DMS Chapter 188

Flinx wasn’t comfortable resting in his cabin with his guests sleeping in front of the fireplace. Since the cabin was a single large room with no separate compartments aside from the bathroom, he felt awkward using his bed while Conrad and his family were nearby.

Instead, he sat in his chair and reviewed his list of spells. Flinx wanted to reorganize the spells in the spell slots of both his classes so he would be at his strongest when he arrived at the vampire count’s manor.

Based on his conversations with Conrad and his wife, Sophia, the count’s family had lived in the manor for generations. Throughout that time, they had always treated the nearby villagers with respect and had never done anything improper or cruel.

When Flinx asked whether there were any rumors or secrets that ordinary people might not know, Conrad admitted that although he was now biased against the count because of what Sophia had witnessed, he had never heard anything malicious about the count or his family.

Because of that, there was a good chance that the vampire count was a reasonable individual who would not attack Flinx without cause.

Furthermore, Conrad and Sophia explained that the primary reason the nearby villages had remained safe from monsters and bandits was the protection provided by the count and his family.

After hearing everything the hunter and his wife had shared, Flinx believed there was a good chance that even if they had been caught by the count’s men, they would not have been harmed. Nevertheless, he agreed with Conrad’s decision that it was better to be safe than sorry, especially when his family's safety was at stake.

After rearranging his spells, Flinx spent the rest of the night reading the third book of the Spellsong Cycle. When he grew tired of reading, he watched a television show through the first tab of his Transmigration System.

Morning soon arrived, and the heavy rain had eased into a drizzle.

Flinx had already prepared breakfast for everyone using food purchased from his System Shopping Site. The meal consisted of blueberry pancakes with cream and syrup on the side, omelets, bacon, toasted bread, milk for the children, and coffee for the adults.

When Conrad and his family awoke, likely drawn by the aroma of the warm food, they stopped and stared at the feast spread across the table.

"After you've all freshened up, you can join me for breakfast," Flinx said.

A few minutes later, everyone was seated around the dining table, happily enjoying the meal.

The children wore wide smiles as they excitedly told their parents that they had never tasted anything so delicious.

Amused, Sophia asked Flinx for the pancake recipe. After a quick search on the internet, he explained how pancakes were made.

"Oh, I almost forgot to tell you," Flinx said. "Last night, both of your children developed fevers. While you were in the bathroom, I healed them with a spell. Since the rain is continuing, there's a chance that you and your wife might become sick as well, so let me heal both of you before you leave."

"I... I don't have the coins to repay you for all of this," Conrad admitted, his face turning red with embarrassment.

Flinx simply rolled his eyes and continued eating.

After breakfast, Conrad and his family began repacking their belongings. Flinx offered to clean and dry everything with magic. Conrad was about to refuse, probably because he already felt guilty about the amount of help his family had received, but Sophia quickly persuaded him to accept the offer.

Once they were ready, with Conrad and his family wearing water-resistant capes, they stepped outside the cabin.

When Flinx dismissed Galder's Log Cabin, Conrad and his family stared in surprise. The two children even clapped excitedly as though they had just witnessed a magic performance.

Smiling, Flinx gave each child a stuffed toy. One received a teddy bear, while the other hugged a stuffed cow tightly as though it were a priceless treasure.

After casting Heal on Conrad and Sophia, Flinx said, "I've already informed the count that you're under my protection, so you shouldn't expect any of his men to pursue you anymore."

The relief on the couple's faces was unmistakable. Sophia's eyes even filled with tears.

After exchanging one final farewell, Conrad and his family continued toward Ilioven.

Flinx believed they had an excellent chance of reaching the city safely. Conrad appeared to be a capable hunter, and the border of Ilioven was still relatively close.

At first, Flinx considered giving them additional assistance, such as a pouch of coins or even a temporary mount. However, he decided that he had already been more than generous with Conrad and his family.

Turning his attention back to the road, Flinx resumed his journey toward the count's manor.

Pip informed him that, at his current pace, he would arrive sometime the day after tomorrow. Fortunately, Flinx had already informed the count of his expected arrival in the letter Pip had delivered, and the count had replied that he understood.

The day remained dark and gloomy beneath thick storm clouds, and Flinx briefly amused himself by imagining that the gloomy atmosphere existed because he had entered the vampire count's territory.

He chuckled at the ridiculous thought.

The gloomy weather was obviously caused by the lingering storm.

Fortunately, the rain never touched him because of his protective spell. His boots and the lower part of his pants, however, became coated with mud after several miles of walking. He briefly considered which spell he could use to keep himself clean before remembering that a few casts of Prestidigitation were enough to remove all the mud from his clothes.

With such a simple solution available, he continued walking without concern.

To his surprise, by noon the clouds had completely dispersed, allowing the sun to shine brightly once again. After two days of dreary weather, the clear sky was a welcome change.

Although Flinx considered stopping for lunch, he realized he wasn't particularly hungry and simply continued walking.

Before long, he encountered several travelers along the road. They told him they were villagers traveling between the settlements protected by the count. Thanks to the count and his family, the roads in the area were considered relatively safe.

As the sun began to set, the rain returned.

Since he had not slept the previous night, Flinx decided to stop early and rest.

He walked deeper into the forest, away from the road, before conjuring Galder's Tower in the form of a log cabin among the trees. Since there were already travelers using the road, he preferred not to attract attention from curious villagers who might be startled by a log cabin suddenly appearing beside the roadside.

After taking a long, hot shower, he resumed reading the novel while eating food purchased from his System Shopping Site.

Several hours later, he finally felt sleepy.

Before going to bed, he checked the chat logs and forums. Finding no new messages from his friends, he turned in for the night.

The following day, Flinx continued his leisurely walk along the road.

There was no rain; the sun shone brightly overhead, and not a single cloud could be seen. Although the air remained pleasantly cool, the weather made for an enjoyable journey.

As he walked, Flinx suddenly realized that the only thing missing was background music, similar to what played while exploring the world of Skyrim.

He opened his System Shopping Site and was pleasantly surprised to discover that MP3 players were still available for purchase. Even better, they came preloaded with music. Some even included niche soundtracks, such as background music from movies and video games.

Without hesitation, he purchased an MP3 player with wired earphones containing the soundtracks from The Lord of the Rings and Skyrim.

As soon as the music began to play, Flinx felt that his journey had become perfect.