Two Beauties 1

Ryan turned his head and saw that the beautiful bar owner had opened her eyes, though she seemed still a bit dazed. Her gaze was blurry, and Ryan couldn't help but swallow hard, his eyes fixated on her. However, he didn't stop his work; he continued rubbing her body with snow. He squinted, thinking to himself, "Luckily, her hair is long. Otherwise, if her ears froze off, she wouldn't be as beautiful. The feel is great, though."

Darlis felt as though she were sinking into a dark space, unable to move, her feet stuck as if she were caught in a swamp. She had no sense of time—everything felt like it had taken forever. It seemed like an eternity, and she felt as though someone was gently caressing her body. She struggled to open her eyes and saw a young figure moving back and forth in front of her. This person was touching her all over with considerable force.

"What... what are you doing?" Darlis managed to open her mouth weakly and asked in confusion.

"Heh, you're awake? I'm just using snow to wipe your body. If I didn't, your legs and arms would be ruined. It'll be fine in a moment," Ryan replied, turning to look at Darlis and answering with an expression that seemed completely serious.

"Are... are my legs really okay?" Darlis finally remembered what had happened, and, feeling anxious, she quickly sat up. The thought of being unable to walk in the future terrified her, and with a surge of energy, she sat upright.

"It's okay, it's okay. I've already treated you," Ryan stammered, his voice shaky as he spoke, his eyes darting nervously.

"That's good... that's good," Darlis murmured, feeling relieved, then she collapsed back down, exhausted. Having not eaten for an entire day, combined with the stress of fleeing, her energy had already been spent. The brief burst of strength had only been out of sheer panic, and now, with her body finally relaxing, she quickly fell unconscious again.

"Ah!" Ryan acted quickly, catching Darlis just before she collapsed. Seeing her weak and unable to move, any lingering desire he had vanished in an instant. He wasn't sure why, but he quietly cast a healing spell on Darlis before lifting her and walking toward the nearby wooden tub. Inside, there was another beautiful girl—Alice.

"I'll get you both cleaned up. I'll be back to cook after," Ryan muttered to himself as he approached the large tub, noticing Alice's brows twitch. He knew she was waking up but didn't want to draw attention to it. He casually began washing both women's bodies, though Darlis was dazed, her cheeks flushed. To her surprise, however, Ryan didn't seem to be taking advantage of the situation.

Ryan quickly used Fireball spells in the water to warm it up, then swiftly cleaned both women. The whole process was excruciating for him, but he got it done in no time, then placed them on his bed—just a thick layer of dry grass under a worn-out cloth. There was no other option; this was how life was for slaves. Fortunately, there were two big fires nearby, and the cave was warm enough.

Ryan then gathered some food and placed it in an iron pot to make porridge. He chopped up some Ape Demon meat, added a fruit, some honey he had gathered days ago, and a bit of cassava. He wasn't stingy—it was just that the others were too weak. As time passed, the iron pot began to give off a rich, appetizing aroma.

Alice, the young lady's name, had been discovered by the Magic Guild when she was 8 years old due to her magical talent. She had been learning magic for over four years and had already mastered skills like toxin detection and acid attack. According to Toria, the president of the Magic Guild, Alice would soon become a formal Level 1 magician. Alice had been excited for a long time, but today, what she witnessed completely overturned her understanding of magic. The slave who had once belonged to her family was also a magician. When Ryan had rescued her, he kept using Fireball spells to heat the water in Alice's large tub. At first, Alice couldn't believe her eyes. What kind of magician would use Fireball spells in this way? It felt like an insult to the noble profession of a mage. Mages were supposed to be revered, holy individuals, and who had ever seen a magician use their magic just to heat water? But as she watched, Alice realized Ryan was casting over thirty Fireball spells, a feat that no normal Level 1 magician could achieve. A Level 1 magician would typically be exhausted after casting around 20 Fireball spells, yet Ryan seemed perfectly fine. Alice then speculated that Ryan must be at least a Level 2 magician.

While Ryan was washing Darlis and Alice, Alice was so embarrassed that her face turned bright red, and she didn't dare to open her eyes. She eventually ended up sleeping alongside Darlis. Darlis was actually Alice's cousin. Alice's family had forced her to marry an old, wealthy man, so she had fled to her father's territory and opened this bar. The people in the town had no idea of Darlis's true identity, and rumors had even spread that she was involved with Alice's father in some way. Lying on the bed, Alice's mind was racing as she thought about everything. Growing up as the child of a lower-ranking noble, she was familiar with all the tricks of the noble world. For someone as talented as Ryan, the nobility would never let him slip away.

"Grumble, grumble!" Just as Ryan was wondering how to wake everyone up for dinner, he heard a noise from his bed. He grinned.

"Lady Alice, your servant has prepared dinner for you," Ryan said, trying to recall the proper way to speak to his mistress. He bowed respectfully but still found it difficult to get the words out.

"Clothes... our clothes," Alice said shyly, her face flushed as she peeked out from the blanket.

"At your command," Ryan quickly handed her the clothes he had dried by the fire before stepping out to call Tori and Chuck.

Tori and Chuck had already woken up, but they didn't go inside. Normally, Tori would have barged in by now, but after seeing Ryan use magic, he thought it best to tread carefully. Even if something happened, there would be no way to handle it. Not only did Ryan have extraordinary magical talent, but Tori also knew that Ryan's position was now higher than that of any noble knight, including Lord Tery. The entire Duchy of Rishi had at least a thousand knights, but only three court mages, two of them Level 6, and one Level 7. Even though the Magic Guild had dozens of mages, they weren't connected to the Duchy. A 13-year-old Level 1 magician with such talent was an extraordinary find. If Ryan had learned magic by himself, he would be the first in a thousand years, and if his magic had awakened naturally, that would be a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence. In fact, the Magic Guild held free talent tests every year, but most of the participants were commoners, with very few slaves.

Chuck, who had just woken up, was stunned when Tori explained everything to him. "Ryan... Ryan is a magician now?"

"Yes, so don't treat him like a slave anymore. His status is now higher than that of Lord Tery, so be careful," Tori reminded Chuck patiently. He had high hopes for Chuck, as he was the last remaining guard, and his loyalty made Tori pleased.

"Dinner's ready!" Ryan shouted as he saw Tori and Chuck by the fire.

"No, no, we'll eat here. We don't want to disturb the ladies," Tori replied, unsure how to behave around Ryan. There was none of the previous condescending tone.

"Alright, I'll bring it over to you," Ryan scratched his head. To be honest, he still felt nervous. He had only met these two once, and this was their second meeting.