(Once again, the chapter turned out longer than I expected. I need to stop with chapter lengths like this. It's completely unacceptable. I understand that you like the length of the chapters, but I don't, and I'm also sorry for the extra time I spend writing.)
Alex, still in the form of a nekomata, was lying on Shizuka's chest, completely melting under her gentle movements. Her warm fingers glided softly through his fur, making him purr with contentment. Slightly opening one eye, Alex glanced at Mari, who was examining those he had brought from Pandora.
He felt a sense of satisfaction watching the results of his efforts. Using clones to create the Guild and all the auxiliary structures, like this clinic, had been one of his best decisions. The clinic had everything necessary — including diagnostic capsules capable of scanning a patient's body down to the smallest detail. Just one session inside a capsule was enough to learn everything: from old injuries and chronic illnesses to the structure of the nervous system.
Fortunately, the capsules were designed for different body sizes; otherwise, Ellie and her "curves" definitely wouldn't have fit. While the examination was ongoing, Lilith, Maya, and Moxxi chatted animatedly with Shizuka and Mari, gradually getting to know each other better. After all, they now had a shared boyfriend… or perhaps husband.
Tannis, staying true to herself, dashed around the clinic, asking dozens of questions about anything that even remotely resembled technology. Even by the standards of the Dahl Corporation, where she had once worked, the clinic looked extremely advanced. Alex didn't interfere in the conversations — he just lay there, enjoying the gentle touches and complete peace.
Unfortunately, that peace didn't last long.
Before anyone could even blink, four gremlins burst into the clinic, kicking up clouds of dust and causing a real commotion. Cheerful squeals, laughter, and the patter of tiny feet filled the room.
Alex barely had time to lift his head before he was seized and buried under a wave of excited hugs. His four daughters — Nyaruko, Jinx, Anya, and Tina — didn't care at all that their father was in cat form. On the contrary, it only heightened their enthusiasm. After all, it's not every day you get to cuddle your beloved daddy when he's fluffy, soft, and purring!
"Daddy! He's so cute!" squealed Tina, pressing him against her cheek.
"Mine!" declared Nyaruko, hugging him from the other side.
While Alex heroically endured the onslaught of affection, cheerful laughter rang in his mind — Geirölul's laughter. He instantly understood whose doing this was — it was certainly Geirölul who had told the gremlins where to find him and in what form he was currently in.
Finally, once they had their fill of hugs, the daughters explained why they had come: they were going to Helios — to explore everything with their own eyes and, most likely, cause a bit of chaos there.
Alex, already resigned to his fate, simply nodded silently. In response, Anya, Jinx, Tina, and Nyaruko each kissed his fluffy face in turn. Then Nyaruko snapped her fingers, opening a spatial rift, and the whole quartet, laughing, disappeared into it.
Everything happened so quickly that the others didn't even have time to react. Only Mari and Shizuka exchanged glances and smiled — it seemed they had long since grown used to such scenes.
Alex remained sitting on the table, his fur ruffled, his appearance disheveled, with traces of drool on his muzzle. He looked like a cat who had survived a visit from a hundred hyperactive children.
Silence hung in the room, and then everyone burst out laughing at once. Alex just stared into space — with the gaze of a creature who had endured a family storm and accepted his fate.
Still laughing, Shizuka picked up a comb and gently began smoothing his fur, wiping away the leftover drool. Alex only sighed heavily. He was sure it was Nyaruko and Tina who had tried especially hard to make "daddy" have fun.
But what could he do? How could anyone stay mad at their own daughters when just one puppy-dog look and a few "tears" were enough for him to forgive everything without a second thought?
When Shizuka finished, Alex once again looked like a true gentleman — a black cat with two elegant tails and glossy fur.
"And how long do you plan to stay in that form?" Mari asked, barely holding back a laugh.
"Until I leave Orario," Alex drawled lazily. "I don't wanna-nya talk to anyone about the fact that I dragged an entire orbital station into this world-nya."
"So you just dumped all the work on Brunhilde, Coco, Yuriko, and Saya?" Mari raised an eyebrow.
"They can just say they don't know anything-nya," Alex replied, licking his paw. "In a couple of weeks, everyone will get used to the huge hunk of metal floating above their heads that fell into the world through a rift-nya."
"Oh, really…" came a cold female voice from the doorway.
Hearing the calm, icy voice, Alex slowly turned his head and met bright green eyes that held neither warmth nor mercy. A chill ran down his spine — Brunhilde was standing in the doorway. A faint, almost gentle smile played on her lips, but her eyes remained icy, as if warning everyone to stay silent.
From behind her came a muffled laugh, barely audible in the heavy silence. Alex shifted his gaze and saw two men struggling not to burst out laughing. One wore pink glasses and had a huge tuft of hair, while the other was a young man with long blond hair casually draped over his shoulders. They were Buddha and Siegfried — two "heroes" Brunhilde had dragged from Valhalla to help in the guild.
But the moment they exhaled a little too loudly, Brunhilde slowly turned her head toward them. The laughter instantly stopped. Buddha and Siegfried fell silent at the same time, immediately turning away as if they weren't there at all. None of them wanted to anger Brunhilde. After all, if she decided to punish someone, it wasn't with brute force, but cleverly and painfully. Buddha risked losing his sweets, and Siegfried… had been afraid of his foster mother whenever she got angry since childhood.
Brunhilde's gaze shifted to the others. All the men in the room flinched instinctively. Even Brick, who usually joked in any situation, now preferred not to meet her gaze. Mordecai hastily hid a bottle behind his back, like a boy caught by his mother with a drink.
Lilith, Maya, Moxxi, and Angel politely waved in greeting. Brunhilde responded with a slight smile and a short nod — she already knew them not only through her spiritual connection with Alex, but also from the broadcasts she had been watching.
Then her gaze returned to Alex. At that moment, he quietly tried to open the window and escape. Of course, he adored his wives… but even a divine being has a survival instinct. He was almost out when he heard a soft click — the window shut itself right in front of his nose.
Despite all his power, Alex knew perfectly well: there was no escaping his own wives. Especially when he himself had given them artifacts that allowed them to find him anywhere.
"So, my dear husband," Brunhilde said with a gentle smile, "what was that you said about not having to work?"
"A-ha-ha… Hello, my love-nya! I didn't mean anything like that-nya!" Alex laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head. "I just meant-nya, that you don't have to explain anything-nya! You can just ignore the questions-nya and act-nya like you don't know anything-nya!"
Brunhilde silently stared at him without blinking. Alex realized it was time to act decisively.
The next second, he jumped into her arms — still in his nekomata form — and began rubbing his fluffy cheek against hers, purring softly.
Brunhilde blinked in surprise. Even she hadn't expected such a move. A moment later, the cold gleam in her eyes faded, replaced by a weary softness. She simply sighed, while the male half of the hall — from Buddha to Brick — simultaneously gave Alex discreet thumbs-ups, watching him with admiration.
Shizuka, Mari, Lilith, Moxxi, Angel, Maya, Ellie, and Tannis exchanged knowing looks, their smiles tinged with irony as they watched the scene unfold. Alex, meanwhile, seemed oblivious to everything around him — he knew the most important thing right now was to calm Brunhilde down. After all, he had placed most of the Guild's management on her shoulders.
Brunhilde sighed again and hugged Alex, pressing him gently against herself. He grinned contentedly, resting his chin on her shoulder and rubbing his nose lightly against her neck. Then he threw a smug glance at Buddha and Siegfried — as if to say, that's how you defuse a situation.
"Darling, why did you bring Bu-chan and Zig-chan with you?" he asked lazily, still rubbing against her neck.
"Because those two cause just as much trouble as you do," Brunhilde replied calmly, casting a cold glance their way.
"Hey, Bru-chan, I didn't do anything!" Buddha replied lazily, folding his hands behind his head. "I just dutifully completed my mission and went for a walk to find new sweets. That's not a crime, is it?"
"Exactly!" Siegfried chimed in. "As stated in the mission, I was supposed to destroy the undead dragon that the cult of the evil god was trying to resurrect. I defeated it and saved the world from an epidemic. So what's the problem?"
"The problem," Brunhilde said with a cold smile, narrowing her eyes, "is how all of that ended. Should I remind you, Buddha, how your 'sweet tasting' went? Or you, Siegfried — how your 'battle with the undead dragon' turned out?"
At her words, Buddha just sighed quietly, turned away, and pulled out a pack of chewy candies from his pocket, as if the conversation had nothing to do with him. He unwrapped one lazily, tossed it into his mouth, and began chewing with the air of a saintly innocent, refusing to meet Brunhilde's gaze.
Siegfried, in turn, put on the most harmless expression he could muster — as if facing not a fearsome Valkyrie, but a strict mother. Unfortunately, he looked more like a child caught holding a sword beside a broken window. Still, he tried his best.
Sitting on Brunhilde's shoulder in his nekomata form, Alex tilted his head curiously.
"Hmm, now I'm actually curious," he muttered, slipping a paw into his inventory and pulling out his phone.
A few taps on the screen — and the Guild's archive opened the relevant files.
First, Alex played the drone footage that had accompanied Buddha. Within seconds, it became clear why Brunhilde was so angry. Buddha had completed the mission — he had prevented the collapse of the timeline. But after that… everything went downhill.
After completing his mission, Buddha decided to "take a little walk" — and at the same time look for new sweets. As a result, he ended up wandering across half the continent, gathering crowds of admiring people wherever he went. His calm demeanor, charisma, and eloquence worked as always. People began listening to his speeches, repeating his words, and before long — worshipping him. When Buddha finally left, they built a church in his honor. Soon, faith in him completely replaced the worship of the goddess who had once been revered by almost all of humanity.
The result? The poor goddess had a nervous breakdown.
As for Siegfried… his report looked more like a chronicle of disasters. Not only did he get lost, but he somehow managed to beat up the summoned heroes ten times — the very ones he was supposed to assist. It all started when the mage girl in their party fell in love with Siegfried after he saved her. The problem was that the main Hero of the group considered the girl part of his "harem" and had no intention of sharing.
From there, it became a chain reaction. Every time the Hero encountered Siegfried, he would scream, "You're with the demons!" and charge into battle… only to get knocked out again and again. After the tenth defeat, people began to doubt whether he was really the Hero. Even the god who had summoned them to that world started to suspect he had sent the wrong person.
Meanwhile, as the Hero flirted with every girl in sight, Siegfried was single-handedly demolishing the cult of the Evil God and wiping out the undead.
Alex couldn't help but smirk.
"Classic," he muttered. "The Hero's an idiot — thinks strength comes from dating, not training."
But his smirk soon faded into a thoughtful expression.
Brunhilde's anger wasn't just about their behavior — it was about the aftermath of the battle with the undead dragon. The explosion had been so powerful it wiped out entire valleys, and the land was left tainted with corruption from the creature. And Siegfried, the reckless hero, simply walked away without bothering to purify the area.
Alex sighed.
"Yeah-nya… you two really outdid yourselves-nya," he drawled, staring at the screen. "Bu-chan-nya, you've made quite a name for yourself again-nya. Zig-chan-nya, well done too. I'm giving you ten nya-points just for beating up the Hero-nya and seducing the mage girl-nya."
"Hey! A-chan!" Buddha protested, pointing at himself. "Where are my nya-points?"
Alex turned toward him, narrowing his eyes.
"Bu-chan-nya… you drove a poor goddess to a nervous breakdown-nya. Because she lost all her followers-nya, she locked herself away in the heavenly realm and has been crying ever since-nya. Look at her yourself-nya — that's not a goddess, that's a child-nya, and you made her cry-nya. Congratulations, Bu-chan-nya, you officially screwed up-nya."
He turned his phone screen toward them. The video showed a little girl — about ten years old — with pink hair, wearing a white dress trimmed with gold and tiny white wings on her back. Her face was covered in tears, and her eyes were full of despair. This was Seraphina, the goddess of light, goodness, wisdom, and life.
Everyone in the room stared at Buddha as if a villain from an old tale stood before them. Buddha awkwardly cleared his throat and shrugged.
"Umm… well, I didn't ask them to follow me. And I didn't order a church…" he mumbled, pretending nothing terrible had happened.
Siegfried, on the other hand, burst out laughing. His laughter echoed around the room.
"And what are you laughing at, kid-nya?" Alex squinted, turning his head toward him.
"Ahem… just remembered a joke from Helheim," Siegfried replied quickly, straightening up.
"Really?" Alex tilted his head. "Then, my dear son Siegfried, share that joke with me and your mother. And don't think that just because I'm a cat I can't kick your butt."
"I'm already an adult," Siegfried grumbled, feeling the air around him grow heavier.
"And I'm a cat," Alex replied calmly. "But you're still my adopted son. And Brunhilde's son. Don't forget that."
Alex sighed again and put away his phone.
"I never said you did poorly. On the contrary, you did far more than that worthless group of 'heroes.' But you didn't deal with the aftermath of your battle. Because of that, hundreds of people had to leave their homes and relocate."
Now his voice was calm and serious — without the usual "nya" at the end.
Brunhilde nodded in agreement with Alex's words — the Guild's work was indeed difficult. No one forbade groups from traveling a bit after completing a mission in the world where they worked, but they had to be careful not to interfere with the locals' lives too much. Especially not the way Buddha and Siegfried had.
"All right, you two. Bu-chan, Zig-chan, next time be more careful. But first — a talk with Brunhilde, and then you clean up after yourselves. No excuses. And if you refuse… heh heh heh, I know how to make you work. Bu-chan, you don't want all your sweets to taste like chewed rubber or rotten vegetables, do you? And you, Siegfried, will be disciplined by Brunhilde again." Alex said with a sly smile, baring his sharp cat fangs.
"You monster, A-chan! How can you do this to me?! How dare you touch the sacred sweets?! You're a monster!" Buddha protested indignantly, pointing at him.
"Nyahahaha! You're right, Bu-chan. I'm a real villain." Alex laughed his trademark "cat" laugh, which, contrary to expectations, made him seem more cute than frightening.
But to Buddha that laugh sounded like the chuckle of a true demon. He absolutely did not want his beloved sweets to become rubbery. Alex only grinned slyly, rubbed his cheek against Brunhilde's, and with a light push jumped off her shoulder straight into Moxxi's arms.
Brunhilde only smiled — her anger at Alex had long since passed, even despite the fact that he had, without batting an eye, dragged an entire orbital station into this world.
"And, darling, before I forget," Alex said, settling comfortably in Moxxi's arms, "there are cargo robots on Helios. I think we can use them to clean up similar aftermaths if someone overdoes it or screws up. Those machines have lots of uses. Also, I found a hidden AI there — seems to be called Felicity. Let the Red and the White talk to it. Maybe we can get it to work for us."
Brunhilde paused, thinking about who these cargo robots were. Within a few seconds, she was already considering ways to use them, including the one involving the AI named Felicity. Tapping her finger against her chin, she smiled — the idea was excellent. Especially the fact that the robots could be used to deliver supplies to the teams that requested assistance.
After saying goodbye to everyone, Brunhilde hugged Alex one more time and gently kissed him on the forehead before leaving.
Once she was gone, of course, Alex was bombarded with questions — who exactly were Buddha and Siegfried. He didn't hide any details: he explained that Buddha was a man who had walked the path from mortal to ascension as a deity, and Siegfried was Brunhilde's adopted son, found by her on a battlefield. Over time, he had become a demigod and a hero of many legends.
When the examination was finished and everyone had been vaccinated against local diseases, Alex said goodbye to Shizuka and Mari. The girls didn't want to let him go and hugged him tightly one last time before he led Pandora's group to another location.
The first stop after the clinic was the registration desk — they needed to process documents and receive phones with access to the Guild system. The process went quickly, except for the fact that Geirölul refused to let Alex go, continuing to stroke him despite his protests and attempts to escape.
Finally freeing himself from her strong embrace, Alex led the group to the garage — to show Scooter and Ellie their new workplace.
When they entered the Guild's auto shop, Scooter's eyes literally lit up: the place was filled with an enormous amount of equipment — from light buggies to combat tanks. While everyone was exploring, Scooter was already hugging one of the tanks with open arms, the very one Alex had once brought from Night City.
While everyone admired the machines, Alex continued to lie in Moxxi's arms and calmly explained:
"This room serves not only as a garage but also as a transit point to the worlds you need. From here, teams can depart for missions."
"Perfect, I like it," Ellie said, putting her tools on the table. "If Mom didn't lie, I'm the boss here, right?"
"Almost," Alex replied, lazily yawning. "You and your brother are in charge for now. Over time, I might hire more mechanics, but leadership will remain with you. The main thing — don't hit or kill anyone."
"I don't care. As long as I get to work with these beauties, this is a mechanic's paradise! So many toys… and all mine!" Scooter exclaimed enthusiastically, hugging the tank's barrel.
Everyone looked at Scooter in surprise, who, happy as a child, hung upside down on the tank barrel. Ellie just shook her head — her brother was hopeless. Machines meant more to him than anything else.
Deciding to settle into their new auto shop, Ellie and Scooter started inspecting the place, arranging their tools, and getting used to the space. Alex didn't object — let them get comfortable.
The next destination was the research laboratory managed by Rekka, Red, and White.
To get there, they had to return to the Guild's main hall and then climb to the second floor — but via a different staircase. From the outside, the building seemed spacious, but inside it was much larger than one could imagine. Without the signs posted along the corridors, getting lost here would have been very easy.
Alex perched on Angel's shoulders, pointing with his paw where to go. Upon learning they were headed to the laboratory, Tannis practically lit up with enthusiasm. But as soon as they crossed the threshold of the research department, the air was pierced by loud shouts and clamor. The sounds came from a room marked "Genetics Laboratory."
Even though the Guild had such a department, all experiments were strictly monitored so that no one accidentally created a local Frankenstein who might later cause a massacre.
"What's all that noise?" Lilith asked, pointing toward the door from which the heated arguments emanated.
"Take a look for yourselves — you'll see," Alex replied calmly, flicking his tail, still perched on Angel's shoulder.
Curiosity got the better of them, and the whole group cautiously peered inside.
Before them unfolded a comical scene: a group of scientists was engaged in a fierce debate, each holding a small skag — creatures native to Pandora. Some of them had seen these beings before, but none understood how they had ended up in this laboratory. The reason for the scientists' argument was absurdly trivial: each one boasted over and over about which particular skag they had managed to breed and what abilities it now possessed.
Alex recognized the scientists — it was the same team that had worked with Rekka in the zombie-apocalypse world. They always behaved the same way: initially working silently, focused on experiments, and once they achieved success, erupting into heated debates over who had done better.
Now, given the chance to experiment with skags, creatures prone to various mutations, they couldn't resist starting yet another competition. One skag was bright pink, another blue, the third shimmered purple, and the fourth looked like semi-transparent green slime shaped like a small animal.
Tannis stepped forward, but Lilith grabbed her by the scruff in time — she knew all too well how Tannis's unrestrained enthusiasm could end.
The doors to the genetics laboratory slowly closed, leaving everyone slightly bewildered.
"And this… is normal in your Guild?" Lilith asked, turning to Alex.
"Well, relatively speaking," he shrugged. "This team either works or argues. And now that they have creatures like skags, it's a miracle they haven't started a full-blown tournament. But despite all their madness, they're insanely smart. They managed to develop an anti-virus for the zombie virus with minimal resources. As they say, the smarter the person, the bigger the headache."
"I won't even argue with that. I just hope your safety protocols here are at least solid," Lilith shook her head.
"Don't worry, dear, everything's under control. Security systems and protocols are top-notch," Alex said confidently, raising his paw as if giving a solemn promise. "Now, let's head to the main laboratory."
"The one where I'll be working?" Tannis asked, looking at him intently.
"Something like that," Alex replied with a sly grin. "Your knowledge as an archaeologist and a scientist will come in handy. So — onward, my trusty steed Angel! To adventure!"
He theatrically placed one paw on Angel's head and pointed forward with the other, as if giving the command to march.
Angel just smirked at Alex's words but still went where he pointed with his paw. The others followed her as she carried Alex on her shoulders.
A few minutes and several doors later, the group arrived at the far end of the laboratory — a section far more advanced than the other rooms. Mini-drones buzzed everywhere, ferrying test tubes filled with colorful liquids and various tools.
In the corner, near a table with coffee mugs, three women in white lab coats were present. Two of them were twins with white hair — the only way to tell them apart was by the length of their hairstyles. The third had short, light brown hair and glasses perched on her nose. These were Rekka, White, and Red, currently enjoying a break.
White and Red, though not needing coffee, increasingly tried to mimic human habits, drawing closer to human nature. Alex noted with interest that the fragments of their creator's soul, once small, had now grown much stronger. They were very close to becoming fully human.
Rekka was the first to notice the newcomers. She recognized them from the broadcast and the family chat. But before she could speak, a black cat with two tails leapt into her arms.
Rekka, Red, and White exchanged glances — the aura emanating from the cat was too familiar.
"Yo, Rekka. Miss me?" Alex said, poking her nose with his paw.
"Darling? Is that you? Why are you a cat?" Rekka asked, blinking several times in surprise.
"Confirmed, this is our husband. The scent and energy signature match," White said calmly, picking Alex up. In response, he poked her nose with his paw in greeting.
"Confirmed," Red added, taking him from her sister. "Even if our husband is a cat now, he's still our husband. A cute cat."
"So, Alex," Rekka said, looking over her glasses as he settled comfortably on Red's lap, "why have you come? And I really don't want to know why you turned into a cat."
"Ah, right!" Alex exclaimed. "Anyway, I brought you Tannis. You already know who she is — smart, quick-witted… though slightly unhinged. So much so that the bolts in her head have long been loose — and she doesn't seem to care."
He gestured with his paw toward Tannis, who was eagerly inspecting the laboratory like a child in a toy store.
"Hey, I can hear everything! And my head's perfectly fine! Well… at least it was the last time I checked," Tannis said, poking Alex with her finger.
"And when was that?" he asked, looking at her lazily, a slight grin on his face.
"Well… I'm twenty years and ninety months old now. So I checked when I was eighteen. That's recent! So everything's fine. Or maybe not. Although probably yes. Definitely yes!" Tannis declared, counting on her fingers as if trying to convince herself of her own words.
Everyone stared at her blankly, especially when she said "twenty years and ninety months." Alex just shook his head and briefly explained what Tannis had been doing and her talents. Despite her eccentricities, she had managed to decipher the language of the Eridian race — a long-extinct people.
Alex pulled out his phone in his paws and sent Rekka Tannis's full dossier, extracted from the Hyperion archives. Rekka adjusted her glasses and quickly scanned the file while the others sat down nearby.
Meanwhile, Red and White became interested in the powers of the sirens — Lilith, Maya, and Angel. They took small blood samples for analysis, and the girls didn't object; those who were close to Alex inspired no distrust.
Alex sat on the table next to Rekka. One of her hands stroked his back, while the other held a tablet with the dossier.
"Hm… impressive," she said after a brief pause. "I think Tannis will fit in well. One more strange scientist in the team won't make a difference — I already constantly deal with those who conduct experiments and then argue about who was right."
Before leaving, Alex asked Red and White to check Helios, to speak with an AI named Felicity and try to persuade her to cooperate with the Guild.
After saying goodbye to the three women, Alex led the group onward. He still needed to visit the Guild library to upload data from Pandora, collected after capturing Helios: everything related to the Eridian race, the Mikros, experiments on creating the Icon of Sin, and the possibility of Davoth being resurrected.
Upon entering the library, Alex immediately noticed how much it had changed since his last visit. Now the space was a huge circular hall, with walls lined with tall bookshelves reaching all the way to the ceiling.
At the center, behind a massive desk, sat Reginleif with a book in her hands. Hearing the door open, she looked up, adjusted her glasses, and immediately recognized the cat.
"Yo, Reginleif. I see the library has changed. What's the reason?" Alex asked, jumping from Maya's head straight onto the desk.
"I thought it would be better than the tech-style your clone created," Reginleif replied, closing the book. "Why did you come?"
"I want to update the library database," Alex said, summoning his phone into his paws. "I learned quite a bit while on Pandora."
Reginleif nodded and adjusted her glasses. Alex, however, looked around puzzled, holding the phone — he wasn't sure where to connect the device now. Previously, the library had a special rack for uploading data, but now the space was filled with books, and the technology was gone. Apparently, it was the work of his clone, whom he had once sent to the girls to teach them how to manage all Guild functions.
Seeing Alex's confusion, Reginleif smiled faintly, took the phone from his paws, and carefully placed it on a special device. Within a second, a book with a purple cover bearing the Guild insignia appeared on the table. Reginleif opened the first page, stamped it, then raised the book overhead — and it, glowing softly, flew upward, dissolving among many others.
Everyone who came with Alex watched in awe — and though they knew it was magic, the sight was still mesmerizing. Alex nodded appreciatively, realizing that his clone had done a marvelous job. Once all the new books were stamped and sorted into the appropriate sections, Reginleif returned the phone to Alex's paws.
"Hm… Reginleif, I was thinking," Alex said, putting the phone away in his inventory.
"What are you thinking about?" Reginleif asked, returning the last book to its place.
"Maybe you should get an assistant? Not some incompetent person, but someone who truly shares your love for books and reading," Alex said, thoughtfully stroking his chin with his paw.
"If you find someone like that, I'd be glad," Reginleif replied softly. "And while you're still here, I need copies of Bobby Singer's book collection that you mentioned. And also copies of the Men of Letters books, if it's not too much trouble."
"No problem. I was planning on doing that anyway," Alex said, nodding. "As soon as I meet Sam and Dean, I'll bring you all the copies, including legends, notes, and other materials."
Reginleif nodded with a smile and gently stroked his fur. While Alex talked with her, the others wandered around the hall with curiosity, examining the endless shelves. They were eager to see what kinds of books were kept in this magical library.
Seeing this, Alex explained that it housed knowledge from all worlds — from simple legends and bestiaries to works on magic, technology, weapons, and ancient civilizations. Reginleif added that travelers and guild members often brought in books they found, expanding the collection. Of course, there were also some useless works, but as Alex said, "A book is still a book, and each one deserves to be read."
After finishing their tasks in the library and saying goodbye to Reginleif, Alex led the group onward. He showed them various parts of the guild and explained the purpose of each room.
Finally, they reached the main doors. No one, except the Valkyries and a few initiates, had recognized Alex in his black cat form — something he considered an undeniable advantage. He had even gotten used to moving on all fours and using his phone, holding it carefully with his soft paws.
"So, where to now?" Brick yawned, stretching. "Everything was interesting, but damn, I can't feel my legs anymore."
"Agreed," Mordecai added, rubbing his back. "Cool show, but exhausting."
"Stop whining like children," Lilith rolled her eyes. "You'll be working here soon. You need to know how everything is arranged."
"One last stop remains," Alex said, hopping into Moxxi's arms.
"And where to next, sugar?" Moxxi asked, stroking his ears.
"The last stop is where the guys will live. They'll also get to meet more closely those they'll be working with," Alex replied, pointing the way with his paw.
Following Alex's directions, the group soon arrived at a building that looked like a luxurious dormitory, with the Guild of Guardians emblem above the entrance. Though it was technically a dorm, each room was in fact a full apartment with all the amenities. Instead of building separate houses for everyone, they had decided to construct a single building and magically expand its interior space significantly.
Once inside, Alex began explaining: the first floor served as a common relaxation area. It had everything — from a miniature indoor park for picnics and friendly gatherings over a beer, to a full training hall for those who didn't want to go to the guild every time. The upper floors housed apartments, which were far from small — some residents already had families, and others might have them in the future.
Alex flipped his paw, and twelve metal keys appeared on it, each engraved with an apartment number.
"Why twelve keys if there are only ten of us?" Akston asked, taking his.
"Two spares — for Ellie and Scooter. One of you will need to give them their keys," Alex replied, hooking two of them with his claw.
"I'll hand them over," Brick said, taking the extra keys in his massive hand.
"Perfect. If you have any questions, check the guide I gave you or the guild app. You can also ask the Valkyries at the reception desk," Alex said, flicking his tail. "And don't forget to go there tomorrow morning. You'll be assigned to groups so you can get used to the work. You'll also get new gear. After all, saving timelines isn't a walk in the park. It's better if someone with experience mentors you."
The guys nodded in unison, listening carefully to every word. After the long tour of the guild, they fully understood just how serious the work here was. One mistake could cost too much.
After saying goodbye to them, Alex, perched on Moxxi's shoulder, left the building with Lilith, Maya, and Angel.
"And where to now?" Lilith asked, gently taking the cat into her arms.
"Now — to my mansion," Alex replied, lightly swishing his tail. "You wanted to meet everyone in person anyway. Plus, you'll need to set up your rooms."
"So the guys will live in the dorm, and we'll be at the mansion?" Maya asked with a slight smirk. "Hmm… I like that idea."
Lilith, Moxxi, and Angel laughed, joining in the joke. Alex just shook his head, not mentioning that the dorm apartments were essentially as luxurious as any suite. Everyone could choose their own style, design, and even decorate their place however they wanted.
Pointing with his paw toward his mansion, Alex settled comfortably in Lilith's arms. As they walked down the path bathed in the soft glow of lanterns, he chatted calmly with the girls — about work, travels, and just little everyday things.
To be continued…
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