CHAPTER 49: THE ADVENTURE BEGINS!

Aziz, watching his mother meticulously analyze every detail of the mission description, couldn’t help but let out an ironic smile.

But deep in his heart, he felt genuine satisfaction — after all, what son wouldn’t appreciate the attentive care of a mother?

Astrid averted her gaze from the mission paper after reading it, turning her eyes to Aziz. She didn’t say a word, only carefully studied his expression.

Even knowing her son’s abilities, she knew it was always wise to pay attention to the smallest details. After all, unforeseen events happen, and the future can never be predicted with certainty.

Looking at the serious expression on his mother’s beautiful face, Aziz returned a calm and confident smile, as if to say, "Everything will be fine, trust me."

Astrid understood the meaning behind that smile, nodding softly, accepting her son’s choice.

Relieved, Aziz let out a deep sigh.

"Now let’s go to one of the guild clerks to confirm the mission," Selene said, pointing to the next step.

Aziz nodded and headed to one of the lines with fewer adventurers waiting.

However, he didn’t need to wait. Everyone in line stood up to give way.

Some out of respect for Stella, who accompanied Aziz, and others out of cunning — wanting to get on his good side to avoid irritating him.

Because, indeed, someone personally accompanied by the city’s ruler couldn’t be an ordinary person.

And he truly wasn’t. Just by looking at him, everyone realized that the word "ordinary" was not part of his vocabulary.

Aziz noticed this and smiled slightly, seeing the mixture of admiration, fear, envy, curiosity, and interest reflected in everyone’s eyes.

But he didn’t pay much attention. On Earth, it was the same: people looked at him the same way, often even openly flattering him.

With the path clear, he walked to the counter, placed the mission paper on it, and finally looked at the clerk.

She appeared no older than eighteen, with long wheat-blonde hair and vibrant yellow eyes.

But what caught Aziz’s attention the most were the two dog ears on top of her head and the tail he glimpsed wagging behind.

She was a dog-kin.

"Hello, I want to accept this mission. Please confirm it for me," Aziz said, smiling kindly.

The clerk stared at him, somewhat stunned. Charmed by his smile, her face blushed slightly.

Seeing her like that, Aziz shook his head with a light laugh.

’Beauty is a blessing, but sometimes it can be a curse too,’ he thought with a touch of narcissism.

"Hello? Are you listening to me?" he asked, waving his hand near her face to get her attention.

"S-sorry, I got a little lost in your b-beauty," she stammered, blushing deeply as she realized she had spoken her thoughts aloud.

Aziz raised an eyebrow at her sincerity, but seeing her completely flushed face, he said calmly, trying to reassure her:

"Thank you for the compliment, you’re very beautiful too. Now, please confirm the mission for me."

The clerk nodded, regaining her professional posture, though deep down she was happy for the compliment.

She took the mission paper from the counter and proceeded with the necessary steps to confirm it.

After stamping the document with the guild’s seal, she said:

"Now, please give me your adventurer card for a second."

Aziz nodded, taking the card from his pocket and placing it on the counter.

She read the card, confirmed his name on the mission, and returned it to Aziz.

"Have a good first mission, be careful, adventurer Aziz," she said with a warm smile.

Aziz smiled back, putting the card and mission paper into his pants pocket.

"Thank you. And what’s your name?"

"My name is Lara," she replied, smiling.

"Well then, have a great workday, clerk Lara," Aziz wished.

"Thank you, adventurer Aziz."

He nodded and turned to the women accompanying him, knowing it was time to leave for his mission.

They knew it too, feeling anxious, their emotions turbulent — especially the youngest, Sofia and Zia, who looked at him with longing in their eyes, even though he hadn’t left yet.

"Let’s go. We’re done here," he said, then looking at Selene.

"Thanks for everything, Selene. I hope we can meet again to fight," he said, stepping forward and extending his hand for a shake.

Selene took his hand firmly, looking directly into Aziz’s eyes and replying:

"It was nothing. I just did what I had to do. And yes, we’ll meet again to fight with all we have. That would be amazing," she said, her face radiant with smiles.

Aziz nodded, smiling, thinking about the fight he would have with her in the future.

Then Selene waved goodbye and returned to the guild corridors, her own plans and thoughts spinning in her mind.

Soon, everyone left the guild in silence.

Stella fetched the carriage, and everyone got in, heading toward one of the city’s exits that would be Aziz’s path to the mission.

The journey there was silent. The women crowded around him, wanting to feel his presence, which soon would no longer be close for days, maybe.

Some time later, they arrived at one of the city’s main exits and stopped the carriage.

Everyone looked out the windows, understanding that this was Aziz’s starting point.

Taking his eyes off the window, he looked around at everyone. He took a deep breath and spoke firmly, although he couldn’t hide how much he felt they would miss him too.

"Well... this is where we part ways, folks."

Hearing his words, Zia and Sofia, sitting on his lap, and his mother and Isis, holding his arms, trembled slightly.

But as a mother, Astrid didn’t want to block her son’s wishes.

She looked at him, releasing his arms, and stood up, staring into his eyes.

"Haaah... if this is what you want, and I, as your mother, want you to fulfill your desires," she said, hiding her true thoughts.

"However, that doesn’t mean I’ll let you go without any protection."

A silver ring appeared in her hand, and she extended it toward Aziz.

He took it, knowing it wasn’t an ordinary ring but a spatial ring.

"Inside it is perfect armor for you, swords suited to your taste, food — I don’t want you to go hungry — water, a sturdy portable tent, new clothes, and..."

"And a carriage I personally ordered for you," Stella added, looking at him with a smile.

Aziz looked at them, feeling blessed by the care they had for him.

Putting the ring on his index finger, he stood up, gently taking Sofia and Zia off his lap, realizing they didn’t want to move away.

He looked at all the women there and said:

"I am truly blessed to have you as my family. I swear I’ll return home safe and sound."

They all smiled, each feeling a mix of emotions.

First, he went to Astrid and gave her a farewell kiss on the lips.

But just as he was about to pull away, he felt her arms wrap around his neck, pulling him closer, deepening the kiss for a few more moments.

When she released him, both were slightly breathless, not from lack of air, but from the intense feelings conveyed by the kiss.

She looked at him with a smile and said:

"This is so you always remember me, dear," she said, giving another quick kiss on his lips and stepping back.

Then Isis jumped on him, crossing her legs behind his waist, wrapping her arms around his neck, and kissed him with a wet smack.

She tasted his lips and then went to his neck, licking and nibbling.

"I’m going to miss my favorite snack, hehehe," she murmured into his ear with a warm breath.

After letting him go, she joined Astrid’s side, looking at him with her characteristic smile.

Stella, Sylvia, Sofia, and Zia were shocked to see them kissing so openly in front of them just like that.

Aziz laughed and turned to Sofia, who looked at him with shy and eager eyes, knowing what he would do next.

However, just as he was about to reach her, Zia jumped in front of her, hugging Aziz with a teasing smile on her face.

Standing on tiptoes, she kissed him, her soft wet lips playing with his.

"ZIA, y-you!," Sofia shouted, pulling her back angrily and taking Aziz’s lips for herself, leaving her mark on them.

Aziz also calmly tasted her lips, finding the rivalry amusing.

After kissing him, Sofia stepped back, her face flushed with embarrassment, remembering that her mother was watching everything.

She didn’t even dare look at her mother out of shame.

"Haaah... that’s it," Aziz said, feeling the lingering taste of the kisses on his lips.

He shifted his attention to Stella and Sylvia, who looked at him with slightly red faces, wondering if he would do the same to them.

However, arriving in front of them, Aziz kissed their cheeks tenderly and respectfully, thinking it wasn’t yet time to take that step with them.

But in his heart, he already considered them his, even without realizing it.

They were a bit dissatisfied but understood that their relationship with him wasn’t as deep as with the other women.

’I’m losing to my daughter, hahaha,’ Stella amused herself in her thoughts.

And Sylvia, who looked at him with her face completely flushed.

Aziz looked at Sylvia and saw her long elf ears twitching slightly, also turning pink.

He felt like nibbling them.

’She’s the shy type, huh...’ he thought, discovering more layers of the elf, always efficient and discreet.

Adjusting his clothes, which were a little wrinkled from the body friction during the kisses, Aziz said:

"So, finally, it’s time for me to leave. Don’t leave the carriage."

They obeyed his request, each giving him a few more hugs and kisses.

Then Stella opened the carriage door with a command, and finally, Aziz stepped out for his adventure.