A normal morning routine of eating breakfast with his family followed after James got a good nights sleep.
He was currently roaming the castle, trying to find something to do.
Without someone forcing him into another adventure, James was quite bored.
The lack of the internet or any modern luxuries he relied on back on earth were no more and he didn't want to laze about all day in his bed.
He stopped by his mothers office and glanced inside to see her hard at work. Not wanting to disturb her, James then went to see if his sisters were busy.
'This is so weird.. I actually think of them as my family somehow..'
This didn't pan out either.
Clara was currently in the midst of some research assignment involving enchantment runes for her upcoming third year at the academy.
Gwendolyn and Madeline were nowhere to be found and James gave up before returning to his room.
His mind struggled with the boredom and he thought about taking Emily to bed to pass the time.
'What a scumbag thing to do.. she may be my magically binded servant but she's still a person with feelings..'
Then a light went off in his head as he realized something.
'I still don't know anything at all about these girls. They're my guardians for life or whatever and I barely know them outside of their classes and personalities.. I kinda suck.'
James clapped his hands together to get the girl's attention.
"Things have been happening so fast that I never got the chance to ask about you girls. Today, I want to know all there is to know about the beautiful women guarding me."
The girls blanched a little at his words and Veronica asked for clarification.
"Umm James.. are you asking us to tell you our personal history or just something simple like what our favorite foods are..?"
"Hmm.. how about.. all of it? I want to know where you grew up, what your parents- or mom is like. Take you for example, I'd like to understand how you became a corporal for Justine and why you think you're ugly when you're cleary beautiful. I want to know your hobbies and things you enjoyed doing before I whisked you away to be my servant."
Veronica's eyes went downcast as she responded.
"Oh.. well I can tell you if you wish, but my story isn't a very a happy one.."
Her dad look made James's heart clench.
"Well uh.. you don't have to tell me if you don't want. I'm just being curious and nosey is all."
Veronica shook her head.
"I can tell you if you really want to know, it's not some great secret or anything. In fact, I'm extremely pleased that you want to know more about us… about me."
James prompted her to begin the life story of Veronica Sanders.
"Well let's see.. I guess if you want to know all of it, I can start back to when I was growing up. I'm not originally from Creekrock, I was born in the city of Roranspoc actually.
From what I've been told, my mother was a great adventurer in her day. Unfortunately I never got to meet her..
There was a dungeon break when I was only a few months old and my mother was apart of the first group sent to suppress it.
She died because reinforcements didn't arrive fast enough to support her party.
I was a very angry and sad child for a long time when this was explained to me when I asked why I didn't have a mommy like everyone else.
A lot of tantrums and failed discipline had me kicked out of the orphanage when I was around six years old.."
James interrupted her story slightly with a gasp.
'She's an orphan like me.. I know how crap that must've been. But six years old, what kind of monsters would do that to a child.'
Veronica continued her story after letting her words sink in.
"….and unfortunately for me, I didn't have a coin to my name after being thrown out. The money left by my mother had been claimed by the duchy after giving the orphanage a cut.
They were payed to keep me until I became an adult, but all that money was pocketed by them after leaving me on the streets.
I don't blame them really for what they did, it was an unfortunate situation for everyone and my anger at the time didn't do me any favors."
'How could she not blame them!? This woman is a saint, I would've went back by now and tortured those greedy bastards..'
"After a few days of living in alleyways, I got caught stealing food. Since I was a child my punishment wasn't to severe. Just some lashes from a whip.
The number increased however, as I kept getting caught."
James could not believe what he was hearing as he watched Veronica touch her scars as she reminisced.
"Eventually one thing lead to another and I left the city. A kind old woman gave me a chance. I never even got to know her name. She saw me one day after a particularly bad whipping as I layed bloody and beaten on the side of the road. I think I had just turned ten.
Time had past quickly on the streets, with no time to think of the future I had my mind constantly on survival.
That kind woman took me to an inn and cleaned me up. She had a very kind smile and for the first time in four years, I relaxed.
She fed me and took care of me for a few days and her only request was for me to call her mom a few times."
Tears were spilling from her eyes now.
"My temporary mom had brought me out of the city so I could come live with her in Creekrock. The time riding with her in a dinky little carriage had been the best time I've ever had since I'd been alive at that point.
Honestly it's all pretty hazy to me now and I can't even remember her face… just the promise I made to live well and treat others with respect.
We were four days into our journey when our carriage was ambushed by a Queen Slime."
He heard Justine and Emily's startled gasps when they heard this.
"It had been chased by a group of adventurers from deep in the forest. It was so powerful that I couldn't even call it an ambush really.. my new mother and half the carriage had been almost instantly dissolved into nothing as it rolled along the road.
I don't think it even noticed that we were in its path.
For awhile I was lost in the forest until the very same adventurers found me a few days later wondering around alone.
I was heartbroken by my loss and numb. But I vowed to keep my promise to the kind old woman who gave me a chance.
That time alone in the woods influenced my decision to become a scout. While nature can be chaotic and deadly, it is also peaceful and beautiful.
I eventually made my way to Creekrock after the adventurers tried to make up their failure to me.
They gave me half the reward money for defeating the Queen Slime. After that I took the money and focused on leveling until I could get a class and enlist in the militia.
I was only eleven at the time but a new mayor was in town and let me join in annoyance."
Veronica laughed slightly and Justine gave her the stink eye.
*Hahaha* "Everyday for seven months I lined up to see her and ask to join. She rejected me every time.. until one day she had enough.
Justine didn't let me leave on patrols or go out on subjugation missions till years later when I finally leveled up enough in my spare time.
Since I never really had a family, the women I served with are very special to me.
Even though I'm the same age as Emily, I was only a corporal because I tended to lose my temper when my appearance is insulted.
To be honest James, you're the one who's ever praised my appearance. White hair and a scarred body like mine are seen as highly undesirable by most and I got teased for it a lot.
I had kept my promise to treat others with respect, I didn't make any promises to be a pushover. Unfortunately Justine didn't see it that way and held my promotion from me because I kept getting into fights with my comrades.
I never went too far, but apparently beating up lower enlisted isn't professional behavior."
She then muttered about Emily's temper was worse and James remembered the scene of a women flying across the room for waking her up.
Emily blushed and Veronica finished her story.
"I served on the militia for years, until one day a boy walked up to the gate half naked and stood in line.
I had never seen a man before and I got lucky enough to be the one who escorted him into town."
Her eyes were still a little red as her story finished and James was a little overwhelmed.
"Oh- I almost forgot. I enjoy taking walks through the woods and sleeping under the stars. I don't have a favorite food exactly but I'll always like a good stew."
Veronica lowered her head bashfully.
"…and I really enjoy my life now. I will always serve you happily James, even if you never even look at me again. My heart feels full when I'm near you.."
James didn't have a response to any of her sorrowful story or heartfelt words. He simply stood and walked over to her and gave her a big hug.
Giving her a kiss on the cheek, he then stared into her eyes before kissing her lips. His voice was soft as talked to her.
"Thank you for telling me your story."
He then sat in her lap as her arms wrapped around him.
James looked to Emily with a raised eyebrow.
"Can you tell me about yourself now? Again, if you don't want to share I won't force you."
Emily had wiped a few tears out of her eyes earlier from hearing Veronica's tale. Her brain seemed to malfunction slightly as she stood.
"Sergeant Dell reporting! I grew up in Creekrock-"
"Woah woah woah, Emily relax a little."
A blush crept onto her face as she awkwardly sat back down.
"Sorry about that.. I'm not sure how exactly I should go about telling you my past… Nica did a good job and I got a little flustered.."
James turned and kissed Veronica's cheek one more time before getting off her and walking over to Emily.
He sat in her lap and rested the back of his head in her chest as he looked up at her.
"Emily just be yourself, we're all friends here. I'm not going to snap at you because you can't tell your story very well."
The room went silent and felt unnatural as James spoke. Emily crushed his body into her as she trembled.
"We're only friends… but I was supposed to be next in your quota.."
James panicked slightly as he wondered what set every off. Veronica's smiling face had turned sour and Justine stared blankly, no longer wearing the dumb grin she perpetually had.
"W-what's wrong Emily *Arggh* did I say something wrong?"
Her grip eased as she realized she was half strangling him.
"You said we were friends.. that means you don't think of me a as a potential lover anymore…"
Shock filled James as he remembered the circumstances that had him oathbound to Veronica.
'Oh my god! Is the friend zone that upsetting here!?'
James cleared his throat and began speaking.
"I think you girls are misunderstanding my intentions. I want to be friends and lovers. Not one or the other, you girls are my companions for life after all."
Emily voice was confused and no longer had desperation in it.
"I've never heard of such a thing before James… usually when a man says that he wants to be friends it means that he doesn't see you as a potential partner.."
'…..this world is so….uuugggh'