--- Meeting the Mayor

8:00 PM Dec. 15

Three handsome, well-dressed teenagers can be seen walking and chatting in the downtown streets. It was Chris and his brothers. People are perplexed when they see them coming from the slums with smiles on their faces. After all, the place was teeming with cuthroats and thugs. They had no idea the trio resided there.

After half a month of playing Gaia, their lives had significantly improved. Even their appearance and height, although not as much as Chris, the imorovement can be seen that even those male models will pale in comparison, just one of the boons of improving your attribute points as a player in Gaia. Even Darryl is also starting to bulk up.

The only thing that hadn't been improved was their slum house. They didn't see the point in upgrading it because they were already playing Gaia for almost an entire day, especially Darryl and Peter. They felt safe because Chris did something mysterious on their console that protected their bodies when they logged into Gaia.

They also intended to build their home near Chris because it was remote. His next-door neighbor was about a half-kilometer away from his tiny house. Nobody built a house in his neighborhood because it was said to be haunted. Even the so-called thugs and criminals lacked the courage to live there.

They were also far away from Chris, not for fear of ghosts or anything, but for a different reason. If one of their enemies' eyes catches sight of them living near each other, they may become suspicious, so they only meet in the morning for work. Not to mention that they have no idea who or where those eyes are directed.

They're currently on their way to Le Grantz, where they'll stop and bring the sisters with them to the mayor's mansion. Or, more precisely, the sisters will bring them to the mayor.

The meeting was decided to be held in the mayor's mansion because Shiela refused to have it in their home because the mayor was frail due to his age. Even though the mayor has a vehicle, she does not believe it is safe for him to travel. "Such a sweet lady," the trio thought about a week ago.

Darryl and Peter were scrolling through the forums on their brand new phones. The only one who never replaced his phone was Chris as it had a sentimental value to him. He intended to upgrade it using his system in the future.

Darryl roared with laughter as he said, "Hahaha! Look, bro, they're already wailing in the forums because of your platinum only rule for your products, they didn't even able to steal a single skillbook!"

"Heh!" Peter sneered, "It appears that these top powers have become terrified of platinums and spirit coins, and they're even calling out to you in the forums for some kind of negotiations."

"Hmph! They even wanted to meet you in person by using these cute girls as bait, bro. Shameless bastards!" Darry added. Then he murmured, "I don't mind if they call out to me..." which earned him a double smack in the head.

**Pak!** "Ahhh!"

""You're no better!""

"Well, they don't have to worry because they'll meet us soon, very soon," Chris said with a smile.

""Really, bro!?""

What Chris said piqued their interest. It means they were about to appear in public and stop hiding. Simply thinking about it made their blood boil.

"Yeah, at least a half-year from now, so once we form our guild, you two should work on improving your skills as much as possible while looking for trustworthy allies."

"You got it!" "Leave it to me!"

*******

A few minutes later...

"Seriously, you boys should get your own cars; you're hella rich now, so stop being stingy to yourselves, especially you, Chris!"

"Ughhh... well, I don't have any plan on that. I can run faster than even the fastest vehicle anyways..."

""...""

"Heeeheee~"

"That won't do; riding a vehicle has a certain allure to it, so it won't hurt to have one, you know...?"

"That's right, bro, me and Pete will buy as soon as we move close to your house..."

"Hm! And, aside from that, can't you just put it in your inventory, bro?"

"Oh, I never thought of that; I'll give it a shot someday."

The trio was now in the backseat of a four-seat sports car. They were crammed in, but they managed to fit. The Grantz sisters are seated in the front row. They were so captivating that even Chris couldn't stop staring at them.

Sherryl shifted the conversation and said, "By the way, Chris, what are you planning to do with those materials you purchased earlier with spirit coins~? ", adding, "Are you going to construct god-ranked equipment~?"

Sherryl's sweet voice has always been music to his ears, soothing him.

"Hm? No, not really. While they can be used to make equipment, their best use is to increase the rank of pet or mount eggs before hatching them. I plan on putting them on our future guild's storage for the members' future use if they manage to find the right pet egg for it."

"S-so those materials are for improving mount and pet abilities? Amazing~!"

"Yep. It's a good thing I managed to snag them all for a very low price," Chris said casually, as if the Spirit Stones were just like cabbages to him.

"U-uh...huh..."

"V-very low price..."

""...""

Their mouths are twitching in response to his remark. This man is most likely the only one who treats a spirit coin like candy. But it was worthwhile for Chris. An increase in rank is no laughing matter, especially if it began with S rank or higher.

"You're very lucky to have a pet; I believe the pet system hasn't yet been implemented, so you're the only one who has it right now."

Shiela's words were tinged with jealousy. A pet can greatly assist them in their adventure because they only have each other to rely on when fighting monsters. They haven't even gotten through a dungeon yet.

"Nope, I gave the other one to little Eri."

"Huh? Who's that?"

"A childhood friend, she's like a little sister to me; it was my birthday present to her."

"Oh. What a lucky girl."

Shiela grew more envious, but she didn't show it. She felt her chest tighten and was intrigued by his female childhood friend, but she remained silent rather than pursue it further.

"Uhhh... I'm so jealous...~"

"Huh? You want one Sherryl?"

"Eh~! I..."

"I believe there's there's still two more pets up for grab. Once my talent ability cools down, I'll grab one for you."

Sherryl openly expressed her feelings, prompting Chris to ask if she wanted one. But the girl was unable to continue speaking, so he promised to give her one in a few days. Chris will have six more chances to get the best items from the box during the event, so it won't hurt to give the rest to his friends.

"Really~? Yay~!"

'It's a shame that there are only four pets available in the box. I suppose I'll just settle for the cloaks for the remaining four chances, assuming they're still available.'

"""..."""

'As for the last pet, I think I'll give it to big sister Shiela; it'll be a big help with their grinding. My brothers don't need it because they'll always be with teams once the guild is formed.'

Chris talked about getting those pets with a ridiculously low chance of acquiring them like he was going to pick some fruit. The rest of his friends laughed wryly and were itching to ask for one as well, but they're too embarrassed to ask, so they just keep it to themselves. Shiela had no idea she would be given the last pet.

A few minutes later, they arrived at the mayor's mansion. It was a straightforward 50-foot-tall mansion with three floors. The surrounding wall stood half as tall as the mansion. As they approached the gate, it opened instantly. People on the inside appear to have been expecting them.

Shiela drove inside and decided to park her car there. They all got out of the car after parking it.

"Foooh! I can finally stretch!"

"It's because you're too fat; I feel like I'm in a press machine..."

"Hehehe..."

After getting out, Peter and Darryl sigh with relief. After all, they were so crammed inside. A middle-aged black-haired man in a butler uniform approached them and bowed, greeting them.

"Good evening, young misses and masters, we've been waiting for you."

"Good evening Mr. Bert~! Sorry for being late..."

""""...""""

"Not really, young miss. Please, follow me."

Nodding their heads at him, they followed.

'This old man has a strong aura...'

Chris felt a strong aura on Bert, the butler, so he used his observation. And he was quite surprised at what he saw. The mayor's aide is known as "Old Bert" by the majority of Glaze City residents.

[Orson Rio - Lvl.107 - Guardian(C), Spell Sword(B)

Physique: D1

Swiftness: F9

Arcane: E5

Overall Rank: Early Journeyman(D-)]

'I didn't know old Bert was quite strong. He must be the general of old Darius' secret force. No wonder, no one dares to mess here, with the exception of those thugs that guard the heavenly dour, of course.'

He now understands how powerful Glaze City's hidden force is. Although he wasn't afraid of entering his potential enemy's den, he kept his guard up in case something went wrong.

They were greeted by a simple large hall when they entered the mansion. The mayor was not interested in luxuries, so he only had a large rectangular table with simple chairs and some potted plants. The only notable one was a large portrait of his family in the far center of the hall.

*Guruguruguru...*

The aroma of cooking food fills their nostrils, making them hungry, especially Darryl, who was told by Peter to behave, causing him to groan. The group wondered if they had cooked for them. However, they kept it to themselves. They continued on, climbing the stairs to the third floor, which housed the mayor's office. The rest of the walk was quiet until they arrived at the office.

*Tok!* *Tok!*

"Master, your guests has arrived."

"Please bring them in!"

*Creaaak...!*

Orson let them in first when he opened the door. They were greeted by a simple office room. The mayor appreciates simplicity. That's what they were thinking as they smiled wryly.

The mayor rose from his seat to greet them. He addressed them one by one, but his greeting was cut short when his gaze fell on Chris. He was shocked, and his cane fell on the floor.

"Welc-!"

*Clang!*

"Y-your h-highness... C-Charles...!?"

"""..."""

"???"

The trio of brothers and Sherryl were stunned and perplexed by what the mayor said to Chris, while Shiela was perplexed. Orson's eyes twinkled as he suddenly realized who the black-haired teenager was. His appearance had bothered him for some time because he felt he had seen him before but couldn't remember where.

"N-no, Y-you...should be his....."

*Thud!*

"I...see... I...see..."

"Thank the heavens..."

The mayor collapsed on his kness, mumbling. His wrinkled face exhales a sigh of relief as tears stream down his cheeks. Chris approached the mayor for help in standing. He, too, lets out a sigh of relief and finally relaxes his guard.

"Haaah... It's nice to finally meet you, Sir Dar-, no, Grandmaster!"

He respectfully greeted the mayor with a bright smile on his face.