Obsession with the Massive Meat Grows, Part 7
Lyla Francis clamped both hands over her mouth, desperately stifling any sound that might escape.
With a swift motion, she swiped away the floating holographic information to hide it from prying eyes.
Then, she turned her head to look at her fellow receptionists.
She made a zipping motion across her lips.
It was a clear command for absolute silence.
The receptionists and Vice Branch Manager Kara nodded with tense, serious expressions.
"U-Um, Lord Ted? Would you mind waiting in the VVIP room for a moment?"
Lyla felt cold sweat trickling down her spine as she cautiously scanned the lobby beyond the reception desk.
Fortunately, they were far enough away, and the boisterous clamor of the adventurers seemed to have drowned everything out. No one was paying attention to them.
"Phew..."
Only then did Lyla let out a sigh of relief, guiding Ted and Princess toward the stairs leading to the upper floors.
"Please wait just a moment. These stairs are protected by a barrier that cannot be passed without authorization from the Association."
Lyla stretched her hands toward Ted and Princess and muttered a quiet incantation.
A faint light flickered, granting them access.
"There, you may go up now. I have granted you both the authority to move freely throughout this facility."
"Thank you, Lyla. Does that mean we can look around anywhere inside?"
"For anyone else, I would only grant restricted access. But Lord Ted is special to me. I've given you both the highest level of authority in the facility."
The highest level of authority?
Ted was slightly taken aback.
He began to suspect that Lyla held a much higher position than a mere receptionist.
"Please wait in this room for a moment."
Lyla led them into a thoroughly soundproofed VVIP room before slipping away.
"...This is definitely because they found out Princess is an EX-grade weapon, right?"
"Indeed. I can think of no other reason, my Master. After all, an EX-grade transcends the SSS-Rank—the previous pinnacle of existence—by two entire tiers."
As far as Ted and Princess knew, whether it was adventurer ranks or weapon grades, nothing had ever exceeded SSS-Rank.
While there were natural-disaster-class monsters designated as SSS+ rank,
at least on the side of humans and weapons, nothing above SSS had ever been recorded.
Until Ted and Princess showed up, that is.
"Man... thinking about it again, it really is insane. Do you think the Branch Manager we've only heard rumors about will show up?"
"Given my Master's greatness, surely at least a Senator of the Association should grace us with their presence."
"Hahaha, now that would be a massive incident."
Ted and Princess joked around as they waited.
After a few minutes had passed,
"Thank you for waiting."
Lyla and Vice Branch Manager Kara entered, carrying tea and refreshments to serve them.
Then, they sat on the sofa opposite the two.
...Hm?
Ted felt a sudden pang of confusion.
Lyla was the only one sitting on the luxurious single-seater sofa.
Meanwhile, Vice Branch Manager Kara stood politely by her side.
As Ted wondered about this strange dynamic, Lyla offered an explanation.
"Haa... I never imagined I would have to introduce myself to you like this, Lord Ted."
Lyla pinned a new emblem onto her name tag.
It was an emblem Ted felt he had seen somewhere before.
It undoubtedly signified an incredibly high status.
"Originally, I planned to tell you tonight while sharing a wanton, passionate time in bed with you and Princess... but circumstances have forced my hand."
At those words, Vice Branch Manager Kara's face flushed bright red. She had clearly pictured it in her mind.
Lyla glanced at her with an amused smirk.
She had brought it up on purpose. She was clearly one hundred percent intent on dragging Kara into Ted's web.
"Lord Ted, Princess. Allow me to introduce myself formally."
Lyla turned her gaze back to the two, introducing herself with a polite, dignified posture.
"I am Lyla Francis, the Branch Manager of the LupeliaAdventurer Guild, and the First Senator among the 12 Senators of the Adventurer Association."
Both Ted and Princess gasped in shock.
They had just joked about the Branch Manager or a Senator showing up, only for the very person holding both of those supreme titles to be sitting right in front of them.
"Lyla, you were the Branch Manager?! And the First Senator?! Wait, then what was with the receptionist work?!"
"O-Oh... My Master's first girlfriend is truly an extraordinary individual."
As Ted and Princess stared at her in sheer disbelief, Lyla gave a bashful smile.
"I work as a receptionist as a hobby. Thanks to my highly capable staff, I rarely have to do any actual work as Branch Manager or Senator, so I had plenty of free time on my hands."
Even so, choosing to work as a receptionist just to fill her time...
Lyla seemed to genuinely enjoy working.
"Good grief... For the past two years, I completely believed you were just a regular receptionist..."
No wonder Eileen had practically begged him to make Lyla his girlfriend. He finally understood the reason.
"Fufu. I had no intention of deceiving you, you know? It's just that no one ever asked, so I never had a reason to mention it."
"Well, of course! If someone is working at the reception desk, everyone's going to assume they're a receptionist!"
"To be honest, I did intend for that."
Lyla giggled mischievously.
"I knew you were influential, but to be both the Branch Manager and the First Senator... Just how long have you been working here? Those positions aren't exactly handed out to just anyone."
At his question, Lyla's expression turned slightly awkward.
The reason for her hesitation was none other than her age.
"Um... Actually, this was also something I wanted to confess in bed tonight..."
"Lyla. I don't care about any of that. Please, don't feel pressured and just tell me."
"Thank you for saying that, Lord Ted... Actually..."
Lyla took a sip of her tea to steady herself before continuing.
"I look human on the outside, but I'm not a pure-blooded human. I'm a half-breed."
"I had absolutely no idea."
"Oh? What kind of half-breed are you?"
"Among my ancestors, there was a high-elf whose lifespan vastly exceeded that of normal elves. Because of that extraordinary ancestor, my family carries a very potent concentration of that bloodline."
"A potent bloodline... What kind of effects does that have?"
"Aside from lacking the characteristic pointed ears, I am virtually identical to an elf. So, despite my appearance... I have lived for two hundred and thirty years."
It was a staggering revelation.
She possessed such a youthful appearance, yet she was actually two hundred and thirty years old.
It certainly shocking, but...
"Hm? A descendant of a high-elf, and you are only two hundred and thirty? How young."
With the 1,075-year-old Princess sitting right next to them, two hundred and thirty years didn't seem old at all.
"Right. Lyla, you really are quite young...? Wait... is that the right way to put it...?"
"Honestly... I was worried that I was deceiving you by hiding how much older I am, Lord Ted... but thanks to Princess, I don't feel that way anymore."
"Fufufu. Of course. You stand before one who has lived for over a millennium."
Princess smiled, taking another sip of her tea.
"When you mentioned being a descendant of a high-elf, I wondered if you might be around seven thousand years old."
"Is their lifespan really that long?"
"Indeed, my Master. They are not mere elves. High-elves are living myths. Some are said to have lived for hundreds of thousands of years."
"I have heard the same. Because they usually die from accidents or battles before reaching the end of their natural lives, no one truly knows their maximum lifespan."
"Indeed. In that sense, they might be functionally immortal, much like an Intelligence Weapon."
Princess smiled warmly, looking at Lyla with newfound affection.
"How wonderful. It seems you and I will be able to stay together for an incredibly long time."
"Yes, I am glad that I will be able to spend a long time with you as well, Princess."
Ted didn't say it out loud, but he immediately understood the underlying meaning of their conversation.
Unlike him, a human with a relatively short lifespan, these two would remain together long after he grew old and passed away.
And since Lyla has a 200% compatibility rate with Princess...
Ted felt a sense of peace.
Once he was gone, Lyla could become Princess's new wielder, ensuring they would never be lonely.
Ted smiled warmly and asked another question.
"So, did you rise to your current position solely through your long career as a receptionist, Lyla?"
"Strictly speaking, it's a bit different."
Lyla reached out and pulled Vice Branch Manager Kara toward her.
"Kya?!"
Kara gasped as she was suddenly pulled onto Lyla's lap.
"L-Lyla!"
Though Kara was flustered, Lyla paid it no mind, hugging her tightly like a giant teddy bear as she continued.
"I was already working as a receptionist when Kara's great-great-grandparents were still rookie adventurers. After all, I've spent about a century in that role."
Kara went completely still, her face flushing crimson in Lyla's embrace.
Ted could easily guess why. Lyla had undoubtedly been the designated receptionist for Kara's family for generations.
To Kara, Lyla was likely a deeply special, maternal figure.
"But I didn't become Branch Manager or Senator just because of my long tenure. In fact, I was offered both positions the very moment I became a receptionist."
"You were offered them right from the start?"
"It's a bit embarrassing... but yes. Working as a receptionist was the path I chose after retiring due to 'unavoidable circumstances.'"
A fleeting shadow of sorrow crossed Lyla's face, but she quickly replaced it with a bright, radiant smile.
"Though I might not look it, I was once an active adventurer for over a century—and an SSS-Rank hero at that."
Thud!
Ted bolted upright from his seat before he could even think.
"L-Lyla... You were a legendary hero?!"
"Yes. I am a receptionist, a Branch Manager, a Senator, and a retired hero all at once."
Ted was utterly dumbfounded.
He had assumed Eileen was the first hero he had ever met in his life.
But he was wrong.
From the very first moment he had spoken to Lyla at the guild desk,
he had already been interacting with a legendary hero.
And now, that very hero was his girlfriend.
I... I already had a legendary hero in my grasp.
Not only that, but she was also the Branch Manager and the First Senator of the Adventurer Association.
As it turned out, Lyla was an even more formidable figure than Eileen.
For that reason, Eileen had been so adamant about him claiming Lyla.
Seducing a woman of Lyla's stature would be recognized as a monumental achievement for any man.
By doing so, the likelihood of Eileen's prestigious family acknowledging Ted would skyrocket.
"You never showed even a hint of it... I had absolutely no idea."
"Fufu. Do you see me in a slightly different light now?"
"So much so that I want to ravish you right this instant."
"Oh my... ♥ Shall we do it right now, then...?"
"...?! ...??!!"
At their shameless banter, Kara—trapped right between them—flushed so hard her face practically glowed.
"If I say yes, it would be too much of a tease for the Vice Branch Manager, wouldn't it?"
"True. I suppose we should keep our teasing in check, fufu."
"...?!!"
Ted chuckled and sat back down.
Kara puffed out her cheeks in a pout, glaring at Lyla as if protesting the unfair treatment.
Her heart was pounding furiously, terrified that they might actually start having wild, degenerate sex right over her lap.
"My sweet Kara... don't be so upset."
Lyla giggled, poking Kara's puffed-out cheek with her finger.
"What kind of weapon did you wield when you were an active hero, Lyla?"
"I wielded a sword."
"Do you still have it? Was it perhaps an Intelligence Weapon?"
"Yes, it was. However..."
Lyla let out a bittersweet smile.
"I'm afraid I cannot introduce you to them."
Lyla gazed at Princess with a look of deep yearning.
Looking at Princess, she seemed to be remembering someone who had once stood by her side.
"To be honest, I carry a deep trauma. It is the reason I retired... and even now, a century later, I still haven't overcome it. I am unable to fight monsters."
Ted's expression softened with sympathy.
"Ah... I'm sorry for bringing up painful memories."
"It's quite alright. I am happy now, working as a receptionist to help adventurers, and most of all, because I met you, Ted."
The reason Lyla was so exceptionally competent as a receptionist wasn't merely because she had done the job for a long time.
It was her century of experience as an active adventurer and her status as a legendary hero that allowed her to offer such profound, invaluable advice.
"Now then... let us get to the main point, Lord Ted, Princess."
"Yes."
"Very well."
Lyla gently let go of Kara and straightened her posture, her expression turning dead serious as she began.
"An EX-grade is unprecedented in history. Because of this, we are facing an extraordinarily grave situation."
Theoretically, ranks higher than SSS could exist, so designations like SSS+, EX, and EX+ had been established just in case.
But while SSS+ might have been deemed possible, no one had ever imagined that an actual EX-grade would manifest.
"Therefore... to deliver the grim news..."
Lyla continued, her eyes filled with deep concern.
"You and Princess, Lord Ted... both of you are now in grave danger."
Bonus Illustration
