Chương 16: The Demon-Princess Needs Subjects P2

"Subject?" I asked as my stat screen appeared, blocking my vision. System Congratulations, you've reached level 3. Congratulations, you've reached level 4. Name: Rook Class: Glutton Grade: Special Level: 4 EXP: 55/400 HP: 10/130 MP: 0/0 The recipe Dire-Rabbit Heart Skewers has given you these one-time permanent bonuses. Stats: STR: 6 (+1) DEX: 13 (+5) VIT: 5 (+0) INT: 10 (+3) WIS: 9 (+1) CHA: 8 (+3) LCK: 9 (+3) Dire-Rabbit Heart Skewers Effects added: Grants +5 Dexterity for 1 hour, +5 HP/m, Rapid Recovery Rank 1.

Rapid Recovery Rank 1: Recover HP at an increased rate of 20% for the duration of the food buff. Reduces time of food buffs by 20%. Dire-Rabbit Heart Skewers… Level up New recipe learned… Redcap Pepper Jerky, Stingtail Nettle Tea"Yes, subject," Vaelith reiterated.

"The first of many. Now… as my first, you'll need to serve as an example for others. Hmm— you're not much to look at. Kinda scrawny. And those clothes; how will others come to adore me if my followers are dressed in such rags?"

"Followers? Clothes?" I stood and pulled my clothes out to inspect them. Blood and guts stained the fabric, stiff in places where it had begun to dry. I smelled terrible. Like sweat and monster blood. Perhaps she had a point.

"I've no coin for any other clothes," I said, "so these will have to do."

"No coin?" the demon-princess asked.

"But how will you shower me with praise if you can offer no gifts?" I shrugged… and then raised my eyebrow.

"Who says I'm going to be your subject, anyway? I appreciate you saving me, but a lifelong debt—" Vaelith coughed.

"We can talk about the details later. For now—" she pointed to the right "—what's wrong with your companion?" I turned and looked. Sure enough, Darwin was on the ground, his water globule gone. He was unmoving. The damp grass beneath him glistened, and for one awful moment, he looked like something dead that had washed up on a riverbank. Then, suddenly, his goblin-like eyes popped open. Where before he had looked similar to a tadpole, he now had light-brown fur and two long rabbit-like ears. And legs as well.

Although… he was still very small. Able to fit on my hand, but only just. He was getting bigger.

"Master," Darwin said, hopping about on the ground.

"No water, no water. Air, air."

"Yep," I said.

"You can breathe air now. Congratulations."

"Grat-ul-lations, Grat-ul-ations," Darwin repeated as he hopped around. His new little legs kicked too fast for his body, sending him tumbling once before he sprang back up. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. Vaelith glanced at Darwin, then at me, and then back to Darwin.

"You two are a strange lot, do you know that?"

"Strange?" Darwin repeated, and then, as if remembering something, he jumped onto my shoulder, hiding behind my head.

"Demon! Danger, danger."

"She's not dangerous," I said. Looking at her and the bloodied axe leaned against the tree, I amended, "Well… not to us."

"Now then," Vaelith said, "if all of this nonsense is done with, we must discuss our traveling arrangements."

"Us?" I replied.

"Travel? As I said, I've not decided on anything." Still… looking at the dead dire-rabbits nearby, she could be useful if I were to hunt monsters.

"How about this?" I suggested.

"How about you come with me back to Bramblewick? It's a human settlement. I've some business to attend to. Afterward, maybe we can discuss some sort of arrangement. I need to keep leveling, and you look to be strong. Maybe my food can convince others to follow you… although I wouldn't hold my breath for that." Vaelith was nodding along, but halfway through, she looked to become distracted. She stood, stretched her muscular arms, and then her back. She threw a few mock punches in the air.

Then she jumped ten feet up and caught a branch, hanging from it. She dropped, and a puff of dirt rose beneath her boots.

"Your food gave me a Dexterity buff," she said.

"You can give buffs…. with just food?" I nodded.

"Yeah, that's the secret power of my class. Why, is there something wrong?" Vaelith got a wicked smile on her face.

"No… nothing wrong. But this changes everything."

The walk back to Bramblewick was quick. We'd not talked much… And by we, I mean me. Vaelith could not stop talking. She spoke of demons and their society. I'd known about demons, but little more than that they existed at all and that they had their own god. She failed to mention anything about her own family, friends, or place in said society other than what her title suggested. The morning road was damp from dew, and the fields on either side of Harvesters Way glowed softly beneath the rising sun.

Birds called from the fence posts. Cart tracks cut through the mud in deep lines. After the blood and thistles, the simple sight of tilled farmland felt almost unnatural. Darwin rode on my shoulder for the most part, keeping a wary eye on Vaelith. My companion did not like her, and he would not say why—if he himself even knew. As we got closer to town, we began to see more and more people. Farmers, adventurers, and herbalists.

They all stared cautiously at Vaelith, who merely tipped her head to them, carrying her wicked two-handed axe, still covered in blood, on her shoulder. The woman had no idea how terrifying she looked. Her horns flashed in the light. Her yellow eyes gleamed. The dried blood on the axe had darkened to nearly black. Not exactly the best way to find willing subjects. In town, we made our way to Lina's shop.

The streets had started to fill with the usual morning bustle: wagons creaking, shop doors opening, people calling greetings that stopped abruptly once they recognized me and saw who walked beside me. Madam Moolisa mooed as she saw me, but when she glanced at Vaelith, she shuddered back a bit, giving the slightest bit of a moo in response.

"Let me talk to Lina first," I said.

"You wait out here. And do try not to scare the cow." Vaelith gave a derisive snort, but didn't object otherwise. I walked into Lina's shop, the bell sounding as I did.

"Welcome to—" She turned and recognized me.

"Rook!" she said excitedly, leaping over the counter and running to hug me. She stopped short.

"You smell like you rolled in blood and shit."

"Not far from the truth," I said.

"So… do you have any clothes to wear?" Lina provided me with a fresh set of adventurer clothes, then took one look at my old stuff before deciding it was ruined. The bundle she handed me smelled clean.

"Five copper," she said.

"You want me to pay?" Lina gave me a hard look.

"Of course, I'm a businesswoman. You've had plenty from me already." I sighed. She was right. I handed over the copper and felt the system take it from my inventory. I spent the better part of an hour explaining everything to Lina. Told her about the dire-rabbits, the food, my levels, and about the demon-princess who saved me. Darwin let himself be known, and Lina found his new form oddly cute in a horrifically grotesque sort of way.

"So… a demon-princess. You really expect me to believe that?" I gestured to the door.

"She's right outside." Lina shot me a coy smile as she passed, pushing open the door. She stopped with the sort of blank expression on her face that said, What the fuck? I pushed past her and went outside. There, I saw the demon-princess Vaelith Noctara casually playing with Madam Moolisa in the side yard, except they weren't playing so much as Vaelith was testing her strength to see if she could lift the cow over her head. Surprisingly, she managed. Just barely.

"You're a big one," Vaelith said, setting Moolisa down. Madam Moolisa mooed happily, not at all bothered by being lifted into the air. She licked Vaelith's face, which gave out a loud slap.

"This magnificent creature is one after my own heart. She will be my second subject. Perhaps my noble steed!" The demon-princess and the cow rolled together in the grass, and Vaelith laughed and laughed away, Madam Moolisa mooing with content. The grass flattened beneath them, and Moolisa's bell clanged with every happy roll. Darwin glared from my shoulder with a mix of fear and jealousy. Lina glanced at me.

"What sort of trouble did you get yourself into?"

"You've no idea."