Reincarnation fetish V1 Ch 12

 12 Suits, Ranks, and Enemy?

"Maul, it's time to wake up. We'll go to the guild after breakfast."

"Mm... yeah..."

When I woke up, Lucia was already up, dressed in her usual bodysuit, and had laid out breakfast on the table.

I sat down quietly at the table, but inside, I was regretting not waking up earlier - to see her gesture of lifting her hair to tie the laces on her suit's back, which was enough to make me want three more servings of rice... though there's no rice in this world.

The jet-black bodysuit clung to Lucia's skin, accentuating the seductive lines of her body and her ample chest... in other words, it was quite erotic.

Her glossy black hair matched well with the suit, and when it fell, revealing the white skin of her back, it was beautiful.

"Good morning, Lucia... you look beautiful today too."

"Eh?! P-please eat quickly. We're going."

Lucia blushed at my unintended compliment; my Lucia is so cute even in the morning.

"Yeah, let's eat!"

After filling up on Lucia's homemade ham and vegetable sandwich and bean soup, we headed to the guild.

"Are you sure you want to go with that equipment?"

Lucia looked worried at my gear, which I had picked up from the armory.

True, it was slightly better than what I brought from the village, but it was far from impressive.

It was a simple, sturdy white outfit with a white cloak meant for adventurers, not offering much defense compared to Lucia's suit.

Even the sword I chose was double-edged but looked quite inferior to Lucia's, with only decent sharpness.

"I told you I could buy you something better."

Lucia looked sad, probably not wanting me to use gear that was less than her own.

"Thanks, but I'm fine. It's fun to work for and upgrade my gear over time."

Like in an RPG game... though I'd never say that out loud.

"If that's what you want... I was hoping we could match..."

Feeling guilty at Lucia's disappointment, I thought, sorry... but Lucia, if I wore a matching bodysuit, I'd probably get arrested, right?

"Good morning, Yuria."

"Good morning, both of you."

When we arrived at the guild, Yuria greeted us with a smile, her motherly expression soothing from the morning. No wonder she's the guild's poster girl.

"Oh? Maul, you've equipped yourself nicely. It looks great."

Yuria complimented my level 1 gear, which seemed sincere despite being flattery. This would make anyone fall for her.

"Thanks!"

I deliberately rolled up my sleeves and struck a pose.

"Ah..."

Yuria's eyes moistened, her cheeks flushed, and for a moment, the lewd pattern in her eyes flickered.

Good, good, looks like the effect of my "skill" is still working.

Still, her expression was so seductive it made my heart skip a beat; it's hard to keep my composure.

"Yuria, what's wrong? Your face is red."

"Eh? Oh, sorry, it's nothing."

Yuria was surprised by Lucia peering at her face, her ears turning red with embarrassment, which was also cute.

"Really? Don't push yourself... What jobs are available?"

"Thanks... um, you two are going together, right? Even though it's Maul's first job, with B-rank mage Lucia... Oh! How about this one?"

Yuria handed a sheet from a stack of papers to Lucia.

"Let's see... 'Varnus Foon' subjugation, difficulty C... This looks good, we'll take this one."

What's a Varnus Foon? Since it's a subjugation, it must be some kind of creature.

Difficulty C, is that like third from the top?

"Mages are ranked according to their strength and achievements when they register."

Yuria explained, noticing my confusion. Her expression had returned to normal, perhaps because she was in work mode, reducing the skill's effect.

"Ranks go from A, B, C, D, to E... Didn't you explain this to him, Lucia? I thought you would have told him yesterday."

"Ah, well... that's because..."

Lucia turned away awkwardly; after all, we weren't in the mood for explanations last night.

"Well, can't be helped... As your rank increases, you can take on higher difficulty jobs. With that comes greater responsibility and the need for higher skills... Maul, since you just registered, you start at E rank."

I see, higher rank means more trust and more job opportunities... maybe I could even get close to high-born ladies or princesses.

"Guhehe..."

Just the thought made me laugh.

"What's wrong? You've got a weird look on your face... It's okay. Maul seems strong, so your rank will go up quickly."

Yuria smiled reassuringly, probably thinking I was feeling down... Do I really look that weird when I laugh?

"Once you reach A-rank, you can be recommended for national-level jobs. By the way, Lucia is B-rank, the fastest to reach a high rank, the ace of the guild."

Lucia looked proud at Yuria's words, eager for praise... she's really cute, my Lucia.

"So roughly, that's how it is, so do your best. Now, let's take this job. All the details are written here."

"Maul, let's go."

Lucia took the paper from Yuria and hurried towards the door, still blushing a bit from embarrassment.

"Y-yeah."

My first quest, huh? I'm getting excited.

"Don't worry too much about being nervous; I'm here with you... and with what I know of Maul, there shouldn't be any problem."

Lucia smiled and pulled her mask up to cover her nose and mouth.

Her calm demeanor now was a stark contrast to her lascivious appearance from yesterday; this is how a high-ranking mage should be.

"Hey, hey, a C-rank subjugation request? Isn't that too much for a newbie?"

A man was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed; it was the guy who had knocked me down before, I think his name was Simba or something.

"There's no problem, please step aside."

Lucia said coldly, her icy glare aptly named "Green-Haired Ice Blade."

"Carrying such a burden will be tough, but fine, I, an A-rank mage, will come along! An A-rank!"

Simba pointed at himself, proudly declaring, clearly trying to impress Lucia... and he's actually a higher rank than Lucia.

Shinpa glared at me from the corner of his eye, his hostility clear.

"No thanks. Let's go, Maul."

Lucia brushed past Shinpa and walked out. Shinpa looked like he was about to cry as he watched Lucia leave.

"Wait for me!"

I hurried after her. Lucia is so cold to anyone except me and Yuria.

Shinpa watched me pass by with a look that could kill, almost as if he was about to cry tears of blood.

It looks like I've officially been marked as an enemy, probably because he has feelings for Lucia.

I felt a slight sense of dissonance, like this hostility was different from what one would feel towards a love rival... but whatever.

I decided to stop thinking about it for now and follow Lucia. I'll figure it out eventually.