When you acquire a new weapon, itās almost a primal instinct to want to test it out.
However, today was designated as a day of rest. Lydia was adamant about maintaining this schedule, and she wouldnāt entertain the idea of a quick trip to the labyrinth, even if I suggested it.
For that reason, I considered persuading Lemon and Apple to casually explore the entrance of the first floor with me.
āAh. Thereās no need to go that far.ā
My curiosity was reaching a fever pitch, almost driving me insaneā¦ but it wasnāt enough to make me break my promise to Lydia that we must enter the labyrinth together, at least for now.
After all, we were planning to go in tomorrow, so I just needed to muster a bit more patience.
So, I decided to engage in something as thrilling as testing the new weapon. That was, engaging in the gachaā¦!
I donāt know what came over me, but I rose from my seat and put some distance between myself and Eve, who was bubbling over with excitement.
āLemon! Apple! Letās go do some work together.ā
āEh. Weāre not going to the labyrinth.ā
āWeāve already been today. Weāre exhausted.ā
āNo, itās not about that, so just come with me. Ah, thank you for today, Eve. Iāve got something to take care of, so Iāll be heading out now!ā
āEh? Ohā¦ Okay?ā
With a polite bow to the puzzled Eve, I seized Lemon and Apple by the wrists and made our exit from the store.
Thud!
The sound echoed behind us, like someone was slamming their forehead on a desk, but it was probably just the noise of the door closing.
Lemon and Apple glanced at Eve but followed me without any complaints.
Even now, after weād gotten quite far from the store.
āLemon. Apple. Arenāt you going to ask where weāre going or what weāre doing?ā
āWe donāt need to know that.ā
āThe important thing is that Jonah is still holding our wrists.ā
They giggled like idiots, following me simply because I was holding their wristsānot even their hands.
āSigh. Maidens.ā
āā¦But isnāt Yona also a virgin?ā
āA sudden attack like that hurts, yāknow.ā
āItās okay. Even if it hurts, it can be healed with the unicorn dagger. And do you think that the value of a virgin and a maiden are the same?ā
āThatās this worldās fault!ā
āWeāre both of the same pure body, so why are only maidens ridiculed!ā
Having memories from my past life, I couldnāt help but sympathize with Lemon and Apple, who were indignantly discussing such a topic.
Their conversation made me chuckle for a moment. But now, it seemed the topic had shifted as their voices grew heavier.
āWhen I was being healed earlier, it felt good but also somewhat off.ā
āBeing healed means itās proof of being a maiden. The bodyās wounds may heal, but the heartās wounds do not.ā
āNo, if you put it that way, what does that make me? Itās like Iām walking around, revealing my virginity constantly.ā
āWow.ā
āThis isnāt the time to be amazed and say āwow.ā What are you going to do if Jonahās dagger turns black and splits into two one day?ā
Apple nudged the side of Lemon, who had just been admiring me without any thought. After a moment of hesitation, Lemon seemed to ponder for a while, then finally spoke in a serious tone.
āI guess Iāll have to kneel and beg for him to do it with me.ā
āAre you seriously insane?ā
Whack!
Eventually, Lemon received a full swing to the back of her head by Apple, then grimaced in pain.
I chuckled at the dumb-and-dumber-like bickering of the two, then spoke in a subtle voice.
āWell, not nowā¦ but later. After Iāve become an adult and achieved my goals, if both of you are still virgins, Iāll take your first times.ā
āā¦Are you serious?ā
āWe elves consider 10 or 20 years as nothing. You must speak carefully.ā
āOf course, Iām serious. Ah, but thereās a queue, so you might have to wait a bit.ā
āWe know that Boss is first in line.ā
āHonestly, having been lonely for a thousandā¦ no, for a long time, we understand.ā
āā¦ā¦?ā
I was talking about Ellie and Lydia. Why was Eve coming up here? I hadnāt even flirted with Eve, had I?
Except for slightly leaning in when she was explaining about the unicorn dagger, I hadnāt done anything.
ā¦Is it just that Iām her type?
With my brainās translation function seemingly malfunctioning these days, I decided to downgrade my assessment of Eve by one notch in my mind.
Seems suspicious but āstillā a good person (X)
Seems dangerous but āstillā a good person (O)
āHmm.ā
As I nodded to myself, Lemon and Apple cautiously began to speak.
āBy the way, can I ask where weāre going now?ā
āIām starting to get curious.ā
āAbout what?ā
āWhere are you taking us?ā
āThis direction seems to lead to a somewhat questionable neighborhood, doesnāt it?ā
āAh, donāt worry. Iām not taking you to the red-light district or any cheap inns nearby.ā
āA shame, reallyā¦ā
āWeāre disappointed because thatās exactly what we wantedā¦ā
These girls really are candid about their desires, arenāt they?
I sighed deeply and tightened my grip on the wrists I was still holding, determined not to let them escape.
āThereās an alleyway before we get there, right? Towards the industrial district.ā
āā¦Isnāt that where we first met Jonah?ā
āDonāt tell me youāre planning to bury us there to settle past grudgesā¦ā
Lemon and Apple began to tremble. Come to think of it, the industrial district was indeed where my transmigrated self first woke up.
Itās also the place where Lemon and Apple extorted me.
āWhat do you even think of me? We agreed to settle it last time when I received compensation for saving your lives. I wonāt resort to such things now, all right?ā
āIām asking just in case, but what if you still harbored a grudge?ā
āWould it end just with us being extorted?ā
Lemon and Apple asked cautiously. I turned to them and gave a light smile.
āElves are indeed a race with many uses.ā
āOrgan traffickingā¦!ā
āHuman traffickingā¦!ā
Seeing them tremble, a sense of satisfaction blossomed within my heart.
Why was it so enjoyable to torment Lemon and Apple? Was it because they reacted in such an amusing way, slightly different from Ellie?
I slightly lowered my arm and, instead of holding their wrists, took their hands, then added on.
āItās a joke. At most, I would have scared you like I was scared and then used you as errand girls.ā
I had been extorted, but it wasnāt like I was physically harmed. They just acted a bit menacing and frisked my pockets, taking the money I had begged for that day. So, it was something that could be forgiven with some money.
āAnyway, the reason weāre going this time isnāt to bury you guys. Itās to try doing what we did last time again.ā
āWhat we did last timeā¦?ā
āAre you talking about becoming an undisputed ruler of the back alleys?ā
āSimilar, but slightly different. Last time, we had to disband because we were reported, right? So, I thought about it, and we shouldnāt have tried to unify in the first place. If we grow too big, weāll just end up attracting more attention from the guards.ā
Gang members and a gang organization indeed feel entirely different, donāt they?
āSo, letās just extort them and then let them go. This neighborhood is riddled with unresolved issues anyway.ā
āWhat if they come after us, even if we drop them like last time?ā
āYou mentioned you had no intention of uniting them back then, either.ā
āWhy overthink it? Weāll just knock them all out.ā
Unlike Lemon and Apple, I havenāt yet received any compensation from these local thugs. They have no clue how miserable my life as a beggar was.
āIāll aim for ten times the amount.ā
It might also be the perfect opportunity to test the power of the unicorn dagger.
I suppose I shouldnāt stab peopleā¦ But it should be acceptable if they arenāt exactly people, right?
The results were a resounding success.
Swoosh!
I returned to the Fairy and Silver Coin, emptying todayās earnings onto the desk.
āLetās seeā¦ whatās the total?ā
The pile included the proceeds from farming Iron Wolf leather, after meticulous preparation. I then tallied it up, adding the amount I had extorted while encountering those familiar faces once again. šrš²šš ešnošš²š„.cš¼m
ā1 gold, 26 silver, 92 copper, is it?ā
Among this, the Iron Wolf leathers alone brought in more than 1 gold.
Thatās when it dawned on me why the somewhat strong adventurers didnāt stoop to thuggish behaviors.
āJust going to the labyrinth once or twice earns more than shaking down all the local thugsā¦?ā
It made sense to avoid such petty crimes if they werenāt profitable, especially if those acts could draw the guardsā attention.
Unless, of course, you harbored a grudge like me.
āNow itās double. Just need to go four more times.ā
Ah, the performance of the unicorn dagger exceeded my expectations.
Of course, I hadnāt used it on people, so its effects, such as the special non-virgin attack, were unknown to meā¦ but it had sliced through weapons and thick padded clothes with ease.
Not only had I effortlessly cut through thick wooden clubs, but I had also sliced through quilted jackets known as gambesons, which served as makeshift armor, as if they were mere sheets of paperā¦
Although I hadnāt verified it yet, with this capability, slicing through the hide of an Iron Wolf should pose no problem.
If I could inflict direct damage, then my combat style could undergo a drastic transformation.
Just in time, the armor crafted from the hide of the Iron Wolf, which I had commissioned, will be completed tomorrow. This marks a significant upgrade in the quality of my equipment.
With this enhancement, beyond Iron Wolves, I could potentially take on Giant Mantisesā¦ and perhaps even a Hobgoblin tribe.
However, that wasnāt my immediate concern.
āShe mentioned it increases luck, didnāt sheā¦?ā
I placed the symbol of the Temple of the Goddess of Love, which Karen had given me, on the desk, positioning the unicorn dagger in front of it.
It wasnāt that I was attempting to exploit any blasphemy or intimidation tactics.
Since manual dexterity wasnāt my forte, I placed the dagger in front of the symbol rather than a statue, banking on its supposed ability to bring good luck.
Lastly, clutching the Lucky Strike I always wore with both hands, I activated the gacha system.
Ding!
āLetās go, 120 pullsā¦!ā