The guild receptionist slammed a stack of papers onto the counter.
"Alright! Since Ray's mother and sister are now residents of Arielia, the guild must legally assign rooms, identification, and security measures."
Ray raised a trembling hand.
"C-Can we skip the security part? Please? For the sanity of everyone involved?"
"No," she replied flatly."Not when your Attractiveness Aura has reached family-tier potency."
Ray covered his face.
"Why does it have tiers…?"
Lyria flipped through a glowing page in her grimory.
"According to this, family members of high-attraction males generate something called an 'Extended Target Echo'. Meaning…"
Ray gulped."Meaning what?"
"Meaning women will be attracted to anything genetically related to you."
Ray's soul combusted.
"NO. NO. NO—THIS IS GETTING ILLEGAL!"
Maria patted his head.
"Oh relax, honey. It's not that bad."
Behind her, ten women fainted from seeing her smile.
Sophie hugged his arm.
"Yeah, Ray, stop being dramatic. It's not like someone will—"
A group of scholars rushed toward Sophie with notebooks.
"Excuse me!! We would like to record your bone structure!!""Do you shed hair?! Can we have some?!""Please reproduce with our best female warrior to produce a super-soldier baby!"
Ray grabbed his sister and jumped back.
"STAY AWAY FROM HER!! She's seventeen!!"
The scholars backed up… slightly.
"We're willing to wait!"
"THAT MAKES IT WORSE!!!"
•••
MOM VS. AMELIA: ROUND 1
Amelia approached, trying her best to look composed and non-threatening.Spoiler: she failed.
"Mrs. Maria," she began politely, "I promise we will take excellent care of Ray."
Maria smiled sweetly.
"Oh, I'm sure you will. But just to be clear—"
She leaned forward with the aura of a dragon threatening a village.
"—If any of you so much as bruise a single hair on my son's head, I will dismantle your skeletons and reassemble them alphabetically."
Amelia blinked.
"That's… very specific."
Claire nodded in respect."A warrior's threat. I admire it."
Lyria whispered,"Alphabetically? Do bones have letters…?"
Ellie raised her hand.
"I want my bones to start with E!"
Everyone ignored her.
•••
SOPHIE VS. EVERYONE: ROUND 1
Meanwhile, Sophie was surrounded by women staring at her like she was a new species.
"You're SO cute!""She looks just like Ray but smaller!""I want to adopt her!""No, I want to adopt her!""NO, I want to marry her!"
Ray stepped in front of his sister so fast he left an afterimage.
"NO MARRYING! NO ADOPTING! NO TOUCHING!!"
Sophie tugged his sleeve.
"…Ray, why are they looking at me like I'm dessert?"
"BECAUSE THIS WORLD IS BROKEN!"
A random adventurer called out:
"If she's Ray's sister, that means she shares the same rare genetic—"
Ray screamed over her.
"STOP TALKING ABOUT OUR GENETICS LIKE WE'RE BREEDING STOCK!!"
•••
THE FINAL DECISION
After two hours of chaos, shouting, paperwork, and three fistfights (one started by Ray's mom), the guild receptionist spoke with her usual deadpan tone:
"Alright. Decision made. Ray's mother and sister will temporarily live with Ray's party."
Ray collapsed to his knees.
"No… please… I BEG YOU… anywhere but—"
Maria clapped her hands cheerfully.
"Wonderful! I'll cook dinner tonight."
Amelia's eyes sparkled."Does that mean Ray will have homemade meals again?!"
Claire bowed."It's an honor to have the mother of our party leader with us."
Lyria wrote,"Observation: Mother exhibits high combat potential and domestic skill. Party strength increases by 40%."
Ellie hugged Sophie."We're roommates now!!"
Sophie panicked."R-R-Ray!! Help!! She's too cute!!"
Ray covered his face with both hands.
"THIS IS MY PERSONAL HELL!"
Maria grabbed Ray's arm and dragged him toward the exit.
"Come on, sweetheart. Let's go home."
Ray whimpered.
"We don't have a home…"
"Then we'll make one!" she declared proudly.
Sophie added:
"And Ray has to sleep next to me because I don't trust these girls!"
All four party girls froze.
Maria smirked.
"Oh? Was that jealousy?"
The temperature in the room dropped ten degrees.
Amelia stepped forward.
"Mrs. Maria. With respect… Ray sleeps next to ME."
Claire narrowed her eyes."He is safest next to ME."
Lyria twirled a strand of hair."Statistically, he should rotate beds to prevent favoritism."
Ellie hugged Ray from behind.
"He can sleep on my lap!"
Ray looked to the sky.
"GODDESS!! I know I died stupidly, but isn't this TOO MUCH?!"
The sky did not respond.
And Ray's nightmare family-harem life had officially begun.