It was a clear dismissal, delivered with the kind of authority that made arguing unthinkable. Elliot, Diana, Lily, and Evelyn all offered respectful farewells and filed out.
Rex followed, casting one last glance back at Valentina, who had already turned to speak with Helena in low tones.
The door shut behind them, leaving Rex in the hallway alongside the younger Starlights.
Elliot said, "So," with a smile.
"Well, I guess this is your official welcome as a new student to the Academy, and whatâs even cooler is that youâre already an honorable student."
"Grandmother doesnât give gifts like that for free." Diana added, "She must really appreciate what you did for us."
Lily said, "Iâm just happy youâll be around more," and she put her arm through Rexâs, which was becoming a habit.
"Having you close by will be nice."
Rex smiled and let them take him back down the grand staircase. His mind was already racing with what all of this meant.
Three days until the Apostle meeting. Twenty heavenly champions in one place.
Apollo Brightsoul is likely one of the twenty heavenly champions. Additionally, Rex himself is secretly serving a goddess whom most of the other champions would likely view as an enemy if they were aware of it.
This was going to be fun.
...
When they left the academy, they saw Theo and Iris waiting for them in the plaza, along with a few women Rex didnât know but who caught his eye for several reasons.
Rex thought to himself. âOh...? Whatâs this...? Another woman that I could take?â
The first thing that caught his eye was a woman who looked like she had been made to be a "fighter-type warrior." She was tall, almost six feet, and her body type suggested that she could break stone with her bare hands.
Her hair was jet black and long in a way that kept it out of her face. She wore a revealing leather vest that showed off her muscles and pants that were made for movement instead of modesty.
Upon seeing Diana, the womanâs face burst into joy, a sudden change in expression that defied her intimidating appearance. "Oh my~! Would you look at that!?"
"Itâs my favorite girl for Theo, Diana Von Starlight!"
The warrior woman crossed the space between them in three long strides and hugged Diana so tightly that she couldnât move. Diana made a muffled sound of protest that was cut off when her face was pressed right into the womanâs big breast.
Her feet kicked a little as she fought for air.
"Ngh... I..." Diana was able to wheeze out, "...canât breathe."
"Oh! Sorry!" The woman let go of Dianaâs hand just enough for her to gasp for air, but she didnât let her go. "Itâs so good to see you again, Diana~! How long has it beenâAh! Itâs been months!"
"Aurelia," Iris said with a smile. "Youâre going to kill her if you keep hugging her like that without having to realize your strength."
Aurelia Noctis Nightwing, who is Theoâs mother and Irisâ older sister, was identified by Rexâs system as a "high-level combatant" rather than a reincarnator.
She finally let Diana go, and she stumbled back, looking flushed and disheveled.
Diana said, "H-Hi... Miss Aurelia," as she fixed her clothes. "Itâs nice to see you too."
"Oh please~! Stop with the formalities; you know you can call me Mommy now!" Aurelia giggled while winking at her.
Diana gasped. "M-Mommy!?"
Two other women stood behind Aurelia. Despite being significantly older than Aurelia, they shared certain features that indicated their relationship.
âMore baddies are coming in...!? And perhaps... more GILFs just like the title said!?â
The first woman looked to be about Valentinaâs age. She had long white hair that was styled in a complicated braid and wore formal robes that were cut in a way that made it clear she didnât want to look modest or reserved.
She stood up straight and had a look on her face that showed she thought she was better than everyone else.
Morwanna Nightwing, the system noted. Great-grandmother to Theo and Iris. Age 72. Power level: Extreme.
âGREAT GRANDMOTHER!? WITH THAT FUCKING APPEARANCE!?â Rex was shocked to see that her age was older than Valentinaâs.
âI fucking love fantasy worlds... hail fantasy worlds with their unique logic!â
âIf itâs back in my world... they probably canâtâyeah, pause, I donât want to get cancelled here.â
And then, thereâs the second woman, who was youngerâwell, not younger, probably in her fifties. Her hair was changing from black to white in a way that made her look more beautiful than old.
She wore glasses that made her look like a scholar, and her clothes were both stylish and useful. When she looked at Rex, her eyes showed clear interest that was both judging and grateful.
Elaris Morr Nightwing, the system provided. Grandmother to Theo and Iris, daughter to Morwanna. Age 53. Power level: High.
âAnother one... holy shit... and the way she dressed really did awaken my secret weapon thatâs about to be unleashed.â
Rexâs mind was torn between making a list of threats and realizing that the Nightwing family seemed to have genetics that went against the normal rules of aging.
"Mother, Grandmother," Iris said, moving to greet them with obvious love. "I didnât know you were coming to see us."
"Like weâd miss the chance," Elaris said, and then she saw Rex, and her smile grew even bigger. "Oh my... who is this good-looking young man?"
She walked toward Rex with purpose and grace. Before he could say anything, she was right next to him, one hand on his chest and the other looking up at him through her glasses.
âI see now... a teasing GILF, huh? My fucking favorite...â
"My, oh my... Helena didnât say she had such a nice travel partner."
"Mother," Aurelia said, reaching out to pull Elaris away by the shoulder. "Please be respectful of him. Youâre making everyone in this family look bad."
"Jeez... Iâm not embarrassing anyone," Elaris said, but she let herself be moved.
She smiled at Rex and bowed her head down. "Sorry about that... I forget how to act when Iâm interested in something."
"Donât worry about it," Rex said smoothly while also bowing down, putting away the fact that Elaris didnât seem to have any limits and wasnât ashamed to show interest.
That could have been helpful information, and he already knows she could be his next target to get that 1000 desire energy.
[ELARIS MORR NIGHTWING: 0/100 â 5/100]
[REASON: IMMEDIATE PHYSICAL ATTRACTION, NO FILTER]
âNow... thatâs interesting. Five points for a single interaction based only on physical attraction... it seems like sheâs going to be an effortless target.â
âI fucking love teasing women.â
"My name is Rex Rexilion," he said, bowing respectfully and giving a proper introduction. "Itâs a pleasure to meet all of you."
"Iâve been traveling with the Starlight family for the past few weeks."
Morwanna said, "The honor is ours," and her voice had the kind of weight that made it clear she was used to being listened to.
"Anyone who fights with our extended family is worth knowing, but Iâm curious about how good you are."
Her eyes seemed to see through him in a way that made him feel uneasy, and Rex had the strong feeling that she was judging him much more deeply than the others.
Rex said, "I do what I can."
"Hmph." Morwannaâs face didnât change, but something in her eyes said she thought he was intriguing. "Weâll see."
Then she looked at Valentina, who had apparently finished talking to Helena and come out of the Academy. "Valentina, we need to talk about the wards in private."
"Understood," Valentina said, and the two older women walked away together.
Their conversation quickly turned into low tones that made it sound like they were talking about something important.
Rex was left with the rest of the group, which now included the Starlights and the Nightwing family members who were visible.
Theo was standing next to Diana in a way that made it look like he didnât know how close he was, but Diana did. Evelyn and Elliot were talking to Iris about something having to do with guard rotations.
Lily had once more attached herself to Rexâs side. Aurelia was looking at all of them with a knowing smile that made it seem like she knew things about the people in the room that they didnât.
"You know," Aurelia said in a casual tone, looking directly at Theo, "itâs really nice how close the Starlight and Nightwing families have become over the years."
"Weâre almost family already."
Theo nodded without really thinking about it. "Lady Valentina and Grandma Morwanna have been friends for decades, so it makes sense that the rest of us would be too."
"Exactly!" Aureliaâs smile got bigger. "Thatâs why I keep thinking it would be nice if we made it official, like through marriage or something like that."
Theo blinked, which showed that he didnât get it. "Marriage...? Who is getting married?"
Rex thought to himself. âMy god... this fucking troupe of dense characters is killing me! What a fucking loser!â
Dianaâs face was bright red, and she was carefully looking at the cobblestones.
Iris was trying not to laugh.
Lily was smiling like this was the best thing sheâd seen in weeks.
Aurelia said in a very serious tone, "Well, there are many eligible bachelors and bachelorettes between our families..."
"It would be a shame if none of them found good partners, donât you think?"
She looked Theo in the eye. "For example, youâre what, twenty-six now?"
"Youâre definitely old enough to start thinking about settling down... and Diana here is twenty-six too."
"Sheâs accomplished, beautiful, and comes from a great family..."