I feel all the blood drain from my face as the unknown woman answers my statement. I have no idea who could be behind me. I shrink down into the water to hide my body from the woman behind me. While they are the one who intruded on me, I'd rather not be branded a pervert for whatever ass backward reason.

I turn my head just enough to catch a glimpse of the intruder. It's one of the daughters but I can't really tell much about her other than her blonde hair from this angle, and I can see just enough of her to understand she isn't wearing clothes at the moment. I remember two of the daughters have blonde hair and considering this one isn't little Heather, I assume it's the older one. I can't remember which one she is in the order I saw at the table.

I meekly say,

"Uhhh, it's a little occupied at the moment in here... I'm not some beefy eye candy either."

She giggles slightly and my whole body freezes as two cold-feeling hands grab my exposed shoulders. I feel my face and ears start to turn bright red as I feel her face get close to my right ear. She quietly says,

"Oh, I made sure of that before I came in here... Isa..."

I notice the clear hesitation in her voice as if she had to try and remember my name. I sigh and say,

"Alright. What is it you're after? I know full well I ain't no prize catch and you sound like your hearts not in it."

I feel her take a sharp breath in and say in a meek and unsure tone,

"What do you mean? It's clear I intend to bathe with you... and what happens after is..."

This response makes me laugh a little hearing that initial confident and seductive tone disappear with a singular question. I shake my head and reply,

"You're already second-guessing yourself. We're both grown folks, we can talk. Tell me what's your angle?"

She pauses for a while and I feel her hands fall off of my shoulders and her head move away. She then asks in a fairly flat tone,

"Which one of us daughters are you going to choose? To marry I mean."

I shake my head,

"I'm not sure how that process goes about, or even if it's my choice. I will have to ask the Duke about that. Right now I'm doing my best to figure out life here before I start planning a future with one of you all.

Let me guess, you are after the inheritance, and seducing me is the quickest route you could come up with."

I hear her breath get shaky and she replies in a downtrodden tone,

"Yes... that's what I came up with along with my servants. We thought through many angles and avenues and we decided our first few were useless to try since you were getting along so well with Violet and Zeyra."

This makes me laugh heartily and I explain,

"Well if getting my teeth kicked in and being stared at in disgust is getting along well, I'd hate to see what happens if they didn't like me!

All things considered, I can tell they have other goals and plans for the future. I can't say for sure but I think the inheritance is something that would come as a perk, not the end goal."

The girl behind me pauses for a while and then she says,

"Unfortunately, unlike them and my other siblings, I did not inherit any magical capabilities from my father. My plans in life are very limited."

I shake my head and my old man wisdom from back on earth comes flooding into my mind and I speak truth to her,

"Well, that's a shitty way of thinking you know that? I don't have a single magic bone in my body. This consort position or whatever the hell it's called means a whole lot of jack-and-shit to me. Yeah, I'll fulfill my task and be as good as a husband to whichever one of you I end up with, but that's what I consider the minimum of what I can do. It's purely the price I am willing to pay for my freedom from slavery.

I have plans, lots of them. So many plans to deal with almost any potential future I can come across and all of them don't care if I can create fire with my hands or not. I will keep marching forward like a soldier going to war. If anything gets in my way I'll topple it over or figure a way around it. If I can't do either of those I'll just create a new plan that doesn't require me to face that obstacle, but I'll tell you now, there is no such thing as an obstacle that cannot be busted down or circumvented.

Your idea to simply get in my pants and hopefully I'm attracted to you enough to fall head over heels is a stupid plan. I'll say it, it is completely stupid and most of all is a waste of time and effort. Imagine, if I was some kind of hog of a man. A big fat slob of some sort, what then? Would you be happy with someone terrible? A violent drunk? A serial cheater? A pervert with nothing else on his mind? Someone dismissive and distant? You know you wouldn't be happy.

I am not saying our being together is completely off the table. What I am saying is for you to create your own life, and be happy with your own accomplishments before you try to wed yourself off, because, at the end of the day, there might be someone out there who is perfect for you. I don't know how marriage and stuff work here in the Alrius Kingdom, but if it's anything like it is back home it's not something you do simply for convenience. "

I don't know how to really wrap up what I said so I just stop there. I got my points across. The girl stays behind me for a little while longer seemingly quietly reflecting on what I said. I hear the door open and Aelias soft voice calls out,

"Isa. I have fresh clothes for you. I'll be waiting here."

I sigh and stand up with my back still to the girl. I hear her gasp upon seeing my back. I take care to walk with my groin facing the other way not wanting to flash the poor girl. I take care not to look at her. As I get to the door I say to her,

"Like I said. I'm not some prize."

I step through the door and into the dressing room, instantly covering my crotch as I see Aelia standing right by the door. I thought she meant she would be waiting outside for me to help me button hard-to-reach parts of the fancy clothes these nobles wear. I shout in a falsetto,

"Help! This little elf is a pervert!"

She doesn't smile or show any sign of emotion. It's only been about a day and a half, but thankfully I'm getting used to the way she looks. Now it's far less horrifying and only slightly offputting. She is holding underpants up for me like a mother trying to dress a young child. I snatch it from her hands and say,

"C'mon, I can get myself dressed and stuff. No need to treat me like a little kid."

She cocks her head and asks,

"Do you have a problem with a woman looking at your nude body? Do you prefer men?"

I flinch hard and cough a few times in surprise before I reply,

"No. I guess not. I just don't feel comfortable having someone dress me or bathe me. Makes me feel infantile and awkward."

She nods and replies,

"I understand. I will take your advice to help serve you better in the future, and I will relay this information to your personal servant when one is selected for you."

I pull on my pants and quickly start putting on my shirt. I then concede,

"Well... I guess I am not being fully truthful. I still need help with some of these clasps and buttons. If you would still help me with those I'd be really thankful."

She nods again but says nothing in reply. I feel a pang of sadness in my heart as I keep eye contact. I really hate that blank and broken expression. Then I am hit in the back by the door behind me violently slamming open. I fall forward and take Aelia down with me. I manage to catch myself enough so as not to crush her and soften her fall with my arms under her. I roll to the side quickly to see my attacker and am greeted by a fully nude blonde woman with a determined and beaming smile on her face. My only words are,

"Oh fuck!"

Now fully dressed and the situation dealt with I walk down the halls of the house. I am mostly exploring the halls to figure out where everything is without the help of a servant. I'm not worried about getting lost as there are enough servants and guards everywhere to ask for directions if that is the case.

The blondie from the bath is the sixth daughter of the Hasslerouge family and is thankfully around the same age as me. Still terrible, but far less so than it could have been. She was barging in to tell me she has figured out a plan for her own life and I was happy for her. She also stated she wouldn't stop pursuing me, until either we are together, for the inheritance, or she finds her own man. I don't think I've ever gotten dressed faster than right after this. I had to escape the room, it was a scandal just waiting to happen. I did make sure to apologize to Aelia after I fell on her, but in the end, crisis avoided.

Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

I learn a lot about the layout of the massive mansion during my walk. There are three main areas. One I call the red area, which seems to be the main living and central area where guests would visit, this area is by far the most decorative with what looks to be golden plated accents on every wall which are all painted a lovely red. Then there is the black area. It's still very highly decorated with paintings, art, and family artifacts, but is not pompous and showy. This area seemingly has all the bedrooms and offices of the family. While I am unable to enter most rooms here this area is the coziest feeling as well. The black on the walls isn't jet black but is a dull and warm feeling color of black if that makes sense. My room is in this area as well. The black area is square in shape and in the center is a beautiful flower garden. The last area is the staff area with bare brick walls. It's still somewhat cozy if you ask me, but is clearly far less decorated. Everything in this area is very utilitarian. Of course, there are some places I can't go so I can't say I know the full layout of the building, but I really have no need to check inside someone else's private chambers.

I also am able to figure out the whole staff situation of the household. I assumed most workers were slaves, but that is untrue. There is a hierarchy among the staff of the household. At the bottom are the slave-making up about 40% of the staff. These staff members tend to work the worst jobs or are used in more degrading manners compared to the free people. Around 50% of all staff are commoner workers or something similar. They tend to do a little of everything. While higher than slaves, that is really in name alone. They still have the shitty jobs, but nowhere near as bad. Mostly these are cooks, maids and butlers, and gardeners. Finally are what I call the noble staff which is the last 10%. These people are like supervisors. They oversee certain tasks and work as slave drivers in other tasks. Some of these noble staff work as personal servants to members of the family. Also, things like Ladies-in-waiting are in this group, basically still servants but acting more like friends or attendants or something. Usually, noble staff do not do any hard labor.

I, of course, glanced over the guards of the household but they are on a separate hierarchy none of them will speak to me, and judging by how they stare me down, I do not want to speak to them. I understand their suspicion of me. I'm new, I'm from outside the family, and I am not even from this kingdom. Suspicion is healthy in this situation. Plus they are doing a fine job so I won't bother them.

In the black area of the house, I find a library and decide to waste time looking through books. Picking one up I seem to have forgotten, I cannot read the language of the Alrius Kingdom. I can speak it, but the alphabet for this language is foreign to me. I start going through the shelves looking for anything in a language I can understand. The library is huge and full of many antiquated books. I manage to find a single book I am able to read, it's written in the mercantile language and appears to simply be a very outdated exchange rate book. Well, I assume outdated because the pages of the book are yellowed to all hell.

I decide to look through it anyways to see if I can find anything useful. I sit down at one of the tables in the library and begin scouring through the book. It's pretty simple direct currency exchanges. It's based on the content of precious metals within each coin. The reason the book is so large is that some kingdoms are loose confederations of city-states where each one has its own currency and there is absolutely no equivalent currency. Every single coin has its own independent value. This book must've been a godsend for whoever had it when it was written. I am pulled from my focus when someone says flatly,

"Why are you looking through that fossil? There is a modern issue right next to it."

I look up and see a different Hasslerouge daughter. I remember her sitting somewhat toward the middle of the daughters so she must be within a year of my age as well. She is clearly the full sister to Zeyra. They have the same dark hair and the same eye color. The main difference is that this girl has her hair cut short stopping just above the shoulders, and a pair of round glasses, and is considerably skinnier and less filled in than her older sister. She stares at me with disinterest waiting for my response. I look over at the shelf and look at where I took the book I am reading. The title on the spine of the book she is referencing is in the Alrius language. I sigh and say to her,

"I can't read that edition. I cannot read the language of this nation."

She frowns but her eyes remain void of all emotion. She says,

"That's a shame, another illiterate member of the family."

I shake my head and reply,

"I'm not illiterate, I'm just a foreigner, and I only learned to speak this language because I didn't like getting beaten during my slavery. I of course wasn't allowed to read or write."

She nods and says thoughtfully,

"I overlooked the fact you're an Outcast. I shouldn't have assumed you were illiterate. I remember reading that all Outcasts are literate in their own language. It must've slipped my mind."

I nod and then ask,

"What you said sounded like more people in the family cannot read."

She nods and responds,

"I am the youngest literate person in the family. Of course, we are all expected to know numbers, but I am the most competent reader by far. The next best is my older sister Zeyra."

I ask again,

"What about the Duke? Your father?"

She nods and says,

"He has a very rudimentary reading capability. Enough to get by, but he has servants to do the reading for him most of the time. "

I nod and ask another question,

"Then why does he own such a great library?"

She replies without pause,

"It's a family heirloom, but it's also a sign of wealth and prestige to have as many books as humanly possible. You ask a lot of questions."

I nod understanding and reply,

"And you give lots of answers."

She nods and says,

"Fair enough."

I awkwardly sit there for a bit as she returns to reading a hefty book of some kind. She pays me no mind as her eyes dance across the page. I build enough confidence and ask,

"Ummm... I'm Isa... what's your name?"

She responds without looking up,

"I'm an unimportant middle child. No need to share that."

I sigh and then ask,

"Well, I was wondering if you could help me learn how to read."

She shakes her head and says,

"There is no point."

I think for a moment about a solution, when I come up with a plan I feel the corners of my mouth curl upward in a devilish smile. I ask her,

"So... I'm guessing you know a lot of things."

She nods and asks in return,

"Yes. I read about many things. What is your point of asking?"

I keep smiling and say,

"Well... let's play a little... trivia game. If you can't answer two questions I ask, which are, or should be common knowledge, you should help me read."

She looks up with a raised eyebrow, and asks,

"What if I can?"

My smile widens as I clearly have her interest. She is clearly one of those people who has to prove she is the smartest person in any given situation. I then reply,

"Your choice. Anything in my power."

She nods and says,

"I'll take the challenge, no questions about the nuances in Outcast society."

I nod and begin my questions,

"Okay, First, what is the acceleration of an object falling?

Second, what is the density of water, or to put simply how heavy is water?"

She stares at me wide-eyed. I finally see the first emotion come from her eyes, panic. I learned a while back that this kingdom does in fact use the metric system, I have no clue why or how, but luckily for me I never had to relearn measurements. I am of course assuming the gravity is the same on this world as it is on earth, but judging by her reaction the fields of physics and chemistry are still quite primitive. She then asks quietly,

"What do you mean how heavy is water? It doesn't have a shape?"

I laugh and reply,

"Actually I am asking for the density. That is the set weight it is standard for a measured area. So in a basic form. How much does water weigh if it is separated into meter-sized cubes?"

She starts thinking hard and then tries to answer,

"First answer, it depends on the object.

The second one, I am guessing is around three hundred kilograms."

I laugh and shake my head before saying,

"Nope wrong on both.

An object accelerates at 9.8 meters every second squared as it falls. Second, it is nine-hundred ninety-seven kilos per meter cubed."

She blinks a few times and then asks,

"How do you know this all?"

I smile and reply,

"I read a lot too. I know a lot."

She nods with a sigh and concedes,

"Okay... I'll tutor you on reading and writing, but I ask you to teach me what you know about those measurements. I want to know how you know and what you know."

I smile and nod. Happy that I just have to explain middle school chemistry and physics in exchange for an incredibly useful skill.

For the next few hours, I am tutored on how to read. It's not too bad, but there are spellings that make no sense because for some reason each character in the alphabet can make four sounds each, but it's just day one, and I'm not expected to learn it all so soon.

The session only ends when we are retrieved for supper which we both happily head to. She never shows emotion as she talks to me no matter the subject, and she has absolutely no sense of humor, but she is sharp as a knife. Eventually, she tells me her name. She is called Zandra, I guess whoever named her and her sister likes Z names.

Supper today is surprising. Very few members of the family show up and it's far more casual. I learn from Zandra that they usually do not eat supper all together as a family, as not all of them enjoy one another's company. The only time everyone is present is during important meals or during banquets. Today it's just me and Zandra eating. Apparently, very few of her siblings enjoy her presence, and her own mother has strong favoritism. I feel bad for the girl. Supper goes by easily and I learn a lot about the family dynamic, and most importantly, I have already met everyone in the family who I could potentially have any kind of relationship with, romantic or platonic, the rest all see me as an outsider and are either disgusted by me, offended by me, or just outright don't care. I don't know how Zandra feels, but so long as I learn to read I could care less.

After supper, I decide to head to bed. I am tired after a long day, both physical and mental stress and work. I make it back to my room and lie down on my bed and stare at the ceiling. I formulate a plan in my mind for the near future. My first goals are to get back into shape after my mistreatment during slavery and to learn to read the language of this kingdom. First steps in my journey no matter what I want to do.

Thinking about the distant future, ideas and plans of grandeur lull me off to sleep. Tonight I am greeted by Silus in my dreams. The furry dragon stands across from me in an empty void. We stand facing one another for a while before he speaks,

"You dream of a grand future young hunter. I appreciate your mindset, but I do not know if you can achieve your goals.

But I have an idea for you. Another plan..."

I nod and ask,

"What is it?"

I assume the dragon smiles at me and then he continues,

"The curse laid upon you is troublesome yes... but there are ways around it.

I do not know your plans or even if you can do what I offer, but I recommend trying to slay more dragons and consume their flesh. I was the last of my kind as far as I understand, but if I was not don't attack any more brown dragons unless necessary. "

I ask,

"What do I stand to gain from eating dragons."

Silus laughs and answers,

"We both gain. Dragons are seen as one of the more powerful and ancient races in this world. Normally eating their flesh will kill a person. Too much magic density in the flesh, but due to my curse, it can negate this.

While I said brown dragon flesh is cursed, all dragon flesh is cursed in its own way, and not all of these curses are... entirely negative. Brown dragons are the only ones without benefits unless you seek to consume more dragons. You gain power, the power of the dragons you eat. The stronger the dragon the more powerful the curse, the more powerful the gains.

What I gain is revenge. My kind was hunted down to extinction by the other breeds of dragon. I want you to make them all go extinct."

I nod and reply,

"I'll take your sugestion into consideration. If I come across a dragin I might take a bite. "

Silus nods and smiles. He then ends the dream by fading into the darkness. He parts with a single word,

"Good."

With that, my dream fades into nothing...