After employing "a little" trickery, August successfully exchanged a vast amount of gold coins.
All this time, he had almost forgotten one key thing: as the Lord of the Original Sin, controlling weaker beings was as easy as breathing for him—especially humans burdened by lust, who were even more easily manipulated.
Without much effort, August drained the majority of this small town's gold supply.
These weren't mere checks or promissory notes; they were real, tangible gold coins, which August stored within his treasury. Of course, he maintained his pride and avoided theft. Every single coin was exchanged for jewels and treasures from his hoard, though at a particularly favorable exchange rate.
With his business concluded, August prepared to return. After all, it had been two or three days, and it was about time to head back. He still had unfinished business with Stunk and the others, not to mention their planned visit to the Succubus shop, which he found quite amusing.
Back at the "Ale and Eats" tavern, Meidri's feelings were mixed after not seeing August for three days.
"Speaking of which, where did August go? Haven't seen him for days," Stunk asked Meidri while sipping his drink, recalling August's clear interest in her.
"How should I know? Maybe he left," she replied nonchalantly.
"Left? What are you talking about? That guy just bought a house for over two million! You think he's going to leave right after? Who wastes that kind of money?"
"You're asking me? Who else would know?" Meidri snapped, turning her back and walking away.
"Looks like August really impressed her, huh? Meidri's clearly into him," Zel observed. He'd been paying attention and noticed Meidri's mood had soured since August's disappearance.
Not only that, when she wasn't busy, she would often stare at the door, as if waiting for someone—clearly pining for August's return.
"Yeah, I saw that too. But where the hell did he go? Yesterday we picked up a quest by the seaside, and I was hoping to take him to one of the aquatic Succubus shops."
"You know, now that you mention it, there's probably a mermaid shop, right?"
"Exactly. It'd be a real treat," Stunk replied, his eyes gleaming at the thought.
The two seasoned adventurers had been discussing their recent experiences, particularly after their run-in with the serpent-women at the Mia race's establishment. They had been intrigued by the idea of other unique race-specific charm shops ever since.
Despite the "tiring" experience, they couldn't deny the thrill of it. The bodies of the serpent-women were, after all, coveted by men.
"By the way, hasn't Kanchal been lying low lately too?"
"Yeah, I heard he and Bruz have been visiting the charm shops daily, without even bothering to call us."
"Come on, man, you know how broke you are. Keep it real."
"Hey, don't bring that up. We're still friends, right?"
Meeting someone like August had truly opened their eyes to how rich some people could be. For the first time, they felt like paupers.
A house that cost over two million gold, and he traded three hundred coins for six million in an instant—it was envy-inducing.
"But seriously, where did he go?" Stunk wondered aloud.
"He's probably off taking care of some important matters. You get it, right? He's not on the same level as us. His business is way beyond what we could ever understand."
"Yeah, with his strength, no doubt."
There was an unspoken agreement between them—one of mutual respect. Neither sought to use the other for personal gain; they simply enjoyed spending time together, despite their vastly different circumstances.
Stunk, after all, had come from a well-known and influential family. He had rejected that life, choosing instead to be an adventurer, a path where he had found moderate success.
"Meidri-chan, I'm back! Haven't seen you in three days, I missed you so much~"
At that moment, August strolled through the door of the tavern, his voice ringing out as he called to Meidri the moment he entered.
Instantly, all eyes, including Meidri, Stunk, and Zel, turned to the entrance. Meidri's face lit up at first, but when she heard what he said next, her expression darkened. Especially when she noticed everyone around was now staring at her, she felt a wave of embarrassment and fury rise within her.
"What nonsense are you spouting? Get out of here!"
Bang!
No sooner had he stepped inside, than a tray came flying straight at August. He barely managed to catch it in time.
"That was close," he thought. Had he been a second slower, the tray would've smacked him right in the face. It was dangerously close.
"Meidri-chan, I came to see you as soon as I got back. Why are you treating me like this?" August teased with a mischievous smile.
"Shut up!" Meidri snapped as she rushed over, trying to cover his mouth.
The tavern was filled with local adventurers, and she knew if they caught wind of anything, they would spread rumors like wildfire. Soon enough, there would be countless exaggerated versions of what happened between her and August floating around town.
The thought of everyone staring at her with those curious, judging eyes made her deeply uncomfortable.
"Wow, so forward today?" August quipped, catching Meidri off guard. In one swift motion, he pulled her into his arms.
And just like that, the entire tavern froze.
Everyone stood in stunned silence, watching as one of the tavern's brightest beauties willingly fell into the arms of a man.
It wasn't just any man, though. Judging by the way she acted, this clearly wasn't their first time together.
The flames of gossip ignited instantly, with Stunk and Zel being the most intrigued of all.
Had they missed something? Since when had the two gotten so close?
"What are you doing, holding me like this in front of everyone!" Meidri hissed, trying to wriggle out of his embrace.
"I'm just giving you a proper greeting. And besides, weren't you the one who rushed over for a hug?" August teased her with a wink.
"Who said I wanted a hug, you idiot!" she snapped, her voice tinged with frustration.
"Come on now, be honest. Your heart's racing," August smirked.
Meidri was left speechless, grabbing him by the arm and dragging him toward the stairs. "Upstairs, now!" she ordered.
The whole tavern practically exploded into whispers.
"Did Meidri just take a man upstairs?"
"Isn't that the same guy who got a visit from one of the girls at the Succubus shop?"
"Yeah, that's him! I heard he's the only one who managed to satisfy that busty succubus no one else could handle!"
"No wonder! Looks like Meidri's fallen for him too."
"Ugh, good looks and natural advantages—how is that even fair?"
The gossip spread like wildfire, quickly spiraling into countless versions of romantic tales and heated rivalries.
...
"Stunk, do you think this is real?" Zel asked, bewildered.
"Who cares if it is? Once August comes back down, we can just ask him," Stunk replied, shrugging.
"Fair enough."
"But seriously, that jerk didn't even bother to greet us before rushing over to Meidri."
"Well, he's a guy. It makes sense."
___
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