Not long after, Aurelius and Narberal reached the inn recommended by the guild's receptionist.
Due to Aurelius's extraordinary appearance and the intimidating aura he naturally emanated, no one in the inn dared to cast more than a fleeting glance at him, let alone treat him with disdain because of his Copper Plate Adventurer status.
"I-it will be five copper coins for one room per night for two people," stammered the innkeeper nervously.
"Very well," Aurelius replied calmly.
Even the innkeeper didn't dare to inflate the price, visibly swallowing nervously as if drenched in sweat.
Such a treatment was in stark contrast to what Momonga had faced in the original, where he was overcharged just because of his Copper Rank.
"We will be in our room then. Don't disturb us with trivial matters," Aurelius stated, paying the fee before turning away.
As he did so, his gaze suddenly fell upon a woman with disheveled, short red hair sitting in a corner of the hall, her attention fixated on a blue potion held delicately in a glass vial.
'Ah, isn't that woman, Brita? What a coincidence! I was just thinking about whether to abduct Nfirea, the man I've NTR'd, but it seems his luck has gotten better this time. I suppose I won't need to resort to kidnapping; he'll come to me in due course. Hehe.'
Deciding in an instant, Aurelius scanned the hall and soon spotted the same bunch of trash Momonga had encountered in the original. However, unlike Momonga, whom they tried to bully, they even avoided making any eye contact and kept their heads bowed in fear under Aurelius's imposing presence.
'Perfect.'
Nonetheless, Aurelius didn't rely on them to stir up trouble; when it came to picking a fight and bullshitting his way into a situation, Aurelius himself was an expert.
Intentionally, he approached the group and collided with one of the men's legs. Pretending to stumble, he quickly regained his balance and turned around, his expression contorting with anger.
"Hey, you BASTARD! How dare you stick your foot in my way?! What if I had fallen because of you?! Do you think I'm a fool who wouldn't notice?"
"W-what?!"
In response, the bald thug instinctively rose to his feet, unaware that this was exactly what Aurelius had anticipated.
"No, it was just-"
"You dare talk back to me, you worm!"
Without hesitation, Aurelius cut off the man's words and grabbed him by the neck, lifting him off the ground.
"Cough! Khueh! H-help..."
The man's struggles intensified, and his expression contorted in a desperate attempt to draw breath. His legs flailed wildly in the air, searching for a platform.
"S-save me!!"
Onlookers in the hall who had been observing quietly now swallowed nervously as they witnessed the towering Aurelius effortlessly lift the bald man with one hand.
"It's truly irritating to see a wretch who's not even fit to be a dog bark like this. Do you think I'm unaware of the garbage thoughts of vermin like you?"
Aurelius's voice dripped with disdain as he brought the man's face dangerously close to unconsciousness.
"Now what should I do with you? Should I have your limbs amputated alive and then torture you so that you won't die easily… Or."
He paused, locking eyes with the man who, in a last-ditch effort, attempted to grasp Aurelius's hand as he gasped for air.
This was a silent plea for mercy, an unspoken acknowledgment of defeat.
But in return, what he got was Aurelius's stare full of killing intent.
Sensing Aurelius' murderous intent, the terrified man frantically sought assistance from the other customers in the hall with a pleading gaze, until, at the end, his gaze finally landed on the mysterious yet beautiful Nabe.
Noticing this, Aurelius seized upon this opportunity without hesitation.
"You dare cast your lecherous gaze upon my companion! I shall pluck out those eyes of yours!!"
With lightning speed, Aurelius pulled the man's right eyeball, which caused a crimson stream of blood to run down his wrist.
"Ahhhhh!"
"Tsk... Even in such circumstances, you wretches remain irredeemable!"
Speaking with an air of righteousness and putting himself on the moral high ground, Aurelius looked around the room, causing all spectators to turn away their gazes. They understood one thing: this man was dangerous, and it would be unwise to cross him carelessly. After all, they had no desire to put themselves in trouble for someone else.
Moreover, the man Aurelius had beaten was notorious for bullying newcomers, so perhaps this incident was his retribution. Such thoughts circulated among the crowd, reinforcing their reluctance to intervene.
And that was precisely the effect Aurelius had aimed for: he wanted others to think twice before crossing him, to understand the potential repercussions of challenging him.
Satisfied with the outcome, Aurelius flung the man he had held by the neck in a desired direction. The man's body soared through the air with astonishing force, landing on a table in a parabolic arc precisely as Aurelius had anticipated.
Bang!
The impact echoed through the room, accompanied by the shattering of glass and the splintering of wood, which was then followed by a female voice crying out in distress.
"Aaaaagh!"
In a display of anger, the woman, Brita, jumped from her seat and rushed toward Aurelius, pointing at him accusingly.
"Y-You! What did you—"
However, her words stopped as she felt the chilling intensity of Aurelius's gaze fix upon her like a predator sizing up its prey.
"What?!"
"M-my potion... my precious potion... broken."
Despite her terrified state, though, Brita managed to express her distress. After all, the healing potion, for which she had labored and saved every penny, held immense value to her as an adventurer who frequently faced life-threatening situations in the unknown.
For Brita, it was a matter of life and death.
Aurelius heard her words and feigned confusion, turning his gaze to the shattered table where the broken vial and spilled blue potion lay scattered.
"Ah, it was a recovery potion."
"T-that's right..."
"That was indeed my negligence. I should have been more careful before disposing of the trash. But fear not; it was just a potion. I'll make it right by compensating you."
With these words, Aurelius paused, pulled out two Minor Healing potions, and held them out to the woman.
Brita glanced at the red potions, and a perplexed expression crossed her face. Aurelius nodded understandingly, as if he understood her concern. He then approached the man he had flung earlier and poured the contents of one of the vials—a low-grade red potion—over the man's face.
Hiss!
The potion started working almost instantly, and under Brita's astonished eyes, the man's eyeballs began to regenarate.
"See, it works even better."
Speaking nonchalantly, he gave Brita the remaining potion, paid for the furniture he had damaged, and then, accompanied by Narberal, moved to the second floor, the location of the room he had reserved.
Everyone on her first floor, frozen in horror, finally sighed in relief as his figure vanished onto the second floor, while Brita stayed frozen in place, still shocked about what she had witnessed just now.
....
Entering the room with Narberal, Aurelius took a moment to secure it with multiple layers of spells, ensuring their privacy and protection from intrusion and spying. With a sigh, he opened the wooden window wide, allowing the fresh air and sunlight to stream in, calming his mind.
"Do you have any questions, Nabe?"
"Oh, no!! Au-Lucifer-sama's judgment was really good!"
Narberal knelt down and bowed her head.
"Nabe, get up. You don't need to act now. I've secured this room with a spell. However, you must always maintain appearances when we're outside. At the moment, people perceive us as adventurers and partners. Our objective is to establish ourselves and garner a reputation in this city. But we cannot allow ourselves to be bullied; the strong maintain their pride, and the weak must know their place. If you give them an inch, they'll try to drag you down with them."
"I will always remember your wise words, Aurelius Sama."
"Good."
Nodding in approval, Aurelius closed the window, allowing the lamps on the walls to illuminate the room.
"By the way, My Lord, what are you going to do about that troublesome woman?"
"You mean the red-haired woman? Leave her be. She's a pawn that I've set in motion. If my calculations are correct, she'll soon bring us something of interest."
"As expected, Aurelius Sama. Everything you do always has a purpose."
"Or else? Did you think I would pick a fight with a lowlife for no reason?"
"Of course not! Everything unfolded according to your plans, my Lord. I knew it, and I witnessed it myself."
"Indeed. But setting that aside for the moment, Nabe, you've worked hard today. So..."
"Woah!"
Narberal's eyes widened in surprise as Aurelius suddenly pulled her by the waist and threw her on the bed.
"Au, Au, Aurelius Sama...!!!"
She stuttered in shock as Aurelius fondled her ample breasts, causing her to gasp for breath.
"Nabe, you are mine."
"Huhhhhh, my lord, it will be better to take Albedo-sama's body than my inferior body."
"Narberal Gamma, didn't I tell you? I decide your worth. Everything about you, including your body, belongs to me alone. So today, I'll give you a chance to conceive my child too, like Albedo and Luminous."
"Yes, yes...? Is that true?"
"Yes, I can impregnate you too, Narberal. Right now."
With that declaration, Aurelius lifted Narberal into his arms, his hand resting against her womb, conveying the tenderness of his words about pregnancy.
"Haaa..."
Understanding the weight of his words, Narberal let out a shaky breath, burying her flushed face into his chest as she spoke.
"Please... be gentle..."
"Unfortunately for you, that's not something I can promise."
With a sinister grin on his lips, Aurelius pulled Narberal even closer, and before she could fully comprehend his intentions, he captured her lips in a passionate kiss.