Investing in My Crippled Wife: Every Return Makes Me Stronger

”...We are here to find a companion for our friend here.”

’Huh? For me?’

Soren stared at the older man, momentarily stunned. While a tiny, hopeful thought along those lines had crossed his mind when he first saw the grand scale of the sanctuary, he hadn’t actually expected it to be true. He had already received a mountain of favors from the President, and adding a magic beast companion to the list felt far too heavy. For a split second, a wave of hesitation hit him, and he seriously considered turning down the overwhelming offer.

But the thought vanished as quickly as it came. He wasn’t foolish enough to let such a rare, potentially life-changing opportunity slip through his fingers out of sheer politeness.

”What’s with that look?” President Marron grinned, easily picking up on the visible conflict splitting Soren’s face. ”Or what, you don’t want to?”

”Oh, n-no, of course not!” Soren said hurriedly, shaking his head to dispel his lingering doubts. He quickly collected himself, pushing his initial hesitation aside as he offered a sincere, deeply grateful nod. ”Thank you, sir. I really don’t know how to repay your generosity.”

”Haha, don’t worry about repaying yet,” President Marron chuckled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. He paused for a moment, a knowing glint entering his gaze before he added, ”Though, if you really feel that way, you could always rethink my proposal about coming to work here.”

Soren blinked, the sudden shift catching him off balance. He stood silent for a beat, weighing everything the older man had done for him today. Realizing he couldn’t simply brush it off, he gave a slow, deliberate nod. ”I... I will consider it, sir.”

Marron froze, his grin faltering as a look of genuine surprise crossed his face. He stared at the young hunter, caught completely unprepared by the response. While throwing out the job offer was mostly a playful poke, hearing Soren actually agree to think about it was entirely unexpected. Given Soren’s fiercely independent nature and guarded character, a polite rejection was practically a guarantee.

’Well, look at that,’ Marron thought, a quiet sense of satisfaction washing over him. ’Guess the investment is already paying off.’

Suppressing a chuckle, he turned his attention back to the elven director. ”So, Elenaria, will you help us with that?”

”Of course,” Elenaria replied, gesturing slightly toward her device. ”But first, I will need to see his records.”

”Ah, that? My secretary should have already sent it over,” Marron mentioned.

Acknowledging with a brief nod, the director tapped her tablet a few times to open the file. ”Yes, I have it right here. Follow me, please.”

She turned and began leading them toward the inner facility, her eyes scanning the screen as she reviewed his information.

Following a step behind, Soren kept his eyes on her. Intrigued by her position and the sheer authority she held over a facility of this scale, a spark of curiosity flared within him. Focusing his mind, he silently activated Investor’s Insight on the director.

═══════════════

Name: Elenaria vae Thalorien

Status: Healthy

Age: 34

Rank: 6th Circle (Mid Stage)

Current Mana Level: Exceptionally High (2,204,550)

Abilities: Harmonious Accord, Verdant Pulse, Melodious Voice

Mental State: Highly Skeptical, Secretly Amused by Human Exaggeration

Investment Value: Supreme

Potential: 8th Circle (Estimated)

═══════════════

’Very elven,’ Soren thought, his eyes scanning the glowing blue interface.

Having crossed paths with a few elves and half-elves in the past, he was well-acquainted with their distinct customs and naming conventions. The vae structural connector strongly hinted at a noble lineage or a prestigious house from the Elven Domains. What really caught his attention, though, was her age. At thirty-four, she was practically a teenager by elven standards, yet she already held the position of Director here.

Then his gaze drifted down to her stats, and his brow twitched.

’Her mana... It’s way higher than the President’s.’

They were currently sitting at the exact same rank—6th Circle, Mid Stage—yet her raw mana pool exceeded Marron’s by nearly half a million points. The widespread rumors about elves possessing an inherently superior mana density and a deeper attunement to nature were proving themselves entirely accurate right before his eyes.

She possessed three distinct abilities as well. Soren didn’t find that part particularly shocking; a multi-ability awakening seemed far more common among their race.

He vividly recalled a full-blooded elven coworker from a brief stint at a restaurant who casually claimed to have unlocked five minor utility abilities just to help with prep work and cleaning.

That guy always insisted he was only working there to experience the human world, though Soren highly doubted that was the real reason since the elf spent most of his shifts proposing marriage to the restaurant manager.

’He was remarkably tough, though,’ Soren had to hand it to him. The guy didn’t give up even after getting rejected every single time. ’But then again... When you live for hundreds of years, a few months of continuous romantic rejection might just feel like a minor setback.’

Shaking his head slightly to dispel the random memory, Soren’s eyes landed on her current mental state.

’Highly Skeptical, Secretly Amused by Human Exaggeration.’

He couldn’t help but let out another internal sigh.

’Yeah, she’s definitely an elf through and through.’

They always carried a bit of that subtle, refined arrogance when dealing with human affairs.

But as the realization clicked, a sudden wave of unease hit him.

’Wait... what exactly is in that file for her to react like that?’

His mind raced back to the evaluation data the President’s secretary had forwarded. If it was the record from his last update, then that data was completely wrong. He had already broken through to the 3rd Circle and upgraded his abilities since then. The file Elenaria was currently reviewing was probably entirely outdated.

”...”

Soren glanced at the back of the President’s head, his throat tightening.

Should he... tell them?

It must be pretty important for what they are about to do.

But... How should he explain it?

He paced himself, frantically searching for a believable cover story until a perfect solution crossed his mind.

’Well, let’s use the Golden Gate excuse. It is the most logical and accurate one.’

Taking a quiet breath to steady his nerves, he quickened his step slightly to close the distance.

”Umm... Sir, I think there is a mistake with the data.”