My bare skin, sensitive in light of the erotic memories of last night, told me someone was squirming. I squinted bleary eyes at the sun streaming through the window, taking a moment to rub the sleep from them, and looked down to find Umara shifting into an upright position.

Something must’ve alerted her to my wakefulness as she slowly turned around, cheeks flushed bright, taking a moment to meet my eyes. My smirk turned into an ear-to-ear grin as I took an almost sadistic joy in her embarrassment.

“Well, good morning, darling. Have a good sleep?”

“...”

She turned away, covering her face with her hands.

“I’m a dirty whore.”

“You’re my dirty whore.”

“Uuagh shattup! I’m sticky! And crusty…”

She took a moment to feel her cheek.

“… I think my face has your… stuff… on it…”

“Pfft, yes, you were quite enthusiastic last night. It wasn’t technically sex but it’s pretty damn close. What did you think?”

“I think sex is tamer. More… normal, I guess. But that…”

“...”

I propped my head up with the hand not pinned under Umara, and watched her think. My smile faded a bit…

“Not that I regret it…”

…and then returned in full force.

“I mean, you asked for it.”

“I-I didn’t think you’d shove your tongue inside me! I’ve never even heard of doing something like that…”

“Aww, you’re so innocent.”

“Is that a bad thing?”

“No. Just makes you cuter.”

I chuckled before pulling her in for a hug, combing back her hair with her big ol’ titties on my chest.

“Was it too much? I know it was sudden.”

“No, no it wasn’t. It was just shocking. But I liked it… Since we can’t quite have sex yet, we’ll have to keep doing that until we can.”

“Stave off the horny.”

“Mm.”

She smiled and left a gentle peck on my lips before shifting herself around a bit more, disappearing under the blanket.

Then my Aerial rang, my brows raising as I answered.

“Yo.”

Feiden responded.

“Hello. We’re at the hotel.”

“... Shit.”

My eyes widened before my leg suddenly jerked in shock. Fresh Prince was getting the lollipop treatment under the blanket. Wasn’t she just embarrassed? This girl was bipolar or something.

I clicked my tongue and turned my attention back to Feiden.

“Just chill out in the lobby, maybe introduce yourself to the Key Master at the front desk. He’s a cool dude. We’ll be down there in a little bit.”

“Alright.”

His response was succinct. We bid each other a short farewell before I looked down at the lump in the blanket. I threw it aside.

Umara froze for a second, looking into my eyes for a second before she continued.

“We’ll need to call room service. This room is not decent.”

“Mhm.”

“I think a shower is in order too.”

“Mm.”

“We can’t be long since they’re waiting.”

She left Fresh Prince out to hang for a second to properly respond.

“Hm… That’s up to you.”

Umara paused with a smile, making me snicker before I grabbed some of her hair and pushed her back down.

……

“Hello!”

“Hi?”

Tana and Feiden waved to get our attention from a group of couches in a corner of the lobby, both their gazes fixed on Umara’s beet-red face. They stood up and exchanged a few whispers as we approached.

I clasped hands with Feiden while Umara exchanged a hug with Tana. Feiden whispered in my ear.

“What happened?”

“Oh, nothing important. We were just messing around a bit. Sorry we came down late. We had just woken up when you called.”

“It’s no problem.”

“Here, let’s head up.”

I waved them over, giving a greeting to the Key Master as we walked past.

Once in the elevator, I slotted the golden key in and punched my floor number. It was a quick trip up and before long we walked into the hotel room.

Feiden and Tana looked around with wide eyes, muttering in succession.

“So this is where you’ve been living this whole time? It’s really nice.”

“Nicer than my family’s manor.”

“It’s definitely comfortable.”

I chuckled as they walked around, checking out the kitchen and bedroom.

Thankfully, the Hotel’s room service was prompt. It only took a minute for the cleaners to get there, and after pointing them in the right direction, they took a measly five minutes to clean.

Impeccable service. It was made even better by Umara’s perpetual embarrassment upon seeing just to what extent our wild romp last night had messed up the room — and that the cleaners knew exactly what we had done. That was on top of what we did in the shower just moments ago.

She was so cute when she was all flushed red like that.

Feiden stood with me as Tana walked around, as if inspecting. When she arrived at the table, she poked my Orb sitting in its projection cradle.

“Is this a projector? What’s on the orb?”

“My advancement formation.”

“Oh, let me see.”

Tana tapped it, the entire formation cluster being projected in the air in all its miserable glory.

Her jaw dropped for a few seconds.

“...That’s insane.”

“Yes, it is. I’ve barely started and it’s melting my brain.”

“Well, at least nobody can say you’re stupid.”

She shrugged, turning it back off while taking a seat on the couch with Umara.

Feiden had wandered over to a nearby counter and lifted some things up from there. They were the two spatial storage bands that came off our recent kill, brownish droplets staining the otherwise pristine metal.

“Blood?”

“Oh, right. We haven’t looked through those yet.”

I went over and Feiden dropped them in my hand. I explained what had transpired while trying to activate them.

“They’re spoils of war Umara and I got.”

“From who?”

“Some drug maker in the black market. Don’t tell her mother, or anybody else that Umara got involved with some of my work.”

“You should call me next time. It must be dangerous.”

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“Tsk, I’m trying not to pull more people into that place with me. Don’t worry about it. I won’t be working that much anymore since I’ll need to prepare for basic training. That reminds me, I need to see Tavera…”

I mumbled before suddenly frowning. I couldn’t get into the sacks.

Binding storages to a crest was only useful since it prevented anyone else from opening them. That’s how mine operated, as did most Polaris brand sacks. But if the owner wasn’t there to erase their crest from it, then it would persist. Now that our target was dead, his items couldn’t be accessed.

Seems I’d need to find someone to help me with that. They looked much nicer than my own so I wouldn't mind swapping them if they were better. Mine was due for an upgrade anyway, one of the things on my list of preparations before the military.

I tossed them back on the counter.

“No luck?”

“They’re still bound. You wouldn't happen to know anyone that can get rid of the restrictions?”

“Nope.”

“I’ll find someone later then.”

I shrugged.

After a lull in the conversation, Feiden caught my attention. He looked at me and raised his fingers to his neck, tapping it.

I raised my hand and touched my neck where he indicated. My fingers met the irregular lump of scabbing and a bit of dried blood.

I smiled. Seemed Umara was biting pretty hard last night. And with a quick look, I noticed she also had a hickey. Hers was a bit more discreet since I didn’t try to bite a hole in her neck.

I shrugged again. He snickered.

After that we hung out in the room, ordering some food for a brunch. None of us had anything to do and it was fun just being together and eating.

At some point though, Tana had to depart for her home. We all walked her to the station and saw her off. After that it was just Umara and I plus Feiden, who excused himself.

“I’m gonna go train.”

“Right now?”

“I have yet to do so today. And the Puppet Master is helping me, so I’m on a schedule.”

“Alright. Well, keep in touch. We’ve got some weeks before we ship-”

“You’re John Cooper?!”

My head swiveled when I heard the sudden shout, laying eyes on a man and woman who came running over. They were dressed in suits and held no ill intentions so I wasn’t on guard, not to mention the fact that the man was a summoner. I could sense his Psyka.

Feiden shifted himself between us as I responded.

“Who’s asking?”

“My name is Joel Hunterson, from the Capitol News. This is my partner Abigail Acosta.”

“Pleased to meet you.”

The little lady bowed to the side, though Joel seemed too excited to do anything else other than get straight to business.

“I’ve been investigating the events surrounding the recent retreat on the frontlines, especially the reasons surrounding the deaths of so many students and noble children. The military, Kingdom, and Magisterium haven’t given any official response, and none of the surviving noble children are capable of coming out of their homes. I was hoping you would be able to shed some light on the subject.”

“...”

I stared at him for a few seconds, glancing to the sides to see Umara and Feiden’s neutral faces.

By now, Joel’s excitement had drawn the attention of bystanders, and I felt a few eyes drifting my way. I would need to finish this quickly.

“... You do understand what kind of a position this puts me in. You ever thought about the fact that the Kingdom doesn’t want you knowing what happened?”

“Of course. But a military base headed by an Authority 12 being completely decimated indicates some extreme circumstances that the people ought to know about.”

“And you couldn’t talk to any of the soldiers?”

“They’re being detained, so no. You three are the only survivors that are out in the open right now. The only ones that can’t be suppressed. So please, the people deserve to know what happened. Even if you only give me a hint.”

“...”

I let out a breath, linking my mind with Umara’s.

(How much can I say? I’m not opposed, but only if it doesn’t land me in legal trouble.)

(... I’m not entirely sure about the details, but there’s a chance that information about the Kings are military secrets. Open secrets, but still secrets. Putting that info out into the public will catch eyes and trouble. I wouldn’t.)

(Hm.)

I hummed, thinking about her words while continuing to stare at Joel.

Then, I sighed.

“I’m sorry, I can’t tell you anything.”

“But-!”

“I can’t tell you anything.”

I repeated myself before turning and walking. At the same time, my Aura found his mind and echoed some words.

(The King of Anarchy has appeared.)

(!)

He didn’t respond since he couldn’t, but he clearly heard my words, his brows raising and Aura conveying his surprise.

Then, I heard him mutter.

“Let’s go, Abigail.”

“Sir, can we really let them go?”

“It’s fine. We have some other leads to follow. Let’s not trouble such a historical summoner.”

He turned and strode off, his words making me smile inwardly.

He really knew how to play it cool. Seems he was a half-decent investigative journalist.

We bid Feiden another goodbye so he could go train. The two of us made our way to Tavera afterwards, threading through the midday crowds of the Founder’s Market.

She threw on her mask as we walked through the streets and into Tavera territory.

Upon approaching the gate to the headquarters, a pair of guards in dark gray armor faded from recesses in the entryway and blocked our way with crossed halberds.

“Who are you? State your business.”

“I’m here to see the Patriarch. My name is John Cooper.”

“Hm?”

I held up the golden cigar case, which was really my only form of identification relevant to the Taveras.

The guard looked at it for a few seconds before standing aside.

“Understood. I’ll send word of your arrival.”

“Thanks.”

We walked past, heading into the building and noticing a lot more people than normal. All of them were dressed in red, black, and white uniforms, and all of them had sabers at their waist.

I eventually found the Patriarch’s estate, meeting another two guards outside the door. They stopped me again.

“State your business.”

“I was paying the Patriarch a visit. Is he here?”

“He is, but-”

“Let him in.”

A voice boomed out from the office behind the cracked open door. The two guards, to their credit, didn’t hesitate an instant, pulling open the double doors and standing guard with their blades at their sides.

Once we made our way to the study, I found the Patriarch and another man within.

He smiled at us.

“John, I’m glad to see you’re okay.”

“Yes, thanks for the concern. I just thought I'd stop by and say hello, let you know I’m still alive and all.”

“Of course. You’ve come at a good time, in fact. John, meet my grandson, Emmerich. Emmerich, this is John Cooper.”

“A pleasure.”

We shook hands, Emmerich glancing at the masked Umara for a second.

Once he looked back at me, he smiled.

“I saw what you did at the Magisterium. I never would have imagined the sight of a summoner beating a knight in a fist fight. You have my respect.”

“Thank you. Though it was only possible since he was critically wounded.”

“Heh, nobody cares about that. You brought down a knight an entire Authority above you. That alone is an event worthy of the history books.”

“I’m flattered.”

I grinned. This Emmerich seemed friendly.

The Patriarch chimed in at that moment.

“John, Emmerich is the one who we gave the Crown to. You’re currently looking at the future Patriarch of the Tavera Family.”

“Oh, wow. Congratulations.”

“Thank you. Though I have a lot of work to do before the succession.”

Emmerich smiled, making me shrug.

“I’m sure you’ll be fine. You won the war in the markets. Now you just need to dominate the rest. Maybe I can help out with the Trenches. I’ve had some experience there.”

“Hm, indeed, though I can’t say I want to see Apocryon again.”

“Yes he’s quite the character. Almost killed me with his Aura one time.”

“You have my sympathies. My experience was also rather haunting. He’s only Authority 10, but dare I say he has the Aura of an Authority 12. It is the only reason I don’t preemptively end his reign.”

“I see. Unfortunate.”

We nodded to each other in understanding. Apocryon was a menace to all who crossed his path.

“Speaking of war, you’ll be entering the military soon, right John?”

The Patriarch muttered, shifting my focus.

“Yes sir. Hopefully I’ll have an easier time than at the Magisterium.”

“I’ve heard of the troubles you’ve had there. The military will indeed be easier, socially at least. If you wish, I can also talk to some friends of mine and get you placed under a friendlier name. It may help you stay out of the spotlight.”

“I appreciate the concern. Hopefully the Duchess has already taken care of that. If that’s the case, then there’s no reason for you to be troubled.”

“Perhaps. Either way, I’ll warn them. Competition will be fierce, and every little bit will help. Perhaps what I do is what tips the scales in your favor.”

“Are you sure? I don’t want to trouble you.”

“Nonsense. You underestimate my influence, boy. Rest easy and take care of yourself in the military. I better not hear anything about you risking your neck before you climb in power. You’ve too much potential left to unearth, and I intend to see it at some point. Don’t deny us that.”

“...Of course, sir. Thank you.”

I smiled and nodded to him.

He grinned.

“Good. Now, I hear you recently killed the Bremman boy. His father is currently trying to hunt you down. Thankfully, you make yourself scarce.”

“I try. Should I be worried on my way back?”

“Perhaps. Certainly don’t let your guard down. Our territory covers most market entrances, but those warlocks may be lingering. Leave through the west or northwest entrance, where Chef Blue and Red work. They should be safer.”

“Mm. Will do. And speaking of Bremman…”

I brought out the spatial storages we took off the body, explaining the situation.

The Patriarch nodded when he understood.

“That shouldn’t be an issue. For future reference, building 455 on 2nd street. There’s a warlock there who specializes in cracking spatial storages. But for these, we have a warlock here who can do it. If you head to our logistics building in the east wing of the estate, look for Herald. Tell him I sent you.”

“Oh, thank you.”

“Then I won’t keep you. Enjoy your final days as a civilian, John. With the situation out there, you certainly won’t be entering with favorable conditions.”

I smiled bitterly, nodding as we said goodbye before heading down to that warlock to get the spatial storages unlocked.

……

“You seem to favor this kid.”

Emmerich muttered once John had left, earning a chuckle in response.

“I suppose I do. But for good reason. You can’t possibly fail to see the value he represents.”

“I do. But going so far as to pull strings in the military for him? You might be met with trouble.”

“And it’ll be worth it. His future favor outweighs any potential negative consequences right now. Don’t make the mistake of missing such a potential ally, Emmerich. Luna and the Church both have eyes on him, and it was merely a stroke of luck that we met him first.”

“The Kingdom as well.”

“All the more reason.”

The Patriarch raised a cigar, letting out some puffs.

“You’ve been spending too much time slaughtering our enemies. Time to start building friendships. They’re just as important, especially if you plan to take my seat. I’ve been running this family for over 150 years and I can tell you with absolute certainty that the only reason we still stand today is due to the bonds we’ve forged with others over many decades. John is young, but he is one of those bonds we need to develop. Keep that in mind, especially as the Kingdom’s tensions rise.”

“... Understood.”

Emmerich nodded solemnly.

With the recent market war and suspicious movements in the Kingdom’s Royal House, he had been on edge and suspicious of everyone beyond their family. Too many of those he once thought allies had forced his blade against them as they tried to backstab the Tavera Family in the midst of the war.

But John Cooper seemed to have earned the approval of the Patriarch himself. He’d have to heed his grandfather’s advice and keep watch for that name in the future.