Before Thomas's wide-open eyes stood the number one heroine of Ark, silent and expectant. She maintained a straight posture, as if she had mastered the art of kneeling before a superior.
The blue screen generated a new message.
[Belle Snow.]
Rank: SSS
Rarity: UR
Domestication: Available
Domestication Skills: UNAVAILABLE
Domestication Requirements: UNAVAILABLE
Status: UNAVAILABLE
'D-domestication? Can I domesticate her? But… why is everything locked?'
He lifted his gray eyes toward the obedient Belle. She extended her left hand toward him and, with her right, patted her thighs as she spoke:
"Come, Master. I will listen while you rest on my legs."
'That's right, the full request was…'
His eyes focused on Belle's breasts. They were large. Her black dress emphasized the rounded shape of what it concealed beneath. This made him swallow hard as he moved closer to her.
Belle guided him with her hands and laid him down across her thighs while gently stroking his white hair.
"What would you like to know about me, Master?"
Thomas took the situation more seriously, observing Belle's beautiful face. A model.
'I want to kiss her… wait. Damn it, I think I didn't use that one-time coin properly. What was it called? Silent Request? That means I can ask questions freely. I'll ignore my teenage urges about her body for now and talk to her.'
"Mm, excuse me, Belle."
"Yes, Master?"
"Can you help me secure a unique job position through your connections?"
"I'm sorry, Master, but I do not involve myself in creating injustices within the city. It would not be right to take a job away from someone who has worked very hard just for your sake."
'Hmm. Even with some kind of… control? She keeps her ideals. Then…'
"Belle, could I ask you to train my sister and take her on as your apprentice?"
"I could, but only if she dedicates herself to combat. I do not train those who cannot defend themselves within the Abyss."
'Shit, I don't want to send my nine-year-old little sister into the heart of danger.'
Thomas closed his eyes and let out a restrained sigh. Belle's gentle caresses relaxed him and made his cheeks flush.
'Don't get carried away by your greatest idol. Take advantage of what she can answer right now and ask important questions. Something that could open a path to my sister's future. Something that could fix our lives—or at least hers. What can I ask? What now?'
His eyes squeezed shut. When he opened them again, he met Belle's steady, serene gaze—yet at the same time, it was so imposing, so full of power.
"Answer me with total honesty—what could captivate you so deeply about a person that you can't stop thinking about them? Something that means so much to you personally that you would want to visit that person."
Belle lifted her gaze, tinged with melancholy. She took a few seconds before replying:
"Someone who understands my decisions. Who helps me with them and resolves all my doubts. As the number one, the pressure on me is so great that I'm always thinking I must make the best decision, and I never vent to anyone. Only a kind of… advisor or mentor would make me visit them every day; but I do not seek out those far weaker than myself. Why would a lion ask an ant for advice on how to fight?"
Thomas closed his eyes with a sigh.
'Shit.'
"Honestly, I don't think that, as of today, anyone could hold my attention every single day."
Thomas forced himself to think more deeply. It wasn't until several minutes had passed that the System caught his attention with an alert, like a small chime.
[Time Remaining: 2 Minutes.]
Thomas opened his eyes.
'There's a time limit? Even though I didn't specify how many questions I'd ask or how long it would take to answer them. Does it work like that? How precise can these requests really be? I definitely… wasted that gift item, didn't I?'
He shifted onto his side, settling more comfortably on Belle's knees. She continued stroking him and asked:
"Are you all right, Master?"
"Yes, just… give me a moment to think."
"Of course, Master."
The time gauge advanced on the digital screen. One minute and forty seconds remained.
'I need to do something now. Immediately. Now. Think. What can I ask her that would fix my finances—or my sister's? Something that would let me enter Belle's life. I need her in my life… or is this just blind admiration and love for her? No, no. I have to use this cleverly. And also… I want to touch her tits while there's still time.'
His shy eyes settled on Belle's enormous breasts.