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"I must've been too gentle turning her down just now. I shouldn't have said she was pretty too."
Anos frowned.
That had to be the problem.
If even a rejection came with praise, then getting accepted would feel like heaven.
That was probably why that female mage had come over to confess in the first place.
"Sorry, I'm not into… the big type."
After a moment of thought, Anos gave his answer.
"Ah?"
The mage forced a polite, awkward smile.
"Ah?" Hestia froze in shock.
Not into big?
Not into big…
Not into big…
She shut down a little.
She clearly remembered that back when he was younger, he didn't seem to mind at all. When did his tastes get this picky?
A few seconds later, the mage recovered and licked her lips.
"Well, I can make myself seem smaller too, you know. Just not sure if Holy Child would ever get the chance to confirm that."
Even after being rejected, she wasn't giving up.
At this point, Anos's presence was overwhelming enough to make most women reconsider their usual preferences.
"No need, I'm a man with principles."
Anos answered firmly.
"What a shame."
The mage shrugged helplessly, then pulled out a slip of paper from her chest.
"My contact info and address. If you ever change your principles… or your mind, come find me."
"…"
Anos watched silently as she tossed the note in front of him, unsure what to say.
Did he really look like that kind of guy?
Cough…
The mage left, but her actions set off a chain reaction.
Almost immediately after she walked away, a petite blonde priest approached him.
"Um… I actually think Holy Child—"
"Sorry, I'm not into small either. I prefer something more balanced."
Anos delivered a routine lightning-fast rejection, and that single line made Bell and Liliruca, who had been watching happily, instantly deflate.
Small doesn't work either?
And just like that, breakfast turned into something else entirely.
"Sorry, I'm not into purple hair."
"Sorry, I'm not into sword users."
"Sorry, I prefer someone stronger."
"Sorry, I'm not into black hair either."
…
Anos went on a rejection spree at breakneck speed But ironically, it created another problem.
Even as the criteria kept narrowing, people kept coming.
By the afternoon, when Anos had already gone into the Dungeon to grind monsters, a list had started circulating.
A full list of everything Anos Kanzaki didn't like in women.
"Ais, want me to read it to you?"
Tiona asked with a mischievous grin, waving the list in her hand.
"What is that?"
Ais had no idea what had happened today.
"Hehe, Anos rejected who knows how many girls today. This was put together by the ones who couldn't accept it."
"It's got everything he doesn't like. For anyone who's into Holy Child, it's basically the ultimate strategy guide."
"Um… could I get a copy?" a girl's voice came from the side.
"Lefiya…"
Ais stared blankly at the girl who had already made her choice while Ais was still thinking. For some reason, it felt like a betrayal.
"Hehe," Tiona chimed in, the perfect wingwoman.
If Anos knew, he'd probably treat her to a meal.
"Ais…"
Lefiya looked at her with a mix of pleading and hopeful eyes, which only made Ais feel even more conflicted.
She didn't know why she felt this way.
It was like the core of her power… no, her magic… was aching slightly.
Lefiya Viridis.
Title: "Thousand Elf."
In the original story, she was a young mage who admired Ais, gifted with exceptional magic and mana, nearly perfect as a backline caster.
She was being trained as the successor to Riveria, another mage.
Personality-wise, she was prone to nervousness, especially around Ais and the others.
That was how it was supposed to be.
Ais knew her well.
But now… Lefiya had become a full-on fan of Anos.
After hearing from Loki about what Anos had done the night before, and after reading his profile, most women would've lost their composure.
And that was just from the information.
Anos in person was on an entirely different level.
As he grew stronger, even his presence and appearance subtly evolved.
"Tiona… I want to know…"
Whether it was for herself or for Lefiya, Ais spoke up.
"Got it."
Tiona grinned.
"First, he doesn't like big."
"Second, he doesn't like small."
Ais quietly lowered her head.
Lefiya nearly burst into tears. Was she getting rejected before she even started?
"Then, he doesn't like mages."
"Ugh—" Lefiya felt like she'd just been pierced by a thousand arrows.
"He doesn't like swords user"
"He doesn't like purple hair."
"He doesn't like overly energetic personalities…"
As Tiona read, she kept sneaking glances at Ais.
Just as she expected, a faint blush began to appear on Ais's face.
Ais thought… maybe she actually fit quite a few of those?
Hehe.
Tiona had already decided on a plan.
Deploy their ultimate weapon, Ais Wallenstein, and take down Anos.
Of course, right now Ais was more like a grenade than a nuclear weapon.
She'd need a bit more polishing first.
Unaware, Ais was already being packaged and prepared by her "good friend."
After all, you had to take risks to get results.
But…
They didn't know.
Anos wasn't a wolf that could ever be satisfied.
Not one Ais.
Not even the entire Loki Familia.
Not even all of Orario or the Dungeon itself would be enough.
…
Back on Anos's side.
"Whew…"
After a full day of grinding monsters, Anos swore he'd never show up in public again.
Women only slowed down his leveling speed.
"The Falna… I have to admit, it's a perfectly suited ability."
He narrowed his eyes.
A god's blessing that drew out a person's potential and granted them power.
Anos wasn't human, but with his physique, the effect was even stronger.
As long as the divine blood hadn't reached its limit, he could keep leveling up simply by gaining experience through battle.
Efficient. Fast.
Today, he'd spent the entire day in the Dungeon.
Ais knew he needed to level up, so she hadn't come looking for him.
What she didn't know was that his goal had nothing to do with the Apollo Familia.
Even at Level 1, he could've crushed them with the right methods.
They weren't worth his going out of his way to level up.
"Hm?"
As he took a side path back to his Familia's villa, he noticed a figure sneaking around outside.
"Hey! Who are you? What are you doing here?"
Anos frowned.
His voice startled the girl mid-peek, and she spun around in alarm.
But when she saw his face, her expression shifted from vigilance to shock.
"Holy.... Child?"
Yamato Mikoto stared at him, stunned.
She hadn't even noticed when he'd appeared behind her.
"You're… from the East?"
Anos recognized her, Yamato Mikoto, if he remembered correctly.
But why was she here? Another one trying to eliminate herself from his "dislike list"?
"The East? You're from there too?"
At the mention of it, Mikoto lit up with excitement.
Just as she thought, the Saint was one of them.
"Half, I guess, What's your name?"
Anos asked casually as he opened the door.
"I'm Yamato Mikoto, What do you mean, half?"
She tried to steady her slightly racing heart.
"Because only my name comes from there."
Anos smiled.
He hadn't been born in that region in this world.
Strictly speaking, only his name was tied to it.
Now he understood why Mikoto had approached him.
She thought he was one of her own.
"Only your name?"
Mikoto blinked, confused.
Was that even a thing?
"I've had this name since I was born. Strange? I just knew it was mine, so I kept it."
Anos shook his head lightly.
He could clearly feel the difference from before.
Back then, if people confessed, it was because of his abilities, his grades, things like that.
His looks barely added anything.
Now everything was balanced.
And the result was… complete domination.
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~Support with 300 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter
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For early access to advanced chapters on P-atreon:
P-atreon/iamxeno
(Just remove the - hyphen to access normally)
Thank you so much for your support and for reading!