Gacha Harem System

Two days later.

There was a knock on the front door, and Lukas moved across the living room to answer it.

Karrakas stood in the hallway, hands tucked into his pockets, a grin already on his face.

"I made sure to come a little later this time," he said. "Wouldn’t want to disturb anyone’s beauty sleep two visits in a row."

Lukas chuckled. "We appreciate the gesture. Come in."

He stepped aside, letting Karrakas through, then led him to the dining room where Melody and Akira were already seated, finishing the last of their tea.

"Good morning," Melody said.

"Morning," Akira added, with a small nod.

"Morning to you both." Karrakas pulled out a chair across from Lukas and sat down.

Lukas took his own seat. "I take it you’re here for our answer."

"That’s the idea," Karrakas said. "Have you decided?"

"We have," Lukas said. "We’re going with the cave networks."

Karrakas nodded slowly, a note of approval in his expression.

"Good choice. Solid one, actually. Formally, they’re called the Azure Crystal Caves. The name doesn’t get used much outside official records, but you’ll see why once you’re there."

"We figured it’s the best choice for us based on the information we have on hand," Akira said. "But I assume there’s still more to learn."

"There’s always more to learn," Karrakas said, leaning back. "Since you’ve already made your choice this time, let me walk you through how this should work going forward, for when I’m not here to help you guys make the these calls."

He folded his hands on the table.

"Pavilions don’t just exist on the Second Floor, but also here in Salaria too. So, whenever you need to head into a dungeon, but have no information on the options available to you, a pavilion is the first place to go to."

"You could technically use any pavilion in the city, but as contractors under the Le Fay family, the Le Fay pavilion will always be your best option. It’ll give you better access, better pricing, and information that isn’t watered down for outsiders."

The three of them listening to him nodded along, filing away the information.

"So, that’s where we’re going to start."

Karrakas pushed back from the table and stood.

"Ready to head out?"

Lukas glanced at Melody and Akira. Both gave a small nod.

"We’re ready," Lukas said.

They stood, making their way out of the apartment.

As the lift carried them down to the underground parking lot, Karrakas began explaining.

"There are several Le Fay pavilions scattered around the city, with one in each sector, generally. They keep things accessible so contractors and family associates don’t have to cross half of Salaria just to perform a transaction."

"That’s convenient," Melody said.

"That’s the idea."

The doors opened and they stepped out into the parking lot. Karrakas walked ahead to his own vehicle, waving a hand back at them.

"Get in," he said.

Lukas chuckled, stopping beside a different car entirely. He gestured towards it. "This one’s ours."

Karrakas turned, taking in the dark blue sedan parked beside his own. His brows rose.

"Well." He let out a low whistle. "You guys have good taste. Didn’t take you for the type to splurge on something like that already."

"I guess we have Melody’s influence to thank," Lukas said.

Melody beamed.

"Very well. Since you guys have your own ride, you can just follow behind me," Karrakas said, already opening his car door. "It’s about a thirty minutes drive from here."

He climbed in, and a moment later his engine hummed to life.

Lukas, Akira, and Melody got into their own car, with Lukas taking the wheel and infusing it with mana before pulling out behind Karrakas.

They drove through the streets without speeding too much, and when Karrakas confirmed that Lukas was indeed good at handling his car, he increased their speed.

Thirty minutes later, Karrakas pulled into a wide parking lot in front of a tall building.

The building was built out of stone, but most of its surface was covered in tall glass panels, which reflected the morning light.

They found two open spaces and parked side by side.

After climbing out of their cars, Karrakas led the way to the entrance.

"Whenever you’re unsure of where to head to on the Second Floor," he said as they walked, "this is your first stop. All you need to do is buy an information packet, and it’ll tell you what you need to know before committing to a location."

He pushed open the front doors, and they stepped into a large lobby, crowded with people moving in every direction.

Signs hung along the walls, directing traffic to different sections, including beast corpse procurement, buying and selling of [Items] and equipments, auctions, and of course, information services.

"This way," Karrakas said, leading them towards a bank of lifts.

They rode up several floors before the doors opened onto a quieter lobby.

An attendant approached almost immediately, dressed in the Le Fay colors.

"How may I help you today?"

"We want to buy an information packet on the Azure Crystal Caves," Karrakas said.

"Of course." The attendant folded her hands. "We offer three tiers."

"The comprehensive packet provides the most detail across every category. The newbie packet covers terrain, common beasts, and the basic knowledge anyone new to the location should have. And the dungeon information packet focuses specifically on the dungeons found there."

"We’ll take the newbie packet," Karrakas said.

The attendant nodded and led them to a nearby counter.

Lukas stepped up and handled the payment, and from there, they were guided into a smaller room with a round table and several chairs arranged around it.

They settled in, and a minute later, the attendant returned, carrying a sealed packet which she placed in the center of the table before stepping back out and closing the door behind her.

Karrakas reached forward, picked it up, and set it down again in front of the group.

"Everything you need to know about the Azure Crystal Caves, for now, is in here," he said.

Lukas reached for it, breaking the seal, and opened it.