Tap, tap, tap.

Yuki stood under the shower, letting the warm water run over his sore body. He was half-asleep, completely drained from the morning’s work.

He had recently taken a contract to exterminate a group of goblins residing in the forest on the outskirts of the Capital. He had used the steady reputation he was building to upgrade his armor and combat gear, though he unfortunately had to purchase a new sword—having lost the custom blade Iron forged for him during the fall of the Citadel.

A gift, gone so quickly...

Yuki sighed, tilting his head back. He allowed the water to run over his face, letting his mind go completely blank for a moment.

Once he finished showering, he dried off, wrapped a towel around his waist, and stepped out of the bathroom—only to stop dead in his tracks.

Lying on his couch, sleeping soundly with her fiery hair pooling over the side of the cushion, was Primarch 01.

Yuki stood there staring at her, holding his towel in sheer rage and annoyance.

Why the hell is she here?! Chaos, if I were a regular guy, Vee would absolutely flip out over a random woman barging into her lover’s house uninvited!

Fed up with her antics, Yuki took the edge of his towel and began twisting it tightly into a braid. He whipped it forward, flicking his wrist back to let the tip sting her leg.

SNAP!

The moment the tip landed, Primarch 01 jolted awake, clutching her thigh in pain. She rolled over onto her stomach, exposing her back—giving Yuki the perfect angle to snap it again.

SNAP!

"AHH! Yuki, what the hell?!" she squealed, her face flushing crimson as she rubbed her backside. "Don’t hit my ass!"

"I’ll hit you wherever and whenever I want as long as you’re in my house!" Yuki snapped back. "Speaking of which, why are you sleeping on my couch half—wait, why are you just wearing a nightgown?! Where are the rest of your clothes?!"

"I can’t sleep with underwear on, okay?! It’s uncomfortable!" 01 yelled, pouting in frustration.

Yuki rubbed his temples, letting out a long, exhausted sigh at the utter absurdity of the situation. "Why are you here, 01?"

She sat up, her expression turning sour as she looked down at her lap. "I’m homeless, okay?! I don’t have anywhere to go!"

"...What?" Yuki blinked. "Wait, wait, wait. You’re telling me the most powerful person in the snow kingdom is homeless?"

"Yes!" she shouted, tears welling up in her eyes like a thrown-pout child. "I’ve been replaced! I’m no longer needed, okay?! I was created to fight in the most dangerous region of the kingdom, and well... you blew it up! So my one purpose is gone! I don’t make money, and the King doesn’t care about no-name expendables like me!"

"That’s just sad," Yuki said, staring at her in sheer disappointment. "How can you not find work? You literally have the power to teleport an entire army."

"The powers I used aren’t actually mine—or any of the Primarchs’, for that matter," she admitted, sniffing. "We are vessels for the gods. And well... I can’t maintain my contract with my god if I don’t have monsters to kill."

"So you wasted your remaining divine energy trying to interrogate me instead of finding monsters to hunt?" Yuki stared at her. "Gods, you really are a child."

"I’m not a child!" she huffed, crossing her arms.

SNAP!

"OWWW! Why do you keep hitting me?!"

"I shouldn’t even be able to hurt you with a towel. Where did your passive physical defense go?" Yuki narrowed his eyes. "Even if you lost your divine contract, your base stats should still place you at Rank 3 or 4. Why are you as weak as a Rank 1?"

"I... well... I kind of made a bet with my god that you were going to die without doing anything to the horde..." she mumbled, fidgeting with her nightgown. "And well, you proved me wrong. So yeah... I lost my authority, and the kingdom kicked me to the curb."

Yuki pinched the bridge of his nose. "Sigh... Fine. You can stay here. There are three extra bedrooms upstairs—pick one and behave yourself. I’m not your father, so don’t expect me to spoil you."

"Tsk, please! As if you even have the money to spoil me anyway!" she scoffed.

"..."

"..."

"I have money," Yuki stated flatly.

"Wait... you do?"

"Yes, I have plenty of money. The King and Queen granted a heavy payout for my service, and I sell the surplus crops from my farm, along with extra bread and pastries I bake."

"So... you’re rich?"

"Yes. I am."

"...Are you looking for an employee? Or someone to do chores...?" 01 asked nervously, blinking her big crimson eyes.

"..."

"I’m going to bed. Don’t disturb me," Yuki said, turning on his heel and walking away.

"Oh... okay. Good night!"

Lying in bed, Yuki found himself unable to sleep, his mind wandering.

Against his better judgment, he had just taken in Primarch 01. Even though he kept telling himself she wasn’t his responsibility, he knew he couldn’t just throw her onto the streets. She was a spoiled, arrogant brat who had spent her life relying on raw power without caring about anyone else. But now that she had lost her rank and divine gifts, maybe she would finally learn how to be a better person.

Gods... I sound like a parent trying to discipline a rebellious kid, Yuki dry-chuckled silently. Well, I’ll figure it out tomorrow. For now, I need some rest.

Yuki finally let his racing thoughts subside as he drifted off to sleep, feeling the warm, comforting presence of Vee and Kasumi cuddled beside him. For the first time in a very long time, he felt a genuine sense of peace.

His original goal when coming to this world was to travel, explore, and experience the rich cultures of different nations. Because of his own foolishness and the world repeatedly dragging him into chaos, he hadn’t been able to do that.

But that changes now, Yuki promised himself in the dark. No one I love is ever going to die again. Not as long as I’m breathing.

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