~ Support & Read 60 Advanced Chapters on Patreon

~ Bonus Chapter every 200 Powerstones!

In the end, Takashi Hayase left on his own. He had neither the strength to persuade Bokue nor any right to stop him.

Truthfully, he couldn't even persuade himself.

In the end, the title of 'Hero' was merely a label they'd chosen for themselves—not some noble, selfless vocation to save the world, but rather a designation for their clan. Once one chose to betray this kind of organization, returning was impossible, regardless of how justified that "betrayal" might have been.

A few moments later, the plaza—still bearing the scars of their earlier battle—was left with just Bokue Keikain, Mio Naruse, Maria, and the Nonaka sisters, who were now former heroes.

"Ahh... looks like we can never return to the village again," Kurumi sighed quietly, holding her cheeks in her hands.

Beside her, Yuki glanced at her sister and said plainly, "Kurumi, don't pretend to be disappointed while sounding so thrilled about it. It's very unsettling."

"What do you mean unsettling...?" Kurumi sighed, giving her sister a slightly exasperated look. "It's mixed feelings, okay?"

"Mixed feelings?" Yuki asked, puzzled. "Why?"

"Well..." Kurumi hesitated a bit, considering how to put it. "If you think about it, we don't have that much money on hand, do we? Now that we've been cut off from the village, there's no way we'll receive mission funds anymore. So, we're going to have to find some way to earn money on our own now!"

"Oh..." Yuki blinked rapidly, finally realizing the gravity of the situation.

This really was a serious problem.

The money they currently had was sufficient for a short time, but living in a city as expensive as Tokyo for an extended period would quickly exhaust their savings.

They were too young to get regular jobs, and investing the little money they had was completely out of the question—they'd probably lose it all overnight.

"Well, looks like we'll have to figure out a way to make some money," Bokue yawned lazily, stretching his arms. "Anyway, let's head back to the hotel first. We haven't eaten anything yet, and it's already afternoon."

"Mm..." Kurumi nodded obediently, gazing at her childhood friend whom she hadn't seen in ten years—different in some ways, yet still the same Bokue deep down.

That was probably their best option for now. As for money issues, those would just have to wait until later to be resolved.

❁❁❁❁

Less than a minute after Bokue's group departed, a slender silver-haired figure appeared silently in the plaza via a teleportation circle.

She examined the signs of recent combat on the ground, sniffing the air lightly, and furrowed her brow.

"This wasn't Maria's doing, but there's definitely traces of her magic lingering here. They must've just left..."

The silver-haired Succubus maid murmured softly to herself before disappearing again into thin air.

❁❁❁❁

Back at the hotel lobby, Bokue and the others stood quietly waiting for the elevator.

Breaking her silence, Sheila suddenly raised a finger with enthusiasm, her eyes twinkling mischievously.

"You know, since Bokue's reunion with his dear childhood sweethearts went so well, why don't we have a big celebratory meal for lunch?"

"A... a big meal?" Kurumi's eyes lit up with surprise and excitement.

Though she had no idea who this strikingly beautiful silver-haired woman was, the suggestion sounded extremely tempting.

Unlike her sister Yuki, Kurumi had only arrived in Tokyo that very morning. It had been ten long years since she'd last seen Bokue, and having the chance to sit down and share a celebratory meal together felt wonderful. Still... wasn't this kind of luxury a bit extravagant, given their money situation?

They didn't even have a stable income yet. Spending carelessly right now was a terrible idea for someone as frugal and sensible as herself.

Sensing her conflicted emotions, Bokue smiled softly and gently placed a comforting hand on her head—just like he used to all those years ago.

"Relax. I'm not going to ask you to pay for it."

"Eh?" Kurumi looked up in surprise, eyes widening slightly. "W-wait a minute, what do you mean I don't have to pay? Someone has to pay for the meal!"

"But it's not gonna be you," Bokue chuckled. He found that resting his hand on her head felt unexpectedly nostalgic and comfortable, so he left it there a bit longer. "Just trust me. Let's head upstairs first, alright?"

Before Bokue finished speaking, he felt his other hand being tugged softly. Surprised, he turned around to see Yuki holding his wrist and placing his palm firmly atop her own head, gazing up at him expectantly.

"Pet my head too."

"Hey—!" Mio turned sharply, finally reaching the limit of her patience. Her adorable cheeks puffed up in frustration as she glared daggers at the Nonaka sisters. "You two are going too far! Bokue is..."

"Is what?" Yuki asked innocently, tilting her head to one side.

"He... he's..." Mio hesitated repeatedly, cheeks burning bright red. Technically speaking, Bokue was undoubtedly her man. But on paper, he was supposed to be her older sister's fiancé—which made things extremely complicated.

To put it bluntly, she had the reality of their relationship but not the legitimacy, while Yuki potentially had legitimacy but no actual relationship.

Fortunately, Maria quickly stepped forward to clarify with a mischievous grin.

"Bokue-san is Mio-sama's contract partner~!"

"R-right! Exactly! My contract partner!" Mio immediately chimed in, relieved.

After all, the term "contract partner" generally sounded like an engagement of sorts, even though it technically referred to their master-servant pact. It wasn't exactly wrong either way.

Yuki didn't seem surprised, though. She thought quietly for a moment before looking up at Bokue with a completely serious expression.

"Then... Bokue, let's form a contract too."

Bokue stared at her blankly for a second. "...Do you even know what kind of contract that is?"

He was absolutely certain Yuki had no idea the specifics of their "contract" arrangement, and he absolutely didn't want Yuki knowing that his agreement with Mio was actually a master-servant pact.

With Yuki's character, learning the truth would probably make her even more interested rather than less.

Unfortunately, Maria cheerfully betrayed him without hesitation.

"Oh, please don't be too shocked, but Mio-sama and Bokue-san actually have a master-servant pact! Mio-sama obediently fulfills all sorts of orders from Bokue-san every day~" Maria emphasized suggestively, hugging herself and swaying slightly from side to side in mock embarrassment.

"M-Maria!" Mio squealed in horror, her face flushed crimson. The way Maria phrased things practically begged people to misunderstand—though, technically, nothing she said was incorrect either.

"Oh... is that how it is?" Yuki's brief surprise quickly turned into newfound determination. She swiftly grabbed onto Bokue's arm again, gazing up with unwavering resolve.

"Bokue, let's sign a contract right now."

"..." Bokue felt a sudden headache coming on.

However, before he could even explain properly, Sheila—smiling mischievously—immediately jumped in to stir the pot.

"Oh my~ Wonderful idea! After lunch, let's definitely hold a little contract-signing ceremony together. Party time, let's celebrate~!"

~ 60 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon

https://p-atreon.com/dragonnx

(Just remove the hyphen to access Patreon normally.)

Keep the chapters coming—Support with Power Stones!