Gacha Harem System

Lukas’ eyes immediately locked onto the color from across the parking lot.

He hadn’t seen it wrong. It was a familiar, almost unmistakable red hair that he was able to see for just a second as the figure dipped into the passenger side of a car parked several rows away.

The car’s body was lower than their sedan and the design made sure everyone looking knew it was expensive even from this distance. This was the kind of car that didn’t belong to just anyone.

The door closed and a second later, the car pulled smoothly out of its space and to the exit, gone before Lukas could get a clear look at the driver or confirm anything beyond the flash of color that had grabbed his attention in the first place.

"Lukas?"

Melody’s voice cut through his attention, and he blinked, turning to look back at her.

She was standing by their car, with one hand resting on the open door, watching him with a slight frown.

"What’s wrong?" she asked, noticing his expression.

Lukas glanced back towards the now empty space where the car had been parked, then shook his head.

"Nothing," he said. "I thought I saw someone I knew."

His mind had already gone somewhere else, back to the ballroom, the smell of cigarette smoke, and the red haired man leaning in close and asking if Lukas thought he was less important than falling stone.

He remembered that obnoxious grin like it was yesterday.

He also remembered the system quest that had appeared out of nowhere just to keep him from making an enemy out of a stranger whose rank he still couldn’t pin down.

It was probably nothing. Red hair wasn’t exactly rare.

"You sure?" Melody asked, still watching him.

"I’m sure," he said. "Let’s go."

Akira was already seated inside, her flail resting across her lap, one hand tracing along the chain absently. "Everything alright?"

"Fine," Lukas said, walking around to the driver’s side and climbing in.

Melody dropped into the passenger seat beside him, still glancing sideways at him, though she didn’t push further.

Lukas closed the door, put his hands on the wheel, and pushed his mana through. The car sprung to life beneath them.

He reached forward and tapped the navigation panel.

The holographic map bloomed up from the dashboard, and he searched for the Golden Emporium, watching as the display located it and drew out the route from their current position.

He pulled out of the parking lot, following the first turn.

As he hit the road, he pushed the moment out of his mind. There was no use thinking about someone he’d probably never see again.

After a few minutes of driving and realizing the Emporium was way closer than they thought, they arrived at their destination.

The building came into view ahead of them, and Lukas guided the car into the parking lot, easing into the exact same spot they’d parked in on their last visit.

Melody looked out the window at the space, then at him.

"We should just reserve this spot permanently at this point," she chuckled. "We’ll put up a sign that says Valentine parking only."

"I’ll bring it up with management," Lukas said dryly.

"I’m just saying, we’re clearly regulars now."

They stepped out, with Lukas locking the car behind them, and made their way inside.

The Emporium was as busy as ever, and shoppers moved from store to store, the wide central walkways carrying a steady flow of people in both directions.

They moved through it on a stroll, checking the signs as they went, until they found what they were looking for.

The shop was impossible to miss once they were close. Light spilled from its entrance, and inside, the walls and ceiling were designed with every form of illumination imaginable.

They saw torches in mounted brackets, standing lamps, wall fixtures, and above it all, a display of chandeliers hanging at staggered heights, some simple, and others elaborate enough to belong in the ballroom they’d guarded a few nights ago.

An attendant appeared before they’d made it five steps inside. He was a middle aged man with a pleasant expression.

"Welcome in. What can I help you find today?"

"We’re looking for portable lights," Akira said. "For dungeon use. What’s your selection like?"

The man clasped his hands. "Extensive, but the right choice depends entirely on the environment. Could you tell me about the dungeon in question?"

He gestured towards a nearby shelf. "Some of our portable lines are built for underwater use. They have very intense output, designed to shine even through dark water. They’re excellent in that setting, but outside of water, the glare is harsh enough to hurt your eyes and wash out your surroundings."

He pointed to another row. "These are for misty or fog heavy environments. We made them with wider and softer diffusion so the light doesn’t just bounce back at you."

"We’re not looking for things like that," Melody said. "It’s a normal environment, just completely dark. There’s no natural light sources at all, like underground."

The attendant nodded, already turning to a different section.

"One more thing," Lukas cut in.

The man paused.

"There may be reflective surfaces around us. A lot of them, possibly everywhere." Lukas thought of the packet’s description of the caves, walls, formations, and beasts all made of crystal. "Factor that into the recommendation."

The attendant’s expression brows rose, his polite customer service look changing to something more genuinely engaged.

"Reflective surfaces in full darkness," he said. "Now that narrows things down a bit. The wrong light in that setting will bounce straight back into your eyes and blind you worse than the dark would."

He smiled and gestured for them to follow. "This way. I have exactly what you need."

They followed the attendant deeper into the shop, weaving past shelves of standing lamps and mounted fixtures, the ambient light shifting in tone and color as they moved through the different sections.

He finally stopped at a set of shelves near the back wall, lined with rows of smaller portable pieces.

"Here we are."

He lifted the first item from the top shelf and turned to face them, holding it up.

It looked like a handheld torch, the kind that might be mounted in a bracket along a wall.

The handle was wrapped for grip, and the head was a simple metal fitting with no wick and no oil reservoir. It looked more like a prop piece than something that could actually hold a flame.

"This was created by an [Artificer]," the man said. "It functions like a standard torch in every way that matters, and in none of the ways that cause problems. You activate it by feeding it your mana."

He demonstrated, and a flame bloomed to life above the metal fitting, moving gently like real fire.

"The flame is artificial. Just like one would expect, it casts light. And the best part? It doesn’t burn."

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