Reborn as the First Boss, Chapter 97

Chapter 97 – Temptations

Naturally, the slaves I’d picked up from the bandits cleared me of any wrongdoing. I also managed to work a trade for the bard, selling him to the country of Bikar for 100 pp, a Tier 1 [Endless Camp Ration Box], and seven Tier 1 [Replenishing Skins], which would keep my new slaves fed and watered. The irony of having to buy items I’d traded away only three days ago was not lost on me. Still, the price was more than I was expecting, to be honest, but likely less than the bard was worth, if I sold him on the market.

Either way, the next day we set out again from the fort. Only, our numbers had grown quite a bit, so everyone fitting in the wagon wasn’t going to work. My party members and I used our [Mount Storage Orbs] to call forth our steeds, while the new slaves rode in the [Collapsible Wagon]. Frostmaw and Rastran trotted along beside us, obviously.

Thankfully, the wagon was big enough that the seven slaves could fit in it comfortably, with one driving and six sitting in back. It might not have been all that spacious, but they were able to ride in relative comfort, and no one was needing to sit on anyone else’s lap. However, I was definitely going to be using magic to get us all back to Windwater, once we’d gotten to Crystalshield.

This time, we rode openly, without hiding the dragon and hellhound under invisibility, though Zazriel and I did hide our true natures. There was a reason for this, of course. The goblins were either dead or driven off, for the time being, and the bandits had been dealt with. While it wasn’t impossible that there were other threats out there, I doubted any of them would be a threat to my party. However, the number of people we were responsible for protecting had jumped significantly, and while the new slaves were wearing clothes scavenged from the bandits, they didn’t have any armor or weapons. So, scaring off anyone who wanted to cause trouble before they could get close enough to be a problem was the smart play.

At any rate, it was little surprise that the day’s travel was fairly uneventful. Our little menagerie was, quite frankly, the definition of ‘not worth the effort’. Yes, someone might be able to get some impressive gear off our corpses, should they kill us, but the risk was not worth the reward, in this area where most monsters barely got to Level 30 in Tier 1. By nightfall, we were back at the point where the road from Eshiari to Crystalshield split off to head to the fort.

Of course, the sleeping situation did not improve. We were still ‘roughing it’, since we couldn’t haul Ayen’s wagon and horses into the [Spiritual Retreat]. Not a problem, really, since the weather was good, but it did mean we had to set watches through the night.

Also, it meant that there was a bit of an audience when I started ‘rewarding’ my pets for their hard work, clearing out the bandit camp. Not all at once, of course. Some of them had to be on watch, after all. However, after they saw me taking Rastran and Frostmaw (in his smaller size) at the same time? The new slaves had some questions, even if they weren’t about to say them out loud.

I smiled as I pulled my clothes back on, once more thankful for their self-cleaning properties, and said, “Even if the bandits have been dealt with, it would be foolish to let our guard down, especially with so many more individuals to protect. One of my items doubles the regeneration rate for both HP and MP for myself and anyone I lay with for twenty-four hours. It might not be ‘baroness-ish’ of me, but I care more about effectiveness than appearances, generally.”

Izett, the halfling jewler, just shook her head. “Begging your pardon, Mistress, but I’m less questioning the why so much as the how. I enjoy a good dicking as much as the next girl, but that wolf and dragon looked to be hung like horses, literally! And the dragon was shrunk down! Either one was long enough that if they shoved it in me I’d be licking the tip as it came up my throat! And you took one at each end! Just… how?”

I laughed at that. “Well there’s an answer to that, but I won’t be revealing it to anyone who isn’t heading back to Windwater with me. No offense, Libbe, but if you’re still looking to get sold to your father, or someone else you know in Crystalshield, you literally would not be able to avoid sharing my secrets to your new owner, if ordered to speak.”

“But this show, Mistress?” Libbe asked.

“Even if you tell someone, would they believe you, if they hadn’t seen it for themselves? Some stories are far too fanciful to believe, and any attractive noblewoman who gains enough power is going to have people spreading rumors about her, especially of that sort.”

The Earth Sorceress opened her mouth, and then closed it again. “I can’t exactly argue with you on that point. Though, that kind of enchanted item, and the hint that whatever the true secret is beyond what we just saw? My instincts as a Scholar are telling me there is something interesting in that tale.”

“And there is,” I grinned. “Of course, you would need to give up your chance to return home in order to learn it. But then, it might be for the best, anyways. A father owning his own daughter leads to a very different dynamic than with you as a free woman. You’re a pretty woman, Libbe, so you’ll need to consider that whoever owns you might fall to temptation. Even the best men can be like that, after all. And with someone who can’t say no?”

“My father would never!”

I ignored her shocked, almost offended tone. “Your father is a man, is he not? He obviously likes women enough that you came about, so the only question is whether he’s not too old to rise to the occasion. Because the moment you return to him as his slave, that is going to change things between you two. Maybe not much, at first, but it will change. You won’t be just his daughter, anymore. You’ll be his possession. And a pretty possession at that.

“Of course, perhaps your father will recognize that, and decide to avoid the temptation, by selling you as a slave-wife or concubine to someone he believes will take care of you. Wouldn’t be that different from how many village girls find their husband, you know. And it is a damn sight better than most noble marriages, which are usually political in nature. A child sold off to another land as part of a treaty, or even just an alliance between two houses in the same country.”

Ivette, the healer, took a breath. “So, Mistress, we aren’t going to be expected to, um, ‘help’ your companions, right? I know a slave can’t go demanding things of their Mistress, but I’ve never been interested in wolves and dragons like that.”

“No, you need not worry about that. Those I take into combat with me are one thing. A bit of ‘bonding’ helps everyone get along better. But I won’t force any of you to have relations with my other pets. I won’t forbid it, but I won’t force you.”

Simona, the Beast Tamer, let out a long breath. Her face was flushed, as well. “I know that there have always been Beast Tamers who gain a reputation as ‘beast layers’. Never understood it, myself, before. But there was something hot about seeing you on all fours, Mistress, with Rastran fully knotted inside you. Is it always like that?”

“Sometimes it is better,” I chuckled. “But, if you are interested, I could set up a ritual, so that you could gain a beast form of your own.”

Finnea, the elven Lightning Sorceress, leaned forward. “A ritual? Is it some kind of druidic magic, then?”

“Perhaps. I found it as one of several spells within a grimoire in a dungeon. It is called the [Ritual of the Beast]. You have sex with a beastly creature, to completion, and then you gain the ability to turn into that creature at will.”

The elf’s eyes went wide. “That sounds like some of the early druidic magic, from before the Voice of the World created, or at least recognized, the Druid class! Getting the vital essence of a creature was necessary to transform into that creature, though some versions of the ritual involved drinking blood, or eating the creature’s heart. Have you performed this ritual, Mistress?”

“Yes, though I was still in Tier 1 when I did them. I have the form of the Hellhound, the Warhorse, and the Frost Drake. As you can imagine, getting them without requiring a healer’s aid afterwards required some specialized circumstances on my part. Though finding instances where those forms would be useful has been more problematic, especially since I’m rarely on my own.”

“You know, Mistress,” Jewell spoke up from her spot by the fire, “you haven’t tried those beast forms since you rose in tier. Something may have changed in them.”

To be honest, I hadn’t considered that the forms I could change into might change, now that I was in Tier 2. The individual forms were all right on their own. They gave me additional tools in my toolbox, after all. However, if they could gain strength as I did? That changed things.

I glanced to Finnea, who took a deep breath as she considered things. “This is mostly ancient lore from times long ago, before the Voice of the World came about, you understand, but there were tales of the old nature mages being able to change forms, and those forms would get stronger as they did. However, that was before there were Tiers, so I don’t know if it means they got stronger because their base attributes were stronger, or because they unlocked the ability to transform into stronger creatures.”

“Then, I guess I might as well try it,” I grinned. I moved out, away from the campfire, so that I would have more room. Even just the Warhorse transformation took up more space than I had with everyone gathered up like that. If I unlocked larger transformations, I didn’t want to accidentally squash anyone. “Right. First up, the [Form of the Hellhound].”

Tier 2 Achieved. New Form unlocked.

You may now select between Hellhound and Dire Hellhound when using this ability.

Form of the Dire Hellhound:

Dire Strength – STR increased by 50% while in this form.

Hellfire Immunity – Immune to damage from Fire and Hellfire.

Natural Weapons – Gain two claw attacks (dealing STR1.5 damage) and a bite attack (STR2 damage). A hellhound’s natural weapons deal additional Hellfire damage equal to their CHA.

Tough Hide – The Dire Hellhound reduces all damage taken by their CON.

Profane Bite – The Dire Hellhound deals double damage to creatures of Celestial heritage.

Hellfire Breath – The Dire Hellhound can breathe a cone of hellfire up to 30 meters long and 15 meters wide, dealing Hellfire damage equal to their CHA*2 to all creatures and objects in the area. This breath has a cooldown of 60 seconds, and costs 1000 SP.

As I said the words, I saw the ne form unlock. I chose it without hesitation. My items melded into my flesh as I transformed, going down to all fours. Like Rastran, I was now the size of a large horse, and had hellfire casually wreathing my paws. Fortunately, while the flames defaulted to leaving scorched footprints wherever I walked, that aspect could be turned off, so that I wasn’t a walking fire hazard.

Otherwise, the form’s abilities were basically the same. The area on the Hellfire Breath increased from a 10m by 10m cone to 30m by 15m, and the natural weapons jumped in damage a bit. The [Dire Strength] and [Profane Bite] abilities meant that the Dire Hellhound was a very nice angel-killer, if I wanted to use it like that. But I hadn’t met any angels that I couldn’t talk my way around, first, so I didn’t know how useful that would be.

“Ooh!” Angelina clapped. “Show us the others, Mistress!”