Adolin found himself in a peculiar situation.
He was being surrounded by a dozen bandits with blades, forming a semicircle around him.
Adolin didn't feel any danger from any of them.
His instincts had never let him down before. That didn't mean they were right. It was a new world, with different rules from his. He lacked the necessary information about the goddess's blessing before he could start trusting them again. His current body was too weak. And his mana pool was almost nonexistent.
The bandits wore dark clothes, with hoods that hid their faces. Their swords looked decent and properly cared for. Their movements were rough, but coordinated enough. If the blessing didn't enhance them too much, they weren't a threat to him.
The bandits were already in position, spread in a tight circle. Cutting any escape routes.
Adolin didn't want to start his new life with a dozen corpses on his first day. They were making his day more complicated, but it still wasn't enough for him to do something drastic. He didn't even know the Empire's laws yet.
Adolin smiled gently and waited for them to make the first move.
The man in front of him took a step forward.
"You're the priest who healed in the slums?" he asked, his voice calm.
Would that count as a lie?
He wasn't a priest. And he didn't like them that much.
"No," Adolin said, clasping his arms behind his back.
The men in front of him chuckled, "Kid, why make this harder for yourself?"
He'd forgotten what he looked like now. The gentle smile and his stance. It probably looked ridiculous, not intimidating.
Adolin scratched the back of his head. "What do you want with me?"
"You're coming with us. Don't make this difficult." He lifted the blade a fraction, angling it toward Adolin.
"Will there be food?" Adolin said, still scratching the back of his head.
The man looked him up and down, chuckled and said, "Yeah, and a bath."
Adolin's face lit up, a grin breaking out as he said. "Lead the way!"
He couldn't wait to shower and eat something.
This was working out surprisingly well for him. Going with Lira might have ended badly. Her mother wouldn't welcome someone who looked like, or smelled like he did. He wouldn't either.
Now he was getting kidnapped and offered food and a bath.
The day was getting better.
He felt a flicker of pride. He hadn't stumbled over his words.
The man stepped closer, pulling a strip of black cloth from his pocket.
"Is that really necessary?" Adolin asked.
"Yes. We can't have you leaking our location."
Adolin clicked his tongue and held out his hands.
"Fine."
A moment later, the cloth covered his eyes. His hands were tied tight, and he was led away.
Adolin liked his mana pool less by the second. Blindness felt wrong. His Mana Vision had been active for most of his life. Now, casting it would empty him in seconds.
His kidnappers weren't talkative. He tried to extract some information from them, mostly about this world, but was met with silence. Only the sound of footsteps on rocky ground kept him company.
He tried to keep track of where they were taking him, but quickly lost his sense of direction. The city was new to him, and Dareth's memories didn't help.
Adolin felt like they were walking in circles. He kept track of time, and wherever they were taking him, it was taking too long. After a while, they entered somewhere. He heard a door open, and the noise outside went quiet. They kept moving for a long time after that. It felt like a tunnel, but he couldn't be sure. One thing was certain, his legs were starting to ache. He needed to start training this body.
A few hours later, they finally stopped. Adolin could barely feel his legs anymore.
"We're here."
All he could hear was the wind and the constant chirping of birds.
They removed his blindfold and untied his hands.
Adolin blinked as the light hit his eyes, then looked around.
It was early morning. The sun was just rising, its light spilling through the trees that surrounded the area.
Adolin was in a forest. Tall trees rose around him, their bark dark, almost black. The leaves glowed a vivid green.
It was beautiful.
He just hoped it wasn't as dangerous as the forests in his world.
In front of him stood a massive mansion, its walls rivaling a village palisade. Faint markings ran along the surface. Enchantments, most likely. He couldn't tell what they did without studying them.
Two armored guards stood at the gate, spears in hand.
His guess had been right.
The people who kidnapped him weren't bandits.
"Priest, this will be your new home."
It was the same man who had spoken to him earlier, but now without the mask. He looked to be in his early thirties, with a short, full beard. Blue eyes. Or maybe green. He wasn't sure.
His vision was still adjusting to the light.
"I'm still not a priest. Lead me to the food," Adolin said.
The man just shook his head. "I'm Eduard. Welcome to the Count's mansion."
"Adolin."
"Follow me," Eduard said, walking toward the gate.
Adolin shrugged and followed.
They entered through the gate. The guards didn't even look at him.
Adolin stopped once they were inside. The mansion was more like a small village than a regular estate.
Eduard stopped and waited.
Adolin took in the view.
There were more than a dozen buildings, with a large mansion at the center. Everything was built from white marble, even the small paths leading through the gardens scattered around.
Adolin clicked his tongue. "Rich."
Eduard smiled faintly and gestured for him to follow.
They walked through one of the garden paths that led to the furthest building on the right side of the estate. The garden was filled with pink flowers, their petals almost translucent in the morning light. They swayed gently with the wind, giving off a faint, sweet scent.
Adolin sensed mana leaking from them. Alchemical ingredients.
"The prime ingredient for a health potion," Eduard said.
Adolin just nodded.
They arrived at the building.
Three maids were standing in front of them, giving him dirty looks. It still stung.
"Ladies, take care of Adolin. Get him in a presentable form." Eduard winked at him, "You got an hour."
Eduard left after that, and the maids led him inside the building. It was a bathhouse, the whole place filled with steam. A large heated pool sat at the center, water gently rippling.
Adolin stepped toward it.
"Stop. You need to wash first," one of the maids said.
Adolin scratched the back of his head. Right.
The maid pointed toward a small washing area near the pool. There was a shallow drain in the floor to catch the water.
Adolin stepped inside. The maid handed him a bar of soap, then left him alone.
He had an hour. If he used a water spell, he could clean the dirt. The blessing would recognize it as a new spell, and he could recover most of the mana while soaking.
He focused on his mana and spread it over his body, just a hair above his skin. Then he shaped it into water and guided it across himself, washing away the grime.
His body was clean in moments, but the smell lingered.
He reached for the bucket of hot water beside him and washed properly this time, using the soap.
When he was done, his skin carried a faint floral scent.
The building was empty, so he went straight for the heated pool and stepped inside.
The warmth spread through his body the moment the water reached his legs. He let out a quiet breath and sank in deeper, the heat easing the tension in his muscles.
By the time the water reached his shoulders, his whole body had relaxed.
"Yeah… this was worth getting kidnapped for," Adolin muttered as he leaned back, arms behind his head.
The warmth pulled at him, and before long, he drifted off to sleep.
...
"Adolin," a voice called, pulling him from sleep.
Adolin was still half-asleep as he looked at the maid.
"Sir Eduard is waiting for you," she said, gesturing for him to hurry.
He clicked his tongue.
Getting out of the pool, he found the clothes the maid had left for him. A dark shirt and fitted trousers, with some decent quality boots.
Much better than the rags he wore. He quickly put them on.
The maid was waiting for him outside the bathhouse and led him toward the main mansion. Halfway there, they took another path that led to a smaller house nearby. It was built from the same white marble, just not as large.
A few servants and guards stood in the entrance garden, but thankfully they didn't give him the usual disgusted looks. Probably because he didn't look like an addict anymore. He had to admit, he felt better about it.
Inside, it was the same as outside: white marble walls and floors. Golden pots filled with colorful flowers lined the space, and paintings of people he didn't recognize hung in heavy golden frames.
Adolin approved of whoever had decorated the place. The gold accents complemented the white marble perfectly.
He was led into what looked like a dining room. A long table stretched across the center, covered in food. Soups. Fresh bread. Smoked and cooked meat. And desserts. A lot of desserts.
At that point, Adolin decided he didn't mind getting kidnapped more often.
His vacations had never been this good. Then again, there weren't any resorts in the demon continent.
At the head of the table sat Eduard, now dressed in noble clothes. At least, they looked like it.
Adolin didn't waste time. He sat beside him and dug in.
He started with a soup filled with some kind of meat, then moved on to a platter of cheese and cold cuts, and finished with meat and mashed potatoes.
Eduard didn't rush him. He let him eat his fill.
Adolin appreciated that.
When he finished his dessert, he slumped back in his chair, his stomach full.
Adolin didn't expect that all of the goals he set for the day would be accomplished just by getting kidnapped.
"Finished?" Eduard said.
"I'd prefer a nap before we do anything else," Adolin said.
Eduard smiled. "I hope our accommodations were to your liking."
"No complaints."
"Good. Now, the reason we invited you here is to heal the Count."
Adolin stared at him, confused. "That's it? You could've just asked nicely and picked me up in a carriage."
"Let me finish," Eduard said.
Adolin nodded.
"The Count is banned from the church." Eduard stopped there.
Adolin waited for him to continue, but he didn't. It was getting awkward.
"So?" Adolin said.
"Is that not reason enough?"
Adolin frowned.
"The penalty for healing outside the church—and for aiding those banned by it—is death," Eduard said.
"Death? For healing?"
Eduard's gaze sharpened. "Are you playing with me, priest?"
"Don't insult me. I'm not a priest. I've told you twice already."
If there was one thing Adolin hated, it was the divine and their servants. And Eduard kept calling him a priest.
"Call yourself whatever you like," he said calmly. "You will heal the Count, then you will be free to go."
Adolin clicked his tongue. Ignorant.
But he didn't care. There was one more thing he needed. A job. Well, not exactly a job—coin.
Maybe he should decline and stay a few more days. But they'd just bother him every day. And probably wouldn't let him relax in the bath.
"How much does the job pay?"
"We'll talk price after you heal the Count," Eduard said. "But I should warn you. We've tried everything—potions, natural treasures with life force. Nothing worked. It only bought him time."
A curse, poison, or something else. Adolin needed to see the Count to be sure.
"Let's get this over with." Adolin stood, and Eduard led him toward the main house.
As they walked, more than a dozen guards fell in behind them.
Adolin guessed it was to stop him from harming the Count.
They stopped in front of a large door.
"The Count is inside," Eduard said and knocked on the door.