"Sss—"
Kurose Akira pulled off his VR headset, a sharp intake of breath escaping his lips. Ivsha's sheer greed had nearly overwhelmed him.
So this is what a succubus is like…?
Good thing it was only in the game…
…Wait?
Why did it feel like he'd been hit with Weakness in real life too?
Akira's entire body shuddered. Awe—and a trace of fear—rose in his chest.
Terrifying… absolutely terrifying. A succubus that can affect reality itself…
As for what Natasha was really hiding, he would need to peel away her layers of disguise carefully, one by one, and see the truth with his own eyes.
It didn't directly interfere with the commission's progress—but if possible, he still wanted to help Loserine recover that memory fragment. Ideally, he wanted to accomplish it peacefully.
"Ten already?"
Akira glanced at his phone, startled to realize it was already ten p.m. Time had completely slipped away while he was… rewarding Ivsha.
Tomorrow was a workday. He had to be up early.
Shower. Sleep. Now.
The next day.
Akira stopped by Liu Ling's noodle shop again, ate a steaming-hot breakfast, and threw himself into work.
Several busy hours passed before things finally slowed down. Sitting back in his chair, Akira began mentally tallying the guild's current assets.
After completing multiple commissions and deducting expenses, the guild account still held 80 silver coins. Of those, 70 silver were only being held temporarily by him and would be returned once another player finished their commission.
But two days had passed with no word from that player.
Akira couldn't help but worry.
Don't tell me they—
Cough.
…Or maybe it was just a particularly difficult commission that required several days.
After all, the commission he himself was handling had already dragged on for two days. He really needed to push it to completion—the plotline was getting a bit too long.
"Food's ready!"
Liu Ling brought over a plate of freshly cooked dishes, pulling Akira out of his thoughts.
This time, Liu Xue came out of her room on her own and joined them for the meal—though she clearly had an agenda.
She deliberately sat beside Akira and spoke softly."I followed your advice and went to the village granary. There really was a Fireburst Rat leader there. After I killed it, it dropped a Normal-quality weapon."
"Only a Normal-quality weapon?" Akira raised an eyebrow.
He himself had gotten a Rare-quality weapon—plus a Flame Gemstone.
"There was also a Flame Fragment," Liu Xue continued, her eyes shining with admiration and gratitude. "It can temporarily enchant a weapon. Market price is around five silver coins!"
"That's pretty good," Akira said with a smile.
Inside, though, he was thinking:
So even the same hidden elite can drop different loot for different players…
After lunch, Akira stayed busy in the shop for another two hours. By around four in the afternoon, his shift finally ended.
Another 300 earned today. His wallet was steadily getting healthier.
When he got home, Akira didn't log into the game right away. Fatigue washed over him, and he decided to take a short nap.
He set an alarm for one hour later—right on time for his appointment with Roxia.
Meanwhile.
As the Yerman Family's knights made their final preparations for the upcoming Vowbound Knight Selection, Roxia's uncle, Mero, slipped quietly back into his bedroom.
The moment he closed the door, a black shadow appeared soundlessly behind him.
"We've arranged everything according to your instructions," the shadow reported.
"Good." Mero let out a cold chuckle. "As long as my son becomes a Vowbound Knight, you'll be well rewarded."
"Since we accepted your commission, we'll see it through to the end," the shadow replied."Still, other than Roxia, do we really not need to worry about the other families' knights? Thanks to your cooperation, I've gained quite a few fine undead specimens."
"How could those wastes compare to knights trained by the Yerman Family?" Mero said with a light laugh."Even if the Yerman Family has declined, it's not something they can casually surpass."
"In that case, I'll proceed exactly as contracted."
"Mm." Mero nodded, then added, "But Natasha hired some adventurers. Could they interfere?"
"You can rest easy."
The shadow spoke with absolute confidence."I've already assessed that guildmaster. He's only rated F+. I advanced to E-rank a full month ago. How could he possibly be a threat to me?"
"If you're that confident, then I have nothing to worry about."
Mero relaxed. A sharp glint flashed through his eyes as he murmured darkly:
"Roxia… don't blame your uncle. If you become a Vowbound Knight, the curse branded into our bloodline will never be broken. Ten years ago, your mother completed the task. Now… it's your turn."
Beep. Beep. Beep.
The alarm rang, and Akira woke up right on time.
He splashed some water on his face, put on his VR headset, and entered the game world.
When he arrived at the guild, Ivsha was nowhere to be seen. Only Loserine was there, fully absorbed in assembling a puzzle.
Akira checked the time—9:05 a.m. About twenty minutes remained until his appointment with Roxia.
"Did Ivsha get held up by something today…?"
He frowned slightly. Normally, she would already be lounging in the guild hall by now.
Just as the thought crossed his mind, the guild doors burst open.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Akira! I'm late!"
Ivsha rushed in, breathing a little hard.
"It's fine. We're still early," Akira said calmly. "Something going on at the church today?"
"Mm."Ivsha nodded. "For some reason, the baron wanted to see all the nuns at our church."
"And nothing else?"
"Yes. After looking everyone over, he left," she added.
"..."
Akira frowned faintly. Something felt off—but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
After today's task… I should pay the church a visit.
"Let's go. We'll finish the Sunset City commission first."
"Mm!"
Light flashed, and Akira once again arrived in Sunset City.
When they reached the gates of the Yerman Family's castle, they saw the knights already assembled, ready to depart.
"Mr. Akira! You're finally here!"
Natasha greeted him with a radiant smile.
Of course, the only one who came to welcome him was his employer. The other Yerman knights neither recognized him nor showed much interest in adventurers at all. In fact, many of them were openly puzzled by Natasha's decision to hire outsiders.
Roxia herself was busy with other matters and couldn't attend.
"Are you about to depart?" Akira asked, stepping up to Natasha.
He couldn't help admiring her beauty.
Today, she wore a light-brown puffed dress. The sapphire necklace resting against her snowy neck gave her an air of refined elegance—and the deep contrast against her pale skin radiated a uniquely mature charm.
"Yes. About ten more minutes," Natasha replied with a smile."When the time comes, that area will be in your hands."
"Understood."
Akira answered as his gaze drifted briefly over the knight formation.
Most of them were around Level 5–8. Knights above Level 10 were rare, and those above Level 15 numbered only two or three.
In simple terms—
Even though Loserine was only Level 10, with her attributes and traits, she could probably solo this entire group.
Ten minutes later, the Yerman Family's procession set off toward the selection site.
Akira stayed toward the rear of the formation—though he didn't need to walk. Natasha's carriage could fit four people. It was a bit cramped, but he certainly didn't mind being pressed close to Ivsha.
Soon, they arrived at the location where the White Rose Rite would be held.
But before they even stepped down from the carriage, Akira's attention was seized by the sight in the distance.
High in the sky…
A gigantic white rose floated silently above them.