CH57: Asset/Lover Cultivation Plan

***

CH57: Asset/Lover Cultivation Plan

The next morning, I had a surprise visitor.

It was Navia.

Even more unexpected, the ones who brought her to my house at the Elite Camp were Zora and Ella. It seemed the three of them had a good rapport. I heard them calling Navia, 'big sister' affectionately.

I wondered what Navia said or did in the distance between the Guild entrance and the Elite Camp which gave them such a good impression of her.

"Looks like you're ok." She said when she saw me moving about easily.

"I told you I wasn't injured or anything, didn't I?"

"Well, you have that macho thing going. You could be lying for all I knew, so I had to see it myself. So, where are my beauties, hope they weren't damaged?"

"That's the reason you came, isn't it? You were more concerned about the clothes."

"No~ How could you accuse me like that? I was worried about the cloth- I mean you." Navia said.

Ella and Zora who were watching our interaction chuckled.

"We'll leave you guys to catch up. We still have training to do." Zora dragged Ella away.

We watched the two joined the other members of the party for their routine training.

"She's adorable. I can see why you like her."

"I never said I liked her."

"There's no need to be defensive. It's not like I'm accusing you or anything. I would understand if you fell in love with her. There's nothing not to love about her."

"You just met her for a few minutes and you can already determine that?"

"Charm is my domain. I can tell when someone is greatly appealing to others. And that girl, Zora, is. She ticks most of your boxes. If I didn't know better, I would question your manhood, considering you've avoided giving in for so long."

I smirked.

Anyone could question my 'manhood' but not her. We've had many rounds of battle to test my manhood, and I'm still undefeated. On all occasions, Navia was the one begging for mercy at the end.

I'm truly grateful for my Physique Stats which improved my stamina and physical performance wonderfully.

"So, how was the investigation?"

"It looks like you were right. There's a strong chance that man is the one responsible for the kidnapping."

"But let me guess, he had someone else set the contract in his stead."

"That's correct. He chose the perfect fall-guy." Navia passed me a folder.

The folder had information on two people.

One was the person I identified at the Rose Palace yesterday as being the mastermind of Anastasia's kidnapping while the other was the fall-guy she mentioned.

I understood what Navia meant about the guy being the perfect fall-guy once I read through the information.

"Interesting." I smiled coldly.

"Indeed, it is." Navia concurred. "The deal, which Anastasia's return was planned to used as a bargaining chip, happen behind closed doors so no one other than the people involved, and a few other people knew about it. Even if the kidnapping was investigated, it would come back to this guy at most. At that point, the perfect narrative would be set and no one would look further into the matter."

"What is their relationship?"

"They are distant cousins."

I gave Navia a raised eyebrow.

Bonds of family relations was weak in the world of Arun. People mostly only cared about immediate family. For the mastermind to maintain a good relationship with his fall-guy, it wouldn't have anything to do with familial ties... at least not a distant one.

"I know it sounds unbelievable, but that's what started their relationship."

"Elaborate."

"They're both graduates of the Hunter Academy and were part of a fraternity together."

"The Hunter Academy had Fraternities?"

"You didn't know?"

I nodded.

"You spent three years at the Academy and you didn't know there were fraternities? You're making me doubt you went there at all."

"The Alumni ring I got yesterday proves I went there." I commented. "Come to think of it, I seem to remember being invited to join some societies. I just nominally put my name in the literary society since they gathered in the library and didn't disturb me."

Navia palmed her face. She decided not to continue the topic.

"Anyway, from what I could find, your target helped the fall-guy into the ASCON fraternity since they shared some relation. And from then on, he has been loyal to your target. Your man is now the head of ASCON in the Bayveth republic."

"The fraternity continues outside of the school."

"Of course. Most notable fraternities continue well outside the walls of the Hunter Academy. Some of them have their reach to even the Union itself."

"How does ASCON rate?"

"Its reach only extends through the Bayveth Republic. While they've existed for centuries, they haven't produced a Hero, or even a Champion, so no one at the Union takes them seriously."

"But that said, they are still a big deal in the Republic?"

"Yes."

I accepted the Intel Navia gave me. It made sense now that the Fraternity would take the risk of nurturing a Mana Soul despite the risks. It was for the ultimate goal of creating a powerhouse that would give them the influence they craved.

Unfortunately for them, all their centuries-worth of effort was reaped by me. It was the first punishment for touching someone under my protection.

But that wasn't enough.

"Have you reserved the contract?"

"Yes. There's a contract within the organisation for the fall-guy. But I don't get why you want to do the contract now. Can't you just wait till after your initiation? You will get better rewards doing the mission as a True member of the organisation."

"This isn't about benefits, Navia. It's personal. I can't rest until I vent a little." I gritted my teeth.

Navia gave me a long hard look.

"What?"

"I'm trying to decipher your motivation. I know the kidnapping didn't bother you so it must be something else. In that case, it must be Anastasia Armstrong." She gave me a smile with a blank look. "Don't tell me you're seeing someone else behind my back."

"It's not like that. There's nothing between me and her." I said looking into her eyes.

She sighed.

"I know."

"You believe me?"

"Of course. You are not the type to cheat, nor would you lie to my face on something like this. You are the kind of insensitive idiot to tell me to my face if you're seeing someone else. The same way you told me how Zora was shaking your heart."

"I don't know if that's a compliment or an insult. Besides, I'm not insensitive. I just believe honesty is the best policy in our relationship, considering the kind of people we are."

"Fair enough." Navia shrugged. "So? What's the story between you and the president's daughter?"

I hesitated for a moment. Eventually, I said,

"She reminds me of someone. If there was someone I ever 'loved', it would be this person. Unfortunately, I let the person escape my grasp and I lost them forever."

"What happened to them?" Navia asked carefully.

"I didn't attempt to fight for her because of my lower age. She eventually married someone else and was killed by that person." I smiled mirthlessly. "If I had made a move, I'm sure she would've accepted, but I didn't want her to be ridiculed because of me so I let her take the 'better' alternative."

I sighed.

"I thought I had gotten over it, but everything came rushing back when I saw her. I thought 'Ah... maybe this is another chance to rewrite my wrong'." I paused. I looked at Navia and said. "I'm scum, aren't I? I have you, I've been avoiding Zora's love and yet I'm chasing after a dead woman."

Navia stood up and walked over to me.

I was ready to receive her scolding and outburst, after all, I deserved it.

But it didn't come.

Instead, Navia wrapped her hands around my head and buried it in her bountiful chest.

"I wondered why you turned out this way, but now I understand. First loves leave deep marks. The mark is deeper when it ends in regret. You can't let that regret keep you from moving forward." She said,

"I understand that... at least, my head does. My heart is another matter. It's accepting you. It wants to accept Zora and it can't forget Annabelle."

"Annabelle, huh... both of them are 'Anna'. I can see why it triggers you so much." Her grip on my head tightened and my head was buried deeper. Fortunately, I was still somehow able to breathe... albeit air rich in her scent.

Perhaps due to the Charm-attribute from her Kitsune Pangea, Navia had an enticing scent. I've grown accustomed to indulging in the scent for a while now. So much so that smelling it was enough to calm me down.

Navia took my head from her soft mounds and looked at me with a soft smile.

"Thank you." I muttered.

"See... I told you, you are an insensitive jerk. How can you tell me about another lady you love, when you haven't told me you loved me yet?"

I smiled wryly.

"Listen, little boy. Let big sister here give you some advice." Navia said in a 'big sister' tone, which ticked me off. After all, I was mentally older than her. "Love is selfish. The heart wants what it wants. All you can do, is do right by us and see how it goes."

I looked at her sceptically.

"I know my experience in the matters of the heart is small, but even I can tell there's something wrong with that idea. Being indecisive isn't go to he-"

"Are you questioning my words, little brother with no love experience?"

"No, ma'am."

I quickly stopped what I was saying when I saw the veins popping on her face and felt her hand tightening around my head.

As an army man, I knew when to advance and retreat.

"As I was saying... If you don't know how to treat us... or rather, your head can't agree with your heart, think about it this way. Imagine that the three of us are great assets or important supporters that you can't do without. It's in your best interest to treat us well, isn't that right?"

"That demands me receiving benefits from you."

"Oh...? Can't you see it? Zora is the daughter and an heir candidate of the DoomMane Guild, the top Guild in Bayveth republic. Even if her brother takes over as Guildmaster due to being the son, she will still have significant influence in the Guild since she'll eventually become stronger than him thanks to your training, according to what you've told me

"Anastasia Armstrong is the daughter of the Bayveth Republic President. President Armstrong is loved by the people and another five-year term is almost certain if he decides to run for re-election. Even without that, his influence in all sectors of the republic is undeniable. Anastasia herself is a major figure in the Republic's Mana Engineering and Enchanting communities as the 'discoverer of mechanics'. Be it her father's influence or even her own personal influence, both would be useful to you.

"Then, you have me. I won't reveal everything about myself, but you at least know I have a strong pull within the organisation. I can get you information on almost anything you need within the Republic.

"Zora can provide you military strength in form of the Guild, Anastasia can provide you influence while I can provide you Intel. With these things at your fingertips, you'll be unstoppable... at least within the Bayveth Republic."

I looked at the woman incredulously.

Asking me to treat the three women around me as key strategic assets. Even I could tell there was something wrong with that. How unfair... and wrong it sounded.

However, I could see the value in what she said.

My 'head' saw the merit in what she said, and the conflict it had with my 'heart' was resolved. Whether my head or my heart, both agreed to treat the women to the best of my ability. As for who would be my partner, I would leave it to fate to decide.

As the saying goes, 'what would be mine, would be mine'.

I focussed on Navia.

This woman was dangerous. She knew me well... too well. She knew the buttons to push. And she pushed them well.

I grinned.

'As expected of the partner I chose. She's perfect.' I thought.

"The Bayveth Republic is too small for me. I need my net to cover the entire world of Arun." I said.

Navia's eyes widened. Then, her eyes turned amorous as she sat on my lap with a wide smile.

"There's the man I'm drawn to."

I wrapped my hand around her waist.

"You've given me a wonderful idea, my fair lady. I've always known I can't reach the Apex alone. I'll need agents to work for my purpose. And what better agents to use than the three women who love me."

"Anastasia loves you?"

"She will. She won't be able to help it." I replied confidently. "You, Zora and Anna. I will cultivate you three wonderfully. You will reach the top echelons of our world, and I will reap from your growth as you do so. I will make sure you stand by my side when I am at the top."

"What if we lose our love for you?" Navia asked with a teasing smile.

I held her chin gently.

"Whether you love me or not, by then, you won't be able to escape my hands." My grip tightened and I planted a forceful kiss on her lips.

Navia of course reciprocated the kiss.

We only stopped a few minutes later.

"I will turn DoomMane Guild to an S-ranked Guild and Zora will rule over it, whether she is the Guildmaster or not. I will cultivate Anna to be the best Engineer and Mechanic in this world. I'll make her build a company spanning the entire human domain. As for you..."

I made her stand up as I went to my bookshelf. I took a book I had prepared for her for a while now. It contained sketches of different clothing designs from the memory of my previous life. The same way the 'modern' suit I wore to the Graduation party took the party by storm, I expect that these designs would take the human domain by storm as well.

"This is for you. I expect you to build a major fashion house with this." I said as I handed over the book to her. "There are designs for commoners, upper class, nobility and royalty. I trust you know what to do with them."

Navia scanned through the book page after page. She sighed when she finished going through the book.

"Little brother, you're leaving Elder sister in awe. How could you come up with all these?"

Although I was ticked about the 'little brother' remark, I decided to be the bigger man for now. Later, I would bring out my 'little brother' to discipline her and let her know that I am not 'little'. For now, I replied,

"I am a genius the likes this world has never seen. You shouldn't be surprised by anything I do anymore. After all, I developed an entirely new power path on my own after I was deprived of my Pangea. Compared to that, this is nothing.

"This isn't even the end of it." I added. "When it comes to beauty and fashion, women are the biggest spenders, irrespective of class. Clothes only make a section of that. Once your fashion company is up and running, I'm going to introduce some cosmetic products. I guarantee they'll bring out the beauty hidden within any woman who uses them."

Navia's eyes glowed.

"Can I test them out first?"

"What? You don't need it. You're already the most beautiful woman in the world. You should give other women a chance."

"Nice try. Flattery won't work. When should I expect to receive my samples?" She gripped my arm so tightly I feared she wanted to tear them off.

"It will take some time to prepare, but it will be soon." I said. "For now, I'll leave you to deal with setting up the company. In the meantime, I'll prepare to deal with some people."

"The suit you requested for the Initiation is ready."

"I think I'm going to need it earlier than that."

"Fine. Just make sure you don't damage it. It took me a lot of effort to finish it before the initiation. I won't forgive you if you don't wear it then."

"Understood ma'am."

*

Navia left sometime in the evening that day. I introduced her as my tailor to the rest of Rowland's family as well as the Guild execs. I also introduced her to the Association heads who visited with gifts as promised.

This was a good start to Navia's fashion house.

Anyway, the female Association Heads, the Enchanting Association Head and the Mana Engineering Head, jointly presented me an Enchanting tools set.

The set was made by a joint collaboration of the two Associations and it was one of their pride and joy. With this set, I would have it easier drawing enchanting mana circles.

The Herbology and Alchemy Association Head brought something I was in dire need of.

Seeds.

The farmlands in the {Fool's Sanctuary} had been left unused for some reasons, amongst which was the lack of good seeds.

The two Association Heads solved this problem for me.

Now, I was ready to put the farmland to use. It was time to prepare for my next contract.

I entered the {Fool's Sanctuary} to prepare.

Talking about the sealed space, many things had changed.

Not just the sealed space, my Blessings and Interface had changed as well.

(To be continued...)