My Soul card is a Reaper



Mother or wife?

It was a classic question that's been on for centuries. The question has often been discussed in person and circulated on the internet, but people say that there is no right answer to it.

The answer depends on man's choice and the reasoning behind it.

And Azzy also made up his choice in two seconds while imagining the scenario where Claire and Izora were being abducted. 

He answered in a firm tone, "Ms. Matilda, I choose Flora."

"So, you'll abandon your mother? How ungrateful." The mother-in-law's great impression of Azzy until now looked like it was going to be crumbled in an instant. Matilda slightly smirked, feeling that she has won.

However, in the next second, everyone's expression changed as Azzy explained himself, "I chose to save Glacy, not because I'm here or I think it is common sense. It is because she is the person I chose, Ms. Matilda. I chose her as my life partner. Hence, it is my responsibility to save her. 

If I fail to save my mother, I would probably feel sad and apologize to her grave for the rest of my life but if I abandon my wife, I would be fallen in my own eyes. That is something I cannot bear."

Matilda and Flora were stunned by his explanation and they stared at him in a daze as if they wanted to comment 'Where did these guys come from?'

Meanwhile, the in-laws were satisfied with his explanation and the mother-in-law said, "I guess I was too impatient and judged you quickly. You are quite a sincere fellow, Mr. Gary."

Azzy merely smiled in response.

After their dinner was finished, Azzy left the house while rejecting Matilda's invitation to stay for the night. Flora accompanied him, intending to escort him until the portal point.

When they left, they were grabbing hands like usual couples but after crossing the street, Azzy stopped walking and looked at her, "You don't need to escort me anymore. I will have to stop by another place."

After staring at him for a couple of seconds, Flora stepped forward and gave him a tight hug, "Thank you, Azrael. And sorry for troubling you with my selfish request."

Azzy simply patted her head as he does for his little sister, "It's not a trouble, although it would have been better if I met your brother-in-law too."

Flora stepped back and replied, "I know. Neal was really looking forward to meeting you but we can't do anything boat the urgency at the company."

"Eh? Neal?" Azzy was slightly taken aback upon hearing a familiar name. However, the guy he knows is dead and is also a commoner, not the master of the noble house of Edward. 

He couldn't help but ask, "May I see his picture, later on?" He wants to fulfill his curiosity in order to stop making up an absurd theory.

Flora took out her smartphone, which she only uses in this world as it is not only useless in her workplace but it is also banned to take out one. "I have pics. You can see him." Opening the album app, she further added, "Actually, you could also find him just by typing his name on the search engine."

"Here," She gave it to him and showed the image where a handsome middle-aged and charismatic fellow was posing with the current King of Northern Qudour.

"What the hell…"

Azzy took the phone and zoomed in on the image, "Neal is alive? But, his status is KIA (killed in action) in our database. I should talk to Commander Kruger."

Surprising Flora, Azzy asked her to send the image to his phone before leaving her sight. Since she knows Gary is Azzy, who studied in the same school as her, she thought it is perfectly possible that both of them know each other. She didn't think too much about it.

Or rather, her thoughts were occupied by something else. "He spoke really touching words and did a couple of actions that impressed me a lot but I don't feel any butterflies in my stomach. It's really a pity that he looks too young. If he had been slightly older, he would have been totally my type of guy."

*Sigh*

Letting out a deep sigh, Flora turned around and slowly returned home to spend the rest of the weekend.

Meanwhile, Azzy went to the airport and boarded a flight like a normal person. He took six hours of nap and reached the headquarters by 5 in the morning.

Azzy went straight to the "Data Services" department.

"Morning, Captain Azrael" "Morning, Cindy"

After the exchange of greetings, the staff member asked the reason behind his visit.

Azzy first asked for information about Dragon Academy, meaning the complete info of students who had atleast gold grade Arcana and the info of every teacher.

As his second request, he showed her the image of Neal and asked for complete information about the guy named Neal Edwards.

His third request was about the forest of death. He wanted the list of all types of beasts living there. If he knows their respective abilities, it would perhaps become a lot easier for him to raise an undead army in the future.

He then ended with requesting the info on the company named 'Arc', which is the financer of Emerald Academy. This company is also the one behind Aaron.

What Azzy wanted to find out is whether Aaron was just using them for his personal mission or if this company was on the same boat as that blindfolded guy.

"How much it costs?" Azzy asked for the price, knowing that his personal requests for information aren't for free.

However, the staff member quoted a high price, "2.35 million credits."

"Ugh, Cindy, the price is too high. Any discount?" Azzy couldn't help but complain to this colleague, whom he was acquainted with.

In response, the woman simply smiled, "Captain Azrael, the discounted price will also have discounted information you know. Moreover, it's just your 9 days of salary."

Azzy grumbled as he grudgingly gave her the card, "20% of that will go to my country's government and 30% of it will go to this nation of Vesna solely in the form of taxes. How much do you think I will be left with…"

Cindy could only smile in silence and proceed with the transaction. Azzy's net income was about 3.75 million credits per month excluding the share from the mission's reward. 

If one thinks about his last year's annual net income, it stands at 65 million credits, which is enough to buy a villa of 2000 sq. meter area at any prime location in the world. 

He has one of the highest salaries in the organization and has a personal wealth of 158 million credits so far, which was just earned during the past three years only. If not for the secrecy of Zero Squad, it would have already blown up on the internet.

The fact that he was complaining about not getting enough money pains a normal employee like her with a 75k monthly salary.

After placing his order, he returned to Zero Squad's pocket dimension and planned to wait there until he gets a call from the 'Data Service department'.

However, an urgent summoning from his father forced him to go home without reporting to his superior.