gevee," Rande says.
I summon a small bird and give it to Rande.
"For communication purposes," I say.
Osaria steals the blue ball of feathers from his hand and starts petting it. "I know that summoners can share senses with their summons, correct?" She asks with a slight grin.
"Correct," I answer.
Her eyes narrow and give her a very mischievous air. "I bet that Oura will love to pet this little one."
Rande shows a slightly displeased face but then he eyes the bird curiously.
"I think that the bird should stay with you at all times," I say to Osaria and give her an intense glare.
"If you say so," Osaria says in a slow and fake displeased tone.
With a *poof*, Rande pulls out a bag of coins and says, "So, Wolf, your job is done, so here's your payment. If, in the future, you think about continuing in this line of work, I'd gladly hire you again."
I take the coins, shake his hand and say, "It was a pleasure working with you."
He gives me a dimpled smile again. "Likewise."
--
We go back and see Ciel giving her goodbyes to Julien and the others. The elven sister gives us a slightly sad wave.
Maybe I should come hang out with the guards again sometime...
Klein hugs one of my arms and Hana hugs the other while we wait in line for Klein to pass through customs.
The people around us send us curious glances, whisper among themselves, and snicker once in a while. The elves are much more discreet in their staring, when they aren't obviously spying on us, so having these embarrassed/envious stares being sent at us again is kind of refreshing.
The races that I can see here are a mixed bag. Elves still make up half of the population, but the number of demon race people shoots up drastically.
Of the most exotic of the demon race I can see here are: a wolf-like man, similar to beastfolk, though he looks more "savage"; a woman who has spikes for hair, which run down her back, like a porcupine, and also force her to wear an open-back dress that's slightly sexy; a man with peacock feathers for hair, but they also hang from his arms; an oddly thin man with bulging, beautiful light blue eyes and tufts of fur on various parts of his body; a cobra-like woman with a snake head, a long neck, and the iconic "hood" of a cobra.
Then there's the merfolk: Lamia, the half-snake people, are the most common; the Scylla, the half-octopus people, come in second; the Sirens, with their floating magic hair, come in third; after that come the Thalanthro, humanoids mixed with fish.
The Thalanthro look as if a human literally mated with a fish. They have slick and bluish or greenish colored skin, a complete lack of breasts, large webbed hands and feet, fins on various parts of their bodies, large noses, thin and tall frames, and elongated Asian-like eyes. This confirms that this isn't a game, otherwise Rupegia would've been sued out of its ass for plagiarizing Zoras and I could hardly believe that Nintendo would ever create a world as lewd as this one.
All that's missing are the mermaids/mermen, but they aren't fully amphibious so we won't meet one so easily.
I've also noticed that merfolk seem to use very little clothing. From what I know of their culture, they don't usually wear clothes underwater, only when they walk on land. The Chimeras and some beastfolk are also like that, probably because they spent most of their existence far from the Empire's influence.
"Ciel, are there any laws or teachings of the Gods against going naked in public?" I ask.
"No. But they tell us to cover ourselves and only be naked in the presence of family or those you wish to make love to."
Wait...
I frown a little. "It's okay to be naked in front of family?"
"Yes, why? It's different on Earth?"
"Yeah, it's... basically the same as here, except you don't get naked in front of family."
Hana knits her fiery red eyebrows in light confusion. "Then how do you give baths to children and babies?"
"Well, when they are at that age then it's normal to give them baths. When they grow up and start to get embarrassed with their bodies or when seeing yours then you stop. By then they should've learned to take a bath by themselves."
"Uh... then it's normal to pay for individual baths for all of the children?"
"Ah, no. The way we take a bath is different. It's much smaller and simpler. It's just piped water thrown at your head in a constant stream."
"Sounds wasteful," Roxanne comments.
"It kind of is. It's also not as comfortable since you take a shower, that's what we usually call it on Earth, while standing."
"Ooh... so that's why you love baths so much," Alissa says with a snicker.
"Earth is so prudish," Hana says and snorts.
"What's 'Earth'?" Klein asks and tilts her head.
"My birthplace," I say lowly with a sly smile.
Klein frowns and pouts at me. "Never heard of it."
"Do you know of all countries that exist in the realm?"
"No..."
"Then you'd never know about it."
She shows me her tongue and I chuckle, but my laughter quickly dies and I ask, "Anyway, so you all took baths with your parents?"
They all nod and I feel a little uncomfortable.
"I still do," Klein says, innocently.
"How do Earthlings teach children about sex?" Ciel asks.
"Uh... with books and in school. Why? Is it relevant?"
"Well, yes. Bath time is a good time to show children what sex is supposed to be like."
"What...?"
She chuckles. "What 'what'?"
"You mean, you have sex in front of children?"
"Yes..." She smirks and shakes her head. "Not everybody can buy books and they also don't show how love is supposed to be like. There's also the technical part; I know that there are some noble families that like to brag about how they know sexual techniques that have been passed down for generations."
"Oh yes, Mom taught me all about [Oral Technique]. Dad showed me how he pleases Mom, but he's so big that I don't think Wolfy can do the same things he did," Alissa comments.
"Oh yeah, Da's the same. It's more about how to not hurt a woman instead of how to please her," Klein adds.
"Wow..." I can only mutter in wonder.
"Well, for me it was perfect. Wolfy fucks just like Dad, so I knew that he would be the right one for me," Hana chimes in.
I look at Ciel with my mouth hanging open in disbelief. "And that isn't weird?" I ask while pointing at Hana.
"Oi. I may be a cock sucker, but I know that that isn't weird," Hana protests.
"Well..." Ciel starts and shrugs. "If it works for her, why shouldn't she base herself off her parents? They seem like a good example..." -her voice dies down as she speaks- "except for the whole 'getting arrested' deal... sorry, Hana."
"No problem. Dad fucked up."
"Anyway..." Ciel clears her throat awkwardly. "Why are you so appalled by this? It seems like most of the things you find weird about us revolve around sex."
I frown and pucker my lips in thought. "This is really the biggest difference between my birthplace and here. Sexuality is seen as 'dirty' by a lot of people. There's uh... there's also a lot of fear about anything related to pedophilia and putting children in sexual situations," I say.
She frowns and looks down, thinking deeply. "Hm... you don't have Gods that could punish pedophiles, right?"
"Yes."
"Wait, you're from a heretical land?" Klein asks, lowly.
"More like a land that isn't under the influence of the temple."
"Oh, I see. Makes sense."
Ciel continues, "Well, I can see why people would be afraid of those things. Here, if you rape your family or have sex with a child, then you instantly get branded as a Wicked, so we don't have much to worry about besides embarrassing your children."
Well... you're considered an adult when you reach 14-16 years old, so I know that Americans would also get a little miffed at the lower 'age of consent' here.
"It was informative, but I'd rather never see my parents having sex again," Klein comments. Alissa, Hana, and Roxanne just shrug.
I sigh and say, "Well... I guess it makes sense. Knowing the Gods are watching makes a lot of things much simpler for us... So, uh, does anybody think the Gods are perverts for peeping on us while we have sex?"
"Hah, yes, I do," Roxanne says.
"They aren't... they aren't humanoids anymore. They don't 'peep,'" Ciel says, a little annoyed.
"I bet that's someone's fetish," Hana comments, ignoring Ciel's growing annoyance.
"Isn't it yours?" Roxanne asks Hana, who ignores her.
"Do people masturbate while thinking of the Gods?" Alissa wonders.
"Some of their statues are quite attractive, I bet someone has at some point," Lina says.
I turn to Ciel ask with a cheeky grin, "Is it heresy to cover a statue of the Gods with semen? What about the Goddess of Love?"
"Can you gain 'Piety' if you masturbate to the Gods?" Hana asks.
"I'm not answering any of these questions," Ciel says while facepalming.
Alissa's tail wags and she smirks at Ciel. "Which God is the most attractive? My vote is tied between the God of Law and the God of the Sun."
"Goddess of Will," Hana answers immediately.
"You're only saying that because she's a dragonkin," Lina says.
Hana looks at Lina as if she's saying something obvious. "Yeah? So?"
Lina pouts. "Attractiveness does not mean what you think it means."
They both stare at each other with narrowed eyes.
"What about you?" Roxanne asks Ciel with a smirk.
"God of Luck..." Ciel says with a flat tone, resigning herself to her fate.
The halfling?
Klein looks me up and down. "Yeah, I think I know why."
"Wolfy, on Earth, would Ciel be a pedophile?" Alissa asks
"What?!" I feel a certain someone's glare hit my cheek.
I smirk at Alissa and answer, "Considering that she's twenty-one and I'm sixteen. Yeah, she would."
"What...?" Ciel's hand heavily falls on my shoulder.
I shrug and direct my smirk at her. "Hey, that's just how the law is."
She narrows her eyes dangerously. "Uh-huh, sure, I'm the pedo."
I point at Lina and she cringes.
"Go on... who's the pedo?" I ask with a shit-eating grin.
"Both of us..." She mutters and looks away.
Klein frowns and tilts her head in confusion.
--
We play around a little more and Anton and Krysta come over to chat, too. They'll be staying with Rande, and Klein wants to spend the day with them after tomorrow.
It takes a while, but we finally cross the yellow stone gates and enter the city proper. I immediately feel Rabanara's vibe because the architecture is a mixed bag and I notice some buildings that were cut in half and then "grown" back together.
This side of Goldport is often abandoned when there's a monster siege, so it makes sense that it would've been razed a few times already.
The streets are filled with vendors selling a variety of wares. Mostly fish, but also a lot of exotic products. They announce the wares out loud with their prices, trying to attract any customers.
"Tourist trap," Krysta says and we tune them out. A single look at the price of the Snow Weave products and I nod my head in agreement.
We do get a fishstick, though. Simple sardines fried in flour and seasoned with salt and not-lemon.
I notice how Krysta seems to be sending glances at the food stalls. She fidgets and then pats her stomach. Klein notices that I noticed her and she smiles wryly.
I stop and ask, "How about we get our lunch from the stalls?"
On one end of the spectrum of reactions, Roxanne pats her stomach and frowns. On the other end, Klein jumps in place and grasps her hands together, "Yes!" She says and nods repeatedly while her tail copies the movement of her head.
Krysta smiles and nods. "Sounds lovely!" She says, more enthusiastic than normal.
Anton smiles at me and snorts, then he turns to Krysta. "When someone else suggests eating from the stalls you jump right on it, don't you?"
Krysta's eyes shift from side to side. "What do you mean? It would be rude to impose my diet on them."
Klein sighs softly and says, "Mom, it's fine. Eating from the stalls is okay once in a while."
Did I misread her interest in the stalls?
Krysta continues looking around as she says, "Did I say I was not fine? Of course I'm fine with eating from the stalls."
She suddenly stops for a moment and then marches forward to a stall selling honeyed fruits.
Anton and Klein smile wryly at each other.
"One of each," Krysta immediately says when she catches the female seller's attention.
"We... have twenty types of fruit," the seller says, a little stunned.
"Yes, one of each," Krysta repeats.
We approach Krysta from behind and the seller notices us. She understands we are with Krysta and hums in understanding.
Well, this isn't too bad.
"Those are all for her," Klein whispers.
"Okay..."
"She's going to store them all in her [Item Box]," Anton says.
"W-well, it's always good to have some good desserts to remind me of the correct flavor," Krysta defends herself.
Anton smiles softly and his permanent frown lightens a little. "Of course."
But Krysta didn't stop there.
"Yes, I want all of them."
"One of each."
"Only these two, the rest I've already tasted."
"Hm... no new flavors..."
"Oh...!" She suddenly stops in front of a stall. "This one's new."
"You remember them all?" Anton asks, a little incredulous.
"You don't...?" Krysta asks, unsure of herself.
"Not really."
Krysta eyes us and we look away.
I feel a little bad for her so I say, "Ge-generally Alissa searches for things for me, so I don't go out a lot to browse the stalls, but I'm sure I'd remember them as well as you do if I did."
"I see..." Krysta smiles awkwardly.
"We don't think you're weird, Mom," Klein says and uses her tail to rub Krysta's shoulder. "We think that you're funny because of how shy you act when it comes to this."
Krysta picks on her meat stick without much enthusiasm and says, "Well, it's just not a good idea to keep wasting so much money on such simple food."
Klein rolls her eyes and Anton lands a huge hand on her small shoulder. "Your grandmother just really wasn't a good person," he says.
Krysta shrugs. "She was a good chef, though."
--
We eat a wide variety of exotic foods while Krysta hoards all kinds of weird stuff.
As we get closer to the port, stereotypical seagulls make themselves known, though there's something odd about their cries. They're almost... human. Like a person badly imitating real seagulls.
I notice that there's no one spying on us here, which is very refreshing. We might finally get some real peace and quiet.
We finally reach the port and choose one of the dozens of ferries going to the other side.
While we wait for the boat to get ready for departure, we take our armor off and sit down on one of the benches to relax. When I'm just about to doze off, the boat captain gives the signal to depart.
A Wind mage "punches" the sails and two elven mages use [Weaverism] to propel it forward like the gondola from Goloria.
Osaria seizes this perfect moment to start caressing the bird. Her finger runs along the spine of the bird and I feel a massage coupled with a little bit of tickling. She gives the bird a knowing smile and I smile back, even though she will never know it.
"What's up?" Alissa asks, always perceptive.
"Osaria is caressing the bird," I say.
Hana looks down to her breasts, where the back of my head currently rests. "Huh, it seems like she's getting attached to you," she says.
"Even though she said she wouldn't," Alissa adds.
"Well..." I feel a sigh coming but I suppress it. "She may be trying to not get attached, but that's easier said than done, right? And I'm getting attached to her, too. She's quite a fun person."
"Maybe we could find a way to keep Rande around after we become nobility," Alissa says.
"Only if we remain in the High Forest. I don't think he'll leave it so easily," Hana says.
"We'll see how things go," I say.
--
On the way, Roxanne and Ciel make friends with a traveling couple of demon race, an Angel-type and a Raven-type. The man is white-skinned with beautiful locks of yellow hair and white wings. The woman is black-skinned with dark glossy hair with a purple shine and black wings.
They came to spend the Turn here instead of in their smaller town in Maoka. They can fly, so for them, travel is much safer than it is for us, land-locked beings.
It's quite nice to hear the common folk talk about their daily life. I also noticed how our lives are now so detached from the norm that it feels hard to truly relate to their problems due to how different they are from us.
First, they paid for hunters to escort them around so they could gain levels. Then, they paid for magical training so that they could get enough mana to cast [Conjure Small Meal]. This way they can travel light and save money on supplies.
Another thing they are trying to learn is [Earth Wall] so that they can build shelters for the night with little risk of being eaten while sleeping. [Summoning Magic] is better for this, but [Earth Wall] has more uses since it also protects you from the elements.
Their work is with polishing gems for enchanting. Not a bad job, but they don't make enough to be considered "middle class," so their achievements are actually quite impressive.
At first, they thought that Ciel and Roxanne were lovers and Lina was Roxanne's sister. Boy, were they wrong, so wrong that they became very awkward for a while after Roxanne told them the truth.
--
We land on Golport proper and part ways with them.
The town is a mass of pure white and yellow with rows upon rows of square buildings as far as the eye can see. It all culminates in a huge mansion at the top of the hill, like a shining white throne for a giant.
The true beauty of the town comes from the public gardens, the dark green contrasts perfectly with the bichromatic buildings. Other small sources of color, like red or blue drapes covering the windows, or the drying laundry on top of the houses, give the view a very comfy summertime charm.
Jugglers, dancers, bards, and Illusion magicians populate the streets, giving simple shows to the populace every once in a while.
The Illusion mages almost exclusively belong to the demon race. They are mostly comprised of the peacock-type, called Estekabar, or Succubus-types.
"So, your race seems to be quite good with [Illusion Magic]," I say to Roxanne.
She cringes and says, "Yeeah... we are..."
I hold back my smirk because that would be rude. "But not you?"
"Nope." She adjusts her glasses awkwardly.
Hana and Klein smirk at her and their intense stares make her posture shrink a bit. "See how nice we are? We don't even tease you about your weaknesses," Hana says.
"That's your loss..." Roxanne mutters.
--
Sometime later, Anton stops at a crossroads and turns to us. "So, we have to split here, the Wind'he Gevee is that way."
"Right, where are we going anyway?" I ask and look to Klein.
"The, uh, the 'better' inns are that way," she answers and points down the road, still higher up the hill.
"Well, you know how to find us," Anton says to Klein and pats her head. My spine tingles when I see how much Klein's posture buckles due to the weight of his massive hand.
"I'll spend the 29th with you," Klein says and they both smile at her.
"Until then," Krysta says and gives Klein a kiss on the cheek.
We wave them goodbye and continue climbing the hill.
--
The buildings become more luxurious while the number of people reduces and their clothes become more lavish.
"I think just about here should be good enough. We don't want to overindulge again," I say.
"Sure. I don't know any inns around here, but I do know which ones are bad," Klein says.
We walk away from the main street and search around the hill for a nice-looking inn.
We see a few entrances to the underground portion of the city, where a rather healthy community of dwarves lives. They are in charge of the gold mining operations, so they're all quite wealthy.
"They've some dwarven restaurants over there," Klein comments.
"Do you wanna go there tomorrow for lunch?" I ask Lina.
She silently nods and smiles, making me squeak internally.
--
I'm a sucker for cute things and a pinkish inn with a flower garden run by a gaggle of halfling lolis is the cutest thing ever.
"Welcome to the Innocent Nymph," a brown-haired halfling woman says with the softest voice ever and bows. Once she straightens her posture, I glance at her amber eyes and feel a chill run down my spine and end in my crotch. Her "Charisma" is very high.
Ciel raises an eyebrow and slowly turns to me. "Really?"
"So... I guess this is one of those inns?" Alissa asks.
"Obviously," Klein responds.
"Hm..." Hana sends a fearsome smile to the innkeeper, who trembles for a few moments but gathers her resolve and returns to her subservient demeanor. "I like this place."
I look at Lina, then at the innkeeper, then at the cute proto-maids in skimpy outfits, then at Ciel, then at the innkeeper, then at Ciel again and say, "It sounds like a really nice place, right?"
Ciel follows my shifting eyes and sighs. "Sure."
The innkeeper grabs my arm and pulls me along. "My name is Rutina. Let me show you to your room." She hugs my entire arm and squeezes my biceps. "My, how strong you are."
"You should see his scars," Alissa says with a predatory smile.
"I would be delighted to, Mr...?" Rutina turns to me and her sparkling gems for eyes stare into mine.
"Ryder, Wolf Ryder."
The adorable Rutina sends me an impish smile that can easily rival Lina's.
--
--
Hall of Fame of Patrons
The patrons who support Rupegia shall have their names sung by the bards for they deserve the glory and honor. Their names are:
Oracle Maximillian Hübner.
Prince Bradly.
Prince PreownedFIN.
Lord Andrew Meyers.
Lord Hope.
Lord Samuel Lim.
Lord Cody Weigel.
Lord Bill.
Lord Novgarod.
Lord DJ.
Lord Ashadun.
Lord D4rk Sheep.
Lord Michale Erwin.
Lord Cidant.
Lord Joxsan Herrera.
Lord Enrique Peña Gomez.
Lord Vampmire.
Noble Salty Panda.