The ring finally opened and I took it back from him and wore it on my finger before using my system to analyze it
[Spatial Ring – C: A spatial ring with five hundred square feet of space inside. Currently 30% full]
I emptied the ring and I saw hundreds of useless stuff fall to the ground. There were many low-rank armors and some F and E ranked skill books. Those would be absolutely useless to me, so I ignored them. I was now sure that he wasn't a mercenary. If he was a mercenary, then he would have a lot of money in his ring, but there were only about five silver coins inside the ring. This was just his personal money and it wouldn't be enough to pay for a kidnapping attempt like this one, but then I saw one thing that caught my attention. A black badge with a weird circular symbol on it. I immediately recognized the magic symbol on the badge from my last life. It was the same symbol that the Others used.
I grabbed him by the chin again and put the badge in his ace, "What's this?" I asked, "Where did you get it," The man chuckled and I tightened my grip on his chin, "Don't make me take the other eye," I threatened.
"It's your doom!" the leader cried and laughed at the same time, "It's your doom! You might've stopped us here, but no one can stop my brothers. We will rise again when the others come and I will enjoy the look on your face as I kill you!"
Crack!
I cracked the man's neck and he stopped moving as he finally died. That was all the proof that I needed that this belonged to the Others. I stood up and started to walk away.
"Hey," Terra said as she watched me from a distance, "What was he talking about? What are the others? Are they some kind of gang?"
"Yeah, something like that," I said as I finally finished ransacking the fire mage that died. His spatial ring had some money in it and there was also one D-rank fire-based armor. The armor was useless so I didn't bother taking it with me, "All your enemies are dead now," I said as I turned to Terra, "You can leave the dungeon."
"Uh…" Terra looked down at the leader and then she looked back at me, "What if there are more of them outside waiting for me?"
"How is that my business?"
"You're going to leave me to face them on my own?"
"Yes," I said, "The only reason I killed these ones is because they were fucking with me as well. Your business is none of my business."
"You…!" Terra looked like she was going to cry as she watched me walk away. I put the two rings in my pocket and I moved a branch out of my face, but Terra called me from behind before I could go far, "Wait!" she shouted, "Don't you know who I am! I'm a member of the Gaiaclan! My father will pay a lot of money if you get me back safely."
I immediately stopped walking and looked back at her, "Is that so?" I asked with a raised brow, "And how much exactly will he be willing to pay?"
"One – no, two hundred silver coins! I'll make sure he pays you that much at least!" Terra shouted, "So just... take me home."
"Fine, let's go," I said as I turned around and continued walking.
"Eh?" Terra looked surprised by how quickly I answered and it took a few seconds for her to realise that she was meant to follow me and she quickly ran after me.
I initially planned to just leave her behind and allow her to go back on her own, but money is a great motivator. I had a lot of money right now, but you can never have too much of a good thing.
I needed to start investing in businesses in the temple and to do that, I would need a lot of funds. I can still remember a few businesses that were really successful in the future. They were not yet big now, so if I can put money into them before they get too big, then I will reap a lot of profit.
"Hey, are you sure you don't want to rethink my offer?" Terra asked as she bent low and looked up at me with her hands behind her back. I glanced down at her, and I saw that she was smiling brightly.
"What offer?" I asked and she pouted at me in annoyance.
"I asked you to become my bodyguard," she said, "Look how easily you protected me back there. It was like one of the plays that I watch with my mum. The one where the bodyguard protects the princess from assassins and then – " Terra stopped here and blushed and I rose a brow at her.
"And then what?"
"N-Nothing!" she waved her hand at me, and her smile returned, "So what do you say? I'll make sure that you're paid really well and I won't treat you badly. If it's you, then I'm sure that I won't ever need anyone else to protect me."
"I refuse," I said and Terra stumbled at my immediate answer before she sighed in resignation. She finally realized that I was never going to change my mind. I didn't come back to the past to become some lackey to a rich princess and her family of rich snobs. I know that the Gaiaclan are very rich, but it would be a waste of time for me to start working for them just because of money. I would rather make that money on my own and use it however I wanted while I continue my initial plan.
"We're almost out of the dungeon," I said as I saw the dungeon entrance in front of us, "When we get out there, make sure that you don't cause a fuss. If we see any of the dungeon guards, remain calm. They'll ask us where the other men are, and you'll tell them the truth. If they ask you to follow them, then just use your name, and they should call your father to deal with the process," I made sure that Terra nodded before we finally left the dungeon.
I expected to only see a few guards outside the dungeon, but outside the dungeon was a beehive of activity. Many men were standing outside the dungeon and once I saw their uniforms, I realized that they were all guards from the Gaiaclan.
"Terra!" a woman shouted from the distance as she ran towards us, 'Terra, thank the tower you're alright!" the woman cried as she hugged Terra.
This was the matriarch of the Gaiaclan. Terra's mother, Freya. She was a dark-skinned woman with a pretty face and a delicate figure. Each movement of hers was poised and even when she was rushing towards us, I could only think that she had a very elegant way of rushing.
Freya looked really worried as she looked over Terra's body to make sure that she was okay. She fussed over Terra a lot and Terra just stood there and took it all in. It was only after a few minutes that she finally looked up and saw me standing there, "Who's this?" she asked.
"This is the one that protected me," Terra said with a flourish as she pointed at me proudly, "And he is going to be my bodyguard in the future! His name is Jason."
"I never said I would be your bodyguard," I said to Terra and I extended my hand for Freya to shake me, "It's a pleasure to meet you."
But I didn't expect to be suddenly pulled into a hug by the woman as she constantly thanked me for protecting Terra while squishing me with her breasts. I accepted the hug for a few seconds before I pushed him back slightly to give myself some space. I looked from Freya to Terra and Terra just grinned at me.
"You're welcome," I said to Freya and I finally detached myself from her hug. Freya cleaned her eyes and she laughed.
"Sorry, I've shown you my embarrassing side today," her voice was hoarse and she looked like she would start crying again at any moment, "I'm just so glad that Terra is okay. I don't know what I would have done without my little baby,"
"Mom," Terra whined when her mother called her a little baby and her mother smiled at her. Terra sighed and came to take my hand, "Come on, I have to introduce you to my father."
Freya's smile disappeared, "Honey. Your father isn't here," Freya said and Terra looked back at her in surprise, "He had something important come up and he had to go for a meeting. I'm sorry honey."
I saw Terra's face fall and her hand squeezed mine for a second before she finally looked up and smiled again, "Well, maybe next time," she said before looking at me again, "Come on, I'll show you my house."