"Senior, I believe you should stop trusting your instincts from now on. You keep saying things like 'I sensed demonic energy,' 'I smell the blood of a disgusting vampire,' 'I hear the howl of a werewolf,' and so on, but what do we encounter? No one!" The younger man complained in exasperation.
His unreliable senior had actually led him to jump from roof to roof for a full twenty minutes!
'Did he think I'm some kind of shinobis with chakras?! I'm just an ordinary human who has only recently undergone the first baptism and hasn't even awakened any blessings. How could he do this to me?!' The younger man cried inwardly.
Throughout the journey, he felt like his legs could give out at any moment. Fortunately, his senior stopped right after arriving at a wrecked mansion, just as he was feeling about to pass out. Even so, he was already out of breath, and he couldn't feel his legs anymore.
This... was not worth it at all!
He regretted his decision so much to join the Church!
If he had known he would be treated like this, he wouldn't...
Just then, his eyes fell upon a delicate-looking handkerchief tucked away in his cloak pocket.
As if remembering something pleasant, his gaze turned gentle and he ended up swallowing all his complaints.
'This is for the sake of her health. This is for the sake of her health.' he repeatedly chanted in his mind.
He then looked at his senior who was giving him a murderous look. He gulped.
"You fool! Take a good look around. What do you think?" the middle-aged man scolded.
"Well, uh, quite a chaotic scenery for an abandoned mansion, I guess?" the younger man replied tentatively.
"Are you for real?!" The middle-aged man's flared nostrils seemed ready to breathe fire. "These damages are fresh and were done just recently! Are you seriously so dumb that you couldn't notice?"
"Senior, don't blame me! I've been awake for almost twenty-four hours. How can you expect me to stay focused with all the piled fatigue?" The young man cried out in grief.
Ignoring the younger man's complaint, the middle-aged man strolled around, seemingly investigating.
On the other hand, the younger man didn't follow; he slumped down tiredly.
After a while, the middle-aged man returned, his expression deep in thought.
"What is it, senior?" The younger man couldn't resist his curiosity upon seeing his senior's thoughtful expression.
"There were at least several people here in this mansion a while ago, engaged in a fight. I also detected traces of demonic energy, so it's safe to assume there were demons among them..." The middle-aged man continued listing the results of the investigation.
The younger man could only listen in dumbfounded silence to his senior's detailed account.
'How on earth did he uncover all these details in just a few minutes of strolling? Is he some kind of omnipotent being?' The younger man pondered to himself in shock.
"I've also surveyed the surroundings and noticed shattered windows in some neighboring houses. The people nearby seem to be injured as well. This suggests that the demons involved in the fight here aren't ordinary. To create such chaos in such a short span, coupled with the pressure I sensed half an hour ago, it's undeniably the handiwork of high-ranked demons with troublesome abilities."
"Moreover, this mansion is located in a newly developed district without CCTV installations yet. Whoever chose this place as their base was quite clever. We won't be able to gather more information since there are no records of what's happening." The middle-aged man explained.
"The, what's our next move, senior?" The younger man asked with a serious tone, secretly gulping as fear tightened its grip on his heart.
"Sleep!"
"Huh?"
"Look at yourself. You look like a gust of wind could blow you away any moment. We should rest for today and resume our work tomorrow. It's already midnight, and if we were to face demons in this state, we'd naturally be at a disadvantage with our tired minds and bodies," the middle-aged man advised.
The younger man's eyes finally lit up with extreme relief. 'Finally, I get to catch some sleep!'
...
Dozens of miles away from Luwis's mansion, at the entrance of a four-star hotel, Austin and Satella walked in.
They promptly approached the reception desk.
"Hello, how may I assist you?" A delicate, pretty girl with light-colored glasses greeted them with a smile. She cast a curious glance at the couple.
The two of them didn't dress like normal people should. Austin in this particular case had his hair messily tousled by the wind, and his clothes were dirty from debris, with tears in some parts, including his pants. He had a handsome face, but his tattered clothes gave off an impression that wasn't very respectable.
In comparison to Satella, who was generally in better shape, Austin seemed like a wet, wild street dog, while Satella appeared pampered and princess-like, akin to a well-cared-for canine.
For some strange reason, whenever she took a look at Satella's gorgeous scarlet eyes, she would blush and feel her face heat up as if a teenager catching sight of their crush.
'What's happening to me? Did I just turn into a lesbian?' the reception girl thought to herself, taken aback.
Unaware of the reception girl's thought, Austin inquired.
"I'd like to book a room. Are there any available?"
"Please wait a moment. Let me check," the receptionist responded after a brief pause. She returned to her seat and began typing something on her computer.
After a while, she stood again and inquired, "So, what type of room are you looking for? We have standard suites, family-"
"I want the best suite," Satella interrupted abruptly.
"I'm sorry?" The receptionist adjusted her glasses, slightly taken aback.
"I want the best suite," Satella repeated, turning to Austin with a sweet smile. "That's okay, right, brother?"
Austin was speechless and hesitated. The best suite? If it was the presidential suite, the cost of the room would likely empty his bank account right away.
Yet, faced with his sister's first request in a long time, how could he possibly refuse?
After a moment of contemplation, he let out a sigh and reluctantly retrieved his wallet. He pulled out his bank card and ID, handing them over to the receptionist. "Alright, give me the best suite."
"Absolutely, it will be the presidential suite then," the receptionist said with a much friendlier smile and accepted the cards. She swiftly swiped the bank card after completing some administrative procedures.
Thud!
The receptionist girl frowned, swiping the card again.
Thud!
Finally, she turned to Austin and informed with her eyebrows furrowed, "I'm sorry, dear guest. It seems like either your card isn't working, or there might not be enough FUNDS in it."
Bewildered, Austin inquired, "How much does the presidential suite cost?"
He had managed to accumulate a decent amount from his part-time work as a cashier, and it was something he took pride in. Yet, the savings he had amassed didn't quite cut it when it came to booking a room? Just how pricey is that presidential suite?
"Five thousand dollars."
Pfft!
Austin nearly choked on his own saliva.
Five thousand dollars?!
Not to mention five thousand dollars, he'd never even saved up more than a grand himself.
"Satella, why not just go back to Alysia's mansion and spend the night there? The rooms there aren't any less comfortable than the suites here," Austin suggested.
"No, I don't wanna! There's that fox there," Satella replied, turning her head away.
"Well, what about a regular suite? I think it should be good enough for us," Austin persuaded again.
"No, I want the best suite!" Satella stubbornly insisted.
Austin felt a headache coming on. How did his usually obedient sister become so unnaturally stubborn just for the sake of choosing a room today?
The same sister who would sometimes sleep on the cold, dirty floor just to wait for his fever to cool down!
As the receptionist glanced back and forth between Austin and Satella, her mind started to wander. 'Yep, he's got the handsome face, but probably not the deep pockets. Poor girl, she could've ended up with someone like me... Wait, why am I even thinking that way? Am I really into women now?!'
After a lot of brainstorming, he finally came up with an idea. He quickly pulled out his phone and browsed through his contact list. But after a while, he couldn't locate the number he needed.
"Hmm, that's odd. I remember not deleting her number. Why can't I find it?"
Satella inquired, "What are you doing, brother?"
"I'm trying to reach out to Alysia, and see if she can pitch in with our financial situation," Austin responded in slight distress.
Satella appeared somewhat guilty but eventually admitted, "Well, I actually blocked her number from your phone."
"Huh?" Austin was taken aback. How was he supposed to arrange payment for the presidential suite now that he had lost the means to contact his supposed lifesaver?
"Check, check the block list. Maybe the number is still there," Satella suggested, her guilt evident.
Austin examined the block list and, to his relief, found that Alysia's number was still saved; it was just blocked and not deleted.
He playfully pinched Satella's cheek before dialing Alysia's number.
"Hello. Yes, it's me."
"Can I borrow a bit of money from you? Just five grand would be enough."
"Huh? One million? No, no, that's way too much. I only need five thousand."
"Well... if you put it that way, it would be impolite for me to keep rejecting."
"Alright, here's my bank account number. It's 4322..."
The receptionist girl overheard Austin's conversation and couldn't help but twitch her mouth.
'One million? Who does he think he's fooling? Is he trying to impress his girlfriend? But whose idiot going to believe such a blatant lie?' she mused to herself.
After some time, Austin decided to check his mobile banking account and was stunned to discover that he had officially joined the millionaire club!
As he glanced at his fund's display, he was greeted by a seven-digit number that seemed almost surreal. He wondered whether this was a dream or not.
Satella, who saw it too, couldn't help but smack her lips. "If Mom saw this, she'd probably faint on the spot."
"Not 'probably', but definitely." Austin corrected, still in disbelief that he had become a millionaire just like that.
The unimaginable sum of money he never thought he'd possess in his entire lifetime had suddenly become a reality.
Still reeling from the shock, he awkwardly handed his bank card back to the receptionist.
"Give it another try," he muttered.
The receptionist girl took the card and hesitated for a moment before swiping it.
Thid!
This time, the distinct sound confirmed a successful transaction.
The receptionist girl appeared surprised, casting a doubtful glance at Austin. 'Did he really borrow a million just like that, or is it only five thousand dollars?'
After a brief pause, she threw her thoughts to the back of her mind and refocused on her tasks. Without delay, she finalized the transaction and handed Austin the keycard.
"Enjoy your stay!" she bowed in the direction of Austin and Satella as the couple walked away and stepped into the elevator.
'What a mysterious man...'
...
They chatted animatedly as they headed to their room. However, the moment he hovered the keycard and opened the door, Satella swiftly kabedoned him, kissing him deeply, and kicked the door closed.
"Brother, I want you now." she whimpered.
The atmosphere escalated quickly, heating up the room.
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I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to all the readers who have accompanied me on this journey. We've finally hit 100K views! Congratulations to all of us!