After that the man actually tried to test Aki, but he was actually paying close attention and asked various questions.
-No, you can't boil it, night's smile will emit a pungent smell and ruin the concoction.
-If you burn it with orc fat, then it will produce more, but the quality will be slightly weaker and there will be a need to clean the soot out after everything is done.
-Exactly that temperature. Keep it for five minutes and don't touch it after even if you can endure the fire. This is hard to come by because most people get intoxicated one way or another and no master has the patience to do it alone.
-That was good, don't get down. You may actually be a genius to get it half right on your first day.
When the bells of the church rang midnight Aki had to go back to the Inn. No one tried to attack or kidnapped him tonight, so he knew there was shit coming. He smiled.
It's just that when he got back to the Inn he found a bored looking Guilda standing on his bed who started showing a kind smile the moment she saw him.
Immediately he thought it would be some kind of ambush, but it was actually just Guilda. It would be too much a coincidence if their opponent had a level 63 warrior who could actually be such good spy and look exactly like Guilda. They'd also be dead by now.
-So, what did you do today? Was it fun? She said with an understanding tone.
-I went to learn alchemy. He said with no emotion.
-And… She ushered.
-And nothing. I failed to learn my first recipe and will keep trying tomorrow. He said, still standing by the door.
-You, spent all this time, studying? She said pausedly.
-If you are asking if my teacher was a hot witch who I kept ogling, then no, he wasn't and I am pretty sure. He said before yawning.
-Good night. She said brazenly and left the room with a frown.
Aki shrugged and slept. No dreams tonight either.
…
"It can't be that he simply studied the whole day or… wait, isn't the aphrodisiac an alchemic product? Aha! I know what you are doing now little shit! The moment you step into a brothel I will make you want to dig a whole and burrow yourself in it for a hundred years! I shall have my revenge!!!"
Guilda was thinking so before sleeping and ended up with a dream of herself shaming Aki like he did the day he caught her going to the red light district.
The next day, Aki actually succeeded in his first recipe, which could actually be sold for a whole gold coin.
-I knew you were a genius! As your formal instructor at the moment I congratulate you on the mastering of a new recipe. If you keep at this rhythm you will get a class change in no time, maybe even reach alchemy second stage by the next year! Gunther was almost jumping through the roof with excitement.
Aki had to calm him down so he could keep practicing. Out of ten tries, Aki got four rounds and decided that was enough for today since his alchemy had actually hit level three and he had many things to do.
He promised to come back tomorrow too though.
As Guilda followed him, she got a strange smile that made some criminals rethink the idea of trying to rob her.
It was night already, and when Aki entered the red light district, Guilda was preparing to shame him, when he got into a drug dealing and slave shipping shop and she stood still wondering.
"Aren't those considered parlors too?" She noticed, and dashed to get him out before something happened.
She didn't expect to actually see him already touching the legs of a slave who was smoking some blue thing.
-Aki! We're… She tried to say.
-I am in the middle of treatment, shut up! He automatically berated her.
When she noticed the woman's legs were swollen and even had cuts, she shut it, noticing she got the wrong impression. She tried to go around and talk to a woman behind a balcony, but she simply did a gesture for silence.
After he finished, she tried to talk to him again, but the woman behind the counter simply flicked her fingers and another bathered slave came in, while the woman that was being treated before moved out after bowing and uttering her thanks. Her now beautiful and snow white legs a totally different existence.
This time it was a male wolf beastman. He had lash marks all over but still walked without delay. She herself had some skills to ignore damage, but that's precisely why she knew how much that must hurt.
-What is this? It asked in a raspy voice
-It's my healing practice. No costs involved. Aki answered.
-I don't need healing. It said. Aki nodded.
If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.
-Then I will give you some XP for pain resistance. Said Aki before touching the wolf's arm and making it bloat. It popped like a bubble before a minute and showered Aki with pus and blood.
Besides closing his eyes, he didn't really have any reaction. Not even to the wailings of the already kneeling man.
-It stinks. He said before starting to heal the arm now almost entirely made out of bone and muscles.
The flesh grew again. The wolf beastman seemed like he wanted to cut his arm off, but slaves have restrictions they can't break. Don't harm others even in self defense and don't harm yourself. Those were two basic orders for slaves.
The more damage is healed, the worse it will feel. It was not pain, but an uncomfortable feeling that made one want to scratch the wound and make it stop. It certainly beats dying though.
At the end, the beastman didn't have any injuries or scars.
-My… my battle scars! Hatred could easily be heard from his weavery voice even though it was exceptionally low.
-If you want an injury to remember your kills so badly, then just find a way that doesn't hurt your body's efficiency. If you survived so many hunts it shouldn't be that hard. My job is just to make sure your body won't fail out of nowhere. Coldly said Aki.
-With a destiny like this, there's no use in carrying anything but memories. Growled the slave.
-If you don't like it than wait for a chance and kill your way out of it. Do you think the hunt needs someone who simply let's luck decide their fate!? So what if you already gave your best!? It wasn't enough, so do it again in another way until you succeed! Screamed Aki while holding the man's head on his hands and looking into his open wide eyes.
He looked at the woman in the counter while the wolf was silent. She simply smiled and shrugged.
That one knew not to challenge her.
-Why don't you take a break and talk to your friend. Beatrice, be a dear and prepare some appetizers for our guests. Said the woman while flipping a mesh of her golden hair and giving a smile to a corner of the room.
The victorian styled maid using a silver mask that only let slits of her eyes out revealed herself and bowed before disappearing again.
-If the madam wishes so. Aki said with a small bow and started walking towards a room. Guilda wasn't stupid and followed silently too.
There they sat on comfortable chairs facing each other with a simple marble table between then. They did not talk before Beatrice put the cookies and tea on the table and went away.
-What is happening here? Asked Guilda.
-This is my training place. I found it yesterday Aki said matter of factly.
Yes, that's why the description of him coming back to the Inn was so vague. I never said all I talk here is the truth after all.
-Those women are… She purposely trailed off her words.
-The most beautiful onee-sama of all and Bea-sensei. Sensei was being troubled last night and I lent a hand, I sold the bandits to them as slaves and when I asked if they bought drugs too we started talking, which led to her finding out I needed a trainer for my assassin class, so she offered a collaboration. He said with a straight face.
She was very surprised on how he dealt with all of this underworld kind of problem. She herself had only ever dealt with a weapon dealer back on earth. Though here these kind of business are considered to be in the gray zone.
-Guilda, I won't ask what you are doing here, just please, don't ask about anyone's age, level or whatever else ok? The weakest possible level sensei may have is one hundred. Are we clear? He worryingly said.
-Yes, understood. She nodded.
-Great, because I don't think I can save you in here. Nor myself for the matter. We're alive because they allow it. The bitterness obvious on his voice.
-Then what should we do? Sweat was forming on her back. For even Aki to be powerless…
She did not get to complete that thought though.
-We get stronger then them, obviously. He said with a smile.
Guilda also smiled.
-Yeah, the aura this place gives just made my thinking slow down for a minute.
-Aki! Beatrice said she will be testing you now, your friend is welcomed to watch too. The madam appeared through the door with a smile.
She looked to be on her twenties, used a short purple dress without sleeves and had emerald eyes, her red high heels giving her already tall figure an air of elegance. If Aki ever met such figure on earth and had their attention for one second, he would give up whatever it was that needed his immediate attention and get the fuck out of the place he was before thinking of anything else. Discreetly, since she would most likely outrun him anyway.
[??-???]
Was everything it said when Aki tried to use identify on her.
It may not seem like much, but that actually meant that she was more than 500 levels above him. If it was just that then Aki wouldn't be so afraid. Someone that powerful couldn't simply go unnoticed by the countries, so there should still be a way to escape in case of conflict.
[Mage-??]
Was everything Guilda could see, so she was not that afraid.
Neither would be Aki if she hadn't thought it was interesting to include him in the secret and see how he would fair against Beatrice's training.
She didn't expect the first emotion he showed after knowing her "secret" to be anger, nor that he would stab one of his arteries over his torso area and say "Sorry, I have some anger problems. It is a pleasure to know you Madam." and then freeze his own blood into a rose.
The poor thing wouldn't stop trembling before she assured him he was interesting enough. To begin with, she was just going to make him take on a small geas.
Alas, making one swear eternal allegiance to you is Inferior to having them doing that by their own will.
"Maybe Beatrice will get a little brother" The Madam happily though.
All those thoughts passed through her head while watching Aki being cornered. He was a good child, giving up on locating Bea before she attacked and relying on his instincts to tell him where to guard.
He was allowed to fight with everything, while Bea purposely lowered her power to around level 100 and only used assassin techniques.
Still, he was being slashed and stabbed all around, while Bea didn't have one scratch.
He would not leave the training room any way other than inside a corpse bag if he couldn't catch her.
She was about to cut his head off when suddenly, a dog appeared.
He pushed it into her and used the chance to throw a dagger at her. The dog obviously died from being cut in half, she just didn't expect it to turn into light particles and that the dagger would explode when Bea hit it.
The Madam herself was monitoring the situation but she could only understand that he had somehow made a mana construct out of nowhere and exploded one of his enhanced daggers by overcharging it's system.
Right after, he started throwing more daggers at her. He stopped when the number of daggers reached twenty, he took a sword and a shield out of the dimensional rip by his side.
-That's enough. Said the Madam, with a very big grin on her face.
Aki fell on his knees, Guilda runned to his side with worry and Beatrice started cleaning her uniform.
-That was amazing! Eight elements, four semi elements, enchanting, alchemy, exceptional battle sense, great resistance and healing, an amazing mana management and whatever was that mana construct at the end! You even forced Bea to actually cheat to keep her clothes on. Beamed the Madam.
-Good. Said Beatrice.
-Even Bea recognized you! Now you can be my child too! Said the Madame while jumping up and down.
Aki collapsed before being able to ask what the actual fuck she meant with that. Guilda also collapsed.
-Bea, you take care of the people out there and I will make you a new little brother. The girl can be his servant, so that will do good for his growth.