[DCI] Chapter 86 - Matters of the Mundane World (Patreon)

Before I got myself too deep into pondering about the possible reasons why we would receive a visit from what seemed to be a fantasy security organization or what it could result in, I took ahold of myself. We hadn’t done anything wrong or at least serious. If worse came to worst, I was confident Justita would step in to cover for us.

“Give us a moment, please,” I said loud enough for my words to penetrate the entrance.

The man’s furry ears twitched, signaling the reception of my message. Turning around, I walked back to the main room. 

Aisha was still deep in the sheets while Levia sat up and glanced at me curiously with her delicate palms atop her lap, ready to offer her assistance. Shuri slid the covers off too and stretched over her head. As she finished, I caught her night robe slipping off her shoulder, revealing more of her crimson skin. She noticed where my gaze flicked and hastily pulled the material up before it uncovered her more private bits.

“W-What is going on?” she asked with her cheeks darkening heavily, trying her best to steer the attention away from her little mishap.

“Dress up, ladies. It’s the wolf guy from yesterday,” I replied, walking closer to the bed and politely keeping my eyes away from the princess.

My wise Witch accepted the hand I offered her and slid off the bed, her dainty feet gently hopping onto the floor. Rising on her toes briefly, Levia graced me with a tiny good morning kiss before walking away to follow my order. Smiling warmly to myself, I looked at the lazy heap of muscles poking its ass out of the sheets. Shaking my head, I landed an audible smack on its tender flesh, evoking a sleepy moan from the owner.

“Get up. There’s business,” I said.

“What kind of a devil comes to someone’s home this early?” Aisha grumbled into the pillow, squeezing it closer to her chest.

I took a peek at my watch. “It’s past nine, working people hours already. He could have come here at the cusp of dawn if he wanted. He gets a point for being considerate.”

“Why couldn’t he be more considerate and come after dinner?” she complained.

“That person knows Lucas is a Defender,” Levia chimed in, stripping fully next to the dresser without a hint of shame in her calm movements, her lithe figure capturing my gaze for a second. “His best chances at catching us at home are either early or late in the day, after or before rest.”

My drakan mate whined dejectedly, then peered at me with one eye over the edge of the pillow. “Can I just stay in bed while you talk? It’s not like you need me for my smarts.”

I crawled over to her and ran my fingers through her lush scarlet hair. “Don’t make it sound like you aren’t a clever girl. A bit hasty and headstrong, sure. But not stupid. So, get that gorgeous rump up. Spare at least the police from your teasing.”

With a long sigh, she pulled me down into a fierce kiss, rolling us over. If Shuri had any leftover doubts about the three of us, they would be gone by now. After thoroughly showering me in her lust and affection, the busty redhead sat up and grinned impishly.

“Fine. But only because you asked so nicely.” Aisha snickered. “Move aside, sister. I need to see if there are any chaste clothes in our closet.”

Jumping off the bed with gusto, she landed next to Levia and joined the pale elf in dressing up. I met Shuri’s gaze and smirked wryly. It didn’t take even a day for my lovers to become more comfortable around her than necessary. Hopefully, that wouldn’t be too much for our new friend.

Five minutes later, we were all decently covered and the girls gathered in the kitchen with Rose making circles above them. Unlocking the door, I greeted the man with a respectful nod.

“Morning, officer. Is there a problem?” I asked with a respectful tone.

“Morning, sir. Agent Hammond Norn, Paranormal Security Bureau.” He flashed me one of those leather flip holders with his badge and identification. “Rest easy, yesterday’s incident has been resolved. I’m here just to talk. There are a few things we need to cover. May I take a bit of your time now?”

It might have all been professional politeness, but he seemed honest and understanding. Plus, he was somewhat nervous, as if worried about his impression. 

Stepping aside, I gestured into the apartment. “Come in. We were about to have breakfast so let’s discuss things over some coffee, if you don’t mind.”

“With pleasure, sir.” The man quirked a small smile and stepped past me.

We moved to the kitchen, three sets of eyes upon us right away, one of them slightly squinted as they rested on the wolf guy, making him pause. Resting a hand on his shoulder, I led the man to his chair while raising a brow at Aisha.

“Be nice. He’s just doing his job,” I said, strolling to the spot between my girlfriends. “Anything to order?”

My two girls gave theirs right away, with Shuri requiring a moment to think. Our guest settled with just coffee and a glazed doughnut from the central region, the one filled with jam rather than empty air in the form of a hole in the middle. As Aisha brought us the goods, he took a bite and hummed delightfully.

“I’m so envious every time I experience this,” he admitted.

“You guys don’t have instant delivery?” I frowned a bit.

Hammond shook his head. “It’s a benefit of the System, sir. Only Defender organizations have the privilege of employing its services. We have our means of transporting items over large distances, but nothing as easy as tapping a button and receiving food from four different places around the entire world at the same time.”

“That sounds like you aren’t supported by it?” Aisha noted.

“Correct, madam.” The man nodded. “The System is something that supports the safety of the universe. Its designers didn’t want to overstrain their creation too much so it doesn’t involve itself in worldly matters. Every realm is responsible on its own for everything that isn’t the threat of the invading Dungeons.”

“You seem to know a lot about these topics,” Levia pointed out.

“Allow me to properly introduce myself and then I shall answer any questions you might have.” He put the doughnut down and joined his hands on the table. “This meeting should have taken place much earlier, but due to the high number of Defender recruits recently, your case was simply overlooked, alongside a few others. I have been assigned as your Guide and Representative would you have any matters you wish to bring to the attention of the bureau. Here is your official Mirage ID that should make it easier to interact with the wide world after your initiation.”

Pulling a black metal card out of an inner pocket, Hammond handed it to me. Dark emerald letters were engraved on its surface, displaying my Name, Class, Affiliation, and Position. Where usually a person’s photo would be, the logo of my employer was located. Some stylistic lines adorned the edges of the card, words Mirage Corporation placed at the bottom right in a small font.

I waited a moment, but he didn’t do anything else, observing me take it in. “And for them?”

“Them?” Hammond blinked at me numbly. “Why would they need it, sir?”

It was my turn to blink at him dully.

A snicker at my side brought me out of it, and I found Aisha grinning in amusement rather than offense. “I think our case being overlooked might be more due to your Class than the lack of personnel to handle it, isn’t that right, Mister Agent?”

The lupine guy looked a tad embarrassed, his gaze shifting to the side.

“Overlords are said to be rather possessive and prideful, Master,” Levia shared what we already knew. “They wouldn’t let their slaves wander freely without supervision and risk their image being stained in case of an offense they wouldn’t be able to punish for right away. Not to mention wasting their precious Time Off.”

That made some sense. No one in PARSEC wanted to deal with a power-hungry jerk and so they passed our case from one to another like a hot potato. After our run-in with Hammond earlier, the issue couldn’t be ignored anymore as it had definitely been brought to the attention of the management along with the report he submitted.

“Okay. Since we are going to be working together in the foreseeable future, let’s make some things clear.” I joined my hands together too, and the man stiffened a bit. “First, let’s drop the honorifics. It’s too stiff. We are in similar fields, protecting the people and the peace of this world. Let’s just treat each other like comrades in arms. Unless this is being recorded?”

He nodded at the first part then quickly shook his head. “No, si—Lucas. We are on our own here. As long as no harm befalls upon me, nothing is going to interrupt.”

“Great.” I smiled at him and he responded in kind. “Second, forget everything you know about the usual owners of this Class. It’s no secret that I hate it, but you gotta play with the hand you have been dealt. Or unknowingly picked up, in my case. Anyway, the ladies here are my friends, not slaves. In some cases also lovers. They are free, as much as the System allows them to be. Are we clear?”

The surprise was apparent on his face, and our Guide relaxed some more, taking a less awkward sip of his coffee, growing more comfortable by the second. “Crystal.”

“Perfect.” I glanced at my companions, the draconic beauty dragging her seat closer to mine so she could entwine our arms now that she didn’t have to act too much. “Lastly, I’ll need an ID for each of them. Possibly more in the future. The more Time Off we earn, the more freely we are going to spend it, which includes my friends making trips whenever they wish to. Plus, I trust them enough to represent me in case I am busy, so it would be useful for official stuff too. Can we do that?”

“We don’t have access to the detailed information of your Subordinates, so you will need to share a few things with us, but I should be able to make it happen,” Hammond answered. “The higher-ups should be more than happy to know more about them as Overlords usually keep their cards close to their chest. It creates some tension as the bureau can’t accurately judge their full power. Thankfully, the Class is extremely rare. I don’t think I know of another holder in our branch or the nearby ones.”

“That’s good.” Aisha grinned. “I can already imagine the carnage that would ensue when a conflict inevitably sparked from such an encounter. Master is a very compassionate person and doesn’t cut corners when it comes to defending our honor. Or teaching wicked people a lesson.”

“Remind me to ask about lethal confrontations between Defenders in the outside world if I forget during our conversation,” I requested, Hammond’s eyes widening a tad. “But this would be all of my pleas. I hope I’m not asking for too much.”

“Not in the slightest.” Our Representative waved his hands. “I’ve encountered much more… outrageous demands. I worried about how this meeting would go, but I’m glad I can work with a very reasonable person. If you guys have any questions, we can start now. It’s always better than boring you with this corporate introduction that sounds like it’s been made by a machine rather than a living person.”

“I shall begin, then,” Shuri spoke up. “How much information about Master can you actually access?”

I was a tiny bit surprised she didn’t simply use my name, instead following in my mates’ footsteps, but perhaps our new companion didn’t want to stand out.

“As much as the organization employing him agrees to share,” Hammond replied, letting out a sigh. “Usually, they send us the whole profile when we ask, not wanting any trouble to befall their recruits in the open world. We struggled a bit with yours. The Supervisor you have been assigned was intent on protecting your privacy. We had to submit four requests, each time receiving a bit more information, which made us aware of how valuable you seem to be to them. There was a note not to offend you or they would intervene personally. We have what you see on the card plus age, race, level, and general stats.”

“I’ll have a word with them the next time we speak.” I chuckled quietly, appreciating J’s efforts of not giving away my abilities. “I’m curious about PARSEC. Why paranormal? I’m used to this word from fiction, where it regards the hidden community where such a force goes after those who learn of its existence rather than its members. I would have thought you would use a bit more modern name linked with the System and the whole Dungeon thing.”

“It’s a long story, honestly.” The guy tapped his fingers on the table. “Our organization goes back to the Middle Ages, or somewhere around the Industrial Revolution. It predates Earth’s initiation into the System. The name has been kept the same to honor the founding ancestors. Our main role changed from hunting to public safety, but we are nothing but adaptable.”

“How did this realm deal with Dungeons and their monsters before the arrival of the System?” Shuri asked curiously. “I thought both came at the same time or existed from the birth of a world.”

“Your Master might recall some legends and myths to help you understand, a few more local, others quite global.” He smiled excitedly as if Earth’s history fascinated him greatly too. “We know that the Void attaches itself to a newborn world right from the start, but the younger it is, the less influence the chaos can exert. In the past, existed tribes of hunters, orders of knights, associations of adventurers, teams of mercenaries, and so on, who simply delved into mystical places and resolved the issues, creating many fantastical stories. Not all of them were positive, of course. Most plagues, tragedies, sudden fall or disappearance of entire nations were the result of failed subjugations.”

Now I wondered if the burning of Rome was one of those. Or the troubles with any of the great ancient civilizations.

“PARSEC was a group as such, going after mystical monsters and hunting down threats to mankind. It specialized in humanoid targets. Today, it’s a stain on its name, but in those completely different times, many paranormal creatures and non-human races were hunted down, viewed as a danger necessary to eliminate,” Hammond continued solemnly as if those sins were his to bear. “Nevertheless, when the assault on a realm becomes too strong, the System gets initiated and Defenders start being picked out. Slowly, things began stabilizing after that happened, and people began learning about the true nature of things, realizing that not everything capable of magic or looking different than a human was evil. Our efforts, like many others, switched from hunting down to protecting the persecuted minorities.”

That felt like a plot to a movie, and I was pretty sure it even overlapped with one or a few, but I tried to take it all in with seriousness.

“When the technology grew more advanced, the brightest minds of both normal and paranormal sides who had started working together for the betterment of the world came up with a magitech satellite network which you know under the name of MirageLink,” the man added with a wondrous smile. “Not many are aware, but that was the first space operation long before what humans are proud of, though I digress. When the spell was finished, my people finally found peace on Earth. We could live amongst humans without worry and the communities around the globe flourished. Now, PARSEC ensures that no one abuses this cloak of illusion to do no good, taking revenge on innocent humans or so. To some extent, we are protecting the secret like in those fictitious stories you mentioned.”

Yeah, I could imagine that. Someone had to hold people accountable for their actions or there would be chaos. Who better if not races superior to humans in many areas?

“An incredible story, one I wasn’t expecting, but it brought forth more questions alongside the answers.” I smirked at our new ally, who had finally settled in our company. “Does this mean other races and magic truly existed on Earth since the beginning?”

“Naturally.” He nodded, happy to fill us in. “But not to the extent as you can see today. They were scarce and often isolated, hiding away from human hatred, since the world was dominated by your race. I don’t mean anything bad by it, by the way. Earth has always belonged to humans. Unfortunately, your lacking racial advantages and magical knowledge led to persecution and hatred out of fear. You could still find elves, dwarves, orcs, nagas, or beastmen around, living amidst their secluded communities, sometimes coming in contact with the general populace. It wasn’t until MirageLink that inter-realm travel was established and immigration kicked in. Hearing how comfortable, safe, and well-defended against the Void this place is, many jumped worlds if they could afford it. Today, humans make up about half of the world’s entire population.”

“Woah. That’s a shitload of people in less than a century or so.” Aisha’s eyes widened in shock. “Didn’t we read that there are about eight billion people on this piece of floating rock, Levia? For half of them having come from different realms, that’s insane.”

“My great-grandfather brought his pack here from a beastkin-dominated dimension,” the wolf guy said reminiscingly. “It wasn’t easy to get accustomed to such a jump in technology, but it was all worth it. Most of my family now serves in PARSEC, finding the job more bearable than sitting in a tall building and staring at shimmering lights for an entire day as the agonizing clicking makes your ears wilt. Maybe one generation later our kids will finally grow into this society fully, becoming true residents of this unusual world.”

“If no one else has the System besides the Defenders, how do people develop their talents?” I wondered out loud.

“I’m not sure how exactly the System was described to you, but it’s more or less just an interface that shows text and numerical values to what you have achieved. Plus the added capability of growth by delving into the Dungeons,” the agent echoed our introduction, pretty much. “Everyone has their own talents and can develop them. Without that interface, it usually requires a lot of self-study or mentorship. Mages teach mages. Warriors teach warriors. Race teaches race. Progress is much slower without the bonus spiritual energy from the defeated Dungeon monsters, but it’s not impossible. There is mana around, in smaller amounts.”

“This advantage is part of the reason why your organization is wary of Defenders,” Levia commented wisely. “How long would it take for a person with potential to reach the level of our Master?”

“May I take a glance at your profile, Lucas?” Hammond inquired. “I’ve seen only a glimpse before it got secured as top secret.”

He seemed trustworthy enough so I brought forth my sheet through the watch, hiding only the part with the abilities.

“Hard to tell without your skills and spells, but from what I know, we are looking at about five years of effort for typical paranormals.” His brows rose in astonishment. “You were scouted about a month ago? Man, you are going up fast compared to other Defenders. Do you even sleep?”

“We’ve been busy.” My drakan mate laughed openly. “Our Supervisor holds us in high regard. Not many can boast an Emergency Assignment this early. Three full Dungeons later and here we are. To think that our Master is kind enough to split the energy between all of us too.”

“All of you?” The man blinked emptily again, clearly not expecting such thoughtfulness from an Overlord. “How strong does that make you?”

Since I was going to share this with him later anyway, I brought forth the info pages of my lady companions and he paled after checking Aisha’s and Levia’s sheets.

“And here I was confident in at least escaping if things went south.” He chuckled weakly. “I take it back. Considering you are splitting experience, this is closer to a decade’s worth of effort. Two of you even have titles, which I heard are not so easy to earn. I’m already feeling the upcoming headaches in the future.”

I snorted and offered him a reassuring smile. “We won’t cause you trouble. As long as someone else doesn’t start it. So, maybe this is the moment where you scare us with what happens when we get naughty in the streets, Agent Norn.”

That made him a bit more relaxed again and he played into the role I had offered him, leaning forward and trying to glare at us like a bad cop.

“Listen here, newbies. You are under no circumstances allowed to use your powers on uninitiated, meaning humans who are under the spell. Yes, we can alter their memories, but my ass will be on fire nevertheless. If you really can’t stop yourself from interrupting some criminal activity, do it as covertly as you can. Swear to me that you will do your best not to involve yourselves with the mundane, no matter how hard it is,” our Representative insisted.

“I give you my word,” I promised for our entire group.

“Good boy.” He grinned. “With paranormals, things are simpler. Obviously, don’t bother civilians, but you are allowed to defend yourselves like you did yesterday. Usually, just throwing your affiliation around is enough to scare most of them away. Defender guilds are big names. As for any paranormal criminals, you can pursue and resolve incidents, but I would prefer you give me a call beforehand so that I can prepare a squad to secure the aftermath or support you.”

“Understood.” I nodded obediently.

“Appreciated.” Hammond nodded back. “Finally, we don’t involve ourselves with matters between Defenders until those matters get out of hand, spreading to innocent uninitiated and civilians. You should still avoid conflict, but mostly because you would be making trouble for your employer. Guilds don’t like their employees disappearing outside of Dungeons. Nevertheless, even if you murder a fellow Defender and we are asked to investigate the scene by their Supervisor, finding you out, all we can do is point the finger in your direction. The rest is on them. Be wary that there are organizations that are willing to come after you for a certain price.”

“Paid assassins. No surprise there. Our worlds have those too.” Shuri grunted quietly, the other ladies agreeing with her.

“That’s the gist of it.” Our new ally sat back and smiled appreciatively. “For any further inquiries, just contact me. As your Guide, I’m always on the phone. We understand that you may operate at any hour, so don’t be afraid to reach out even in the middle of the night. I get paid extra for overtime. Most Defenders in my charge have been moved to make space for you so I’ll already be working less for the same payout.”

“Sounds good.” I extended a hand and he shook it. “We won’t hold you here hostage for longer, then. Need some time to process all of that. I’ll reach out when we come up with more questions. Or we could meet somewhere again if you have time.”

“Anything to get out of that stuffy office.” He smirked and we all stood up. “I’ll definitely put a good word for you to the superiors. It’s been a pleasure. We need more Defenders like you. So many grow an insurmountable ego after becoming one.”

“Power does that to men.” Aisha snickered while elbowing me.

Rolling my eyes, I moved aside with Hammond and we exchanged contact details. He wrote down information from the girls’ statuses and promised to have the IDs ready in a few days. We bid farewell and the lupine agent headed down the staircase to return to his duties. As I closed the door and checked my watch for time, I found it rebooting. Zeke must have finished a moment ago.

Meeting with my Subordinates, I put my hands on my hips. “Alright, team. Let’s see what our IT wizard came up with overnight, then start with Shuri’s forge. Afterward, we should figure out how to best spend the remaining time before our next Assignment.”