The other abilities of the person Jia Xiu had met in the Association's Spatial Maintenance Department were not yet apparent, but when it came to acting familiar with strangers, he had clearly maxed it out.
Without even knowing his name, the man reached for the Ukmak Empire's case.
Although it was not as if the case could not be shown to others, reaching for it right off the bat was still rather strange. Was automatic pickup turned on or something?
Jia Xiu had no choice but to block him first. "Um, may I ask who you are?"
"Oh, oh, me? For now, I suppose I'm the head of this department. Odysseus. Don't worry, I won't steal your things. I'm the head of a whole department, after all."
"Odysseus?"
"That's right. Me."
Jia Xiu carefully examined the department head. He was not very tall, but brimming with energy. His features made him look middle-aged, though a caster's appearance made it difficult to judge their age directly. Since he had risen to become a department head, he could not possibly be young.
Moreover, Jia Xiu could always sense a certain pressure from him. Though he wore a smiling, overly familiar expression, he felt even more imposing than the Association's president. That old gentleman truly had no airs at all.
The mismatch between his appearance, expression, and oppressive presence made Jia Xiu think of someone. No—more accurately, not a person.
So Jia Xiu cautiously asked, "What is your race?"
At first glance, that question sounded somewhat offensive, as though he were trying to pry into someone's background upon meeting them. But in reality, with so many races living together across the continent, the differences between some races were not obvious. Add to that the countless mixed-bloods and those fond of using Polymorph, and