Dust billowed beneath the heavy boots of the Guild members as they swept through the settlement.

Shyla marched at the vanguard, a deepening frown etching her features. Her silver eyes scrutinized every villager who cowered before their presence.

Disappointment swelled within her chest. These people were weak, malnourished, and broken. None of them possessed the spirit of a warrior, let alone the hidden power she was actively searching for.

"There is nothing here," Ryan grunted from behind the bulk of his shield. "Just scared sheep."

Shyla didn't deign to answer. Instead, her gaze drifted past the clustered huts toward the outskirts. A solitary wooden house stood there, nestled near the farmland.

Unlike the dilapidated structures rotting in the village center, this one looked remarkably sturdy. Smoke rose steadily from the chimney in a welcoming column.

"Let's check that one," she ordered.

Inside the house, Judas's eyes snapped open. A frantic squeak echoed in the corridors of his mind; Nubble's voice was brimming with panic.

It had warned him about the sudden arrival of strong humans. He immediately ordered them to hide deep within the pond, lest the Guild members discover their existence.

Since Nibble and Nubble didn't emit the typical aura of monsters, if they could just hide from physical sight, they could remain concealed from any other magical senses.

Judas stood up from the couch, casting his gaze over the women in the room. Ezra was meticulously cleaning her knife.

Luna was elegantly sipping tea. Nina was playing with the bolts of cotton and silk he had purchased earlier. Zephriya, meanwhile, was miserably attempting to stitch an underwear pattern Judas had assigned to her.

Suddenly, her head snapped towards the door. She nodded grimly at Judas, conveying a silent message: 'They are here.'

The moment she completed the signal, her body shuddered as her entire posture shifted. The tension in her shoulders vanished, replaced by a relaxed, casual slouch.

Her dark expression melted into a bright, easy smile. Along with the shift in her demeanor, her hair and eyes turned a vibrant shade of red.

Zephriya retreated into the recesses of her consciousness, and Summer took control.

Summer blinked, stretching her arms languidly above her head. She looked at the three other women and waved.

"Hello again," she chirped.

Nina had already hidden behind Judas the moment the transformation began, and although Luna didn't show any overt fear, she too moved closer to him.

Only Ezra remained still, studying the new version of the maid her husband had captured yesterday.

Summer yawned with a bored expression as her crimson eyes fell on Judas, scanning him up and down. She studied his face closely, tilting her head to the side.

'Looking at him through physical eyes... he seems rather handsome.'

[Affection: 0]

'What! Don't tell me you fell for his looks. I doubt it's his dick you fell for,' the Princess scoffed derisively inside their shared mind.

Judas twitched. Hearing their internal bickering had been a headache at the beginning, but he was starting to find it amusing. He cleared his throat.

"This is Summer."

"Wow. You can change your eyes and hair..." Nina exclaimed. Summer smiled, revealing her sharp teeth, which scared the wolf girl enough to make her hide behind Judas once again.

"Gather around," Judas said seriously. "We have guests."

The women stopped what they were doing immediately. They moved to the table, sensing the sharp change in his mood. Summer joined them too, leaning her elbows on the wood with a curious expression.

"The Guild members will come to our home," Judas said, dropping the bomb. "They will find out about your attributes."

Silence filled the room. Then, panic took over.

"How did you..." Nina asked in surprise. Her hands trembled visibly. "It's not that I don't want to hide it from you. But—but..."

'I feared you would be on guard against me after knowing that.'

Her thoughts were chaotic. She remembered her past existence as livestock. People only valued her blood. If Judas knew she had high attributes, would he use her too?

Luna bit her lip. Her silver eyes almost reddened as she looked down.

'I forgot to tell him. I just don't want to remember my past.' Her time in the palace was a nightmare. Being special meant being a target.

Ezra inhaled sharply. Her calm mask cracked.

'Did he already know I had an attribute from the beginning? Was he waiting for me to reveal that?'

While the three women drowned in anxiety, Summer just hummed. 'He is sharp,' she thought.

Judas looked at their pale faces. He realized they weren't scared of the Guild. They were scared of him. They feared his judgment. They feared he would treat them differently.

"Relax," Judas said gently.

He placed his hands on the table. "They can't see my attributes. Even if they have an appraisal skill."

Judas turned his head slowly. He looked at Ezra with a thoughtful expression. Ezra quickly evaded his eyes, her heart pounding against her ribs.

'So he knows I have an appraisal skill, and he knows I have tried to check on him,' she cried internally.

Judas hid a knowing smile. "But they can see yours," he continued. "Don't fret. They can't force you to go with them or anything. The rules were made by the Guild, after all. They value consent."

He tapped the table rhythmically. "But they will never doubt you three. If they see three strong women living with a weak farmer, they will assume you are the ones protecting me."

It was the perfect cover.

"The only problem is my spirit monsters."

"Nibble and Nubble?" Nina asked.

"Yes. An Initiate cannot bond with two monsters. That will expose me. I can't hide the bond. They can find it if they use an appraisal skill specifically for bonds."

Judas stood up.

"I will ask Nibble and Nubble to hide deep in the pond, under the mud. No one will look there. However, I am sure the Guild members will not be easy to fool. Even if they don't sense attributes in me, they might find my bond… unless there is something distracting them so they will miss it." He winked at the four women.

"So, what should we do?" Nina asked anxiously, while Summer clicked her tongue.

A mischievous smile appeared on his face, forcing a groan of frustration from Ezra. Only Nina and Luna seemed oblivious to his sneaky plan.

Knock. Knock.

A heavy fist struck the front door.

"Open up," a female voice commanded from outside. "Apocalyptic Guild inspection."

Judas winked at his wives. "Showtime."

As soon as he said that, three of them suddenly found themselves thrown onto the bed by force. Summer hurriedly blocked her body with her hands.

"I don't need a push," she said, hopping onto the mattress and laying down. She watched in wonder as Judas summoned a huge blanket and threw it over the four girls.

And then he jumped into the bed, landing right in the middle of the four women.

"Husband?" Nina whispered with doubtful eyes.

Luna furrowed her brows and turned to look at Ezra for an explanation. Ezra could only sigh as she shrugged.

"What else is far more distracting than a man who indulges in mortal affairs in broad daylight? They will look at his attribute first, then, noticing the absence of them, their attention will shift to the four of us. They will naturally see we just have attributes, but have never trained with them or have any skills. In simple terms, he wants the Guild members to see he is nothing but a horny ma—Anh..."

Ezra looked down at Judas, who was now fondling her breasts. Although it wasn't visible to others beneath the blanket, the movements were enough to explain everything. She rubbed her forehead.

"Do you want other men to see… we are like this?"

"The person coming is a she." Judas wore a smug smile as Nina yelped, her face burning red. Luna tried to scramble away from him, but before she could completely escape, her body was lifted and pulled to lay atop his body. Only Summer lay awkwardly to the side.

Judas slowly tilted his head toward her.

"Wha—?"

'Summer, how about I come out?'

'Shut up, horny bitch.'

'Talking like you aren't horny,' the Princess scoffed.

Affection: 1 -> 5

Affection: -95 -> -50

With a bang, the door opened wide. Only a single woman entered, her face covered in dark clouds and a tinge of red. When her eyes fell on the bed, she froze, stupefied.

"So that's why you didn't open the door…"

Judas moved his hand quickly beneath the sheets, causing the four women to shriek in unison.

"Ha? Another beauty want to join? Come one, my thigh have a space-aaahhhh. That's hurt."

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