After I finally left the auction building and concluded my discussions with Orzhan, I turned my steps toward home. I had been in the dungeon with Nari since early morning until late noon, and by the time I said my farewells to the staff at the Auction House, the day was already bleeding into the early evening. I felt a surge of genuine satisfaction at having finally taken a decisive, tangible step toward launching my new enchantment business. However, beneath that satisfaction, there was a lingering sense of unease. It was a bit troublesome because I realized I had lost a consistent way to distract my mind.

  This new venture promised to be a massive undertaking, and I knew my schedule would soon be overwhelmed with orders and logistics. My mind was at ease for the moment because I had at least handled the necessary "baby steps" of the operation; now, all that remained was the passive wait for the first wave of customers to bite. But as the excitement of business faded, my focus returned to the other significant event of the day.

  Before we had emerged from the dungeon’s depths, I had finally achieved my goal for Nari: she had successfully evolved into a Beast Champion. Now that her potential was realized, it was time for me to take responsibility as her master. It was a difficult decision to face, a cold and hard action to take, but I have always believed that what needs to be done must be done without hesitation.

  When I reached the front door of the house, the sun was sinking low behind the canyon walls, painting the sky in violent shades of crimson and bruised purple. As soon as I crossed the threshold, Wyn appeared, running toward me with more haste than usual. She greeted me with an elegant, practiced bow, but I noticed a flicker in her eyes. She seemed incredibly eager to see me—perhaps even a bit desperate.

  Because I had been so consumed by the trade routes and the setup of the enchantment business, I hadn't been able to spend nearly as much quality time with Woya and Wyn as I did when I first brought them home. To make matters worse, what limited free time I did have was spent exclusively with Nari inside the dungeon for her leveling sessions. Despite my purely pragmatic purpose for doing so, the twins must have felt as though they were being relegated to the background of my life.

  I offered Wyn a reassuring smile and a brief greeting before heading toward the living room. Dinner was either ready or very close to it, judging by the smells drifting from the back of the house. When I entered the room, I found Nari already inside, busy arranging the plates and silverware on the heavy wooden table. The moment she spotted me, she greeted me with a hurried, almost startled tone. It was clear the twins had been teaching her the rules of the house diligently, but the process had taken far too long. At this point, I had grown weary of her. I found myself unable to see the "good" in her actions anymore; my mind was already made up.

  I gave her a slight nod—just enough to acknowledge her presence without encouraging further conversation—and took my usual seat at the head of the table. The twins continued their work with a focused intensity. While I waited, Woya emerged from the kitchen, rushing into the room with a large, steaming tureen. Her expression mirrored Wyn’s perfectly. It was a look of starvation, not for food, but for affection. Despite our near-nightly activities in my room, the emotional distance of the past few weeks had clearly taken a toll on them.

  After about five minutes of final touches, the meal was fully served. Woya moved with practiced speed to fill the plates, starting with mine before asking Nari to assist with the others. I waited patiently until everyone had their portion before I began to eat, which served as the unspoken signal for the girls to begin their own meals.

  As I ate, I noted a few changes in our domestic life. The food was more sophisticated than before, showing a level of detail and effort that suggested the girls were using cooking as a way to reach out to me. Their manners had also evolved; they ate with a quiet, dignified grace. They were already well-educated when I purchased them from the first slave trader, but they had continued to refine themselves in my household. They sat and moved with the poise of noble ladies—or at least, exceptionally well-groomed high-tier maids.

  As for Nari, she had indeed managed to fix some of her more abrasive behaviors under the twins' tutelage. She was more disciplined and less prone to outbursts. Yet, the fundamental problem remained: even though she had improved, I no longer cared. Those fixed issues felt insignificant because the spark of potential I look for in a companion simply wasn't there.

  The meal was truly excellent, so I made sure to offer a few sincere words of compliment. Once the plates were cleared, I asked the girls to prepare a bath. I intended to wash away the grime of the dungeon and told the girls to use the opportunity to clean themselves as well.

  It had been nearly a week since I had taken the time for a proper, relaxing soak. Combined with the physical exhaustion of today’s dungeon run, the hot water felt exceptionally refreshing. Once I was finished, I left the bathroom for the girls to share and retreated to my bedroom.

  I lay there in the quiet of the room, using the time to organize my thoughts and review the day's events while I waited for Woya and Wyn to join me. My role in the skill crystal business was essentially paused until the market responded to our advertisement, so my mind was free to dwell on the dungeon results.

  I had used the twentieth floor exclusively to power-level Nari, just as I had planned. It had been about six days since I started this focused training with her, but today was only our third actual trip to the dungeon due to my other business commitments.

  When she finally hit level 40 in her Beast Warrior job, I immediately triggered her job change to Beast Champion. We left the dungeon the moment the transition was complete, not even bothering to enter the boss room. I originally purchased her at auction for 60 gold coins, which was a fair market value for a virgin catkin with her baseline combat stats. However, selling a slave isn't a 1-to-1 return on investment.

  If I had tried to sell her back to a merchant the day after I bought her, I would have been lucky to get 40 gold coins back. That was the reality of the trade. But now, with a Tier 3 job like Beast Champion, her market value had skyrocketed. She was now a rare asset. I estimated her current value to be comfortably over 100 gold coins. If I negotiated with the right buyer, I was confident I could recoup my 60 gold and walk away with a significant profit.

  Currently, she is only a level 1 Beast Champion, but to most buyers, the level is secondary to the job title itself. They can't see the numbers the way I can; they only see the raw combat power and the prestige of owning a Champion-class slave. Since most buyers wouldn't insist on a life-or-death combat trial before purchase, her low level in the new job wouldn't be a hindrance.

  While I was focused on her growth, I had also managed to gain a few levels myself. The gains weren't as dramatic as hers, primarily because I had prioritized the Exp Drop skill to benefit the party. Since my current jobs are higher tier, the requirement for a level-up is much more demanding.

  This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  ***

  Player Window

  —

  Total Points: 219

  Remaining Points: 3

  —

  Equipped Jobs:

  Hero Level 40 (2 Up)

  Job Collector (Hero, Ascetic Monk)

  Mage Level 15 (6 Up)

  Swordmaster Level 48 (2 Up)

  Knight Level 48 (2 Up)

  Adventurer 46 (1 Up)

  —

  Acquired Jobs:

  Ascetic Monk Level 38 (1 Up)

  Equipment Merchant Level 5 (4 Up)

  Enchanter Level 5 (4 Up)

  Total Job Count: 28

  ***

  While I was reviewing my status, I heard the telltale sound of footsteps on the stairs. My senses have sharpened to the point where I can track movement throughout the entire house with ease. I listened as Woya and Wyn whispered goodnight to Nari in the hallway before the handle of my door turned.

  The moment they entered the room, their focus was entirely pinned on me. The relief and joy on their faces were palpable; they looked like people who had finally reached an oasis after a long trek through a desert. I realized then that the stress of the last few weeks was even heavier than I had suspected. Fortunately, I was about to give them the resolution they had been silently praying for.

  Without a word from me, they approached the bed and climbed in from either side. They moved with a desperate grace, undressing from their semi-transparent night dresses. They clung to me, rubbing their bodies against mine with an intensity that bordered on the feverish. It was as if they were in heat, their eyes practically glowing with a need for connection.

  Strangely, their desperation had a contagious effect on me. My own blood began to fire up, and I found it impossible to maintain my usual composure. I didn't hold back. I unleashed my own desires, and we spent a night together that was far more intense and uninhibited than any we had shared before. By the end of it, the girls were panting, their bodies quivering with exhaustion. If I hadn't spoken, I’m sure they would have fallen into a deep sleep within seconds.

  “... Come here,” I whispered.

  I looked over their tangled forms for a moment, then lay back on the pillows and opened my arms wide.

  The girls didn't say a word. They slowly pushed themselves up, moving as if their limbs were made of lead. They crawled toward me, resting their heads on my shoulders and wrapping their arms tightly around my chest, anchoring themselves to me.

  Having two beautiful, devoted companions sharing your bed is an experience that is incredibly difficult to walk away from. Seeing how truly fond of me they had become made me realize it was finally time to explain the logic behind my recent behavior.

  “... Nari successfully became a Beast Champion today,” I said, my voice steady now that I had caught my breath.

  I felt both of them shiver against me the moment the words left my lips. To them, it likely sounded like Nari had surpassed them in my eyes. They were already struggling with the fact that I was spending my days with her; hearing of her success must have felt like a final blow to their standing.

  I could feel the restlessness in their bodies. Wyn, in particular, seemed to be hit the hardest. Among the twins, she had always taken pride in being the combat specialist. To her, Nari’s evolution was likely a personal defeat.

  However, that news was merely the preamble. I realized I was being a bit dramatic by leading with her success, but I have a habit of explaining my logic piece by piece. It was time to deliver the actual update.

  “... I am going to sell Nari tomorrow,” I said. I kept my hand on Woya’s side, feeling her pulse.

  The girls were still breathing heavily from our earlier exertion, but the moment I spoke those words, they both went perfectly still. The silence in the room was absolute for a few heartbeats, and then I felt their pulses skyrocket. I could hear their heartbeats thudding against my own skin.

  I knew they had been jealous. I knew they were uneasy about my shifted attention. I hadn't given them a single word of explanation for why I was focusing on Nari, so it was only natural for them to fear they were being replaced.

  But Woya and Wyn are not petty people. Despite the hard time they had managing Nari—the scoldings they took on her behalf and the friction she caused—they had lived with her for over a month. They had tried to teach her, to guide her. They had formed a bond of familiarity. Looking at their perplexed, wide-eyed faces now, I could see that they weren't celebrating. They felt a genuine, painful shock at the idea of her being cast out and sold back into slavery.

  They couldn't seem to reconcile what they were hearing. I suspect they had been mentally preparing themselves to accept a lower position in the household hierarchy, assuming Nari was the new favorite. After all, I had spent so much time with her lately, and even though I hadn't taken her to my bed yet, it seemed like only a matter of time.

  They knew better than anyone what it was like to be a slave on the auction block. They knew the fear and the uncertainty of that life. Their current expressions told me everything: they felt responsible for her, and they felt bad for the fate that awaited her.

  “What’s with those looks?” I asked, my tone half-mocking and half-serious. “Weren’t the two of you just feeling jealous because I was playing around with Nari instead of you?”

  “Ugh…”

  Woya couldn't meet my gaze. She lowered her head, looking utterly dejected.

  “... Did we… did we make it that obvious, master?” Wyn asked cautiously, her voice barely a whisper.

  “You were being very obvious,” I replied. “Did you really think you were successfully hiding your emotions just because you weren't complaining out loud?”

  “... We are so sorry, master,” Woya said, her voice trembling. “Please… you don't have to sell her if this is because of us. We can do better.”

  “I didn't intend to make you feel guilty,” I said, pulling them both a little closer. “I wanted to evolve her into a Beast Champion first because it makes her more profitable. I didn't tell you the plan earlier because there was always a chance I might change my mind midway through the process. But the primary reason I’m selling her has nothing to do with your jealousy. It’s a business decision. You don't need to carry any guilt for this.”

  “...”

  Neither of them spoke. They looked ashamed, yet they didn't argue.

  It was a natural human reaction. They had spent weeks trying to claw back my attention, fawning over me and showing their unease whenever Nari’s name came up. They couldn't suddenly pretend to be Nari’s biggest supporters with a straight face.

  The fact that they could recognize their own faults and feel shame for them was, in my eyes, a virtue. They aren't perfect, but they aren't malicious either. A little bit of jealousy is acceptable in a household like this.

  A long silence fell over the bedroom. I held them both as they continued to shiver slightly against me. There was nothing more to be said. Some decisions are simply final.

  “I can afford to keep feeding her, but I’m not running a charity here,” I said, my voice growing heavy with sleep. “I have my own goals to reach, and I need people around me to fit them. Everyone is responsible for their own life... and you two should just focus on yours.”

  With those final words, I allowed the darkness of the night to take me, and I fell into a deep sleep.

  [Edited]

  12 chapters ahead and support me on Patreon.

  Heroes:

  Koreyn

  NaTaS

  sjturner79

  Knights:

  udrea radu-cristian

  ?yb48