In a corner of the store, Kiba looked at the projection with a smile. He rubbed the bridge of his nose while remembering the woman who acted as the host.
Theresa.
He has met her on her eighteenth birthday two years ago in Delta City. He recalled the party she hosted and the conversation they had. She has known about his business interests so she wanted him to hire her. She has asked for rather a very high monetary package but Kiba entertained her wishes.
“That was a terrific business proposition,” Kiba thought with a smile. “She has lived up to her hype in the city even if not here.”
He cleared his thoughts and focused on the present scenario.
Ashyn, in the meantime, looked at him and tried to read his face. She has a faint suspicion Kiba was responsible for everything that has happened so far.
She recalled his words on a fragile ego and the greatest form of psychological revenge. She wondered if this was a part of it.
What she didn’t know was that the present scenario has gone past Kiba’s expectations. He has only planned for the crystal card but not the Wish Gemstone and subsequent humiliation Shawn faced. Of course, he didn’t mind the new developments. After all, they only helped his cause and reduced the efforts he needed to put.
At the same time, the holographic projection of Theresa has offered enough incentives to male viewers. It was a different matter that not everyone appreciated her nice incentives except for Forever Single Faction.
“If you are a female, then it is more important to pass the word and introduce more women to our noble organization,” Theresa started addressing the female viewers. “Don’t let people misunderstood this is about sex.
“No, it is about freedom and liberty. When women get the freedom to explore their body as they please, only then would we feel Maiden’s Love Circle has succeeded.
“This is not about one organization or one individual. This is about an entire gender and a world that the oppressed gender deserves. The time has come for a new world to rise and replace the old.
“A world where women have rights to do as they please, to explore in ways they want… A world where their choice matters.
“Don’t let the society of men divide you through unneeded conflicts. Unite and make your female friends join the Holy Cause.”
The recording ended and the holographic projection disappeared. In its place, a virtual wall appeared, showcasing various options.
No one in the store muttered a single word for a long time. Everyone was just too overwhelmed by the developments for their rational mind to function.
The men who have enjoyed taking pleasure in Shawn’s misfortune were now feeling even worse than before.
Shawn felt more terrible if that was even possible. He has stepped in front to destroy the card but instead activated a generic recording that was actually an advertisement. Now, another function activated and set of options were visible.
He furrowed his eyebrows in annoyance as he glanced at the menu in front of him. There were three options.
1. Contact Us – Expand your horizons and experience a royal lifestyle of pleasure. An image flashed alongside; showcasing multiple exotic locations.
2. Virtual Experience. An image of a mighty ocean and beach was visible alongside.
3. Sister Organizations. It has an image consisting of three parts. The first and second parts occupied one half of the image. The upper portion of this part depicted a bunny while the lower part showed a spa table. In the second half of the image, there was a seductive woman on display. The woman was dressed in a red plunge maxi dress, highlighting her left leg. She has raised her left hand proudly to showcase her wedding band. There was an extraordinary glint in the wedding band…
“Sister organizations?!” Shawn and others spoke aloud in disbelief.
Shawn unconsciously moved his finger to press on this option, but just then, Dixon stepped up and stopped him.
“Are you crazy?” Dixon berated him.
Every single male here was already terrified of Maiden’s Love Circle. They didn’t want to experience another logic-twisting episode from these sister organizations.
“God knows what type of organizations they might be,” Dixon mumbled while looking at the third option and the image alongside.
He didn’t know why, but the moment he saw the image of the woman showcasing her wedding band, he felt goosebumps all over his body. A chill passed down his spine and butterflies rampaged in his belly.
He started feeling sick and his eyes moved to his 42 years old wife – a fellow adventurist.
“Wedding band… Don’t tell me?!” Dixon recalled how the logic-twisting so far was focused more on young females, especially maidens.
As he thought of a terrifying guess, he started sweating bullets. His wife was confused by his gaze and the sweat dripping from his body.
“Are you all right?” She asked with trace of worry evident in her voice.
Dixon nodded his head. He took a deep breath of air and then walked next to her.
“Dear,” Dixon took her hands between his. “I love you.”
She was startled by his words.
“I’m lucky to have you,” Dixon further said from his heart.
His wife was truly stunned by his attitude. They have been married for two decades and he hasn’t said showcased such love in almost the last decade.
She couldn’t understand how he got so appreciative of her in the middle of the store. Nevertheless, she was happy. With a smile, she said, “I love you too.”
Dixon leaned to kiss her on lips…
Kiba looked at the scene with amusement in his eyes.
“If only Claudia was here… she would have understood my role in strengthening marital bonds,” Kiba mused.
Claudia has always made sarcastic remarks whenever he tried to defend his noble profession as a Wife Hunter. She never believed him when he mentioned the burden of responsibilities he carried on his young shoulders.
“Ashlyn,” Kiba turned towards her. “Let’s go.”
Ashlyn nodded and walked alongside him to the exit.
Meanwhile, Shawn was at his wits end. He was on brink of insanity.
“Damn! Ever since I met that cursed bitch, my luck has turned worse,” Shawn muttered while thinking of his earlier meeting with Ashlyn and Kiba. It has been only 4-5 hours but he has experienced a series of bad events.
“Shawn,” Sheena stepped next to him and said. “Can you give me the card?”
“………” Shawn almost collapsed on the floor. He looked at her, crestfallen.
Don’t tell me she has plans to contact this organization?!
Surely, that’s impossible!
“Hey, share the contact details with me,” A blonde chimed in from behind.
Shawn looked around and saw the eyes of many women focused on him.
Angered and frustrated, Shawn used his mutant abilities to shatter the crystal card. As his power attacked the card, a blinding radiance shot out.
Under the stunned expressions of everyone, the card started multiplying.
1,2,3 4, 5, 10, 30,….. In less than a minute, there were over 70 cards!!
“This…!” Shawn was horrified by the development. He wanted to destroy the card and yet, now it was replicated in dozens.
Like a deck of cards, the cards swept out in all directions, leaving behind a series of afterimages.
Every single individual in the store received a crystal card. Boyfriends in the store turned crazy and started plucking the cards from the hands of their curious girlfriends. They didn’t dare take any chance for the seed of corruption to germinate.
But sadly, the moment they took the card from their partners, new card conjured in thin air and fell in the hands of their better halves.
Many young men turned crazy and plucked their own hair in anger. They felt the entire situation was unfair.
“Only Shawn is inept in bed, not me!” A young man from Shawn’s group said aloud. Alas, the cards didn’t listen and they continued to draw towards his love interest like a piece of magnet…
Dixon noticed his wife having a card in her hand. He bite his lower lip but said nothing. A stable relationship needed trust and he decided to trust his love.
“There is nothing wrong with curiosity and temptation,” Dixon thought to himself. “As long as you don’t give in.”
His wife looked at him and smiled. She could feel his worry despite his efforts to hide them.
“Honey, I won’t throw our twenty years of love for anything,” She said while placing the crystal card down on the floor.
Dixon’s lips curved up in a heartful smile and he let out tears. He brought his arms around her to give a tight hug.
His wife smile and patted him. At the same time, the crystal card on the floor rose up in the air and floated behind Dixon’s back.
His wife was still in the hug so she noticed the card. She was stunned and with a wry smile, she took the card in her right hand.
“Let’s leave,” Dixon said as he broke the hug.
“Yes,” She agreed and walked behind him. She glanced at the card and put it inside her purse while thinking, “That girl did say you only get to live once so explore while you still can.”
Some distance away, the store manager looked at the card in his hand. He let out a bitter chuckle and said, “This is truly the magic of an advanced grade Wish Gemstone.”
The sixty-year-old mercenary from before opened his mouth to speak but said nothing.
Outside the store.
Kiba let out a soft sigh. He has only played around and expected no significant returns from the event in the store.
“In my profession, an advertisement can only arouse interest and nothing more… so in the end, it doesn’t make that much of a difference,” Kiba mused with a smile while looking at the evening sky. “But it is fun and enjoyable.”
Kiba and Ashlyn walked towards Garrick Angel Inn. The street was sparsely crowded with very few stalls and shops still active.
Kiba looked at the people on the street, inside shops and inns. His eyes moved on a restaurant nearby and he observed the people inside through the glass wall.
Most of them were couples and some were families. Many families lived their entire lives in the fair so it wasn’t surprising.
Kiba observed every single table. He checked out the food served, the manners of the guests and staff, and the body language.
He listened to the cheers and also the heated words on different tables. There was joy, laughter, bitterness, and sorrow.
He looked at how cozy and romantic the couples were while also saw the happy smiles among the families.
“The world is an interesting place…”
