Traveler: Derek Walker 11
“Master. I'll handle the escort troops and all the supplies.”
Greia prepared everything for my long trip. True to her meticulous nature, she loaded up wagons, food, guards, emergency gear, trade goods—you name it. It was the full load of a merchant caravan setting out on a trading run.
“Raise the name of the Walker Merchant Guild while you're at it.”
“Got it.”
I didn't even check what she'd packed. She'd handle it perfectly, as always. The only thing left for me before leaving was picking who to take along.
Lienna and Greia were automatically out—they had to manage the territory and the guild. Arme couldn't leave because of the gambling dens, and Luna was swamped with monster hunts since the Hermes Mountains road construction had just started. Those extermination jobs were crucial right now. Luna really wanted to come, but her duties were too heavy.
Process of elimination left Sera and Elfer. Elfer, as my aide, had a ton of random knowledge that always came in handy in tiny ways. Sera was our party's legit fighter, pairing perfectly with a mage type like me. She grinned ear to ear when I told her she was coming.
We geared up quick and hit the road. Several wagons and a fancy carriage rolled along, flanked by escorts marching on either side.
I spotted a familiar blond guy among the guards protecting us.
“Huh? You... Zidane... or whatever?”
“Ah, Mr. Walker. It's Tevez. You sold me to Count Coolong, remember? I survived the territory war and now I'm in the territory army.”
“Nice build. Maybe you've got some real talent,” Sera appraised him, eyeing Tevez up.
I remembered Tevez had decent skills for a guy. Meeting up with my old merchandise like this felt kinda nostalgic. Once this trip wrapped, I'd slot him somewhere useful. The territory army was as vital as the knight order.
“Mr. Walker, where's our next stop?”
Elfer asked after swallowing the hot load I'd just shot down her throat while sucking my dick.
At her question, I ran through the plan again. There were plenty of high-potential characters around here, but not many beautiful women among them. One of the few was up north from Coolong Territory, in Tarshion Barony.
“First, we head north. Hit Tarshion Barony, then from there to Laus Lake.”
“Laus Lake? You mean the one called the Spirits' Haven?”
True to her trivia smarts, Elfer knew all about it. The strategy guide marked it as a key spot too. You could recruit a top-tier spirit mage there.
“Yeah. There's a talented spirit mage living at Laus Lake. If we can snag her, great. After that, we swing west to Bastrey Barony.”
Bastrey was infamous for its debauchery. The original novel had all sorts of filthy, ugly shit going down there. Booze, gambling, women—it was packed with decent characters ripe for poaching. But for me, Bastrey was more about checking out the famous pleasure dens. Who passes by a mill without grabbing some flour?
“We'll scout some knight order material there first. I'll fill you in on the rest later. Haven't nailed it down yet. Might even head straight back from there.”
If I could recruit that Laus Lake character, it'd be perfect. She was a spirit mage, but knight orders didn't have to be all swordsmen. Plenty on the continent had mages.
“Understood.”
Elfer nodded a few times, mapping our route in her head. I grabbed her hair and guided her back to my cock. Her cheeks hollowed out, sucking with vacuum force that devoured me. Getting that blowjob in the bumpy carriage was pure bliss.
“Master~! Me toooo!”
Sera, sitting beside me, demanded a kiss. How could I refuse? Our lips met, and I ravaged her tongue with mine. Her rough cat tongue gave a unique thrill no human kiss could match. I loved it. Nothing like Elfer's smooth one. I kept feeding her my spit.
Sera gulped it down greedily.
“Ahhh~! Master's delicious spit... I love it~♥”
She purred like the cat she was. Rare for cats to be this cuddly, but the destructive cuteness outdid any puppy. I stroked her cheek while enjoying Elfer's service.
“I'm ready.”
Elfer said, flashing her dripping pussy. She always went no-panties under her skirt for easy access. Model aide behavior. I grabbed her ass and pulled her onto me. She settled lightly on my thick thighs—big enough for two girls. My cock slid perfectly into her tight hole.
Felt amazing. Like coming home.
“Ah~ Ungh~♥”
Elfer let out sweet gasps as we merged. She'd serviced me countless times, but this pleasure still wrecked her. Sera licked her ear jealously.
“Aaaah~♬ Lady Sera! That's too intense~♥”
“Cum quick~! I wanna get pounded by Master too. Hmph~! Cum already~♪ Cum~♪”
“Eeeek! I don't wanna cum so fast~♥ Lady Sera, your rough cat tongue feels too good~♥”
Elfer lasted less than three minutes before she broke. Sera swapped in. The trip wouldn't be boring at all.
*-*-*
Thanks to Sera and Elfer, the boring journey turned into a nonstop fuckfest. They'd more than earned their keep. Short trip later, we rolled into Tarshion Barony.
This little barony under Baron Tarshion stayed out of trouble thanks to the feud between Coolong and Ernest Territories. Shrimps don't usually survive whale fights, but Tarshion tightroped between them without major wars. Credit to the baron's savvy.
The Walker Merchant Guild had a good rapport with him—he was a prime customer. Tarshion was peaceful but tiny, half the size of Coolong, no special products, underdeveloped trade. Average natural resources, okay crops. Your standard rural barony scattered across the continent.
What made Tarshion special was Laus Lake. More famous as the Spirits' Lake, this mystical body sat smack in the center. Unlike most baronies centered on capitals or cities, Tarshion revolved around the lake. That said it all.
Laus Lake wasn't just some tourist trap. It was the cradle that birthed countless spirit mages in the continent's west.
We unpacked in Epion Village, the closest spot to the lake. Under 300 households—typical for lakeside hamlets. To reach a mage tower city, it'd take a full day by carriage from the lake.
The villages stayed small at the spirit mages' insistence. 'Purer natural power makes stronger spirit mages, so human tinkering nearby hinders growth. Especially for young spirits.'
Laus Lake was optimized for raising spirit mages. Hard to find better anywhere. That's why the strategy guide made it a must-stop for party spirit mages.
Spirit mages weren't just spellcasters. There were spirit swordsmen blending blades and spirits, spirit fist masters mixing martial arts. But I came for a magic-type one.
There were spirit swordsmen at Laus Lake, but all dudes. Fuck. Why no hot swordswomen?
“Aigoo. You look like you came from afar. Stopping in our tiny village means you're headed to Laus Lake, right?”
No inn, so we'd rented out a whole house. The village chief came to greet us—probably drawn by our flashy caravan. Welcoming VIPs was his duty.
“Here to recruit a top spirit mage.”
“Figured as much.”
“Happens often, huh? Makes sense for the Spirits' Lake.”
“Two or three times a month. We've thought about building an inn, but the profits wouldn't cut it.”
An inn for two or three guests a month? Yeah, no dice. Smart chief.
“Going to Laus Lake for a spirit mage is fine, but beware provoking the spirits' wrath. They're childish—capricious and cruel. Judge them by human standards, demand common sense, and you'll pay dearly.”
The chief's advice carried the weight of age and wisdom. I nodded. Plenty of psycho spirits out there. Luckily, the one with my target mage was the sane type in-game.
*-*-*
We rested a day in the village, then headed out next morning. Just me, Sera, and Elfer to Laus Lake. Some spirits liked humans, but most didn't. Humans wrecked nature, mortal enemies to spirits born from it. Maybe that's why spirits seemed psychopathic—the fundamental clash.
From that angle, spirit mages were rare freaks chosen by spirits. Not just humans, either. Elves were natural spirit mages, loving nature and blessed for it. Dwarves got love from fire, earth, metal spirits. Beastkin varied but mostly friendly with spirits. Non-humans generally got along with them, unlike us.
“Mmm~! It's like... super fresh air smell.”
Sera's sharp senses picked it up first, sniffing. I felt nothing.
The path—if you could call it that—was overgrown, grass knee-high, tough going. Sera bounded effortlessly, but civilian no-combat Elfer stepped carefully, scared of snakes. So cute I smacked her ass.
“Lake's in sight.”
After thirty minutes, sunlight glinted through the trees—reflected off the water. We pushed through brush to find a decent-sized lake ringed by a hamlet.
Not too big, not too small. Folks said you'd be disappointed expecting grandeur, and yeah—it was a perfectly ordinary(?) lake.
Rude huts dotted the shore. A spirit mage village built around the water. Smaller than Epion.
“Halt!”
As we neared, a high, clear voice rang out—straight out of an ocarina fantasy. Its owner stood on a high tree branch above us, arrow aimed our way. Elf vibes, but her ears were bluntly human. Cute face, but no ethereal beauty.
“This is the spirits' sanctuary. State your identity!”