CH.172 Making a ve contract
<span style="font-weight:400">“Well done, Ria. I got so worried when they went that far.” Agatha said after we had gotten outside. I was holding, well they were in the inventory, Ria’s papers that allowed her to walk around. Basically they are her temporary citizenship card. Or permit. Whatever you want to call it.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yeah, you didn’t warn us about the part where he cut into his hand.” Imented.
<span style="font-weight:400">“They don’t do that. Not in the first test anyway. It is usually only done in the final test.” Agatha said. “I know they are a little tougher on repeat exams, but that is way too far. They already went out of their way to get high quality blood for the exam.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“So that is why it tasted good.” Ria said. The examiners had let her keep the blood after the exam finished and she had enjoyed it.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Does blood from higher ranked monsters taste better?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yes. It has more mana in it.” Ria answered. “That is also why goblin blood is so bad. It just has no mana.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Well, goblins are weak.” Imented, even though my goblins are much stronger. I think that is because they are actually hobgoblins. I think Laura said something like that at some point. “But still, why would they make her test that much more difficult?” I wondered.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Most likely because of you.” Agatha said. “You live in the Sawyer estate, right? Lord Garner most likely wanted to make extra sure that you could handle Ria. Even in extreme situations.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Oh. I didn’t even think that they would go extra hard on her because of that. Sorry Ria.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Don’t worry. I was fine. But Brian, why didn’t you tell me you were a noble? And you live with the Lord? What is that about?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Well, technically I’m not a noble yet. I’m a dungeon founder and apparently dungeon founders automatically get an honorary noble title, but I haven’t actually been knighted yet. Didn’t Lua tell you that?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“No. Whenever I asked about you, she just told me to find out. She did say that I can trust you with my life, but that is it.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Well, that isn’t exactly wrong. I do keep care of those that I like, in life and in death.” Or you know, until resurrection. Or reincarnation. Actually, do I have Monster Reincarnation and if I do, how does it work?
<span style="font-weight:400">(You don’t.) Laura said. (But our n was to open Rise of Destiny tonight and Monster Reincarnation is in that set, so we should get a few copies this night. I can also test it out, if you would like.)
<span style="font-weight:400">(Sure, go for it.)
<span style="font-weight:400">“... is that actually supposed to reassure someone or make them feel uneasy?” Agatha asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">“No clue. It just sounded good in my head.”
<hr>
<span style="font-weight:400">“Here. The empty barrels. Please fill at least three, but all four if possible. And meet me in the morning, four days from now.” Agatha said as she gave me a total of four blood barrels. Well, at the moment they were empty, but still. And the reason for the longer interval between blood deliveries is the amount we dropped off this time. And it just is Agatha’s schedule. Visit twice a week.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yeah. We’ll do our best.” I said as I took the barrels into my inventory.
<span style="font-weight:400">I guess I never told how I do it, so I’ll mention it now. I just touch something, think about putting it into the inventory and it just goes in. And I don’t even have to touch it, as long as it is within 1 meter of me. But any further than that, I can’t store it. It is also easier to put things in while I touch them, so I usually do touch them. Oh, and there doesn’t seem to be any sort of size limit on what I can store. Or maybe there is, but I can at least store an entire bed, so the limit isrge.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I didn’t know you had an item box.” Agathamented as she saw me putting the barrels away.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Well, I don’t exactly yell out my skills from the rooftops, so how would you know?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I’m just surprised. Usually, item box holders don’t have multiple magic bags, but you do.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“me me being a dungeon founder. My magic bagse from the dungeon.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“That would exin it.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“It can also make magic sks, like the one Lua has. So if you want some for the vigers, we can definitely make a deal.” I offered. No, I’m not just going to give them out for free. I already do enough charity work and I don’t want people to take too much advantage of my kindness. Curing them for free has to be enough. I’ll still give them a good discount though.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Oh? That would be extremely helpful. Are you sure?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yeah. As long as it is only for them. And I’m not giving them out for free. I’m just giving you a good deal.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yes. Of course. Hopefully we cane up with a price that will satisfy both sides. Getting those sks will really help everyone, if they want to leave the vige.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Want to? Is there a chance some of them don’t want that?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Both Rosemary and Vishal are stable, but still live there. Some just enjoy that lifestyle.” Agatha said.
<span style="font-weight:400">Vishal was one of the male dhampirs living in the vige. I think he also was Kody’s father, if I recall correctly.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I see. Well, to each their own. But we need to get going. We still have an appointment to get to.” I said to Agatha. “See you in four days.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“See you.” Ria said.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yes. Take care, you two. Ria, make sure not to get into any trouble!”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I won’t! Promise!”
<hr>
<span style="font-weight:400">“Is this really the ce?” Ria asked. “I was expecting some back alley ce.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yeah. This is it. I was a bit surprised as well, when I was introduced to the owner yesterday.” I said as we walked towards the mansion.
<span style="font-weight:400">There are a few additional details I noticed today, as I was on foot instead of in a carriage. First, there was a wall surrounding the property, well that part I did notice yesterday, but the important part was the guards guarding the main gate. I thought they were part of the city’s knight order, like all of the other guards, but they actually weren’t. At least they didn’t have the emblem that all of the other guards had. I think they are actually adventurers or other fighters that had fallen into very.
<span style="font-weight:400">Second was that the people taking care of the grounds were ves. This is based on me spotting the men from the two families Angelina checked up yesterday. I guess even while waiting for a buyer, ves work for their living expenses.
<hr>
<span style="font-weight:400">“Mr. Wood. We have been expecting you.” The girl from yesterday weed me. Why does she have to wear such a provocative outfit? Now I just want to get a bunny girl outfit for Laura. Perhaps a Goblin Cartographer could draw one and we could make it with Tailor of the Fickle. No, Laura. Don’t read my thoughts. I want to be the one to make it and give you one. You can’t make one yourself and surprise me with it. Well, you can, but I wanted to give it to you.
<span style="font-weight:400">(Oh, Brian. I love it when you give me ideas.) Laura said.
<span style="font-weight:400">(I said don’t do it.)
<span style="font-weight:400">(Don’t worry. You have no idea what I’m nning.)
<span style="font-weight:400">(That doesn’t make it better.)
<span style="font-weight:400">(But the timing does. Focus on what is going on around you, instead of me.) Laura said to cut our conversation short.
<span style="font-weight:400">… Now I’m just scared. What is she nning?
<span style="font-weight:400">Well, I’ll just have to worry about thatter. As she said, I’m kind of in the middle of something.
<hr>
<span style="font-weight:400">“Mr. Wood. Wee.” Corben was waiting for me in the room we spoke inst time.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I apologize. I kept you waiting.” I said as I saw that he was waiting for me. The service girl even said they were expecting me. Well, of course they would expect me as I had an appointment, but I must have beente.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Oh, don’t worry about that. There is no way we could keep a noble with an appointment waiting.” He said.
<span style="font-weight:400">But we had to wait a few minutes yesterday. Did Angelina not set out an appointment? Maybe she didn’t. That might have been a surprise inspection, doubled with my introduction.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Well, I still feel bad for wasting your time, so shall we get straight into business?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yes. That is fine with us. Is the youngdy with you the one in question?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yes.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Then let’s get started.”
<hr>
<span style="font-weight:400">We spent some time going over the exact ve contract that was going to be a thing between Ria and I. Because of the specific details, the closest thing to what Ria is, would be a criminal contract. That is because her contract became a time limited one, instead of one based on money.
<span style="font-weight:400">Ria and I had a small argument about how long she should be my ve for. She offered to stay my ve forever, whereas I was saying six months. Getting her approved would take a month, so six times that is more than fine. But in the end, our contract ended up being two full years.
<span style="font-weight:400">I should probably touch on that a bit. A year in this world is 13 months. And then there is the Goddess’ day. A month is four weeks, or 28 days and each month is as long as the next. With 13 months, 28 days each, and the Goddess’ day, that ends up with 365 just like back on Earth. Well, technically a year on Earth is something like 365,25 days, which is why we need an extra day every four years. But leap years don’t seem to be a thing in this world, so maybe there is a minor difference.
<hr>
<span style="font-weight:400">“We will need a bit of your blood for the seal, so if you would.” Corben said as the worker brought a container with ink before me.
<span style="font-weight:400">She ced it on the table and handed me a small needle.
<span style="font-weight:400">“So, is just a drop enough, or how much do you need?” I confirmed as I was looking at the needle.
<span style="font-weight:400">“A few drops. Depending on the size, five to ten.” He answered.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Sure.” I said as I pricked the end of my index finger in my left hand.
<span style="font-weight:400">I let some blood drip into the container, while thedy worker was stirring it. After seven drops, she said that was enough and I retracted my hand, only for Ria to take a hold of it.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Ria?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Just a second.” She said as she put my bleeding finger into her mouth.
<span style="font-weight:400">After she did, I felt her mana swirling around my finger. With some Laura hacks, I figured out she was using blood magic to stop the bleeding. While also taking a tiny amount of blood as a cost. Then she released my finger and my hand.
<span style="font-weight:400">I looked at my hand and the puncture hadpletely healed. I didn’t even see any sort of mark in the spot that I had pricked.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Thanks, Ria.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Thank you as well. Your blood really is delicious. I almost wanted to keep going.”
<span style="font-weight:400">I turned my eyes back to the owner and the worker and both of them hadpletely frozen.
<span style="font-weight:400">“What?” I asked to bring them back to reality.
<span style="font-weight:400">“... did she just? How much self control does she have? Shouldn’t a dhampir go insane from that..?” Corben wondered.
<span style="font-weight:400">Thedy said nothing and just got back to stirring the blood-ink mixture.
<hr>
<span style="font-weight:400">“Please remove your shirt so we can draw the ve mark.” Carbon said when the blood-ink had been sufficiently mixed.
<span style="font-weight:400">Ria didn’t even hesitate and just removed her shirt. I was a bit afraid of her not having anything under it, as I’m not sure if people that are not nobles have money for bras. I know Alice wore one when I saw her in her underwear, but I think bras were expensive in the medieval times.
<span style="font-weight:400">But Ria was wearing one, so at least she didn’t sh me.
<span style="font-weight:400">Carbon then painted a detailed circr design on her upper chest. I guess you could call it a magic circle.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Mr. Wood. Please pass some mana through the circle.” Carbon said after he finished drawing the circle.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yes.” I got up, walked before Ria and ced my hand on the magic circle. (Laura, make sure you remember what that circle looks like. It might be useful information.)
<span style="font-weight:400">(Making a ve seal isn’t that easy. We would also need the special ink and that is tier 3 ssified information.)
<span style="font-weight:400">(Well, at least we will be able to recognize it if you remember it.)
<span style="font-weight:400">I focused back to the task on hand and let some mana into the circle. Ria shivered a bit as it did, but it didn’t seem to hurt at all, so she should be fine.
<span style="font-weight:400">After the circle was full of my magic, it glowed lightly before taking on a grayish white color. The same as my handwriting with the magic pen that had color based on your magic. Perhaps this ink works the same as that pen.
<span style="font-weight:400">“The contract is sealed.” Carbon said. “Mr. Brian, if you would like to confirm, please check either your own status, or order Rhianna to show you hers.”
<span style="font-weight:400">I just checked mine. I don’t want to force Ria to show hers in front of other people. Even if I will take a look myselfter, for Level Up purposes.
<table style="border-copse:copse;width:50.2445%;height:624px">
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<td style="width:100%;height:24px"><span style="font-weight:400">Name: Brian Wood</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height:24px">
<td style="width:100%;height:24px"><span style="font-weight:400">Race: Human !</td>
</tr>
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<td style="width:100%;height:24px"><span style="font-weight:400">Level: 48</td>
</tr>
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<td style="width:100%;height:24px"><span style="font-weight:400">HP: 1220</td>
</tr>
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<td style="width:100%;height:24px"><span style="font-weight:400">Mana: 1760</td>
</tr>
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<td style="width:100%;height:24px"><span style="font-weight:400">Strength: 345</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height:24px">
<td style="width:100%;height:24px"><span style="font-weight:400">Defense: 545</td>
</tr>
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<td style="width:100%;height:24px"><span style="font-weight:400">Magic: 465</td>
</tr>
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<td style="width:100%;height:24px"></td>
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<td style="width:100%;height:24px"><span style="font-weight:400">Skills:</td>
</tr>
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<td style="width:100%;height:24px"><span style="font-weight:400">Pack Opener LV.4 (unique)</td>
</tr>
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<td style="width:100%;height:24px"><span style="font-weight:400">Different Dimension Factory LV.1 (unique)</td>
</tr>
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<td style="width:100%;height:24px"><span style="font-weight:400"></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height:24px">
<td style="width:100%;height:24px"><span style="font-weight:400">Telekinesis LV.2 (extra)</td>
</tr>
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<td style="width:100%;height:24px"><span style="font-weight:400">Summoner’s Unity LV.2 (extra)</td>
</tr>
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<td style="width:100%;height:24px"><span style="font-weight:400">Inventory LV.2 (extra)<span style="font-weight:400">
</td>
</tr>
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<td style="width:100%;height:24px"><span style="font-weight:400">Dungeon Founder (extra)</td>
</tr>
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<td style="width:100%;height:24px"><span style="font-weight:400">Summon Water Spirit (extra)</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height:24px">
<td style="width:100%;height:24px"><span style="font-weight:400">Health Conscious (extra)</td>
</tr>
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<td style="width:100%;height:24px"><span style="font-weight:400"></td>
</tr>
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<td style="width:100%;height:24px"><span style="font-weight:400">Mana Control LV.5</td>
</tr>
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<td style="width:100%;height:24px"><span style="font-weight:400"></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height:24px">
<td style="width:100%;height:24px"><span style="font-weight:400">Water Spirit’s Blessing (Greater)</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height:24px">
<td style="width:100%;height:24px"><span style="font-weight:400">Language Comprehension (humanoid)</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height:24px">
<td style="width:100%;height:24px"><span style="font-weight:400">ve Master</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height:24px">
<td style="width:100%;height:24px"><span style="font-weight:400">ves: Rhianna</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<span style="font-weight:400">I had a new title, ve Master. Sounds a little bad, but I guess it is urate. And the part below it showed that Ria was in fact my ve.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yes, I see it. It was sessful.” I said to Carbon. “So, how much did this cost?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“The service and ink fee is threerge silver.” Carbon answered.
<span style="font-weight:400">Okay. Less than I expected. I was expecting at least a gold coin, or two. I got the money out of my fanny pack instead of Inventory, as these people don’t need to know I have it. And I still have somerge silvers in the fanny pack as I never moved them into the Inventory.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Thank you for your business. Pleasee again if we can be of assistance. When you get a house of your own, I’m sure our ves will make for wonderful servants. We teach them well.” Carbon was already trying to make another sale, but I was a lot more interested in somethingpletely else.
<span style="font-weight:400">A system mission, to be precise.
<table style="border-copse:copse;width:60.3015%;height:139px">
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<td style="width:100%"><span style="font-weight:400">Mission: Good Master</td>
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<td style="width:100%"><span style="font-weight:400">Goal: Taking good care of your workers and ves is important.
Make sure you treat them properly.</td>
</tr>
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<td style="width:100%"><span style="font-weight:400">Reward: Grants 1 Dragonmaid card for each worker that sees you as a good employer or for a ve that respects you as their Master.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width:100%"><span style="font-weight:400">If you mistreat the worker or ve, the card given from them will be lost.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width:100%"><span style="font-weight:400">If the worker or ve leaves on good teams, you will get to keep the card.</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<span style="font-weight:400">Dragonmaids, huh? They were just released in the OCG if I remember correctly. But they aren’t even released in the TCG, yet the system is giving them as a reward.
<span style="font-weight:400">Actually, this brings up a good point. Thest day I remember back on earth was October 19 2019. I disappeared on the morning of that day. But here, it is springtime, not fall. Even the spirit that blessed me was the spirit of spring rain.
<span style="font-weight:400">I could think about it, but I doubt that I would evere to any conclusion. I’ll just drop it under the world difference folder and call it a day.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Thank you. I’lle again if I need anything. Ria, let’s go.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yes.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Now to introduce her to the Sawyers. And I do wander, what Dragonmaid will Ria give me? Hopefully it will be something good.
<span style="font-weight:400">