Suddenly, Delta licked Gabriel's cheek—touching the corner of his mouth.
Gabriel jerked back instantly.
He reflexively pushed Delta, sending the beastkin girl tumbling into a seated position, while he took a few steps back.
"D-Delta…?!"
His face flushed faintly.
"Why did you lick me!?"
Delta, now pushed, just crouched on the ground.
Her tail curled gently.
Her right ear stood upright, the left drooped.
Her head tilted slightly.
Her expression was innocent, like a dog that truly didn't understand where it went wrong.
"The Second Boss had snack remnants," she replied honestly. "Delta cleaned it. It tasted sweet."
Gabriel fell silent.
Then he let out a long sigh.
"That still doesn't mean you can, Delta," he said firmly, though his tone was no longer as tense as before.
"That's forbidden. Understood?"
Delta blinked.
"Understood."
Her answer was quick. Light. Carefree.
Before Gabriel could respond, Delta suddenly leapt. In an instant, she was sitting atop him.
Their faces were extremely close—too close.
"But since the Second Boss has returned," she said enthusiastically, her tail swishing rapidly, "let's make kids, nano desu! Let's make a pack! Delta wants a thousand children!"
Gabriel froze completely.
His brain felt like it had stopped working.
"W-What?!"
His face flushed again, this time far more noticeably.
"Delta! That's not the kind of topic for a casual afternoon chat!"
He tried to push Delta's shoulders slightly away, though not too forcefully.
"And 'a thousand' is not a realistic number! That's not an expansion project!"
His breathing was slightly unsteady.
"We haven't even discussed the economic foundation, organizational structure, or—anything that would support a 'pack' of that size!"
He looked at Delta with a mix of panic and overwhelm.
"In short: no! Denied! Postponed indefinitely!"
He swallowed.
"And it's definitely not something decided on a whim!"
Delta tilted her head again.
"…So, the Second Boss says later? So when?"
Gabriel twitched.
"That's not what I meant!"
A few General Members peeking from a distance slowly stepped back, pretending not to see anything.
Inside the half-ruined building, Gabriel realized something bitterly.
Facing the Cult.
Playing in noble politics.
Even experimenting with mana to breach the atmosphere.
For some reason, all of that was far easier than dealing with one over-enthusiastic Delta.
Meanwhile, Delta continued staring at him. Her tail wagged even faster, as if his previous refusal carried no weight at all.
Gabriel turned his face.
From behind the bangs covering his eyes, it was clear he was thinking of a way out.
An idea suddenly formed.
With subtle mana manipulation, he stabilized his heartbeat, calmed the remaining panic, and looked at Delta with a very serious expression.
"Delta," he said softly but firmly. "You charged at me quite forcefully earlier. The street got damaged. The building got ruined. Correct?"
Delta blinked.
"Then… what if Alpha finds out?"
Silence.
Delta's body froze.
Her tail stopped moving.
Cold sweat appeared on her back.
She did not want to even imagine Alpha's angry face.
Not only would she get hit.
Even her snack quota could be cut.
"W-what…" Delta's voice weakened drastically. "D-Delta doesn't want Alpha-sama to be angry…"
Gabriel gave a faint smile. Calm. Controlled.
"If you leave it to me, I'll persuade Alpha," he said lightly. "But on one condition."
He raised a finger.
"Forget about the whole 'making kids' topic. Understand?"
Delta froze.
Her face showed that she was really thinking hard—a rare occurrence.
Alpha being angry…
Snacks gone…
The topic of kids…
Her tail moved slowly, hesitantly.
A few seconds passed.
Then—
"…Okay," she finally said, her voice heavy. "Delta will stop talking about making kids."
She pointed at Gabriel with a serious expression.
"But only for now!"
Gabriel let out a slow breath.
A tactical victory.
For today.
But a few seconds later, his brows furrowed slightly. His mind raced, jumping to a… far more technical direction.
Should I create some sort of Homunculus-creation magic?
He recalled the basic concept.
A Homunculus—a form of artificial life born through alchemical methods.
In classical theory, they can be created without conventional pregnancy, formed from esoteric formulas and specific biological mediums.
Typically, a Homunculus is created with a fully developed body. Basic knowledge and cognitive functions are implanted from the very beginning of their existence.
They do not undergo growth like ordinary humans—the concept of age becomes relatively irrelevant.
Because they lack accumulated life experiences like humans, their souls tend to remain pure, untainted by complex emotional biases. This is also what makes their bodies stable for various extreme adaptations.
However, the type Gabriel was considering was slightly different.
It did not fully follow the classical formula, nor did it require biological material from him.
Yet it still utilized a womb as a natural growth medium—a hybrid approach between alchemical magic and modern biology.
For this, he could trace back high-level alchemical knowledge from Morgan le Fay's memories. Preliminary research could be delegated to his clones.
After all, at the moment, he had far too many things to handle directly.
And his time in this world was limited to only thirty days.
***
Several hours passed.
The sky over Lawless City had been completely swallowed by night. Dim lights hung along the narrow streets, illuminating rows of brothels that operated ceaselessly.
Visitors—or even clients—could often be seen coming and going from the establishments.
Amidst the district stood the White Tower, rising pale among the shadows.
At its summit, Gabriel, dressed in his No Name costume, sat on a tatami mat near an open window.
The night breeze drifted in slowly, carrying the faint sounds of the city.
Before him sat Yukime— a Thrianthrope, a nine-tailed white fox, her fur as pure as snow, her aura elegant and composed.
Gabriel took a sip of his tea before setting the cup down.
"Goshujin-sama," Yukime began, her voice soft yet steady. "Six years without a trace. I'm glad to see you have returned."
Gabriel lowered his cup fully and turned his gaze toward her.
"You haven't changed, Yukime," he said calmly. "Still using the same form of address."
The corner of his mouth lifted slightly.
"But… there's a small change. And that is pleasant."
His eyes drifted toward the window, staring at the dim sea of city lights below.
"The mastery of Ki principles you've achieved is flawless," he continued. "You deserve recognition."
He lifted his cup again, sipping slowly.
A brief silence filled the room.
"As your Master," he finally said, his tone still calm but unmistakably firm, "what is it that you desire?"
A short pause.
"As long as it has nothing to do with that man… I will grant it."
Yukime remained silent for a moment.
Her nine tails swayed slowly—not restless, but controlled.
Her bluish fox eyes met Gabriel's with the calm assessment of a merchant weighing profit and loss before speaking.
"You are still the same as before, Goshujin-sama," she said softly, almost like a whisper of falling snow. "Decisive… and a little possessive."
A thin, elegant smile touched her lips. It was hard to tell whether it was a jest or a test.
"I will not ask for anything related to that man."
Her voice remained gentle, yet a faint line of seriousness ran through it.
"There is only one thing I desire."
She lowered her head slightly—not a full bow, but a gesture of respect chosen deliberately.
"Let me remain at your side."
Her gaze lifted again.
"Not as a subordinate left to grow on her own. Not as a pawn in the power games of this city."
A brief pause.
"But as a recognized partner."
Her tails stopped moving.
"I have perfected my Ki. I command the underground network of Lawless City. Information, trade, the flow of money—everything is under my control."
Her eyes narrowed subtly.
"If Goshujin-sama intends to move something significant… allow me to be part of its core."
There was no pleading tone. No excessive emotion.
Only a calm statement.
And ambition arranged with meticulous precision.
Gabriel let out a soft laugh at her request.
It was not a mocking laugh.
More like someone who had just heard the answer they had predicted all along.
In front of him, Yukime tilted her head slightly. Her tails stopped moving.
She was not offended.
Only confused.
Several possibilities ran rapidly through her mind—had her words been too ambitious? Too direct? Or perhaps simply too late?
"Was what I said… amusing?" she asked cautiously. "If so… I apologize—"
"No."
Gabriel's answer was brief, cutting her off.
Yukime fell silent.
"Do not apologize," Gabriel continued calmly. "Because your request was granted from the very beginning."
A faint silence filled the room.
Yukime's pupils narrowed slightly.
Her mind raced, piecing together fragments that had always felt vague until now.
"…What you mean," she said slowly, with careful precision, "is the upcoming Red Moon night?"
Gabriel's eyebrows lifted.
A spark of appreciation shone in his eyes.
"You've decoded it, I see," he said lightly. "Very clever. The correct answer."
He took another slow sip of his tea.
"Therefore, ask for something else. Any artifact is fine."