CH.173 Introducing Ria
<span style="font-weight:400">“Just a quick question, you do have all of your daily necessities like clothes and stuff? I know we will have to get blood tomorrow, but other than that?” I asked Ria.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I should have everything.” Ria answered.
<span style="font-weight:400">“What about adventuring gear, if we go hunting?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I don’t wear any armor or anything. I keep light and move quickly, and heal myself by drinking blood. It might not be great for having multiple battles in a row, but it works for quick one-on-one fights.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Then perhaps we should get you something. What about a weapon? What do you use?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I don’t. I use a blood magic spell that simtes blood frenzy to boost my stats while also using fire magic to boost myself even further. Or you know, I just frenzy. It makes my nails into quite good tearing weapons and I justtch onto an enemy, stick my fangs into them and suck until they die.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“... I see. That might not be the best in the long run. Do you want to learn a different fighting style? I can get you a teacher.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I… I’ll think about it. But Brian, how do you fight?” Ria asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I don’t. I just summon a few monsters and let them fight for me. It is a lot safer than actually going to the frontline myself. Well, admittedly I did try to be a frontline fighter for a bit, but someone said to me that I’m stupid for doing that, so I don’t think I’ll do it again.
<span style="font-weight:400">But even if you don’t want to change your weapon, something with a bit more defense would be good, right?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“... I suppose so. But I don’t have much money. We don’t use it in the vige, so I only get it from the monsters I hunt and have Agatha sell.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“But you hunted a B-rank crimson boa, right? That should have gotten you some money.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I didn’t sell it yet. I gave the skin to you and the meat got eaten. And I didn’t take the monster core with me, but left it in the vige. And you can imagine what happened with its blood.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Understandable. But Ria, I’m your Master now and that means taking care of you, including your equipment. So we will get you something. And if I find outter that you lied to me about your clothing situation, I’ll be angry.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I really am fine with clothes.” Ria said. “But if you really insist, I won’t argue.”
<hr>
<span style="font-weight:400">“Excuse me.” I said after I took Ria into a certain armor shop. They have the crimson boa hide and I think I should use that for Ria as well.
<span style="font-weight:400">A bitter, a familiar dwarvendy came from the back. That’s interesting, she is usually in the front.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Oh, it is you. Your order isn’t ready yet, if that is what you came for.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“No, no. I know it wouldn’t be yet. I actually would like to put it in another order, if possible.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“We should be able to fit something in. What can we do for you?” She quickly shifted her tone from one that sounded a bit annoyed at the disturbance into one of a saleswoman ready to make a sale.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I want you to make her something simr to what you are making for me. From the crimson boa skin, if possible.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Oh? I thought you were saving the rest of it for the one that hunted that snake.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“She is the one that hunted it.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Really now? Then she will be a worthy customer.”
<hr>
<span style="font-weight:400">We spent some time going over the details of what Ria’s armor should be like. The one thing the dwarf decided is that the tes on hers should be thinner and smaller, but have more of them. This gives better coverage in close quartersbat, but makes the armor overall a bit weaker against ranged attacks. If mine was like a modernbat vest, with tes only in the most important parts, Ria’s would be one where there are thinner tes everywhere.
<span style="font-weight:400">There was also a second difference. For Ria, they were going to just use bronze tes, not mithril. This is because Ria said she couldn’t take something as expensive as mithril. In a way, I’m d that she insisted on that, as it gave me the opportunity to analyze a few metal ingots. No, not because of some trick, but because the dwarfdy was showing the metals to us. Copper, bronze, iron and steel. All great things to have ess to. I can put Iron cksmith Kotetsu to use. I’ll ask him to learn how to forge that blood iron stuff with the help of my vampires and I’ll upgrade Ria’s armor with that once it is made. I should be able to do that.
<span style="font-weight:400">The other good part was the cost. With bronze, and the boa hideing from us, the cost was only 62 gold coins, a lot less than the almost 400 for mine. Not that I have a shortage of money. Actually, when I got the money out from the inventory, I noticed that the amount of money in there had grown again. The Upstart Goblins must havee off of cooldown and the goblins must have activated them again. Anyway, my total money (before paying) was 651 gold coins, 559rge silver and 520 small silver. Still have more gold thanrge or small silvers. I wonder if the chances for the coins aren’t 33,3% chance for each. The gold might have a higher chance.<sup ss="modern-footnotes-footnote " data-mfn="1"></sup><span ss="modern-footnotes-footnote__note" data-mfn="1"> For those that want urate information on the spot, the chances are actually 40% for gold and 30% for the silvers.
<span style="font-weight:400">As with my own armor, I paid half up front and the other half would be paid when the armor is ready to go.
<hr>
<span style="font-weight:400">After that, we returned to the Sawyer estate. The gate guards did ask about Ria, but I showed them the ve contract and they let her pass. A ve, while not an object or anything of that sort, still belongs to their Master and generally isn’t denied entry into ces the Master can ess. That was something I learned yesterday when I was out with Angelina.
<span style="font-weight:400">“... is this really alright?” Ria asked. “I mean, this is the Lord’s manor, right? Can someone like me really be here?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Well, I am, so I think you can as well. And I already got permission, so it is fine. And if it isn’t, we will just go somewhere else.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Where would that be?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“No clue. Anywhere we want to go. That is the thing about being free. No one will tell you where to go. Well, at the moment you are kind of tied to me, so you need to go where I go, but I can go where I want to go and I do take suggestions.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“... so you have no n if something goes wrong. Got it.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Well, I can always escape into my dungeon and trap it up to the point where there is no way anyone will ever get through it. But that is thest resort that I will only use if I have no ce to live elsewhere.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“What would you eat?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I cooked up a giant fish back in the vige and you are asking that?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Good point.”
<span style="font-weight:400">As we were chitchatting, we reached the front door of the main house.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Wee back, Mr. Brian.” A maid hade to wee me. “Is the miss with you the dhampir you spoke about?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yes. This is Rhianna, but she goes by Ria.” I quickly introduced Ria to the maid. I’m sure I’ll have to introduce her another five times today, so I’ll keep it short when it isn’t important.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Excuse me, but would you show me her papers from the exam? She did have the first one, right?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Of course she did.” I said as I got them out of Inventory, while I was digging in my magic fanny pack, just to make it look like the paper was there. “Here it is.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Like, it is not like I want to keep my inventory a secret, but I kind of do. And it is easy enough to hide, so why not?
<span style="font-weight:400">The maid looked over the paper before handing it back to me.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I apologize for this, but I was ordered to confirm it.” She said as she bowed.
<span style="font-weight:400">“No, I understand. Better safe than sorry.” But honestly, after what happened at the ve trader’s, I don’t think anything would make Ria lose her cool. Still need to set a Spellbinding Circle on her though. As I just said, better safe than sorry. I just need to figure out how to word it so that it won’t bind her in legitimate self defense situations.
<hr>
<span style="font-weight:400">“Brian! Wee back.” Alice called as she met me in the hallway. We were on our way to my room. Well, the room I’m staying in. Ria had to drop off her stuff and then … well, actually I don’t know. I do have two things I need to do, but those can wait.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Hey Alice. How was your day?” I asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">“It was great. I was able to ride the dragon. Well, we didn’t fly yet, but just walked around.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Nice. First steps. Need to walk before you can fly, right?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I was going to take a small flight, but Paulina said I can’t do it in the middle of town. Brian, you have to take me somewhere I can fly. Please.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Well, I was going to head to my dungeon tomorrow, so I can take you as well. At least if I get my B.E.S. Big Core and it can fit multiple people.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Big Core? B.E.S.?” Alice wondered.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Just another of my cards. Don’t worry about it.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“And you were going to go all the way to the dungeon. Won’t that take a long time? Even on a fast carriage, the trip from here to Alewatch takes a full day. And that is only if someone can use healing magic on the horses to keep them running.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“... Alice, you do remember that I have a flying golem, right? That thing moves a lot faster than some carriage. I can get to the dungeon with it in 15 minutes, or something.” I actually have no idea how long it would take with the takeoff andnding, but 15 minutes should be more than enough, considering how fast I got to the dhampir vige. And I wasn’t going nearly at top speeds while going there. If I let Laura take full control ofmanding Gradius, I could probably get to the dungeon in 5 minutes.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yes, I remember it. Will you let me ride in it?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Well, there is a problem. Gradius can only fit two people and Ria will being with us. Oh yeah, I should introduce you. Alice, this is Rhianna, but she goes by Ria. She is a dhampir from the local dhampir town and a friend of Lua. Ria, this is Alice Watchman, a daughter of Baron Watchman. She has been traveling with me.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“daughter of a noble…” I heard Ria mutter, before she bowed, imitating what she saw the maid do earlier. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Watchman. My name is Rhianna.” Ria’s voice sounded very stiff as she said that. I guess she isn’t unapologetic enough for the noble life. Then again, without the power of system support, I’m not sure I would be either. I just know I can wiggle my way out of trouble by showing that I have the system support, so I don’t mind testing the limits.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Brian, was she the girl that you wanted to make your ve?” Alice asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yes. She is my ve. We made the contract already.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I see… Rhianna, my name is Alice Watchman. You may call me Alice.” Alice said in a noble manner.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yes, Miss Alice. Thank you.” Ria said, still in her more forceful style.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Now Brian, back to this … Big Core? What kind of thing is it?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“A flying golem thing, simr to Gradius. But I think it isrger, so it should be able to carry more than two people.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“You think so? What do you mean? You don’t actually know?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I won’t know until I summon it. I know what B.E.S. Big Core is based on. And that thing wasrger than Gradius, so I think Big Core will be as well. But I will find out for sure when I summon it.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“How do you know what it was based on, but don’t know what it is..?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“It is like a legend. You know the legend about the hero, right? But would you recognize the hero if you passed him in the streets?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“The hero is dead, so that is impossible.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Well, what if one of my cards could summon the hero. Would you recognize that he is the hero from the legends that you have heard without him telling you that?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Can you summon him?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“No, of course not. My cards don’t seem to summon legends that are that well known.” Or more like they don’t summon legends that are known in this world.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Oh. I think I understand.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Do you? Do you really? Because I don’t and it is my skill. Well, I do understand that it just is Yugioh, but that’s it. It works and that is all that matters.
<hr>
<span style="font-weight:400">When we got to my room, I noticed that someone had brought a mattress into the room, with a pillow and a nket and all of that other stuff. Apparently, that was going to be Ria’s bedding.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Oh? It is super soft.” Ria said as she tested it out.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Is it?” I got interested and tried it with my hand. It wasn’t as good as my bed, but it was good. Better than most cots I have slept on back on earth and better than something like my travel pelts.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yes. It feels better than my bedding in the vige.” Ria said.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Does it? I think it is simr to the one in the room I slept in.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“That room has one of the best beds in the vige.” Ria said. “I think the only better one is the one that Lady Agatha uses.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Oh. I didn’t know that. I thought you all had ones of that quality.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“They aren’t bad, but not quite as good as this.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Well, I’m happy that you like it. Are you sure about sleeping in the same room as me? I can ask if they would let you sleep in some other room.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“No. I want to sleep here. If I lose control, I want you to be close.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yeah, speaking of that. We need to take a precaution.” I said as I took out a Spellbinding Circle. “Ria, I want to set this card on you. I know you don’t know what that means, so I’ll quickly exin. Basically, this is the spell that has kept you in check twice now. If I set it on you, it will automatically activate if you go into a blood frenzy or try to suck someone''s blood without permission. Are you fine with that?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“... you can do something like that? And you didn’t … was it set, set it on me earlier?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I wanted to ask if you were fine with it, before I actually did it. And to be honest, there is a chance that the card could activate in a legitimate self defense situation.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Brian. I’m both a ve and a dhampir. Do you think they will ept things like ‘self defense’ if I do it? Especially if I try to suck someone’s blood?” Ria asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">“... probably not. I see your point. But just be careful. And make sure you ask for my permission before you suck blood from anything that falls into the humanoid category, as that will be a part of the trigger.” I warned her.
<span style="font-weight:400">Laura was actually the one that specified the wording for the activation. By specifying blood frenzy and trying to suck blood from a humanoid without my permission, the card won’t activate if she sucks monsters blood inbat. Or when she just drinks from her blood bottle.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I want you to bind Rhianna if she goes into a blood frenzy or if she tries to suck the blood of a humanoid without permission, set.” I said to, well, set the card on her. “Now, just remember, no sucking anyone’s blood without permission or that thing will bind you. That goes for even something as little as what you did back at the ve traders.” I reminded her.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yes.”