BXBX NOVEL Chapter 196: Presents
Before he can finish his sentence I approach his desk and tower over his average at best height. "You were saying? I was too far and didn't hear you well enough." I ask with an 'encouraging' smile.
He gulps nervously and begins visibly sweating, while failing to maintain eye contact with me. "... No-nothing. I was asking if there's something I can help you with."
"Good. You shouldn't bark at the wrong tree, good man. I want room service with the most luxurious meals you can prepare, and make it enough for twenty servings. Make sure there's a great variety between the meals. Soups, meats, fishes, salads, deserts, everything. Can you do that?"
"Y-yes, but there's not enough ingredients on hand…"
"Send that hot daughter of yours to the market. It should be open at this point in time."
"But she's-"
I raise an eyebrow. "She's?"
"... It shall be done, sir."
"You will be paid handsomely for a job well done." I reassure, then I gently grab his shoulder and force him to look into my eyes. "However, if I find out, which I will, that you spat, shat, pissed or anything along these lines into our meals as a form of petty revenge I will burn this inn down with your family still in it. Understood?"
His eyes grow wide as he instinctively tries to back away, but I don't let go of his shoulder. I pose way too much threat to a civilian, and his body knows it. All his instincts must be screaming at him to run away from me in this moment. "Y-y-yes!" He yelled.
I pat his shoulder gently and turn to leave.
It's not cool to terrorize a level 1 weakling, but I must admit that it felt pretty good.
Ascertaining dominance is basic human nature. It reinforces one's superiority and masculinity.
I then leave the inn and walk towards my two destinations in the city.
First, the slave district.
No, I'm not looking to buy a new slave. Not only do I not have enough gold to buy one that would be actually useful, I'm also more inclined to spend such money on resources and items that would make our current party stronger.
Thus, I'm here for something different.
I ignore the low-quality open slave market where the vendors display the products like livestock in the dirt and muck and instead move to find a similar establishment to the one I bought Ayame from. Hopefully Braedon also has a few of those.
It turns out that they do, as I soon find myself in the halls of one. A well-dressed servant runs up to me. "What can I help the esteemed sir with?" He asks.
"I'm looking to buy slave collars. Do you sell different ones from the bulky iron ones?"
Indeed, I've been wanting to reward my two girls for a while now, and it occurred to me that a more comfortable, less humiliating collar would be very welcome for both. Well, more so for Ayame, as I don't think that the status of slavery bothers Blossom, but a more snug, specially selected collar by her lover would definitely make her happy.
He nods, "yes, sir. We offer a great selection. Should I bring a few to a room, or would the sir like to browse our entire inventory?"
"Inventory, please."
"Understood, then please follow me."
I do as told and soon find myself faced with hundreds of different collars. He wasn't lying about their vast array of selectable items. The walls are lined with racks displaying hundreds of them, ranging from practical to downright eccentric.
What's immediately clear is that while these collars are designed with aesthetics in mind, they're also built to last- each reinforced to ensure they can't be easily removed or damaged.
Their sturdiness is very important for combat slaves especially, as if the collar is destroyed, the contract magic will no longer be in effect, but will paralyze the 'freed' slave as a last ditch effort to let the master reclaim their property.
It's ideal for non-combat slaves, as chances are, they themselves somehow managed to pry it off. However, in the case of combat slaves, the enemy can destroy it and have an opponent that is out of the fight instantly.
If I were to buy some ultra-comfy silk collar for Ayame, and a simple fire attack reaches it that isn't even strong enough to prickle her skin, she will just fall headfirst onto the ground.
Thus, the collars must be as sturdy as possible.
One of the first that catches my eye is an iridescent collar made from Skyglass, a rare metal that's lightweight yet nearly unbreakable. Despite its delicate, shimmering appearance, it's reinforced with magical threads that make it resistant to both physical damage and magical tampering.
The gemstone embedded in the center glows faintly, a protective enchantment woven into the fabric of the collar itself.
There's also an ornate collar of gold and silver filigree, deceptively fragile at first glance. However, it's strengthened with Adamantite threads, making it far stronger than it looks. Adamantite is famed for its resilience and resistance to magic, ensuring that this collar, despite its elegance, is nearly impossible to break or remove without the right tools.
Each collar I see combines craftsmanship and durability, ensuring they are as strong as they are beautiful- built to last and impossible to tamper with.
However, I'm not here for the fancy and extremely costly ones. I wish to go for something more personalized that fits them individually and reflects on their personalities.
For Blossom, the choice is simple- a collar that mimics a real dog collar. It's made from dark, high-quality leather, polished and smooth to the touch. The collar is reinforced with enchanted chimera-hide, making it durable enough to withstand any strain she might put it through.
A sleek, silver clasp secures it in place, and there's even a small loop where a tag or charm could be attached at a later date.
The overall look is utilitarian, practical, and surprisingly comfortable- fitting her more down-to-earth nature, while acknowledging her dog-kin heritage at the same time. And, if she wears her BDSM-style battle 'armor' it will fit her perfectly.
Well, it will also fit her civilian clothes I imagine, once I let her choose her own clothes, as thus far she had been wearing what Ayame bought her during our first night together. Blossom loves dressing in revealing, slutty dresses, which according to the armor seller is due to her beast-kin nature.
One thing is for certain; she will be the sexiest grim reaper the world has ever seen with this.
Ayame's collar, though, requires more thought. After a few minutes of deliberation, my eyes land on the perfect choice- a modern-day choker style one. It's black and minimalist, with a sleek satin finish that has a subtle sheen under the light.
The collar hugs the neck in a way that's fashionable, elegant even, but it's also deceptively strong, reinforced with woven adamantite threads beneath the material to ensure its resilience.
It resembles something a young woman from Earth would wear- not as a mark of servitude, but as a piece of everyday fashion. The simplicity and elegance of the design matches her warrior's dignity while giving her a sense of refined style. It will definitely make her look incredibly hot. I wish we had some modern day women's clothes here, she would be an incredibly stunning sight to behold for sure.
Anyhow, it will allow her to feel much better about herself and her situation than her unfitting giant iron collar does, that's for sure.
I pay for them and leave the building. We will have to return here to conduct the actual swap, as I can't just remove their old collars and reattach the new one, the contract needs to be embedded into the new items by a [Slave Contract] spell, but I didn't want to drag them here. I want to gift them these as a present in an environment they are comfortable in, not a wretched slave house.
Now onto their second present.
Though, to be fair, it's more so my present.
But I would never admit that out loud.