Cole and New Rifle

After Del got out of the building, he felt a little bit awkward. It wasn't because he disliked turning Cole into a slave. It was more because he actually owned Cole, inside and out. It also meant that everything that Cole did became whatever that Del wanted.

He felt uncomfortable because of it. He hated slavery, yet, he was a slaver himself. If Del owned Cole, did it mean that Del could actually claim Cole all for himself? It would be a good thing to have if Laire allowed it. The thing was Del wasn't sure about that.

"Laire, what should I do with Cole?" Del asked while still carrying Cole on his back.

"Well… you can sell him, and I won't take any cut from the slave sale if you decide to sell him. The slave is yours. You can keep it, or anything," Laire said.

"Why?" Del didn't understand.

"Ask Rina," Laire said.

"Ah, I see."

Del just realized that Rina and Laire were in the same age group. It was no wonder why both of them had the same aura surrounding them, an old adventurer aura. However, it raised another question, what Rina and Laire were agreeing on?

"Is there something that I haven't known yet?" Del asked.

"Besides the fact that Rina paid me fifty silver coins and one bottle of healing potion? I don't think I haven't told you anything besides it. Besides, I only want the healing potion from her. Anyway, I'll need to go alone from here and out. You're on your own, good luck," Laire said as he left Del.

"Healing Potion? How expensive is that thing anyway?" Del asked.

"10 gold coins. Anyway, see you, Del," Laire said.

Del was left alone in Alder with a demon who was older than him. Luckily, he wasn't taller than him, otherwise, the demon would have an idea about installing an inferiority complex at him. Nevertheless, having someone in the last semester of his university year would prove to be advantageous, especially since he could use chemistry to make something.

"Man, stop moving so intensely, my wound is still aching," Cole said.

"Shut up! will you? goddamn it! My back is also aching from carrying you," Del said.

"But mate," Cole said.

"First of all, let me establish that I own you. Second, shut up already so people don't look at us. Third, my name is Del, not mate," Del said.

"Ah, Del, that's quite a nice name," Cole said.

"Yes. Now shut up! Unless you can make me a painkiller for my back," Del said.

"Oh, I can make a white powder of meds from mixing Telolase Flower, Andali Leaves with Magical Stones Powder," Cole said.

"What?" Del squinted his eyes.

[White Powder of Meds that he is talking about is Morphine Sulfate]

"Isn't the white powder that you're talking about is illegal?" Del asked.

"Yes, but at the same time, a lot of people buy it for unknown reasons," Cole said.

"Damn, if you can create such substance like that, I wonder why bounty hunter hasn't come after you yet," Del said.

Different from adventurers, bounty hunters were far more dangerous than adventurers. They worked together to hunt a certain individual using strategy and tactics. These individuals were usually adventurers that had a rank above C and were willing to kill other people for money. Being hunted down by a bounty hunter was basically a nightmare.

"Well, I do get some mercenaries coming after me," Cole said.

"Mercenaries? Hmm, never heard of that," Del said.

"I see. Anyway, do you need that white powder?" Cole asked.

"Maybe for a small amount," Del said.

"Good. The ingredients are expensive if not dangerous to find anyway," Cole said.

Del finally arrived at the carriage that he was going to rent. Six passengers were sitting inside the carriage. The price of the ride to Midham was thirty silver coins. Del paid the carriage driver and he entered the carriage with Cole.

The moment Cole entered the carriage, the whole crowd was looking at him. Del had no idea that Demon was as despised as that. Still, the moment they looked at Cole's neck, they took a deep breath knowing that Cole was a slave.

"So, Cole, I'm not selling you for several reasons besides your knowledge in Chemical Engineering," Del spoke in demonic language.

"What are the other reasons?" Cole asked.

"I need a guardian angel. Someone that will cover my back. You're kind of an unexpected opportunity for me. Basically, I need you to protect me from the threats," Del said.

"No, I don't…" Suddenly, the slave collar started choking Cole.

Although Cole was struggling to breathe, Del didn't panic nor try to help him. He just found the expression quite funny, especially after everything that he had done for Cole and he was still bitching about Del's way of treating him. He didn't like slavery, but Cole was quite a complainer.

"Is he going to be okay?" One of the peasants inside of the carriage asked.

"He might die, but to be honest, I don't know how to stop it. It might stop soon though," Del said while holding his aching back.

The collar stopped choking Cole and he started catching up his breath, "Don't do that again, please."

Del sighed, "Dude, I didn't do anything."

"You must be lying," Cole said.

"Damn, why won't you believe me? I'm not even the one that put the collar around your neck," Del said.

"Shut up, you're my owner!" Cole shouted.

"Listen here moron, I think we should talk back at the inn. These people are thinking that we are up to something," Del said as he looked at the other passengers of that carriage.

Both of them went quiet during the ride to avoid any weird gaze from the other passengers of the carriage. It seemed that none of them could mind their own business. It wasn't like Del and Cole had something interesting to be heard anyway.

The quiet ride ended as they arrived at Midham. Del paid the carriage and he carried Cole on his back again. He entered the inn and the first person that greeted him was none other than the little brat, Lisa.

"Del, why are you bringing… a demon?" Lisa asked.

"Heyya, little girl" Cole waved her hand.

Lisa shrieked, "Del! Put the demon away from me, he's scaring me."

"C'mon, Lisa, he's my slave. His name is Cole," Del said.

"Your slave?" Lisa asked.

"Yes," Del said.

"Mom needs to know about this, MOM!" Lisa shouted to the kitchen.

Rina came out of the kitchen with an apron on her body. She looked at Del and she just nodded. She went back to the kitchen and Lisa looked dissatisfied with the lack of reaction from her dear mother.

Del just smirked in satisfaction after knowing Rina's emotionless reaction.

"See, even your mother will understand that the demon is harmless," Del said.

However, the smirk went away once Rina came back with something different than the medical equipment box that he used to treat Del's wound. However, the next question came as an even bigger surprise than that.

"Alright, I only can harvest one organ from the demon, what kind of organ that you want?" Rina asked.

Del just scratched his head, "Rina, I think you've mistaken my request this once. I want the demon to be fixed, not harvested."

"Ohhh, I see, I see. You need me to sew his wound?" Rina asked.

"Yes, I own him anyway," Del said to Rina.

However, there was something that Del didn't expect from Cole. He somehow feared Rina to a certain extent. She was indeed holding her scissor and her wound treatment equipment, but Del didn't think that Rina would kill Cole.

"Del, save me from this deranged woman!" Cole said.

"Heck no, this woman will save you," Del said.

Del dropped Cole on the wooden floor of the inn and left it for Rina. He wanted to return to his room. He was tired as his back was aching like hell. He also wanted to speak with Pidma. He had enough money to buy a bolt-action rifle now.

Del opened the lock of his door and he entered his room. The crackers were still in the metal box on his table, Del might want to eat it sooner or later.

"Pidma, open shop, browse rifle. Convert my total balance too, including every money in this room."

[Converting Total Balance… Total Balance = 235$]

▬▬▬▬▬▬

[Showing Available Bolt-Action Rifle]

[Mosin Nagant] [100$]

[Carcano Rifle] [195$]

[Kar98] [200$]

[M1917 Enfield] [250$]

▬▬▬▬▬▬

"Why the M1917 is more expensive than Kar98?" Del asked.

[Because M1917 has more ammo variant]

"I see. Well, give me Kar98 then, I only have the money for that," Del said.

[Ammo too?]

"Yeah, show me."

▬▬▬▬▬▬

[Showing Available 7.92x57 mm Mauser rounds]

[7.92x57 FMJ] [10x] [25$]

[7.92x57 HP] [10x] [50$]

[7.92x57 AP] [10x] [80$]

[7.92x57 APS] [10x] [120$]

▬▬▬▬▬▬

"Alright, just give me the cheaper one alongside the ammo."

[Ok]

The metal box on top of the desk in his room closed. Del approached the metal box and he approached opened it. The Kar98 was laying down inside of that metal box alongside the crackers and a small box of ammunition.

"Nice…" Del held the rifle in his hand, "This should…"

Del passed out because of exhaustion.