The Next Day.
"We've arrived." — Ren said quietly as he parked the car in front of a massive gate gleaming under the sunlight.
The iron gate was adorned with intricate engravings, and beyond it stretched a vast garden filled with tall trees and fountains that caught the daylight in glittering flashes. The morning breeze carried the scent of flowers mingled with the dampness of grass, giving the place an air of both luxury and serene mystery.
The four girls suddenly stopped talking, their eyes widening with childlike wonder.
"This… is a mansion?!" — Yuzu murmured in disbelief, staring at the view before her.
The others could only gaze out the window in silence, unable to process that what they were seeing was real.
Ren chuckled softly as he turned off the engine and leaned slightly toward them, his tone carrying that mix of calm and teasing he was known for.
"Relax. We're not being taken hostage or anything like that."
He then opened the car door with his usual unhurried confidence. The passing breeze tousled his white-silver hair as he walked toward the gate, his every step exuding that strange composure of someone who always knew exactly where he was going—unbothered by the stunned looks behind him.
The girls stepped out one by one, still dazed as their eyes darted between the grand facade of the mansion and the cherry trees scattered across the garden.
The stone-paved path led directly to the main entrance, above which was an old family crest carefully engraved into the marble.
"I never thought I'd see a place like this up close…" Hina whispered, almost out of breath.
"No need to exaggerate," Ren replied, waving his hand lazily, his calm tone carrying a hint of deliberate nonchalance. "I got it cheap. Some inheritance dispute between the previous heirs."
He said it with a faint, practiced smile—lying effortlessly, without so much as a blink.
In truth, the mansion's price easily reached seven figures, enough to buy an entire neighborhood rather than just one estate. Without the black card loaded with limitless system funds, owning such a place would have been impossible, even in his dreams.
As he spoke, his gaze drifted—almost unconsciously—toward the top of Hina's head, where a small golden chest floated above her, glowing with a brilliance only he could see.
But soon, his attention shifted to the translucent screen that appeared before him, accompanied by a soft digital chime.
[ Name: Show Her ]
[ Type: Character Quest ]
[ Rank: None ]
[ Description: He showed her the truth about Hagiwara Shū, who was deceiving her and had no intention of separating from his wife to marry her. ]
[ Reward: A+ Rank Treasure Chest (Jarvis) ]
Ren's eyes narrowed slightly as he read through the lines, a faint, slanted smile curling his lips.
'It's been a while since I've had a Character Quest… Still, that reward is pretty clear.'
Jarvis — a top-tier artificial intelligence capable of managing tasks, systems, and even merging complex data in seconds. The thought of obtaining it stirred a rare flicker of excitement in him. Rewards like this were exceedingly rare—tempting enough to ignite a quiet thrill deep within.
As for Hagiwara Shū, the name meant nothing to him. Yet, in his usual fashion, he had already ordered the Onmitsukidō to look into the man and collect every detail available.
'Even though I'm the Captain of the 5th Division, my authority over them is enough to silence any objection…'
He thought to himself as he closed the floating window with a flick of his hand.
For a brief moment, a sense of satisfaction crossed his mind—he recalled the last major reward he'd received.
'The last Treasure Chest I opened, the one from Retsu-nee… the reward was a Character Card: Uchiha Madara.'
A faint smirk tugged at his lips again.
That card, a rare-tier one, had granted him a new balance of body and power—along with the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan. It wasn't quite on the level of the Six Paths, but he didn't need it to be. The fact that his shadow clones could now finish piles of paperwork on his behalf was more than enough reward, giving him a rare taste of free time in his long, monotonous days.
—
As they crossed the mansion's grand entrance, two young women dressed in elegant French maid uniforms bowed gracefully before them. The soft rhythm of their synchronized footsteps echoed gently across the quiet hall.
"Welcome back, Ren-sama."
Their voices were perfectly in sync, like a melody they had rehearsed a thousand times.
They were stunning—breathtaking, even. One had shimmering emerald hair that cascaded over her shoulders and forest-green eyes that gleamed with spring's vibrance; the other had deep brown hair with a purplish hue, her mature features radiating a calm yet dangerous allure.
Both wore refined maid outfits with white lace ribbons and short gloves that emphasized the grace of their hands.
They weren't ordinary maids.
They were Bambietta Basterbine and Candice Catnipp—members of the Quincy clan Ren had saved during the Shadow Realm Destruction.
[ Image ]
"Seeing all this… I'm seriously starting to wonder—what kind of part-time job do you have?" — Hina asked, her tone balancing between teasing and genuine worry. She sighed softly, narrowing her eyes at him.
"Are you sure it's not something shady or dangerous?"
Ren glanced at her from the corner of his eye, that same calm smile playing on his lips—the kind that somehow raised more suspicion than reassurance. He shrugged lightly.
"Don't worry. I just… work in a field that requires a bit of secrecy, that's all."
His tone was steady, but vague as ever—just the kind of answer she'd come to expect from him.
"A field that requires secrecy, huh…" — Hina muttered, resting one hand on her hip, torn between curiosity and resignation.
Rui, standing a step behind her, seemed far more tense. Her eyes moved between the sprawling mansion, the two maids bowing politely, and Ren—who acted as though everything was perfectly normal.
"Is this… entire place yours?" she asked softly, uncertainty in her voice.
Ren smiled faintly without giving a direct answer and continued walking inside.
"Let's say… yes," he replied simply—an answer that only deepened the mystery.
Hina raised an eyebrow and exchanged a worried glance with Rui. Unsure whether to laugh or be concerned, she muttered under her breath:
"A mansion this big… and maids? There's no way this is a normal part-time job."
She wasn't the only one thinking that—Rui clearly shared the same uneasy thought.
Unlike Yuzu and Karin, who already knew the truth, neither Hina nor Rui had any idea about the hidden world he lived in… or the fact that he was a Shinigami.
Every step they took deeper into the mansion heightened their unease.
The place looked like something from another era—towering ceilings with crystal chandeliers glowing like rubies, marble floors reflecting light like mirrors, and art-filled walls that whispered of a history they couldn't comprehend.
Rui slowly lifted her head, eyes tracing the serene beauty of it all, before whispering almost inaudibly:
"It feels like… we've stepped into another world."
"Maybe you have," Ren replied with a faint, amused smile, his voice low as he walked ahead of them.
Hina stared at him for a long moment before sighing softly, as if giving up on trying to understand him.
"You're really impossible to figure out, Ren."
He paused briefly at the base of the marble staircase leading to the upper floor, then turned to them, his eyes gleaming with something between humor and hidden seriousness.
"Maybe it's better that way."
And as he ascended the stairs in quiet, composed strides, the four girls followed behind him—silently, yet filled with growing curiosity.
...
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