Chapter 323: Ichihara Yuuko's Curiosity and Albedo's Bond
Natsume was gone. Ren's gaze lingered on the door for a long moment before he closed his eyes, a slow, quiet breath escaping his lips.
"Indeed," he murmured, his tone impossible to read. "The midnight diner is still the best…"
Yuuka Kazami and the others watched his back, a shared silence falling over them. Both she and Ichihara Yuuko had a similar thought: just when they felt they were beginning to understand him, they would discover they might not understand him at all.
For Yuuka Kazami, this was simply a fact of his existence. But for Ichihara Yuuko, it was a source of deep amusement. She felt as though she had just discovered a beautifully complex puzzle box, something to be slowly and carefully unwrapped. Her desire to truly comprehend this enigmatic owner had just sharpened considerably.
(This feeling is a bit familiar…)
Ren turned, a faint smile touching his lips. "It looks like we won't be having any more customers tonight. What does everyone want for breakfast?"
As expected, Cerberus raised her hand without a second's thought. Yuuka Kazami, however, rose gracefully from her seat. "I'll be heading back for now," she said softly. "I will return later… This is for the meal."
Before anyone could react, she produced a single gold coin. It gleamed under the diner's soft lights, yet she presented it with the casual air of someone offering loose change.
Ren let out a soft sigh. "I truly am curious," he mused, "if everyone from worlds that use precious metals as currency is just exceptionally wealthy."
"Hm? I wouldn't know," Yuuka replied with a serene smile. "Well then, I'll see you later, Ren."
A gentle white light enveloped her, causing her to narrow her eyes slightly. Sunflowers grown under such a pure radiance, she thought, would surely be magnificent.
"An interesting place…"
The light faded, leaving Ren holding the gold coin. He flicked it into the air twice, catching it neatly in his palm. "And so," he said to no one in particular, "I continue to have no idea what it feels like to be short on money."
Ichihara Yuuko watched him, a flicker of surprise in her eyes.
Ren simply stretched, a lazy motion that rippled through his frame. "Hmm, time to close up for the morning. It's been so much quieter with Rindou out of town recently."
"Be careful Rindou doesn't hear you say that and decide to bite you," Lucifer retorted impatiently. "Her fangs are almost as long as Cerberus's canines. I'm still stumped as to how a human can even grow them to that extent."
Her comment touched upon one of the recurring, ever-popular topics within their eclectic group. There were several such conversational cornerstones: Lucifer's horns, Cerberus's ears, Sonoko without her signature headband, Momobami Kirari with her hair down, Rindou's fangs, the unique eyes of Kure Karura and Kure Fusui, and a handful of other strange but beloved subjects. A single mention was enough to spark a lively discussion.
And then there were the two topics used for merciless teasing, guaranteed to silence their targets: the 'Order Queen'Amou Kirukiru, and the eternal question of'when will Sōryūin Shion quit smoking'. Whenever either of those subjects was broached, the two women in question would immediately go silent and retreat into the shadows of the group chat, lurking until the danger passed.
Ren just waved a dismissive hand. "That's no big deal. Rindou's bite is all talk. If it wasn't, you wouldn't be the one leading the charge to tease her, Lucifer."
A faint blush colored Lucifer's cheeks. "That's different!" she snapped.
"Eh?" Ren's attention shifted to his phone, his expression changing. "I just noticed, Momonga sent me a message… This is… It really feels like everything is happening all at once."
Lucifer still had a vivid memory of Suzuki Satoru. If he hadn't brought up the game Yggdrasil and, by extension, Albedo, she and Ren might never have cleared it together. In a strange way, Suzuki Satoru had been their matchmaker.
At that moment, Lucifer decided that if Suzuki Satoru ever showed up as a skeleton, it would be perfect. She would personally arrange a cushy management position for him in Hell—the kind where he just had to stroll around for a bit before clocking out for the day.
(Suzuki Satoru: Should I be grateful or should I complain?)
Lucifer tilted her head. "What did Suzuki Satoru say?"
"Suzuki Satoru? Isn't his name Momonga? What a strange name…"
Ren offered a small smile. "Momonga is his in-game name. He just told me that Yggdrasil… is about to shut down its servers. He must be heartbroken."
Lucifer watched him carefully. "Eh? What about you?"
"Me? I'm fine."
"Then… what about Albedo?"
At the mention of that name, the air around Ren shifted subtly. He sighed, deflecting the question entirely. "Besides Cerberus, who definitely wants meat, does anyone else have a breakfast request?"
Lucifer understood. He didn't want to talk about it. She let the topic drop. Ren's attachment to the world of Yggdrasil itself had been fleeting, but his bond with Albedo was another matter entirely. She was the NPC companion Momonga had assigned him, the silent guardian who had helped him level up, explored every corner of that digital world by his side, and always, always waited for him.
In the end, the answer from the group was a unanimous "anything is fine." Ren nodded and disappeared into the kitchen.
Kasugano Sora sighed softly. "Brother Ren must be a little sad. After all, Albedo was always there, quietly following him…"
Lucifer nodded in agreement. "Hmm… It seems like he should go and say a proper goodbye. Wait… Sora, you know about the game Yggdrasil?"
"Yeah," Sora admitted. "It's nothing to be proud of, but when my health kept me cooped up at home, I used to play games all the time. I'm actually quite the expert. I didn't play Yggdrasil a lot, though. I mostly played it with Brother Ren… We leveled up together with Albedo."
Lucifer paused, processing this. "Eh? Why does it suddenly sound like, in Yggdrasil, you two were basically raised by Albedo?"
A corner of Kasugano Sora's mouth twitched. "That's… not an inaccurate way to put it. But it still feels a bit strange to hear…"
"Mmm~ Good morning~ Eh? Who are you?"
Just then, Courage emerged, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She blinked at the sight of Ichihara Yuuko, and a now-familiar sequence of events unfolded. Courage immediately regarded the mysterious woman as another of Ren's esteemed 'seniors,'a conclusion only strengthened by Yuuko's vague and teasing remarks about her'special relationship' with the owner.
Just as it was in their group chat, people from entirely different worlds and professions could converse with surprising ease. The small group quickly fell into a comfortable rhythm, with Courage getting along especially well with Lucifer and the others.
"Mmm~ That smells amazing!"
A fragrant aroma drifted out from the kitchen, instantly halting their conversation. They all recognized that scent. It was the signal that their morning had truly begun, that the world was waking up. It was a gentle touch of fragrance designed to rouse their lingering appetites and set the mood for a good day.
In a sprawling mansion on the other side of the city, Suzuki Sonoko, her signature headband perfectly in place, descended the grand staircase carrying a paper bag.
A gentle voice called out to her. "Sonoko, where are you off to so early?"
"Atobe has a match today, so I'm going to watch it!" she chirped. "Besides, the Kengan Annihilation Tournament will require time off soon, so one day won't make a difference."
"Atobe Keigo, is it? I haven't seen him in a long time. Go on, then, but be careful. Are you driving?"
"Nope! I'm meeting up with a few friends first!"
"Friends?"
"It's Cerberus and the others! I'm stopping by Brother Ren's place first! Bye, sis!"
"Walk slowly!" her sister called after her.
"Got it!" Sonoko's voice echoed back as she hurried out the door.
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