Unbeknownst to Li Jia, the Aya Tone whom she believed the ‘blondie’ had swindled was, in fact, the ‘blondie’ himself.
Fire Finch, meanwhile, refrained from revealing the truth, content to simply observe the unfolding drama.
She keenly anticipated the expressions that would surely contort their faces once Aya Tone’s true identity was exposed.
****
In an alley not far from the Guild Building,
Aya Tone’s petite figure sprang from an unoccupied alcove.
After meticulously confirming the absence of both people and surveillance, his elegant dress faded away, and his body steadily elongated, ultimately transforming into a male clad in inexpensive clothing.
“I did it again…”
Emerging from the alley, Aya Tone hung his head, feeling as though his integrity might have abandoned him forever.
He was utterly distraught.
To be honest, he had never intended to join the Vermilion Bird Guild; that woman, Fire Finch, was entirely to blame!
The mere thought of Fire Finch made Aya Tone grit his teeth in resentment; he simply could not forget, absolutely could not!
That day, Fire Finch had suddenly sought him out, offering what she described as a high-paying and stable job.
Given the indescribable nature of his own ability, Aya Tone hadn’t delved deeply into the path of an adventurer, and thus, he naturally didn’t recognize Fire Finch, the newly appointed Guild Master.
Yet, none of that truly mattered.
The crucial point was his dire financial situation; after just having finalized the adoption procedures for Aya Jiu, he possessed, at most, a mere hundred yuan.
Aya Jiu was the name Aya Tone had given to the female infant who shared his bloodline.
Several weeks had passed, and despite extensive investigations and interviews conducted by the police, they had been unable to locate the infant’s family.
Even a nationwide search of known information databases yielded no matching records.
Such an outcome typically suggested that the child’s parents had likely perished, leading to the destruction of their records.
Thus, Aya Tone quite naturally transitioned from temporary guardian to legal guardian.
Returning to Fire Finch: At that time, Aya Tone, having settled Aya Jiu, was so impoverished he felt he had nothing left but his life.
Upon hearing of an opportunity to earn money, he didn’t care if the other party was a swindler, so long as he could make some cash.
However, Fire Finch had simply led him to a dungeon, abandoned him not far from its core, and then transformed into a Vermilion Bird, flying away.
Facing the encroaching monsters, Aya Tone cried out to the heavens and earth, but no one answered, his heart brimming with animosity towards Fire Finch.
He swore that even if he became a ghost, he would never forgive her!
Trapped in peril, fueled by his surging anger, Aya Tone furiously broke the self-imposed seal on his powers.
Although Aya Tone had only secretly attempted to use his ability once after awakening it before sealing it away, the magical girl’s power had already been deeply imprinted in his mind upon its awakening.
With every flick of his hand, skills shot forth, all without cooldowns.
Fire Finch, intending to test him, had not taken him to a high-level dungeon; this one contained only low-level monsters.
Consequently, Aya Tone, operating at full power, swiftly shattered the dungeon crystal.
Once the crystal broke, the dungeon collapsed within a short span of time.
Aya Tone, having cleared the dungeon, had initially intended to seek revenge on Fire Finch, but alas, the compensation she offered was simply too generous.
While he disdained petty cash, she had proposed the “exorbitant price” of 150,000 yuan per dungeon.
Could he possibly refuse?
The naive Aya Tone immediately signed the contract, essentially selling himself.
Money wasn’t everything, but a lack of it was absolutely devastating, especially since Xiao Jiu was, in a sense, still in her hands.
Reluctantly, a generation’s S-rank powerhouse ultimately succumbed to the allure of wealth.
Yet, he justified it as bowing his head for the sake of survival.
Furthermore, the Vermilion Bird Guild exclusively comprised female members, implying that merely appearing there necessitated transforming into a woman—an unacceptable prospect!
Therefore, Aya Tone steadfastly refused to show himself at the Vermilion Bird Guild at any other time, except when explicitly assigned a mission.
“I earned another sum today; I wonder if Xiao Jiu has been a good girl.”
Thinking of his adorable daughter, a blissful smile involuntarily bloomed on Aya Tone’s face.
While he disliked transforming into a magical girl, for the sake of his daughter, his sole remaining family in this world, what was a little psychological discomfort?
After receiving an advance on his salary from Fire Finch, Aya Tone moved out of his old rental apartment.
As a man, his own living conditions mattered little, but now he was no longer alone.
For his child’s healthy growth, a clean and safe environment was essential.
The rural outskirts had been too dangerous at night; if someone were to break in and snatch the child, he, a “normal person,” would be no match.
Most importantly, there were no adequate facilities to support young Aya Jiu’s development; the nearest kindergarten was half a day’s walk away.
It simply wasn’t worth it.
“Xiao Jiu, Daddy’s home.”
Pushing open the door, the pitter-patter of tiny feet rapidly approached, followed by a small, adorable creature darting out from around the corner, directly pouncing onto Aya Tone’s legs.
“Papa~”
Little Aya Jiu giggled, rubbing her small face against Aya Tone’s thigh.
She adored her daddy’s scent.
“Has Xiao Jiu been a good girl at home today?”
Aya Tone bent down, scooped little Aya Jiu into his arms, and showered her with kisses.
Today was Saturday, and little Aya Jiu’s kindergarten was closed.
Aya Tone, who had to go out for work, reluctantly left her at home.
He didn’t trust anyone else to look after his child.
“Hahaha, Papa, that tickles so much!”
Little Aya Jiu, her face tickled by the kisses, swayed from side to side, attempting to evade Aya Tone’s affectionate barrage.
“Xiao Jiu was very good today, you know! Big White even taught me to read.
I can even write my own name now!”
At this, little Aya Jiu looked up at Aya Tone with a proud expression.
Aya Tone, understanding perfectly, stroked her little head and praised her, “Wow, Xiao Jiu is so amazing!”
Big White was a magical construct Aya Tone had created to look after little Aya Jiu when he was away on missions.
Its prototype was based on a robot named Big White he had seen in a previous show.
As a childcare golem, Big White possessed only an ordinary A-rank level of strength, but when it came to caring for children, it was several times more capable than Aya Tone, the single father.
Crucially, as long as Aya Tone’s internal magic wasn’t depleted, Big White could persist indefinitely, and even if Aya Tone reverted from his transformation, it could still protect little Aya Jiu.
Such was the wonder of magic.
If only he didn’t have to transform into a magical girl, that would be ideal.
“Xiao Jiu, how about we go out for dinner tonight?”
It had been over three years since they moved into this apartment, and little Aya Jiu was now four years old.
On weekdays, she attended kindergarten in the mornings, while he was called upon to clear dungeons.
Most of the time, they cooked at home, rarely having the chance to eat out.
Now that he had just cleared a dungeon, and tomorrow was also the weekend, it was a long-overdue opportunity to take his child out for a good meal.
Consider it a reward for a hard day’s work.
Upon hearing they would be eating out tonight, little Aya Jiu’s eyes widened.
“Papa, you don’t have to work overtime today?”
Little Aya Jiu remembered that her papa’s phone often rang at night, and then he would rush out.
Big White had confirmed that was called “overtime.”
Would it not happen today?
“Today’s work is finished, and Papa worked very hard!”
Aya Tone forced a small smile.
He didn’t want to work overtime either, but those dungeon portals appeared not far from home.
For his child to have a peaceful sleeping environment, he simply had to do it.
Children wouldn’t grow tall without sufficient sleep.
“Yay!”
Little Aya Jiu bounced excitedly in Aya Tone’s arms.
Once she returned to kindergarten, she could tell all her friends about it.
…