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A Dream Harem Life Built With Superior Firepower
Chapter 15: The Lady of House Galahad

Chapter 15: The Lady of House Galahad

After sunrise, I had breakfast (jerky, dried biscuit, and some pickled vegetables from Mike and Jenai) and got back to work. I test fired Severance Pay for the better part of the morning to get used to the rifle and the sighting. The armor-piercing aspect of the rifle definitely shined through. This thing sliced through Sequoia trees like a hot knife through butter. In addition, the noise suppression worked as well. The discharge was still way too loud to use in the city (remember, unlike the M1911A1, Garands fire supersonic rounds), but in the forest, it should attract way less attention.

I did run into a problem- the 7th round jam. For some reason, the 7th round of the clip would jam. After remembering that a similar problem plagued the early iterations of the Garand, I inspected the guide rail and realized that I made a similar mistake- the nub on the guide rail was missing.

Well, I never said I was a perfect craftsman. Guess it’s time to go back to the forge-smith.

That mistake took a whole day to fix. But I now had the right guide rails and the right mold for the guide rails. I then spent the week hunting mana-beasts with my new rifle and reloading the cartridges using the mana crystals I’ve harvested.

***

After 2 weeks with Severance Pay, I felt comfortable enough with her to be able to place my fate into her metaphorical hands. Since my supply had dwindled, I headed back to the city. Hopefully, the chaos I’ve caused has died down. At this point, chaos would be nothing but a pain in the ass~

I returned to the city with Severance Pay hidden under my cloak along with Aurelia. My bow and quiver remain outside the cloak for show. The city streets seemed tensely calm for now, with people wearily conducting business in hushed voices. The usual loud and vibrant atmosphere was still missing, but I suspect it’ll gradually return after a while.

I arrived at Mike’s Tavern around midday. He was busy serving patrons during lunchtime, so I casually waved at him on my way to the stairs. After entering my room and locking it, I set down my gear. I checked the secret floor compartment under the bed for my share of the mana crystal sales. WOW! Mike really worked his merchant magic this time around. That’s quite a bit of silver coins in this stash. Hell, I might even be rich enough to dabble in Artorian Silver experiments. After all, this stunt I pulled off is a one-time thing. I’m gonna need a way to keep myself supplied moving forward.

I bathed for the first time in 2 weeks and took a long siesta. I’ve earned this blissful R&R.

By the time I woke up, it was nighttime. Dinnertime just finished and the drinkers began to trickle into the tavern. I walked down and saw that Mike was still busy at the counter. So I drifted into the kitchen for the leftovers. Jenai and the kids chatted with me as I scarfed down the food. Trust me, after 2 weeks of jerky and biscuits, anybody would be starving for a warm home cooked meal.

After dinner, I moved back to the counter and ordered some rum.

It was my 4th cup when I noticed 2 people walking in with cloaks. Well, only suspicious people like me wore cloaks into the local watering hole. I looked down at their shoes. Shit, they had high quality shoes- not the shitty overworn stuff most commoners were stuck with. At that point, I began to hold the cup with my left hand while my right was on Aurelia. Severance Pay had been strapped onto my back the entire time, so I could run with it if need be. Fucking hell, this could get ugly...

The 2 cloaked patrons claimed the spot next to me on the counter and ordered some rum from Mike. He obliged and sent 2 cups their way as they paid him.

“Well, that’s a bit on the nose, isn’t it?” I said to them as I continued to stare at my cup.

“What is?” The cloaked man with an androgenous voice replied.

“You know, as flattered as I am that you two are imitating my suspicious fashion style, I don’t actually enjoy talking to strangers hiding under cloaks.”

The cloaked man dropped his hood. “Apologies, Adept Rummy. I’m Cornelius, a servant of House Galahad. This is my maid, Emma.” Cornelius was unlike the typical men of the Empire- he had a small frame, a feminine-looking face, and an androgenous voice. I wonder who he worked for. The constables would never hire people like him- they cared too much about their public macho image for that.

The cloaked woman dropped her hood, and her waist-length violet hair and lake blue eyes instantly blew me away. Wow, this woman’s beauty easily rivaled that of Aurelia! Her violet hair perfectly matched her light complexion and angelic features. For a moment, I lost myself in her steely eyes. Well done, House Galahad. If you’d want to capture me and interrogate me, she would be the one to do it. Oh boy, I didn’t like where this was going. If I had to shoot another waifu candidate like her, I’d lose my fucking mind.

“So what does the mighty House of Galahad want with a former forge-smith?” I asked nonchalantly as I finished my cup. If I had to go on the run, this might be the last bit of rum I’d get to enjoy for a long while.

“I serve the Galahad Trading Company, and I have been instructed by my master to offer you employment.” Cornelius calmly responded.

Oh, I see their game. Better to put a leash on me than to kill me outright. Time to poke them in their pride and see how they’d react. People who believe that they’re “above” you would always lash out at the slightest provocation. Those people would never have your interest at heart. “I would like to thank you and your master for thinking so highly of me, but I am not looking for new employment at the moment.” Now let’s see the anger and the arrogance hiding beneath his facade of politeness...

To my surprise, he appeared unfazed by my rejection. “I see. That is unfortunate. I will relay your stance to my master.”

“You’re not gonna coerce or threaten me into this? Are you sure you know how to serve a noble?” Ok, if that still didn’t elicit a response, then I don’t know what will.

“My master is no ordinary noble. She is a champion for the ideals of free will for all people.”

“She?” Now I was shocked.

“Lady Natalia of House Galahad.”

Now there’s a name I’ve heard many times before from my bartender friends over the years. Natalia famously took over the struggling company from her father 5 years ago and instantly reversed its sagging fortunes. Nowadays, she ran the biggest company in town, and even founded a women’s shelter for widows and orphans in her spare time. There were constant competitions and gossip about who she would be engaged to, since her management experience would be indispensable to any noble with lofty ambitions.

Well, it looked like I’ve attracted the attention of somebody important. Question was, what did Natlaia know about my involvement in the Solstice Murder and the turf war? And how did she plan on leveraging her knowledge? And more importantly, I wanted to know how she figured it out! Apparently, I’ve severely underestimated the intellectual capacity of the people in this world.

“I have heard many great things about your esteemed master. Please tell Lady Natalia that I hope to one day meet her and have a pleasant conversation with her.”

For some reason, Emma’s eyes widen in surprise. She spoke to me for the first time. “Adept Rummy, you are certainly a diamond in the rough! I wonder what kind of life you must’ve lived to be this way.” She then gazed at me like I was a mystery to be solved. Curious one, ain’t she~

Cornelius cleared his throat. “Farewell, Adept Rummy. I wish you health and fortune.” They both put their hoods back on. As they began to walk away, Emma looked at me knowingly and said, “You should come to the town square in the Commercial District around midnight. I believe there will be something you want there.”

I looked at her stunning visage and asked, “Will you be there?”

“Yes. I plan on being there.”

“Then I believe you’re right- there will be something I want there~” I replied with a boyish smile.

Emma smirked at that cheesy pickup line while Cornelius rolled his eyes. They both bid me goodbye as they left Mike’s Tavern.

After they left the tavern, Mike came up to me and whispered, “Is it time for me to pretend that I’ve never met you yet?”

A throbbing headache annoyed me once more. “Almost, my friend. Almost.”

***

This Natalia person- she definitely made an impression. I honestly thought I got away with it. And if I had lived in a country of due process, I still would’ve gotten away with it. But the problem was, if a noble even suspects you of a crime, you’re fucked regardless of proof.

The fact that she didn’t simply call her daddy’s troops to bust down Mike’s Tavern and arrest me was intriguing. Was she trying to recruit me? If so, I needed to be weary of her motives and principles. I wasn’t looking to fight a feminist crusade for years on end (hell, my harem dream might even piss them off~). And I should always ask myself: “What’s stopping her from simply killing me and taking my stuff?”

Gah, I was getting ahead of myself. Obviously, I was going to the Commercial District at midnight. Natalia was challenging me to see if I had the stones to pull off what I did on a bigger scale (there should be dozens of knights and lackeys there with tons of loot to take) and in front of a live audience. And I really wanted to meet her to see if all the hype I’ve been hearing was actually true. I doubt this was a trap (I’d say there’d be a 25% chance of a trap tonight). If she wanted my ass on a pike (and all my stuff), she wouldn't be wasting time with this cloak-and-dagger nonsense. She had the manpower to simply surround and capture me. Lastly, but most importantly, did I mention the incredible amount of loot to be had?

After saying goodnight to Mike, I went up to my room and took a brief rest to sober up. I loaded 8 cartridges into Aurelia (a full mag of 7 plus 1 in the chamber), strapped on Severance Pay, and grabbed my bow/quiver (Severance Pay was too loud for city use even after suppression). Then I headed on over to the so-called final showdown.

By the time I got there, it was already in its climax. Scores of people were dead or dying on the ground. Only about 15 or so people were still fighting. Both sides appeared to be still evenly matched, not that it mattered in the end. I stealthily approached the chaotic battlefield via the alleyways. Based on the bodies on the ground, there are no archers in this battle. Guess those idiots must think of archery as unchivalrous. Perfect, less trouble for me.

I took out my bow and shot 2 arrows at the 2 remaining unarmored lackeys. At first, Lackey B was surprised that his enemy suddenly dropped dead. Then, as he noticed an arrow protruding out of his enemy’s neck, an arrow plunged into his chest.

With the unarmored underlings out of the way, it was time for Aurelia to finish this showdown. I emerged out of the dark alleyway with Aurelia in my hand. The remaining dozen combatants were too focused on the battle at hand to notice me. I raised the pistol, disengaged the safety, and fired my first shot at a knight 10 meters facing away from me.

*Pop*

Beautiful. The discharge noise was barely audible in this battlefield of clashing weapons and angry screams.

My first victim suddenly dropped to the ground, face down. The guy he was fighting looked at me in amazement, and I sent my 2nd shot right at his center mass.

*Pop*

He looked down at the bloody hole in his chest and slumped down. 2-for-2. What a great start!

*Pop* *Pop* *Pop* *Pop* *Pop* *Pop*

4-for-6. Not bad at 12 meters, but I could do better. As I reloaded, one of the Knights finally noticed me from 15 meters out. He parried a sword strike with his polearm and stepped back.

“YOU THERE! WHO ARE YOU?” He bellowed. His opponent moved to the side in a defensive position, clearly confused by the turn of events.

I trained my pistol on his chest. “Just the guy robbing you.” I quipped as I gave a mischievous smile.

“HOW DARE - “

*Pop*

The Knight with the polearm fell on his knees and plopped onto the ground. His opponent panicked and charged at me. In a blink of an eye, he was only 3 meters from me. He raised his sword for an overhead strike and..

*Pop*

...his left eye turned into a big bloody hole.

By now, the remaining 5 combatants all realized that something had gone terribly wrong, and the interloper before them was to blame. The one with the gaudiest armor stepped forward and bellows, “Halt! I am Antonius of House Galahad. I demand to know who sent you!”

Antonius. That name and that face seemed awfully familiar. I swore I'd met this douche-nozzle before… Well, his armor looked Expert-level. Not sure if Aurelia could punch through that kind of top-shelf gear. Good thing this idiot didn’t believe in helmet safety.

“Your mother’s lover~.” I casually replied as I took aim at his face.

*Pop*

The other Knights finally acknowledged the danger they were in and began to charge at me.

*Pop* *Pop* *Pop*

2-for-3. While that is not bad, I only have 1 more in the chamber, and there were two bad guys left.

One of them charged straight at me, forcing me to sidestep to my left. The other Knight, perhaps not used to fighting together with another Knight, froze with indecision. Had he charged to my side, he would’ve been in a flanking position.

*Pop*

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The head of the Knight that charged at me exploded as pieces of his brain splashed out of a hole on his left temple. I dropped the mag and began to reload.

The guy who froze finally found his marbles and launched the Adept-level spell <>. A icicle spike about 20 cm long raced towards me. In response, I stopped reaching for my mag and touched my air mana crystal instead. A <> suddenly launched me 2 meters into the air. A loud crash of ice erupted right beneath me. I completed my reload, cocked the slide, and fired back.

*Pop* *Pop*

1-for-2 while falling back down.

I did a superhero landing as my last standing enemy fell to the ground with a hole in his guts. I believed that was all of… oh shit! One of them was healing. His cheek wound glowed in a faint green light Wow, the guy with the gaudy armor actually had healing capabilities? More importantly, you could heal your way out of a gunshot wound?!?

Cough* “What… did… you… do?” He weakly asked. His strangely familiar eyes arrogantly glared at me, as if demanding that I answer. Where had I seen him before? Man, this was gonna bother me all night.

I pointed Aurelia at his arrogant eyes. I was gonna make sure this smug bastard gets a closed-casket funeral~

*Pop* *Pop*

And that’s game! This was the first time Aurelia got to go all out, and she delivered. My accuracy on the move had plenty of room for improvement, but at least I was getting the point-blank ones. And while I could’ve easily used my <> to find out where I met that guy from, that felt like giving up (and I ain’t no quitter!), so I was gonna try to naturally remember while I looted.

Man, there was so much stuff to loot! If I got greedy and took all the Artorian Silver here, I’d have enough to make several armors! Plus, that life elemental mana crystal was worth its weight in gold. Healing was always a premium in the Wild.

Nope, I still couldn’t recall where I met that douche… Fuck, this was really gonna bother me.

10 minutes into my massive looting/casing recovery/cover-up operation, 3 cloaked figures emerged from the alleyway. One of them was significantly taller than the other two. I pretended to pay them no mind as I brutally stripped some of the Artorian Silver from a Knight armor. My paranoia demanded that I devote some of my brain power constantly glancing at the exits of the town square to make sure no surprises showed up.

“So that’s why you’re doing all of this. You’re after the Artorian Silver.” The cloaked figure in the middle remarked with a graceful yet regal voice. She pulled down her hood, and gently curtsied. Natalia had piercing purple eyes and blonde hair with streaks of brunette that was ornately braided. With a regal and delicate complexion, she was the very picture of a beautiful lady of nobility.

“Lady Natalia, it is a pleasure to meet you in person. I’ve heard nothing but good things about you.” I said as I emptied out the purse of one of the dead clerics. Wow, both sides must’ve successfully targeted each other’s clerics first to prevent the other side from healing. Thanks to that, I now have 5 Beginner-level life mana crystals!

The tall cloaked figure stepped toward me. “You knave! How dare you continue your shameful thievery in the presence of Lady Natalia!” Well, that must’ve been her bodyguard, the famous female Knight of House Bravestorm.

Ignoring her, I stood up and moved onto the next dead Knight. I probably could have replied with an incorrigible remark, but there was so much looting left to be done, yet so little time. Leaving free stuff on the ground just felt… wrong…

“It’s all right, Skera. After all, the Rangers mobilized 5 minutes ago. This man is in a hurry. Adept Rummy, please continue.” Wow, Natalia understood me well. I got a gut feeling that she could either be a great friend or a dangerous enemy. I ripped out a piece of Artorian Silver and put it into my satchel.

“But my lady…” Skera continued to be indignant. But a stern look from Natalia quieted any further dissension.

“Lady Natalia, I wonder what these men did to deserve your ire.” I casually asked as I picked out the silver coins of a dead lackey’s purse.

“Your Ranger training is wonderfully efficient, Adept Rummy. The way you quickly and decisively harvest what you need from your prey is simply impressive.” She praised my work with an elegant, yet icy tone. Why was she... oh I get it.

“You speak of these men as if they’re mana-beasts from the Wild.” I replied as I moved onto the last Knight, the guy that I was blanking on.

“They are.” A trace of anger and indignation could be found in her tone.

“I see. I’m glad I killed and robbed them then.” I wasn’t just going to harvest Silver from that guy’s gaudy armor. I took the whole damn thing. I could tell based on the intricate mana circuit work that it was an Expert-level armor. I needed to really study this to advance my craft. Normally, that would be a bad idea given how much heat you’d get as a commoner who stole Artorian Silver. But since the factions were too busy looting and killing each other, I had the perfect cover.

As I unceremoniously unclasped the dead guy’s armor, the third cloaked figure bent down and helped me remove the breastplate. One glance at a pair of unforgettable lake blue eyes and I instantly recognized her.

“Thank you, Miss Emma. Good help is so hard to find these days.” I looked at Skera with a teasing grin. Surprisingly, she did not snap back.

“It’s an honor to help you bring an ignoble end to this bastard.” She replied with a hint of malice in her eyes. “Do you mind stepping back?”

I shook my head and stuffed the armor in another sack along with the parts. After seeing me step back a bit, Emma launched the spell <> at the corpse, mercilessly torching the groin area. Damn, she got some grade-A beef with that guy~

Alright, time to leave before the Rangers come.

***

After we traversed through the dark alleyways of the city, we arrived at a safehouse in the Market District. Most nobles wouldn’t be caught dead in the Market District. So we should be able to talk discreetly. As I entered the room, I kept my right hand on Aurelia in case of trouble.

Time to ask her the burning question on my mind. “How did you find out?”

“It wasn’t that hard. We simply asked the people near the scene of the first 2 incidents.” She casually answered.

Yup, I fucked up. While canvassing the entire city block was a common-sense investigation tactic in the modern era, the constables of this era would never talk to the homeless peasants and the commoner residents. I guess my decision to hold off on the suppressor really bit me in the ass at the end. While my assessment about the nobility and their lackeys was dead-on, I hadn’t accounted for the one-in-a-million noble who bucked the trend.

“So they heard some loud noises, what of it?”

She gave me a knowing smile. “The only attack that loud is an overcharged <> with a deadly accurate aim. To my knowledge, it would take at least 2-3 of those shots hitting the same weak spot on the armor to break through. Not that many people in the Ranger Legion could reliably do that from distance, you know~” Natalia said in a teasing manner. She continued.

“Of course, we didn’t know you had forged a new weapon capable of killing Knights. But I doubt there are that many former Rangers in Carnwennan with an aim like yours. You are a lot more memorable than you’d think, Adept Rummy.”

Wow, even without the knowledge of firearms, she still managed to find me based on my previous accomplishments with the bow. While I did hide my accomplishment with the Champion bear mana-beast back when I first started, I did eventually have to unleash overcharged <> shots out of necessity (It was that or becoming bear shit). I presumed she had a chat with Keith about me while complaining about the disturbing escalation of sexual assaults during the Turf War.

“But that would mean that you saw the wound and realize that the sword I stuck on those bodies wasn’t the murder weapon. They actually let you through the alleyway to see the bodies?”

“Cornelius is a detail-oriented assistant. He noticed the discrepancy right away.”

“Well, I suppose I should count myself very unlucky.” I paused and gazed into her purple eyes. “So, if you don’t want to lock me up or kill me, what do you want with me?”

Skera’s anger boiled over once more. “Don’t you have a sense of shame? This war you started lasted for several weeks! And as a result, hundreds of people- dead or wounded. Shops lay in ruins. Maidens lay defiled. All because of you! And your greed!”

I chuckled a bit before clapping back. “Are you suggesting that a mere peasant have the power to compel all those nobles to commit these vile acts? You give me too much credit, Lady Skera.

“It’s quite alright, Skera. Please remain calm.” Natalia cooly replied.

“No, I will not let this stand! He put you in danger! If Crassus and his squad had gotten their filthy hands on you…” Skera’s indignant tone reverberated in this small safehouse. Sheesh, this girl was about as subtle as a forge hammer.

“Am I supposed to be impressed by an unruly mob led by a noble brat? Against the most talented Knight in this city, I doubt the good Lady was ever in any real danger.” I casually dismissed it. Call me when a squad of veteran Rangers comes after you. Now that’s real danger.

Emma joined in. “That’s true. You did give Crassus the beating of his life.” She showed a subtle smile as she recalled that particular memory.

Skera quieted down, stewing in her anger. She put down her hood, revealing shoulder-length strawberry blonde tresses and fierce green eyes. Her freckles prominently stand out against a backdrop of a pale complexion. Hell, you could see it even in the dim candle-lit room of the safehouse. Instead of saying anything else, she merely glared at me with all the intense fury she could muster.

“Although I cannot condone your actions, I’m not here to punish you. Instead, I would like your help on a sensitive matter.” Natalia steered us back to the topic at hand.

Intriguing. “That depends on what you want me to do and how much you are willing to pay for it.” I replied in a businesslike manner.

“I need a guide through the Wilds. A guide that wouldn’t betray me to the nobles. A guide who is capable and experienced, and has no problem working for a woman.” Natalia then stared deep into my eyes. “As for compensation, I can offer you mana crystals and Artorian Silver. You need it to make your own Knight armor, am I right?”

“Oh gods no, only brash fools would wander around in the Wilds wearing clunky plate armor. You’d be practically announcing your presence to the wolves and the goblins. In the Wilds, the quieter you are, the longer you’d live. That’s why every Ranger dons leather armor out in patrol.” I tested her ability to handle criticism. It was a test that many of my previous managers had failed with flying colors~

Natalia nodded in contemplation, and politely replied. “I understand. Thank you for explaining.” Wow, I was blown away by her humility.

“Where am I taking you to? What parts of the Wilds do you wish to see?”

“The Acheron River. Have you been there?”

“I have. Which part of the east bank are you looking to explore?” Please not the upstream part. I hadn’t been to that ruined village in years, and I really didn't want my client to meet the pissed-off natives.

“The Narrows.” Ok, that was further downstream. A good 20 klicks or so from where that village was. As the name suggested, it was a hill overlooking the narrowest part of the Acheron.

“Aye. But why would you be interested in that? You’re not thinking of crossing the Acheron, are you?” As much as I liked my first impression of Natalia, I wasn’t suicidal. Nobody ever crossed the Acheron and lived to tell the tale.

Natalia casually smiled and waved me off. “Oh no, nothing like that. I hear that there are mana crystals and metal ores there to be mined.” That was a little suspicious. The Narrows was not a trip even veteran Rangers could easily make. It was roughly 50 klicks away from town, which was a good 3-5 days of traveling with plenty of hostile wildlife in between. No amount of natural resources was worth the hassle, unless we’re talking higher elemental crystals (which had its own source of Witch-related hassles).

Well, they needed me alive to act as their scout and guide in the Wild. So I could trust them for now. Plus, I could always use a stockpile of Artorian Silver and mana crystals.

Hmm... that’s certainly news to me. I'd been out here in the Wilds for years, and I'd never seen any geological surveys passing by. This smelled fishy. "Well, my asking price is a fistful of Artorian Silver, 12 Adept-level fire mana crystals, and 4 Adept-level air mana crystals.” This was way more than the market average. I just wanted to test her commitment to this field trip of hers.

Skera glared at me with her unforgiving green eyes “That’s an outrageous price for a mere guide! What do you take us for?”

“Well, a mere guide won’t get you to the Narrows. He’ll probably die 2 days in. And then you’ll be stuck in the middle of the Wilds at the mercy of the mana-beasts. With me, you are guaranteed to arrive and return safely and discreetly. Besides, you wouldn’t want your secret to be out, would you?”

A flash of panic (and murder intent?) raced through Natalia’s usually stoic expression. But she quickly recovered. “My, how boastful. I wonder what secret you’re referring to?”

“The mining operation, of course. You wouldn’t want the location of your mana crystal mine to leak to rival companies, right?” I’ve prodded enough. Time to step back. I knew her mining claim was a big ol’ pile of bullshit, and I just wanted to let her know that I knew.

Natalia relaxed a bit after that. “Right, of course. But how will you back up your claim?”

“By letting you set the initial down payment! But the moment you return to the city, you owe me the full amount.” Now that she showed how serious she was about this, it was time I showed her how serious I was. Plus, with such a favorable term on down payment, there was no way she could negotiate down the total price, which was what I’m after anyways.

Emma smiled in surprise and asked. “Oh ho. So if we were to set it at zero…”

“Then zero down it is. Success is inevitable in any case, so it doesn’t matter when I get paid.” Of course, I would not be this boastful if it weren’t for my 11 years of combat experience in this savage shithole, my <>, and Severance Pay. With a payday this big, I was more than willing to push all-in and bet on myself. And if she was dumb enough to stiff the guy who knew about her secret roadtrip with her gal pals, well, then she wasn’t the smart leader I thought she was.

While I did have enough Artorian Silver for my next armor project, I’d need more to make any spare parts for future repairs. Plus, I’d also need it for my upcoming upgrade at armor. Lastly, if I wanted to develop a shotgun or machine gun in the future, this shortage would once again be a bottleneck. In short, I could never have too much of this stuff.

Emma scoffed a bit. “You’re either hiding something really good or you’re a prideful idiot.” She then stared into my eyes with a seductive smirk. “I wonder what you’re really hiding…”

“You wanna find out? Pay me~” I shrugged.

Ignoring our banter, Natalia made up her mind. “With an offer like that, how can I refuse? Your down payment is 1 Adept-level fire mana crystal, and the rest of the compensation will be given to you when we return.” She offered her hand to me.

I firmly gripped her wrist as she did mine. “Very well. Tell me where and when. I’ll be at the Tavern. Here.” I jotted down a list of recommended items to bring and hand it to Emma. “I look forward to working with you all.” With a nod towards them, I exited the safehouse.

So far, Natalia passed the smell test as a potential boss- she didn’t reek of noble arrogance, she was a practical leader, and she was careful enough to not trust me right off the bat. I was cautiously optimistic about all of this- if things went well, this could be a huge step forward for my harem dream!

Field Inventory

Primary Weapon

Recurve bow made from Champion mana-beast sinew/Quiver with arrows

M1 Garand v.1.0 [Christened Severance Pay]

Secondary Weapon

Colt M1911A1 Semi-Automatic Pistol v.2.0 [Christened Aurelia]

Armor

Champion mana-beast leather body armor, bracers, and greaves; Leather boots lined with bear fur

Mana Crystals

1x Adept-level air elemental mana crystal

1x Adept-level fire elemental mana crystal

1x Adept-level earth elemental mana crystal

1x Beginner-level ice elemental mana crystal

5x Beginner-level life elemental mana crystal

Stash of various mana crystals

Misc.

Utility belt, grappling hook, rope, dark green cloak, field satchel, waterskin, rations, boarskin map and steel knife

1x .45 ACP steel centerfire pistol suppressor

1x .30-06 Springfield steel centerfire rifle suppressor / bayonet

6x en bloc clips of .30-06 Springfield armor-piercing ammo

3x magazines of .45 ACP hollow-point ammo

1x leather holster