Chapter Forty-Seven: The Gentlemen’s Alliance

“How about it? Want to come with me into this instance and try out a Zaku?” Bobby was tempting Hao Ren.

“You normie! So you’re a Zaku fan? Get lost, we have nothing in common!” Hao Ren was a die-hard Gundam enthusiast.

“What! Real men should pilot Zakus! How do you not understand that?” Bobby was adamant—Zaku was the romance of men!

“Is it because Zakus are just as normie as you are that you like them?” Hao Ren speculated with ill intent.

“W-what! That’s not it at all!” Bobby bit his tongue, startled. Did Hao Ren guess right?

“Ahem—enough nonsense. Are you coming or not? Give me a straight answer.” Bobby tried to sound stern.

“Of course I’m coming. Why pass up a good deal?” Hao Ren replied with unshakable confidence.

“Tch, you think it’s that easy to take advantage of me? Give me something in return—at least 300 LP.” Bobby flicked Hao Ren’s forehead, almost breaking his own finger from the recoil.

“Well, how about this?” Hao Ren was reluctant to part with 300 points, but the prospect of seeing a real Gundam was just too enticing. After some thought, he pulled out something he’d gotten a long time ago.

Bobby took it and grinned lewdly.

Long ago, it had brought together a couple and also sparked a legendary bromance: “Ultra-Potent Aphrodisiac.”

“Okay, bro, just an instance? No big deal!” Bobby stuffed the item into his pocket, threw an arm around Hao Ren’s shoulders, and laughed heartily.

“I’d like to join this instance too.” After a long time lurking, Armpit Shrine Maiden No. 2 finally spoke up.

“Beautiful lady! Of course, of course, no fee for you. Just let me have a look under your skirt,” Bobby switched faces in an instant, pure gentlemanly sleaze.

“You’d even harass my companions?” A flying dagger shot straight into Bobby’s forehead, blood spurting.

The head maid made a bold entrance.

“You know our master, Remilia Scarlet—she’d never be bothered to go to an extra instance like this.” So, Armpit Shrine Maiden No. 2 was also one of Remilia’s summoned creatures.

“No way—I have to go and beg her!” The shrine maiden tried to push through the crowd, but was stopped by the maid.

“I’ll go with you later.” The maid sighed at the teary-eyed Sanae.

“Sakuya, you’re so kind.” Sanae clasped her hands and tried to win over the head maid with a pleading gaze.

“Hey, kid, come here,” Chamberlain Suzuki called to Hao Ren.

“Hm?” Hao Ren looked confused.

“Could you give me your spot…” The OL’s glasses flashed, and sweat trickled down Suzuki’s forehead. “Well, I already have a reservation, so actually, I wanted to ask a favor.”

“If it’s something I can do, just say the word.” Hao Ren knew better than to cross someone so influential.

“If you can bring a Gundam out of the instance, will you sell it to me? Name your price.” Clearly, Suzuki had some deep-seated issues with domestically produced mecha.

“No problem, leave it to me.” Hao Ren patted his chest; he couldn’t pilot it anyway.

“I’ll be counting on you.” Suzuki’s gaze was meaningful.

Then, he vanished with his secretary and weapons—presumably returning to his own world.

“Bobby, you’re so shallow!” Hao Ren stared for a moment at the spot where Suzuki disappeared, then turned to Bobby, who was busy wrapping a bandage around his own head, and pointed at him as if he’d just revealed the ultimate truth.

“Nani?” Bobby was baffled.

“You, who only care about peeking under skirts, will never understand true art!” Hao Ren was indignant.

“Nani!? How dare you question my gentlemanly artistic pursuits! Give me a reason!” Bobby, blood still on his face, demanded an explanation.

“Hmph! Art is about boundless imagination for the unknown, an unending desire to seek out the mysterious.” Hao Ren paced back and forth, acting deep. “Exactly! The art that surpasses all else is… one’s own existence within the universe itself!”

“One’s… own existence in the universe…” Bobby’s background changed—tempest, thunder, lightning—he was shaken to his core.

“Why can’t we understand a word of this?” The crowd’s collective thought as they watched the two “gentlemen.”

“Indeed, the inside of a beautiful, youthful maiden’s skirt rivals the universe itself. If you see it, it’s just mere underwear. If you can’t see it, that’s art!” Hao Ren clenched his fist, his eyes gleaming with strange light.

“If you can’t see it… it’s art!” Bobby staggered back, struck by lightning once more.

“From now on, join me in witnessing the moment miracles are born in this world.” Hao Ren extended his hand to Bobby.

“Dragon…” Bobby couldn’t help but grasp Hao Ren’s outstretched hand.

“Bobby…” Both of them seemed to shine with a radiant aura.

The surrounding crowd of mostly men, not understanding a thing, couldn’t help but burst into applause.

It seemed the founding of a true “League of Gentlemen” was not far off.

“Um…” Sanae found herself completely unable to follow the gentlemen’s conversation.

“Don’t look, stupidity is contagious.” The head maid covered Sanae’s eyes.

“By the way, Bobby, where did you get that card?” Out of his gentlemanly role, Hao Ren grew curious about the card’s origin.

“Hm? This? I got it from a mysterious merchant’s shop in the arcade. Bought a lucky capsule and got it.” Out of gentlemanly camaraderie, Bobby told Hao Ren without hesitation.

“Sounds fun, take me there.” Hao Ren was always interested in games of chance.

Bobby gave him the shop’s location, agreeing to meet two hours later at the arcade entrance before heading off to prepare his supplies.

“Wait a moment.” The head maid stopped Hao Ren just as he was about to leave for the arcade.

“What is it?” Though he found her charming, Hao Ren had no interest in someone else’s summoned creature—especially if it was a yuri case.

“I have a favor to ask. There are too many people here—let’s go somewhere else.” Without any visible action, the scene before Hao Ren shifted, as if the camera had changed, and he found himself in a small wooden cabin.

Such was the power to control time and space!

“The spear-shaped ornament at your waist—would you be willing to part with it?” The head maid seemed a little breathless, gazing at Hao Ren with anticipation.

“Part with it? It’s just a regular keychain.” Hao Ren took the small item from his waist and played with it in his hand.

It was something he’d won in a lottery—could it really have some special significance?