Narasha was moved by Ashan's words but didn't show it, her expression remaining composed as she masked her emotions. Naturally, every woman likes a reliable partner in her life.
"Then alright. Do as you please." She replied coolly, though a subtle warmth flickered in her eyes.
Ashan closed the door behind them and gestured to a cushioned chair in the living room. "Sit here, my queen. It's not a throne, but currently, it's the best I can offer you."
Narasha said nothing and settled into the chair, her posture regal despite the modest surroundings.
Ashan summoned the clothes he'd bought from the palace and stored them in the nearby cupboard. Inside, he spotted a few old suits, only seven in total, worn but meticulously cared for. His face softened with sadness.
'I see. You had a hard life. I too, once lived like this.'
He stored them back gently and approached Narasha.
"I was going to ask, can you eat normal food? I mean, meat, vegetables." He asked, hoping to make her comfortable.
Narasha nodded.
"I primarily take blood as my meals, but I can rely on them too."
Ashan smiled and clapped his hands.
"Very well. Then I'll make a simple breakfast for you. If you need blood, don't think twice. I'm always at your service."
He checked the fridge and quickly whipped up pancakes, serving them with milk. Narasha took a bite, her cheeks flushing red.
"Not only can you fight, you can cook well too. I'm impressed."
Ashan felt satisfied, a grin spreading.
"Thank you for your compliment. I'll make better things in the future."
Ding.. dong..
The doorbell rang, startling them.
"What is that sound?" Narasha asked, glancing at the door warily. "A person. Looks like a female."
Ashan sensed through the door.
"Female? Oh.. wait. What date is it?" He checked the calendar on the wall. Date 13 was circled with 'payment date' above it.
"Ahh.. today is 15. So it must be the landlady. I need to see her."
Ashan opened the door and stepped outside. A woman in her 30s stood there, dressed in a tight gym outfit that accentuated her curves, brown long hair waving in the breeze, her figure alluring.
"Hello, landlady. Did you come here to collect the rent fee?" Ashan greeted politely.
The woman was stunned. Since Ashan wore casual clothes, his newly muscular body was on full display. Broad shoulders, defined abs, and sharp green eyes giving him a majestic appearence.
'Wow.. look at him. I only saw him a few times, but he wasn't this attractive before. Now he is totally my type.'
She nodded, recovering.
"Yes. Your pay date passed. I came to remind you. What happened, Ashan? You never skipped before."
"Sorry, landlady. Raiders sometimes face troubles. So my payment got late. Ashan explained, scratching his head."
The landlady smiled playfully, her eyes lingering on his physique.
"Ahh.. is that so? It's alright. By the way, are you calling me landlady? You can call me sister. Or by my name. That way, we can be more comfortable."
"It's alright, landlady. I'm comfortable with that. And I just forgot. What is your name?" Ashan replied, oblivious to her flirtation.
"Haha.. what a silly man. I'm Mira. Forgetting your landlady's name is unforgivable." She teased, stepping closer.
Sorry. I'll keep that in mind. Ashan nodded earnestly.
Mira stared at his muscular body openly.
"Hey, did you workout at home? You became more muscular and handsome. What's your secret?"
Suddenly, a chill ran down through Ashan's spine.
"It's nothing much. As you said, I exercised at home. As a mage, I need to take care of my physical health too." Ashan shrugged, feeling a bit awkward under her gaze.
"Alright, alright. Then I'm going. Make sure to pay your rent ASAP." Mira winked before leaving, her hips swaying.
"Thank you for your patience. I'll make the payment quickly." Ashan closed the door and returned inside.
Narasha eyed him curiously. "Who is that?"
"She's the owner of this building. She came to remind me of the rent fee." Ashan explained.
"So this place isn't even yours. What a funny situation." Narasha smirked.
Ring.. ring..
The smartphone on the desk buzzed. Ashan picked it up, seeing Nevil's name.
'Nevil? Now I remember, he told me to call.' He answered.
"Nevil, how are you? Did you arrive home safely?"
"Yeah.. buddy. How's your situation? That vampire woman didn't cause trouble, right?"
"Yes, she's fine. I also came home. No other problems." Ashan replied.
"Hey, are we going to enter the academy?"
"Of course. Isn't that why we almost died? But first, we need to sell our materials. Do you have a place in mind?"
"Yes, there is. But a problem might occur. Materials we have are high quality. If low-rank raiders like us try to sell them, they might get suspicious."
Ashan smiled, his sharingan flickering in his eyes.
"Don't worry about that. I have a safe way. We'll sell them today. How about 2 p.m.?"
"I'm ready. I'll send you the location. I'm waiting for you."
"Great. Let's meet." Ashan hung up and turned to Narasha, who was staring at the phone with puzzlement.
"Is this a magical tool? I heard your ally's voice through it." She asked, picking it up.
"It's called a mobile phone. We communicate with others using this." Ashan explained.
"Is it like telepathy?" Narasha inquired, fascinated.
"No, it's a device made of technology. It transmits voices. Unlike telepathy, it works over long ranges." Ashan said as he handed his phone to her.
Narasha accidentally touched the camera button, her face appearing on the screen. "What is happening? How did my face get inside this thing?"
Seeing her reaction, Ashan laughed and explained cameras and selfies. She grew more intrigued.
"So you're saying this thing can store anything it captures?" She asked, eyes wide.
Ashan nodded and took a selfie, showing it to her. "See. Pretty cool, right. Do you want one too?"
"If it's possible, then yes. Who cares if it's human creation? It's very useful." Narasha agreed.
From a sudden idea, Ashan fell silent and thought for a moment.
"As you know, me and Nevil went to that dungeon to earn money for the academy that trains raiders like me. Since I'll have a huge amount now, I was thinking of taking you there too." Ashan said, his tone serious.
"Why me? I have nothing to do with those things. And why are you even going? You're already strong enough." Narasha questioned.
"I am, but the academy offers recognition and opportunities. It's important for growth. I'm taking you so you won't get bored and can see the human world." Ashan replied earnestly.
Narasha thought for a while and nodded. "Then I'll come."
…
After lunch, Ashan headed to meet Nevil. Nevil waited in front of a luxury building, waving as Ashan approached.
"You really came on time. Did you wear new clothes? That's wonderful." Nevil greeted.
Ashan glanced at the building. "Is this the place you mentioned? It seems good."
"Of course. It has a license for collecting raider goods. Let's go inside." Nevil led the way.
The interior was well-maintained, glowing with ambient lights and staffed by dealers at cashier tables. A bespectacled dealer approached them.
"Welcome, sir. What can I do for you?"
"I want to cash my treasures. Can I?" Ashan asked.
"Of course, you came at the right time. Today's slow, so extra attention. Shall we see what you offer?"
"Here, check them." Ashan handed over a large bag.
The dealer unzipped it, eyes widening at the monster cores, especially the giant purple guardian core.
"Oh my, it's a guardian core. Highest quality, very rare. May I ask where you got it?"
"Where else? A dungeon. I put a lot of effort into it." Ashan replied casually.
The dealer looked at him suspiciously.
'Hmm.. these are from high-rank dungeons. Raiders there are rich; they don't sell easily. Let's check your identity.'
"My good sir, may I know your rank?" According to it, you need procedures.
Ashan said nothing, holding his D-rank ID close to his eyes. He activated his sharingan and cast an illusion.
"See.. I'm a B-rank raider. Do I need procedures?"
The dealer, ensnared, saw Ashan as B-rank and nodded. "Why didn't you say? I'll cash these quickly."
He appraised the cores rapidly. Nevil leaned in. "What the fuck was that? B-rank? Is he blind? What did you do?"
"I'll tell you later. Let's keep quiet." Ashan whispered.