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Rishi takes charge, summarizing the proposed contract to Alex and the two girls.

"It essentially boils down to three key points," Rishi begins, listing them one by one.

"First: no lying. We're not allowed to outright lie to each other. If we don't want to answer a question, we must openly say so and explain why. We're also obligated to share vital information of our own volition if it impacts the current mission," Rishi explains.

"This one seems pretty straightforward. I think we all get it and agree," Alex says. "The actual contract will list examples and exceptions though, right? Like, we can't misuse this to ask irrelevant questions and exploit how much the contract forces us to reveal?"

"Exactly. The exceptions are reasonable and clearly defined," Rishi replies. "There's not much more to discuss here unless anyone has objections?"

When no one speaks up, Rishi moves on.

"The second point: we're obligated to help each other. None of us are allowed to deliberately let another member die or leave them to certain death. That said, there are a few specific exceptions. For instance, if someone goes off on their own and recklessly endangers their life for personal reasons, we're not required to follow them into a suicide mission. There will be plenty of examples in the contract outlining what qualifies as valid exceptions.

"However," he adds, "if someone objects to the group's actions or choices, they must voice their disapproval beforehand. They can't wait until after something goes wrong to claim it violated the contract. This makes it fair for everyone. If someone decides to take a foolish risk despite the group's veto, they're doing so at their own peril. At the same time, if you act alone, you can't assume the others will back you up, which is acceptable for us as well and leaves us with numerous options."

"Yep, that's how I understood it too," Tereza says with a shrug.

Alex has to resist the urge to roll his eyes, thinking, Understood my ass. You were under the damn table blowing me during part of the discussion. The rest of the time, you were too busy eating and playing around with me to pay attention.

"The third point is the most complex," Rishi continues, though Alex draws a blank, realizing he doesn't even remember what it was.

"It's about shared mission objectives and personal freedom to explore the mission, right?" Menchi chimes in before Rishi can elaborate. "I think it's smart to keep it vague so we're not forced to grind away at the main mission and miss out on other opportunities. In some cases, it might even make sense to accept a lower mission rating in exchange for completing a hidden quest with better rewards."

Alex raises an eyebrow, wondering how Menchi managed to absorb so much when she'd been just as distracted as Tereza. How does she even remember that? Half the time, she was just harassing me or stuffing her face with food.

"That's correct. You've summarized it well," Rishi says, nodding in approval. "There are smaller details to consider, but those are the main points we need to follow."

The group spends a bit more time discussing the finer details, with everyone now fully engaged and focused.

It doesn't take long before Roja and Perlah return as well.

The discussions drag on for a bit, but eventually, everyone agrees to the laid-out terms.

"So, are we in agreement then?" Roja asks, her sharp gaze sweeping across the group.

"I think so," Alex replies, feeling confident about the contract. His mind drifts for a moment as he glances at Rishi. That guy managed to outsmart Light and L. Sure, he had his mind magic and plenty of advantages, but still... if he outwitted those two, there's no way Roja bested him in a negotiation this small.

With everyone on the same page, the contract is signed. Roja stretches out her hand toward Alex, who shakes it, then shakes Perlah's as well. The group follows suit, shaking hands all around.

The gesture makes Alex cringe, his stomach churning. God, this is awkward. Never again. I swear I'll never participate in something this insane again. Everyone... I'm sorry. It's not my fault, though, he apologizes inside his head.

"Stupid, we cleaned our hands after we did that. A woman always comes prepared," Tereza whispers in his ear, her words somehow soothing his nausea.

The group exchanges contact details, and Alex pays 200 FC for the food and drinks. Before parting ways, they agree to hold another meeting in the next two weeks to prepare for their mission.

"Nicely done, Rishi. I think you've earned yourself a good night's sleep," Alex says, noticing the fatigue in Rishi's face.

"Thanks, Alex. Honestly, I need it. I gave it my all during the negotiation, but now I feel drained. Still, I'm glad we secured our mission so early. It's a relief, knowing we can relax a bit and start preparing at our own pace," Rishi replies, his expression softening with a hint of relief.

"One question, though," Alex interjects. "Do you think I should sell my items? I mentioned earlier which ones I'm planning to sell."

Rishi shrugs. "Honestly? When it comes to trading, I don't think I can give you much advice. If anything, your trading instincts and results so far have been spectacular. You've probably made better deals than I ever could. Just stick to what you're doing; it's clearly working."

Rishi's words strike a chord, and Alex realizes he's right. His past trades had gone well enough; there wasn't much need to second-guess himself.

After saying his goodbyes, Rishi heads off, leaving Alex and the girls standing together.

"Come on, don't be mad... this was exciting, wasn't it?" Tereza asks with a playful grin.

"This was crazy, but I have to admit, I enjoyed it too," Menchi adds, smirking.

Alex sighs. "I'd be lying if I said it wasn't exciting. Let's just put it behind us for now I… need to think. So, what are your plans? I'm thinking of heading to the market. I might as well set up my stall now. I've got two weeks, but I'd rather start early."

"I want to focus on my cooking now," Menchi says firmly. "I've got so many supplies, I've got my new hatsu, and my support skills are even stronger now. No more excuses! I'm going to set up my equipment from the Realm in one of the empty rooms. Alex, is it okay if I remodel it a little? Don't worry; you won't regret investing in me. Come back in a few hours and I'll cook up something normal to eat as well."

"Sure, go ahead," Alex replies, though he adds with a faint smirk, "but please don't destroy the rest of the apartment in the process."

"She's probably going to have to move a bunch of stuff. I'll help her," Tereza chimes in.

Alex raises an eyebrow, but before he can say anything, Tereza quickly adds, "Alex, I promise I won't distract her. Play hard, work hard. Don't worry."

Her reassurance is enough to quell his doubts.

Waving goodbye to his two wild companions, Alex watches them head off. He exhales deeply, thinking, Finally, some alone time. They drive me crazy, but after everything that's happened these past few days, I feel... more confident. If I had a bucket list, I could definitely cross off another insane entry. I never thought I'd experience anything like that. He pauses, a faint smile on his lips. I love them, but damn, I wish they'd tone it down just a little.

Alex heads to the market, scanning the stalls as he walks, but nothing catches his eye. Eventually, he spots Steven and decides to say hi.

"Hey, Steven, what are you looking for?" Alex asks.

"I wrote you a message. Didn't you read it?" Steven says, questioning him.

"Ah, crap. Sorry, I told my system to mute messages while I was dealing with something important. Let me check real quick!"

[Steven: Alex, if you have some time, come to the trading hub! There's this guy selling an actual devil fruit!! First time I've ever heard of one being sold inside our tutorial Realm. However my friend told me it's supposed to be unobtainable because the price it's being sold at is insanely crazy. Still, it's worth checking out. I'll go there later myself, after my date is over! Being too popular with the ladies can be a huge hassle, I tell ya.]

"Shit, my bad, Steven. I was busy," Alex says, scratching the back of his head. "And I... uh... kinda understand your last sentence, though I feel like your 'popularity' with the ladies is a bit different from mine."

Steven grins. "Want to talk about it? The fruit isn't going anywhere. I haven't seen it yet either, but we can swing by in a few minutes after we chat."

Alex hesitates for a moment but decides to take him up on the offer.

They find a quieter spot, sitting on a bench a little away from the bustling trading hub. Steven leans back, giving Alex a curious look. "So, what's bothering you? I mean, I've seen you walking around with two gorgeous ladies at the same time. You don't exactly scream 'trouble in paradise.' They don't look like 'just friends,' if you catch my drift."

Alex sighs and starts to open up, recounting his chaotic experiences with Menchi and Tereza, including the insanity that went down just a few hours ago.

"Damn," Steven says, leaning forward with a smirk. "That's kinda hot... though, uh, not really my thing. I like to take action myself, you know? Those girls of yours? Definitely not my type."

Alex blinks. "I... see." He's a little surprised by Steven's bluntness.

"Hey, it doesn't matter what I think," Steven says, shrugging. "But man, just judging by their looks, they're top-tier. I don't think I've ever gotten lucky enough to end up with anyone like that. Ever. But forget about me, it's not about what I think. What's important is what you think. Do you hate this stuff and just go along with it to make them happy, or do you actually enjoy it?"

Alex pauses, caught off guard. "...I guess I don't dislike it," he finally admits. "But honestly, I think I mainly enjoy it because they're the ones involved. If it were someone else, I don't think I'd be into these... uh... special things, however, if they are involved, I'm pretty entranced, willing to do nearly anything. I guess I'm a little confused. But I know I like them both for sure."

Steven nods, thinking for a moment before speaking. "Here's my take: just experiment. Maybe try being a bit more aggressive about taking the initiative sometimes, but there's nothing wrong with going at their pace either. Like you said, they're into it, right? It's pretty clear they love doing this stuff with you. That's the important part.

"If someone's teasing you or going out of their way to do wild stuff for you, that's basically a huge compliment. It's not really about the acts themselves, it's about the person. They're into this because you're involved. If you like them, and they're crazy about you, you're bound to enjoy it too. Just go with the flow, but if you clearly dislike something, set boundaries; also if you feel like you are missing something, communicate that as well."

Alex lets out a small laugh, feeling a bit better. "Thanks, Steven. You're right. I'll stop overthinking and just take it at my own pace. Anyway, enough about me—I wanna see that fruit! Let's go check it out!"

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