The next few days went by pretty fast. First Reggie had to claim his winnings. It wasn't complicated but did involve some paperwork. The jackpot was just under half a billion dollars but once all the taxes and whatever else came out, Reggie ended up with $220 million. Being a prudent spender, he next set out to find a good accountant firm to help handle his new fortune and set up some high-yield savings accounts. They also helped Reggie invest in some safe bets to help keep his fortune safe. On a whim, Reggie decided to drop a million into a semi-risky investment idea. He figured that even if it didn't work out, the loss would be made up for over time eventually. The last thing to do was find a new place to live. Reggie didn't hate his apartment but it wasn't very big and only had a single bedroom. He figured Hyacinth would want her own room and adding a few more would be useful in case the team grew.

It wasn't that Reggie was expecting to be building a harem while he saved the world but he wanted to be prepared for the future. Not that he was opposed to the idea, obviously. It took a few days to find a place he loved, though. He had certain requirements, like the amount of bedrooms and bathrooms, but also wanted to make sure there were other amenities, too. A large kitchen with a dishwasher was a must so that multiple people could use it at the same time. He also wanted the yard to be big enough for a small garden and a pool. Of course, as long as it had the space he could add the pool afterwards. Then there was also how close the neighbors were in relation to the house. Also that it is within walking distance to a lot of decent shopping. Reggie enjoyed his space but also wanted to be able to quickly get to places. He picked his apartment mainly based on its proximity to his old job.

Hyacinth was happy to help when she could, though things like the internet to search for houses took a little getting used to. Apparently they didn't have any sort of information network on Azoria. Most communication was done via magic. Reggie became very interested once magic was mentioned. "So there is no non magic-based technology in your world?" He wanted to know all about it. It was a way of life very foreign to Reggie and generally only seen in fantasy novels and anime. "It would be interesting to visit so I could compare it to what's been written in my world."

"First we need to save your world, then we will see about visiting mine." Hyacinth was very mission-oriented. She would always steer the conversation back to the mission when Reggie asked about her world. Not in a suspicious way, but Reggie did wonder why she didn't want to talk about it much. "Luckily, my magic works in your world, too. I was worried it might not since magic hasn't existed here as far as I know."

"I suppose someone who relied on magic like you would have that concern." Reggie pondered absentmindedly about what he might be worried about if he ever visited another world. Nothing came to him so he decided it wouldn't be a big deal.

The housing search continued for another week after that. Reggie found the perfect place with everything he wanted. Even had some extras that he wasn't even looking for but he was excited about. One of which was that there were two dishwashers in the kitchen. It took a few more weeks to finalize everything and move in. Luckily, when Reggie asked Hyacinth about how long they had to save the world, she said it wasn't exact but they had at least five or six months. Also, the timeline could be stretched as they started working towards their goal so it wasn't like they had to get started right away. Once the move-in was complete, Reggie was going to get straight to work with Hyacinth. As it turned out, she was already working on gathering information and looking for leads.

"I have been using some wizard skills to check the area for any signs of something being out of place." Hyacinth happily told me about her progress our first night in the new house.

"What do you mean by wizard skills? Are those like spells?"

"No, spells are different. Those are incantations and rituals that anyone with the aptitude can learn if they have the time. Wizard skills are unique abilities some wizards can use. Some you have to be born with, and some can be acquired based on meeting certain requirements." Hyacinth pulled out a scroll and placed it on the table in front of us. Once she unrolled it, Reggie could tell it was a map of the area but unlike any he had seen before.

"I recognize that this is a map of the area but what are all these colored blotches?" Reggie moved his face closer to the map to try to get a better view. "Are these areas of magic or mana or something?"

"No, there is no magic in this world, remember. Also no mana. This is one of my skills. I can map an area and it will show areas of interest related to what I am looking for." Hyacinth's explanation had Reggie nodding though he didn't entirely understand it yet.

"What were you looking for?" Reggie had no clue what they would need to find for their mission.

"In this case, I am looking for areas of interest in relation to the world coming to an end."

"That's very specific."

"That is why I have this job. This skill is very useful and can be as generic or specific as I like." Hyacinth puffed out her chest with pride. Reggie mouthed a wow as he continued to look at the map.

"So, there are a few spots, some yellow and a couple red. Are those colored in regards to priority or likelihood of being related?"

"Exactly! The yellow ones are generally things we can ignore, though I have checked most of them already. Now we need to check into those two red spots." Reggie looked up from the map at Hyacinth to see her smiling at him. It was obvious she wanted his help to continue the investigation.

"Oh, you mean right now." Reggie finally understood what she was waiting for. "I guess there is no reason not to start right away. This one is closest to us, so we should head there first." Reggie pointed to one of the red spots on the map. Hyacinth nodded in agreement and then they both headed for the door.

It took about 35 minutes to reach the spot on the map. It was a big office building basically right in the middle of town surrounded by many other just as big office buildings. Reggie recognized the company name the second he saw it. "The Marlino Corporation, huh? Guess it was probably never going to be easy."

"Are you familiar with this company?"

"Nearly everyone has heard of the Marlino Corporation. They are a big conglomerate of companies with their hands in a lot of pies. Telecommunications, biotech, renewable energy, pharmaceuticals, the list goes on and on. My old job was one of their smaller operations dealing mostly with data reports and number crunching." Reggie stared up at the building in front of them. With all the possibilities, the cause could be anything from a designer virus to an experimental energy system to an artificial intelligence that goes rogue.

"Even if this place isn't the source, it will definitely have pertinent information for us to use. The red spots are nearly guaranteed in that regard." Hyacinth was sure of it. The look of determination on her face was strong.

"Let's head in and see if we can dig around a little. We can at least find out what part of the business is based here to help narrow down the possibilities." Reggie had experience in office work and was confident he could get at least a clue. They headed inside and checked the directory in the lobby that listed what was on every floor. It was mostly just offices for human resources and customer service teams and similar jobs full of people that mainly spent the day behind a desk staring at a screen. "Hmm, guess we will need to dig deeper. Maybe see if we can get access to a computer. I doubt my credentials will still work but maybe we can find an unattended desk."

Reggie just thought of something and looked over at Hyacinth. She was still wearing her weird purple robe and holding her staff. He grabbed her hand and led her back outside.

"What's wrong? Have we been found out?" Hyacinth didn't understand what was happening. Reggie continued to pull her along down the block a little before stopping.

"We need to get you less conspicuous clothing. You will stick out anywhere we go in that building." Reggie had actually never seen Hyacinth in any other clothes since they met. "Do you have any other clothes? I don't think I have even seen you in anything else besides that robe."

"That is just my outer layer."

"Ok, can you take it off and put it somewhere?"

Hyacinth thought for a second, then snapped her fingers. Her robe disappeared revealing her outfit underneath. Revealing was an apt description, too. Her shirt had quite a low neckline showing off her cleavage, which was not in short supply. Her shorts were very tight around her legs, especially her thighs which accentuated her figure. Now she would stick out in a much different way in an office.

"Yeah, that's not gonna work either. There is a department store a couple blocks over, we can get you something more appropriate for the workplace."

Hyacinth looked down at her clothes. "What's wrong with this? I think it's cute. Cute is good everywhere."

"I agree you look amazing, but there are dress codes in professional offices. Lets just grab you something real quick and come back."

Hyacinth blushed a deep red at Reggie's declaration but nodded in agreement. An hour later they were back in the lobby of the Marlino Corporation. Hyacinth was wearing a simple button-up blouse and a modest skirt that complimented it nicely. Hyacinth's ample assets created some issues with many of the shirts they tried but they eventually found something passable. The buttons seemed a bit stressed, though.

"Ok, try not to exert yourself too much. We don't need those buttons to be strained any more than they already are." Reggie chuckled a bit as they waited for the elevator. Hyacinth blushed again but didn't say anything and kept looking forward. "The key to office work is that no one is in a rush. Many don't like their jobs much so they are in no hurry to get anything done. Just stick with me and you should be fine."

The elevator arrived seconds later and they pushed the 10 button as they entered. They chose the tenth floor because it seemed like a good place to find an open computer based on what was based there. As they exited onto their chosen floor, they could hear the sound of dozens of people typing keyboards. There was little other noise on the floor. "Lets just walk around the floor and see if we can find an open computer that someone has left unlocked." Reggie and Hyacinth started moving around the room. None of the workers ever looked up from their computers as they went up and down aisles of cubicles. It took almost an hour to find an unattended computer left unlocked.

"Ok, you keep an eye out for security or anything else that might mean they are onto us. Also the guy that just got up went off to the bathroom so he may be back soon." Reggie gave instructions to Hyacinth then got straight to work. His familiarity with the system made the search much easier. "Ok, this might be something. There are some documents that allude to a research lab down on one of the basement levels." Reggie kept reading to see if he could get any more info but nothing else seemed important.

"That guy just came around the corner. Let's head down to the lab." Hyacinth alerted Reggie it was time to go. He quickly closed up everything he was looking at before getting up and walking away with Hyacinth. When they got back to the elevator, Reggie pressed the button for the floor the lab was supposed to be on. He was surprised when the elevator started moving since he assumed a security pass might be needed. It turned out it was needed but not until you got to the floor. There was an entryway around the elevators, then a door that required an electronic key.

"Guess we need a new plan." Reggie looked down the hall past the door but only saw an empty passageway with a few closed doors.

"Let's head back to the house. I might know of a way to get us inside." Reggie nodded to Hyacinth's suggestion and they returned via the same elevator and left the building. They walked home together mostly in silence. Hyacinth seemed disappointed and Reggie wanted to lift her spirits. A few blocks before they got home, Reggie stopped and led Hyacinth into a storefront.

"Let's grab some food to take home." Reggie smiled at Hyacinth as the promise of food made her face brighten a little. She immediately began grabbing snacks in a basket after Reggie handed it to her. He also grabbed a few things for himself and a few drinks, too. "Remind me to go grocery shopping tomorrow. We can't live off convenience store snacks full time."

"Why nooooottt!? They are sooooo goooooood!" Hyacinth was whining. She loved snacks.

"It's not a healthy eating habit. We need a more balanced diet with veggies and protein." Reggie's reply stopped the whining but Hyacinth continued to pout.

Once they had paid for their food, the pair returned to their home base. Hyacinth began eating a bag of chips at the table while Reggie put some things away. After storing the extra snacks in a cupboard and putting the drinks in the fridge, Reggie sat down with her to enjoy his own snack. They sat silently for a while, enjoying their food. Reggie waited until Hyacinth finished her chips to ask about her idea. "What's this plan you thought of for getting in the lab?"

"It's more an idea than a plan. I know someone who might be able to help us get in."

"Oh, someone from Azoria?"

"Yes, well, that's where they are from but I am pretty sure they are in your world currently. Last I heard anyway. I will try to contact her and set up a meeting." Hyacinth opened up another snack signifying the conversation had ended. Reggie had questions but he was fine waiting for this mysterious friend. She said 'her'. Is it another wizard like Hyacinth? Reggie figured he could wait until they found out the status of this friend to ask about it. In the meantime, Reggie wanted to make a grocery list and a list of anything else they needed for the house. They needed a bed for Hyacinth, as well as a lot of stuff for the kitchen. His small apartment had a small kitchen, so he didn't have a lot of pots and pans and other cooking implements.

"What do you think we need for the house? I know you need a bed. Anything else you need? A dresser? You will definitely want sheets for the bed." Reggie was writing things down as he thought of them.

"I don't know. Just get whatever you think I might need. I am not that familiar with your world so I don't have a clue what my options might be." Hyacinth left it up to Reggie.

"What about clothes? Do you have enough? I am not sure what you brought with you, though I haven't seen you with a bag. Where did your robe go when it disappeared earlier?" Reggie remembered how it just disappeared right in front of him. He assumed it was magic but wasn't sure of the specifics.

"That was just me putting it away. I have a sort of magic space that I can store things in and just put the robe back. The space has lots of clothes for me so I don't think I need any right now." Reggie nodded then went back to adding things to the list, which was already getting a little long.

"Tomorrow will be a shopping day. Luckily most of the things we need can be found nearby." Reggie kept adding things as he thought of them, ignoring Hyacinth as she opened up her third bag of chips.