Sitting there comfy for a dozen more seconds, I decided to climb out of bed and go do my recruiting. Up on my feet, I headed out of my room and down the hall to the living room.
Finding mom and dad there sitting together on a sofa, I said. "I'm going to head out for a bit. Do you guys want me to pick up anything while I'm out?"
"I don't need anything, do you, dear?"
"I would ask you to pick me up some whisky, but none of the stores would sell it to you, so I'll just pick it up on my own later."
"Alright, I'll catch you guys later then."
"Okay, we'll see you later, sweety." My mom replied sweetly in her usual bubbly mood.
"Have a safe drive, son."
Heading to the garage next, I hopped in my SUV and took off in the direction of the brother and sister I wanted to bring into my circle. Due to their whole extended family being involved in wasteland exploring and various industries related to combat and arms, it didn't take me long to reach their home since they could afford to live in the wealthy district of the undercity. Coming upon a large home surrounded by a tall stonewall I drove up to the gate and entered in the access code I was given a while back.
Proceeding through the large secure metal gate, I drove to my usual spot and threw the vehicle into park, and exited it. From there, I headed to the hefty dark wood front door and gave it an audible knock, and before long, Takeshi's older sister came to answer the door.
"~Ara~ What are you doing here so early, Dom? You couldn't be here for me now, could you?" The dark-haired beauty sensuously inquired, looking as seductive as ever whilst giving me a hug from the front and pressing her bountiful chest into my own.
I swear this vixen is always trying to rile me up.
"Yes, actually." I responded simply while giving her a pinch on her supple but toned ass, which got a cute but sudden yelp out of her.
While she was blushing, she replied, with a not so hidden hint of desire in her eyes. "Oh, I wonder what for?"
"Well-."
As was going to respond, a tall, slender but athletically built, cold looking teen rounded the corner and interrupted simply, looking somewhat surprised to see me. "Dom."
"Morning, Takeshi, I got something to talk about with you and Rei." I greeted Rei's younger brother Takeshi.
"Okay." The teen of few words responded, while signaling me to come inside.
As he was walking off, I looked down at the seductive fox still latched onto me and asked. "So you want to get off me, or are you looking for me to carry you in?"
"I'll take the latter option, please." She jokingly answered before letting go, but before she knew it, she found herself being carried inside by yours truly.
Catching up with Takeshi with a red eared fox in hand, we proceeded through their family's house, that was reminiscent of those that used to exist in Japan before the world went to hell in a handbasket. Walking on the pricey dark brown wood floors, he opened a sliding door to a living room sort of space that had a couple of 3 seater couches facing each other with a fitting coffee table located in between them. Since this discussion I was about to have with them was serious and involved them taking a different path than what their family was accustomed to, I delivered and deposited Rei onto the couch her brother was seated on.
"Moh, why can't I be seated with you, Dom?" She complained cutely, puffing her cheeks slightly.
"This is important, Rei."
*Sigh* "Fine, I'll get serious then." She replied, putting one leg over the other and taking a serious posture.
With Rei no longer playing around, I began my recruitment speech. "So my reason for showing up at your door this morning simply put, is to extend and offer to you both."
...
"Go on, I'm listening." Rei said, intrigued, while her younger brother kept silent but interested.
"You know how Alice and her little sister and my two buddies Bob and Big Tom are always training with me?"
"We do." Rei answered.
"Do you know for what reason?"
"I don't recall you guys ever telling us, but isn't it so you guys can become wasteland explorers like our family?"
Shaking my head, I answered. "No, I intend to leave the undercity in the future to one day conquer the wasteland, so all of us are training to make that dream of mine a reality."
"Ara, that's quite the grandiose goal you've five have and I'm presuming since you're bringing this up you want my younger brother and I to join your little group, is that right?"
"That's correct."
"I'm sorry to tell you this, Dom, even though I like you a bunch, but my brother and I have no interest in throwing our lives away for nothing." Rei said, whilst her brother, sitting next to her, nodded his head along in agreement.
"Well, don't be too hasty just yet. What would it take for you to join? I'm sure I can make it worth your while." I replied, entering negotiation mode.
Some desire entering her dark alluring eyes, she responded. "Hmm, I don't know, but I'm sure you know what my little heart truly desires, nee~."
"Neesan, we-." As Takeshi was about to begin arguing with his older sister, she interrupted him and told him to pipe down, which he did so begrudgingly.
"What about a date?"
"That does sound appealing, but aren't you in a relationship with Alice?"
"I am, but she's alright with me having more than just her."
"Oh, but would I be alright with that arrangement?"
"I'm sure I can make you see it my way. I can be quite convincing."
"We'll see, but before that, why don't you sweeten the pot a bit more? A simple date seems a bit lacking, for putting my life on the line for you, don't you think?"
"Mm, you have a point. Why don't we go on a date first and if things go well, I'll lock you down as mine."
"My, how forward. But I do like the sound of that." She commented exaggeratedly, though pleased nonetheless.
Looks like I got the sister on onboard. Time to bag Takeshi now.
"So how about you, Takeshi, you want to help your good friend in conquering that wastes?"
"As cool as that sounds, Dom, that's impossibl-"
Not willing to waste time going through the rigamarole, I displayed my magical abilities by conjuring a level one spark spell on the palm of my hand that had grown significantly in size thanks to my magic damage stat increasing a ton over the years. "I can teach you and the rest of your family magic. How about that? That sounds pretty tempting now, doesn't it?"
There's no way anyone in their right mind would pass up on the opportunity to learn magic, especially a Japanese clan specialized in both assassination and sniping.
"What about me?" Rei chimed in before her brother could.
"Well, if we're going on a date, I have this sneaking suspicion that we're going to end up becoming more than just friends. So I'll definitely have to teach my girlfriend a thing or two, now won't I?"
"Of course you will." Rei said happily before getting up from her couch, making her way over to mine, and taking a seat with me and latching onto my arm.
"So you in Takeshi, or are you just going to let your sister have all the fun?"
"You have yourself a deal, Dom, as long as you are able to do as you said."
"I'm a man of my word, so you have nothing to worry about. Let's start now."
Two more people recruited into my small but growing group, I started teaching them about magic. After discussing it with them, along with its intricacies, they both decided to learn the Darkness Foundation Technique because it made the most sense for their fighting styles that have been ingrained into them from a young age.
Although I did keep in mind that, if I did end up entering into a relationship with Rei, I would make sure she learned the All Element Core Technique so she would be leagues above others. And if that happens, I'll have to see about giving it to her family as well, since it wouldn't look good on me if Alice's family had access to it but not her own.
Putting those kinds of thoughts to the back of my mind, I informed them that it would be wise to hold off on increasing their mage level until they've built up their endurance as much as they could. For the reason that they would have increasingly more mana at their disposal the higher their endurance was.
They deflated some upon learning that they couldn't start cultivating magic right away. Despite that, they understood the concept of building and maximizing their foundation, hence; they regained their excitement back rather quickly. From there, I told them to call their father, who was quite high up in their family's echelons, so I could begin arranging everything. Hearing my request, Takeshi got right on it and departed from the room in search of his father.
A couple minutes later, he returned with a man in his mid forties who looked like a more masculine and buff version of himself in tow. With the father arriving, I got down to business and began going through the whole spiel I had gone through with the brother and sister.
And once their old man learned of the existence of magic and that he could learn it, he gained the same giddiness his children had. It was honestly quite amusing seeing a usually stoic man displaying the exact same excitement a young child would, but it was understandable. After that, I arranged a meeting between their family, my own, and Alice's so we could get them all set up on their path of magic and prevent their clan's elders from passing away due to old age.
I wouldn't want to pass up on the possibility of allying with a clan full of assassins, now would I.
Now that everything was handled for the most part, I looked to Rei, who had changed her spot from my right side to my lap. "So you ready to head out on that date of ours?"
"Mm, lead the way, handsome." She replied lastly prior to us getting up and heading off to my car to do just that.
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