Several minutes before.
CLICK! Roberta's door opened, and a man walked in, "Is anyone here?" He said with a smile.
"Yes!" A woman replied, walking to the counter and gently bowing, "Welco, how may I help you?"
"Ho," The man smiled, stroking his chin, "A beautiful new girl? I'm used to seeing Roberta or Geralt here,"
She giggled, "Beautiful, co on."
Sir Geralt is currently sick, and his daughter Roberta has so business to handle. He hired to attend to the shop in their absence.
"Of my!" The man held his chest, "Is he all right? Can I see him?"
"I don't know about that." She shook her head, "Tell your na, and I'll ask him if he can see you."
"He's sick, then no need to ask him to co down. Let him rest," The man smiled, "Just tell him Johan ca to visit,"
"Got it," She rushed up the stairs and inford Geralt.
"He said thanks for worrying," She ca down quickly, "He also said he's sorry that he can't co down to greet you as usual. Just sitting up is enough to make his head spin,"
"He doesn't need to be sorry," Johan shook his head, "I'll be back soon with a gift for him," He then walked toward the shelves.
"Looking for sothing?"
"My master needs several silver rings," He said, looking at her, "Ten to be exact. He'll enchant them with fire magic for his maids to use to keep their hands warm while working around the mansion,"
"You work for a noble?" She gasped.
"Side-butler, father is the butler." He replied, looking at the lined rings, "Nothing expensive or intricate, simple rings of silver,"
"I'm sure we had so. Give a mont," She pulled a paper from beneath the desk and gave it a read, "Box number 48, we should have so. Let count if we have ten in stock,"
She rushed toward the back and quickly ca with ten rings in hand, "I found more than you asked. Here ten,"
"Just what we needed, as expected of Geralt's shop," Johan smiled, Looking at the girl's hands.
"What is it?" She gasped, pulling her hands away.
"Sorry, please forgive ." He looked away, "Talking about rings, I just noticed you don't have one,"
"Of course I don't," She giggled, "I'm not married or engaged," She stared at him with a smug face, "Are you by any chance hitting on ? I'm not that easily swayed."
He waved his hand, "As I said, I'm sorry, I didn't an it like that." He smiled, "It's true that I'm looking for a woman to spend the rest of my life with, but I'm not that insensitive to ask soone I just t,"
"I'm willing to give the son of a butler a chance if you can treat to dinner," She looked at his face, "A clean and clear face, should have a decent inco and a safe residence with a noble's protected estate, I won't have to worry about monsters,"
"Well, the dinner would have to fit into my schedule. You don't want to be with a butler who doesn't do his job right," He smiled, "This might be fate. I'll see to get us a night to eat out and get to know each other,"
From his pocket, Johan pulled a rolled scroll, "Can I get the bill?" He put the scroll on the table.
"They do have to make sure you don't steal the money?" She opened the scroll, "Housemaster, Alony.... sale of ten silver rings..." She sighed, "Why do nobles have to complicate things too much she sighed, "We poor people barely get to learn how to read,"
"Reading is hard for you?" Johan stared at her.
"I only learned what mom taught , and she doesn't know much," She sighed, "Schools aren't cheap. I can't read you two pages like this,"
"Want to read it for you? You can take it up to Geralt to see," Johan said with a smile.
"Nah, no need to bother him. What should I do?" She turned the paper toward him.
"Write your na here, how many rings I bought here, how much they cost each in this place, and how much I paid here, then sign here," He explained, "This will tell the household exactly how the transaction went so our accountant can calculate it later, in whatever tax sorcery he's cooking,"
She giggled, "I'm a simple saleswoman here. I don't do that magic." She wiggled her hands, "Can't do math." She giggled, "It's Roberta and Geralt's job, I'm only told to mark what I sold and for how much in this book,"
"We're in the sa boat, aren't we?" He smiled.
"We're kinda similar," She mumbled, writing her na, "Can't they have you carry a small book to write in?"
"The house lord is quite strict. He likes everything written in contracts. Always says that the way to success is treating both small and big businesses the sa, noble, commoners or royals, it's all about treating them equally." Johan said, smiling.
"Do you know what they say about contracts?" She looked at him, marking the price of the rings.
"Don't sign them without reading everything. It's how devils get you." Johan replied, giggling, "I'm a devil, and I'll steal your soul. Sign my contract!" He growled.
She giggled, "Devilishly handso, probably."
"Ho! Did I hear a complint?"
"I said nothing," She puffed her cheek, "We'll talk about it after you invite to dinner,"
"I'll make sure to do that," He smiled.
She sighed the scroll and looked down with a passive face.
"Roberta and her father trust each other, so they rely on each other to maintain the business when one is absent. She left to rlin without informing him about the devil, so he didn't suspect anything and hired soone to handle the shop in their stead." Johan smiled, rolling the contract into a scroll.
"All I had to do is find the type of man you could like, a na that Gerald trusts, and then show up," He patted the girl's head, and she didn't react.
"Most people in this world are illiterate. As you said, school is expensive and isn't available for everyone." He sat on the table in front of her.
"It's not my business to make you read the contract. I'm only required to tell you that I'm a devil and that I'm taking your soul. Since you mortals love to talk about myths and how the devil would get you with a contract, slipping my requirent it was as simple as starting a conversation that was bound to happen," He gently tapped her face.
"In a language you understand, you can read, and you signed it. On your own will," He opened the scroll, "It basically boils down to selling ten silver rings to and your soul for money. You already got the money, so it got into effect imdiately, but don't worry, it's not done yet,"
He pulled another contract, "Technically, you still work for Roberta and Geralt," The devil looked around with a smile on his face, "I'm buying this beautiful ceramic cup. It's from Roberta's collections, right?"
"What a beautiful piece of art," He giggled, "How much worth do you think it is?"
"Fifty copper coins," She replied.
"Co on, art in the eyes of its buyer. I say it's worked several thousand platinum coins, right?"
"I can haggle down for a tenth of the price, and I can haggle up as much as possible," She replied, mumbling like a corpse, "You can pay as much as you want, as long as it's above the original price."
"Here," He pulled a massive bag the size of a human out of a puff of flas, "One million platinum coins, saved over several centuries. It's a lot, but the cup is worth it," He extended his hand, "Can I take the ring?"
She handed him the ring, "Thank you for your patronage,"
"Sold," He smiled, standing, "It cost a kidney and a liver, but it's worth it," He smiled, "She's the richest in the kingdom from one sale and doesn't even know it. She already lost the contract, and the wizard rlin will notice. Keeping her off my tracks has been a pain." He bowed to the girl, "My love, please wait here for a bit. I'll go deal with so unfinished business,"
In a puff of flas, he disappeared.
****
Arad fell from the ceiling of Dis, his eyes glowing purple as he glared at Alony, "Your curse is quite powerful," He said, "And it only has rules to getting the power, not using it,"
"What do you know? Dragon!" Alony scread, "You'll be begging on the ground in seconds. Prepare to suffer in hell!"
[Curse of Domination: Dinsional Gate]
A large portal appeared behind Arad, and Alony flew toward him at a blinding speed, "Get in!" Before Arad could dodge, Alony kicked him in the guts, sending him through the gate.
"Die in the depth of the abyss. None can get out of that once caught. It never lets go," He giggled, seeing black magic grasp Arad's body and pull him into the darkness.
With one motion, Arad grabbed his head.
"What are you doing?" Alony gasped.
Using his massive strength, Arad pulled his own head alongside his spine, throwing them out of the gate.
"You freak!" Alony cried, seeing a flash of magic burst from Arad's eyes and spike as they regenerated into a whole dragon.
^I can feel it better, deeper, stronger,^ Arad thought. ^This body of mine is but a vessel. I'm a void dragon, born of nothingness, and to it belongs. A brain piloting a golem of flesh and bones.^
A ball of light started forming in Arad's jaw. ^I can use my void to crush matter into pure energy, but that ans I can do the reverse, reform it.^
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