Chapter 7: Guild Interrogation… and Possibly Unexpected Romance

Chapter 7: Chapter 7: Guild Interrogation... and Possibly Unexpected Romance "Wake up, Jemil." He cracked one eye open. Blinking. Heavy. Too many beast girls. Too little space. He was sandwiched between Mira’s icy grace, Grahla’s muscular snores, and Sylfa’s clingy vines. Lyra lay on top of him like a needy cat, tail smoldering. Aelira was suspiciously absent. "What’s happening?" he croaked. Lyra groaned. "Someone’s banging on the illusion ward. Loudly." [System Alert: Guild Knights Detected – Rank C Enforcement Unit] [Mood: Suspicious. Tense. Armed. Looking for "The Beast-Bonded Deviant."] [Reputation Check: Infamous] [Consequence of Ignoring: They break in, pants or no pants.] Jemil sat bolt upright. "Why am I infamous already!?" Aelira’s voice echoed from above, hiding in a tree. "Maybe because you evolved five mythical beasts through suspicious snuggling in one week?" "I didn’t mean to!" The Tamer Guild Arrives A circle of armored guild knights stood outside the clearing, weapons at the ready. Their captain—a rigid woman with braided gray hair, sharp amber eyes, and a spear longer than Jemil’s self-esteem—stepped forward. "You are Jemil, correct?" He stepped out slowly, hands raised, hair messy. "...Technically?" She narrowed her eyes. "Guild reports say you’ve bonded five high-tier beasts in less than ten days. All female. All suspiciously... loyal." Jemil scratched the back of his neck. "I’m just... good with beasts?" One knight muttered, "He doesn’t even have a shirt on." Another: "Is that snake girl peeking from the bush? She winked at me." [System Alert: Guild morale slightly rattled by harem energy] [Hint: Diplomatic route recommended unless you want a "Bounty Hunter Romance" subplot unlocked.] Public Trial, Private Problem They hauled Jemil to the nearest outpost—more "barn turned fortress" than an actual stronghold. He sat in a chair while the Guild’s captain paced. "My name is Captain Vera Langris. I’m here to ensure you’re not a beast trafficker, intimacy con artist, or heretic." "Great," Jemil said weakly. "I’m just a guy with a weird system." "A lewd system." "That’s slanderous. It’s... affection-based." She narrowed her eyes. "So you fondle your way to evolution?" Jemil coughed. "...You make it sound worse than it is." The interrogation was brutal. Every question was worse than the last: "Have you ever kissed a dragonkin?" "Do the beasts share a bed?" "Do they fight over you in battle... or in bath time?" "Does the fox girl bite?" At one point, they forced him to summon his beasts one by one. Grahla bowed respectfully. Sylfa brought flowers. Lyra flexed her tails and smirked. Aelira stole a coin off a guard mid-bow. Mira materialized in frost-light and said, "He dances well." The knights looked horrified. One of them actually fainted. [Guild Suspicion: Dropping... but now curious] [System Suggestion: Charm test?] [Bond Trigger: Unexpected emotional moment incoming] A Moment With the Captain That evening, Jemil was stuck in a cell—for observation. Vera, the captain, stood outside the bars. "You’re too soft for a harem," she said. "They’ll eat you alive." He shrugged. "Already happening. Emotionally and physically." She eyed him. "You don’t even act like a pervert." "I mean, I am a little perverted," he muttered. She chuckled. It was... kind of cute. [New Flirt Path Detected: Ice-Hearted Captain] [Difficulty: Ruthless] [Reward: May open Guild permissions—or break your back. Romantically speaking.] Jemil tried his best not to think about it. Unfortunately, the system displayed her attractiveness rating. [Attractiveness: 87/100] [Hidden Trait: Repressed Romantic. Will deny feelings for 40+ Chapters.] Harem Break-In Later that night, all five beast girls showed up... in disguise. Sylfa wore a cloak of leaves. Lyra burned the guard roster. Aelira blackmailed a cook. Mira froze the lock. Grahla just smashed the wall. Jemil stood in the middle of the jail cell, blinking. "Couldn’t we... negotiate?" Lyra grinned. "Where’s the fun in that?" Mira pulled him into a frost-shield. "I got bored." Sylfa added: "You looked sad." Aelira just muttered, "They were interrogating my tamer. Unacceptable." [Relationship Alert: Emotional Loyalty +1 across party] [Quest Updated: Escape Guild With Minimal Arrest Warrants] [New Passive Unlocked: "Harem Intervention" – Once per week, your bonded beasts will forcefully extract you from danger.] They escaped under moonlight. By the time the sun rose, Jemil was shirtless, bruised, and clinging to Mira’s back as she glided through the trees. The guild was in chaos behind them. "Think they’ll put a price on my head?" Jemil asked. Aelira answered, "Only if they catch us." Sylfa added sweetly, "Let’s not let them." [New Wanted Status: Notorious "Beast Harem Heretic" – Wanted Alive for Questioning. Preferably clothed.] Jemil groaned. "I just wanted to pet cute monsters." Lyra rolled her eyes. "And now they all want to pet you." ✅ Call to Action: The guild is angry, the beasts are possessive, and Jemil just got dragged into fugitive status—with hugs. ???? Drop a comment and power stone if you’re ready for Chapter 8: "Yandere Snake Cult and the Temple of Temptation" ????????????