"Here you go" I said and handed Taeko vanilla ice-cream.
"Hihi, thank you! Despite losing the spar, you still treat me as if we are on date" Taeko giggled and took the ice-cream to herself with a grateful smile.
"What do you even expect? Spending time with you and going on a date with you is also my reward" I replied with a small smile before paying attention to my own strawberry ice-cream.
Right now, we were already inside the town known as Kyoroch, controlled by the organization named Path of Peace. It has been here for around 9 years yet it began truly flourishing just not too long ago. Apparently all thanks to their leader once again, everyone just calls him The Lord which is quite surprising. If I tried to make everyone in my territory within the Capital call me Red Devil, there would have been still a few people who would sometimes call me by my name. And if anyone asked about my real name, they would have been able to answer that question, yet, in this town, no one knows his real name. Or more like no one cares, they only call him The Lord with a great amount of respect.
We currently had cloaks over our clothes not to stand out since the culture here was very different, maybe Taeko would be able to blend in but I was a big no. However, we didn't bother to cover our faces.
"Akashi..." Taeko just muttered while looking at me with flushed cheeks.
"Be careful of your ice-cream, it's melting." I replied with a teasing smile while pointing at her hand when I saw how she spaced out while looking at me.
"Ah!" She immediately started licking the melted part but I quickly stopped her.
"Wait." I said when she looked at me with a confused expression and put my hand near her ice-cream, soon enough, the azure almost transparent aura was moving between my hand and her ice-cream.
The Ice-cream instantly stopped melting and became almost like a new one.
I have never actually tried to sap the temperature of anything that was already under 0 degrees Celsius but it looks like I can do it without any problem. I wonder just how far I can sap that temperature but I will have a lot of time to try it out. This Ice-cream should be around -10 degrees Celsius which isn't that much below 0 but I was able to make it once again firm almost within the instant.
"Oh?! Thank you~!" Taeko exclaimed when she saw how her ice-cream became firm once again but she didn't even question how I have done it.
Well, she probably doesn't want to bother me too much...
I thought while looking at her with a soft eyes and a gentle smile.
"Hm?" She stopped attending to her ice-cream just to glance at me with a confused expression when she felt me staring at her for a while.
"It's nothing...Let's go find some people who will be willing to buy that jewelry." I shook my head with a smile and closed eyes before picking up the pace at which we were walking down the streets.
"The Lord's presence is truly a blessing for people like us who has no choice but to suffer. I hope he will be able to lead us to a better future."
"Of course he will, have you forgotten what he has told us? The death isn't the ending, we should all focus on doing good deeds and it will come back to us. And even if we die, our soul will be the one holding good karma.
"Yes, as The Lord has said before, there is no need to lose faith. If he can remember the names of numerous people that sacrificed themselves for this town, how can we even lose our faith in him? Haha"
I kept on listening to locals's conversations as we were walking through the streets while trying to find some merchants that focus on jewelry.
It looks like he is really treated like a god here...I wonder if it is just a facade or if he truly means it...That would be truly entertaining to find out, hehe.
"This town truly looks livelier than other Empire's towns or villages I have visited till now." Taeko muttered while looking around with her usual stoic expression.
"Well, that's only given after hearing all those local's talks and praises." I said with a small smile.
Now that I think about it...Would they even buy something like jewelry in this religious land? ...Yeah, there are numerous types of people so someone who would be willing to buy them must live here.
I thought while looking around until I found the one person I have been looking for.
"Hello, are you just selling stuff, or are you also interested in buying?" I asked with a polite smile when I approached one of the merchants who had earings and stuff on his display.
"Hm? Well, depending on what you are offering but I am not against buying any nice stuff" He looked at me with uninterested expression when he saw my grey cloak that almost everyone wore but when he saw my face, he instantly changed his tone and even the way he was looking at me.
I guess the face is something I can't hide. My complexion is almost like shouting at regular people that I am someone influential. I have noticed that a lot of people here are tanned and only a few merchants and other more charismatic looking people have paler skin.
"Here, are you interested in buying this necklace?" I showed him only 1 necklace since I didn't want to start a rumor about cloaked figure taking out numerous expensive jewelry from his pockets.
He inspected it more closely and instantly nodded his head with eagerness. He told me that he is willing to give me 400 gold for a masterpiece like that but instead of answering him I already started leaving which made him shout at me 500.
I stopped walking and glanced at him.
"700, not even a gold less." I said with a firm tone.
"...I- tch! It's too pricey." He replied while clicking his tongue.
"Alright..." I nodded and resumed walking away just to be stopped by his shout once again.
"Wait! I will take it! I have never seen anything like it..." He shouted at me so I decided not to push him anymore. To be honest, I never thought that he would even offer 400 gold for something like that.
After paying tax and other stupid things, I left with 630 gold.
---
GOLD: 16 246
---
Tch, maybe I should try to find someone who wouldn't mind buying it illegally. I believe that even in such a town there must be some greedy and corrupt people.
After a while of asking around, I finally found out someone of higher standing who would be interested in such mundane things. Bolic, one of the high-ranking members. I asked around where I could find him and sure...he has an enormous mansion.
When we arrived at his mansion, we were instantly stopped by the guards that had their faces hidden behind white cloth attached to their helmet.
"Who are you and what are your intentions by visiting Bolic-sama?" The guard asked me with a neutral tone while firmly gripping his spear.
"I have a few things that I want to offer to him. I think that he will be interested in those "mundane" things" I skipped the part who am I since no one actually cares about it.
"? ...Even then we can't just-...Actually, wait for a bit, I will inform Bolic-sama for you and ask him if he is willing to see you." He wanted to refuse but he suddenly turned his head at Taeko who had cloak over her head but that didn't hide her face. He immediately changed his sentence when he saw her face.
Seeing this, I narrowed my eyes once he turned around.
"*Taeko, make sure to do your best to hide your face and if impossible, at least try to hide your hair under that cloak.*" I whispered to Taeko with a serious expression and although she looked confused at first, she nodded without asking for an explanation.
...
"You can enter!" The guard came back in a hurried manner and let us in while signaling another guard to lead us.
*Creek*
When we entered the mansion, I immediately smelled drugs and sex in the air with my superior sense of smell.
Heh, this can't be really religious person. He must be from the Empire sent as a spy or I have no idea what he is doing in a high-ranking position. I can already guess why they let us in and I don't like it at all...maybe I will cause a bit of commotion here.
I thought with an amused and cold smile while using my hood as best I could to hide my face.
We were being led through a few rooms until we arrived at probably the biggest hall of the entire mansion where I finally saw a man named Bolic sitting on some kind of throne while having more than 5 women around him. All of those women were only wearing a bikini and judging by their expressions it was apparent that they were under the effects of drugs. The man himself had brown short hair and beard, there was nothing "holy" about him and neither anything special.
So he doesn't even bother to hide this fact from us? So I guess he never intended to let us leave alive. Tsk, tsk, tsk.
I glanced at Taeko who was next to me but she had her usual stoic expression and even she knew what was going on here.
"Hello, I am named Bolic. I have heard that you have something to offer to me so...how about showing her to me whole?" He introduced himself with an impatient smile while looking at Taeko's figure with a lewd expression and he didn't even try to hide it.
Haha, I was doing my best not to laugh aloud while resisting the urge of giving him a little torture with my new power.
"Oh? I guess there must be a little misunderstanding. This is my companion and what I want to offer to you is this." I said with an awkward tone before pulling out 1 unique looking ring.
"Hm? I see...well, the craftsmanship is definitely better than one can find in this era but...Well, I can offer you 100 gold and if you leave your companion here, I will give you twice as much." He exclaimed with a slightly disappointed tone before looking once more at Taeko's figure. He didn't even look at the things I was offering him and instead he offered such an absurd offer.
Despite the fact that Taeko was wearing the cloak over her, it didn't hide her figure that was built by numerous years of training.
Wow, there are people this stupid. I am very surprised.
I thought sarcastically.
To be honest, his remarks don't even anger me but on the contrary, they make me want to laugh. Anyway, it looks like he isn't someone so simple, I can sense fairly strong people around.
Taeko was just keeping silent without being bothered by his words.
"I am sorry but that's too little and my companion needs to go back with me so I can't let her remain here." I replied with an apologetic tone.
As long as he doesn't try anything, I won't move either.
"*Taeko, just focus on not having your face seen by anyone, don't join the fight*" I still whispered to her just for precaution since I already felt that this shitty man will try something.
"Well, that actually wasn't an offer but more of an order. *Snap*" He said with an amused smile and snapped his fingers.
The guards around the room gathered in front of us.
How typical of the Empire...he really must be a spy inside this religious organization.
"Heh, I see, then-" I said and slowly draw my sword.
"Kill him and capture that girl!" Bolic shouted while pointing at us when he saw me drawing my sword.
The guards threw themselves at us, slashing their swords and thrusting their spears at me.
*Splash* *Splash* Within just a second, I killed more than 6 guards and their severed limbs, half of their bodies painted the floor with blood.
"-my words also weren't a question but the announcement" I finish my sentence after finishing all of my opponents while showing Bolic a wide smile.
"?! Come here quickly! Protect me!" He suddenly shouted and I felt something nearing my head from the right side.
I turned to the side and slashed the things that were attacking me.
? Nails?
I was somewhat surprised by what I have slashed.
Another one?
I narrowed my eyes when I felt an attack from above and behind.
I caught the ankle of the person above me who was trying to stomp me to death and threw her with full force towards the person who was attacking me from behind.
"Huh?"
"Gah!"
Both of them looked surprised as they flew backward together.
While I was busy with them, someone already appeared in front of me, throwing a punch at my face.
"Let me free your soul!" A man twice as big as me shouted.
"My soul is free enough so no, thank you" I replied with a smile
"That voice?!" Two people exclaimed when they heard me.
I blocked his punch by crossing my arms in front of me but the impact still forced me backward so I performed a backflip in the air to regain my balance and when I landed, my hood was finally off.
"A-Akashi?!!"
"It's nice to see you again, Mez, Suzuka. Although I would say that circumstances aren't the nicest, right?" I asked with a wide and slightly crazy smile with narrowed eyes.