With my mission completely finished, I used [Portal] to take me back to the front of the guild.

“Ah, Master! Welcome back!” Ren exclaims with glee from our table.

“You were gone for a while. What do you have there in those bags?” Winny asks.

“One of them’s moving, too …” Erizora points out.

“An uninvited guest. I’ll rejoin you all in a moment.” While Luke still struggles and makes noise, I carry him and his knapsack over my shoulder and approach a bewildered Ms. Raize at the reception.

“Um … is there something I can help you with, Mr. Jinma?” Ms. Raize asks, unsure of what’s going on.

“Quick question, but is there anything being done in regards to White Rapture from the raid last night?”

“Ah, well, after questioning those the law-enforcement captured last night, the guild has put up a wanted poster for any of the group’s members spotted in the city to be taken in.”

“Does it matter if they’re dead or alive?”

“We prefer them alive so they’d get their due punishment after questioning. You’ll also get a bonus in your reward if you bring them in that way, too … wait, don’t tell me.”

I set the moving rucksack upright before pulling it up and out, revealing a pathetic man bound and gagged by a rope while only in his underwear. Scars that will never heal are riddled all over his body while tears and snot make a mess of his face.

“Say hello to Luke, a Whisper in cahoots with the White Rapture. He even has his signature robe on him,” I say while reaching into his knapsack and pulling out the robe. “Apparently, he’s their main scout group’s lead that surveys Dondegarm and was instructed to rendezvous with some other members to make a report on their next raid. Isn’t that right, buddy?” I ask while loosening his gag to let him speak.

“I’m not one of them! I’m not one of them, you gotta believe me!”

“Oh, come now, don’t go lying to me now after all the ‘fun’ we’ve been through together. You wouldn’t want to wind up like one of your friends here, would you?” I chant [Storage, Out] and make another bag appear, this one looking dark red on the bottom as blood seeps through and drips to the floor. I reach in and pull out part of Lyles’ disembodied head.

“LYLES?!”

“My god …” Ms. Raize says. “According to his status, he is one of the White Rapture, or was. I know he was a total dick, but I never would’ve guessed.”

Huh, does Ms. Raize have an appraisal skill that works like an autopsy? I think as I put Lyles’ head back in [Storage].

“Okay, okay! I was one of them, but not anymore! I’ve turned a new leaf, I swear! I won’t get involved with them and bother the non-humans anymore, just please, let me go!”

“Oh, shut up. You clearly mentioned to your cohorts how you’re ready to kill me and ‘Dismantle’ my mate alive to sell for parts for humiliating Rasholl the way I did.” I grip his hair and ‘Glare’ into his eyes with a ‘Sadistic Smile’ on my face. “I don’t take threats like that lightly, buddy, that’s why I kept torturing you after you told me everything you knew. You should be damn well grateful I even healed you after cutting up your body again and again.” I found my ‘Mutilation’ skill that I got a while ago very useful in this regard, allowing me to torture him right up to 1 HP and stay there, not letting the KO status come to give him mercy.

“Y-You won’t get away with this! I have others on standby just waiting for the signal to bust me and our captured comrades out!”

“Oh, yeah, I hope you don’t mean these guys,” I say before pulling out the pouch and reveal a large deck of gray cards. Luke’s face grew even paler than the cards’ color at the sight as I show them to Ms. Raize. “Including yourself, that’s 65 total.”

“… I’ve confirmed them. Every single one of these adventurers, all brothers, and sisters of the White Rapture cult,” Ms. Raize announces after sifting through the cards.

“N-No … no! You son of a bitch! Monster! Demongenerate!”

“Yeah, yeah, I heard it all. That will do, Luke. You can take a nap now.”

Don!

After one good punch to the face, Luke lies on the floor motionless, his cheek swollen and marked with my fist. I look up his name and see his status reads as KO, just as I intended when I brought his HP low enough to take him out in one go.

Da-da-da-da, Di-da!

Da-ra-ra-bing-bong-bing!

“You can do with him what you will after he wakes up. You might want to get some guys set up to investigate that rendezvous that will happen a few nights from now,” I suggest. I also pass over a rolled parchment of the note I made Luke write under my threat, describing the details of their next rendezvous. I may not be able to read Padimonian, but with my maxed out ‘Intuition,’ I made sure none of what he wrote for me was false information.

“Y-Yes, we’ll most certainly do that!” Ms. Raize gestures some receptionists to bring in the authorities to take Luke away. Ms. Zalshen, while she was nearby, uses her silk to completely bind the guy after gagging his mouth again with the rope and take him to the back. “We thank you very much for your contribution, Mr. Jinma! Would you like the reward to be put into your account as well?”

“After you use what’s there to pay for our feast, and … one round of drinks for everyone here. I’m feeling generous tonight.”

“All right! A round of drinks on Jinma Kotori! I’m down with that!” one of the demon adventurers exclaim while the rest cheer in agreement.

[You have achieved the ‘Moneybags’ title!]

I finish my business with Ms. Raize putting a certain number of points on my card for submitting the captured Luke and all of the cards identifying by their late owners to be cultists. I also give Ms. Raize a tip that the round of drinks goes to the staff as well, including her. I bid her off before returning back to my table where the girls were staring at me wide-eyed.

“So, what did I miss—”

“That was amazing, Master!” Ren exclaims while jumping out of her seat and hugging me. Even without her erratic tail wagging, excitement is clearly seen on her face. “To handle all of those guys on your own in such a short time, you’re just proving to be more amazing by the hour!”

“The way you were interrogating that man while all bound up and pathetic-looking as well … I’m jealous of him to receive something so incredible,” Erizora mutters while I see a hint of drool escaping her lips.

Wow, her masochism is worse than I thought if what I was giving him would actually turn her on.

“Master Jinma …” Winny then says as she gets up from her seat and approaches me. “I noticed how a couple of humans walked out of the guild around the same time you did. I wanted to say something, but I wasn’t so sure of what was going on to really tell someone about it. To put yourself in such great danger for our safety, and even making such a generous donation to the orphanage from what Ren and Erizora had told me … with the Immortals as my witnesses, I’m forever in your debt.” Winny then lowers herself to prostrate at my feet.

“Whoa, whoa, no. Please, none of that, Winny.” I pull Winny back up to standing with ease. “I thought it was just going to be another brawl at first, but when I found out who and what they really were, I couldn’t let it be ignored. I just did all of that because those bastards piss me off after what they did last night.”

“But you did that because you knew they were going to plan another raid in Dondegarm, right? If it weren’t for you, we would’ve been facing another crisis.” Winny then takes one of my hands and holds it in both of hers. “Brother and I grew up in Dondegarm, and so we’ve grown an attachment to this place to call it our home. It’s important to me, especially, enough to become an adventurer since the day I was old enough to register in order to give back what this city has given me and then some. Please, Master Jinma, tell me what it is I can do for you to show how grateful I am for your help in keeping this city alive.”

Whoa, she sounds really serious about this. Also, that phrasing, she must be putting what I suggested to her to practice. I know I want to have sex with Winny, but it’s difficult to even bring it up now and risk dampening the mood.

“… Would it be too much to ask of you to join my party?”

“Y-You see me fit enough to stand alongside you like that?!”

“Well, you seem pretty capable enough if you’re a black-rank adventurer. Ume may be our magic specialist, but she’s more of a glass cannon kind of fighter. Being a Priestess, you must be very valuable for support and maybe defense on top of healing, right? We’d certainly like to have someone like that on the team.”

Winny gives a sad smile. “I’m honored you think of me like that, Master Jinma, but unfortunately, that is something I cannot do. Ren and Erizora have told me how you’re planning to travel around Padimon to see new places. I admit that it would be thrilling to go on that kind of journey, but I have my duty here as one of Dondegarm Church’s Holy Bishops, and I’m already in a party with Brother as Phasing Moon that I just can’t leave by himself.”

“Yeah, I only saw him once, but I could already see how much of a handful he is. What’s he doing, by the way?”

“He’s back home sulking over his loss in the test with Ms. Umeiyon, but give him some food and sleep and he’ll be back at it again the next day.”

“Well, anyway, I figured that would be your answer, but couldn’t hurt to try, right?” I ask while shrugging.

“I really am sorry to turn you down like this. Is there anything else I can do?”

“Why don’t we just call it owing me a favor for now and I’ll let you know when I come up with something?”

“I’m okay with that. I’m ready to provide assistance at any time, so don’t hesitate to ask me for whatever I can do within my power.”

“Right. Thanks, Winny.”

“Ladies and gentlemen of the guild!”

From that announcement, the place goes quiet as we all turn to the source upstairs, seeing that it’s Lili standing at the top.

“May I present to you: the new Ms. Umeiyon of the Lizardmen!” Lili introduces as she moves aside and lets Ume step forward.

With a flushed face and head in poise, Ume slowly steps down to the lobby with hands in front of her, drinking in the attention that we and the other guild patrons are giving her as she wears her new dress.

“The base design provided by Jinma Kotori that seems to be derived from eastern origins is what he called a ‘cheongsam,’” Lili explains while using her web to lower herself from above. “Modifying to his and Ms. Umeiyon’s specifications was admittedly quite difficult at first, but I’m one who likes a challenge in this field and the solution turned out quite simple. It may look more like an apron than the traditional cheongsam it originally based off of, but to be able to make this backless while maintaining as much modesty as possible, this was the result.

“This is made with a slip-on, slip-off design while enchanted with magic to conform around the wearer’s figure to a comfortable fit while not letting it slip. The chest area is made with straps that go over and hang by the neck, giving her the needed comfort and support while showing off the goods to her mate at both the front and the sides.

“Wrapping around the waist are special straps enchanted to tie itself into the majestic knot you see that’s tight enough to keep the outfit intact. At the base of those straps are two flaps of cloth stretching down to her mid thighs covering as little of her backside to not hinder movement as requested by Ms. Umeiyon. The third flap of fabric that covers her front and hangs down to her mid-thighs keeps her modesty as a woman and appeals her fine legs while letting her move freely and comfortably. The three flaps together give a unique air of elegance, mystery, and promiscuity, flowing in ways that leave male spectators like her mate here wanting to see more of what’s underneath.

“Lastly, the material of the whole outfit is made of silk created by yours truly, woven to be durable while enchanted with my magic to be self-repairable if it gets damaged. It will take longer to repair if it gets burned, however, but if you’re able to use magic, you can speed up the process by applying mana into the threads.

“With these modifications, while embroidering patterns that exhibit her fiery personality with colors that match her scales, I like to dub this: the first ever ‘Blue Dragon Cheongsam!’”

““Oooooh!”” The guild is filled with awe followed by applause after Lili’s exposition of Ume’s outfit. Nyra blows a whistle in my head.

As I watch Ume slowly coming down the stairs with her biggest eye-catchers jiggling with each step she made, I come to a stunning realization.

Ume’s not fond of underwear. That’s a fact, so it’s likely she’s not wearing anything underneath. Even if she didn’t explicitly say it, I’m pretty sure her feelings towards bras are similar if those chest straps keeping her appearance somewhat modest are the only things giving her ‘support.’ While the new outfit may have the appeal of a cheongsam, Lili said it herself that it might as well be a fancy-looking apron.

This can only mean one thing: Ume will be basically walking around in public with the ‘naked apron’ look, the phenomenal appearance of a woman, whether or not they became a housewife, who very recently got engaged/married. She may have requested the outfit to not cover much more out of functional purposes than sex appeal, but with how much of her leg, back, and chest exposed while the apron magically conforms around her contours, she might as well be naked with only paint and a few loincloths and it’d look pretty much the same.

Ume is pushing the boundaries of exhibitionism pulling off the naked apron look in public while it gives the silent message that declares ‘My body and I are happily engaged/married to the man we love.’ When I see myself standing next to her with an arm around her waist, I’d make the bold silent declaration of my own stating ‘This is a happily engaged/married woman, and you’re looking at the lucky man who fucks her.’

Did I really stick my filthy former virgin dick inside this beautiful woman and defiled her?

<“Yeah, you fucking did, and I couldn’t be any prouder of you! *Gushi.* They grow up so fast,”> Nyra fake cries like a mother in a mid-life crisis.

Ume approaches me with as much poise as possible and looks straight at me in the eyes, despite hers wavering that she desperately tries not to avert while her cheeks are flushed red.

“H-How … do I look?” she asks. The guild has fallen deathly silent as everyone around us wait for my approval like Ume is.

I just place my hands on her hips and give a passionate kiss, eliciting a good response from the adventurers and receptionists of the guild as they cheer at our display of affection.

I pull back with a peck and stare into her turquoise eyes. “More amazing and stunning than I ever imagined. It looks fantastic on you, Ume.”

“... Okay.” Ume seems to not know what else to say and just kisses me again with a flushed face. The other people in the guild gives their loud approval.

“Drinks are on! One free round of mead for everyone in the guild, as paid for by our lucky male of the hour!” one of the receptionists exclaim as they went around the lobby carrying trays of mugs with yellowish-white foam frothing and spilling over the rims. Our party and those joining us in our table are handed a mug first before they focused on the other adventurers.

“A toast to Mr. Jinma Kotori, for forming his new party, his new courtship with Ms. Umeiyon, and possibly saving Dondegarm for the second time!” Ms. Raize exclaims.

“Second time? The heck did I miss while I was out?” Ume asks.

“I’ll explain later. Have you had alcohol before, Ume?” I ask her.

“Pft. Of course, I had alcohol. This mead, whatever it is, is most likely nothing compared to what we had back home.”

“Well then, why don’t we make this toast a little more interesting for the both of us?”

After we make our cheers and clink our mugs, I instruct the two of us to link arms while holding our drinks in that same hand. Curled and locked by the folds of our elbows, we tip the mugs towards ourselves and shot the whole pint of the strong and honey-sweet mead. The people in the guild cheer their approval in our impressive display of downing alcohol. As we chuckle at each other for the funny foam mustaches on our faces—I realized then that that was the first time I actually laughed since coming to this world—the food finally arrives. Our group of six in the table start the feast while the other people enjoy the evening in their own way. The guild has become much more boisterous than it was moments ago.

I feel it has been an eternity since I was last able to really sit down, let go of the worries weighing on my shoulders, and enjoy good food with warm company. I get nostalgic as I recall the meals I shared with Mom, my aunts, and the few friends I had as I grew up. They were different occasions, some I have sadly taken for granted, but I will look back to them with content and remember them fondly while I embrace the meals I’ll share with my party from now on.

We have a lot to prepare for our Assigned Quest the day after tomorrow, so we need to make the most of the time we have now.

Gooooooon~.

With the gong of Dondegarm’s bell that apparently indicates the beginning of the sixth trian of the day—24 of the 36 hours in the day officially passed—our first evening of fun times as a newly-formed adventurer party begins.