RIAD Ch 3

“I’m so sorry, adventurer. This is why I told you not to go near them… You crazy bastard! Get off her!”

The man swung the baton a couple more times, finally hitting the slave’s forearm that was gripping Eliah’s ankle. At this rate, his wrist would break. Words wouldn’t work.

“Stop it! Are you crazy?”

She bent down, covering the slave’s forearm with her hand. Blood from a fresh wound seeped into her palm. The man, startled, stopped swinging, afraid of hitting Eliah.

“Oh dear, adventurer!”

“I’ll take him.”

“Pardon?”

“I’m taking him. Release him.”

“But… are you… sure?”

“Yes. How many times do I have to say it?”

Eliah finally snapped. She was disgusted by the blatant beating happening right in front of her. Her original character was so powerful that she usually just picked any slave and used them as an assistant when pursuing other studs’ routes. She felt a pang of guilt for the countless in-game slaves she had ignored.

“Uh, well, yes, alright. You know there are no refunds, right?”

“Yes.”

Eliah scowled. His tone continued to grate on her nerves. The man slowly unlocked the shackles around the slave stud’s neck, arms, and legs.

Freed, the slave slumped to the ground. A tingling sensation rushed through her ankle as his grip loosened. After catching his breath, he struggled to his feet.

“Do you have any clothes?”

“Ah! I apologize for the unsightly view. I’ll get you something to cover up.”

“Yes.”

Eliah, no longer wanting to interact with the man, gave minimal responses. He handed her something resembling an apron. Calling it an apron was generous; it was just a dirty piece of cloth with a string.

“Let me… put this on you.”

“……”

She cautiously approached the slave, who still held a fierce gaze. Thankfully, he only followed her movements with his eyes, remaining still. Reassured, she tied the apron around his waist.

“Can you walk?”

“…Yes.”

Unlike his previous demeanor, he answered obediently. Secretly relieved, she was reassured by his compliance. She led the first stud by the hand, out of the slave market.

Leaving the reeking market behind, Eliah first sought out lodgings in the village. There was only one inn in Noiamie, so she found it quickly.

She looked back at him, who had been silently following her.

“Um… I’m Eliah. What’s your name?”

“…Kai.”

After a brief hesitation, he revealed his name. Though familiar, hearing it in his voice felt different. Just as Eliah thought, His expression is so unreadable, a white notification window flashed before her eyes.

Ding!

[Notification: Updating the list of the continent’s four great studs.]

[List of the Continent’s Four Great Studs:

• Kai (Slave), Difficulty: Normal, Affection: 0%

• ????, Difficulty: Normal, Affection: 0%

• ????, Difficulty: Hard, Affection: 0%

• ????, Difficulty: Hard, Affection: 0%]

[Notification: You can engage in a relationship with a stud once their affection level reaches 30% or higher.]

“Kai.”

As she spoke his name, a notification window appeared, signaling the next stage.

Ding!

[Congratulations on completing the quest ‘Slave Trade’.]

[Quest ‘Slave Kai (1)’

You have entered into a secret relationship with the first stud, Kai.

Obtain the first OP from him.

Time limit: 24 hours

Failure: Fever]

OP, short for Orgasm Point, could be obtained upon reaching orgasm for the first time with a stud. So, obtaining an OP from Kai meant…

‘Are you telling me to do it right after meeting him?!’

She knew it was coming, but seeing it with her own eyes was a different matter. Unable to hide her shock, Eliah’s jaw dropped. Picking the wrong game had turned her into someone who would get sick if she didn’t have sex.

Feeling self-conscious, she glanced at Kai, then quickly looked for a way out.

“We need to… wash up…”

She trailed off, and he continued to stare at her with an impassive expression. With mixed feelings, she gestured towards a door on one side of the room.

“There’s a bathroom over there. Go wash up. I’ll wait here.”

“Yes, Master.”

He replied with unexpected politeness and entered the bathroom. Eliah was startled by the unfamiliar term of address but managed to hide her surprise. Hearing it in his emotionless, husky voice made her stomach churn.

The sound of splashing water filled the room. Once he was out of sight, the tension suddenly drained from her, and she collapsed onto the bed.

“Haaa…”

A sigh escaped her lips as she thought about what she had to do next.

Perhaps she should be grateful that the penalty for failure was only a fever. It seemed she wouldn’t die if she failed to seduce him on the first meeting. And given her class, ‘The Vigorous Swordsman,’ the first encounter shouldn’t be too difficult.

This was fortunate for Eliah. Kai, considered relatively easy to conquer among the Deus male leads, had very polarizing keywords among players.

‘Lust, and obsession.’

He was favored by those seeking stimulating visuals with the studs and disliked by those who valued adventure and love. And Eliah belonged to the latter group.

If she remembered correctly, Kai was currently in a rather twisted state, only pretending to be docile on the surface. If she established a submissive relationship with him as a slave and initiated a sexual relationship, he would gradually become obsessive. Bound by the slave magic, his forced obedience would eventually turn into genuine lust. Of course, the ‘Charm’ characteristic, triggered by slave status, also played a role.

The rough relationship stemming from his love-hate and obsession was a hot topic in the Deus community. However, Eliah wasn’t aiming for the ‘Kai Ending.’

‘For the happy ending, I just need to collect the OPs.’

Eliah fiddled with the thumb-sized pendant dangling from her chest. The flower-shaped pendant had four indented petals, spaces for the jewels representing the OPs.

The prevailing strategy was that collecting all four jewels by having relationships with each stud would lead to the happy ending.

And unlike endings that required 100% affection, OPs could be obtained with just 30% affection and an orgasm.

‘Honestly, I don’t think I can handle the Kai route.’

Vague memories of explicit scenes she had seen years ago surfaced, and she shook her head.

Lost in thought, she hadn’t realized how much time had passed until the sound of water from the bathroom stopped. Kai, now clean, emerged with his gleaming body.

“I… I’m done washing, Master.”

He lowered his long eyelashes demurely. Or rather, it appeared that way. His expression remained emotionless.

“Ah…”

Eliah let out a silly sound and swallowed, suddenly feeling thirsty.

His damp hair shimmered with a brilliant silver sheen. Transparent droplets of water dripped down the pure, silver strands, like precious metal. His revealed face resembled a finely crafted sculpture, his body below a seamless tapestry of lean muscle.

Seeing him freshly washed, Kai’s beauty was breathtaking. He was, without a doubt, the most handsome man she had ever seen.

A shiver ran down her spine, reaching her head.

‘Is this… a stud?’

For the first time, Eliah thought that the Kai route might not be so bad.

“Master?”

His low voice tickled her ears. His blue eyes were clear and deep. Perhaps a lake deep in the Alps would be that color…

As her thoughts drifted, she realized she had been staring into his eyes. Startled, she took a step back.

“Ah, your eyes are beautiful.”

She belatedly bit her lip at her impulsive words. This isn’t right. She glanced at him, but he showed no reaction. Taking a deep breath, she regained her composure.

“…Sit down. I have something to tell you.”

She patted the spot next to her, and he sat on the bed, keeping a reasonable distance. Unable to concentrate while looking at his face, she stared at the empty space in front of her as she spoke.

“Actually, I don’t intend to use you as a slave. You can leave tomorrow if you want… as long as you fulfill one condition.”

A rustling sound came from beside her. She felt a warmth in her temples but kept her gaze fixed forward.

“Spend one night with me.”

Her voice thankfully remained steady. She clasped her cold hands together and waited, the frantic beating of her heart marking the passage of time.

Just as she couldn’t distinguish between silence and anticipation, a self-deprecating voice broke the tension.

“Ah, one night.”

She reflexively turned her head. He was smirking, as if he had expected this.

She had a feeling he was misunderstanding something, though she wasn’t sure what. Eliah tried to explain.

“I’m serious. Just one night, and then you can do whatever you want. I won’t use the slave magic either.”

He stared at her intently for a moment, as if gauging her sincerity. She opened and closed her mouth a couple of times, searching for the right words, but ended up biting her lip instead.

It was difficult to meet his clear gaze. She blinked repeatedly, trying to focus.

As she was lost in thought, he reached out.

“Then let’s do that.”

“……?”

For a moment, the lake-like clarity of his blue eyes darkened, like the depths of the ocean. Distracted by the subtle shift in atmosphere, she didn’t immediately grasp his words, devoid of a subject.

Rough hands ripped away the cloth she was wearing. Before she could react, he grabbed the back of her neck.

“W-what are you… Mmmph!”

A hot tongue invaded her mouth, taking advantage of her parted lips. Her sensitive mouth was ravaged without restraint.

She desperately pushed against his chest, but he easily caught her wrists, holding both captive in one hand.

His large hand on the back of her neck sent a strange sensation through her. The hot, wet flesh against the roof of her mouth sent shivers down her spine, settling in her lower abdomen.

“Huu.”

Eliah finally remembered her own words. One night. The seemingly simple phrase held a meaning that was neither dry nor cold. Like the tongue currently ravaging her mouth.

“Mmmph!”

His deep thrusts forced her mouth open. She pulled back, but he followed, his grip firm on her neck. Finally, her back hit the bedsheets, unable to withstand his weight.

As she stared up at him, eyes wide, he caressed her cheek, a playful glint in his eyes.