Chapter 368: The Standard of Mate Selection
Kaito stared at the three words in the appointment book for five seconds.
[MUST BE ALIVE.]
He stared for another five seconds. The text remained unchanged.
"That's it?"
Sora nodded, her expression a complex mess of professional frustration and
bewilderment. "That's it."
Kaito's soul-fire flickered. He had initially assumed this Tier-4 Anomaly would
manifest some absurd requirement—perhaps a partner capable of defeating it in
combat, or one who could cook and eventually handle its funeral logistics.
But no. Just three words. Must be alive.
"And you failed to facilitate a match three times despite these low parameters?"
"The bottleneck is… well, look at the logs," Sora said, flipping to the previous
intake records. "The first time, we recommended several human clients. As soon
as they realized they were being matched with a Tier-4 Anomaly, their 'Flight
Response' hit 100%. They fled the premises immediately."
"The second time, we shifted our logic. we searched the Anomaly database. But
the client rejected them all, stating that Anomalies don't count as 'alive'."
"The third time, the client manifested its own proposal: it asked if we could
find it a sentient plant."
Kaito's mandible let out a sharp clack. "A plant?"
"Correct. It reasoned that plants are alive and, more importantly, they don't
run away." Sora flipped another page. "But we audited the entire city; not a
single plant possessed the 'Sentience' variable or the capacity for high-order
communication. That plan hit a dead end."
Bochi, perched on Kaito's knee, listened with rapt attention. "So pathetic… is
the client suffering from a terminal loneliness debuff?"
Kaito didn't comment on the emotional weight. He was busy auditing a different
variable.
The core requirement of this Tier-4 Anomaly was actually quite simple. It didn't
care about race, gender, or age. Its only hard-coded standard was "Life."
The problem wasn't the client; it was that Sora's "Resource Pool" was too
narrow.
Her assets were limited to Humans and Anomalies. Humans were terrified of
Anomalies; Anomalies didn't meet the "Life" criteria. It was a closed loop of
failure.
But the parameters had changed. Since the Empire annexed the Eldritch Realm,
planar gateways had been stabilized.
Recently, various Imperial races had begun manifesting in the Eldritch Realm for
"Cross-Planar Tourism." Dragon-men, Elves, Dwarves.
These races were undeniably alive. They possessed long lifespans, robust
constitutions, and a much higher tolerance for cross-species interactions. In
the Empire, inter-racial marriage was a standard protocol, not a logic error.
Kaito leaned back, his bony fingers tapping the armrest.
"Have you considered expanding your target demographics?"
Sora blinked. "Expanding? How? My jurisdiction is local."
"The Imperial tour groups. Have you initiated contact with them?"
Sora's brow furrowed. She clearly hadn't calculated that vector. "You mean… the
Dragon-men and their ilk?"
"Not just them. Elves, Dwarves, Orcs, Halflings. The list is extensive." Kaito's
soul-fire pulsed with a clinical light. "They all satisfy the 'Life' parameter."
Sora's mouth slowly hung open. Beside her, Ruby's eyes began to gleam with a
predatory business light.
"Of course! Elves are an optimal match! High aesthetic value, long-term survival
rates, and they are definitely alive—for a very long time!"
Misty's faces rippled in unison toward Sora. "Boss! Last week at the East
District market, I encountered a squad of Elf tourists. They spent thirty
minutes observing a human selling roasted sweet potatoes. They even took 'Memory
Fragments'—I mean, photos!"
"Elves with an interest in human culture might be highly compatible with a
Tier-4 Anomaly!"
Sora slammed her hand on the desk and stood up. "Why didn't I factor that in?!"
She snatched her ledger and scribbled a new line on a blank page: [CROSS-PLANAR
MATCHMAKING: IMPERIAL SPECIALTY LINE.]
Finished, she looked at Kaito, her eyes burning with entrepreneurial fire. "Mr.
Kaito, what is the standard Imperial attitude toward inter-species unions? Are
there any 'Taboo' variables?"
Kaito ran a quick search of his mental archives. "Imperial Law contains zero
prohibitions against inter-species marriage. In practice, most races accept it.
Elves are slightly more conservative but not immovable. Dwarves don't care about
race as long as the partner can process high-proof alcohol. Dragon-men are
casual; it depends on their current mood."
"As for the Orcs—"
"Skip the Orcs," Sora interrupted decisively. "I don't think my human clients
can process that variable yet."
"Not necessarily," Kaito added. "Some Imperial Orcs possess high aesthetic
ratings."
Sora hesitated for 0.5 seconds. "...We'll put them on the 'Future Expansion'
list for now."
Bochi, who had been quiet for too long, piped up. "Master, who approved the Elf
sisters coming here to play? Was it Uncle Greed?"
"Yes."
"Does General Greed manage tourism too?"
"He manages everything."
"...Poor Uncle Greed. His work-load is Calamity-rank."
Kaito didn't comment on Greed's KPIs. His attention was drawn to the sound of
footsteps approaching the door.
The rhythm was light, steady, and disciplined—the gait of a trained combatant.
From the frequency and force, Kaito calculated the individual possessed high
physical stats but was currently in a relaxed, non-combatant state.
The door pushed open. The small bell chimed.
"Sora, are you in? I was just passing by and thought I'd drop in for a—"
Chief Lyra Frost's voice cut off mid-sentence as her gaze landed on the skeleton
sitting in the office.
She froze on the threshold for approximately two seconds. Then, her gaze shifted
from Kaito to Sora, then to Ruby and Misty, and finally to Bochi perched on
Kaito's knee.
Bochi waved a tiny tentacle at her. "Chief Lyra! Long time no see!"
Lyra's body relaxed. Only slightly.
"My Sovereign."
Lyra offered a deep, formal bow. Ever since she had knelt before the stairs that
day, her address for Kaito had remained constant.
"What is your… current mission here?"
"A simple excursion," Kaito replied briefly. "And you?"
Lyra walked into the office, her eyes quickly auditing the surroundings—the
banners, the forms, and the two Anomalies in matching jumpsuits. She hadn't seen
Ruby or Misty during her last visit with Sora.
"I am retired," Lyra said, taking a chair with a calm demeanor. Kaito noted the
lack of bitterness in her tone; instead, it carried the lightness of someone who
had finally offloaded a terminal burden.
"Once the Imperial Guard was stationed, the Night Watchmen organization was
liquidated. The 'Above' provided a significant severance package—enough to
sustain me for decades."
Lyra glanced at Sora. "I drop by every few days to ensure this girl hasn't
bankrupted her business yet."
Sora huffed indignantly. "Sister Lyra, business is booming! 127 matches! Look at
the banner!"
"I see it," Lyra said, her tone amused. "But that 'Zero Complaints' metric… is
it because the complainants can't find a channel to report you through?"
"Sister Lyra!"
"I'm joking." A rare, faint smile touched Lyra's lips.
Kaito observed her physical status. Compared to their last meeting, her health
parameters had significantly improved. Her skin had regained its luster, the
dark circles under her eyes had vanished, and she looked at least five years
younger. Emerald's Respite had clearly completed the cellular regeneration of
her previously burnt-out life force.
"Why are you here?" Kaito asked.
"Nothing major." Lyra pulled a thermos from her pocket and took a sip of tea.
"I've been somewhat idle lately. My daily routine consists of walking, tea, and
occasionally checking on the construction of the new academy."
She paused. "The peace is… unsettling. When I was Chief, I wished for
forty-eight-hour days. Now that the world is stable, the silence feels a bit
hollow."
Sora seized the opportunity. "Then why not help me? I'm short-staffed."
"Help you do what? Play matchmaker?"
"What's wrong with that? Even Mr. Kaito is assisting me today."
Lyra nearly choked on her tea. She looked at Kaito, her eyes screaming Are you
malfunctioning?
Kaito replied naturally, "It was Bochi's proposal."
Bochi puffed out his body. "It was my idea! Master finds this project very
interesting!"
Kaito added a clinical correction: "I said it was 'Acceptable'."
"Acceptable means interesting!"
Kaito decided not to debate semantics with a slime.
Lyra set her thermos down and leaned back, taking a few seconds to process the
logic. The Absolute Sovereign of the Evernight Empire was sitting in a tiny
office, preparing to facilitate romantic matches for human-pests and anomalies.
Her former battlefield was the line between life and death. Now, she was
watching a skeleton and a blue jelly discuss marriage logistics.
Planar variables are truly unpredictable, she thought.
"Fine," Lyra said, tightening the cap on her thermos. "I have no other tasks
today. I'll observe this 'Entertainment'."
Sora was about to respond when the communicator in her pocket began to vibrate
violently. She pulled it out, and her expression shifted instantly.
"The client has manifested early."
Sora scrambled to clear the desk, stuffing loose forms into drawers and
smoothing her jumpsuit.
"Ruby, activate the VIP reception lighting. Misty, prepare the tea—wait, I don't
know if Anomalies process tea."
"Um… My Lord..." Ruby's eyes darted between Kaito and the door. "If the client
manifests and sees the Sovereign sitting here, won't they trigger a total
panic-shutdown and flee?"
This was a valid tactical concern.
Kaito considered this and made a gesture. The luminosity of his soul-fire dimmed
significantly. The crushing aura he naturally radiated was pulled back into a
deep-stealth mode.
Within a second, Kaito looked like nothing more than a generic, oversized
skeleton prop. Unless one stared directly into his sockets, the faint blue
embers were nearly invisible.
Bochi cooperated by shrinking into a tiny ball and hiding beneath Kaito's hood,
revealing only his black-bead eyes.
"Is this configuration acceptable?" Kaito's voice was a low, muffled rattle.
Sora gave him a thumbs-up. "Perfect. You look exactly like a premium Halloween
decoration."
Kaito's soul-fire pulsed once. Bochi's shoulders shook with silent laughter
under the hood.
The footsteps outside reached the door.
☆☆☆
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