Mary had raised a pretty important question, one Azrael needed to think about if he wanted to give a satisfactory answer.
Of course, he didn't think of himself as some lustful dog. In the first place, he hadn't really gotten his hands on any big chests, despite being 18.
His life flashed before his eyes, and the only honest answer came to him right then.
"I had a lot of friends…" Azrael began solemnly, head lowered, his face hidden from Mary.
She blinked. "You make it sound as though a tragedy befell them."
"Then those bastards found girlfriends and forgot about me!" Azrael snapped his head up, hands clenched, eyes wide as he stared at his guardian.
Mary deadpanned at him. "I see."
"I lost my parents early on, you know? I only had an older sister left, but she had some rare skill and talent, got taken into a military school, and then disappeared out of nowhere.
"So my friends were the only reason I didn't feel lonely back then.
"But friends are friends. Eventually, they focus on themselves. And they did. They were all happy and giddy while introducing their girlfriends, and then they stopped caring about anything else. They just wanted to be with them. Some went on double dates and all that, while I had no luck whatsoever!
"And it didn't help that I followed in my sister's footsteps, so I drew unwanted attention from officers and stuff. No one wanted to hang out with me because of that, and I wasn't anything special, either!"
Mary nodded. "Your friends didn't help you?"
"They did! But only so much!" Azrael shook his head in self-pity.
Mary folded her umbrella and pointed it at him. "Lower your voice. I can hear you perfectly. Continue."
"Ah, sorry. That's it, though." Azrael cleared his throat. "Friends are friends, and girlfriends are girlfriends. Friends are for weekend fun and stuff, but girlfriends eventually become wives, and then they live with me forever.
"Besides that, I'm a healthy man. It's only natural I want to squeeze a few juicy pairs of tits!"
Keeping her expression stone-still, Mary asked another question. "And public opinion?"
"Screw that. My domain, my rules!" Azrael announced.
Mary's lips curved, just slightly. She twirled the handle of her umbrella as it unfanned and lifted her aloft. It spun like a helicopter's blades, keeping her in the air.
"I will convey those words to my creator personally. I see no serious flaws in your ambition, and I will help you on your path to take over my creator's seat."
So there are faults!
"A Lord's strength depends on their domain and vassals. I will ensure you can manage more than a single girl." Mary declared gravely, her whole tiny self hovering above Azrael.
"We should be able to pick up some hot chicks with you around, since you're so adorable, Mary!" Azrael beamed.
Some older woman would totally want to cuddle Mary and help him take care of her!
"Idiot!" Mary raised her voice.
"Yes, I am an idiot!" Azrael saluted like he'd just been yelled at by one of his school's officers.
"Your goal is to make women unable to live without you. Why are you attempting to use me?" Mary summoned Azrael's phone out of nowhere and shoved it into his face.
When and how did she steal it from me?!
"Can't you lure just a single one for me?" Azrael asked, skeptical.
"No," Mary retorted, like a stern mom.
Sighing, Azrael nodded to his guardian. He didn't really give up on the idea, but he couldn't force her to go along with it.
Still, the conversation had made him excited to continue his dungeon explorations. It was the best way for him to become stronger.
He wanted to conquer his first dungeon and open the golden chest.
"Well, let's get down to it, then!" Azrael chuckled.
Mary shot him a glare. It felt like she could project it onto him and make it sting, even through that adorable, threatening face.
"Bathe first. You reek," she said.
"Damn, you're right," Azrael replied, lowering his nose toward his armpit.
"Eat breakfast. It is the most important meal of the day," Mary continued.
"That is also… damn right," Azrael said with a nod.
"Afterward, take a short break to let the food settle, then do a 30-minute warm-up before you enter the dungeon. Is that clear?" Mary asked menacingly, cheeks slightly puffed.
Azrael couldn't say no to such an adorable creature, could he? "Sure thing, Mary!"
"Good," Mary said with a smile.
After a quick shower, Azrael left the bathroom in a fresh pair of briefs. He walked toward the kitchen, where Mary floated around, checking his ingredients.
He didn't pay her much attention and took the eggs out of the refrigerator.
"What do you intend to cook?" Mary asked.
"Scrambled eggs. That's the first thing anyone forced to live alone learns to cook," Azrael replied, cracking them open.
Dropping from her high altitude, Mary brought her face close to the pan. She stared at Azrael's hands with an intense focus, her eyes so piercing it was almost audible.
Azrael chuckled. "You don't know how to cook?"
"Some questions are better left unasked," Mary replied.
"Really now?" Azrael rolled his eyes. "You can grab my phone and look up how to make scrambled eggs if you don't want me to teach you."
Mary looked up at him, then scurried away to look it up on his phone in secret. "Scrambled eggs are suitable for breakfast, so you've earned a point from me."
"Now that's what a mom would say!"
"Idiot!"
After breakfast, Azrael was told to warm up outside. At first, he didn't think much of it.
But the moment he stepped out of the house, he could barely catch his breath.
Is it because… we're on top of a mountain? Low oxygen or something… fuck!
Meanwhile, Mary floated without a care in the world. She circled Azrael a few times, carrying his phone, which was nearly as big as her little head.
"Your stats are average, except for your second skill. That means there's slumbering potential in you, and you must force it awake. We'll begin by increasing your stamina, which should make tackling the Death Seesaws Dungeon much easier."
Running forward while wheezing like a beaten horse, Azrael had a single wish.
Just let me fight monsters already! I swear it'll be easy as long as I don't run into some B+ bastards!