Aiz spoke up saying that this was as good a place as any to train John since the war-shadow had stopped his advance toward the stairs so they spent the next six hours patrolling the tenth floor quickly dispatching monsters as they found them almost impossibly John began snatching the cores out of the air before they could hit the ground when they ran into singular war-shadows as if he had already mastered combat with that particular type of monster. It was not long after the supporter spoke up saying that they where running low on bags for the cores as well as for the drops and that they should start back before they began to loose the profits that they were making on this run. Nodding his agreement with the supporter a dark haired dog man that looked to be much older John was already feeling the strain of walking point for this long.

After about an hour evading the dungeons monsters they made it back to the entrance without incident stopping first at the guild exchanging all the cores and half the drops for 600k valis split four ways and then taking the supporters fee of 15k valis per person the resulting pay out was 135k valis per person after dividing the money up the supporter parted ways as the rest led John back to the Twilight Manor and straight to some offices where they made their report on their dive Aiz, Tione, and Tiona each donating a third of their share to the familia's treasury. John figured that he should probably donate as well dropped 337,500 valis a quarter of his share surprising the office worker and Tiona whom had held back to let him know that they were going to celebrate him joining the Familia, normally rookies where encouraged to donate no more than 10k valis and no less than two hundred. Noticing the surprised looks John explained that he was a new business owner and figured if he really needed the money he could barrow it from his business unless it was a truly large sum. Before he could leave Tiona had made it clear that she still wanted to talk to him so John followed her wondering what it might be only to discover that he was the guest of honor to a party at the Hostess of Fertility.

Not long after he had departed John found himself outside both The Airie and the Hostess of Fertility wondering if he was going to be wishing he had kept the two businesses away from each other or if his familia would approve of his actions or if he managed to fuck up may taking over the brothel and moving it to some where that the clientele would be able to actually pay and the working girls would be able to have a chance to free themselves of the debt that kept the collars on them and held so many in servitude. Soon as he had stepped through the doors he noticed that the room was full of the Loki Familia and that was about all other than the staff being pulled aside by Mia John was quietly told that if he ever needed to escape the mad house he found himself in that there had been a vote and that they all agreed that his room would be there Mia then promptly threw him back to the "wolves".

Loki enjoying the celebrations had kept a chair next to her empty for John since she was head of the Familia and he was the guest of honor for the party, a party that was thrown for every new member of her Familia. John was surprised how many people had showed up and that a literal goddess was saving a seat for him under any circumstance realizing that just about everyone was periodically looking to the chair he realized that this severed the purpose of allowing many of the guild to see his face or to learn about his description without an active rumor mill potently ruining peoples lives.

Soon after sitting down began to order himself drinks and something to snack on. About an hour later John had developed a strong buzz caught up in the celebratory mood John was feeling really good about himself and how this was like what he understood normal birthday parties where like for people around college aged "kids" it was like a drug and he was hooked already, until Bete said something about how he would rather it be something like a bachelors party and that while this was good it felt lacking. Not thinking clearly John shot back that if that was what he really wanted he should go next door and tell them that Master John sent you. Bete glaring got up and did just that thinking to spite the rookie.

This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work.

It did not take Bete long to realize that it was The Airie next door and that he would be able to get what he was spouting off about if he wanted to, Not one to admit that he was wrong he did as John had suggested only to realize that the "good Master John" would only cover one of the girls sitting and drinking with him much like a hostess clubs services instead of the brothel that The Airie was known to be and that the food and drink where on par with the Hostess of Fertility not knowing that it was indeed the same but different dishes soon he stopped his grumbling and was enjoying himself merely talking to a tall human woman who had been an adventurer; till she had gotten in over her head and took out a loan to keep going into the dungeon but discovering she could not pay the loan back due to the interest rate that the loan shark had set soon the term for the loan was up and the city had found her debts to rich and auctioning her off she had been bought by Oralath Dalhar before she had tried to entrap John and John had some how managed to turn the tables to their benefit and now she had a real chance at climbing out of debt. This left Bete torn He was very against debt slaves but the fact she told him that she was finally making progress towards freedom that most masters only paid lip service to raising costs on the slaves to keep them in debt John appeared to be attempting to set the system more to the way it had been meant to be. This made him wonder if he had misjudged the rookie or if he had not been harsh enough.

Loki was having a grand time it had been ages since a rookie from her own Familia had called Bete out on his shit his look had been priceless though she was shocked and pleased to learn that John had taken over The Airie and was making it some what more respectable the best part is that he somehow got Mia to run the kitchen for his establish meant as well giving the girls a reason to jack the prices of the brothel way the fuck up though it would eat into John's profit margin till some of the girls had worked off their debts and some of them decided that they wanted to continue working on their backs. while slavery may be legal there were way to many ways to abuse such a system at the same time if it was done the way that it was intended it would offer people a second chance in life one that would allow someone that would starve to death to pick up new skills and after a time stand on their own again. sort of like a second apprenticeship but paid for with your labor while the master kept you alive and hopefully healthy as a sick or injured slave would not be able to do nearly as much. John seemed to be trying to use the slave system in this manner but the costs would need him to either do it in a way that he found difficult or he could bend to the way things had become normalized Loki hoped that he would find a way to change how things were done for the better.

Mia had begun to suspect that John did not so much enjoy the taste of his drinks as he was trying to medicate him self with the potent booze he often ordered with little food as if his nightly alcohol induced stupor was meant to help him sleep and to help him force his guard down. This thought worried Mia and she had shared her concerns with her staff and now his staff/slaves though he insisted that they be treated as close to a free person as possible on his property. Even if it bent the laws it was what made her willing to work with a slave owner the only one he seemed to make an exception for was Oralath Dalhar since it was clear that she had meant to enslave John and that she intended to break him in body and spirit if not mind she understood his anger no rage at this and even thought she would do the same if it had been her. coming back to reality as Chloe reported that John had asked for his 40th shot of 180 proof vodka tonight yes he was drinking orange juice with it calling the combination a screwdriver but Mia was definitely getting worried filling the order herself Mia found John "standing" at the table singing an odd song about a maiden fair and a bear that was eating honey out of her hair, as Mia walked away she realized what that song really was about blushing a deep red Mia hid in the kitchen till she could compose herself again.