My first shopping trip for "rings" took longer than I expected.

Since I knew little about jewelry, I had to rely on the employee's recommendations.

However,

[That's the lowest-selling product this season. I recommend requesting additional craftsmanship.]

[There's a slight flaw in the gemstone. I suggest examining it with a microscope camera.]

[Very well. Please inform them that we'll only check five more samples.]

Eve's influence was enormous.

The employee muttered with a somewhat tired expression.

"...A total of 14 rings, all individually packaged. How would you like us to handle the delivery?"

Rather than being happy about making a sale, she seemed frustrated about not selling the products she wanted to. She also seemed to view me as some kind of marriage scammer.

Anyway, perhaps because it was a luxury brand store, even the hard case containing the rings looked sturdy.

Or maybe I was receiving special service because I had paid several years' worth of a corporate salary in a single payment.

I accepted the hard case the employee handed me.

"Please deliver the wedding rings to my address, and I'll take the engagement rings separately."

The employee bowed at my words.

"Understood. Our store also provides an escort service to safely accompany customers returning home. We're affiliated with the private medical organization 'Heal and Run,' and—"

"Ah, that won't be necessary."

I really didn't need that.

I declined the employee's offer and put my hood back on.

I could see the security staff who had been preparing for escort duty returning to their positions. Since they dealt with valuables, it seemed they offered such services.

"I understand. Is there anything else I can help you with?"

"...Hmm."

For some reason, at the employee's question, Dragon's face suddenly came to mind.

'...How dare you ignore the green light signal sent by your master!'

Just one more ring..., no, what am I thinking?

I quickly suppressed the demonic thought that had surfaced.

'Arrrgh!!'

It seems I'm having strange thoughts unconsciously as a major life change approaches.

Even having such thoughts was unfair to Teddy. Last time I saw him, Teddy was following Dragon well, calling her mother.

Originally, Dragon became interested in me because of the "characteristic" that constitutes my body.

Animal antipathy.

My master had said she might become addicted to the eerie feeling she sensed from me.

It was a statement that could make one question Dragon's hidden preferences, but it probably wasn't meant to be serious words or actions.

...So, I probably don't need to worry about it.

I received the employees' farewells and turned to leave the store with the hard case full of engagement rings in my hand—.

......

I pause for a moment.

I walked back to the employee.

The employee watched me with a puzzled expression. Her porcelain-white cyberware reflected in the light.

"Did you forget something?"

At the employee's question, I scratched my head.

"...Ah, just in case. I'd like to buy one more pair of rings as a backup."

"......"

The employee's expression became extremely peculiar.

If I had to guess, it was an expression that said, "Why would you need backup engagement and wedding rings?"

...Well, maybe not right now, but you really never know.

I had plenty of credits, so there was no harm in buying them.

42. Endless Wandering Path (2)

I was sitting in a street park in Center Plaza, near the jewelry store.

"...Sigh."

I sighed while looking at the hard case containing the engagement rings.

A proposal....

Traditionally, proposals are women's dreams and romantic fantasies. Of course, in my case, the engagement ceremony had already ended (though it started without my knowledge).

Still, they say the proper way is to give an engagement ring during the proposal and wedding rings during the ceremony.

Come to think of it, I've never openly confessed to them yet.

I've only been forced to receive confessions.

I smiled slightly, remembering the banner that had read "Day 1 from today."

Catherine already had the fruit of our relationship growing in her womb. There was no time left to hesitate.

And who knows.

The other housemates might have their own results too, though they haven't checked yet....

Anyway,

Marriage was right around the corner.

A strange BGM played in my head.

'Oh, endless wandering path~.'

That's what marriage is.

Let's organize my thoughts.

How should I propose?

Basically, all proposals should be "surprise gifts" and done "suddenly" - that seems to be the implicitly established rule.

That's why I specifically asked Drek to find a jewelry store in the middle layer.

If I went to the upper layer, it would be difficult to avoid my fiancées' eyes. Of course, Eve had already found out.

"...Hmm."

I pondered deeply by myself.

I had no experience with proposals (which would have been a big problem if I did), and I had no one around to ask for advice.

By the way, in Drek's case, when he heard about Lorenda's pregnancy, he immediately asked, "Shall we get married then?"

That's probably why he's still being nagged to this day.

Should I make a hotel reservation, go to a fancy restaurant, or plan an event at a movie theater or performance?

Nothing particularly appealed to me.

And it wasn't just one person, but seven.

Wait, would they even accept if I proposed?

As that thought occurred to me, my heart shrank.

What if they don't accept?

An ominous possibility flickered in a corner of my mind.

It would be nice if there was someone I could consult with....

At that moment, two men ran past the bench where I was sitting at high speed.

In one man's hand was the hard case that had been placed in front of me.

"That's it! From Biju... whatever that place is!"

"Hey! Shut up and just run!"

I stared at them blankly.

They weren't particularly fast. I estimated they weren't using professional cyberware equipment.

They checked several times to see if I was following them, with smiles on their faces.

They were clearly amateur snatchers.

I sighed deeply and lightly touched my eyelids.

"...Haah."

It seems there are snatchers even in the middle layer where security is relatively good, especially in Center Plaza. Amateurs who would steal an entire bag and run away.

Most people in this area are corporate employees, so it's quite risky. I wonder what they were thinking.

Well, considering the price of the rings in the bag, it might have been worth the risk.

Anyway,

Before my thoughts could wander further, I rotated the mana in my body.

This was my forgotten master's method. Merlin was his name....

Still, this was more convenient and powerful by my standards.

I snapped my fingers.

The fleeing men's bodies slowly rose into the air. It would be difficult to lift them so naturally with wind magic.

What I used was telekinesis.

Focused on their escape, they didn't even notice that their bodies were floating in the air.

They were frantically looking ahead while kicking their legs in the empty air.

And as if time was rewinding, they returned toward me.

"...Huh?"

The snatchers arrived in front of me.

Perhaps because they were experiencing the childhood dream of "flying through the air," their expressions were full of bewilderment.

"...Did you buy some weird cyberware again?!"

"N-no!!"

The snatchers grabbed my bag and each other's hair, struggling.

After a few seconds, they noticed me sitting on the bench and stopped their actions.

"Oh."

"...Um."

They seemed to have realized who created this situation.

I silently held out my palm.

One of them handed the hard case back to me. His posture was very respectful.

He looked particularly stupid.

"...Hehe, um, well, ah! It looked like it might blow away in the wind... so I caught it for you—"

When the other man jabbed him hard in the side, his words cut off.

The one who stopped his friend's foolish behavior looked at me, knelt down, and bowed his head. He was wearing a thick fur hat because it was winter.

The one who had looked stupid also knelt down just like him.

"I-I'm sorry! Please, just not the NCPD... I have a mother, a bear-like wife, and hyena-like children starving at home, so I had no choice...!"

"...?"

That's a rather strange example.

[The family relationship is actually recorded identically in the city database. It appears to be true.]

Hearing Eve's voice, I sighed deeply.

"Hmm...."

Still, I couldn't just let it go after almost having my bag snatched.

Otherwise, what's the point of laws (though they're not well observed) and police (though they don't work hard)?

I placed the hard case on one side of the bench. After standing up, I approached them.

Despite the cold weather, they were sweating profusely, waiting for the judgment from my mouth.

I stopped in front of the man who had begged about having a family.

"I'm really sorry! If you forgive me just this once, I'll make sure this never happens again!"

"Before that, there's something I want to ask."

It didn't feel right to be polite to a snatcher. I asked him in a casual tone.

"Ask anything! I'll tell you whatever you want to know!"

"How did you propose?"

His noisy chatter suddenly stopped.

In that silence, I tilted my head slightly.

The man's expression was filled with contempt. The stupid man kneeling beside him also looked at me with an expression that seemed to say, "This bastard is saying some really harsh things..."

Ah, I phrased that a bit strangely.

I quickly waved my hands.

"No, that's not what I meant. I'm genuinely curious because I think I'll have to propose soon too."

"......"

Their expressions became even stranger.

The man who had been listening to me raised his head slightly and asked me.

"...Why are you asking me?"

"If you don't want to answer, I can just call the NCPD—"

"But I can tell you that I am Neo City's Romeo, the embodiment of romanticism, this city's number one proposal expert."

Oh....

Wisdom can come from the mouths of children.

There must be things to learn even from snatchers.

I squatted down in front of them, intending to listen to what they had to say.

At that moment, the stupid man next to him nudged his friend's side and spoke up.

"...Hey, what are you talking about? Vicky rejected you six times. You got drunk and made a scene saying you'd die if you couldn't get married, and she barely agreed...."

At those words, I looked at the man.

"......"

"......"

He painfully avoided my gaze.

I stood up from my squatting position.

"J-just one more chance! Hey, if you're stupid, at least stay quiet!"

"But lying is a bit..."

"Damn it, did you forget what we were doing when we got caught?!"

"...Ah!"

I'm not sure about being the embodiment of romanticism, but they certainly looked like the embodiment of Dumb and Dumber.

This is funnier than most comedy shows.

Then Eve's voice came to me.

[What do you plan to do? If you wish, I can arrange for them to be imprisoned in Pelicanus.]

"...That seems a bit much for something like this."

Pelicanus is a prison where only serious criminals are incarcerated. It's also where Maya was when she couldn't treat Chrome Psycho.

I pondered as I watched the two bickering.

Hmm....

"Ah."

A good idea came to mind.

I continued speaking to Eve.

"Since you've already found out, I'll tell you that I'm planning to propose to everyone."

[...Yes.]

Her tone was stiff as usual, but there was a hint of "anticipation" in her voice.

"So, my future plans are a secret from everyone. If anyone asks, just say you don't know."

[Understood.]

Good.

Now that I had Eve as an ally, a foolproof plan came to mind.

I looked down at the snatchers and smiled brightly.

Perhaps sensing something ominous in my smile, the two stopped fighting and looked up at me.

"...Sir?"

I didn't answer the man's question and announced the beginning of my surprise proposal operation.

"From now on, you are kidnappers."

"...What? Who are we kidnapping?"

Who else?

"Me."

"...?"