“Now, how about we head back to that shop?” Master Liina says. “We never finished looking for new gear.”

“Yes, Master.” With that, we start walking, but it reminds me. “Oh, Master, what about that thing I mentioned yesterday? Scanning items, I mean. Is that possible? It won't cause any problems for the items, will it?”

“Another new one to me,” she shrugs, then pulls a small round object from her back and tosses it to me. After stumbling to catch it, I realize that it's a fruit. She must want me to Scan it, so I nod and give it a try.

Tanna A citrus fruit.

Yup, that's... it. Nothing special. But it does prove that it works. It's possible to Scan inanimate objects, and nothing seems to have happened to the fruit in the process. I report as much, but I'm still... I don't know, skeptical? Science needs experiments to be repeatable.

So I Scan it again. And again. As we walk, I keep Scanning the fruit, dismissing all of the little information windows that appear. No matter how many times I do it, nothing changes.

I guess that confirms things for me. Scanning objects shouldn't be a problem. I'm not sure if magical objects throw a wrench into that though.

“I'm sorry Master,” I speak up, still really worried. “I've Scanned this a lot so I think it should be fine for objects, but I'm worried if the magic in magical items will cause problems. I don't want to just... Scan something in a shop in case something goes wrong. You wouldn't happen to have some cheap, disposable magical object, would you?”

I feel stupid even asking. How could she have something like that? Being magical would automatically preclude it from being either cheap or disposable.

As expected, she shakes her head. But she's grinning just a little. What is she thinking? The sly smile on her fox-like face makes me a bit nervous and I'm not sure if I should ask...

She doesn't say anything until we get to a store, the same one from last night actually. It's even the same shopkeeper as last time that greets us.

“Ah, good to see you back. Are you still interested in accessories for mages?” she asks.

“Actually, could you show me the cheapest magical accessory you have for sale?” Master Liina asks.

That draws a look from the woman, but she acquiesces after a moment and leads us over to a counter of some cheap looking stuff and points out an old, rusted wrist cuff with a few deep cracks and mars in the surface.

“This is the cheapest item we have, just twenty silvers. It provides a small increase in physical strength.”

“Here.” Maser Liina hands her the money without delay.

Despite her clear confusion, the woman takes the money and hands off the accessory. “Thank you for your purchase. Is there anything else you would like today?”

“I think so, just give me a minute.”

“Of course.” Still standing there, she watches Master Liina turn and toss the wrist cuff to me.

“There, do your thing.”

“Yes, Master.” I bow deeply while holding it. For her to just buy it on a whim so I could test something... I gulp, and focus my attention on the small magical object. I Scan it.

Cuff A small cuff to fit the wrist. Enchantment: Minor Strength - Increases physical strength by an insignificant amount. Item has been heavily damaged, decreasing enchantment effectiveness massively.

It works! I can see what enchantment is on it! It even includes a note about the damage decreasing the effectiveness. I wonder if the listed effectiveness is before or after the damage? 'Insignificant' doesn't tell me much either. Is that like five percent? One percent? One thousandth of a percent?

But more importantly, does Scanning have any adverse effects? I don't notice any after one Scan, but I want to be absolutely sure. So I start throwing Scans at it.

I don't want to take too much time, so I do it like I cast. Rapid fire, layering one over another all at the same time. The windows explode out around me, filling my vision as I go over and over and over, glaring down at the small item for any sign of further damage or any other changes.

I finally stop somewhere around five hundred. I was able to throw out maybe twenty Scans a second so it probably still took like thirty seconds to do it, but with five hundred tests on an already falling apart magic item, I'm not seeing any further signs of damage. Even the newest windows read the same as before.

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Releasing a relieved breath, I look up at Master Liina again and smile. “It seems fine.”

“Good to hear,” she chuckles and rubs my head, before returning to the store clerk to continue their conversation. The woman glances at me in confusion for a moment, but then gets right back into her sales pitch as she goes and shows off the magical accessories.

Now that I know I can scan them myself to see what they all do and I don't have to worry about breaking anything or causing any problems, I go wild.

I feel like a kid in a candy store again, eyeing all of the fancy accessories and their different magic effects. The windows just keep piling up and at one point, I have to stop to mentally dismiss them all, one after another. It's a little dizzying.

Eventually, Master Liina calls me over to look and I go straight to her side. “Yumi, I'll buy you one of these accessories.” She points out three particular ones on the counter. A ring, a thin metal bracelet, and an earring. “Which one do you want?”

I open my mouth, gaping a little. No, there's no reason to be surprised by this. I know she was looking at accessories for low level mages. Of course she was thinking of getting something for me. I shake my head and turn my focus onto the three, Scanning them.

The ring gives an accuracy buff, the bracelet a mana regen buff, and the earring a control buff. Control? I'm not sure what that means, so I try pulling up the information about it, and it says that it allows better use of mana control. So I could use it to control spells better in flight?

Thinking about it, the choice is between mana regen and mana control. But I could use mana control to boost my regen, couldn't I? Even though it makes me sick...

Hmm... I gaze at the window.

Earring A small stud earring. Enchantment: Minor Control - Increases control over mana by an insignificant amount. Item is old, increasing enchantment effectiveness slightly.

I have a... a number of thoughts about it, as I stare. First and foremost, my ears aren't pierced! Do I have to get a piercing just to use this?!

Second, I note that item damage or apparently, age, doesn't seem to affect the listed amount of the enchantment's effect. I noticed the same thing on the other items in the shop.

And lastly, age increases effectiveness? It seems weird since I'm used to things wearing out over time, but when I think about it in terms of crazy wizards with their uber powerful million year old magic staffs, it makes a little more sense. Sort of.

“Umm, Master? I was thinking of that one, but my ears aren't pierced...”

“Ah, that's no problem.” She turns to the shopkeeper and says, “I'll take the earring.”

“Certainly. That will be one gold, one hundred thirty silver.” I wince when I hear the price. Isn't that a bit much for an item that probably won't have much effect?

Despite my worries, she buys the item and we leave the shop with a happy, bowing shopkeeper behind.

As it turns out, my worry about getting my ears pierced... well, the next place we arrive is obviously a place the does piercings... Maybe I should have chosen the bracelet...

With a stern word from Master Liina at my hesitance, I head inside. I'm surprised to see a tiny faery working there. A little man with wings like a butterfly. Master Liina hands some money to him and he deposits it into a nearby till. I'm so surprised and amazed seeing him float around, she ends up needing to push me over into the chair for him to work on me.

Oh shit that's right, that's why we're here. Cringing when I remember after being so completely distracted, I sit in the chair and wait. This isn't going to hurt, is it? My parents obviously never let me get piercings, but I think they're done with like, special tools and stuff, right?

The faery man flies up to me holding a metal needle and my breath catches in my throat.

“Yumi, do not move,” Master Liina orders me, and I freeze, gripping tight to the arms of the chair. I know I'll be punished if I disobey a direct order like that.

Holding as still as possible, I lose sight of the man when he floats up to the side of my head. Leaning over, Master Liina seems to point out a specific spot on my right ear, before stepping back again.

My breath is shaking in anticipation, then I feel the stab. My teeth clench, knuckles going white. Fuck that hurts! Then the man mutters a healing spell, and most of the pain disappears.

Oh, healing magic can be used like that too, I guess. Incredibly relieved now, I feel another scrape of much less intense pain as he removes the needle from my ear. Then he spreads on some sort of lotion around the hole before casting another healing spell.

“All done,” he says. That was... nowhere near as bad as I expected. I guess it'll be like that when you can instantly heal injuries with magic...

“Here, put this in,” Master Liina instructs and hands me the earring. I'm not really sure how, but I manage to work it out without too much trouble. Then it's done, and I have a tiny stud earring. Touching it, the piercing is placed up near the top of my earlobe, right near the outside. I'm glad it's not one of those dangly ones I saw people wear back on earth. I can't imagine going on quests and hoping they don't get snagged an rip out...

I try to stop thinking about that when it makes me cringe, and just follow Master Liina back out of the shop.

From there, we just wander around, shop some, and generally hang out. It's almost like hanging out with friends, just different given, you know, slavery. But it's weird. Now that I've just decided to accept it, I don't feel like I'm about to freak out every five minutes. Sure, I'm a slave now. But my master will protect me. She won't abuse or sell me, so what is there to be worried about anymore?

It's... kind of amazing. Being able to relax.

Seeing the other slaves all around us, their hollow eyes and broken spirits, it really makes me wonder. How did I get lucky enough to find Master Liina? There are only a handful of other slaves we pass by, their heads held high at their masters' sides. I guess those are the other highly rated slaves, like me.

People who's hearts are just suited to slavery, like mine.

That part still bothers me. That my parents upbringing was horrible enough to make me suited to let another person own and control me.

I have no idea what I would do if it wasn't for Master Liina. It's kind of hard to imagine. I'm a SS rated slave, but I would literally tear myself apart from anxiety and panic attacks with anyone but her.