Chapter 46

Chapter 46: Don’t fall for your slave, please! part

Ryu woke up early as always and he expected to meet Rina downstairs like usual, but he was the first one to get up this time. Only when he saw the mess downstairs did he realize that since the tavern was closed, Rina didn’t have a reason to get up early.

He felt lonely and fought the impulse to wake her up just to get some company. Not only because he had fun yesterday, but he was also worried because of the way she disappeared last night after he rejected her advance. He wondered if he should’ve agreed to spend the night with her, but at the same time it would be awkward if he didn’t make things clear with her partners before.

Anne and Helena have been attempting to seduce him since they were at the settlement, at first it was subtle, but they became more assertive every passing day.

Before doing anything, he needed to make sense of his own feelings, is it just a fling he’s after? if so, why didn’t he just accept Rina last night?

He was starting to get stressed again, but cooking helped him clear his thoughts and the kitchen was already clean. Just when he was about to start baking some bread he remembered that he put a quest in the billboard asking for rare plants.

He went to the storage room and sorted through the many bags he received. What he found were common plants, mostly weeds. Ut wasn’t necessarily a bad thing though, since Rina would pay accordingly, which means he got them very cheap and even weed may have it’s use.

Ryu took a sample of each plant and grabbed some pieces of paper. He wished he had a book, but despite paper being affordable, books where an entirely different matter since no one in town dealt with books nor had the tools to craft them.

.....

He started drawing each plant the best he could, added a short description and an estimate value. This would help Rina know how much to offer for each different species and they could use the page to ask for a specific one at the billboard.

Since there wasn’t a single silver flower among the plants people brought, he made a page and posted it in the billboard reading:

Silver flower: An aromatic flower, bring the root too. 1 copper each.

People will be highly motivated to sell them since they could gather five of them and call it a day, but the best part would be that they could just pick them whenever they found them and make a bit of money on the side. The only problem was that no one will come since the tavern will remain closed until they refurnish it.

People were staring to wake up so Ryu went back to the kitchen, since he didn’t get the chance to bake bread and it took some time, he just grabbed some eggs and put them in a big bowl. He put the frying pan in the stove with some oil, then he seasoned the mix with salt and pepper.

Claire got into the kitchen and asked Ryu if she could help, but Ryu just asked her to learn the recipe.

He skillfully sliced some vegetables and put them apart. Once the frying pan was at the right temperature he poured the mix and started tilting the frying pan until it was completely covered he added the sliced vegetables.

Claire was impressed by Ryu’s display of skills and wondered if she would ever be as good as him at cooking.

She took the first two servings to the table where Anne, Helena, Rina, Sera and Dylan were already waiting in silence.

It’s not that they didn’t have anything to say, on the contrary, everyone wanted to speak their minds to Ryu, but he was currently busy, so they just sat awkwardly at the table waiting for him to come. The first ones to be served where Anne and Helena respectively, Claire was aware that Ryu knew them from before and that they were the closest ones to him.

“An omelette! and it looks fantastic!”

Helena said excitedly

“It does, I wonder what got Ryu into such a good mood today?”

Anne stared at Rina, but she didn’t pay any mind to her words since her mouth was watering too much.

“Is this food from your village?”

Dylan asked Anne intrigued

“It is, It’s pretty popular for breakfast, I’m sorry we didn’t wait for everyone to be served but this is supposed to be had while hot”

Anne replied in between mouthfuls.

Soon after everyone had their serving and Ryu came out of the kitchen with his own plate, he sat down and proceeded to eat in silence.

Ryu and Rina exchanged looks every so often and this didn’t go unnoticed by Anne, who already suspected something was going on between them.

“Why are you two acting like that? did something happen yesterday?”

She asked Ryu

“Lots of things happened”

Ryu told them about the agreement with Hiraku, the plan to take on madame Bianca and the reason why they’ll remain closed. Once they discussed everything about it while having some tea, he asked Dylan to wait outside and proceeded to clear his throat.

“So, about what you asked Anne. Yesterday at the mayor’s house Rina forfeited the bet and became my slave”

Both heroines stared at him blankly.

“We were prepared for that, but it doesn’t explain the lovey dovey vibe I’m getting”

Anne didn’t change her expression in the slightest

“Rina and I had a date yesterday”

“That’s so wrong Ryu and you know it! how can you take advantage from a slave who can’t defend herself!”

Helena exclaimed

“Why are you talking about me as if I wasn’t sitting right next to you Helena!? I’m the same Rina”

“I’m sorry dear, did that pervert made you do something dirty? you can cry if you want we’re on your side”

Helena looked genuinely concerned about her.

“It’s not like that! we just dated”

“Yeah, it takes guts to ask a girl out on a date if she’s a slave. Ryu I’m disappointed in you”

Anne grumbled

“It was me who asked him out! and technically I wasn’t a slave at the moment. Also, even as a slave I wouldn’t let anyone take advantage of me, I’d rather take my own life!”

Ryu was between a rock and a hard place, but Ayumi’s words resounded in his mind. Back at the settlement she told him to man up and that was precisely what he intended to do now, although not as the girls would have preferred.

“Listen girls, I know how you feel, but this doesn’t concern you. Rina was the first one who instead of pressuring me asked me out and we just happened to have fun, we may have a second date or maybe not, but like I said, it’s none of your business. About Rina’s current situation, I agree that we need to find a solution to this, so I’m open to suggestions”

Everyone at the table remained in silence, it was a difficult situation for everyone, especially for Rina.

Anne was mad at Ryu, but she knew she didn’t have the right to reprimand him for dating another girl since they didn’t have a relationship.

Helena wasn’t that mad, because she had just spent a night with him and it somehow relieved her desire.

But the fact was that no one could think of a proper solution that would keep everyone happy. Ryu needed compensation for his gold, Rina needed everyone to trust her so she can continue to work at the tavern, and the girls wanted Ryu for themselves.

Ryu was troubled because all he wanted to do was have a peaceful time and maybe a fling.

“Since no one has a solution I’ll ask you to cut me some slack. I’ve been working my ass off since we came in here and I was hurt last night, yet, instead of making things easy for me you always think of yourselves first. I had fun for the first time and instead of being happy for me, you throw yourselves at my throat. Also, I’ve been blueballed for too long and I need to clear my head so I’ll be heading to the brothel today and I really hope no one gets on my way unless, of course, you’re willing to help me with that”

Ryu’s tone showed how tired he was, making the girls feel guilty, yet Rina wasn’t going to miss the chance. Yesterday night she thought long and hard about Ryu and, despite the fact that they don’t know each other that well, she realized no one had ever treated her like him and she found him attractive too, that was way more than many girls could ever dream of.

“I wouldn’t mind”

She said, but she was quickly rebuffed by him.

“I’m sorry Rina, but I meant what I said earlier. I can’t possibly date you until we solve your situation”

“Hold your horses handsome! who said anything about dating, I’m just stating the obvious. You’re about to pay to get laid, when you could just do it with me, a slave, isn’t that what slaves are for? to get laid without consequences. Also you’ll save a bit of money”

“You make a good point, but I pass anyway”

Even Sera, who stayed quiet the whole time, wanted to say something, but she couldn’t muster the courage to do it.

Ryu grabbed his coat and left the tavern. Dylan had been waiting obediently outside and they walked off, leaving the girls dumbfounded and remorseful at the same time. They did put him in a tough spot and pushed him right at the brothel’s doors.