"Mm!"
Sui's body shuddered, her eyes filled with warmth. She sent a message to the group:
Sui: "Rei Ao didn't trick me. I was poisoned... with an aphrodisiac."
Stella: "???"
Frieren: "Ah, that explains it. Using that method makes sense."
Rei Ao: "Shall I start a live stream to prove it?"
Sui: "No! It's too embarrassing."
Rei Ao: "Alright then, I won't. Anyway, I need to focus on helping Sui detoxify."
Stella: "..."
This chat group... it's done for!!!
...
"Yawn~"
Yumiko Miura let out a yawn as she got up for a midnight bathroom break.
Dressed in thigh-high socks and pajamas, still half-asleep, she glimpsed at the chat group.
"Rei Ao..."
Mumbling his name, she suddenly jolted awake.
She remembered! Wasn't she supposed to 'accidentally run into' Rei Ao at the library today? How had she completely forgotten?
"Weird..."
She found it odd but brushed it off as the sound of water echoed.
As she sat there, now more awake, she glanced through the chat and realized what had happened overnight.
Clenching her teeth in frustration, she muttered:
"Another one!"
It felt like Rei Ao was a sneaky cat always finding new places to get into trouble.
"This is all the fault of the trade function!"
Yumiko was full of resentment towards the trade system. If there were no such thing, wouldn't Rei Ao have to focus only on her?
"Wait..."
As the water flow quieted, a thought hit her:
"Couldn't I also use the trade system?"
But then, a major problem popped up. How could she make a trade with Rei Ao that felt natural without showing she liked him too much?
Sitting there deep in thought, she looked like a 'Thinker' statue... on the toilet.
...
Good times always seem to be fleeting, for both Rei Ao and Sui
Sui clung to Rei Ao's neck, reluctant to let go. Rei Ao gently held her smooth back.
"Sui, have you made up your mind?"
"Yes."
Resting her chin on his shoulder, Sui responded lovingly, "Rei Ao, I want to be your wife, and I want to have your children in the future."
"From the first time you saved my life, I couldn't help but fall for you. And now, you've saved me again."
Perhaps she was someone easily touched. Having given everything to him, she had decided to commit to this man in front of her.
"In that case, I'll grant you my protection."
Rei Ao kissed her on the forehead. Sui felt warmth spread across her skin, followed by a sudden heat.
Golden light began to emit from her body.
[Name]: Sui
[Level]: 26
[Abilities]: "Dragon Power," "Light Spirit," "Spirit Magic," "Rei Ao's Blessing," "Inherent Device: Spirit Princess"
"Inherent Device: Spirit Princess": A magical sword that greatly enhances magical power.
"Rei Ao! I can control light energy freely now!"
Sui excitedly clapped her arms, and golden light danced happily in her palms.
Rei Ao smiled gently: "My blessing goes beyond that. As you defeat stronger creatures, you will also grow stronger."
"Huh?"
Sui had never heard of growing stronger in that way before. She suddenly remembered the last time Rei Ao asked her to help with monster hunting missions.
"So, that's why Rei Ao was training last time!"
"I want to try it now!"
But in her excitement, their connection was broken.
"Ah!"
Sui's face flushed bright red. She had been so caught up in the moment that she had forgotten what they were doing. Now, she buried her face in Rei Ao's chest in embarrassment.
Seeing her cute, shy reaction, Rei Ao knew he couldn't waste any time in this world.
"Sui, initiate another trade request. This time, say it's to help you hunt monsters."
Realizing his intention, Sui nodded, understanding that time was running short.
[Ding! Trade Initiated!]
[Trade with]: Sui
[Purpose]: Help her hunt monsters.
[Condition]: 'Body usage rights, once.'
[Time limit]: 3 hours.
Seeing the trade condition...
"Ugh~"
Sui's body felt even hotter.
Though Rei Ao had the urge, he resisted. Leaning closer, he whispered into her sensitive, pointed elf ear: "Let's hunt monsters first. I'll claim my reward later, when I get to enjoy the spirit of the forest."
...
[Name]: Sui
[Level]: 28
[Name]: Rei Ao
[Level]: 42
Those were their final results.
Sui had leveled up by 2, while Rei Ao's progress was slower. Now that he needed stronger monsters to grow, simply accepting missions to locate creatures was inefficient.
If only there were a chaotic land or an area overrun with monsters, he could rampage freely. But his flexible moral compass kept him from doing that.
In the natural forest, Rei Ao received Sui's 'payment,' but he also gave back plenty in return.
In fact, it was so much that Sui cried out that she couldn't handle any more.
The next two days were rather peaceful.
Rei Ao had successfully become a master of time management, balancing between Ayame, and a few other girls. Along the way, he also managed to level them up across different worlds.
Everyone had made significant progress in their abilities:
[Sui: Level 30]
[Kajika: Level 12]
[Rei: Level 10]
[Ayame: Level 20]
[Mai: Level 17]
[Saeko: Level 22]
As for himself, Rei Ao had reached Level 43.
Of course, he wouldn't miss out on the opportunity for some fun. In a well-coordinated effort, he orchestrated a 'group event' in Saeko's world. He enjoyed himself thoroughly, but it left Saya Takagi and Shizuka Marikawa struggling to sleepcompletely unable to rest.
...
This combination of leveling up and enjoyment continued until Saturday. That morning, Rei Ao received his first message from Utaha Kasumigaoka, one of his newer contacts.
Utaha Kasumigaoka: "Sorry, Rei Ao-kun. My plans have changed a bit over the last couple of days, and I've been debating how to tell you."
Rei Ao: "Plans changed?"
Utaha Kasumigaoka: "Yes, it's hard to explain in writing. If you don't mind, could you meet me at ? I'll explain everything after I finish up here."
Rei Ao: "Sure, I'm pretty free."
Although curious, he didn't mind meeting up to see what these changes were.
When Rei Ao arrived at the location Utaha mentioned, he found a long line outside a bookstore. At the front of the queue, he spotted Utaha herself, disguised with a cap and mask, diligently signing books for fans.
He quickly realized it was a book signing event for her fans.
Despite the heat, Utaha was bundled up tightly. Even with a fan blowing nearby, it was clear she was working hard.
"Excuse me, are you Rei Ao-kun?"
A mature woman in a tight-fitting skirt, sheer black stockings, and high heels approached him.
Rei Ao's eyes brightened. The woman exuded an air of sophistication and had a lovely face, even with light makeup.
He had a feeling he knew who she was.
"Yes, that's me," Rei Ao replied.
"Nice to meet you, Rei Ao-kun. I'm Sonoka Machida, Utaha's editor. She asked me to greet you and take care of you for now."
So, it was the editor. They looked quite alike, Rei Ao thought. If they stood side by side, people might mistake them for sisters.
"Please, follow me," Sonoko continued, leading him to a nearby rest area.
She handed him some tea and sat across from him. After taking a closer look at Rei Ao, she couldn't help but comment.
"Rei Ao-kun, you're even more handsome in person than in the photo Utaha showed me. For a moment, I thought you might be a celebrity."
The photo must have been the one Utaha requested earlier in the morning. It was probably to help Sonoko recognize him.
"Thank you for the compliment," Rei Ao responded, always appreciating a good compliment.
To further the conversation, he added, "I assume Kasumigaoka-san is a light novel author? This is a fan signing event, right?"
"You didn't know?" Sonoko seemed surprised.
Rei Ao shrugged. "Was I supposed to?"
Realizing her mistake, Sonoko quickly apologized. "I'm sorry, that was presumptuous of me."
"...I thought Rei Ao-kun might be Utaha's boyfriend, but judging from how you refer to her, it doesn't seem like you're that close."
"It's fine," Rei Ao smiled. "We're just regular classmates. I helped her with something before, and she wanted to thank me by treating me to a meal."
"Ah, I see."
Sonoko nodded, understanding the situation now. She had misunderstood.
However, as she continued observing Rei Ao, her eyes gleamed. He was truly exceptionalhis appearance, demeanor, and confidence were all top-notch. If she were younger, she might have pursued him herself. But, being a bit older and still single, she could only sigh inwardly.
Still, if it wasn't her, why not help Utaha?
With that thought, Sonoko pulled out one of Utaha's novels and enthusiastically began introducing it to Rei Ao.
"This is one of Utaha's light novels. It's sold nearly 600,000 copies..."
She went on to share Utaha's success as an author and explain the story of the book. Rei Ao listened patiently, occasionally responding. Having someone talk endlessly about something in front of him could be amusing, especially when the person was attractive.
After about half an hour, Utaha finally arrived.
She waved her tired hand, removed her cap and mask, revealing hair drenched with sweat. The reason she'd put in so much effort was to avoid showing her face, as it would attract unnecessary attentionespecially since she was still a student.
Seeing Sonoko chatting happily with Rei Ao, Utaha asked, "What were you two talking about?"
"Utaha, you're here!" Sonoko stood up, handing her a tissue to wipe off the sweat. "Now that you're here, I'll go handle the rest."
She waved goodbye to Rei Ao as she left. "I'll leave him in your care."
Utaha wiped her face while noticing one of her books on the table. Hesitant, she asked, "Rei Ao-kun, she didn't say anything weird, did she?"
Rei Ao smiled. "Nothing strange. She just told me about Utako Kasumi's impressive achievements and explained the story of the novel."
For some reason, hearing that made Utaha feel embarrassed.
"Ah, don't mind what she said."
"I found it quite interesting, actually," Rei Ao replied, picking up the book. "How about Utako Kasumi-sensei signing a copy for me? Maybe in the future, when you become a famous writer, I can say I got your autograph."
"!!!"
For reasons she couldn't explain, Utaha felt incredibly embarrassed by Rei Ao's request. She never felt like this with her fans. After all, she usually just calmly signed their books. But hearing this from Rei Ao made her want to crawl into a hole.
Forcing herself to sign his copy, Utaha barely managed to keep her composure and quickly turned away, coughing lightly.
"Ahem, I've finished up here, so let's go. I'll treat you to that meal."
But Rei Ao shook his head. "No rush."
"Considering how much you've been sweating, you should probably shower first."
"..."
Utaha stiffly turned back around. "Do I... smell?"
She knew her clothes were drenched, but still hoped Rei Ao would say no.
However, Rei Ao sniffed the air and casually replied, "There's a bit of a smell, but I have a sensitive nose. I doubt anyone else would notice."
"!!!"
It was as if a bolt of lightning had struck her. Utaha wanted to sink into the ground.
"I! Need! To! Shower! Immediately!"
~~~
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Chapter 84: Sonoka Machida was Attacked! Two Greedy Wolves
To take a shower, Utaha specifically booked two hotel roomsone for herself and one for Rei Ao.
Lunch was simply dealt with by ordering delivery, postponing the dinner invitation to the evening.
Booking a hotel in broad daylight... that was indeed unusual.
In Utaha's hotel room bathroom, she scrubbed herself vigorously with body wash, occasionally sniffing her skin. Despite not detecting any strange smells, Rei Ao's comment about his sensitive nose lingered like a haunting echo in her mind.
"Could there really still be a smell?"
Even when she stepped out of her room in the evening and saw Rei Ao, Utaha awkwardly asked, "Is there... still a smell?"
Rei Ao chuckled. "Yes."
"!!!"
Utaha felt like dying on the spot. But Rei Ao quickly added, "Though it's just a faint fragrance."
"???"
Utaha blinked in confusion, then gave him a slightly resentful look.
"Rei Ao-kun, if that's the case, please say it all at once."
"Haha, I'll remember for next time."
They left the hotel and headed to a restaurant recommended by Utaha. Rei Ao, not wanting her to overspend over something minor, ordered a few affordable dishes.
Sitting across from each other, Utaha felt even more awkward. This was one of the few times she had been this embarrassed in front of a guy. Moreover, she didn't have much experience eating face-to-face with one.
After a long silence, unsure of what to say, she felt the sharp tongue that her editor had once described as her strength, utterly fail her in front of Rei Ao.
Just when she thought the awkward atmosphere might continue, Rei Ao broke the silence.
"Kasumigaoka-san, I'm curious. What made you decide to become a light novel author?"
""
Utaha was momentarily stunned.
"Why are you interested in that?"
"No particular reason. I just wanted to know more about you."
Rei Ao smiled gently.
"!!!"
Seeing his calm, cool demeanor, Utaha's heart skipped a beat. It was the first time someone had spoken to her like this.
""
After a few seconds, she composed herself and began sharing the story of how she became a light novel author.
With the conversation flowing, the two quickly found common ground. Rei Ao, acting as an attentive listener, truly seemed interested in her words, encouraging her to open up.
Before she knew it, Utaha was recounting not only her initial motivations but also the struggles she faced, the moments when she considered giving up, and the darker times in her journey.
She spoke at length, her heart growing fuller and more complex as she shared.
Time flew by, and soon, two and a half hours had passed. Yet Utaha still hadn't had enough. It was the first time she had opened up to someone like this. She couldn't explain why, but talking to Rei Ao felt calming, as though he offered a sense of peace, leading her to reveal more than she ever had, even to her family.
Realizing she had revealed so much of herself, Utaha said, "Rei Ao-kun, we've been talking about me this whole time. What about you?"
After all, she hardly knew anything about him.
"Me?" Rei Ao glanced at his phone. "We'll have to save that for another time."
