"Weird… the Motto family's a well-known Noble house with deep pockets. Why would someone from that family invite an Adventurer to her home?" Anastasia murmured, her eyes lingering on Reiko's retreating figure.
"Well, I will find out when I get there," I said, putting the small paper with her address into my pocket.
After all, she was a waifu. There was no way I would let a chance like this to get close to her slip by.
I was also not that worried knowing that she was a waifu from another fiction. As Reiko was from a modern-day Japanese ero game.
One of those absurd visual novels my friend used to obsess over. The premise was completely insane: bust size determined your power level and your class ranking, at some elite "Ero Academy," and the protagonist—naturally the only guy who was able to get in that Academy—used a futuristic phone full of ero-apps to do "Ero" things with all the girls.
Yes, really.
I used to give him hell for enjoying such a brainless hentai game. But now? I should probably send that guy a spiritual thank-you. Because of his obsession, I was able to recognize Reiko even though she was just a side character in that game.
If memory serves, she was a rich ojou-sama type who played golf. A hot, busty side character with her own little romance arc.
I seriously couldn't wait to find out if those absolutely ridiculous breasts of hers were just as exaggerated in real life.
With our purchases done, Anastasia and I headed back toward the Auction Hall. As I wanted to check something.
The place was nearly empty now. I scanned the rows of seats—no sign of them. We took the stairs up and walked out of the hall down to the hallway… but they weren't here either.
Of course, I was looking for Eula and Amber.
I didn't remember them winning any of the bids, or even bidding at all in the auction. And we had spent quite a bit of time wrapping up our deals, so they must have already left.
Sigh… Fine. Not like I knew what I would have said to them even if they were still here.
But that didn't mean I had given up on meeting them again. No way. How could I even think of giving up on such top-tier waifus!
"Michio-sama, I was waiting for you," Mina greeted us as we walked out of the hallway.
"Sorry, it took a bit longer to wrap everything up," I said, glancing around. The entrance room was still quite full, with people standing or sitting in groups, waiting or chatting.
"No worries. Shall we?" she said, gesturing toward a nearby room.
I nodded, and we stepped inside the empty chamber.
"Congratulations on another successful auction, Michio-sama," she said with a cheerful smile.
"I have told you before—you can just call me Michio, Mina," I said with a small shake of my head. Of course, as she smiled at me, her cleavage bounced slightly, immediately bringing back memories of the glorious pair that Reiko had earlier.
"Michio," she corrected herself with a shy smile. "I have got some news about one of the things you asked me to look into."
She stepped closer, and I leaned down instinctively, already knowing that she wanted to whisper it privately.
"I found some credible rumors about the first piece of information you asked me to check," she whispered softly, "regarding the recent unrest within the noble factions in the Imperial Capital."
My eyes narrowed slightly. That was one of the biggest things I had been trying to uncover. Even Luke had hinted at something earlier today, and it supposedly explained why some nobles were being sold off at the auction like common slaves.
"Go on," I whispered, a chill of anticipation running down my spine. I had a feeling this might tie into the poisoning incident… maybe even something involving the royal family.
"Apparently, around three months ago, the Emperor issued a royal decree," Mina said, her voice low and serious. "The details vary depending on the source, but all signs point to it being about the selection of a new Crown Prince… or Princess."
"A Crown Prince selection?" I echoed, surprised that my suspicion had been so accurate. "Remind me again—but wasn't the Crown Prince already decided?" I guessed.
"Yes. First Prince Gerald was officially named Crown Prince years ago when he came of age," Mina confirmed, nodding. "That's why this news has thrown the noble factions into panic. Everyone is scrambling to pick a side. Even we merchants are being affected by the power shift." She sighed, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
"I see," I said with a nod. "Do you have any more news or rumors about the exact contents of the decree?" I asked curiously.
"No, this is all I have managed to uncover in such a short time," she replied, shaking her head.
I could guess that she must have gotten this information from her friend Azur who was a Noble.
"Well then, how about you tell me everything you know about the royal family—their names, titles, jobs, any relevant rumors," I said, my eyes locking onto hers.
"Alright," she replied, looking away slightly under my gaze.
It was a bit awkward standing so close to Mina, especially with Anastasia lingering behind us, clearly trying her best to eavesdrop. But as Mina began speaking, I quickly became absorbed in what she had to say.
Most of what she told me was probably common knowledge to well-informed rich people of this world—but for me, it was incredibly valuable information. Every name, job title, and whispered rumor held the potential for some deeper insight, especially when filtered through my own meta-knowledge.
And then there was one particular piece of information that genuinely shocked me.
"...Thank you for refreshing my memory on so many things," I said with a smile once she finished. "I would like you to keep digging for more credible rumors on this matter. And there are two more things I want you to look into."
I handed her another silver coin, and she looked pleased to receive additional brokerage.
The two things I wanted now were information about the Lawrence family—Eula's last name—and the Motto family, which Reiko belonged to.
Of course, what I truly wanted most was information on the Witches, but I felt that subject might be too dangerous for Mina to investigate directly.
"It might take a little time to gather anything solid," she said, nodding, taking a step back. "I will send a letter to your house when I have something."
"I wouldn't mind if you came in person," I said with a teasing grin.
"...Alright," she muttered softly, nodding after a moment's hesitation.
"See you soon then, Mina," I said, bidding her goodbye.
"Michio… please be wary of the Pirate Queen," Mina said, looking up at me with concern. "There are very bad—and very scary—rumors surrounding her."
"Yeah, I will. Thanks, Mina," I said with a nod and a smile, having already braced myself for people associating me with the princesses, as I was openly seen talking to both of them.
"Pirate Queen?" Anastasia asked in confusion as we stepped out of the room.
"Yeah… I will explain everything to all of you later," I replied with a wry smile.
After that, I did my best to keep the greetings and small talk short as we hurried through the crowded entrance hall, aiming straight for the wall, through which I could finally warp us back home.
"Sigh… finally back," I muttered as I stepped into the familiar entrance lobby of my house.
I hadn't informed Roxanne of our return, so there was no one waiting to greet us. Still, since she was part of my party, I could sense she was on the upper floor. And I was sure she could feel our presence too.
"It's getting late—I should go and bring Sherry and Miria back," I said to Anastasia, glancing out the window at the orange hue of the evening sky. "Let Roxanne know I will be back with them soon."
"Yes, Master," she said, nodding obediently.
"And Anastasia…" I added, stepping closer and wrapping my arms around her in a firm hug, "You did a wonderful job today."
"Thank you, Master," she replied with a bright, satisfied smile.
"Don't worry—I remember both your reward…" I murmured, letting my hands slide down to cup her ass, "...and your punishment."
"Ah!" she gasped softly in my arms as I squeezed the soft flesh of her butt, making me smirk.
"Go get freshened up," I said, patting her on the head as I caught the flush spreading across her cheeks and down her neck.
Then, sensing Roxanne drawing closer by the second, I quickly activated Warp—no doubt she would be jealous if she saw me giving Anastasia head pats.
Walking through the warp, I found myself in the entrance hall of the Imperial Library, which was quite crowded at this hour.
"Master!" I heard a familiar voice and turned to see Sherry rising from a side chair and quickly making her way over to me.
"Did you wait long, Sherry?" I asked, realizing they didn't really have watches in this world to set exact meeting times.
"No, not long, Master," she said with a gentle smile. "I was just thinking, 'I hope Master comes soon'—and then you arrived."
As she got closer, an intense whiff of alcohol hit my nose.
"Did you enjoy yourself?" I asked with a smile.
"Yes, it was very enjoyable," she replied with her usual serious expression. "Here is the deposit, Master."
She handed me the gold coin.
"Good," I chuckled, taking it back. "Come on, let's go. We need to pick up Miria first." I reached out my hand, dissolving my previous party and sending her an invite.
"Yes, let's go," she said cheerfully, taking my hand with a bright smile.
"How much did you drink?" I asked, finding her drunk self oddly adorable.
"Not much, Master. It was just water. Only five cups," she said innocently, walking beside me with surprising steadiness as she clutched my hand.
"Right… dwarves and their amazing alcohol tolerance," I muttered with a chuckle. "I would probably be completely wasted then, after two or three cups."
Especially considering this was Michio's body, which probably hadn't consumed alcohol before. Back in college, I had drunk my fair share during parties—but even then, I wouldn't dare overestimate myself against a dwarf.
"It was just weak liquor, Master," Sherry explained as we waited for the crowd at the wall to clear. "Dwarves often drink it in place of water. That's why I call it water too. I am sure Master could drink five cups easily. It was only distilled three times. It's not that strong."
Only dwarves would casually drink triple-distilled alcohol like it's spring water. Shouldn't that stuff dehydrate you even more? Just the smell alone was enough to make me feel drunk, so it was definitely strong!
"Since you seem to enjoy alcohol so much, I bought something at today's auction that you will definitely like," I said with a grin.
"I don't like alcohol, Master," Sherry corrected me flatly. "But… what is it?" she asked, curiosity glinting in her eyes.
"It's a secret," I said with a wink, then mumbled the spell for show before activating Warp and stepping through with Sherry.
We emerged in a jungle clearing surrounded by sparse trees. The air was crisp and clean, and I took a deep breath, smiling at the refreshing sensation.
"That's not fair, Master," Sherry said with a playful pout behind me.
"The clearing where Miria's fishing should be in this direction," I replied, still smiling as I took her hand and started walking.
"Speaking of the auction today… How many did you purchase, Master?" Sherry asked. I could practically feel her judging stare burning into the back of my skull.
She sobered up fast the moment we hit fresh air, huh? I was honestly hoping she would stay in her cute drunk mode a bit longer—because now I was actually afraid to answer that question.
Sherry, especially, wouldn't fall for the usual excuse of "we need more hands for the mansion." She could see right through my perverted intentions.
"Oh, look!" I said quickly, pointing ahead. "There's a crowd around Miria!"
Sure enough, by the edge of the water near the reef, Miria stood with her fishing rod in hand, the line cast calmly into the water. Her gaze was locked in focused concentration.
A group had gathered silently around her—some old men, a few older women, elves, and catkin. All stood watching respectfully. Off to the side, a large wooden bowl was already half-filled with fresh fish.
"Looks like she has got real talent," I whispered. "Judging by that haul and the audience, maybe we should give her a little more time and not interrupt her until she finishes catching the next one."
Sherry just gave me her signature deadpan stare—the kind that made it very clear she saw right through my pathetic attempt to dodge her question!
***
[Razor has redeemed an Extra Chapter this week]
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Steve Jaramillo
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