Chapter 189: The Density of Bad Women and Men

Ash stared blankly at the little girl clinging to his leg, her small hands gripping him as if he were her only lifeline. He met everyone's gaze with an utterly confused expression.

"She called you 'Daddy,'" Harvey smirked. "So does that make you her hero now?"

Igula, however, quickly caught on and couldn't resist mocking. "Ash, I didn't think you'd already have a kid this grown-up... But hey, since this isn't the Blood Moon Nation, let me offer you a heartfelt congratulations on your reunion."

"It's not like that!" Ash protested. "I have black hair; she has white hair. How could we possibly be related?"

"That just means your genes got beaten into submission," Igula replied dryly.

The little girl sobbed harder, snot dripping from her nose onto his pants as she looked up at him with tearful eyes. "Daddy, don't you want me anymore?"

"I'm not your dad!"

"No, you are my dad! Waaah! Daddy doesn't want me anymore!"

If this were back home with his nephew, Ash would've already pulled out the "vine punishment" — an old family method involving a cane. But looking at this crying yet oddly adorable face, his clenched fists softened against his will.

If I'd been this cute as a kid, Ash thought, I could've gotten away with stealing money without getting smacked. Heck, my classmates would've fought to team up with me during field trips, and girls might've pulled my pants down just to get my attention.

"Alright, alright." He glanced at Anan and noticed her watching their "father-daughter" interaction with a bemused smile.

"This works too," she said. "Since Heath — I mean, Ash — is now my vassal, if she's willing to be your vassal, she naturally becomes mine as well. Shake her hand."

"Please call me Ash from now on," he corrected with a sigh, then turned to the little girl. He held out his hand. "Come on, be a good girl. Life's like this sometimes; bad women will just bully you for no reason."

For once, the girl didn't resist. She reached out and gripped Ash's fingers with her small hands.

Anan pulled out a violet pistol and aimed it at their joined hands.

"Ash," she instructed, "make two demands of her. First, she has to listen to you for 101 days. Second, she's not allowed to leave you during that time." Then, turning to the girl, she added, "Liss, you also get to make two demands of him. Anything you want. That's the rule for forming this contract."

Ash, resigned, said, "For the next 101 days, you have to listen to me."

Liss's teary eyes sparkled with a mischievous glint. "But Daddy, you have to listen to me too!"

Bang!

Anan fired her pistol. A streak of violet light emerged, transforming into chains that bound their hands together. The glowing lock extended to their hearts, creating a visible mark.

Perfect. Ash groaned inwardly. You listen to me, I listen to you. Isn't this just an infinite feedback loop waiting to break reality?

"Next," Ash continued reluctantly, "for the next 101 days, you're not allowed to leave me."

"I'd never leave Daddy," Liss replied with a smile that melted her tears away. "But Daddy has to protect me, okay?"

Another violet shot carved the second binding into their hands.

"Good." Anan turned to Clio. "Now all the outsiders are under my control. That settles everything, doesn't it?"

"We have no further debts between us," Clio replied, her tone stern despite her puffy eyes. "Now get out of here. We still need to document this."

"Bet on the Doran name," Anan said, hands on her hips, "I won't waste the trust you've given me. Good luck at the Weaving Festival."

Her butler, Banquet, snapped his fingers. A frosty staircase extended up toward the ceiling, leading to the exit. Anan glanced back at Ash and his crew. "From now on, you're no longer outsiders. You're temporary operatives of the Mortuary Bureau."

"Follow me," she added. "I've prepared clothes and food for you."

"Yes, ma'am!"

Liss immediately wiped her snot-covered face on Ash's clothes before darting over to hold Anan's hand like a sweet little shadow. Ash gawked, his jaw practically hitting the floor. "Wait, wasn't she just terrified of…"

Harvey patted him on the shoulder. "Why didn't you let her state her demands first during the contract? Now you've locked yourself into mutual obligations. You might actually have to dedicate your life to this little girl."

As Igula walked past, he let out a long, dramatic sigh. "Even a kid you just met can see you're the easiest one to manipulate among us."

Up ahead, Liss glanced over her shoulder, her innocent face twisting into a sly smirk. She winked at Ash, her big eyes narrowing into crafty crescents. "Daddy, hurry up!"

No doubt about it. Ash realized. That pathetic, clingy act earlier? All fake. She was just lowering my guard!

"First, there was the absurdly lucky 'Everlasting Inheritance.' Then came a weeping sharpshooting elf. Next, the Violet Moth, who sold us out only to reclaim us. And now, even a little girl is trying to milk me dry."

Ash buried his face in his hands. "Is it just me, or is tonight's concentration of bad women way too high?"

Meanwhile, back in the Blood Moon Nation, Freya had finished dressing and tended to the doll-like girl, Selina, who now wore clean clothes. Freya's gaze softened as she looked at the frail girl sitting quietly. A glowing red collar of bloodlight encircled Selina's neck, marking her as an outsider.

"Are you still cold? Do you need another layer?" Freya asked gently.

"Thank you, big sister," Selina replied with a timid smile. "I'm fine now. I don't want to trouble you."

"It's no trouble at all…"

Before Freya could say more, her companion Adela called from outside. "Freya, come out here."

Freya glanced at Selina and noticed the girl's eyes brimming with fear and longing. But though her lips quivered, she didn't utter a single word.

Freya's heart ached. Adjusting the lamp's position, she whispered, "I'll be right outside. Don't worry."

"I'll wait for you," Selina murmured with a firm nod.

Outside, Adela crossed her arms. "It's time to notify the church."

"She's just a scared girl," Freya snapped. "She fell through a dimensional rift, nothing more!"

"You saw the collar," Adela argued. "She's an outsider, like the ones who caused the 422 Incident. She's a source of disaster."

"She's not a spy," Freya retorted. "Who sends a limbless girl to scout another nation?"

Adela fell silent. Both knew the truth—the Blood Moon Nation was a harsh place for outsiders, especially those deemed weak.

Still, Adela warned, "Freya, you can't protect her forever. Outsiders have no place here."

Freya tightened her fists, her resolve burning brighter. Then I'll carve one out for her.