On the way, Martel began to think about creating his party. The first thing he had to consider was his fighting style. Given that he wanted to hide his true capabilities for as long as possible, he would fight as expected of a Shield Hero. He would become a versatile defensive and support character. This meant that he had to be relatively mobile and focus on his magic, primarily healing magic. It would be convenient if his party had someone who would focus on defense and crowd control, a mobile attacker, an Archer, and an attack-magician. Overall, he had eight other slots in his primary party as he and Cali already took two. One of his sub-parties would be dedicated to his wives, who he planned to bring into this world once he had a stable base of operations so that they could also strengthen. Effectively, this only left him with one sub party, but Martel wasn’t sure he would even use it. Only time would tell.

Martel went through Shiba’s damaged memories to try and find someone who could fit his needs. Naturally, this was also further narrowed because he did not wish for any males to enter his party. It was a dangerous factor, given that so many women already surrounded him. With his damaged memories, it took a while. He realized he spent his entire time as a loner and never particularly pay attention to anyone. He systematically went through his remaining memories and eventually recalled someone who could end up being appropriate.

[“Marty wiped the blood off of his face from the latest foe he had dispatched with Gram. It was currently the Seventh Wave of The Invasion. He was beginning to struggle with higher-level enemies even though this wave was the second to last one. However, Marty did not have time to rest. With a roar, two ogres, like the one he had just had trouble dispatching, charged over to avenge their fallen ally. Marty clicked his tongue but did not flee. Instead, he attacked them head-on. He managed to cause some harm but suffered a blow. He was about to suffer another before a heavily armored person suddenly appeared in front of him.

“Come at me, you bastards!” The figure shouted, revealing that it was a woman inside the full body armor. As if by magic, the two ogres immediately gave their full attention to her.

Marty was momentarily surprised by the ogres’ unnatural action. However, he quickly assisted as the woman who had been blown away even with her large shield and armor. However, it did not prevent her from landing a solid blow on one of the ogre’s arms. The roar of anger and frustration was the last the ogre ever emanated as Gram suddenly pierced straight through his chest. With the distraction from the woman, they managed to slaughter the last ogre.

“Thanks for the assist. You should go join your companions.” Marty said coldly.

“… I don’t have any companions.” The armored woman replied.

“... I see... If you don’t mind, it’ll be easier for both of us if we join up.”

“... Okay.”

After the wave had been suppressed, Marty left without a word. He quietly made his way to the nearby city, entered a tavern, and proceeded to drink. He didn’t want to see Yutsuki; he only wanted to drink away as problems.

Marty’s drinking was interrupted when he heard the clanking of metal as the woman who he had fought with appeared in full attire.

“Do you mind?” She asked.

“… Go ahead,” Marty emotionlessly replied as he withdrew more liquor from his space ring.

The woman sat down and finally took off her helm. Her hair was terra-cotta, long, and the hair at the side of her face was wound like a drill. Her face was stoic and once probably extremely attractive, but several scars marred it. She took a big gulp before she began to cough violently.

“What liquor is this?”

“Some dwarven ale.”

“Strongest I’ve ever had.”

“Same. But I don’t get drunk easily otherwise.”

“I see. Your name is Marty, right? My name is Hestia.”

The two hardly talked until they were pretty well and drunk. The woman’s expression had finally turned from expressionless to slightly happy. “You know, I’m happy I could help you.” She said with a slight slur.

“Yeah… Thanks... Why don’t you have any companions?”

The woman sighed. “Because I don’t trust anyone. You see, I used to be the daughter of a duke. Like most nobles, we are Dhampir, humans with traces of dragon in their ancestry, as evident by our hair color, which varies compared to normal humans. One of the Dhampir benefits is their talent in magic that corresponds to the same elements as the type of dragon their lineage stems from. Being gifted with magic is expected by nobles, which is why those with weak magic affinity, like me, would be shunned. Ironically, it also brought me into the spotlight and brought the attention of the Prince to me. The Prince wanted to make me concubine, but it was more likely to make me a toy with his reputation. Luckily I had supportive parents who let me focus on swordsmanship and martial arts and were unwilling to send their daughter to such a fate. Of course, it didn’t end that easily.

“At some point, I had lost my memory, which I doubt was coincidental. I was smuggled into the capital of Sussex, the country you were summoned to, and trained to enter the local high-class whorehouse, the Royal Rose. It wasn’t until after several months of constant defilement that my memories returned. I was disgusted with myself even though I didn’t know any better at the time. Ironically my debut was only a couple days after the heroes showed up, but my hero never did.”

Martel quietly listened as she continued to give her life story. He didn’t particularly care and had nothing better to do. It was a sufficient distraction. Still, he was quite surprised about how easily she talked about such a painful period in her life.

“I managed to escape and return to what was once my home. It turned out that my most trusted maid had drugged me and facilitated my capture. My mother eventually died from disease and heartbreak, and the Prince heavily persecuted my father for defying him. He eventually lost his territory and disappeared, probably dead. That is the reason why trust no one. Everyone I cared about was murdered out of greed, and one of the people I trusted most betrayed me.”

“Sounds like you’ve had it rough. But then why are you out here fighting at all given what happened?”

“I’ve got nowhere to go and nothing to lose. I believe that there are still good people out there, so if I can save them with this broken body of mine, I’ll do so.”

“That’s very noble of you,” Marty replied with a small sense of admiration. “If I were in your shoes, I wouldn’t care for anyone, much less risk my life for them.”

“But you’re out here, aren’t you? I heard you were accused of attempting to rape the Princess of Sussex, something I don’t believe. You were betrayed, too, right?”

“I also killed the Sword Hero.”

“I heard in the Adventurers Guild that you did so because he killed your fiancé.”

“He did.”

“Then, he deserved it. After all of that, you still decided to come out here and fight.”

“I’m forced to come here.”

“But you’re not forced to stay and fight.”

“… I’m just killing time, and I have a death wish.”

“If you say so. You know, it was after hearing your story that I decided to join one of the hero sub-parties and fight The Waves, so don’t sell yourself short.”

“I guess,” Marty haphazardly replied as he went back to his drink.

Later, he would regret not speaking to her more or fighting with her as this conversation was the last time he saw her alive.”]

Martel grit his teeth as he recalled his encounter with Hestia. She was an admirable woman who had a tragic story and a more tragic end. Luckily, he had a second chance, could make up for those regrets, and truly make them nothing more than a memory.

After nearly an hour of travel, Martel appeared over a small mountain range in the middle of a neighboring kingdom. This area, like much of the land, had little colonization. Because of The Invasion, humans tended to build a few high-quality cities to pool their resources and manpower. There was a distinctive lack of towns with only a few pioneering villages. This meant that travel was extraordinarily long and dangerous as beasts would frequently claim land routes as their territory.

Martel set the MW Kuromi to hover and jumped down onto the mountain below. He withdrew all the androids, SRIN, and appropriate raw materials off. He instructed them to begin to build a base of operations. This base would be relatively important as it would act as a transportation hub.

Martel had developed electric-powered teleportation thanks to the various types of magic he knew. Electricity would be put into an Energy Crystal, which could then be transformed into mana thanks to an Emotion Magic Enchantment. Emotion Magic would further control that mana into a Formula Magic Carving, which could be activated to fixed locations. All of this could be controlled electronically by an AI. The transportation circles would lead to this hub both as a necessity and security measure. After this base completed construction, the exploration, resource discovery, and further bases would be created automatically. This also had the benefit of filling Martel’s Smart Map utilizing transportation circles created by the AI. Now, all Martel had to do was wait.

Martel stored the MW Kuromi the cost of quite a bit of his mana. He accessed his Smart Map and the Fast Travel feature. Using it, he could travel back to the capital of Sussex. He was happy to find that he could decide exactly where the portal would be located. Curiously, he could also travel to another city that he had directly flown over.

Given that he was currently out of range of the SRIN, he waited for the completion of a transmission tower, which let him confirm a secluded place near his desired arrival point. After he confirmed it, he activated Fast Travel. A white-rimmed portal suddenly appeared in front of him, which he stepped through before he willed it to disappear. He was quite happy being able to travel long distances once every hour without any cost. It would be extremely convenient, especially to conserve mana.

By the time he arrived in the capital, it was relatively late at night. Because of the lack of electricity and the relative expense of candles, it was not uncommon for most to sleep and wake up earlier. It would be rare for shops to be open with one exception. Most houses of ill repute would stay open until relatively late at night as it would not be uncommon for those who wished to engage in such activities and remain low-key to go at such a time.

Martel changed his clothes and put on a mask that resembled a red dragon face before heading over to The Royal Rose. The Royal Rose was in the higher class part of the city, and it catered towards those types of clientele. It was known for having high-quality girls at an equally high price. As such, it was no surprise that it was lit with candles.

It was the first time Martel had ever entered such a place, and he had never expected to. He was always conservative when it came to such activity as he felt that it should retain some sacredness. He looked down on those that paid for it and disapproved of those who took it as a profession, even realizing that they probably didn’t enter the profession willingly.

The Madame behind the desk smiled as Martel approached, not surprised in the slightest that he was wearing a mask. “Welcome, dear customer. Is this the first time you’ve come to our establishment?”

“Indeed.”

“I see. I am making no assertions, but our base price is three gold for an evening with one of our girls. I assume that there will be no problem?”

“Money is not an issue.”

Madame gave a smile. “That’s good to hear. We still have some available girls. Do you have any preferences? I can help narrow down the girls to show you.”

“… Well, I understand it is a bit of a long shot in such a location, but do you have any girls who are still… pure?”

The Madame was somewhat taken aback but returned to her smile. “Yes, that is an unusual request. As it turns out, we have one such lady who is supposed to begin to work soon who I believe will fit your desire. However, given the unusualness of your request, as well as calling on a girl off-clock, it will be significantly more expensive.”

“So long as she meets my needs, money is not a problem.”

“I understand. I’ll call her right away.” Madame said as she went into the building.

By this point in time, Martel already confirmed the residence of the building with his SRIN. Luckily, he could instruct the SRIN not to send back any information or video feed that he would find unpleasant. He was relieved when he found Hestia and that she was the girl the Madame had referred to. He calmly waited in the lobby for the Madame’s return.

“Dear customer, this is Ruby.” The Madam said when they returned.

Hestia, or Ruby as the Madam called her, still retained most of her appearance that he recalled, but she was clean and unscarred. “Sir, I hope I meet up to your expectations.” She said with a slight bow. She was a little nervous and shy. Martel couldn’t help but be slightly taken aback by the large gap in her personality he remembered. However, it made sense, given that she had no memory. All she knew was what those that the Royal Rose had told and taught her.

Martel gave her a good look over, which caused her to blush. “She’ll do.”

The Madam lit up into a smile. “Dear customer, because of the unique circumstances, it will be 30 gold to spend an evening with her.”

“Madam, you misunderstood what I mean. I don’t wish to buy her for the night; I wish to buy her freedom.”

The Madam was visibly taken aback by Martel’s statement.

“What? Such a practice is normal, isn’t it?”

“Yes… Yes, it is. It’s just unusual to happen to a girl who has yet to begin work, or for someone to buy the freedom of someone who they have yet to… get to know.”

“Is there a problem?” Martel said with a hint of annoyance.

“Well, sir, to be honest, there is. She is kind of… unique.”

Martel took a moment to think before he realized what she was referring to, and he motioned for her to talk privately. “I assume you’re referring to the fact that she is a Dhampir?”

The Madam nodded. As most Dhampirs were of noble lineage, it was extremely rare for one to enter such an industry, and it would be considered a selling point.

Martel then took out a large sack full of coins. “In this bag are 50 large platinum coins, 5,000 gold.”

The Madam had a look of surprise on her face as she began to calculate.

“You may feel that, because she is a Dhampir, she will attract customers, but have you considered the fact that you may be playing with fire? For example, a noble who had lost her memory?”

The Madam’s eyes shot wide open as she had never mentioned Hestia’s memory loss.

“If she were a Noble, she would most likely be a noble the foreign kingdom which could strain diplomatic relations if discovered. It would not be too uncommon for those responsible in this establishment to be punished as a scapegoat. Look, I don’t know how much you paid for her or spent caring and preparing her, but I know for certain it was far less than 10,000 gold. Of course, I could be spouting nonsense. However, if what I say ends up to be true, you can tell them that someone bought her freedom before she began to work and can feign all responsibility to someone wearing a red mask.”

Slightly numbed by the information Martel provided, suspecting he knew something, and feeling the coins’ weight, the Madam finally acquiesced. She turned to look at Hestia, who had not heard anything of the conversation. “Ruby, this fine man has decided to purchase your freedom. I’m going to go get the necessary paperwork.” She said as she turned to walk away.

Hestia was momentarily surprised, but she turned to look at Martel. “Sir, thank you very much.”

“Perhaps you shouldn’t thank me yet. After all, you don’t know what I will wish of you.” Mattel replied.

Even though he had purchased her freedom, it was a misnomer. She would be considered to be a debt slave as the paperwork would dictate, one who would be expected to give her body attributed to the line of work he had freed her from. It wasn’t too uncommon for a retiring adventurer to buy his favorite girl and settle down.

Hestia’s expression didn’t waver. “If sir desires my body, it seems like a just reward for taking me from this place.”

“Oh? Are you dissatisfied being here?”

“No, Sir, I wouldn’t say dissatisfied. Everyone here is extremely nice, and I hear that other establishments of this profession do not care for their girls. It’s just… I’ve lost my memory, but I seem to have a strong feeling that doing… such an act with multiple partners is not something to be approved of. That is why I will thank you.” She said as the Madam began to return.

“Here’s the paperwork,” the Madam said as several girls went up to congratulate Hestia, many of which threw flirtatious glances at Martel in the hopes for similar treatment.

Martel ignored them as he went over the paperwork, secretly admiring the Madam for bringing other girls along to act as witnesses. He felt getting her out of such a fate was worth it.

A couple of the girls brought Hestia’s meager possessions as well as some essential clothing before seeing her out along with Martel.

“There is an inn nearby. We’ll stop there for the night.”

“Sir is not from the area?” Hestia asked with surprise.

“No, but I plan to be in the area for a while,” Martel replied as they made their way to the inn.

...

“I’m afraid we only have one room with a double bed left.” The innkeeper replied when Martel asked for a room.

Martel’s eyebrow twitched at the cliché scenario while Hestia had a slight blush.

He looked at Hestia and saw only shyness. Perhaps slight anticipation, so he turned back to the innkeeper and rented the room.

Once they entered the room, Hestia began to fidget nervously. Martel finally took off his mask, and she was relieved that he was a young man who was easy on the eyes.

“Well, why don’t you go ahead and lay down on the bed,” Martel said.

Hestia trembled for a moment before she took a deep breath. Then, she slowly began to take off her clothes.

“Wh... What are you doing?” Martel stuttered as he turned away.

Hestia was surprised for a moment; then her face turned into an embarrassed blush. “Oh, did you not mean…?”

“No, I was going to give you a medical check-up since you had lost your memories.”

“Oh,” Hestia replied before she fixed her clothing and immediately laid on the bed.

Martel couldn’t help but internally chuckle at Hestia’s embarrassment. Just because he was taking this life seriously did not mean he couldn’t have some fun. He fully intended to act like an innocent protagonist with a low EQ. Pushing those thoughts out of his mind, he gave Hestia a serious check-up.

After attaining her approval, Martel even used his mind and Ki to check her body. However, he noticed absolutely nothing wrong. This wasn’t too surprising as he believed he knew the cause. His Eyes Of Magic had already detected a wisp of black mana constantly coming from her head, most likely from a curse. He used his Eyes of Observation to see her relevant Status and further used Eyes of Analysis to get more detailed information.

Name

Hestia von Vulcan

Level

7.14

Title

Heir Presumptive to the Duchy of Somerset

Ki Rank

7

Race

Human (Dhampir)

Strength Level

C

Growth Level

Indigenous

Spellcasting Level 2

E-

...

Abnormalities

Curse: Memory Loss (Strength: 584 (-193 per month)).

This person suffers from total memory loss from the moment they are affected by the curse until it is dispelled or runs out of strength.

Fate

Broken

Talents

Taunt (LVL 1.34)

When the user provokes a creature verbally, regardless of whether or not they understand it, the target focus will be transfixed on the user. The success of the Taunt depends upon the difference between the user and targets WIL and Skill LVL.

Walking Fortress (LVL 3.65)

The user is built for defense and is extremely tough to harm at the cost of offensive capabilities. This ability is both passive and always active.

All Resistances +80% (+50%+10% per LVL)

WIL, DEF, CON, and all Resistances *30% (0+10% per LVL)

HP Regen and STA Regen *175% (100%+25% Per LVL)

All Affinities +-50%

DEX, STL, and all Affinities *-50%

Martel was amazed at her Stats, especially her Level, as she was only 17. Typically, nobles would not be at very high levels as they would be slowed down due to their focus on education and unwillingness to get into danger. At her age, Level 7 was very impressive.

His focus on the Curse was especially prudent as he wanted to ensure he knew exactly how to dispel it. The strength of the Curse depended upon the caster. Given that she had already been cursed for a month, the caster must be an extremely competent mage. To dispel a curse, one had to exceed its remaining strength. If this were not done, only an extremely minuscule amount of strength would be removed, requiring many dispel attempts. Luckily, Martel already had the spell, Remove Curse. However, the spell would not be strong enough unless Martel used Wand of the Fae to cast an extra Level higher.

Martel’s mouth went agape in shock upon finding that Hestia had two incredibly useful Talents. Together, they could be considered broken! Walking Fortress made the user extremely tough to take down. The ability was an active one that could not be turned off. This meant that any passive bonuses she had would also be multiplied. Naturally, this also included the penalty, which explained why she would not be a competent mage. All her affinities and MAG would be massively lowered. This meant that any energy she put into spellcasting would be incredibly wasteful, something that would be relatively unfortunate for a Dhampir.

It would be external beneficial for Hestia to raise her SPR to increase her defense against magic. Still, he thought it would also be a waste as she would have a large mana pool with nothing to use and on due to her lack of spellcasting ability. However, he suddenly had an epiphany. The spell Mana Barrier was not based upon Affinity, but Resistance. They could fully utilize her eventual large and otherwise useless mana pool, making her even harder to defeat. Additionally, Walking Fortress boosted the WIL Stat making the Talent ‘Taunt’ more effective at drawing the hatred of enemies. This meant she could fight multiple enemies and ensure that they would remain fixated on her, a perfect crowd controller.

In fact, given his own role, these two talents were immensely appealing to him to the point where he wanted them for himself, especially since the System could turn off Walking Fortress for him. Moreover, she was obviously willing... Martel shook his head as he pushed away that thought. Doing such an act solely for power was something that Martel despised to do. Moreover, it wasn’t Hestia who was willing, but Ruby. He had saved her because he admired the woman who had selflessly decided to protect the world that had taken everything she cared about from her.

“I’ve confirmed that the reason why you lost your memory was that someone had cursed you. Luckily, I have that ability to dispel it if you want.”

Hestia was surprised for a moment before she nodded. “I want to know who I am.”

Martel nodded as the Crown of Origin and the Wand of the Fae appeared.

As he chanted, Hestia looked at him dumbstruck by the appearance of the Soul Armaments. From her perspective, it seemed as if he was a king from the heavens. This thought persisted even after she ceased to be Ruby and became Hestia. Hestia began to receive the flood of Ruby’s memories as if she was reliving them extremely quickly. Her face turned into horror when she realized the Fate that had almost become of her. Luckily, she was saved, but what would this man ask of her?

After being dazed for a moment by her thoughts, she suddenly shot from the bed. She knelt on one knee, fist to the ground, and head down. “Thank you for your restorative grace.”

Martel looked at Hestia, who had suddenly taken on such a serious demeanor. Her face had become a focused one, and he missed the naive expression of Ruby. However, the ‘serious Hestia’ may have been a facade. When he had had a drink with her in his previous life, she had a similar expression to Ruby when she got drunk. Perhaps the situation with her parents and her life experience forced her to be so serious. Suddenly, a wave of weariness overcame him, and he stumbled.

“Are you all right?” Hestia asked.

Martel was happy that she had some concern in her voice. Her expression momentarily became earnest, which furthered his belief that her seriousness was a mask. “I’m alright. I just used more magic at once than ever before. You got your memories back?”

Hestia nodded. “My name is Hestia von Vulcan. My father is the Duke of Somerset in the adjacent Wessex Kingdom.”

“Do you know how you got cursed?”

“It was the second Prince of Wessex. He is a well-known playboy who wanted to make me his concubine after he got to know of my existence due to my reputation as an incompetent mage.”

“So, the reason why he had you cursed was that you refused?”

“I remember I woke up for my drug-induced stupor momentarily so that they could tell me that… that… because I refused to be his woman, I would become the woman of many men. He also said it would be a pity that he cannot see my expression when I remembered who I was a few months later.”

[]

[]

Martel turned his attention back to Hestia. “He sounds like an absolute prick who will hopefully get his comeuppance one day. How about yourself? You seem relatively strong for your age.”

Hestia’s face took on a trace of depression. “If you are expecting me to be a good mage, I’m afraid you must be disappointed. They tested my Affinity when I was young and found that my overall magic ability was feeble, even for normal humans.”

“But you have experienced combat?”

“Yes. Because of my lack of magical talent, my father tried to find other avenues to strengthen myself. Eventually, I found myself most comfortable in heavy armor… Not very ladylike, I know.”

“If that’s what you’re comfortable with, that’s fine. Plus, it works extremely well with your Talents.”

“Talents? I have a Talent?”

Martel raised an eyebrow. “You never checked your Talents?”

Hestia shook her head. “After what happened when we checked my magic, my parents decided not to learn anything specific about abilities. If it became confirmed that I did not have a useful Talent, they were worried I would become even more depressed. But you say I have a Talent? How do you know?”

Martel couldn’t help but flinch as he remembered that indigenous people couldn’t check their Status at will. The information of his Status was incredibly thorough since he was one of the 12 heroes. However, since he had already slipped, he might as well go with it. “Not only do you have one Talent, but two. Both of them are extremely useful, but we’ll talk about that tomorrow as it is late. I’m going to the restroom and clean up for bed.” He said as he grabbed his mask and then turned to exit the room.

After Martel left, Hestia soon felt a wave of complex emotions. She felt a duty to pay him back. After all, he had spent 5,000 gold to free her. She had no personal funds, and 5,000 gold would be difficult even for her father, given the persecution he was facing, thanks to the Second Prince’s influence. Moreover, Martel seemed extremely powerful. Perhaps, if she entered his favor, he would be willing to help her and her family, if he even could. It was a gamble, but she still felt she had to pay him back. Given that he had gone to a whorehouse, she felt she knew what he desired and how to pay him back. She resolved herself and began to change, unaware that her expression had become subdued.

When Martel came back, his eyes went wide before he quickly turned. “Hestia, what are you doing?” He asked, generally surprised that he had found her extremely revealing lingerie.

“Aren’t we going to spend the night together?” Hestia asked in an alluring voice.

Martel wasn’t stupid, and he was definitely tempted, but only for a moment. Perhaps Hestia herself didn’t realize it, but her eyes were slightly dull. Deep in her heart, she didn’t want to do this. Martel believed that the reason she offered was to pay him back, or because she thought that was what he wanted and felt he was all she could rely on.

“I’m flattered, but why?” Martel asked.

Hestia was confused and gave it a moment of thought. “Because it is my duty.”

[Duty?] Martel thought with some surprise. He realized that it made sense given her character. Her seriousness was probably due to her chivalric sense. However, that was precisely why he could not accept. If he did, it would do nothing but affirm her position as little more than his plaything, and not the valiant and admirable fighter he knew. “Duty? Hestia, you disappoint me.”

Hestia looked at him with a hint of panic. Had she displeased him? She had gone so far as to expose herself, yet he was disappointed? “Sir, what do you mean?”

“Hestia, it is the ‘duty’ of a prostitute to service a man who has paid her. Doing such a thing as an act of duty is degrading its significance in any other meaningful relationship. More importantly, Hestia, you are not a prostitute!”

Martel’s word struck Hestia like lightning.

“Hestia, you may have misunderstood before. You see, I’m a long way from home, and I figured it would be nice to have someone help take care of my daily needs, ‘that’ not being one of them. I came into some money and figured I’d use it to save someone from a profession that I loathe to participate in. If you wish to pay me back, I refuse to accept this form of payment. I don’t even need you to pay me back. If you want me to take you back home, I will. If you want to work with me to pay back the money I used to for you, you can. However, you do have another option.” Martel said as a shield suddenly appeared on his arm. For a moment, she was surprised, but then her eyes shot wide as she recognized the significance of the shield. “If you are willing to stand by my side and help protect this world, you are more than welcome to.”

Hestia didn’t speak as her jaw trembled, and she desperately tried to hold back her tears. Given how she fought, she was particularly associated with the Shield Hero and idolized the previous generation. Now, the new generation was not only standing before her, but he’d also saved her from a terrible Fate. He treated her as more than an attractive lump of flesh and wanted her to fight alongside him. She was happy and relieved beyond belief. It took all her strength not to cry in front of the man who she had immediately come to admire.

“I’ll give you some time to think about your answer. Sleep on it if you have to. I’ve got something I need to take care of, and I don’t know when I’ll be back, so don’t wait up for me.” Martel said as he turned to leave the room, having realized her plight.

“Is… Is someone like me okay?”

Martel turned to look at her from the door. He could tell the persecution she faced due to her lack of magical Talent affected her confidence. “Hestia, I am not making this offer because I pity you. I am making this offer because I value and want you.” Martel said before leaving the room, ignoring the startled expression from her face due to his wording.

Tears dripped down Hestia’s face after Martel left. She felt so relieved, treasured, and happy. It felt as if she had been given a second chance.

“Cali, I need a favor,” Martel said after he had walked down the hallway and was sure no one was nearby.

Martel’s coat disappeared as Cali manifested in front of him. She pointed at him, “Guilty,” she said.

“Guilty of what?” Martel asked.

“New girl, six hours, suggestive wording. Guilty. Cheating isn’t good.” Cali replied.

Her jealousy profoundly amused Marty as he went out to pet her head. “I just helped out an unfortunate young lady. How can she begin to compare to my lovely wife.”

A small smile appeared on Cali’s lips as she was sated.

“Cali, I just contacted Kuromi and Yutsuki and am going to go see them. I need you to keep an eye on Hestia and make sure she doesn’t do anything crazy or tell anyone she met me because I’m supposed to be behind bars right now.”

Cali made a visible pout when he mentioned going to see the girls, especially by what was implied by her not going. “Guilty.”

Martel chuckled and bent down and gave her a peck on the lips. “Please? I can only count on you.”

Cali quickly spun around. “It can’t be helped. I’ll look after her.”

Martel could help but smile. For whatever reason, Cali was usually not very talkative, and she would speak in short sentences, if not incomplete ones. However, when she got excited, she would begin to speak normally.

“I’ll be back soon.” He said before he disappeared with a flash of purple.