- Good eve, good sir.

Proprietress welcomed us or rather welcomed me. I guess slaves do not count or what?

- Good eve. We would like to get accommodations. Do you have free rooms?

- We have a few single rooms available. Is your slave okay to stay in the main hall for the night?

It made me pissed, but at least she did not suggest a barn or something.

- Does she look okay?

- I do not know, sir – she eyed the expensive dress I made Elfin wear.

- Does your single room have large enough bed for two?

- No sir, but we have a double room free.

- I will have that, please.

- Master, I can sleep on the floor.. – Elfin whispered to me.

I ignored her muttering and lightly pinched her in the cheek.

- Do you want meals with the room?

- Can they be bought later?

- Sure thing.

- Then we will have breakfast. Make that two portions – I added just to clarify some things – make her portion light for the stomach. She have starved for a long time.

- No problem. That will be 65 monies for the night and 26 for the two breakfasts. How long do you plan to stay for?

- I have not yet decided that. Let me pay you for two nights.

I handed her enough money including the last of the bronze pieces I had from Heaven’s Treasury. She gave us a key, candelabra with a single lit candle and directed us to a room.

The furniture looked expensive, but was pretty worn out. The door had a keyhole and an intricate lock, which I realized was not that common. There was a jug of water and a platter of fruits on the table. A curtained bed, two chairs, and a large chest of drawers were the remaining room furnishings.

There was only ONE bed. For a while I presumed that there were supposed to be two beds. I did not dislike such arrangement and my slave did not react.

There was a bucket with a lid under the bed. It smelled of piss. I moved it as far away from the bed as possible.

The final item was a small brazier. It was unlit.

Noticing my gaze lingering on it Elfin almost jumped at me.

- Should I get the burning coals from the madam?!

- Haha, not so fast, little one. Are you not tired already? It is quite lat. I want to sleep.

One yawn later.

- I do not want to leave the brazier alight and go to sleep.

- Yeah that would not be wise. Master is smart.

Hey, I am going to blush! She was really kind.

I felt she did not deserve her fate. I sat on the bed and beckoned to her.

When she sat next to me I hugged her.

- Do not worry. I will never treat you badly.

I petted her head. The clean hair felt silky to the touch.

- Do not betray my trust and one day I will free you.

- Master is too kind. People will talk..

- Then let them talk.

I squeezed her once more. I took my boots off. My equipment was discarded directly into storage. I helped her with the dress.

She was clearly sad to part with it. I was about to put it into the drawer, when I figured that the locket was still attached to it. I tried fiddling with it, but while my vision improved it was still a little too dark.

- Please bring the candle light closer.

Finally I pried the locket off.

- Don’t be sad. I need to return the locket to the owner. I think it was handed to me by mistake.

There was an engraving around the portrait. The lady apparently shared the family name with the priestess. Probably some relative. I cannot keep that. I hope she had not misunderstood her god to be a cruel being like that. I might have overdone it.

- I will buy you something else in its place, okay? Nothing extravagant. We would not want the attention to be drawn to us.

I put everything away and took my earthly pajamas out of storage. I noticed my slave sitting on the bed only with two pieces of underwear wrapped around.

- Ah, that was why you were sad. It must get even colder at night and you have no nightwear.

I decided to share my pajamas with her. At least the upper part as the trousers were much too loose to ever fit her. She looked and the cloth I took off me bewildered.

- What will master sleep in?

- Just the lower part.

- But..

- Hush. You will keep at least one of my sides warm at night. Now, show me your leg.

She did so, but..

- That is the wrong one. Raise to me the left, injured one.

She realized and corrected her mistake promptly, even before I finished.

I examined her ankle, but I could not see the injury clearly. Candle light was not enough.

- I am going to cast some spells. Do not be startled.

And I did cast the only spell I had thoroughly researched so far:

- Illuminate the darkness, Light!

A small orb of light appeared above my outstretched palm. I made it land on the tip of my index finger and compressed it into a small gem of light. It was as if I were back to being a kid lighting up pieces of magnesium.

With the light wielding hand under her foot the flesh became see-through. It was still hard to pinpoint every area that needed fixing. Maybe I should have studied anatomy? Though perhaps half-elf/half-demon would differ from stock humans.

Then I had an Eureka moment.

Ain’t most healing spells self-directing to the nearest injury if applied to the point instead of the whole body? Yes, they do that. I just need a general idea of the injury location.

Being pretty excited I have made a mistake that would haunt me in the future.

In the moment of weakness I said:

- I know a spell called Healing Kiss. I am going to kiss your ankle. Is that alright?

She nodded.

Of course there was no such spell in my repertoire.

- Healing Kiss!

I kissed an ankle and I liked it. There is no denying.

Blue and green light whirled around the foot and finally settled on the injured areas.

I made sure with silent Status Check. It was still not healing, but turned into a “minor injury”.

Wait.

I could check everything with just modified Status Checks. It can even display a silhouette of the person with injuries marked. After all of this information was already collected by the Throne.

Ha ha.

Let’s pretend it did not happen.

Just like that I kissed the leg again. I even forgot to utter the fake incantation, but the spell proceeded anyway.

This time the leg was healed completely.

- Please, try standing on it.

I helped her up, but it turned out to there was no need. She took a few steps and danced to an unheard tune. Cute. I guess it worked.

- There is no pain anymore, master. Thank you!

- I am happy it worked.

I took her hand and we danced a nonsensical dance that would give any choreographer a heart attack.

- Your arm and eye, Elfin.

- Yes?

- I do not think I can heal them today.

- Is master low on mana?

- Not really, no. It is just.. the spell has to take matter from somewhere? Or does it create it with mana? I have no idea. I really need to read more about healing magic.

- Am I too thin, then?

- Yes, to put it f upfront, you are. You need to get your digestive tract going and build up muscles and fat.

- I will eat lots!

- Haha, take it slow or you will grow an ulcer instead or something.

- But I am not useful for master with just one arm!

- True. I cannot deny that. It would delay our dungeon exploration. I would like to hurry as much as we can. Maybe you would have to concentrate on one-handed pyrokinesis?

- Pyro..?

- Control of the flames. Just a fancy word for it. If you can control it with one hand only, it would be useful both before you are healed as well as afterwards.

She took out her hand out of mine and looked at it intensively. I climbed onto the bed. I was tired. In fact I think I have not slept for a whole month. Shame that there were no internet on Thrope. I would be an ultimate lurker. No matter what time zone. 7 days spent sleepless usually destroy human mind. I guess it was one of the perks of my ascension.

What? You say I slept a few times in Heaven? I guess I have. But still, it was a month..

- Are you not going to bed?

For some reason Elfin was not going to bed.

- Master does not want me to sleep on the floor?

- Do not be ridiculous. We can share the bed. It will be warmer together. Unless you do not want to sleep in the same bed as your master?

- No-o..

- Then get in.

Thus the day ended with a god and half-demon cuddled, but still chattering their teeth.