The Mage of Primordial Chaos

"Alright! Today marks the first of the Date Week!" Qing Yue declared, smiling happily. "More importantly, it's my turn! I hope you have the day all planned out, Big Brother Xuan Kai~ you better not let me down after all I planned last night!"

"U-Uh, yeah," I replied, scratching my head awkwardly. Truth to be told, I haven't given it a single thought, but I'll just go along with the flow and pretend like it was all planned. That should work. Probably. I felt a bit scummy for doing this, but in all honesty, I didn't have any time yesterday to do any research on the city of Fragment and what places were good for taking girls on dates to.

Right now, the girls and I were having breakfast, but my heart wasn't in it. Despite the richness and deliciousness of the food that Ling Xin and Axilia had cooperated together to cook up, my mind was focused on something else—the money from yesterday. I still haven't retrieved that yet, and I needed to do so before my date with Qing Yue began. Or else, I would be broke.

And then, a thought hit me.

Wait a minute… this is a great excuse to learn more about the city! I can say I didn't get to retrieve my money yesterday, and therefore have to do it now, but in reality, I'm also taking this chance to explore and find some good locations to take Qing Yue later!

I'm such a genius.

"Oh yeah, by the way," Ling Xin said as she set finally sat down in her seat after finishing washing the pot. "Right after breakfast, I'll need to be heading to a Council meeting. It shouldn't take that long, but I'll miss out on watching you two… sigh."

"Wait, what?" I frowned. "You were planning on watching me and Qing Yue have our date…?"

"Hm? Of course not!" Ling Xin hurriedly said, covering up her slip with a charming smile. "I wouldn't dream of it. What I meant to say was watching An Yan and An Xue sew, hahaha…"

I blinked, turning to the Yu sisters. "You two can sew?"

"E-Eh? We can?" Yu An Yan echoed in confusion, then quickly realized her mistake. "A-Ah, I mean, of course we can! Yep! Definitely!"

"Hrm…" I narrowed my eyes, but didn't pry any further and instead stood up from the table, having finished my food. "I need to head to the bank real quick, before our date. I just checked my wallet, and uh, it's sort of empty. I meant to do this yesterday, but Xiuying ended up existing, and uh… yeah."

"Mkay~ just don't be late! Our date is scheduled to start at 8:30!" Qing Yue said excitedly, clearly having waited a long time for this day to happen. I definitely did not want to disappoint her, considering all she has done for me both before I awakened my powers and after.

I nodded, then shot the clock on the wall a quick glance. 7:50. The bank branch only opens at 8, so if I head over right now, I should be able to get in as soon as it opens, meaning I won't have to wait in line… that leaves me with roughly half an hour to find good places to take girls on dates.

It certainly wasn't a lot of time, but I had a better idea in mind. Rather than going out and exploring on my own, all I had to do was ask someone who has been here for a long time, and knows the place better than I do.

And quite frankly, I had the perfect person in mind.

*****

Soon, I found myself standing in front of the bank doors, waiting for it to open. I appeared to be the only one, and caught many gazes from passerby, but I didn't mind. I mean, attracting attention, for better or worse, was something I was long used to by now.

That said, I hadn't been expecting to be alone in waiting for the bank to open so I could get first dibs on service, but then again… thinking about it now, I guess it's reasonable. After all, the entire population of Fragment was a couple hundred people, maybe a thousand at best. This was, in the end, a elite community where only the best of the best could get in. And how many people classified as the 'best of the best'?

Thankfully, the waiting didn't take too long, as the same receptionist from yesterday appeared to chant a spell of some sort, dispelling the magic barrier that surrounded the building and allowing me to enter. Upon seeing me, her eyes widened a little, and her movements hastened. I was grateful.

Once I was inside, she led me over to her counter, and took a deep breath.

"First of all, welcom-"

"Where's the money?"

I cut straight to the point, more direct than she could even imagine. Interrupted mid-sentence, she blinked at me a few times in surprise, then awkwardly answered my question.

"A-Ah, yes… I checked with my manager, who contacted a professional, who then fainted upon seeing all the treasure you had, so we had to get someone else, who eventually verified all of its authenticity. I know I did promise you $150,000 for one coin, but… you have so many that the bank would nearly go bankrupt if it were to pay the full price for all of them. As such, the manager eventually decided on one final price for all of them: 150 trillion. Does that sound good?"

"150 trillion…" I echoed, gulping. That was a number of a size far too big to even comprehend. It certainly was enough to last him a lifetime and guarantee him a rich and wealthy life with plenty to spare. That amount may as well be infinity, since there was nothing in this world that cost that much and could be bought with money.

"I understand you may feel that is too low, but… it is really the most the bank can muster," the receptionist murmured, a conflicted expression on her face. She wasn't lying, and was a kind person. She clearly felt like she—and the bank—owed me… in which case, I could take advantage of that.

I sighed, making sure to act like I was truly very disappointed with the amount.

"150 trillion is fine, if that is truly the most the bank can pay. However, in that case, I have a favor to ask."

The receptionist tilted her head. "A favor…?"

"Yes. What, you don't want to?" I smirked, putting pressure on her.

"A-Ah, no… if it's within my ability, I'll do my best to help. This is the least I can do to make up for this, after all…"

"Good. It's simple, really," I said, scratching my cheek awkwardly. "I just want to know, uh… where are some good places to take a girl out on a date?"

"E-Eh…?" She blinked, clearly confused. I didn't have much time, so I reiterated the statement again.

"You heard me right. Just tell me some hotspots of this city… y'know, places that a girl would like."

"E-Erm, well… that depends on the personality of the girl, really. There is an amusement park at the very north of the city, and a movie theater right across from here… but I actually don't recommend those places."

I blinked. "What? Why? Aren't amusement parks and movie threaters usually the top cliche dating spots?"

"That's precisely why I don't recommend them," the receptionist replied, all of a sudden acting like a professional in dating. "Listen up! Yes, these cliched places may make some girls happy, but what will make them even happier is taking them to a spot that really resonates with them and aligns with their interests. That shows you truly know a lot about them and cares about their hobbies. Understand? Taking them to a generic place like an amusement park may even make some girls think you're a boring man."

"Huh… I see…"

"So, think carefully. What exactly does the girl you're taking on a date like?" The receptionist prompted, then pulled out a brochure of sorts and handed it to me. "This is a map of the entire city. All the shops and points of interest have been marked on it. Once you've determined what kind of things she likes, you can use this to help you decide where to go."

I nodded hesitantly. "Er… thanks."

"No problem! Now, go take her out for the date! Good luck!"

With that, she waved me off, and I slowly walked out of the bank, still in a daze as I tried to compute what she just told me.

What does Qing Yue like, huh? Well, I guess… anime and manga is a big one… and eating… and going on roller coasters… and just anything fun in general, to be honest.

And then, I stopped, realizing something and looking at the brochure in my hands.

Wait a minute… that girl didn't actually give me any specific locations except for this brochure! Damn it, she played me for a fool!