The Chaos Continues and a Secret Revealed

The Adventurers’ Guild had already been cleaned, and Gobar had been carried away to the hospital. Yet, a sour, pungent odor still lingered in the air.

“Was that truly the ‘Begone, Weaklings’ power that only a Demigod can unleash?” a mercenary, still trembling with fear, whispered to a companion.

“Too powerful! As expected of Lord Domu, the man who defeated an ancient demon!” A muscular man cupped his face with both hands, striking a pose as if a flower were blooming, his burly frame writhing continuously.

“I… I… can’t go on… It feels like… I’ve lost… something…” The muscular woman who had just been clamoring to marry Domu now sat on the ground, trembling faintly, muttering incoherently.

“No, that power was even greater than ‘Begone, Weaklings’!” The loli-con man furrowed his brow, a conclusion already forming in his mind. “That innate terror, that urge to worship them… there’s no mistaking it!”

Those around him watched intently once more, eager to hear what insights the loli-con man would offer this time.

“I once had the fortune to experience the ‘Begone, Weaklings’ power unleashed by a Demigod-level expert. I’ll never forget that terrifying sensation as long as I live!”

“But Lord Domu’s power… it’s even stronger than that expert’s! What Lord Domu’s power brought me… was an unbelievable thrill… Truly… truly unforgettable…”

The loli-con uncle narrowed his eyes, a lewd expression on his face as if recalling something wonderful. He caressed his own neck with both hands, a look of intoxicated bliss on his face.

“Damn it… I can’t take it anymore!” A burly man roared, lunging at the uncle from before.

“Hey, what are you doing?! Interrupting my spiritual connection with Lord Domu? Do you have any idea how grave a mistake you’ve made?!” The uncle righteously grappled with the other man.

“Go to hell! You loli-con! You masochist!”

“I can’t stand it either, brothers, let’s get him! How can such a person exist in this world!”

“Hey guys, wait for me to change my pants, don’t kill him yet, let me get a kick in!”

The chaos at the Adventurers’ Guild began anew.

****

“Miss Mira, is this alright? Shouldn’t someone stop them?” Domu asked Mira, looking worriedly at the chaotic crowd.

“Lord Domu, I apologize again for my earlier disrespect. Your ability to instantly defeat a low-tier Shadow Dancer leaves no doubt about your strength.”

Miss Mira, the receptionist, rubbed her reddened eyes, her face flushed as she gazed at Domu, answering cautiously. “However, there’s no need to worry too much here; this is quite common in the Adventurers’ Guild…”

“Everyone in the Adventurers’ Guild usually gets along quite well, with the exception of a few particularly obnoxious mercenary groups. Nothing will happen, Goddess… mysterious… powerful… Lord Domu!” Kase, realizing he had almost blurted something out, quickly corrected himself.

“Speaking of which, the Venomous Scythe is more formidable than the Eye of Soaroka, isn’t it? Won’t they cause you trouble?” Domu asked, looking at Soronna.

“While the Venomous Scythe is highly unpopular in Morgan City, that’s because they’re a mercenary group that accepts any task, even robbery or murder…”

Soronna frowned, a look of profound confusion on her face. “As for us, Domu, you don’t need to worry, because… I actually have some dealings with the Venomous Scythe’s leader. I just can’t understand why Gobar would come here to provoke us without reason this time.”

“My Lady, if that man dares to provoke you again, please allow me to cut him down!” Os declared, clenching his fist and looking gravely at Soronna.

“We will not allow anyone to insult you,” Kase stated with equal solemnity, even using honorifics toward Soronna.

“Kase… and Os… Alright, I understand. Thank you both.” Soronna looked at her mercenary companions in surprise, then nodded with a smile.

“Soronna, Dove will protect you too!” Dove declared, raising both hands as if to show how reliable she was.

“Hehe, thank you, Dove! Oh, by the way, let’s finish the paperwork quickly, then go take a bath together!” Gently holding Dove’s small hands, Soronna giggled, already looking forward to bathing with Dove.

“Well then, Miss Mira, we’ll trouble you.” Os turned and said to Mira.

“Ah! Of course~ Please wait a moment!” Mira glanced enviously at Soronna, who was now playing with Dove, then quickly lowered her head and began working diligently.

“By the way, what’s the process for Adventurers’ Guild procedures?” Domu asked Os, who was standing nearby.

“Yes, Lord Domu. After registering as a mercenary, you receive a badge representing your mercenary status. Mercenaries are divided into 13 ranks, starting at Rank 1.”

“Your mercenary rank can be increased by earning points based on the difficulty of completed missions. Mercenary groups also have ranks, though advancing them is significantly harder than for individual mercenaries.”

“To complete a mission, you simply submit your mercenary badge. The Adventurers’ Guild will then assess the completion level based on the information or items provided, and issue rewards accordingly.”

Os, upon hearing Domu’s inquiry, earnestly conveyed all the information he knew.

“Thank you for waiting! Lord Domu, Miss Soronna, and Messrs. Kase and Os,” Mira began, glancing at the data displayed on the magic energy control platform, a hint of hesitation in her voice. “According to the Adventurers’ Guild’s assessment, this mercenary mission—investigating the unknown energy fluctuations in the Velsen Forest—has been rated A-rank. As for the reward…”

“What’s the reward, what is it? This is a mission issued by the Royal Palace, so there should be a lot of money, right?” Kase reverted to his usual cheerful self, looking expectantly at Mira. “Ah, it should be enough for Soronna to finally buy herself that chainmail!”

“I’m very sorry, Mr. Kase,” Miss Mira apologized, her head bowed to Kase and Domu, looking as if she were about to cry. “This mission was suddenly issued based on intelligence data from the Norachi Kingdom, and there’s no definite reward yet. I will contact headquarters immediately, and once there’s a result, we’ll send someone to invite you all. I truly apologize!”

“Don’t make it difficult for her, Kase. Besides, it’s not very urgent. It’s getting late, and everyone must be tired. Let’s head back and rest first.” Soronna, who had been playing with Dove for a while, took the mercenary badge from Mira and nodded apologetically to her.

“Hey! Soronna! But…”

“Dove, let’s go~ I’m telling you, the inn we’re staying at, even though it looks old, has a super big, super luxurious bathroom inside! Taking a nice long bath and then sleeping, it’ll be incredibly comfortable!” Ignoring Kase, Soronna excitedly chatted with Dove, pulling her toward the Adventurers’ Guild exit.

Os patted Kase’s shoulder, then followed Soronna out.

“Kase, is something wrong?” Domu asked, a touch of curiosity in her voice. Though she hadn’t known Kase for long, his heroic stance before Soronna had earned him considerable respect in Domu’s eyes, despite his usual playboy demeanor. Thus, Domu expressed concern for the exasperated-looking Kase.

“Ah… it’s like this, Lord Domu. Actually, to complete this mission, we bought some equipment and spent all our remaining money.” Kase, no longer thinking about being alone with the ‘Goddess,’ spoke with a troubled expression. “If we can’t earn more soon, I’m afraid we’ll be sleeping on the streets.”

“I see… I’ll help with the money. After all, Dove and I will be relying on your care during this time.” To Domu, earning money didn’t seem difficult, much like playing an online game where completing mercenary missions rewarded in-game currency. Domu was quite confident in her combat and hunting abilities, having been a formidable high-level player in ‘Tears of the Goddess.’

“No… no… Goddess, leave the crude work of earning money to us men! You just need to be beautiful and graceful, and…” In a moment of panic, Kase stammered shyly to Domu. However, halfway through his sentence, he seemed to sense a tangible surge of anger emanating from within the armor that completely obscured Domu’s beautiful face. Kase quickly cut himself off.

“I… I’ll go find Miss Soronna and the others first!” Kase, suddenly reminded of the wisdom in patient cultivation, hastily bolted out the door.

Watching Kase’s fleeing figure, Domu shook her head, a mixture of amusement and exasperation on her face.

Turning, Domu approached Miss Mira, the receptionist, who was still in a pose of delicate distress, like Xi Shi clutching her heart. Domu gently tapped on the counter, attempting to rouse Miss Mira from her thoughts.

Seeing Miss Mira remain unresponsive for a long moment, Domu felt a flicker of confusion. Miss Mira’s lips seemed to be moving, murmuring something softly, but amidst the noisy environment, Domu couldn’t make out a single word.

Domu leaned forward slightly, listening intently.

“What to do… what to do…” Mira murmured, her voice barely audible. “I always thought Mr. Kase and Mr. Os were a couple… but who knew… Lord Domu and Mr. Kase are also so perfectly matched… And Mr. Kase, who was the ‘top’ when with Mr. Os, has become the ‘bottom’ with Lord Domu. Oh dear… it’s so hard to choose… they both fit so well… what should I do…?”

Domu stared at Mira, utterly dumbfounded. She had always believed her own imagination was wild enough, but now she realized that in a world of magic, anything truly was possible. The existence of fujoshis, it seemed, transcended worlds…

“Miss Mira! Miss Mira!” Domu’s tone grew slightly firmer.

“Yes! Yes! I’m here!” Mira, jolted back to reality, quickly responded.

“I want to register as a mercenary now, and I’d like to accept a mission immediately,” Domu stated, succinctly expressing her purpose.

“Alright, Lord Domu! You just need to register your fingerprint, and you can become a Rank 1 mercenary!” Mira clapped her hands against her flushed cheeks, then clasped her fingers together, gazing at Domu with sparkling, wide eyes. “As for missions, what kind would you like to take?”

“Finger… fingerprint?”

‘Ah? To register a fingerprint, wouldn’t I have to at least remove my gauntlet? If so, wouldn’t my current female identity be exposed?’