System's POV

Chapter 800  What Is Better Than Free Food, Free Money, And Free Accommodation?

Three days after Thirteen and his entourage left Bellaran City…

The first three days of their journey hadn’t been smooth sailing, but the issues were nothing their group couldn’t handle.

At most, they encountered monsters who must’ve seen them as snacks walking into their territories.

Unfortunately, by the time they realized that the so-called snacks weren’t weaklings, it was already too late for regrets.

Those who thought themselves the predators became the snacks and even training partners of the group of teenagers headed to the Temple of Zaphiel.

Soon, this group of teenagers arrived at an intersection. Thirteen chose to go to the right path, instead of the left one, which confused Derek and Diana, who were both serving as the coaches of their wagons.

“Master, I think you made the wrong turn,” Derek shared his concern, having urged his horses to go faster so that he could travel side by side with the teenage boy. “If we take this path, it will take us a longer time to reach our destination. Perhaps, we might even get delayed for a week or two, depending on our pace.”

Thirteen looked at his disciple and nodded in agreement.

“You’re right. I chose a different path, but it’s not the wrong path,” Thirteen replied. “Derek, do you know what is better than free food, free money, and free accommodations?”

The girls, who were listening to Thirteen’s and Derek’s conversation, were also curious how the Swordsman would answer the question.

“What is better than free food, free money, and free accommodation?” Derek chuckled. “The answer is really simple, Master. Beautiful women! Especially the ones who will pamper you at all times. Those are the best.”

The other members of the Hero Party weren’t surprised to hear Derek’s answer and simply sighed, thinking that their swordsman was a helpless case.

“Well, I guess there’s also some truth in your answer.” Thirteen smiled faintly. “But that’s not the answer you’re looking for, is it, Master?” Derek commented. “So, what is better than free food, free money, and free accommodation?”

“The answer is free manpower,” Thirteen stated. “When building projects and the likes, having more hands to do the work will finish things faster.”

Erica, who was listening to Thirteen’s and Derek’s conversation, smirked because that was really a very Zion-like answer.

Her fiance just couldn’t keep still.

If he was not tinkering with his helicopters, inventions, rune magic, or training his monsters, he would be doing other things behind her back. Erica and Sherry could only keep him to themselves during the night when it was time for them to sleep together.

They had been with Zion for a period of time already and were familiar with how he operated. The two ladies didn’t get in his way and would sometimes even help him finish his task to the best of their abilities.

“Free manpower?” Derek shook his head in disappointment. “Master, you’re a very unromantic person, you know that?”

“I have two fiancees,” Thirteen replied. “How about you?”

Derek felt a stabbing pain in his chest as if he had been shot by several arrows at the same time.

The Swordsman, also a single dog, didn’t have the strength to muster a counterattack. Wishing to change the topic before he became even more depressed, the Swordsman asked why his Master was suddenly talking about free Manpower.

However, Zion only said that Derek would understand in an hour.

“Let’s stop here for a while,” Thirteen said, urging the two horses pulling his wagon to go to the side of the road, so they wouldn’t block the path for other travelers.

“Why did we stop?” Diana asked. “We just had lunch an hour ago. It’s too early for us to take a rest again.”

Erica, Sherry, Shana, and Mildred also dismounted their wagons to ask Zion why he suddenly chose to pause their journey.

“I know that this is a bit sudden, but you girls should change into dresses,” Thirteen said. “Wear clothes that the nobility of Solterra would wear.”

“Change our clothes?” Diana, who was wearing light-weight armor, asked. “Why would we do that?”

“Because I want you girls to look like pampered and weak noble ladies,” Thirteen replied. “Also, Derek, change to the dress of a servant. Make sure to wear something that would make you look like a retainer from a noble family.”

The members of the Hero Party exchanged glances with each other, failing to understand why they needed to change clothes.

Sherry, on the other hand, thought of something, so she decided to ask Zion if she had the right assumption.

“Are we about to get ambushed by bandits?” Sherry asked.

This caused the members of the Hero Party to look at the young lady who had voiced out a hypothetical situation that didn’t cross their minds.

“If we are going to be attacked by Bandits, shouldn’t it be better to wear our battle gear?” Diana inquired. “Fighting while wearing noble dresses will put us girls at a disadvantage.”

“We’re not going to fight bandits,” Thirteen answered. “But they are something similar to them.”

“Here you go again, talking in circles and riddles,” Mildred said in exasperation. “Can’t you just tell us straight why you’re doing this?”

“Actually, I was about to get to that part,” Thirteen explained. “The reason why I need the girls to wear dresses is because…”

Thirteen proceeded to explain, which made the Hero Party look at him with doubtful looks on their faces.

Only Erica and Sherry didn’t doubt Zion. Based on experience, they knew better than to do that.

Still, sensing that the teenage boy wasn’t pranking them just to see them all dressed up in beautiful clothes, the girls decided to cooperate.

They returned to their wagons in order to change their clothes.

Thirteen and Derek did the same.

But when the teenage boy emerged from his wagon, there was an obvious red mark on his neck, which had been planted by Erica earlier.

Derek, who saw this mark, clicked his tongue in annoyance and decided to ignore Zion for the time being.

Half an hour later, Thirteen raised his head to look in the distance.

There, several wagons were headed in their direction.

These wagons had steel bars on their sides, allowing people to see what was inside their interior.

Inside of them were huddled teenage boys and girls, looking scared and depressed, and there were estimatedly dozens of them. Some of the girls were crying, while the young men had bitter expressions on their faces.

Clearly, none of them wanted to be there, but due to their carelessness, they were captured by these people, whose livelihood was selling slaves. Yes.

The group of wagons traveling down the road were Slave Traders, likely headed to the City of Bellaran to sell their latest wares, whom they had captured during their journey.

“Girls, time to come out,” Thirteen said.

Half a minute later, the beautiful ladies who were part of his entourage emerged from their wagons.

“You look pretty when you dress up,” Derek said to Mildred. “But the moment you open your mouth, all that beauty disappears.”

“What do you say, you f*cker?!” Mildred asked.

“See? This is what I’m talking about.”

“Screw off!”

Thirteen watched the two’s friendly banter as he lightly patted Tiona’s head with his finger.

The black snake nodded in understanding and sent an order to her demons, who had now taken positions to perform the duties that were expected from them.