Cassie stood from her seat and walked around the desk, her eyes raking up and down the tall man in front of her. She had to tilt her head back just to meet his gaze.
"Alright, handsome… I'm going to 'inspect' you," she said with a wicked grin.
Kazuki could only blink, unsure what exactly she meant.
Sophia groaned. "Why do you need to inspect him? He's here for an ID, not a search."
Cassie wagged her finger. "Ohhh~ you never know. He might be carrying something… illegal." Her eyes drifted lower, and her smirk widened. "Especially down there~"
"That's not a weapon," Sophia said flatly.
"Oho~ you clearly don't know how dangerous that 'weapon' can be." Cassie leaned in close to Kazuki's side, speaking as if sharing a secret. "One wrong spell… and a woman ends up with a belly full of trouble for the next nine months, you know~"
Sophia's voice sharpened. "That's called getting pregnant, Cassie."
Cassie just grinned wider. "Mhm. Exactly my point."
Kazuki, still lost in translation, only caught their expressions.
The sigh from Sophia, and amusement from Cassie.
Kazuki could only wonder what the hell they were talking about.
"Now, now… spread your arms," Cassie said, gesturing with both hands.
She demonstrated, raising her arms out to the sides. "Like this, like this."
Kazuki didn't catch the words, but her hand motions were clear enough. He followed along, stretching his arms out.
"Alright, handsome~ I'm going to start inspecting you, okay?" she said with a sly grin.
Kazuki simply gave a polite smile.
Seeing his smile only made Cassie's eyes sparkle more.
She stepped in close, the faint sweetness of her perfume reaching him immediately.
Wow… she smells good.
His thoughts betrayed him for a moment.
Crap. Don't start thinking like that, Kazuki. Control yourself. You're in a strange world. Don't be stupid.
Cassie began tapping along his arm, as if checking muscle tone.
"Oho~ well-built," she murmured before casually sliding around him—then pressing herself right against his chest under the guise of inspecting his back from the front.
Her voice was a teasing purr. "Mmm… sturdy. I like it."
Sophia let out a long sigh and pressed a hand to her forehead.
This girl… she can't control herself when she sees a tall, handsome man like him.
"Cassie…" Sophia called, her tone warning.
"Shhh! Don't ruin the inspection!" Cassie shot back with a mischievous grin, still wrapped around Kazuki as if the "inspection" required it.
She took an exaggerated breath. "Mmm~ he smells good, Sophia~"
Sophia's patience thinned. "I seriously don't know why we have a pervert working as an officer here."
"Hey—don't call me a pervert," Cassie replied with a playful pout.
"And I'm not an easy woman, you know. But when a man like this shows up—handsome, tall, and with a body like this—" She gave Kazuki's arm an appreciative squeeze, her grin widening.
"I bet he's a charmer who's ruined a lot of girls in his country. Maybe that's why his family got rid of him," Cassie said, still clinging to Kazuki.
"We don't know what really happened to him, so don't just guess,"
Sophia shot back, her tone firm.
"And I think that's enough of your 'inspection.' Go make him his temporary ID already."
"Mou~ Sophia, you're no fun," Cassie pouted dramatically.
"Do you have any idea how many men would pay me a lot just to get a hug from me? And this guy's getting it for free~" She smirked up at Kazuki, clearly enjoying herself.
"Alright, handsome~ put your hand on the crystal," Cassie said, sliding back into her chair and gesturing for Kazuki to comply.
Kazuki tilted his head, not understanding a word.
Sophia stepped in. "Put your palm on the crystal."
"Oh… okay." Kazuki slowly pressed his hand onto the smooth surface.
"Matsumoto Kazuki, huh?" Cassie muttered as the crystal glowed and began etching his details onto a small metal ID plate. "Ooh? Twenty-five years old. Same age as you, Sophia~ and just a bit older than me~" she added with a teasing grin.
Sophia didn't bite. "That's nice. Now stop fishing for details."
"Well, that's good! Ask him where he lives!"
Sophia sighed. "You do know he just arrived in this town."
"Ah… yeah. My bad~ tehe~" Cassie stuck her tongue out playfully.
After a short wait, Cassie plucked the freshly-made temporary ID plate from the counter. She stepped forward, pressing it against Kazuki's chest just long enough to let her hand linger.
"Alright, handsome~ here's your ID. If you ever manage to learn our language, make sure you find me, okay~?" she said with a wink.
"Cassie…" Sophia sighed.
"What? I just said find me, not… you know. Tehe~" Cassie grinned.
Sophia turned back to Kazuki. "That's your temporary ID. If you stay in this town for a while, you can apply for citizenship. But if you want to be like the other wanderers and work as an adventurer, you can register for an adventurer ID at the guild."
"Thank you," Kazuki said, offering her a calm smile.
Sophia's cheeks warmed, but she quickly looked away. "Alright… I have to get back to work. This town is big, and this is all I can do for you. The rest… you'll have to figure out yourself."
( End Of Chapter )