Chapter 10 – Gold But No Money

"Wooow~! Such smooth, silky white skin, are you sure you're not a princess?" 

"Noo~! Please don't—!" 

[...Ugh...] My body is dreading at the noise these two women are making. 

"Hmmm.... This doesn't really... Well your young so I'm sure it'll grow in the future." 

"What?!"

[Ugh!] Especially hearing two men like that!

I sat down on a chair. "....Why." and sulk about my existence. 

"Heh?? I thought you were a one of those lean but no meat but you got some packing in there huh?"

"Please, don't touch my arms like that. I beg you Sir Leonon."

In between two doors. "Why..?" I mutter again.

"Don't be so formal! We're both men here so don't worry about showing a little bit of skin!"

"That's not what I'm worried about..."

"Enough of this." I stood up, looking at the ceiling for no particular reason and made the biggest and deepest sigh imaginable. 

[Why do I have to be in this place!] I thought in anguish.

After I got back inside to change my two character's clothes. Marina and Leonon grabbed my Itia and Kumo up and change their outfits in two different rooms next to each other, while I was told to sit on a chair in between the two doors to each room. Making me hear the noise from both rooms.

"Is this what it feels like when somebody touches their children..?" I thought to myself while giving sighs as I look down and hold my two subordinate's outfits. 

[Hmm, I even remember how we made these clothes.] I look in fondness as I touch each fabric. 

Itia's blue dress and Kumo's red suit. One is a simple red colored suit with a Victorian-style look to it with not that many decorations all around, except for a blood-red almost black bowtie and gold trimmings at the corners, with the bowtie having many spirals and spider web design covering the whole tie. [I remember making this myself... I'm really damn proud of it.] It's not the most grandiose outfit in the world but it's one of my favorites. 

As for Itia, [Yeah... We went a bit too overboard with this one.] I happily thought, as I carefully hold it to not crumple the fabric. 

For maximum bragging rights I farmed the rare mob Heavenly Eagles. Which only spawns in a specific time of the year, and gathered all of the feather drops that I could, which can be used for many more useful things, on a dress to give to my character. Needless to say world chat got into quite an uproar when they heard of it. 

[Well they weren't so mad when I showed them though.] She stayed in the waifu chart for a few more weeks after that. 

But still, without the help of the famous seamstress and my friend, Silkco-san and her company. I would have never be able to make this light-blue and silver colored, flowy, showy, drooping dress that slides on the ground with many symmetrical patterns tattered all over. 

[Yeah... There would definitely be scum rummaging around her if she wore this.] I thought, taking note for the future.

I smiled at the dresses with memories once more, and hid them on my magic bag and immediately [Oh!] I felt like they entered my brain. 

"That's what the Mental Luggage is Morus-sama." It's Gabril, who's floating above me. 

"Really..." I said. "You see, magic bags require the person wearing it to both have A, a high mental fortitude, and B, enough mana." She explains. "There are cases of magical items that entirely use mana but they are big and bulky and need regular mana replenishment. Plus you have the one-time chest with you." She finishes explaining. 

"Oh yeah..." [Godman said that it's rare to even have one in this world.] I thought. 

Just as I was in deep thought, "Done!" Marina said as she opens the door. With Mary holding a bitter-looking Itia. 

"We're done too!" Leonon comes out holding a slumping Kumo by the shoulder. 

I immediately look at their new getup. "Well you two look good." I complimented them and their mixed expressions disappeared instantaneously.

"Thank you! I will wear this from now on Morus-sama!" "It's a pleasure to receive your praise." Itia fan girled and Kumo bowed. 

"Now now let me see you now." They excitedly look at me, while it's uncomfortable I still take a look at their new outfits. 

Itia right now is wearing a white dress with a navy blue apron-like coat overlaying the dress, and a long skirt down to her feet as she's wearing a blue towel around her head. And... "I did the braids!" Mary did two braids on Itia's metallic hair. 

With Kumo on the other hand wearing what seems to be a semi-military outfit. He's wearing brown leather armor parts on top of regular clothes, white, puffy pants with a belt for a sword? And a cape for aesthetics. Most of all... 

"Pffh..! What's with that protection Kumo." The usually blank Itia laugh at the sight of Kumo, especially his head. 

He's wearing a helmet, one that is spherical in shape with a pointy head. 

"Dear! You aren't making Kumo-san work for the guard are you?!" Marina angrily ask. 

"No no an helmet is always good in every situation!" Leonon shouts. 

"...He is indeed correct." Kumo being the one that agreed to wear it, have no choice but to defend it. 

"Plus..." Leonon comes next to me. "You gotta be careful with his hair kid." He said to me in a whisper. 

"I'll... Take note on that one." [What does he mean by being careful?] I thought. 

"Well anyways... let's go!" I wanna get out as fast as possible so I rush open the door, with Mary, Itia, and Kumo following suit.

But I heard something about Marina that caught my ear. "...I wonder how Mori-chan got those beautiful clothes... It's like they were made from Siklco-sama herself! I'll need to pray harder to the great seamstress god for a masterpiece of a dress." She happily said, holding her arms. 

But I already closed the door by then. 

•••

{"Camouflage."}

Suddenly, in Itia's eyes, her polygonal-shaped eye and pupils transform into a regular circular shape. She looks at me with a sparkling face, which I then couldn't help but pat her head. 

"That's good, Kumo?" I ask him. "All good mas— I mean Morus-sama." [Even Kumo messes up sometimes.] How cute. 

Itia just finished casting a camouflage spell on her eyes since it's so distinct. Kumo did the same too while I used my hoodie to hide my ears. I don't know what people here think of non-human species but it's better to be safe than never. 

"Are you still not used to call my name?" I ask again. As to why they always have trouble with that.

The two immediately respond, "No no no Mori-sama! It's an honor to allow us to speak your name!" "My loyalty for you Morus-sama has been more fervent than ever before." Is their responses. "We.... Were not used to it yet." Itia meekly said. 

"Wooow! Your so popular Mori-san!" Mary interjected in the conversation.

"Hey Mary, watch—" Just as I was about say it, it happened. "Wah!" She fell on her bum. 

"Hey watch it!" The guy said said before walking away. 

"Owwiee.." She stood up while rubbing the dust away. 

"Sigh, you shouldn't trouble yourself in front of Mori-sama okay child?" Itia grasp Mary's hands and helps her get up. 

[Even when you look like a child yourself.] I thought as the scene just looks like an older sister helping out her sibling. Cute levels is at a maximum. 

"Hmn, that aside Morus-sama, it seems to be there's a lot of humans in this place is it not?" Kumo looks at me waiting for my opinion. 

"Yes it is..." I said. I look around, [There's so many people...] I thought, as I look at the whole area. 

There are stalls and booths and vendors all over the sides and corners of the main street. Traders, merchants, peddlers, and hawkers and the like are trying their best to sale their goods and wares. 

"Silverware! Silverware! These beauties were made from the capital city itself!"

"Medicine and snake oil everyone! It could cure your ailments!"

"This pelts have been caught only recently, buy them!"

From what I could see there's people buying as well. Buyers, consumers, you name it. People of all ages and backgrounds come in here and buy what they need. 

A mother and her child buy meat for the winter. A couple of swordsmen are inspecting a blade and thrusting it, a robe wearing guy with a hat checks out a scroll, an elderly couple buys some sweet-looking fruits, if there's a person, they're here. This place is bustling with activity. 

But of course when people gather rats follow suit. There are also devious-looking guys glancing at me but I'll avoid confrontation for now. 

"Appleberries, Torani, Yellowhip you call it, we have it! Have a free bite! We sell only in boxes!"

Growl~ [Crap, appleberry actually sounds delicious.] I thought while holding my stomach. 

"Morus-sama we should get going before it gets too crowded." Kumo said. 

"Yes let's go." I also agree to what he said. [Don't worry stomach you'll have to wait a bit longer.] I said before walking faster.

I grab Mary since she's human so couldn't keep up with us, but also that I don't lose her along the way. "Mary tell us where to go next?" I said to her. "Well just straight on this road! You'll have to turn a bit to the left on the town square to get to the Merchant's guild!" She happily  said, as this time she was the one pulling my hand. 

But I stop her and look behind me to see Itia and Kumo standing there, waiting for something. 

And that is... "This is where we part ways for now." This is the order for now. 

[I need to investigate this place for now, for more information so I don't have to blindly walk around here.] I thought. [But I'll definitely hang out with you two next.]

"Yes Morus-sama." "We'll bring you the best of results Mori-sama." The two of them responded and bow their heads. 

"Don't do that, it'll raise suspicion and I already explained to you right? Let's go back here for a moment. This place is not Atlantis or anywhere else in Endless." I said to them with a small smile. 

Right now we move to a nearby ally between two houses, so we don't bother the people walking. [We look suspicious right now so it's better if they don't act formal towards me.] I thought. 

"Yes Morus-sama, we'll produce the best results." "We won't let you down! We'll inspect every nook and cranny in this whole city!" Kumo acted as usual while Itia hype herself up. 

[You two look so stiff right now...] I thought, as I go and get closer to them.

"Morus-sama wai....!" Kumo finally let his guard down and got flustered. 

[I supposed I'll tease you two a bit.] I thought, while I made a smile and hold on to the two's shoulders and hug them up. 

"We're in this together you know? Right now you guys are the only ones that I know of and what I have left. So you two are allowed to ease yourselves more you know." And I finally let go. 

"Let me hug you next~!" Then Mary joined the fray. 

[That's right. Honestly I'm just a big softie in the end.] I know of a certain mage in-game that won't let up his facade and gets angry when you poke at his true emotions. He always puts on an appearance even with his NPCs. [I admire that guy's spirit but I can't keep up with appearances for long.] I thought, as I look at them dazed and confused. 

"What ya looking at me about?" I causally as the two of them.

[I don't wanna act and boss around my characters so much.] I don't really wanna end up like him, so keeping up appearances is too bothersome for me. [Instead, what I look forward to the most is...] I thought of a word something, something that's more easier for me to adjust, but Itia interrupted my thoughts.

"You mean like.... Friends? Mori-sama...?" She asks embarrassingly, fiddling her fingers and standing straight. 

"Itia—!" Before Kumo could scold the childish Itia.

"Yup." [That's the one.] The word I've been looking for. 

"Like friends."

•••

After that we left and say our goodbyes before leaving the marketplace. But when I left I saw the stall where they sell the appleberries.

[Fuck it!] I angrily thought, when I grabbed the group of appleberries and gave the middle-aged women selling it two gold nuggets before apologizing.

"Hmmm.... Crunch! Mary why's there so many so many goods all in one place?" I ask. While biting down the small apples.

[It's watery but it's definitely an apple!] I happily thought as the fruit's insides melt in your mouth and turn into apple juice. Pew! The seeds I spit out I put in my bag, it may be useful in the future. 

"Well mama said that since this is the main road to the city, it will be unfair if only an individual guild controls it, so each of the town's guilds agreed to share the street with the merchant guild regulating it!" Mary explains.

I was surprise to have her know so much. "How you know that much Mary?" I ask, since kids don't really have to know the inner workings of guild politics. 

"Well mama wants me to join the sewing guild after all! So she made me study all about it...!" Mary happily replied. 

"Oh really? Tell me more..." I listen attentively. 

So afterwards, I got to know more of the guild stuff by Mary, a child, teaching me. [So that's how it works.] There's a guild in every occupation this city has to offer, with the guilds being generally close knit and help each other out providing needed materials for exchange of that guilds goods or money. These guilds are what you call the Craft Guilds, the sewing guild falls into this line. With the others such as the mason guild, shoemaker guild, and weapons guild falling into this type. It's the most common guild there is. 

The three exceptions that falls outside is the Merchants Guild, Adventurer's Guild, and Mages Guild. These three fall outside because; the Merchant Guild controls large-scale transactions and settlement between other guilds, plus the trade outside the city. The Adventurer's Guild is the supplier and provides exotic products that comes from the dungeons and monsters and is someowhat detach from the guild economy. Finally the Mages Guild is provided by the city government and is completely detach from the guild economy. With most of the members being nobles and only ever interact with the two other guilds mentioned above. The members of the Mages Guild do interact with the other guilds but the organization itself doesn't. 

But after all that explaining my head hurts. Even Mary got tired after explaining so much so she said she'll buy a gord of water.

But now that I'm alone... 

"Ding ding ding! Here ye, here ye, here in the Succubus Nest we got the best women in all of El Niño!" A pleasant voice with somewhat of a weird accent rang to my ears. 

[I could... Interact with more risque parts of the market.] I grin. [Plus it's a pretty fitting name after all.] Succubus Nest, perfect.

I look to where the voice came from and see a rather scantily-dressed women with orange hair that reaches her back. She has a rather voluptuous body and plenty of cleavage to show. She's wearing a tight, brown, mini skirt that reaches just below her ass. While she's holding some sort of sign. She's most definitely a harlot advertising her shop.

"We will be opened later tonight!" She happily shouted with her ass pointed out and wink at the people walking by. 

The men in the vicinity took a peek of her, which included me. A former man. 

My lust slowly rises within me, [Is this my succubus part waking up?] I wondered as I see my veins turning purple. But looking at the prostitute closer, I saw something that calmed my lust.

The most distinguishable thing I saw is... "A half-elf?" she has pointed ears, but are in no way long, you wouldn't notice them unless you take a look. 

"Oh?! Yes! I'm a half-elf! Are you disturbed by me...?" She shyly asks, holding up her sign to her face, revealing her tight thighs. 

"No no no I don't! I just notice." I immediately reply.

"Hoouu...!! Thank you!" She bows. "Recently us half elves and elves have been shunned by more and more people recently. It's causing our master to have an headache!" She says while sighing. 

"Oh really? How come?" I ask, since this is also important for my sake as well. [I'm a elf too you know?] A majin elf and succubus but I'm still technically one. 

"Well master is really kind towards us elves!" She shouted in front of me. "But recently more and more of the brothels have begun selling us and other non human races to the slavers..." She stop screaming by the end, looking around like  she's hiding something, and come closer to me. 

"...It's because of those damned Kurumist priest that things are getting worst for us..." She said as she pulls herself back. 

"...W-what...?" I was in deep shock. [How could that happened? Kurumi di—] Just as I was beginning to think.

And before I could even get into my thoughts. "Demi-bitch...!" A hurl of fist suddenly came towards us. 

"Hiyup!" I grab the thick arm. Even if it's a human's arm, it's still human after all. 

But the sudden shock cause me to get back and my hood to fall behind my back. 

"Hyaa...!!" But the women is still terrified of what she saw and fell to the ground with her panties completely exposed. Even I couldn't resist looking at it. [There's a small opening in the panty...] I thought while smirking.

I quickly hooded my head again. 

"The fuck are you doing?!" The raging man howl at me ruining my fun, he's straight hitting my face as he use his other fist to hit—

"Haarrughh....!!!!" But my hand is too fast as I landed a hit first straight into his jaw, making him fall dramatically. 

"W-what happened?!" A nearby passerby scream.

This whole incident happened so fast that the people have just step back up from us. 

"Nothing Mister, we were just punishing an insolent creature that dares insult our god." A man slowly walks in front of us wearing gaudy clothes. He's not fat and not too thin either, but does have multiple chins though. 

"Tsk... It's that damn slave trader!" The half-elf shouted in rage. 

"Oh ho ho, do you perhaps know of me?" He said as he fiddles the little hair on his chin. 

"..." I stay silent. 

"H-hey! What's happening here!" A guard finally arrives. 

"Nothing sir, we were just bringing justice to the one that insulted our holy god Kurumi-sama." He said while laughing and showing off Kurumi's halo. 

"...That may be the case but you are still committing assault so we may have to arrest that man over there." He points at the man laying on the ground by my strike. 

"Please do, he acted on impulse so you sir can have him all you want." He said, snapping his fingers to order his other bodyguards to pick that man up to give to the guard. 

He turns around and then leaves, saying one last thing "We'll just finish our business at a later date. Elf." He doesn't direct his malcontent towards the half elf but towards me. While holding up and rubbing his filthy hands on Kurumi's halo hanging on his neck. 

And they finally leave, the people around us leave a sigh and talk to themselves. "They're gone.." "Those slavers, using religion for their own means..." "Well at least it's not us right?" "Things were so peaceful before those damned Kurumist..." They whisper, whisper things that I don't care about right now. 

"Thank you, we couldn't stop them in time so thank you!" The guard bows his head, but I didn't look, I just said... 

"...You're welcome." with a monotone voice. 

[...Bastards...] I thought. 

"Thank you so much! You saved me, as fellow elves your very brave!" The prostitute said, bowing her head. But I just said. "....You're welcome as well..."

[.....You bastards!]

Then she came next to my ear. "I know you're looking at me with lust back there, I won't mind to do you for free no? You saved me plus I have experienced with girls..." She wink at me, but I couldn't care anything right now. 

"..." I stay silent again. 

[...T-those bastards...!! H-how there they...! My friend—?!] I snapped. 

"Uhm hey..." "You alright?" The guard and prostitute said as they look worried about me. But I can't hear it at all. 

I clench my fist and grit my teeth. My claws growing and my fangs biting my lips, blood spills out. My eyes slowly goes red and my veins come out purple. My hair straightens like a needle and my magic starts flowing out, and then the horns on my forehead starts scratching my skin as the horns got excited. If anymore reveals itself I'll be expo— [I don't fucking ca—] I'm about to burst.

But someone manage to pull me back, "Mooorrrrrriii-saaaann!" Mary, who I didn't even notice, came back and hug me tight, bringing me back into sanity. 

"Mary...." It's my first line that I said with intent after what happened. 

"I'm so sorry Mori-san! I'm sorry! If I hadn't left you wouldn't—" She starts blaming herself again. So I pick her up and hug her tight. 

"Haaa... It's not your fault Mary." I can only let out a dry laugh. As I'm relieved this little creature was here when I need it the most. 

[I made you cry again huh...] I thought, as she starts tearing up in my breast.  

I look to the bewildered prostitute and gave her a wink. 

•••

"We're here!" Mary shouted, looking at the building with awe. 

"Yup! We're here finally." I calmly smile at this bustling building. Where normally I'd be excited but I look at it as the start of my new goal. 

At first I just wanted to get myself some cash by selling the gold that I have but now, [I'll get information towards those fake Kurumist slave traders that used and sully my friend's name!] I thought with a rocky smile. 

Chaaruzu_Corne