Chapter 9: Companion

Orin's eyes narrowed slightly as he focused on the man arguing with his companions. Greasy black hair slicked back, fingers adorned with cheap, gaudy rings, and most importantly, the faded black claw tattoo peeking from beneath the frayed cuff of his tunic – the unmistakable mark of the Shadow Claws. This wasn't just a disgruntled merchant; this was a member of the opportunistic gang Sona had mentioned, known for extortion and preying on vulnerable travelers just outside the city walls. Arguing loudly with them in the middle of the market was foolish and potentially dangerous. Adam's temper could easily escalate this into a public brawl, attracting unwanted attention from both the Claws and the City Watch.

Suppressing a sigh, Orin shifted his demeanor. He pushed down the lingering confusion and turmoil from the merge, plastering on the smooth, practiced smile that Orin's 'A' rank Charisma made effortlessly convincing. It was a mask he'd seen Orin use countless times in memory – open, friendly, non-threatening. He strode forward, projecting an air of calm confidence.

"Adam! Sona! Having a bit of trouble?" he called out, his voice pitched to carry over the market noise but remaining pleasant. He stepped between Adam, whose face was flushed with anger, and the sneering Shadow Claw member. Placing a light hand on Adam's tense arm, he turned to the merchant with his most placating expression. "Apologies, friend. My companions can be... passionate about fair trade. Perhaps there's been a misunderstanding about the quality?"

What followed was a masterclass in negotiation fueled by Orin's innate Charisma. He calmly acknowledged the merchant's position while subtly highlighting the inconsistencies Sona had pointed out about the spoiled rations. He steered the conversation away from accusation and towards practical solutions, flattering the merchant's (non-existent) business acumen while firmly holding the line on acceptable quality.

In the end, a compromise was reached. They wouldn't take the spoiled goods, but they agreed to purchase the remaining half of the acceptable rations at a price that was only slightly inflated, rather than the extortionate rate originally demanded. The merchant grumbled but accepted, clearly eager to be rid of them without further incident.

As the merchant scurried away with his payment, Adam let out a huge sigh of relief, the tension visibly draining from his shoulders. He clapped Orin hard on the back, his usual booming enthusiasm returning. "Orin, you silver-tongued devil! I was about ready to rearrange his teeth! Good thing you showed up!"

Sona smiled, her expression genuinely warm, the earlier concern replaced with admiration. "Honestly, Orin, that was brilliant. He almost had Adam convinced black was white. You always know how to handle these slippery types." She stepped closer, huggin his arm pressing her substantial softess to him which made Orin blus. "Saved us a good chunk of coin, and probably a night in the Watch cells."

As their praise washed over him, faint notifications chimed almost imperceptibly in Orin's mind:

`[Adam, Relationship +1]`

`[Sona, Relationship +1]`

Intrigued, Orin subtly activated his `Basic Status Window` skill, focusing first on Adam as the warrior began examining a nearby display of axes.

`Name: Adam`

`Occupation: Warrior`

`Talent: B`

`Relationship: 39`

*Talent B… better than my D, that's for sure.* Orin thought. *Expected, given his prowess.* The 'Relationship: 39' number floated there, opaque. Was 39 good? Bad? Average? He had no baseline. Maybe Adam wasn't the type for deep emotional connection, or perhaps Orin's own reserved nature kept them at this level.

He then turned his gaze to Sona, who was meticulously inspecting the fletching on a bundle of arrows.

`Name: Sona`

`Occupation: Archer`

`Talent: A`

`Relationship: 63`

`Status: Eligible for Companion Registration (Relationship > 60)`

*Talent A!* That was impressive, matching his own Charisma score but in a far more practical skill. It explained her sharp eye and deadly accuracy. But the 'Relationship: 63' jumped out at him, significantly higher than Adam's. It felt substantial, a clear indicator of their closer bond, the shared history since childhood manifesting as a quantifiable connection.

And then there was the last line: *Eligible for Companion Registration*. The system was directly tying her high Relationship score to its core mechanic. He could, right now, designate Sona as his Primary Companion. Doing so would mean... what? That future scenes like last night's would start generating NTR Points? The thought sent another confusing jolt through him – revulsion warring with the insidious pull of the quirk and the system's perverse reward structure.

The system was actively nudging him, quantifying his relationships and dangling its twisted rewards based on them. Sona cared for him, somehow Orin was relieved by that knowlage.

Hestitating for a second Orint just vent with the flow

[Sona registered as your Companion 1/1]