Chapter 28: Tattoo
"Our first day failed," Minato stared at the starry sky from his shop.
He had abundant loot from killing others, but his quantity and quality weren't a problem.
People didn't want to buy his stuff because other groups had an eye on him.
That was quite complicated, but Minato had a word that explained everything.
"Connections..." He sighed again.
The group that Minato had killed on his patrol mission had friends with others. One of them also had a brother who led a powerful party.
That brother threatened others, and he swore to kill anyone who would buy his brother and his people's equipment.
Minato glared at that man, "Why don't you buy his stuff? Don't you love your brother enough to jeopardize my business?"
From behind, Yuna and Bei chuckled at him.
These two ladies didn't share his mood.
On the contrary, they expected the first night to be quite crowded.
Minato stared at the man hiding in the alloy, then he heard a faint knock.
He shifted his attention to doors, then slowly made his way here.
Opening doors revealed a black-cloaked man.
"Ah... I see," Minato nodded.
Although his business was an official one, it could be used in various ways.
Dungeon Raiders wouldn't have a problem buying new stuff for their party. They also would be able to sell dropped items on the underground market or just sell it for a worse price in the dungeon guild.
However, each item had a past.
That past was what could be used against others.
Minato didn't care how people would use those items, but he got a better understanding of what kind of business he had stepped in.
He smiled, "Had you bought this item during the day, it would've been just a few silvers. Price is three times more now."
The clothed man clicked his tongue, "Fine. I just need this item..."
Minato smiled and sold the item, "Thanks for coming."
It wasn't as bad as Minato thought!
He always fought people because of their lust, and a few complaints had changed him profoundly. His family was aware of it, and they could worry about it at some point!
This helped Minato erase that foreseeable burden.
He smiled widely, "We are going to spend a few nights busy, then I plan to set for the dungeon. With my current title, I will just casually enter it and face Lord Shama should he lust over you."
Yuna smiled, "Minmin. This will be your first dungeon, so we both will change our appearances. I will turn into a fox, and Bei will take a different appearance through a magic circle. This is your first dungeon, so I don't want Shama to thwart your plans and experience."
Minato nodded to his altruistic wife, "Got it."
His wife smiled sweetly, "I will leave you two alone. Aya can't stay alone for too long now that she is scared about your world and its enemies."
After Yuna left Minato and Bei alone, a silence ensued.
Minato was used to this as Bei still carried herself as his maid. She rarely began the conversation, but it was changing lately.
And now, she surprised him, "Minato... What would you like me to turn into?"
"What?" Minato tilted his head.
Bei stomped on the ground, "Elder Sister is a fox, so she can turn into a cute small fox! I can use a magic circle for anything you want!"
She dropped her eyes low and bit her lips again...
Those signs became so apparent that Minato felt a little bad for her. Alas, Yuna wanted Bei to confess first.
"Well... How about a parrot?" Minato chuckled, "You will be able to go Twat, twat, twat."
Bei's eyes widened, and she glared with fury rippling within her eyes, "Twat, twat, twat? Alright."
She spun around promptly and didn't let Minato talk with her any further.
Bei trembled and hid her face, going away from him!
Minato understood that he had gone too far with that joke in an instant.
But how could he conduct himself, holding back his feelings while waiting for Bei to open up?
Minato took a seat next to Bei, then put his hand on her shoulder.
Bei glanced at him, "What? I just have to protect you. You take care of your business."
"I've gone too far with my joke, so I came to apologize, " He gently made her face him, then said, "How about you taking the form of a white wolf? Wolves are known as ferocious beasts, but they also look gorgeous. White Wolf would suit you perfectly as you are a good person inside."
"Good person? I've killed more than you can think of," Bei scoffed.
"You are a good person to me. Frankly, I've learned to not care about others. I don't give a crap about them. You will be in my arms, and everyone will know that Bei is nice to me but merciless against others," Minato smiled genuinely.
Bei's heart jumped a few times, and she got hotter.
Those words made her feel genuinely happy.
She glanced at him, "I will think about it."
Minato nodded.
He didn't let her go, "No one is coming for now... That guy might try something funny, but no signs so far..."
"Will you stay like that with me?" Bei asked.
"I guess," Minato chuckled and stared ahead.
A silence ensued, but it was pleasant silence.
Both of them glanced at each other, each time bringing their lips up. At last, Minato took out his magic circles and requested help.
His good friend would help him with his project!
Bei summoned magic circles and overlapped them, providing valuable examples that many dungeon raiders would kill for.
"Can you write my name using those letters?" Bei asked.
Minato thought deeply, then nodded, "I can." His golden mana slowly drew Bei's name on air.
His mana shimmered like a golden moon, erasing all light in their room.
His shop's light suddenly died down, so any potential clients could've turned around already. However, Minato didn't care.
He saw that Bei had taken a liking to this word.
She then glanced at him, her eyes already gray, rivaling the golden moon.
"Elder Sister has her psychique tattoo on her right shoulder... I want you to write that name with your golden mana," Bei said, then turned around.
Her dress slowly fell, and she held it firmly with her hands while exposing her back. Her head arched back a little, and she eyed Minato with her beautiful eyes.
That kind of position was alluring, and it had utterly dismantled Minato. His eyes ran up and down on her beautiful body, and as defenseless as he was, Minato's reaction hardened his lower part in the blink of an eye.
Minato deeply looked into her moon eyes, "I am going to do it."
"You want to touch me that badly?" Bei asked as she narrowed her eyes.
"Yes," Minato boldly replied, and his finger slowly drew her name in a unique, eastern letter.
His golden mana was weak, but Bei brought a faint groan out. She bit her lips and didn't let out any more sound.
From time to time, Bei shivered.
She endured, then Minato's finger slowly distanced.
He said, "It's done."
Bei retraced her eyes, then slowly pulled her dress up, "Thanks."
A weird silence ensued.
It was weird because Minato felt like he did something more than just a tattoo. He was sure of it, but he didn't want to ask yet.
Bei faced him, "Your mana aptitude has increased."
"Don't tell me this is some kind of slave seal?!" Minato's voice surged, and he stood up promptly.
Bei smiled, "It's not. It's an equal contract... I told you that I would help you, didn't I? If combining your two magic circles will help you reinvigorate, then I will bring out everything I can to the table."
"If it's equal, then it's fine," Minato sighed with relief, then dropped onto his chair.
"It won't disappear from my body, though... Even if someone skinned me and I healed myself through magic, this tattoo would return along with my skin. If the father knows about it, he will surely punish me as much as my Elder Sister.
However, I don't care... She was ready for punishment, and so I am... Because I've fallen in love with a mortal," Bei cheeky smiled, "You are that mortal, you twat."
[Author's Note: I would like to thank everyone who have been supporting the story with power stones! It's just around 14 hours left, and I think we've nailed it! I hope you guys enjoy the story's development! Thank you!]