The following day:
Rargnes rose up feeling shitty.
"Hey, sorry about yesterday, you made the right decision... I'm just afraid of losing you," Rargnes said to Sengrar.
"Ah! I'm glad you said that!" said Sengrar with a smile. "I really didn't want to forget, you understand? But I'm glad you take it that way!"
'Those humans are nothing to me,' said Rargnes. 'I'll at least protect what I can. My life, then my comrades.'
They went chasing, Sengrar taking the lead, then they drank until they were drunk. Sometimes, they took prey; sometimes, they didn't.
On the fourth day after, Jean asked about how to use magic, Sengrar taught him, and Rargnes decided to learn more. But even as days passed, as they acquired new armor and weapons, as they repaid the debt and gained energy by killing them thanks to Sengrar's overpowered magic, Rargnes did not feel much magic building inside him.
Jean laughed as he heard Sengrar speaking the invaders's tongue.
"What?" asked Sengrar.
"Bro... perfect accent, my eye, huh!"
"Oh yeah? You're the one saying that? Go on, speak!"
"Well, I don't know the language, but otherwise, it's a done deal in 3 months, easy."
"I did it in less time," Sengrar said with a smug face.
"Thanks to an opportunity, otherwise, given your IQ," Jean smirked. "What's wrong with my IQ?" Sengrar asked.
"Well, a normal IQ, mine is 130."
"That doesn't mean anything."
"Yes, bro, I can do it if I want," he grinned.
"Go on, let's see if you can do it in 3 months."
"Why would I even do it? I'm too lazy for that."
"Well, you can't do it."
"I'm just too lazy to do it, and I have nothing to do it for."
"Let's make a bet then? I'll teach you, and if in 3 months you don't speak perfectly, for the next 6 months, you'll obey all my orders."
"Bro, I don't gain anything from that."
"Well, if you really manage to do it without an accent, in a better, more native way than me, I'll do the same."
"Oh yeah, you swear?"
"I swear!"
"But bro, if you don't teach me properly, that wouldn't be fair."
"Of course."
"At least 30 minutes a day."
"What? 30 minutes? Nahh..."
"You're scared, that's it?!"
Sengrar smiled.
"Okay, let's see, 30 minutes, huh?!"
Rargnes approached Sengrar.
"It's certainly a way to learn our language."
"Well, that's obvious, and? I'm not stupid. He has the right to learn."
'Damn, he's super dumb. If he gives everything he's capable of, he won't be able to go far.'
And yet.
The hunts went well, and their power and reputation increased. It increased so much that they went to see the goblin.
They killed more than they sold, leaving themselves barely enough to repay the debt and live in the inn. They still went for the goblin who bought slaves from time to time and refused to give them their money.
"Let's just focus on getting stronger. We'll make them pay one day."
Then one time.
"I can't give you all of it right away... we have complications with the auctions... but if you come back later, we can certainly give you more." said the goblin.
"When?" growled Sengrar
"In a few weeks."
"Is this a joke?" Sengrar asked.
"No. If you're not happy, go elsewhere. The house has rules, and we don't give refunds."
"No, this time you gonna fucking pay us."
Sengrar became enraged, drew his fist, and placed it against the goblin's throat, who shuddered.
The two guards approached, remaining a few steps from them, a hint of fear in their eyes.
"We can talk this out."
Behind Sengrar, the group began exercising their energy, pressuring the guards who stepped back.
"Either you pay us now for everything, and we can make amends for the past and establish a good relationship, or we just kill you now, steal your possessions, then leave! The noble isn't there to stop us!"
They were paid three times the price and left.
"Ah, that was great! You should've seen his face!"
Rargnes displayed a smile. Everyone did. They were paid enough to cover the contract.
But as the evening fell, Rargnes seemed more sober than ever. Fear rose within him.
"Are you coming for a drink?" Sengrar asked Rargnes.
"Nope, got a headache."
"Okay, what about you, Yurs?"
"Yes."
"Haha! If you saw Yurs while he's drinking! He becomes a beast!"
He didn't even ask RedStar and left with Yurs.
RedStar left too, gathering information.
"Damn!" said Rargnes, hitting his fist against the wall. "Why?! Why!!! Why does that son of a bitch have so much success with those loser strategies! Am I losing? In every aspect? To him?! I fucking saved his life with the cops! Damn! Why can he do all effortlessly?!"
He put his hand on his head.
"Damn... why. We've just settled the debt... why do these feelings come back to me?"
He saw flashes of the victims they had sold like mere objects, their cries, their screams. "What have I become? A slave trader? Seriously?!"
The headache was only getting worse.
"Why do I need to feel so much?! Fucking shit! If only I could be like, without feelings! If only I could just go ahead and still have my body carried over as time rewinds! Why me? Why have you chosen me?! I can give it to someone! Anyone! As long as I can live happily!"
Pain suddenly smashed his cell. His vision became blurry. He put a hand on the wall and slowly walked towards his bed, his steps slow.
His eyes were seeing less and less, his vision diminishing with every blink. He saw a whole bed, then a part of the bed, then just the middle of the bed. And... the floor. He collapsed in the room.