Just like always, after waking early in the morning when the sun had barely risen, Rex immediately brushed, showered, then headed into Zanis's office to see if anything had happened while he was away at the dungeon.
"Same as usual," Zanis replied while wiping down his desk with a cloth, a desk that was uncharacteristically free of paperwork. "I sent the dust you left behind to the Dian Cecht and Panacea Familias and more of them to the black market. Etcetera."
He glanced at Rex leaning against his door. "Things you don't care about."
'Bro really said Etcetera.' Rex thought and then he remembered something else. "Speaking of Ishtar, how important do you think her familia is to ours?"
"Hmm?" Zanis asked, starting to arrange his things back on his now shiny desk. "Elaborate."
"Like, if they suddenly disappeared, how would we be affected?" Rex noticed the captain's side-eye and explained, "I just want to know how much our allies affect us. Isn't that something a vice-captain should know?"
Zanis returned his attention to his work. "In terms of income, she surpasses the Dian Cecht and Panacea Familias."
"Well, that's a given," Rex mumbled.
Each weekend, around fifteen bottles of Real Soma were sold through the Ishtar Familia. After about a month, the market had stabilized, and each shot was valued at approximately 250 thousand valis. With each bottle containing 30 shots, the total revenue per bottle was around 7.5 million valis, bringing the weekly total to roughly 112.5 million valis.
Given Soma Familia's 40% share, they earned about 45 million valis per week from Ishtar alone. This amount significantly surpassed the 20 million valis they made from their legal Blue Papilio Powder sales.
Even with the additional 10 million valis generated weekly from the purple powder sold through the Dian Cecht and Panacea Familias, the income from Ishtar remained unparalleled. Furthermore, this didn't account for the significant earnings from Soma Familia's sales of false Soma and other lucrative transactions conducted through Ishtar's extensive network.
"Would we be able to cover the gap made by their sudden disappearance?" Rex asked, folding his arms. "Like through other legal means? What if they disappeared and we somehow got their land, would it make up for the loss of income?" Although he could ask Scavenger, he preferred speaking to Zanis about this information and then confirming it with Scavenger afterward.
Zanis paused, momentarily thrown by the question, but quickly brushed it off—he'd learned not to overthink the things Rex said. "It'd be difficult," he admitted. "They account for more than sixty percent of our legal income. We rely on them far more than I'm comfortable with."
He paused again. "Even if we somehow replaced the legal income we get from Ishtar, there's still a bigger issue." He turned to face Rex directly. "The Ishtar Familia is the network I use to launder all the money we make through the black market."
"…Really?" Rex raised an eyebrow. "Never knew that."
"Through them, I'm able to clean up tens of millions earned through the black market, legalizing it so we can use it freely," he continued. "The best part is that she doesn't charge a fee like my other networks do. She just doesn't care, as long as I don't interfere with her business or bring needless trouble."
"Damn." Rex blinked, mildly surprised. 'I'm starting to like her.' Who wouldn't like the person responsible for most of their riches??
"If she vanished, our black market revenue would take a massive hit, and overall income would plummet—over eighty percent, maybe even ninety," Zanis said with a heavy sigh. "Losing her would take us down with her. With the number of members we support, the expenses, the debts… we might end up worse off than we ever were before."
He paused, searching for the right comparison, then added with another sigh, "Worse than before you 'took control', I guess."
"Oh, damn." Rex looked down and quickly used Scavenger on all the information he had, frowning deeper each time. "Um… why did we put all our eggs in one basket?" He asked after a while, looking up.
Zanis shrugged. "That's just how it played out." He pulled off his glasses and wiped them with the hem of his shirt. "I'm trying to spread our risks now, but it would take some time."
'This is bad. Really bad,' Rex thought, rubbing the bridge of his nose. 'I was planning to let her fall, swoop in, and take her land and members... but at this rate—'
Even if they scored a massive profit from Ishtar's collapse in the short term, the long-term hit to Soma Familia would be devastating. Far worse than he anticipated, because,
"This dumb fuck really put all our eggs in one basket." He shot a glare at the captain.
Zanis didn't flinch. "Why are you even worried?" he asked, pushing off his desk with a shrug. "The Ishtar Familia isn't going anywhere. That's like stressing over the Loki Familia vanishing overnight—pointless and unrealistic."
'Yeah, for you,' Rex thought as he moved away from the door. "Have that cat Sandra watch Bell." He said as he opened the door. "The moment he enters the Pleasure District, let me know."
"Will do." Zanis didn't bother asking why.
"Later." Rex waved as he left the office, closing the door behind him.
He could indirectly interfere with Bell and stop him from ever entering the Pleasure District, but that wouldn't change anything. The problem was Ishtar's dumbass wanting to take down Freya. That was like a slightly tough domestic dog going after a wolf—no, a fucking dinosaur.
Rex didn't need to stop Bell; he had to stop Ishtar, but… his mind was blank right now. 'I need some time to think.'
He returned to his room and filled one of his pouches with a thousand 10,000-valis coins, for a total of ten million valis. Since he was going to gamble today, he decided to take a little extra. If he were to convert this to dollars using the yen standard, he would basically be walking around with 70,000 dollars like it was nothing.
It was already busy in Orario despite it still being morning. Adventurers in gear heading off to the Dungeon, street vendors prepping their stalls, and storekeepers unlocking doors and flipping signs to 'open.' The scent of fresh bread from nearby bakeries and the chatter of early risers filled the air. Walking through West Street, it didn't take him long to reach the Miach Familia home, and after knocking on the door, a reply came a moment later:
"Come on." It was Miach.
*Brrrring*—a light bell rang as Rex pushed open the door.
'Oh, they added a bell,' he thought, glancing up at it. 'Nice.'
"Rex!" Miach exclaimed, a bright smile on his face as he stepped out from behind the counter, making his way to Rex.
"Ah, Lord Miach!" Rex smiled, turning to the god while closing the door behind him. "It's been a while—oh!"
Miach stepped in without hesitation and pulled him into a hug, catching Rex completely off guard as the god's arm wrapped around his back. With their similar height, Miach's cheek rested awkwardly close to his own, far too intimate for comfort. Unsure of what to do, Rex hesitantly gave a few light pats on the god's back until Miach finally pulled away, still smiling brightly as if nothing was strange at all.
"How have you been?" he asked, and before Rex could reply, he continued, "Naaza and I tried visiting you, but it turned out we needed an appointment to meet with the vice-captain." He said that last part with a hint of pride.
'Appointment?' He didn't know anything about that.
"But every time we tried to set something up, a letter came back saying you were in the Dungeon." He met Rex's eyes with a touch of concern. "You've been down there that often?" Circling him slowly, Miach gave him a quick once-over. "You okay? Any injuries? You shouldn't push yourself so hard—spending too much time in the Dungeon can catch up with you."
"Haha, don't worry." Rex shifted into a side chest pose. Even through the fabric, his physique was impossible to miss. "As you can see, I am in peek condition."
Miach, now standing before him again, gave a nod as Rex let the pose drop. "And what about you two?" Rex asked. "How've you and Naaza been holding up? I imagine that War Game payout must've helped a lot."
"Yes, yes, we've been good." The god nodded as he walked back to the counter, Rex following behind him. "And thanks to you, we were finally able to make a dent in the loan we had—" He paused mid-sentence, looking a little uncomfortable after the reveal.
'Yeah, I already knew you guys were in debt,' Rex thought. Seeing the god's reaction, he decided not to pry and was about to ask something else, but Miach suddenly spoke again.
"I suppose it's only right for you to know," he said with a sigh from behind the counter.
'Uh, no.' Rex blinked, 'I don't have the right to know shit, but sure, go ahead,' he muttered internally, making no move to interrupt the god's sudden need to overshare.
"Naaza used to be a Dungeon crawler like you, Rex," he began in a low voice as his eyes lowered to the countertop. "But one day, during an expedition, an accident occurred." He paused, his jaw tightening slightly. "A monster took her right arm."
Rex didn't say anything and let the god continue.
"I managed to get a custom-made silver arm from Dian Cecht," he said, the name rolling off his tongue with an uncharacteristic anger in his tone. "but that put us into a lot of debt to that sly god. And when the other members found out, they left us."
Rex stared at the god, searching for words and coming up empty. "Damn... that's tough," he said.
Miach chuckled. "Yeah, it is."
"How much do you guys owe currently?" Rex asked.
"Forty million," he replied. "Through the years we weren't able to make much of a dent, but your purchases and that bet really helped us."
That's manageable.' He figured he would help a friend out eventually—but first things first. 'We still had a debt to Goibniu to handle before playing hero for someone else.'
He gave a short nod with a half-smile. "Then I'll keep buying from you. You should be able to pay it all off in no time."
Miach chuckled, a playful glint in his eyes. "Then I guess we're officially your personal potion makers." Still smiling, he said. "So, what brings you here today?"
"Same as usual," Rex replied, with the god nodding. "I want all your mind potions."
"Give me a moment." Miach said with a nod as he turned to the back. Soon twenty-three mind potions and three dual potions were arranged neatly on the table. "That'll be four hundred thousand."
Of course, Rex knew he'd probably dropped the actual price by more than fifty thousand but said nothing. He paid without complaint, but as he was about to pack the potions, he paused—he had forgotten to bring a bag.
Miach seemed to notice and quickly reached under his desk, pulling out a cross-shoulder pouch. "You can have this," he said, handing it over with a smile. "No need to return it. Oh, and—"
He brought out another box, opening it to reveal five pristine bottles filled with red liquid. Picking one out, he offered it to Rex. "Why don't you take this too?"
"Thank you," Rex said, accepting the bottle. He glanced down at it, then froze. "This…" His eyes shifted to the still-smiling god. "This is an Elixir?"
He hadn't noticed it at first because the bottle and color were different from what he was used to, but Scavenger confirmed it. A high-quality Elixir.
"Indeed," Miach nodded. "Naaza finally managed to make one using one of the purified Blue Papilio powders you gave her a few weeks ago." He puffed up with pride. "Now she's up there with the top potion makers in Orario. Fufufu!"
"Right…" Rex looked down at the potion. 'Well, I don't think it's much of an achievement when that ingredient's a cheat code,' he thought, then said, "I can't just take something so expensive, Lord Miach."
"No, no, don't worry," Miach said, waving it off. "Naaza wouldn't mind. You've helped us a lot—this is the least I can do."
"But five hundred thousand—"
"Please, I insist." Miach cut him off.
Rex sighed. "Alright," he nodded, adding it to the pouch. "Why don't I buy the other Elixirs too?" He had planned to visit Panacea Familia to get some, but if Miach was offering, he'd rather buy from a friend.
Miach stared at him for a beat then smiled. "That would be two million."
He had cut the price by a solid five hundred thousand. This time, as Rex arranged the coins, Miach made sure he watched closely so he wouldn't sneak in any extras.
"Thanks again," Rex said as he packed the bottles into the cross-shoulder pouch. "I'll be leaving now. Tell Naaza I stopped by."
"Wait, I'll go get her." Miach raised a hand to stop him. "She's been wanting to see you. It'd be a shame if she missed you—"
He was cut off by the sound of hurried footsteps from the back. A moment later, the rear door swung open. Naaza stepped out, eyes locking onto Rex in an instant. Her face lit up. She must've caught his scent… but clearly wasn't dressed for guests.
She wore a long-sleeved, milk-white chemise that flowed down to her ankles. The soft fabric clung lightly to her figure, the outline of her chest rising and falling with each breath. The material left little to the imagination, subtly outlining the curves beneath—and the faint peaks pressed clearly against the thin fabric at the front didn't go unnoticed.
Her tousled hair was messy—like she'd just rolled out of bed. Her right arm was hidden in the sleeve, but the faint gleam of a silver prosthetic shone beneath the light of a magic stone lamp.
"Ah, Naaza." Rex greeted as he met her purple eyes. "How have you been?"
She gave a soft smile, her tail clearly wagging beneath her gown. "It's been a while… Rex," she said, walking toward him. "I missed you."
'Thank god my tail's short and always under my pants,' Rex thought, side-eyeing her wagging tail. If he were like Bete or any other long-tailed mutt, things would be awkward.
"Missed you too, Naaza," he replied casually. "I'd love to catch up, but… how about I come back later?"
At this, her ears drooped, her eyes lost its glint and her tail came to a halt. "...Why?"
"Ahem!" Miach cleared his throat sharply, drawing Naaza's attention. Then he tilted his head and subtly motioned downward.
Naaza looked down at herself… and froze. Her eyes widened, tail bristling like a struck match beneath her gown as a deep blush bloomed across her cheeks.
"Ah-uh-uh…" she squeaked, eyes darting toward Rex before snapping away.
With her fluffed-up tail standing at full alert, she spun around like a startled cat. Moving like a clockwork doll, she shuffled quickly back through the door and disappeared behind the frame.
Miach let out a light laugh. "She really wanted to see you, huh?" he said, still grinning.
Suddenly, Naaza's head peeked out from behind the doorframe, her eyes avoiding his. "Promise to come back later?" she asked quietly.
"Of course," Rex nodded, giving a small wave. "I'll catch you guys later."
"Later," Miach waved, and Naaza disappeared again into the back.
Leaving the shop with a soft *brring* from the bell, Rex closed the door behind him and stretched. 'Let's drop this off in my room, then hit the gambling house.' He thought, deciding to come back here again before the meeting with Gareth.
While walking back to Cupidinem, he decided to stop somewhere for breakfast, but on the way, he spotted a casually dressed red wolf walking down the street. She wore a simple dress shirt tucked into black pants, paired with black shoes, and and being the creep he was, he followed her—curious where she was going.
As expected, she entered the library.
'Hmm…' he thought as he stepped inside, watching her ascend the stairs. 'I haven't seen her show much emotion, so… why don't I shock her?' He chuckled to himself, rubbing his palms together, which made a glasses-wearing girl hurry past him with a concerned glance.
Ignoring her, he climbed up to the third floor where the morning sun filtered gently through tall, dust-flecked windows, casting long beams of light across the wooden floor. He spotted Rose seated alone at a small table beside one of the windows, tucked away in the quietest corner of the library. Shelves surrounded her like walls, and it looked like she had brought her own book to read, fully immersed in the solitude.
He crept forward without a sound, and just as he raised his hands to give her a little scare, curiosity got the best of him. He leaned in slightly, peering over her shoulder to see what had her so hooked. The red-furred werewolf didn't even flinch—completely absorbed, unaware of the Chienthrope quietly behind her.
'…' Rex read silently as she flipped the page, completely engrossed. After a few minutes, he read out loud, "He growled—not spoke, growled—'You're mine now, kitten,' and she forgot what dignity even was."
At the sound of his voice, Rose froze, her ears shooting up and her shoulders locking in place.
"Her brain shut off the moment he bit her thigh. Logic? Gone. Morals? Deleted. God? Who's that? She wasn't just wet, she was biblically damp. Like ark-level flooding—"
Rose suddenly slammed the book shut with a bang.
"Hey, I was reading that," Rex said, reaching out to snatch the book while casually stepping back. He flipped to a random page and cleared his throat. "Her thighs had the audacity to clench like they had a mind of their own. Traitors—!"
Rose shot to her feet, her chair falling back as she whipped around, snatching the book from his hands with a sharp motion. Her face was blazing red—nearly the same shade as her hair—and her eyes narrowed with a mix of embarrassment and accusation.
"Ah," Rex nodded in understanding. "So you're one of those."
"T-those w-what?" she stuttered as she hid the book behind her.
"Gooners," Rex said bluntly.
She didn't know what that meant, but she didn't like the sound of it. Clearing her throat, she forced her face back into its usual stoic expression. "I was just curious, that's all."
"I've been standing behind you for three minutes, Rosalina," Rex said, shaking his head. She stiffened again. "You were so into it you didn't even notice a six-three man breathing behind you. But don't worry."
He patted his chest in understanding. "I don't discriminate against my friends."
"I was just… curious," she repeated, this time slower, trying to keep the last bit of dignity she had left.
"...Was it the mafia one or the dragon one?" he asked, casually stepping forward. She tried to take a half-step back, but her desk was right behind her. "No, wait—don't tell me. It was the cursed prince who bites, right? Definitely had 'biting' energy."
"I said I was curious," she repeated for the third time, her voice clipped. "It's just fiction."
"Right, right. Just fiction." Rex hummed. He tilted his head, considering something, then smirked. "You know what? Let me guess how the scene went."
She blinked. "Don't."
He stepped closer, his voice dropping a pitch as he slipped into a mock-sultry tone. "I shouldn't want you, princess," he said, stalking toward her with slow, deliberate steps, each one exaggerated like he was acting on stage. "But every time I see you, it's like my control snaps."
Her eyes widened slightly. Rex brought his hand up, brushing invisible strands of hair from her face like he was cupping her cheek, leaning in just enough that her ears twitched at the warmth.
"You drive me crazy," he growled softly, dipping his head down until his amber eyes met her golden ones. "Every inch of you screams mine."
Rose's hand tightened on the book behind her back. Her ears twitched again, her face still frozen—but a faint pink was spreading back across her cheeks, creeping down to her neck. Not noticing this, Rex leaned in even closer, bracing one arm on the desk behind her as his voice dropped to a whisper.
"So what if the world burns?" he murmured. "I'd rather burn with you... than live without the taste of you on my tongue, Rosalina." The nickname rolled off his lips into her ears, sending a visible shiver down her spine.
There was silence. Then—
"Okay, whoa." Rex suddenly blinked, eyes widening like he had just realized something. He took two quick steps back, lifting both hands. "There was... a lot of tension in that," he said, blinking rapidly. "Let's, uh—let's not do that again."
Rose looked away and cleared her throat. "Yeah, let's... not."
"Hmm..." Rex tilted his head. "It looked like you liked it, miss gonner."
"I didn't like that," she said flatly, though her ears were still twitching.
"Your tail says otherwise." At his word, she stiffened and quickly used her book to stop her wagging tail. "Ohohoho~!" Rex nodded. "You know, I could do the voice again."
"Don't you dare." She glared at him but her eyes held no daggers.
He grinned as he leaned towards her. "Tell me who owns you, little wolf," he whispered.
The book slammed into his face as Rose smiled slightly. "Fuck off." Clearly trying to change the subject, she asked, "What are you doing here?"
Rex decided to follow along. "Was coming back from shopping and figured I should grab breakfast when I saw you." He patted his pouch. "By the way, have you eaten yet?"
"No, not yet," Rose replied, discreetly tucking the book into her cross-shoulder bag. "Why?"
"Why don't we eat together?" he offered casually, causing her to glance at him. "It would be better to eat with a friend, my sista."
She stared at him for a few seconds then nodded slowly. "Alright." she said, as she turned to collect her things from the reading desk. After packing, she slinged the bag across her shoulder. "Let's get going.
[Author's Note: How was the chapter? Felt like it was a bit slow, but I think it was good.
Also, what do you think about the Ishtar Familia? As you might have noticed, I am planning on keeping them alive. What do ya think about that decision? I am a bit reluctant but it seems like the right thing to do at this point. Haven't really thought of anything solid yet but I still have a few more chapters before the event happens so I have some time to think.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Thanks for reading and I wish you well~(*￣▽￣*)ブ]