"Oh? And what would that be?"
"I'd like you to brand her"
Being branded by the slave crest is the ultimate sign of obedience and compliance to your owner. The crest looks like a chain with an infinity sign, showing their never ending loyalty to their master. It can be placed anywhere on the body but most of the time, it's on the lower back or neck. For me, I decided to put it on her stomach.
Why her stomach? Because when a customer decides to use her, it would surely be more pleasant to look at a clean, slim back than to be reminded that the only reason you're having intercourse with a women as beautiful as her is because her master forced her to, now isn't that right?
Looking at me with a questioning gaze like "isn't she your wife?", I immediately explain it to him and why she's doing this. Looking at her and seeing her nod her head, he smiles brightly and brings us to the back room's back room. Being dimly lit with torches dotted here and there, it looks very dungeon-y.
"Allllrightyy... place her right here, face up since you want her stomach branded"
Giving her a small blunt, she immediately smokes it and is relaxed while looking at me with longing eyes. Heating up the metal branding iron until it's red hot, he places it over her stomach and brands her quickly and without warning. Screaming and thrashing, the cigarette falls out of her mouth and she is squirming around on the table she was placed on.
Quickly pouring the binding ink over her wounds, the red, burnt skin turns shiny and black before glowing a purple hue. Calming down, she picks up the half finished blunt and starts smoking again before looking at me with lust in her eyes... what's up with this woman?
Damn it... is this a side effect I didn't know about Michael's Fyr? That it can serve as an aphrodisiac for women? What a find.
After using an engraving pen on her stomach and writing some words around the chain, the chain stops glowing and turns a dull purple. Touching her new mark, she feels that it's still smooth like her regular skin but, is a sign of her new supply of coffin nails. Realizing this, she smiles in a weird way. Very freaky but, very hot.
Paying for the engraving and for the elf boy, Karl Müller, I say my grades towards Toothless and head back to the hotel once again. Giving Karl a long piece of cloth that's similar to scarfs to cover his engraving, he takes it and follows my words with dull and hopeless eyes. It seems that he's used to this. Perfect, he probably won't escape and since he's an elf, he can judge that I'm stronger that he is.
Just underfeed him, discipline him when needed and all will be good to go.
Seeing be come back with 2 new faces, the innkeeper smiles widely and gives me a nod of understanding. Apparently, all of the workers of this hotel are slaves. Which would explain the reason why the innkeeper is much richer than his competitors.
Giving him an amicable smile back, I head up to my room and open the door to find Aya trying her best to grow the moss in my growing kit. Awww, what a good daughter I have raised. Following my orders and trying her best even when I'm not here.
[[she's my daughter as well, you dick! And Michael is MY NAME!!!]]
'Huh? Oh, I forgot you existed, sorry'
Ignoring Michael's screams in my brain, I walk towards Aya in the living room and give her a jump scare. Being surprised, she aims her staff at me about to chant 'Green Corral', she realizes it's me and jumps into my chest while smelling me.
*sniff sniff* "ahhhhhh~ Papa is back! Where papa go?"
"I went out and sold some of the moss. I made a decent amount of money so please continue your work so we can get a nicer room. By the way, good job with your reaction, though you should have heard me entered the moment I stepped in, you are improving"
"Yes! I work papa! Thanks for papa praise!"
Getting back to her work with an overzealous expression, she pauses before looking back and doing a double take. Ah, she just noticed the 2 new people, huh?
Making a frowny face with teary eyes, she looks at me like an abandoned puppy. As if she's communicating through her looks "am I not good enough? Why are you getting new people?".
"P-papa... who?"
"My new equipment. Meet Karl, the mage who'll help you grow the moss and... I never got your name"
"Ah! Call me Lyca, master!"
Going back to her normal self after getting her fix, she replied very enthusiastically. Seeing her enthusiasm, Aya's mental state goes to 'Jealous, Confused'. Ahhh, what a pious daughter I have created.
Bringing Aya into the bedroom without the new equipment, I explain to Aya why we need these people. Hearing my plans for Karl and Lyca, she immediately brightens up and has a massive smile on her face. After all, isn't the best when your potential rival will instead be selling herself for rolls?
Don't get me wrong, I would prefer it if I didn't need to explain to Aya what this is about but, it is needed for my personality as a loving, understanding and caring father. Bringing home other people will cause outbursts of aggression towards Lyca, Karl and even me.
Other symptoms of being a new variable to a child's life would be depression, listlessness and disobedience. The 3 worst things that Aya could be to my plans, of course, all behind aggression which would evolve into hate, hate into resentment and resentment into wishing for death.
You may call me paranoid... which I am. But better safe than sorry.
Going back out with Aya, she immediately works harder on the growing kit while Lyca makes some food. Bringing Karl into the bedroom, I start the interrogation.
"So... why are you lying?"
"...master. I wouldn't dare lie to master"
Bowing down not showing his expression, I can tell he already comfortable with hiding his identity since his mental state stayed the same. Smirking at my new equipment's cheekiness, I grab his face with my hand make him look up into my eyes, not my feet.
Surprised by my aggression to him, he looks at me with fake fear and terror in his eyes, as if that what I want. I can't blame him. With his looks, it is pretty easily to be bought by some BL-pervert that terrorizes smaller boys.
After staring him down, I stop wasting my time intimidating him since it won't work anyway. Getting straight to the point, I look at him with an apathetic expression.
"Male elf... Karl Müller, isn't it?"
Holding an extremely surprised, scared and angry expression, he looks at me with real emotions this time. The thing with elves is that there were supposed to be extinct a few thousand years ago. The race that killed them? Humans.
During that time, there was a queen named Anastasia and she ruled the country of Ewig with her husband, Hans. Everything was going well until Hans had a regular meeting with the indigenous elven tribes for trade, peace and other treaties that would benefit the two parties. Going there however, was a new elven chief and he was known for his debauchery and shamelessness.
Not knowing who the queen was, he took Anastasia into a quiet corner of the Ewig palace and forced himself on her. Of course, being one of the few women who got with who they loved, she immediately told Hans and he was furious.
Vowing revenge for his wife, he ordered the eradication of all royal elves. The new elven chief, to avoid responsibility, said that Anastasia forced herself onto him and so, the elves retaliated. With no other choice, Hans ordered the genocide of all elves to make sure nobody would be there to take revenge on Ewig.
Of course, there were some elves that survived by either hiding or cutting off their ears. Karl was the latter. He didn't fully cut them off per day but, he did carve them to look like a mangled human ear.
Being known for their long ears and magic, most elves now hide their magic with concealing magic and cutting their ears off. Most elves can hide their stats from others as long as it's high level enough. However, with cases like me with 'Appraisal' rank A and higher, it's basically useless.
Feeling true fear, Karl immediately slams his head into the floor while chanting "I'm sorry" and "humans are superior". Seeing this, I let out a sadistic grin since I've never felt so powerful in my entire life. This is beautiful.
Basking in the power over someone's life, my ecstasy was interrupted by Michael's yelling.
[[OY! Pervert! Get back to work you damn weirdo]]
'Haaah, yeah yeah'
"Don't worry, boy. I don't plan on reporting you or killing you. Actually, I plan to treat you as if nothing happened"
Since Karl grew up in a rough environment, he knew personally that free lunch were followed by either a betrayal, the free lunch was a bait or rarely, with an impossibly small percentage, that free lunch was a free lunch.
"A-anything for master. Whatever you want, just don't kill me please"
"I want you to help Aya with growing the moss she is playing with right now"
Opening the door a little, I show him Aya focusing with a cute, pouty expression trying to grow the moss.
"You have a special title called 'Mana Mage' and that will immensely help me. For your help, I will feed you 2 meals a day, rights to showers and free roaming around the apartment. You won't be allowed to to leave my side when you are leaving the inn, understand?"
Hearing my very favorable terms, he immediately agrees. What a smart boy. It's not everyday that a human leaves an elf alive, especially when they are as weak and frail as this boy.
Bringing him to Aya, Aya and I explain to him the different properties of the different mosses and that they all need various amounts of mana and care for them to grow. Purple moss taking the most care and mana while the white moss taking the least care and mana.
Seeing my new mana tank working away, I smile as I eat the delicious meal Lyca cooked. Obviously, since Karl is a piece of equipment, he isn't allowed to eat at the same table as Aya and I. However, Lyca is different. She is very stupid and gullible. She literally sold herself for a daily supply of moss.
I plan on making her the head of my 'Diversification' Plan's 'Hard Labor' sector. Obviously, she will be doing some hard labor like riding, vacuuming and cleaning my future customers. For an extra fee, of course.
Falling asleep with Aya hugging my chest, I drift off into wonderland while thinking about the sheer amount of money that I will be bringing in in the future. It's beautiful.
Oh, oops. Cant keep thinking about that too much or I might have a wet dream. Night night, Aya, Mana tank, Hard Labor leader. Sweet dreams and make me some money.
—————————
(A.N) Waaaaaa! Another chapter! Jealous Aya? Exposed Karl! Stupid Lyca!!! We have it all, peace and wait for next chapter diligently... or else...