The large tent they brought with them could only fit three people side by side, even though Mary could've brought a bigger one, she refrained fearing that they might never be able to use it in this dense forest. A three-person tent seemed like the best option for a large tent.
When Shin looked inside the tent, he was quite surprised. Although it could only comfortably fit three people, four people might be able to sleep inside if they slept side by side. "It's quite spacious, but only for sleeping."
"Isn't it quite small?" Ase looked at him, "We'll be sleeping side by side here, we might even use a single blanket."
Mary nodded, "That's better." She looked at Ase with a smile. Ase was confused for a second, looking back at her, "What did you say?"
"It's better for us to sleep like this, close." She giggled, "You were asleep over him last night, I bet you two could fit in a single sleeping bag." Her smug smile turned toward Shin with a giggle, "We could fit four people here."
"I'm here as well." Arachne said as she was sitting on Shin's leg. Char quickly followed after her, "No, we're five here…Ah, you're right…I'm smart!...don't overestimate yourself…" Hearing Arachne and Char speaking over each other never gets old, Shin who listened to them biker sometimes even found it hard to figure out who was the one speaking.
"Did you spread your threads?" Shin asked and Arachne nodded, "Yes, fine threads that they won't even notice. Even if they noticed them they won't even care, I put them with Char's small body so they look like normal spider threads."
"So when they disturb them, you'll know. An alarm system that can't fail, simply amazing." He patted her tiny head with one finger.
"You're the one who had me build a similar alarm web all over the underworld to catch demonic threads before they even attack." She shifted into her humanoid body and sat beside them.
Just like Ase, Mary had given Arachne a storage bag that helped her keep her clothes when switching between her humanoid and spider forms. "Let's sleep together!" She jumped over him.
Mary sighed, "We're here as well. And, don't you need to keep watch?"
Arachne looked at her, "I won't fall asleep, and even if I did the threads would wake me up when anyone is fifty yards away from the camp. It'll be fine to play a bit…" Her glowing red eyes shifted back to Shin, "Right?"
Shin pushed her away, "Guard or not, that won't matter." He sighed, "You'll eat me afterward, do you think I don't know that?"
"Come on… I'll only do that if I get a bit too excited." She giggled, licking her lips but Mary pushed her arm between them. "Just to remind you. Me and Ase are here as well."
"She's right, calm down." Ase growled at her.
Arachne looked at them, "Ah, I don't care. You two can join as well, it'll be fun with more people." Her gaze shifted back to Shin, "And you two probably won't ever get close to him with me around. He trusts me more than anyone now."
Ase laughed, "That's not a thing you can say about yourself. He didn't say anything about trusting you."
All this time, Mary didn't check Arachne's wealth. She checked Char's wealth before, but not her. She looked at Arachne and snuck a peek, [Infinite]
Arachne's wealth was infinite just by being close to Shin…no, she already had near-infinite wealth on her own but maxed it by being at his side. This only proved that what Arachne said was true.
"Now…" Arachne turned toward Mary, "That's quite rude…get her." She smiled and Shin instantly grabbed Mary by the neck, pinning her down. "What…" Mary cried but Shin immediately punched her in the stomach as hard as he could and pinned her arms and legs down.
She could see that her wealth had returned to normal, all the trust she built with him had vanished in the blink of an eye, with one word from Arachne.
Arachne sat on top of Mary's chest and opened her eyes with two fingers, looking at them. "Now, to find what did you use at me. I felt a bit of divine magic, detection magic, and a hint of soul view…"
"What are you doing?!" Ase cried but Shin glared back at her, "Shut up! You don't know anything."
"Now, little Mary. What did you use on me? Speak or I'll have him snap your fingers one by one." Arachne giggled.
"I didn't use any…." CRACK! Shin snapped one of her fingers and Arachne giggled with an excited face as she covered Mary's mouth to muffle her scream. "Doesn't even need me to tell him to do it."
"Listen, me and everyone who fought with Shin before had lived together for thousands of years. The relationship between us was built on trust, blind trust built upon decades of comradery and companionship." She smiled, "He knows that I won't lie to him, I proved that by not lying once for thousands of years. You used some strange magic on me, you might've used it on him as well."
"This is why I shouldn't trust humans." Shin growled and Arachne nodded, "Yep, told you before. Sofia was a human and she ended up stabbing you in the back, didn't she? I'm at least honest with you, if we have sex and I get a bit too excited, I might end up eating you. She didn't tell you that if you dropped your guard she'll end up stabbing you in the back to steal your power."
"Indeed…" Shin sighed, disappointed.
"Now, I can't tell exactly what you did since I'm weakened now. But I know you did something, spill it out and I might let you live. And don't even dare lie, I've seen many people lie and I can tell them apart."
"B…blessing of Mira…it allows me to see someone's wealth, that how I determine who I do business with. I used it to see how much money you're worth, I also used it on Shin and Ase before." Mary cried.
"To see someone's wealth, current wealth?"
"No…potential wealth, how much they are worth in their whole life."
"The blessing of a god that can transcend fate and see someone's fated wealth…that would fit all types of magic that I've felt." Arachne smiled, "See? It wasn't that hard."
"Let me go then." Mary growled at her, she must heal her finger before it get inflamed.
"Not yet. I feel like there is something you aren't telling me." Arachne patted Mary's head, "Why would you need to look at our wealth? And before you answer me, let me make something clear, I lived with Shin for far longer than you'll ever do in your short human life."
Arachne giggled, "This time I won't allow any human woman to deceive him. If you want us to trust you, then be honest."
"Shin's wealth is infinite…if I got close to him my wealth would rise to match. Just like how kings marry their daughters away for money or political power and relationships, I intended to get close to Shin to hopefully marry him for his wealth."
"I see…a gold digger. But…what about someone like me?" Arachne looked at her, "I'm sure my wealth is quite high."
"You're near infinite but infinite with Shin beside you."
Hearing Mary's reply, Arachne burst laughing, "I see! I see…I indeed had mountains of gold stashed at my lair that even the dragons envied. But…I believe you don't understand the blessing yourself."
"What?" Mary gasped and Arachne asked her to look at Shin's wealth again. His wealth was still infinite, but she could notice it fluctuating a bit.
Arachne giggled, "Shin's wealth isn't infinite, it's like that of any other human. The reason it's infinite is because there are tens of powerful beasts like me ready to serve him. Me, the ape king, the dragon's overlord, the witch queen, the sea's pearl, the primal devils, the twenty maidens of Mount Valor, and far more. Out cumulative loyalty and servitude are what give him his infinite wealth."
"You mean…"
"You're in the presence of an immortal emperor. If you want his wealth, you've to get with everyone else, you can't keep him for yourself." Arachne moved away from above her, "And, I could tell that you were lying by feeling your heart rate, that's why I sat on your chest."
"So…" Ase looked at them, "Is Mary fine?"
"Yeah, she's fine now." Shin replied, "Should've told me from the start." He sighed and then turned toward Arachne, "Thanks for the warning."
"Don't even mention it. I told you that I won't let what happened with Sofia repeat itself." She then shifted her gaze to Mary who just drank a potion to heal her finger. "Check your wealth again."
When Mary checked, her wealth which had dropped normally had now become far higher than before, several millions. "It increased."
"You're welcome, no need to thank me." Arachne waved her hand.
Now that Shin knows Mary's goal and motives it'll be easier for him to know how to deal with her. He knows what he can trust her with and what he can't. This had gotten the two of them even closer than before.
"Now." Arachne looked at Mary, "You wanted to marry him for money, do I take that as you willing to sleep with him?"
"I've been trying for a while, he just doesn't pick up on hints." Mary sighed.
"I do." Shin said and Arachne nodded, "I bet you he did. He just doesn't want to." She then looked at Ase, "And what about you? Been quiet for a while."
"He saved my life and been someone I can rely on. So yes, I did plan to live with him for the rest of my life." Ase smiled and Shin sighed in the back. "I don't like where this is going."
"Then it's decided," Arachne's eyes shifted toward Shin, "Let's all do it here."
"At once?!" Ase gasped.
"In your dreams!" Mary growled at her.
"Ah… come on, it'll be fun." Arachne looked at them with a sad face.
"You mean." Shin grabbed her by the shoulder, "He won't do it with me so let's get the two in so he might lump me with them and I'll get some love. As Mary said, in your dreams. You'll eat them and me once you get done, I know it."