Testing My Luck in the New World

"You know... I'm kind of starting to like the idea of building a second house out here."

The grassy plains just outside of the forest had become our respite from danger multiple times now. Just feeling the clean air on my sweat-drenched body after it all was enough to say I wouldn't mind living this close to the in-laws.

Then again, on second thought...

As soon as we were through the portal, I let Mana hop off me and carefully set Elane down on the grass and collapsed beside her to catch my breath. However, the moment Mana's ass hit the ground, I pulled her back to her feet and over to me and started searching for wounds. I honestly couldn't help myself.

I lifted her chin to the sun to see her face better. I held her arms to look them over closely. And I tugged at every part of her dress to see the smooth skin beneath it. I even pulled her shoes off to check her feet. I left no part of her unchecked and she just smiled whimsically through it all.

Finding nothing, I fell back into the grass and let relief take me. Her health bar said she'd taken a hit somewhere, but she looked entirely fine. I sighed and turned to check on Elane. Our health potions had topped her off, but she hadn't woken yet.

Her axe had dug itself deep into the soil, its handle pointing up to the sun after flying through the portal. A true testament to its make, rather than its maker, the thing didn't look remotely beat up, bent, chipped or even scratched.

Still, after all the risks we just taken, I was going to have to ask the Goddess why exactly it was that none of us got any EXP from Tillmann when he died. Since Yua and Mana, and by extension myself, all got EXP from the other thieves, the only working theory I bothered with was that the killing blow had to come from either me or my slaves to get the boost. Meaning letting the bear finish him off screwed us over.

That is not to say that Yua and Mana didn't level up, though. Both gained a new level after all that mess. Mana even gained a second class.

"Speaking of..."

Sitting up, I held a hand out to Mana and she took it happily, dropping her bow to plop down on her spot on my thigh. Yua continued to stand, diligently keeping her ears on the forest while I recharged my mana.

"Let me see this."

Without waiting for her to give the okay, I pulled Mana's quiver off her shoulder and inspected its contents. After a quick comparison of her remaining arrows against how many she'd started with and I guessed she'd fired at least six.

One, for sure, helped Yua escape her bindings, but my hearts sank at the thought of how she managed it. How they both did.

"Mana..."

"Hmm?"

Without another word, I slipped a hand up her skirt. My hand bored under the waistband of her panties, over her pubis and between her thighs. There, I let my middle and ring fingers slip inside her without further warning. This was the best way to get the truth out of her. I was beyond caring how awkward this action was.

Her ears stiffened, but her smile brightened as she leaned into me. We needed to talk, and now she was ready to listen.

"What happened, Mana? How did they take you from the inn?"

"Oh..." her ears drooped. She must have thought this was going to be a happy conversation. "That man we met there, the one that smelled like mating, he came to talk after you and Big Sis left."

Understanding she meant Arthur, as he'd just finished with a prostitute before we first spoke, I prompted her to continue.

"What'd he say?"