Chapter 163: Reactions and explanation. Job Class test. Albedo’s Formal Complaint.

The three of you step through the Mansion door into the Anchorage galley. The Heroes' Feast table stretches across the space, laden with conjured food - roasted meats, fresh bread, steaming vegetables, wine that never empties. Nearly every seat is occupied.

The conversation dies mid-word.

Rin's chopsticks freeze halfway to her mouth. Mikasa's hand goes to her knife instinctively before she recognizes you. Bulma drops her fork. Hinata's lavender eyes go wide, Byakugan flickering involuntarily as she scans your transformed physiology.

"What the fuck," Yoruichi says flatly, her dark eyes traveling from your broader shoulders down to your defined forearms. "Did you eat someone?"

"Psionic awakening," you say casually, pulling out a chair for Nova before sitting down between Maria and Sinon. "Nova triggered it before her contract. The enchantments handled the dangerous parts. I whined for about an hour, complained about it like a child, and now I look like this."

"You 'whined for about an hour'," Rin repeats, her turquoise gaze sharp with concern barely masked by analytical interest. "And you just - decided to do this. Tonight."

"The timing was tight," you say, loading your plate. "My system gives me an ability based on the contracted women. If I'd done the contract first, I'd likely have gotten psionics as the bonus - redundant. This way I got both, plus something specialized."

Albedo sets down her tablet, golden eyes narrowing. Her horns catch the overhead light. "You made a potentially lethal decision without consulting anyone. Again."

"I know. The potential lethality was negated by the enchantments reducing it to extremely unpleasant." you say, meeting her gaze. "We'll talk about governance. But first - how did intake go?"

Albedo's jaw works for a moment, clearly wanting to press the point. Then professionalism wins. "Fifteen forty-three processed. Approximately fifty-seven remaining - mostly elderly survivors who want extended conversations about age-reversal terms. C.C. and I drafted the standardized paperwork." She slides her tablet across the table. "Thirty-two percent of inquiries came from women over sixty. The math works for partial-year contracts, and allocation becomes easy if we're using Symphony as the vessel."

"The implant rejection cases?" you ask Asia.

Asia looks up from her plate, pink cheeks warming further under your newly sharpened gaze. "Lots of small issues and a few big ones. Priestess and Kurumi helped with the psychological components. Most of the rejection is immune response to implants - once we remove it, Regeneration handles the rest."

Bulma pushes her glasses up her nose. "Speaking of things that should be discussed before being done unilaterally -" She catches Maria's warning look and redirects. "The Witchblade analysis is progressing. I want to advocate for Masane's resurrection once I understand the artifact's bonding mechanism better."

Nami leans back in her chair, orange hair catching the light. "Your face is different," she says bluntly. "Your whole body is different. And you're sitting there eating roast chicken like nothing happened."

"I'm hungry," you say. "Transforming burns calories apparently."

Kurumi appears at your elbow with a wine glass, her heterochromatic eyes sparkling with amusement. "Master looks very handsome now," she says sweetly, setting the glass down. "Though I notice Nova-san is wearing pajamas. Was the contract eventful?"

Nova, seated across from you in her gray tank top and pants, picks up her wine glass with deliberate composure. "The contract went fine," she says evenly. "He just decided to suffer first for tactical advantage."

Sinon snorts into her water glass. "That sounds like him."

Erza leans forward, scarlet hair falling over her steel half-plate. "What ability did the contract grant you? Beyond the, psionics?"

"Psionic Resonance," you say. "Buffers against psychic feedback, lets me sense ambient intent. Nova thinks it might let me interface with alien technology from her world safely."

Rika sets down her fork, tactical mind visibly working. "So you now have psionic capabilities, enhanced physiology, and a passive that protects you from other psychics. What's your psionic pool?"

"Sixteen. Matches my Intelligence."

"And regeneration per hour?"

"Fifteen. Matches Will."

Rika nods slowly, exchanging a glance with Maria. "That makes you significantly harder to kill."

"After I learn how to use it, Psionics is very different than magic despite questionably similar results." you say.

Albedo hasn't stopped watching you. Her expression is carefully neutral, but you can tell that her governance complaint just gained another specific example.

You set down your glass and lean forward, drawing the table's attention. "Alright. Before we get deeper into complaints against my actions, there's something else that needs group discussion."

You open your Status display and let the golden text hang in the air. "Job Class system. It was the bonus from Roxanne's contract, and offers options. I have nineteen available classes, eighteen at Apprentice tier. Active slot is empty."

You read the list aloud. "Landlord is the standout, the others are all Apprentice. Charlatan. Magic User. Acolyte. Occultist. Contractor. Merchant. Taskmaster. Elementalist. Enchanter. Psion. Healer. Archer. Warrior. Trapper. Scout. Brawler. Cadet. Pilot."

Bulma's eyes light up immediately. "That's a class system! Like an RPG progression story. The hybrid mechanics from Roxanne's contract must have created a feedback loop - each new contract adds relevant classes based on the bonded individual's capabilities."

"I don't think so." You cut quickly, "The system was originally blank, I think it required actions before it would offer classes to fit those actions."

"Can we see ours?" Maria asks, already pulling up her servant-system display. Her violet eyes scan it. "Blank. Job Class section exists but nothing populated."

One by one, the contracted women check. Nova, Sinon, Hinata, Asia, Nami, Mikasa, Roxanne, Kurumi, Riveria - all report the same empty field.

"So only you can assign," Rin says, her chopsticks tapping against her plate thoughtfully. "And only to contracted servants."

"I want to try," you say, turning to face her directly. "Rin, may I access your system and assign you the Magic User class? I want to see if this works before we make broader decisions."

Rin's turquoise eyes meet yours. There's a flicker of something - the careful calculation of a mage evaluating an experiment's variables. "You're asking permission," she notes. "Not just doing it."

"There are too many unknowns, this could be unchangeable."

She nods once. "Proceed."

You find her servant-system's Job Class interface through your system. You select Apprentice Magic User and push it toward her active slot.

The assignment takes.

Rin inhales sharply, her eyes going wide. A faint shimmer passes over her - barely visible, like heat haze. Then her expression shifts to something between wonder and professional fascination.

"It worked," she breathes. "Level one Magic User. Granted skill - Mana Manipulation." She flexes her fingers - a new foundational layer settling into her existing jewel magecraft, not replacing it but enhancing the underlying mana control. "It's... basic. Like learning to walk when I've been running. But it's a foundation. A systematic foundation that my existing techniques can build on."

"So we have another method of steadily gaining power," you say. "The question is how experience gain works in a world where the only monsters are zombies."

Rika leans back, arms crossed over her tactical vest. "Killing them gives experience? That's the standard assumption."

"Or completing tasks related to the class," Bulma counters, pushing her glasses up. "Magic User might gain experience from casting spells, researching theory, or creating magical items. The system might track intent and difficulty rather than just combat results."

Albedo taps her tablet thoughtfully. "This changes the governance conversation. If class assignment requires master-servant contracts, that's another structural incentive toward contracting. Another reason people might feel pressured."

"While not intended to be pressure, the benefits were always intended to be worth the cost." you say. "Which is exactly why I'm bringing it up now rather than assigning everyone silently."

Rin is still examining her new skill, turning her hand over as if she could see the mana layered beneath her skin. "The potential here is enormous," she says quietly. "If leveling unlocks prestige classes... a Magic User might become an Archmage. A Warrior could become something far beyond human capability. This is a progression system that doesn't require dimensional travel or divine intervention."

"It requires killing things or doing class-relevant work," Maria says practically. "In a zombie apocalypse, that's... actually not that hard to arrange."

Nova's golden eyes are sharp. "And you have nineteen classes for ten contracted servants. Some of us would overlap. We need to think about coverage - who gets what, and why."

You check your system display, confirming what you suspected. "Apprentice Magic User is still available on my list," you say, tapping the golden text. "Meaning I can assign it to others. If someone already has magical foundations, they could request the class that matches their existing abilities and probably level quickly. Or they could pick something different and branch out."

Bulma's eyes narrow with scientific hunger. "So if I took Magic User, I'd gain systematic mana manipulation on top of my existing-"

"You'd need a contract first," Maria says gently. "That's the structural issue Albedo mentioned."

"Right." You take a small sip from your glass. "Speaking of which - Albedo."

The succubus straightens in her chair, tablet clutched against her chest like a shield. Her golden eyes meet yours with the careful neutrality of someone who's been building a case for days.

"You seem determined to bring up my individual choices publicly as a formal complaint," you say evenly. "So let's hear it properly. Present your case."

The table goes quiet. Forks set down. Nova's golden eyes flick between you and Albedo with tactical interest. Maria folds her hands in her lap.

Albedo stands. She's been waiting for this.

"Three incidents," she begins, voice crisp and measured. "First: the unilateral cruise ship assault. You teleported onto three vessels filled with thousands of zombies, alone, without backup coordination or contingency planning beyond your own capabilities. You made operational decisions based on individual judgment."

She taps her tablet. "Second: the psionic awakening tonight. A potentially lethal procedure performed without prior group consultation, medical oversight, or contingency planning beyond Nova's presence. You gambled your life - and by extension, everyone dependent on your magical infrastructure - on an untested procedure."

"Third," she continues, "and most structurally concerning: the pattern. Each time, you act alone first and inform the group after. The governance framework Maria and I drafted exists specifically because unilateral decision-making creates single points of failure. If you die from a psionic awakening gone wrong, the entire mana network collapses. Every enchanted ship, every sustaining enchantment, every sleeping traveler - all of it fails."

She sits. The silence stretches.

Rika speaks first. "The cruise ship assault - he had Scrying reconnaissance, and he could have teleported back at any time. That's not 'no contingency planning.' That's operational security through information advantage."

"The psionic awakening," Rin adds, her new Mana Manipulation skill still humming beneath her skin. "He had Vigor, Regenerate, and his entire enchantment framework active. The 'potentially lethal' assessment ignores that he had more magical life-support than anyone in recorded history."

"But the pattern is real," Maria says quietly. Everyone turns. She meets your gaze without flinching. "He acknowledged that himself earlier. The safety measures exist, but the decision to take the risk was made alone. That's what concerns me."

Yoruichi shrugs. "He's the only one who can make those decisions. If we'd had a committee meeting about the cruise ships, three thousand people would have starved."

"That's a false dichotomy," Albedo counters. "Consultation doesn't require delay. It requires communication."

"He communicated after," Nami says, orange hair catching the light as she leans back. "And the results speak for themselves."

"Results don't justify process," Albedo fires back. "That's how tyrants rationalize."

Mikasa's voice cuts through, low and steady. "He asked Nova's permission to have her trigger it. He asked Rin's permission to assign her class. The pattern Albedo describes isn't consistent with what I'm seeing tonight."

Albedo's jaw tightens. She's not wrong - but the room isn't with her the way she expected.

You lean back in your chair, meeting Albedo's golden gaze steadily. "For each of your examples, I could explain individually why what I did was right. Instead I'll state that it was a choice for me to make."

Albedo opens her mouth but you continue, unhurried. "The Icon - I could have waited until after the clearing team. I proceeded because I had no intention to engage and means of escape on top of several other options. I was carefully making a convenience for myself later. Your only true complaint there is that I did so without asking permission."

Her jaw tightens. She knows it's true.

"For the Psionic Awakening - when I first considered it, I didn't have the network fully set up for automatic regeneration. I ruled it out. The risk was too high. I didn't have an opportunity to bring it up after realizing it was an option now, with all expected risks negated. As for the pattern itself - yes, it exists, and I will make actions from my own choices. I warned Riveria that asking me to agree to take over her people would turn me into a tyrant. So your choice of classification is also correct."

Riveria's jade eyes widen slightly at being referenced. Albedo's wings shift behind her.

"I will now demonstrate," you say, rising from your chair, "the necessity of how consultation and asking permission for my every action is detrimental."

You turn to face the table. "Ladies. Do I have permission to gently kiss Albedo's lips?"

Albedo's breath catches. Her golden eyes snap to you - she wants to say yes instantly, her whole body leaning forward, but something in your tone makes her hesitate. The catch is coming.

The table exchanges confused glances. Then Rin shrugs. "Yes?"

"Sure," Nami says.

Murmured assent ripples around.

You step to Albedo, lean down, and press your lips to hers. Gentle. Brief. Your hands stay at your sides. You step back immediately.

"Now," you say. "Do I have permission to kiss Albedo deeper?"

Albedo's composure cracks - her pupils dilate, wings trembling. Several women at the table realize where this is going. Maria's lips twitch. Rin's eyes narrow with understanding. The agreement comes slower this time - a moment of hesitation before nods.

You kiss her again. Longer. Your lips part hers slightly, tongue brushing her lower lip. Still no hands. Still stepping back after.

Albedo makes a small sound - barely audible. Her fingers grip her tablet white-knuckled.

You follow her eyes - they're tracking your mouth with naked hunger - and ask the table a third time. "Do I have permission to kiss my Albedo?"

Laughter breaks out. Yoruichi grins. Kurumi covers her mouth. Mikasa's lips curve.

"Yes!" three voices say simultaneously.

You grab Albedo by the horn.

She gasps - a sharp, involuntary sound as your fingers close around the curved protrusion. Your other hand finds her wing feathers, stroking through the soft down. You pull her down to her knees with that horn-grip, and kiss her deep and hard, tongue claiming her mouth while she whimpers against your lips.

When you release her, she's kneeling at your feet, golden eyes glazed, wings shivering under your retreating touch.

You look down at her. "This kind of disagreement is another of the reasons I wanted your virginity trial. Are you still willing to accept me, knowing that I will take actions without permission?"

The galley holds its breath.

Albedo's chest heaves. Her tablet lies forgotten on the floor. Her golden eyes find yours - not the careful neutrality of her complaint, but the raw devotion beneath.

"Yes," she whispers. "I knew what you were when I swore to you."

You grab her horn again and kiss her roughly - possessive, demanding, your tongue dominating hers while your hand works through her wing feathers. She moans into your mouth, knees spreading wider.

Then you shift. The rough grip softens. Your fingers trace her horn gently, then slide down to cup her cheek. The kiss gentles into something tender - lips moving slowly, your thumb brushing her jawline. Your other hand pets her wing with slow, soothing strokes.

When you finally pull back, Albedo's eyes are wet. Not from sadness - from the whiplash of being claimed and then cradled in the span of seconds.

"The point," you say quietly, still standing above her, "is that asking a committee permission for every action would have killed the moment three times over. And that's just kissing."

Maria speaks from her chair, voice carefully neutral. "An excellent example."

Albedo remains on her knees, looking up at you with an expression that has nothing to do with complaints.