Precedence System: I Take My Rewards In Advance

The farce ended much sooner than Zishan expected.

For someone who had just told another man that he would eventually find a better girl than Elinox, he had fully expected some kind of punishment. Perhaps Gravity Mana crushing him into the floor. Maybe a sword against his neck. Or worse, Elinox smiling at him before deciding what kind of suffering would be appropriate.

Instead, she only stared at him for a while before turning away.

”Come on,” Elinox said. ”We’re here for Ollie.”

Zishan remained where he was for another moment, spacing out. ’That’s it?’

[Does the Host wish for additional consequences?]

’Shut the hell up! Good thing you can’t communicate with her! Otherwise, you’d definitely give her ideas!’

Elinox had already started walking farther into the Registry, forcing Zishan to follow after her. He kept glancing at her from the side while trying to determine whether she was secretly angry and simply waiting for a better place to murder him.

She did not seem to be.

’Damn...’ Zishan released the breath he had been holding. ’I thought I was going to die. Like, literally die. Girls actually care about comparisons, you know? Telling another dude he’ll find someone better right in front of her sounds like something that can get a man buried without a funeral.’

[The Host appears to possess remarkable confidence regarding matters in which he has repeatedly demonstrated poor judgment.]

’Honestly, you irk me so much. And I definitely don’t need your commentary right now. ’

He had survived. That was it. End of story.

The staff inside the Registry became far more attentive the moment Elinox approached one of the processing counters. A middle-aged man who had been speaking with another employee straightened his clothes and personally came forward before either Zishan or Elinox could ask where they needed to go.

”High General Holmes.” He gave Elinox a respectful bow before doing the same toward Zishan. ”Captain Walker. How may the Registry assist you today?”

Zishan raised an eyebrow.

The man knew him, even as a Captain. It seemed like information traveled fast among people in the Kingdom of Olmost.

In actuality, that probably should not have surprised him anymore. Half the people outside had already been talking about the supposedly dead adopted son of House Walker returning from the battlefield, and the scene near the entrance had done very little to make him less noticeable.

Still, the respect directed toward him felt different.

The employee did not treat him like some strange noble everyone wanted to gossip about. He spoke to Zishan with nearly the same careful politeness he used with Elinox.

’Did these people see what happened outside?’

His eyes shifted toward another employee standing farther behind the counter. The woman avoided meeting his gaze.

’Yep. They definitely saw it.’

There was also the issue of that nobleman from earlier.

’What is his name again?’

Zishan frowned while Elinox explained that they wanted to register Ollie under Zishan as an adopted younger brother. The employee began preparing the necessary documents and asking for the boy’s information, though Zishan only heard part of it because his mind had become occupied by a far more important problem.

’What the hell is that guy’s name again?’

He knew it had sounded familiar. Something about it had almost made him laugh the first time he heard it.

’Fred? Fritz? Fries? Frieza? Frankenstein?’

Then, his eyes widened.

’Oh! Frank Einstein!’ Zishan almost slapped his own forehead. ’Right! Frank fucking Einstein!’

He had somehow forgotten the name again less than an hour after learning it.

What Zishan did not know was that Frank Einstein had already returned to his family’s estate.

The Einstein Household occupied another large section of the capital reserved for prominent noble families. Several servants noticed Frank entering through the main residence, though none dared ask why the young master had returned with such a terrible expression.

One of his relatives eventually approached him near the stairs. ”Frank? Didn’t you say you were going to remain outside for most of the afternoon?”

Frank continued walking. ”I’ve decided to enter secluded training.”

The man paused. ”Training?”

”For the foreseeable future.”

Frank did not explain anything else.

He entered his room, ordered the servants not to disturb him unless the estate faced an emergency, then closed the doors behind himself.

Training had very little to do with it. He simply did not want to see anyone. The scene at the Registry kept replaying inside his head, and Zishan’s ridiculous behavior was not even the worst part anymore.

Elinox had rejected him before. She had never encouraged his pursuit, and Frank knew that much. Yet every previous rejection had left enough room for him to convince himself that persistence might eventually change her mind.

This time, she had removed that illusion herself.

After Zishan’s disastrous attempt to comfort him, Elinox had added one more sentence before leaving.

”You should stop pursuing me. It’s already a certain thing that I don’t like you and I never will.”

Frank had somehow managed to keep his face composed in front of everyone. But now that he was alone, he sat at the edge of his bed and remained there with both hands pressed against his forehead.

He suddenly hated the Olmost Registry.

Back inside that very building, Zishan remembered the way Elinox had rejected the man and shook his head. ’Damn! Missy be messing with a man’s heart!’

It was brutal enough that Zishan almost felt bad for Frank again, though remembering the glare the man had given him earlier killed that sympathy just as fast. ’Nah. He’ll survive.’

His thoughts were interrupted when Elinox called his name, making him turn toward her. ”What?”

”The clerk is asking whether Ollie will be entered under your household record,” she said.

”Oh.” Zishan glanced at the man behind the counter. ”Yes. He’ll be registered under mine.”

The employee nodded and continued working through the documents. There were more questions involving Ollie’s age, previous guardian, place of origin, and whether any living relative held legal guardianship over him.

Zishan knew about Ollie’s aunt, though she was not his legal guardian and had remained far away from the current military situation. Elinox helped clarify several parts that Zishan could not answer properly, especially when the Registry needed confirmation that Ollie had already been under military auxiliary protection.

The process took longer than Zishan expected, but there was no complication.

When the documents were finally placed in front of him, Zishan read the important parts twice before signing his name where required.

The employee took the papers back and stamped several sections before organizing them into separate folders.

”Once the final verification is entered, Oliver will be legally recognized under Captain Walker’s household record as an adopted younger brother. The Registry copy will remain here, and you may request another certified copy whenever necessary.”

Zishan smiled. ’I have a little brother now! Officially, that is!’