Rei Ao remained silent.
So her sudden cries and wails were because she had truly lost her place in this world.
With the Fire Dragon completely dead, there was no longer any need for a seal.
The villagers, who had been hiding in fear, peeked out and recognized Mabel, whispering among themselves.
If she stayed, she would most likely be driven out again.
On top of that, Mabel had grown used to the comforts of modern life. Returning to a world that, despite its magic, was far more primitive, was not an easy adjustment.
As the saying goes, "It's easy to go from frugality to luxury, but hard to go back to frugality."
Even though she was a lazy otaku, Mabel did have a certain charm about her, coupled with the refined air of the Ice Clan.
And as Rei Ao always said, "As long as they have the looks, it's a done deal."
So, he made a bold offer.
[Ding! Your trade request has been accepted!]
[Trade Terms]: "Unlimited body usage rights."
[Ding! Confirm this trade?]
"???"
Mabel froze, her tears momentarily forgotten as she stared at the trade terms.
"T-This this this"
Her neck and cheeks flushed crimson.
This can't be real, right?
But Rei Ao didn't bother to explain. Instead, he remarked casually, "It seems like this world no longer needs the God-Freezing Sword, doesn't it?"
"Mm. With the Fire Dragon dead, the sword's purpose is gone. Both it and the Ice Clan will fade into legend now," Sui said absentmindedly, her voice full of reflection.
However, those seemingly innocuous words were the final straw for Mabel.
"It's all gone. Everything's gone. Even the Ice Clan is meaningless now!"
Mabel imagined herself living a miserable life, begging and wandering with no stability.
Her spirit shattered completely.
Compared to this, she longed for Yukino's small apartmenta place that was clean, cozy, and serene.
A soft bed and sofa.
A warm bubble bath.
Delicious, comforting food.
"No! I refuse to become a vagabond!"
The stark contrast between her bright past and the bleak future was too much for her to handle.
In a moment of desperation, she accepted the trade without hesitation.
[Ding! Trade initiated!]
[Trade Partner]: Mabel
[Trade Details]: Return her to Rei Ao's world and provide for her.
[Trade Terms]: "Unlimited body usage rights."
[Duration]: 24 hours.
Rei Ao smirked, "Gotcha."
Sui, who also saw the trade notification, was stunned.
"This this is just outright being kept as a mistress, isn't it?"
Even Sakurajima Ai was caught off guard. She hadn't expected this seemingly innocent girl to go so far just to be "taken care of."
Meanwhile, the noise from the trade updates had woken someone in the group chat.
Frieren: "Haha~ Rei Ao, you're really hardworking, huh? Out making trades before dawn."
Rei Ao: "Not just that. I haven't even slept. I've been busy all night before coming straight here."
"..."
Sakurajima Ai, seeing his message, shot him a glare.
Her face instantly turned bright red.
Of course, he had spent all night with her.
Though to be fair, she hadn't exactly been peaceful herself.
Once a long-restrained switch was flipped, the result was an unstoppable storm of passion and chaos.
It was only thanks to Rei Ao's extraordinary stamina and endurance that he managed to contain the tidal wave that was Sakurajima Ai.
Even now, she was bracing herself for a long day aheadmost likely spent cleaning and recovering.
Sakurajima Ai herself wasn't even sure if she could truly grasp the "science of water disassembly" anymore.
~~~
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Chapter 182: Eating Mrs. Sakurajima, Sui, and Mabel (Bonus Chapter)
Hearing Rei Ao say he had been busy all night without a break:
Frieren: "That must've been really tough on you."
Rei Ao: "It wasn't so bad. I got plenty out of it this time."
Yukino Yukinoshita: "By 'got plenty,' you mean you scored some sort of unlimited usage rights from an idiot?"
She seemed quite concerned about that.
Rei Ao: "That's indeed part of it."
Rei Ao: "But don't blame me. Mabel was the one crying that she'd been kicked out of her village, then driven away by you, Yukino, leaving her nowhere else to go, begging me to take her in."
Yukino Yukinoshita: ""
Seeing this, Yukino felt a pain in her chest.
Her guilt only grew heaviershe believed she was the one who had pushed Mabel into such a desperate situation.
At least, that was her assumption.
In truth, Mabel had simply wanted to loaf around but couldn't handle the shock of going from luxury to poverty.
And because Rei Ao had slain the Fire Dragon, she lost both (her lazy life and her security).
Faced with that sudden reversal, she impulsively agreed to the deal.
But Yukino, mistakenly believing she was the cause of it all, was filled with regret and wanted to make amends.
Yukino Yukinoshita: "I I can let her keep staying at my apartment."
Mabel: "R-Really?!"
Yukino Yukinoshita: "Sigh It's not that big a problem. I mean, the room's just sitting empty. You just have to do as I say."
Mabel: "No problem! Sob Yukino, you're the best!"
Yukino smiled.
She thought that by doing this, she had changed Mabel's destiny.
Unfortunately, she was overthinking itbelieving she had really accomplished something.
But in the next second, she was pulled back to reality.
Rei Ao: "Touching as your friendship is, I should remind you that the deal can't be undone."
That one remark sent Yukino from elation straight back into despair.
Yukino Yukinoshita: "There's really no way?"
Rei Ao: "Those are the rules of the Trading Group."
Yukino Yukinoshita: ""
She clenched her fists, feeling helpless once again.
In the end, nothing had really changed.
Mabel: "W-We still have to go through with the deal?"
Rei Ao: "Of course. I recall telling you all long ago that a deal isn't about what you haveit's about what I want."
Saeko Busujima: "Yes, you definitely said that."
Akame: "I think it was right when we first joined the chat group."
Stella: "This chat group is so tyrannical!"
Rei Ao: "It isafter all, it's my chat group."
Mabel: "Ugh, I'm so pitiful!"
Rei Ao: "All right then, Mabel probably still wants to live somewhere familiar. Yukino, Mabel will keep staying with you, and I'll pay you for all her future rent, utilities, and normal expenses. How does that sound?"
Yukino took a deep breath.
Nothing could be undone, so the only option was acceptance.
She couldn't truly fix the situation, but at least she could keep it from getting worse.
Yukino Yukinoshita: "Fine."
Once they reached an agreement:
"Okay, Mabel, let's go find the place where you disappeared."
Rei Ao looked at Yousuke Shibazaki: "As for you, if you want to go back, then come with me."
Yousuke Shibazaki: "Sure."
Faced with a chance to return home, he had no intention of resisting.
"Where I disappeared" Mabel wiped her tears and headed off toward the spot she remembered.
Led by Mabel, the group arrived at the entrance to a cave.
Mabel pointed inside, her finger trembling: "I slept here that night. Then poof, I suddenly appeared in that alley."
Rei Ao: "Something's definitely off in there."
He sensed chaotic spatial energy inside. Entering the cave, he immediately saw a vertical spatial rift within.
Mabel: "What is that thing?"
She blinked her clear, crystalline eyes.
"I'm sure it wasn't here the night I slept inside."
Rei Ao: "A spatial rift."
Although Rei Ao wasn't an expert in spatial powershe only knew a bit of teleportationhe understood what it meant.
Yousuke Shibazaki (eyes lighting up): "So I can get back through it?"
Rei Ao: "Assuming your world is the same as mine. I can't be certain which world you came from."
Yousuke Shibazaki: "Then let's compare notes."
They exchanged some details about various places. The information lined up.
Though the times didn't match perfectly, it was enough to confirm that Yousuke Shibazaki was indeed from Rei Ao's world.
He laughed and cried at the same time.
"Hahaha! I can finally go home!!!"
His mixed expressionpart laughter, part tearslooked almost otherworldly. Even Mrs. Sakurajima edged closer to Rei Ao.
Seeing Yousuke Shibazaki so thrilled, Rei Ao still reminded him:
Rei Ao: "This is probably a one-way portal; once you pass through, you most likely can't come back."
Yousuke Shibazaki: "That's fine. I only want to go home."
With that, he stepped into the spatial rift without hesitation. Ripples shimmered; his figure vanished.
Mabel: "Let's hurry back. I just want to sleep in my own soft bed!"
However, Sui pursed her lips and shook her head:
Sui: "Rei Ao, I can't go with you just yet. There's still something I need to do."
She wasn't sure if she could return once she left, so Rei Ao didn't force the issue.
Rei Ao: "You decide for yourself. If you ever want to see me, just drop by at any time."
Sui: "All right."
Blushing, she fidgeted with her sleeve. "Th-then about our deal"
Rei Ao (laughing): "Looks like you're eager now. Let's find a spot for a proper encore, and that goes for Mabel and Ai too."
Mrs. Sakurajima turned red. "I'm fine with it."
But Mabel was quite anxious. "Huh? But but"
Rei Ao: "No 'buts.' No one said you couldn't collect your payment early. Let's go."
He casually cast a magic formation over the spatial rift to seal it, then led the three of them away.
Sui ended up going twice.
Mrs. Sakurajima went once.
Mabel, who ostensibly had "unlimited" privileges, could only manage three times before she was totally spent.
At that point, Rei Ao had to postpone the rest of his "interest."
After that rather intense interlude, he took Mrs. Sakurajimawho now possessed his blessingto do a bit of monster-hunting for levels.
[Name]: Ai Sakurajima
[Level]: 5
[Abilities]: "Dragon Power," "Lightning Spirit," "Rei Ao's Blessing," "Inherent Device: Lightning Flash"
At least this would let Ai get used to combat and have some self-defense.
He also needed to improve Mabel's weak body, since she was destined to be his little "plush toy" companion:
[Name]: Mabel
[Level]: 1
[Abilities]: "Dragon Power," "Frost God," "Rei Ao's Blessing," "Inherent Device: Ice Snow Crown"
[Possessions]: "God-Freezing Sword"
Even so, after just three rounds, Mabel was so exhausted she couldn't move a finger, and she didn't manage to level up at all. Rei Ao ended up carrying her the entire way.
Rei Ao: "Sui, we're heading back. I sealed the rift with magic so that only we can still pass. We don't need monsters crossing into my world."
Sui: "Okay."
She gave him a tender look. "Once I've taken care of my business, I'll definitely come find you."
Rei Ao kissed her, then, still carrying Mabel, took Mrs. Sakurajima's arm and walked through the rift.
Under his protection, the pair wasn't affected by the spatial distortions at all.
It felt like a brief twist of space, and then the scenery changed.
They found themselves back in the familiar alley at middaythe very place where Mabel had arrived before.
Rei Ao (noticing Yousuke Shibazaki still there): "Why are you still here?"
He looked at Yosuke, who was sitting against the wall. Yosuke raised his head with a sorrowful expression:
Yousuke Shibazaki: "I have no idea where this is."
""
Well, he had been gone for years; the city had changed a lot. Rei Ao smirked slightly.
Rei Ao: "All right, wait here for me."
Then he teleported to Mrs. Sakurajima's home.
Rei Ao: "If you have no plans today, get some rest. We really did go overboard."
He spoke softly. Mrs. Sakurajima was a bit worn out, but despite Mabel dozing in his arms, she still gave him a deep kiss.
After a moment, she pulled away, lips glistening, her eyes damp:
Mrs. Sakurajima: "Rei Ao-kun, please don't tell Mai about me, all right?"
She was worried this would impact Rei Ao's relationship with her daughter Mai.
But Rei Ao wasn't one to hide anythingespecially since he hoped everyone could enjoy themselves together in the future. He insisted:
Rei Ao: "Like I said, there's no need to worry. Before long, I'll have Mai accepting everything. Trust me."
He had a highly effective approach, after all.
Mrs. Sakurajima: "Rei Ao-kun"
She was moved. She knew their relationship was mostly physical gratification, and he likely didn't harbor deep love for her. Still, seeing how much he desired herenough to convince Maisatisfied her immensely.
Little by little, she'd truly fallen for him.
Mrs. Sakurajima: "I believe you."
~~~
I'm sleepy. Can't schedule the update. Imma sleep first, chapters probably gonna be delayed.
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Chapter 183: Sumika Fujimiya
"Ding-dong!"
The doorbell rang at Yukinoshita Yukino's apartment.
After dropping off Sakurajima Ai's mother at home, Rei Ao had teleported here next.
When the door opened, Yukino was momentarily stunned to see Mabel cradled in Rei Ao's arms.
Rei Ao spoke casually, "Hey, remember what we talked about? I brought Mabel back."
"..."
Of course, she remembered.
It had only been half a day since their conversation.
She had agreed to continue sheltering Mabel.
"From now on, just tell me the rent, utilities, and any other expenses each month. I'll cover everything."
As per their deal, Rei Ao was officially "keeping" Mabel.
Yukino gave him a long, meaningful look.
"Alright."
She nodded.
"She's asleep right now. Should I carry her inside, or do you want to?"
Rei Ao asked, waiting for her cue.
Yukino stepped aside and gestured, "Just put her on the sofa."
"OK."
Entering the apartment, Rei Ao gently laid Mabel down on the sofa.
Without saying much else, he turned and left.
Now, only Yukino and Mabel remained in the room.
Yukino stood there, staring at Mabel, feeling a strange mix of emotions.
Her damp, slightly clumped hair suggested she had exerted quite a bit of energy before arriving.
As for what kind of exertion Yukino refused to think about it.
