Advancing Plan

Later that night, Shin went down to the basement to take a look at their prisoner. She was sitting alone in the corner, not even on the massive and warm hay pile at her side. "Go to sleep. We've got a long trip tomorrow."

"Fuck off!" She growled at him and he sighed.

"Fine, suit yourself." He said, and almost immediately a needle-sized dart flew from the keyhole and hit her on the shoulder. She gasped with a confused face, her vision blurred and she fell on her face, fast asleep.

Shin opened the door, "You'll rest whether you want it or not, no one even cares if you can rest or not, you'll just take a nap rest." He dragged her to the hay and covered her with a large blanket.

'Don't worry, the dark has a calming and a sleeping drug, you shouldn't even dream unless you're unlucky.' Based on what Mary told him, when most prisoners, especially the ones tortured were forced to sleep and rest with sleeping drugs, they usually had so many awful nightmares that they never got any actual rest. That is why the calming drug was added. It clears the mind and allows the sleeper to rest far better.

Shin then went up, finding Mary, Ase, and Char sitting around the table in the kitchen where he left them. "This coffee thing is awful." Char growled, looking at Mary, "You said it was good."

"It's you add some sugar to it if you like?"

Ase looked toward Shin, "How is she? Asleep?"

"No, had to put her to sleep. We've got a long journey tomorrow after all." His eyes shifted toward Mary, "We were supposed to head straight to the king, right? What about the dragon?"

"It can wait." Mary looked at him, "We have to help the village girls."

"And your real reason?" He sat down and poured himself a large mug of coffee.

"Fine, my gold is with them. I doubt they would report and send it back to their leads, they'll try to pocket it. If we reach the camp first, we'll be able to get my money back." She looked at Shin, "Over two hundred gold coins, and in change as well, glowing and clinking gold."

With her hands, she showed Shin that the pouch was no bigger than a cat's head, but Mary made sure he understood how heavy it felt, saying it was heavier than a solid piece of iron the same size.

"We need that money for the trip. Without it, we might as well beg on the street." Mary shook her cup, "Travel expenses are never cheap, and our trip is a long one. Spending a week here to get the money would mean we'll save months of grinding later." She looked at Shin, "Just think about it, carriages, food, lodging, weapons, repairs, fees, guards if we needed them, and some bribes to be allowed through shortcuts."

"Shortcuts? To travel?" Shin lifted an eyebrow, "We aren't going through any dangerous mountain range with powerful monsters, are we?"

"No, I mean that there are some shortcuts on lands owned by nobles or the army. We'll get shot and killed the moment we enter if we don't get allowed in." She looked at him, "No matter how much money you have, you'll never even be allowed to approach enough to bribe them. Unless you're me though."

"Like with the guards here. Even if I had infinite money, if I tried to bribe them they would just arrest me and take them money. But you can do it, you have connections with them." He smiled, "So first we must get your money back."

"And save the girls while we're at it. We can start the trip right after getting our money, I'm sure the guards and Asrin would make sure the girls make it back home safely." She stood, "For now, get some rest. It'll be a long trip." She shifted her eyes toward Arachne, "There is an empty room upstairs to the left, use that."

"And I was intending to spend the night with Shin." Arachne looked at her with a smug face.

"Do what you want. Just don't be tired in the morning, or we'll have a really bad day." She finished her coffee cup in a single gulp and went up to sleep.

Ase who was silently listening looked at Mary climbing the stairs and then turned toward Shim, "What should we do? We're going to face armed soldiers, we're basically naked." The two of them didn't have any weapons or armor.

"I doubt even Mary has money to buy those, we don't even have time to kill some monsters and make money." Shin sighed, "All we can do is try our luck and stealth kill some imperial soldiers to steal their armor and weapons."

"Can't we just wait a bit? Like a week or two?" Arachne looked at him, "It's all Mary's fault for tipping the guards and assassins so soon."

"She speaks only of money." Shin looked at Arachne, "But I'm sure deep down she's worried about all the kidnapped women. Each day that passes they suffer even more. We're not on a timer, the timer is already over and damage is being done, damage that can't be repaired or reversed."

He stood, "We must rest. I'm sure everything will clear a bit tomorrow." He glared at Arachne, "And, stay clear out of my room. I know you weren't joking earlier."

"Why? Are you scared?" Arachne licked her lips.

"Scared? No, but you don't own that body. And I'm not willing to trust a black widow's will to spare her mate." He pointed a finger at her.

"What will you do? Force me to stay in my room? Lock the door? I can get out." She started approaching him, "How about you give up and…"

At that moment, Shin pointed at her, "Go to your room and sleep. We'll meet in the morning."

Arachne turned around and started heading upstairs. She growled, "Damn it…the contract…" She barely managed to glare back at him, "Master! You never used this before…" She could hear Char laughing inside her head. 'Got what you deserved! This is my body! Give it back!'

Arachne could see Char's tiny soul dancing and eating at her core, that little spider was like a parasite fighting back to retain control. Right now Arachne is stronger so she's dominating, but with time Char would be the winner as this is ultimately her body.

'If I don't kill her or get a new body, this little spider will end up consuming me from the inside out.' No matter what Arachne tried, Char's soul was indestructible, and that seemed to be the will of that so-called Overgod.

She went to her room and Shin retreated to his, finally dropping on the soft bed. "I can take a good nap…" His eyes dozed off, even with the coffee he drank, nothing would keep his exhausted body awake.

"PURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR."