With everything handled at the Dungeon Delver’s Guild, I decided to take it easy for the rest of the day. There were a few things I wanted to handle anyway, so I might as well go ahead and get them done.

  Firstly, I contacted Juliet’s twin via the communication tablet. When we got connected, a crisp, professional voice sounded from the other side.

  “Greetings! I am Cora from the Bounty Hunter’s Guild. To whom am I speaking?”

  “Hello. This is Victor—Victor Shrier. I was registered and recommended as your personal client by your sister, Juliet.”

  “I see!” Her voice shifted, going from professional to something I could not put my finger on just yet. “How can I help you?”

  “I would love to arrange a meeting with you so that I can pick up some bounties!”

  “My personal client hours are early in the morning this week.” Here the professional tone of voice came back again. “I have a slot around seven tomorrow. How does that sound to you?”

  “Perfect! I will be there!”

  As I ended the call, Alrune spoke.

  “This one is different from the deep-delving one. Be careful around her, Vic. Something is not right!”

  Hearing Alrune brought a smile to my face. The tone of her voice was heavy—almost threatening—as she spoke. It made me feel a strange warmth around my heart, listening to the possessive, protective bite in her tone.

  With the meeting set for tomorrow I was left with just one more thing on my to do list for the day: visiting the Real Estate Guild. I knew from both the memories of this body and the novel that buying real estate in this kingdom was not just a question of money. What I needed to know were the exact details behind the process.

  So, I made my way straight to the branch of the guild stationed here in the Commoner’s District. There was also one in the Noble District, but using that one was a distant dream right now.

  The guildhouse for the Real Estate Guild had the fewest people entering and leaving of any guild building I'd seen. Honestly, I saw nobody there outside of the staff, despite the fact that the building was about the size of three Dungeon Delver’s Guildhouses put together. And don’t even get me started on the design of it; the whole building screamed, ‘Look at me!’ Artisans of all kinds had clearly gone overboard on decorating this thing. It was snow-white with golden decorations wherever one could fit them. Stained-glass windows, ‘witch caps’ on the roof, and even the railings running along the very top of the roof ridges were all plated with it.

  As I entered this display of wealth shaped like a guildhouse, I walked up to one of the receptionists who was just sitting there doing nothing. The echo of my steps on the white marble floor was the only sound that could be heard in the giant guild hall. It was a man, about my age, dressed in what looked like a guild uniform—a rather fancy-looking black-and-white tuxedo.

  “Greetings! May I request some information?”

  He scanned me with his eyes thoroughly before flashing me a practiced smile.

  “Of course! Please have a seat. How can I help you?”

  “I arrived here in the city recently and started my career as both a dungeon delver and a bounty hunter. Until now, I was taking care of my family business out in the countryside.”

  This sentence was meant to test his reaction, but his smile didn’t falter. He saw the outfit, knew I had money, and gave zero fucks where the money came from. That’s how it should be. Satisfied with his reaction, I continued with my query.

  “So, I would love to ask you about my options regarding permanent housing.”

  The man nodded in understanding and thought for a moment.

  “Firstly, what kind of permit do you have here in the city?”

  “A month-long visitor’s one!”

  “And what rank are you in the Dungeon Delver and Bounty Hunter guilds right now?”

  “E! I just registered.”

  The man nodded slowly and spoke. “I will be frank with you; your options are limited with a visitor’s permit. With it, you can either stay in an inn or claim a space outside of the city in the Outer District. If you were to achieve a ‘Citizen’s Permit,’ you would be eligible to choose from our vast selection of long-term rentable properties. You can achieve this by employing yourself here in the city and asking your employer for a proof of income. Sadly, neither the Bounty Hunter Guild nor the Delver Guild count for this purpose, since members of both tend to be rather migratory. Alternatively, you can marry somebody who already has this permit.”

  He paused, letting the weight of the restrictions sink in before continuing.

  “If you want to buy property here in the Commoner’s District, you would have to either rise to Rank C in one of the guilds you are working at—this would grant you the right kingdom-wide—or gain a recommendation letter from any of the Guild Leaders or high-ranking officials here in the city. However, we would be able to bypass the requirements and issue you both the Citizen’s Permit and the right to purchase real estate here in the Commoner’s District for a one-time donation of five hundred gold pieces.”

  Getting the information I came here for, I thanked the man politely and left the building. The moment I stepped out into the street, Alrune chimed in.

  This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

  “Not planning on paying five hundred G?”

  The thought of me paying that much made me chuckle.

  “No way,” I started whispering back as I walked towards my inn. “It’s fucking daylight robbery. I need twenty levels and forty dungeons to reach Rank D now. From there to Rank C, the requirements double with every rank. So, to reach Rank C, it is level fifty and a hundred dungeon completions. Why would I pay so much to bypass a measly hundred and forty dungeons and forty-five levels when I am going to be grinding both anyway?”

  “Smart!” Alrune purred.

  As for the rest of the day, I spent it lounging around and chatting with Alrune. We spoke about pretty much anything, from random stuff to our future plans. Right after dinner I went to bed, waking up early in the morning. Soon after that, I was already entering the Bounty Hunter’s Guild, looking for Cora.

  The moment I entered, I was caught off guard for a second. The wooden door didn’t even properly close behind me before the whole guild froze, the only sound in the whole hall was a mug breaking after one of the hunters dropped it to the ground. Every single eye in the guild was on me. I never felt more out of place than in that exact moment.

  You see, this guild was rather peculiar. The Dungeon Delvers’ Guildhouse looked very office-like, the Real Estate Guild looked ostentatious, but the Bounty Hunter’s Guild was different. It looked more like a tavern than a guildhouse.

  Most of the people here were the type you’d make a wide U-turn around if you met them late at night; tattoos and scars everywhere, missing teeth as the norm, and more visible weapons than you would ever need. They were even selling booze here, and people were checking bounties with mugs in their hands. The building itself looked like it held together with piss and booze, it even smelled like that.

  Seeing the guild, I understood Juliet’s ‘rough around the edges’ warning. The business of killing fugitives for money was not exactly glamorous, so it was to be expected that the people doing it and the place where it was conducted would match the vibe. Seeing this, even Alrune didn't remain silent.

  “What the fuck is this? A pigsty? It definitely smells like one!”

  Her comment earned a chuckle from me. As I chuckled, a voice I already knew sounded to my right.

  “Greetings, you are Victor Shrier?”

  I turned to the source of the voice only to find a person who was both very familiar and extremely foreign. Her face, eyes, and hair were an exact copy of Juliet’s, the only difference being that Cora had long hair held in a tight bun with two wooden sticks. But that was where the similarities ended. Instead of Juliet’s form-fitting and rather provocative dress, she was wearing a very conservative ensemble that seemed designed to swallow her silhouette as a whole. It consisted of a double-collared, light brown tunic with long, broad ‘piping’ sleeves—long enough to hide her hands entirely, including the palms and fingers—fastened at the throat with intricate, black-colored toggles. Under the tunic, she wore a heavy skirt made of black fabric layered with razor-sharp folds that only moved when she took a deliberate step, hiding her legs completely. It didn't even reveal the boots she wore.

  The contrast between them could not have been any stronger. The former was a sensual beacon of femininity, tempting men with every movement; the latter reminded me of an ancient, immovable statue carved out of silk and shadow.

  “That’s definitely a surprise!” Alrune chimed in, seeing the contrast.

  I quickly snapped out of my shock and bowed politely. “Greetings! Indeed, I am Victor Shrier. You would be Cora?”

  “Yes. Please follow me to a private room.”

  She then proceeded to lead me to the back of the guild hall, toward a spacious hallway with a set of doors on each side. Most of the doors were standing ajar. As we walked, I realized how she was able to reach me before, without me noticing. When she walked she made no sound, and there wasn’t even a bob to her body as she moved. She looked like a gliding statue. About half the way to the hallway, Alrune spoke once again, her voice heavy and protective.

  “Be very careful around this bitch! She feels like a predator about to strike. Something is telling me she is going to try something! Ahhhh! It’s so frustrating not to have a body; I can’t even tear her to shreds!”

  All the emotions packed into her voice made me smile; it made me feel so safe to be protected, claimed, and cared for like this. It felt like a warm blanket was placed over me on a cold, snowy night.

  “I’ve got this,” I whispered, calming down my angry Valkyrie before she found a way to materialize and tear the poor woman to pieces. I managed to soothe her, trusting me without exception.

  Wanting to probe Cora a little, I asked as we walked, “How did you recognize me?”

  “There ain’t very many people wearing two years' worth of food for a family who come here. Not even mentioning that cane, it sticks out like a lone woman on a pirate ship.”

  She spoke as she opened one of the doors in the hallway and gestured for me to enter with her hand. “Go ahead, clients first.”

  “Thank you.”

  I spoke with a smile, but as I walked inside, I scanned the room and readied myself for the assault I thought was coming. The room was simple; there was a wooden table with two chairs and a small monster-core lamp on the ceiling. That was it—no window, nothing. Cora, on the other hand, just kept smiling at me with her well-practiced, professional smile.

  “Have a seat.”

  She spoke as she entered the room after me and turned to close the door. I was about to take a seat when I heard it: a loud, distinct ‘click’ coming from the door.

  Showtime, I thought to myself as I quickly turned toward Cora. I didn't attack for now, wanting to see what she was going to do. That was when she pulled out a blade—a dagger with an edge around fifteen centimeters long, single-edged with a distinct point and a slight curve. She held it in a reverse grip, rotating and stretching her hand toward my neck.

  Now was the time for me to react. I activated my Body Enhancement. With the skill active, I took a small step back and used my thumb and pointing finger on my left hand to catch the blade. Exerting no force, I simply pinched the steel mid-air.

  The moment the blade stopped, trapped by two of my fingers, Cora froze. Her face no longer hid her emotions, revealing anger, shock, obsession, and fear in equal amounts. Starting to piece the story together, I sighed, shaking my head before I spoke, my voice gentle.

  “Dumbass!”

  Before I continued, I raised my cane and extremely gently tapped Cora on the forehead with the pommel. She released the blade as she grabbed her forehead with both hands. I tossed the dagger to the back of the room, sticking it into the wall. “You thought I was after your sister, didn't you? That we were together?”

  “Why else would she take an E-rank as a client! You are handsome and rich. I know your type. You enroll in a guild for a gorgeous receptionist, make her fall for you, fuck her, and once you’ve had your fill, you disappear. You may as well kill me; I’m not letting anybody break my Juli’s heart!”

  Her eyes filled with borderline psychotic defiance and determination. That was when Alrune’s voice chimed in my head.

  “That’s the spirit! I would still tear her to shreds for what she did, but I would kill her before that so she won’t suffer!”

  This one took a lot of effort not to react to and to keep a straight face. Instead, I spoke.

  “Did you even check my status?”

  “Why would I do that? You’re thirty-two and Rank E. There’s going to be nothing special in there.”

  “Humor me, please.”

  She sighed and did as I asked, pulling a tablet from her other sleeve. Her face changed color to almost white the moment she saw my status.