Chapter 48: A Normal Reaction

  "Bye," Alice waved as we exited the store. The woman with leafy green hair and brown skin returned the gesture with a finger wave, a smile gracing her face.

  I've just finished shopping for more clothes, as Miki continues to shred them with no end in sight. While it may come off as hotter to her, it's rapidly depleting my wardrobe when you factor in my training sessions that are also tearing them apart.

  I'll need to look into acquiring some high-tier sets ter, but first, I need to find someone who can enhance their defensive capabilities. The prerequisite, these sets need to recharge automatically when a core is inserted, rather than draining the wearer's mana.

  There was also the option to purchase them using love points from my shop, but that seemed impractical since they cost tens of millions per pair, and I have so many cores with no other use for them.

  After leaving the shop, my sisters and I headed towards the adventurers' guild. Gncing at the sky, we still had about four or five hours until our team meeting. We pnned to convene in the guild's resting area at the start of the second part of the day.

  We quickened our pace through the crowd, which thinned as we neared the outskirts of the middle city and approached the adventurers' guild. Once the crowd began to thin, I turned to Angelica.

  "About the marriage," I began.

  "For the twenty-seventh time, brother, I am not bothered," she interrupted, cutting me off before I could continue.

  "But," I attempted again, the memory of Sakura's reaction making it even harder to let go, especially after yesterday's failed recollection date.

  "I am doing this because I want to," she stated, her annoyance evident as she shot a gre at the sheepish Sakura beside me. Not wanting to involve Sakura further, I decided to drop the subject for now, especially as foot traffic increased near the guild. However, I pnned to revisit the conversation once we were home.

  We navigated through the bustling crowd and made it inside the guild. With some time to spare, we headed to the processing area, where they also handle sign-ups. Even though Seraphina had taken care of most of the paperwork, I still needed to complete the physical registration. When my sisters registered, it took them from early morning until night.

  As we approached the registration area, a rge room with a solid marble desk running along all walls leading to different sections, a dy greeted us, focusing mainly on Sakura and Alice. Her arms were adorned with rainbow-like paint, making her stand out as a receptionist. The rest was a typical outfit for this world: a loose see-through shirt and a visor-like hat. She was one of the few unoccupied attendants, while the others had lines with dozens of people each.

  [Name: RestinaLevel: 177Affection: 29Occupation: Adventurer's Guild Receptionist.Primary blessing: Memory Recall.]

  "Hey, if it isn't my favorite hyperactive pair. What brings you two here today? I don't recall any deliveries due. Though, you did save me a trip," Restina said, half cheerfully but mostly tired, as she leaned on the desk, her hands propping up her chin, looking as though she might fall asleep if left alone.

  "Hey, Restina," Sakura greeted, bouncing up to her section of the desk, with Alice perched on her head, waving along.

  "Hello, Restina," Angelica followed suit.

  "So, how is Miki?" Restina asked, standing up and turning to a cabinet of drawers. She opened a small drawer and stuck her arm in, rummaging through it far deeper than seemed possible, while she muttered, "I hate this thing."

  "She's doing well, actually even more lively tely," Sakura answered, then added contradictorily, "and zier."

  "That’s not good; she’s one of the city’s best poison makers," Restina remarked, her face scrunched in concentration as she continued to dig. A look of relief washed over her as she finally pulled out an envelope-looking folder. "Found it—here!"

  She hands the item to Sakura, then sms the drawer shut. "Delivery order settled. Now, what can I help you with today?"

  "I'm here to register. I'm Liev, their brother," I say, introducing myself.

  "Oh, the fabled brother, Smiling Angel, Bane of the Gentry," she says freely, but my smile stiffens at the mention of my titles.

  Angelica nudges me from the side, prompting me to admit, "Yeah, that's me."

  The next moment, Restina ducks below her desk while saying. "Let's see here, oh, I found it." She comes back up with a small white and gray device about the size of my hand. It could easily be mistaken for a core if it weren’t so rge.

  She hands me the magical device, then reaches over on her desk to grab a stack of bound papers, which she opens. It seems they work in conjunction with the device to record my information. "Just insert your mana here so we can have a trace. Also, anytime you go up a tier, you'll need to update it."

  "My mana is kind of special; I can't use normal magical objects or artifacts," I expin.

  "That's okay, we have a variety of devices. Try this one, and if it doesn't work, we'll find one that suits you," she said, dismissing my concerns. It seemed I wasn't the only special case the guild had to accommodate. From what I understood, even those with more complex mana issues, like those Void Blessed who absorb mana before it can be utilized, still managed to use their mana in some capacity.

  I was skeptical, but I tried the device anyway. For a brief moment, it seemed to work, but that glimmer of hope vanished when nothing further happened. The receptionist's expression didn't show surprise; rather, she seemed annoyed that she'd have to search for more items.

  She got up and went into the room behind her, shoulders slumped and sighing heavily.

  "Is she always like this?" I asked Sakura. I remembered hearing about Restina from Sakura's days delivering poisons to the guild, but I couldn't recall any specific details about her.

  "Yeah, she really hates working," Sakura replied with a shrug, a gesture Alice mimicked.

  "Can't she just not?" I asked. In this world, it was entirely feasible to do absolutely nothing indefinitely and still be fine.

  "She just wants to work here to find a slightly above-average man and become his twenty-fourth wife so she can live off him," Sakura expined.

  "A zy gold digger," I remarked, shaking my head. They both ughed, perhaps finding the idea of valuing gold strange, since it's not more valuable than any other metal here.

  After ten minutes, Restina returned with a handful of other devices, some looking quite worn with chipped parts and faded colors.

  She zily dropped them on the desk, letting them scatter before randomly selecting one and handing it to me. I tried it, but when it inevitably failed, I handed it back, and she set it aside without much concern.

  Her nonchance persisted until we reached the stranger devices. One was even like an IV, with a needle and cord that connected to my vein. At that point, I really hoped it could just read my information from my blood so we could finish this ordeal.

  Then she looked shocked when I handed back the st device, a small coin-like object that looked like it had been poorly repaired by an unskilled welder.

  Her shocked expression lingered, exacerbated by the false hopes some devices had given her, until she finally said, "One moment," and hurried off to consult another woman nearby.

  [Name: SaeaiLevel: ???Affection: [Married]Occupation: Adventurer's Guild Receptionist Lead. Loves to be degraded during sex.]

  After speaking to her for a minute, she raced off to the back, returning with a stack of papers as tall as the ceiling and dropping them on the floor next to her desk. The fact that they had such a backup pn meant I was not the first such case, or they were just that prepared.

  "I should have stayed home," she muttered, then took out a monocle-like device, positioning it between us, pointing toward me, before she began.

  She zipped through the paperwork, only occasionally stopping to adjust the monocle. It was quite a sight, watching the papers shift rapidly from one side to the other, her expression suggesting that being put out of her misery would be a mercy.

  Finally, after making a small dent in the stack, she looked up to ask, "Would you like guild-backed insurance?" It was clear she hoped I would decline. Dealing with this was probably akin to manually writing out someone’s DNA sequence.

  "No, we have our own backing," I responded. Guild insurance was primarily for posting a request for help if one found oneself in trouble or failed to check in after a certain period. This was standard for guild missions, but if you went missing while traveling independently or encountered dangers like a Breaking outside, you were on your own without it.

  They also offer services like childcare and financial assistance for dispced families in the event of a death. The burden here isn't nearly as great as it might be on Earth. They primarily provide food and training for children, and milk is readily avaible and inexpensive unless you opt for a special brand. However, the costs could accumute if the child remains young for thousands of years. Nonetheless, these services aren't very popur in this city, due to the church, and are typically utilized by those who want their children to join the guild posthumously.

  Restina sighed in relief at my response before continuing. The insurance would require distributing an additional magic item tailored to the individual, and given my inability to infuse mana into such items, it would likely create even more complications for her.

  "Okay, I think that's enough, Sakura," Angelica said, looking past me at the overly enthusiastic Sakura, who was watching the woman work.

  "Oh fine," Sakura responded, pulling out a binder-like object and handing it to the perplexed woman.

  After taking it and flipping through, the woman looked at Sakura as if she wanted to kiss her.

  "Hey, save it for the first wife," Sakura teased, gncing at the woman.

  "Wait, doesn't this mean you had this the whole time?" the woman asked, realization dawning on her.

  "Well, you're the one who kept dismissing me when I said our brother can't use any magic items," Sakura retorted in a childish tone, arms crossed and chin held high.

  "You would have had to do the defining here regardless," Angelica added.

  "That's true, but what about the other 177 pages I had already filled out?" the woman asked.

  "That's for doubting us," Sakura said, with Alice nodding in agreement.

  "I hate you," the woman shot back, her expression tired and deadpan.

  "We can take it back," Sakura teased, reaching for the folder.

  "Did you know you're my favorite?" the woman quickly replied, hiding it behind her back. Realizing that Sakura wasn't actually going to take it, she breathed a sigh of relief before going off to finish my processing. As she left to finalize my information, which would essentially serve as my guild ID, we decided to explore the guild a bit, having some time to spare before our meeting.

  I had been shown around when I was a child, but I didn’t remember it all that well, so a refresher was welcome, especially since we'd be spending more time here.

  Sakura led the way through the main area, giving me a tour. The first pce we entered from the front doors was the main hall, a vast space that branched off into various sections on the sides. At the center was a giant board dispying freely avaible quests, organized into sections by type and any specific conditions required, like possessing a certain type of Blessing.

  To the right rear of the hall was an armory where you could rent higher-tier equipment. To the left rear was an information center staffed with workers ready to answer any questions reted to the quests you accepted. If you needed information beyond that scope, there was a fee involved.

  To the right, an entire wing was dedicated to offering csses in a simuted environment. Due to the high costs, it was primarily used by high-tier adventurers who needed to train for specific environments they would encounter on their quests.

  To the left was the central hub where my registration was completed. It was bustling with workers handling everything from processing materials to arranging meetings with clients for those who needed more information or wanted to negotiate the terms of a deal.

  One of the exits led to an area filled with meeting rooms for team or client meetings. These rooms varied in the level of privacy they offered; the most secure room guaranteed such confidentiality that not even the queen could eavesdrop, but the price—well, it had seventeen zeros, surely more than the entire city's budget.

  Adjacent to the simution center was an area full of healers, buffers, and even debuffers, for those with Blessings compatible with such roles. This setup allowed people in the simution to test what works and what doesn’t, enabling them to hire individuals or pce personalized requests for potions or pills.

  Last but not least was the main lounge area, resembling a food court where people rexed, and where you will find plenty of guys failing to seduce girls. It was located dead center at the back of the guild.

  Finally, after doubling back, it was time to head for the rest area, where we quickly spotted Ellie and Lucy sitting at a table. They waved at us, mainly at me.

  “Recollection date starto!”

  "Well, if it isn't the little legend, looking quite handsome. Totally different from before you left," Ellie remarked, eyeing me. I'd like to crify that I look ninety percent the same as I did then, with the only difference being my more defined muscles from consistent training. However, even those were not as defined as from my daily regimen in the military.

  "Yeah," Lucy adds, pyfully tucking her hair behind her ear, which caused her breast to subtly sway. We might have to address her tendency to walk around nude, but for now, I shook my head, forcing myself to focus.

  I sat down, Angelica to my right, Sakura to my left, and Yuno behind me.

  "I have something to tell you," I said, maintaining focus, my eyes locking onto theirs.

  "Yeah, sure," they both replied, looking confused by my serious demeanor.

  Without further warning, I shifted all of us into Love Land.

  It only took a split second for their expressions to switch from confusion to shock. Lucy inevitably fell down on her butt, while Ellie managed to catch herself, albeit barely. Sakura looked just as shocked as she and Alice hurried over to check on the two.

  "Are you okay?" Sakura asked, concern evident in her voice as Alice gently patted the stunned Ellie on the head. Angelica simply looked at the two with disappointment.

  After a few seconds, Ellie muttered, "This is a dominion."

  "Yes, my dominion," I replied, addressing her astonishment.

  This was the normal reaction I had expected. I was beginning to think everyone here was just abnormal. To them It probably felt akin to always hearing wild tales about aliens building the pyramids, and then one day, they actually show up and introduce themselves.

  Dominions, especially fully formed ones, were stuff of the most outndish legends. I could have eased them into it gradually like we did with Cire, allowing my sister to reveal bits and pieces slowly, but Cire wasn't going out with us.

  These two, however, would be venturing out with us, and if something as unpredictable as the shades appeared again, I needed them to be able to handle it. I knew Sakura; she wouldn’t be able to leave them behind, so it would be better for them to decide here and now if this was too much.

  Sitting down, I asked, "Can you two just listen? I want you to understand what you’re getting into if you stick with us."

  With their tentative nods, I began my tale with the Breaking and made sure to include all the perilous things that had happened to me and my future dealings with the nobles. This wouldn't be just a few outings a year, as much as I would prefer that. I couldn’t afford to just sit back.

  They both listened, only half paying attention, as notifications kept distracting me.

  [-0 Ellie Affection points.]

  [A bond attempted to restrict but was unable to.]

  [+0 Lucy Affection points.]

  [A bond tried to shift but was unable to.]

  After speaking and seeing the two still quiet, I shifted us back. I thought about saying something but decided to let them sort it out themselves, despite the disapproving look Angelica gave me. She argued that this approach was wrong for the two, but I wasn't about to drag them into this unknowingly.

  I could use one of my skills to shift their opinions, but that would defeat the entire purpose. I had to draw the line somewhere. I didn’t want to trick any girls; I wanted their involvement to be voluntary.

  "Hey there, as a Tier 7, I can lift mountains, but can I lift your spirits tonight?" A guy strutted over, his eyes glued to Lucy, openly scanning her body. Seeing her still shocked form, I grew annoyed; he was clearly trash.

  I stood up. "What do you want? Can't you see she's not interested?" I said, positioning myself between him and Lucy, forcing him to look at me, where he scoffed.

  "Look at you, you think you matter. You’re nothing but a pathetic waste of my time. It’s like watching a baby challenge a dragon. Do us both a favor, crawl back to whoever you came from and stay there. I’ve got a dy waiting for me," the man said dismissively.

  [Name: [does not matter]Level: ???Core: 32 wivesPrimary blessing: Monsters Strength.Recently advanced tiers and is actively seeking more wives.]

  Gncing over, I saw the two looking at me. 'I should also remind them of the possible upsides,' I thought. While I want them to be prepared, I will also do my best to protect them and can always take out the trash.

  "What do you want, trash tier?" he said smugly as I gnced back at him, “move.”

  "Listen, it's pretty obvious these dies aren't interested. You're just trash cluttering up the scene, and it’s embarrassing watching you fil around. So why don’t you drag yourself out before I show you the way out," I retorted.

  "Show me?" he challenged, stepping closer with a menacing look on his face.

  I slotted Snaga the orc’s and Miki’s cards.

  “I’m not a kid anymore, so just knocking you out could be seen as poor form. I’ll give you one shot,” I said, not even flinching.

  His gre deepened. "I usually don't embarrass a guy in front of his sisters, but your grin is really pissing me off," he sneered, his eyes fixed on me before he started to move.

  My fist connected, and I felt it give a little to save his life. He shot up through the roof and out, propelled by enough force to unch him out of the city if not for the barrier.

  My victory was short-lived as a guild official appeared next to me. I wasn’t too concerned; I wasn't officially a member yet, and even if they decided to bar me, I had other options. It was unlikely they would take severe action for defending myself against someone who was clearly instigating a fight and of a higher tier.

  "Here for the damages," I said, handing the official five times the estimated cost, based on my Observe.

  [Charm has triggered.]

  "Next time, take it outside," she advised, accepting the payment with a slight blush on her face.

  [+12 Ali Affection point.]

  [Ali has become a fangirl.]

  'Well, that’s convenient,' I thought, noting the notification. I hadn’t expected it to resolve so smoothly. Turning back to the still silent girls, I said, "I'll give you some time to think about it," before leaving with my sisters.

  [Date end]

  [Recollection undecided.]

  [Please wait patiently for an update.]

  alwaysunqualified