“...”

  A heavy, oppressive silence fell over the balcony for several seconds after my admission. The only sound was the distant, rhythmic crashing of the waves against the shore below. The girls remained perfectly still, their breath hitched as they processed the weight of my words.

  “I was in the Targonia Kingdom at that time,” I began, the memories of that period resurfacing with a sharp, unwelcome clarity. I found myself providing details unconsciously, perhaps as a way to distance myself from the emotion of the story. “We were travelling as bodyguards with a merchant caravan. It was a long haul moving from Targashar—which is located at the westernmost edge of the Kingdom—toward a city near the capital. The capital itself sits right in the heart of Targonia, and our destination was just a few days' ride from its gates.”

  I paused, staring into the dim ceiling. “We were one or two days away from reaching our goal, navigating the roads around a city named Velshara. That was where it happened… We were ambushed by a large band of bandits.”

  “Hikk!”

  Woya let out a sharp hiccup of surprise. Her eyes were wide, and I could tell she was vividly imagining the violence of the encounter.

  “Anyway, there were other guards hired for the trip, as well as the merchant’s servants,” I continued, my voice hardening. “We fought for our lives. The bandits were more numerous and more coordinated than we expected. Seeing that we were at a distinct disadvantage, I reached a point where I stopped even trying to defend myself. I threw away all caution and fought with everything I had, just trying to carve a path through them.”

  I looked at Woya for a moment, emphasizing the sheer desperation of that struggle.

  “Master,” Wyn said, her analytical mind already dissecting the story. “How could they make you fight for your life? You’re so strong now... I didn't realize bandits could be that dangerous.”

  “I wasn't as strong then as I am today,” I answered flatly. I waited for a beat, and neither of them spoke. “In the end, everyone died. The bandits, the other guards, the servants... even the merchant who hired us was slaughtered. I noticed Namo was in critical condition while the battle was still raging. I managed to reach him and gave him a healing potion before diving back into the fight to finish the last of them.”

  I grimaced at the memory. “So, did the potion not work?” Woya asked, her eyes slightly out of focus as she clung to my arm.

  “No, it worked. The wounds started to close,” I said. “But when the fight was over, and there was no one left alive but us, I saw foam coming out of his mouth. I dashed toward him, reaching for another potion, but before I could even get the stopper out, he took his last breath. His heart just stopped... The bandits had coated their weapons in poison.”

  I could still smell the copper tang of blood and hear the dying cries of the horses and men. It was an event burned into my mind.

  “Poison? Master, did you not get affected by it as well?” Wyn asked, her curiosity piqued by the tactical side of the story.

  “I was poisoned too,” I explained. “But I had an antidote on hand and drank it the moment I realized what was happening. It was already too late for Namo by the time I got back to him.”

  “You must have been so sad, master,” Woya said. Her eyes regained their light as she focused on my expression, her empathy for me clear.

  “Yeah... maybe. I don’t know,” I said, looking up toward the moon. “Things started to go awry after that. I went to Velshara with a rescue squad that arrived far too late to be of any use. I ended up in a fight with a spoiled noble brat who thought he could look down on everyone. One thing led to another, and I was being chased by the city lord’s troops. I caused a massacre in a village on my way out of the territory.”

  I continued before they could voice their shock. “Then I came here, to the Hazaroth Union, fleeing from the pursuit. I devoted myself entirely to trade and dungeon diving, just trying to clear my head and survive. After months of being alone, I finally decided I wanted some company again.”

  I paused, looking at each of them in turn. “That was when I met you.”

  “... You must have been through so much, master,” Woya whispered, her expression melting into sadness.

  “But I am glad we met in the end,” Wyn added, finishing her sister's thought with a firm nod.

  “Master, you know...” Wyn started, her voice trembling. “I was so frightened after we were sold. If Woya hadn't been there, comforting me and giving me strength, I don't know if I could have endured it.”

  “No, Wyn, you were the reason I could endure,” Woya countered. “I couldn't even grasp what was happening when Dad told us we were being sold. But you were the one who spoke with him. You even told him it was okay.”

  Woya’s voice broke. “I thought I was being a child, so I tried to imitate you. I wanted to be strong like you were. Whenever we were scolded or punished by the merchant, it didn't feel as bad because I knew you were right there.”

  Then, the floodgates opened. She began to cry, the tears streaming down her face.

  “Sob... I-I thought... sob... we would be separated,” she choked out between sobs. “Every time we were shown to a customer... I was so afraid one of us would be sold and the other left behind. I was afraid of being a slave, yes... but I was even more afraid of never seeing you again. When the master came that day, my heart was beating so fast because he said he wanted both of us. I was so angry with the merchant when he kept refusing the discount. I was terrified the master would give up on us, and our only hope of staying together would be gone.”

  Her sobbing began to slow as she spoke, the confession acting as a release. She eventually turned toward me, a flash of resentment crossing her face.

  “Master, do you know how much that slave merchant actually paid our Dad?” she asked.

  “... I’m not sure. 80 gold?” I guessed.

  “... No. He paid 40 gold coins for both of us,” she said, her eyes wet with lingering tears. “He even had the nerve to say he wouldn't make enough profit if he sold us for 115 gold. I hated him for saying that.”

  This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  “... It was a normal thing for a merchant to do,” I said casually, trying to keep her from becoming too agitated. “He was just looking for the highest possible markup.”

  “But I was so frustrated that he would risk separating us just for a bit more profit,” she said, looking embarrassed. “Then you came along and bought a second slave when you only intended to buy one. If not for you, we wouldn't be together right now.”

  The girls buried their heads against my shoulders, finding comfort in the contact. I didn't say anything for a while.

  “You treat us so well,” Woya murmured into my shoulder. “I thought all the stories about being abused were exaggerations. You didn't hesitate to spend so much money on us, and you even brought us here on vacation... Y-you even make us feel loved when... when we are in bed...”

  She started to squirm, trying to hide her face deeper against me. Wyn was also looking at me from the corner of her eye, her face flushed.

  “... Hahaha. To be honest,” I admitted, “I had you two on my list of candidates the moment I saw you. But the second I learned you were twins, I made up my mind immediately. Ahem... you see, I’ve always fantasized about twin play a little bit.”

  “... Huh? Master, what is twin play?” Wyn asked. Woya raised her head as well, looking curious.

  “Uh... let’s just say it’s exactly what the three of us do together at night in my room. Hahaha.” I laughed, scratching my cheek in slight embarrassment.

  The girls stared at me blankly for a second, then realization dawned. They both turned a deep shade of crimson and buried their heads back into my shoulders.

  “Hey, Woya, Wyn!” I said, my tone turning serious.

  The wine was fully in my system now, and the feeling of them rubbing against me was pushing me past my limit. The air coming from the balcony felt hot, and I could feel the heat radiating from the girls' bodies as well.

  “You both look so beautiful... I think it’s time for you to serve me properly. I don’t think I can hold back any longer.”

  I cupped their cheeks in my hands, my voice sounding hoarse even to my own ears. They both leaned into my touch, looking into my eyes with a seductive, matching intensity. It wasn't just me; they wanted it just as much.

  The night passed in a blur of intimacy as the moist, salty air of the ocean drifted through the open balcony doors.

  Year 1451, month 10, day 11

  Despite the late night and the wine, I woke up early the next morning. My body had simply become accustomed to the routine. Looking to my left and right, I saw the girls were still fast asleep, their naked bodies tangled with the sheets. A sudden surge of lust hit me, and I unintentionally reached out, grabbing a breast with each hand.

  They both moaned softly—partially startled, but clearly enjoying the sensation. I realized I might have gripped a bit too firmly, so I loosened my hold. As I adjusted my grip, they both slowly blinked their eyes open.

  They looked at me, gauging my intent, and then moved closer, pressing themselves against me. They realized what I wanted and, as always, they were perfectly happy to obey my wishes. They are truly the most loyal, adorable slaves I could have asked for.

  This was the first time we had been intimate outside of the night hours. We held each other and enjoyed the morning thoroughly. At one point, I thought I heard a knock at the door, but I dismissed it as my imagination and continued to focus on the girls.

  Once we were finally done, I told them to start packing our things and change into their travelling attire. While they worked, I opened my Player Window to handle some long-overdue adjustments.

  ***

  Player Window

  —

  Name: Han

  Sex: Male

  Age: 21

  —

  Total Points: 216

  Remaining Points: 4

  —

  Skills:

  Player Window

  Exp Drop Increase Level 14

  Exp Requirement Decrease Level 13

  —

  Equipped Jobs:

  Hero Level 36 (1 UP)

  Job Collector (Hero, Ascetic Monk)

  Mage Level 3 (2 UP)

  Swordmaster Level 43 (1 UP)

  Knight Level 43 (1 UP)

  Adventurer Level 43 (1 UP)

  —

  Acquired Jobs:

  Ascetic Monk Level 36 (1 UP)

  ***

  I had a lot of thinking to do. Up until now, I had dumped everything into experience-related skills because I wanted to grow in power as fast as possible. But my priorities were shifting. I decided to completely overhaul my point distribution.

  First, I stripped away all stat enhancements and all skills except for the Player Window and the Extra Job skill, which I left at its current level. This left me with a pool of 159 points to work with (out of my total of 216).

  The math for stats is straightforward: increasing a base stat from 5 to 7 requires 5 points. I spent 50 points to bring all of my basic stats up to 7. Then, I invested an additional 15 points into Intelligence, bringing it to a base of 10. That left me with 94 points. I used 66 of those to buy Exp Drop Increase at level 11, and the final 28 points on Exp Requirement Decrease at level 7. With those purchases, I had spent almost every point I had.

  I could have balanced the two exp skills at level 9, but I chose this path for a reason. The Exp Drop Increase skill modifies the experience dropped by monsters before it is distributed to the party. This means Woya and Wyn will directly benefit from the boost, whereas the requirement decrease only affects me.

  With these changes and my job bonuses, my Intelligence and Wisdom stats have reached 27.5. My total mana pool has exploded to 275. Combined with my Wisdom—which has reached 16.8 and provides a 45% reduction in mana consumption—it’s functionally like having a mana pool of 500.

  This is a game-changer. I can now travel over 2,000 kilometers solo using Warp without suffering even a minor headache. More importantly, I can now transport four people between Baymur and Yargan with ease.

  The benefits extend far beyond travel. I can now spam other job skills in combat without fear of running dry. I can even feel the mental shift; my thinking feels faster, smoother, and my memory is sharper than it ever was on Earth.

  I’m incredibly satisfied with these adjustments. By the time I finished my internal audit, the girls were done packing. They were back in their maid uniforms, with the clothes we’d bought in Baymur tucked safely into their bags.

  Since they were ready, I quickly changed into my own gear, and we headed downstairs for a final breakfast. The meal was already waiting for us—another reason I hadn't felt the need to rush my morning activities.

  After eating our fill, we said our goodbyes to the innkeeper and left. Before leaving Baymur, I made one last stop at Merkan’s shop to confirm our departure and reiterate the terms of our trade deal to ensure there were no misunderstandings.

  Once that was settled, we headed back up to the hill we had arrived on. I stood at the spot where we first saw the ocean and opened a Warp gate. We took one last look at the blue expanse of the bay, then stepped through the shimmering portal together.

  [Edited]

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  Heroes:

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  sjturner79