It was Aster's second time riding in a flying car. As such, he was the same as before, excitedly watching the scenery pass by from the backseat.
The guild wasn't far from the Gravenne Tower, where the mayor resided, so the trip didn't last more than two minutes. Still, it was a fun ride for Aster, who enjoyed every second of it.
"Please follow us, Mr. Aster Mistral." One of the men in black asked politely as he opened the door.
"Thanks."
Just as he was getting out, Aster got a good look at the man's face and felt a slight fear. He had red skin like the Oni old man from the dungeon entrance but had scales covering parts of his body. He looks like a lizard of some sort, with completely humanoid facial features!
'A lizardman, perhaps?' Aster mused, slightly getting used to identifying weird races he encounters.
Other than the two with him in the car, five more men wearing the same style of clothes appeared. They surrounded Aster like a VIP, even casting a sight-blocking spell to stop others from perceiving his identity.
Technically, it was excessive protection, but they were just following protocols.
Their tight protection lasted until after they entered the elevator, reaching the top floor, where the mayor stays.
"The mayor is already waiting. Please proceed." The scaly lizardman bowed lightly, ushering Aster into the same large doors leading to Mayor Magnus' office.
Aster took a deep breath, a habit that he was slowly trying to lose, before touching the doors and pushing them open. He felt as if the doors were a bit lighter compared to before, but rather than the door becoming lighter, it was just him whose strength increased marginally after a level-up!
"Aster! It's been a while, hasn't it?"
Before the door closed, a friendly voice, exuding authority and a sense of closeness, reached his ears. Looking around, he quickly found the source. A tall, slender man with a pale complexion, semi-long brown hair, and crimson eyes and lips curved into a light smile.
"Mayor Magnus! Good afternoon. It's just been four days, so it's not really that long." Aster bowed lightly in greeting.
*WHOOSH!*
In a flash, Magnus appeared right before Aster, touching him from all over as if to body-check him. "Alright, no hidden knives or anything with you. That's good!" He exclaimed, half serious, half in jest.
While they were on the elevator, the men in black already seized his weapons. As such, Aster was unable to bring any "weapon" with him.
He smiled wryly, scratching his cheeks with an awkward tone. "It's not like I have chronic suicidal tendencies, if you're worried about that."
Before, Aster used his very life as a bargaining chip. It was a foolish but brave choice, enough that Mayor Magnus felt exasperated about him. If not for the special measures in place that prevent one from using their skills in public, then he might have hypnotized Aster just to make him behave!
"Anyway, what's the reason you called for me, Mayor?" Aster asked, going straight to the point.
"Did you forget what day it is today, perhaps?" Magnus asked back while urging Aster toward the sofa to sit.
The two sat down, getting comfortable, before Mayor Magnus got back to the topic. "Today is supposedly the first day that you'll cooperate with us, remember?"
Aster frowned, thinking about his words deeply. "Cooperate...? Ah!" And recalled what he meant.
"Great. It looks like you still remember." Magnus nodded with a faint smile. "We already have a partner decided for you, but her ovulation period for this month is delayed by 1 day. As such, can we push back the schedule for tomorrow instead?"
"That... do I even have a choice of saying no?" Aster replied sarcastically. "A day of delay, is it? I don't mind."
"Thank you. My wife said that it's just right since she had things to prepare on her side too." Magnus commented casually.
"Wife...?" But Aster picked up on the detail immediately. "Wait, is the first partner you prepared for me your wife?!"
Aster recalled the beauty he saw the last time in the office: Mayor Magnus' secretary-cum-wife, Priscilla. Although she was a timeless beauty, Aster felt weird just imagining "sleeping" with someone's wife.
"Ah, that was supposed to be revealed on the day itself." Mayor Magnus scratched his head from his minor slip of the tongue. "But it's true. Your first partner is my prided wife, Priscilla. With her skills, having experience or not wouldn't matter." He added it with a playful wink.
"But... aren't you against something like this? Letting your wife sleep with another man, I mean?" Aster didn't stop nitpicking, as it was just that important of a thing. "If it was me, I'd never let another man touch my wife!"
Magnus smiled and took a deep breath while leaning his back against the sofa, sinking deep into it.
"Of course, I feel the same as you." He explained. "Letting my wife sleep with another man is painful for me. But this isn't just about our feelings, but also considering the entire city—no, the entire world's future."
His gaze felt lonely and sad but was filled with resolve and a hopeful vision for the future.
"This is a political move, working as a sign that even I, the one with the highest position in the city, was willing to offer my wife for the greater good." He closed his eyes slowly. "Of course, Priscilla herself agrees, willing to do it for the sake of the world."
"..."
Aster was still reluctant, but now he could understand where they were coming from. A sacrifice for the greater good. 'This makes me feel like a villain for some reason, tearing families apart...' he mused.
"Of course, this is a one-time thing. And if she did conceive a child from this, it would be considered our child and not yours," Magnus explained further. "And I trust that my wife wouldn't fall for a hairless brat like you." He added it with a teasing grin.
"... Alright. I understand." Aster sighed reluctantly. "This is simply a job that I had to do without letting my emotions come into play."
Magnus nodded his head approvingly, feeling the resolve that Aster had.
"But..." He chimed in with a little smile. "Don't hate me if your wife compares your performance with mine later on."
"...cheeky brat. My skills are godly; there's no way you can satisfy her as much as I do."
"Hah! Bet!"
The two joked around, trying to lighten the atmosphere a little. Right after, they began chatting casually for a few minutes, until a certain name was brought into the conversation.
"So, how was Kali's performance? Did she not cause any trouble?"
Aster went silent for a moment before sighing out loud.
"So it really was your doing." He whispered under his breath.