Chapter 267 Claiming a Feathery Beauty
Unlike the one in our kingdom, the Government Office here was not of a church-like design. It was a simple rectangular building, like an office building but with a wider space in the middle.
As soon as we entered, we found a lot of the other tamers, whose faces were quite familiar, standing or sitting around while chatting. They were the graveyard shift tamers!
Although there were a lot of them, nobody paid attention to us. I guess they were busy with whatever topic they were discussing.
Since the front desk was empty, we headed straight for it and asked the smiling receptionist.
"Good evening. Are there any previously tamed monsters left in here?"
Without beating around the bush, I asked. With a beautiful smile, she nodded her head. The green hair she had bundled in a ponytail waved to her front as she did.
"There are some. Would you like to see them all?"
"Are there any Psychic types?"
"Ah, sorry, but I'm not too sure about the specifics. Let me check the list first."
As she apologized, she bent over the counter and pulled out a thin booklet, placing it on top of the counter and opening it to the part where a quill was left, acting as a bookmark.
"Psychic... Psychic... Ah! You're lucky, mister, there's actually one that fits your request! A psychic-type monster!"
She cheered with a beaming smile, as if she were really happy to know that my requested type was available. Without further ado, she led us to the second floor. There, the entire floor was covered in rooms, as if it were an apartment complex or an inn.
The receptionist walked ahead, looking at the signboards as she searched for the specific room where the Psychic Monster resided. As she was searching, she was probably feeling a little awkward with the silence, so she started recounting information regarding the monster we were going to visit.
From her words, it seems like the Psychic monster's tamer got heavily injured in an accident while outside. Although she managed to bring him back, treatment wasn't able to make it in time, leading to his untimely death. That was already a long time ago.
"She was actually here for a month already and was going to be released to the wild tomorrow."
Hearing this part, I felt a pang in my chest. Monsters released back into the wild would mean either of two things. One is that they were useless, or two, that they were hopeless. Although it was a little heartless to claim so, if she doesn't match my requirements, then I'd be forced to leave her alone too.
"It's here."
As I was deliberating my choices, the receptionist finally stopped in front of room 263. After confirming it twice, the receptionist knocked three times on the door before raising her voice slightly.
*Knock* *Knock* *Knock*
"Minerva? A tamer wishes to attempt to form a contract with you. Can we enter?"
The silence spread for a moment. Soon, a cool feminine voice echoed from beyond the door, saying, "Please enter," before staying quiet once more.
Upon receiving her permission, the receptionist turned the knob and opened the door. The room beyond it entered our view instantly. A simple design with two beds on the far side, occupying two corners of the room, and a small table in the middle. A lampshade emitting a faint yellow light was on top of the small table, lighting up the faces of the two who were sitting side by side on one of the two beds.
After confirming that the two of us were able to recognize each other, the receptionist then bowed her head.
"Then, I'll be leaving for a moment. I'll be at the front desk if you need me for anything. Good luck, Mr. Tamer!"
As if running away, she left the room and closed it behind her, leaving the two sitting by the bed and our group of four plus two little critters standing by the door.
"Greetings come first, right? I'm Will, a tamer. These are my companions, Ember, Fang, Fina, and these little ones, Yorm and Judy."
I introduced everyone in one breath. After all, knowing each other is the first step in forming connections. As soon as my introduction was finished, the one closer to the door, the avian-type girl, nodded her head.
"I'm Minerva, and this is Hekate. Also, sorry, Mr. Will, but I don't have any intentions of forming another contract."
"...?"
Was I rejected before I could even ask? But why...?
"Can I know the reason?"
Curious, I couldn't help but ask.
The avian girl narrowed her eyes before hugging the other girl closer to her body.
"I'm not going to form a contract without my sister. If you want me, then you need to take her too."
"Sister?"
I turned to the other girl, who looked like a butterfly but had faded, or rather monochrome, colors. A moth perhaps? Yeah, judging by her bushy antennae, she must be a moth-type. Her eyes, pitch black in color, stared at me with traces of sadness and fear. Judging by how close they looked, they must be the "family" of the same tamer.
"..."
Unfortunately, I can't tame the two of them together. My mental capacity was boosted after I unlocked some new features of the system, but from my estimate, my limit would be only one more 5th-stage monster. The two of them were exactly at the 5th stage, so that means I can only contract one of them.
"Are you willing to form a contract with me if I say that I'll take her together with you?"
I asked just to confirm. The avian girl nodded her head without hesitation, her expression firm and her gaze non-flinching.
"If you can do that, then I'd be thankful. However, a lot of tamers already came before you and refused, saying that they only needed me, who has a rare element."
"Ugh...!"
Her words pierced me right through the heart. I mean, even I was doing the exact same thing as those tamers. I guess the others also didn't have enough mental capacity to tame two at once, so they gave up. But I can't give up that easily!
"Actually, I don't have enough capacity to contract the both of you right now..."
I explained slowly. As soon as the words left my mouth, I saw the avian girl's embrace tighten a little, with the tips of her feathers trembling lightly. She must be feeling uncertain too, given that returning to the wild doesn't necessarily mean freedom.
"... And so, I want to form a contract with you. And form a contract with the other one after my mental capacity increases."
"... What?"
She opened her golden eyes wide, unable to internalize what I just said. After spending a few seconds repeating my words, the meaning finally started sinking in.
"... Alright. Add that to the contract, and I'll agree immediately."
After only a slight delay, she muttered with a face full of resolve. However, a slight bit of hope was seen glittering within her gaze.
As usual, I compiled the contract information, added the line regarding the contract with the moth girl, and sent it all at once telepathically. In a short instant, her face turned red and her eyes wavered. After she stared at the moth girl, though, and coughed lightly for a few times, her expression returned to her firm one before a brief flash of light covered her body.
"Contract success!"
I cheered lightly. As I did, the information about her skills and elements entered my brain, making me lose focus for an instant. However, it didn't last long as she didn't have too many skills. Probably even less than the number of skills Fina has.
Her [Telekinesis] and [Mind-reading] skills were extremely honed, however. Just from the information I received, I already felt like a master of the skills, as if I could control them at will.
"From now on, until the day that our contract ends, I'll be serving you, Sir."
The avian girl stood up, finally revealing her full appearance as she bowed lightly. I thought she was a sparrow at first, but judging from the color of her feathery hands and the white outline followed by brown covering her head, she must be an Owl. A Great Horned Owl, to be exact.
Soon after her greeting, the Moth girl stood up too, and together with her movements, several things were jiggling... No wait, staring would be rude, as she's not even my tamed monster yet. Yep. Let's just look at it within my peripheral vision.
"I-I don't know how I can be of help to you, as I'm useless... B-But I will try to not be a b-burden, at least... Please t-take care of Minerva more instead of me..."
Her voice was soft, almost like a whisper, and she was a little pessimistic about herself, but her love for Minerva was obvious to everyone in the room. Although she thinks that I was on the losing end of this deal, I was actually elated. After all, I just had something like a buy-one-take-one deal, gaining two additional members of my harem—I mean, my party.
This is a happy occurrence, so we should go and celebrate it. Just in perfect timing too, as we haven't had dinner yet. But before that, we need to check on Igni, who was left alone inside the inn, sleeping.
The night was still young, so we started walking back leisurely. Minerva, the owl, was still hugging the shy Hekate, the moth girl. Of course, Ember and the others were talking to them lightly, not enough to feel intrusive or too pushy.
In just a few minutes, we reached the inn.
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