Myra narrowed her eyes at Karami.
There was an evil aura emanating from Karami that she hadn't felt before, much like the magick emitted by the demons.
Myra kept her head still and rolled her eyes.
The corpses of the demons littered the ground.
Probably loot.
I have no intention of making a big deal out of it. Taking and selling byproducts is the adventurer's main source of income.
It's just.
"I'll have to check it out."
A magi of his caliber needs to check.
But Karami wasn't willing to hand over the spellbook.
"Why would I do that, is it revenge for last time?"
"I think you're misunderstanding something, but this isn't like the last time at the tavern. Artifacts taken from dungeons are supposed to be tested by the Order because they contain magic, and since I'm here, I'm willing to do it."
Karami didn't know about this rule.
He wasn't an adventurer for a living, and he didn't know all the rules.
"Do you give it back?"
"If it clears up, I'll give it back, but if it doesn't, I won't. I can't have you wielding something so dangerous, the Order will deal with you arbitrarily."
"What about the reward?"
"No such thing. You should be thanking me for keeping it out of harm's way. I should be paying for the inspection."
What a bunch of thieves.
Karami was about to curse for a moment, then swallowed hard. Artifacts have a different value than ordinary byproducts.
Some are cheap, while others cost a fortune.
To take them away from me just because I have a magicka, and not even compensate me for it, is the same as asking the landowner to pay for the excavation of a cultural treasure when you're trying to build a building.
It's one thing if you don't have a problem with it, but the goblin shaman had it. It's a book of spells that can even manipulate spirits.
It's hard to say it's without risk. If you make a mistake and the spellbook disappears, Mirabelle's complete liberation is instantaneous.
"I can't give it to you right away, but can you give me a grace period?"
Mirabelle would be useless if she could only learn magic. In the game, it's easy to get her to learn, but not here.
I don't know how long it will take, but it shouldn't be too long for Mirabelle. A few days at most.
But Myra, who cannot tolerate even the slightest exception, shook her head firmly.
"No, no. If anything, it's more suspicious that you're asking for a grace period. You seem to know what you have."
Myra stalked away, her stride brisk and brash.
Karami's head spun tautly.
"Should we fight?
We need Mirabelle's help, and she's not in the best of shape. Fighting is no guarantee of victory.
Then....
"Uh, is there a beast we haven't dealt with yet?"
Karami pointed a finger at the back of the clerics, and their heads turned in unison.
Holding Mirabelle, he grabbed the shaman and placed his hand on the transference stone that had been created. For a moment, they felt as floaty as they had when they entered the dungeon, and then their figures disappeared from the dungeon with a poof.
"What? That guy?"
I barely had time to react before Julius, who was waiting behind me, asked.
"What do you want to do?"
Myra scratched the back of her head nervously, as if tired.
She apologized for the last time, and was willing to give him a pass if it wasn't a very strange object. Not if he was running away.
"Catch him, and check him out, but don't be rough with him."
They arrived at the dungeon entrance.
A green meadow greeted them.
"Ah! The guy who pushed me earlier!"
And a party of eager boys that Karami met. One of the boys recognized Karami and pointed a finger at him.
"Not you, asshole.
I tried to say something, but the situation was too urgent. And when he saw the look on the boy's bloodshot face, he felt a little sorry for him.
Karami sprinted away with Mirabelle in his arms. It wasn't much different than a neighborhood kid running, but still.
"Where should we go?
There's not much point in hiding anywhere else, after all, we'll have to take a carriage to get to our final destination.
The other neighboring cities are also within the territory. If we waste time, we'll be in trouble if they put out a BOLO and raise the defenses.
Karami decided to return to Delopin before the city's defenses were up.
Karami approaches the gates of Delofin.
"Stop, you dare not enter!"
But the guard at the gate stops him, the same soldier who once paid Karami with gold coins. Karami still remembers his face, which is why his restraint is ridiculous.
"What are you talking about," Karami says, "surely you got a gold coin from me last time."
"You, you, you, where do you get off saying that I, the rust eater of my lord, am paid by you!"
Holy shit.
A money-grubbing hippo who doesn't know when he's full. He's in a hurry, and he doesn't care what he says.
I guess one gold coin wasn't enough?
That's why I'm going to give you more money, even if it means losing money. I'm going to get shit for being stingy.
Karami quickly pulled a gold coin from his pocket and handed it to the guard. He took the money, but this time he didn't let her go.
He just stares at Karami, who doesn't know what to say.
As the car comes to a halt, Karami quickly realizes the reason for the stare: He pulls two more gold coins from his pocket and places them in the guard's hand.
The guard tilted his head in satisfaction.
"Hmph, yes, the slave trader, I remember you now. Go on in."
Karami glared at the guard.
Just as I was about to say something.
Thud.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
A field in the distance.
There's an earthquake.
The weeds scatter.
The earth creates a storm.
Carrying all of this on his back, In-young rushes forward, his white robes untouched.
His power is like that of a buffalo.
The earth trembles.
Karami swallowed hard without realizing it.
"Holy shit.
His physical abilities were beyond the realm of the superhuman, as if he were in a fantasy world.
If you get caught, it won't end well.
If you want to live, you have to run.
"Watch your back, please. You'll get your money's worth."
"What, what?"
Leaving the guards to their work, Karami entered the city, and Mirabelle stirred in his arms. Her condition had improved with the distance from the priests.
"My lord, my lord?"
"Haha, Miss Mirabelle. Did you sleep well?"
"What is going on?"
"Those who claim to serve the gods are trying to take away our innocent goods. It was a gift for Miss Mirabelle."
Mirabelle blinked in confusion.
Trying to take away her master's gift?
How dare he?
"Put it down, please. I'll spank you."
"Hahaha, that would be nice, but I'm not strong enough to fight the Sect yet, so I'd rather get out of the situation and plan for the future...but."
I can't escape.
At this rate, I'll be captured in seconds.
I have to make a choice.
"Can you walk?"
"Yes."
"Good, then from now on, we'll be split in two."
Karami set Mirabelle down and flipped through the Tome.
"This is...?"
"It's a gift. I'll lure them away, and you, Miss Mirabelle, stay somewhere safe."
A double-edged sword.
After all, it's the Book of Maccabees they're after.
If they are both captured and Mirabelle is found out to be a witch, they plan to leave the book with her to escape.
He knows he'll be caught, but it'll give Mirabelle time to learn her magic, and then he can hand over the Book of Magic.
"Come on, let's go."
"Ha, but...."
"Don't worry. You just need to read this book and learn the magic. When you've mastered it, take this and come to where I'll be, okay?"
Mirabelle, unable to move, stumbled to her feet. Even at that moment, Myra is getting closer.
If they delay, all their efforts today will be for naught. Realizing this, Karami has no choice but to take a strong stand.
"As your master, this is an order. You're not going to... let me down, are you?"
"Oh, no!"
The unholy Mirabelle immediately made a determined face.
I must not disappoint her.
I must not devalue her.
If I do, I will be far from liberated.
Mirabelle gripped her wand and grimoire tightly as she entered the alleyway. She glanced back, but Karami had already disappeared in the opposite direction.
Hating this, Mirabelle quickened her pace.
***]
"Hmph, hmph...."
Out of breath, Karami could no longer run and floundered like an octopus, and even that proved difficult, so she slumped to the ground and gasped for air.
Without oxygen to his brain, he felt dizzy.
"Oh, why didn't I buy a stealth robe.
I thought about it.
The points are wide, and I wouldn't be seen unless I disappeared right in front of them.
'No, they'd find me eventually.'
But Karami quickly dismissed the idea.
The robe's duration is 30 minutes.
It also has a 24-hour cooldown, so it can't be reused immediately.
You're lucky if you don't get exorcized for being a ghost, because you won't be able to get a carriage while wearing the robe.
It was best to give Mirabelle time to learn her magic, Karami thought to herself.
"Wow, she's really good at running away. Hasn't this happened to you before?"
A shadow fell over Karami as he squatted.
It was Myra, the corner of her mouth hanging over her ear. She's run enough to kick up a storm of dust, yet she shows no sign of exhaustion.
It's a harsh world for a slave trader to survive in.
Karami sighed.