Noah stepped out of the car first before stepping aside, looking up at the massive building towering in front of us.
Though honestly, calling it a building almost felt wrong.
It looked more like some absurdly oversized skyscraper made entirely out of glass and reflected sunlight.
The moment I stepped out after him, the glare immediately hit my eyes hard enough to make me look away.
"...First thing's first," I started while Anathasia quietly stepped out behind me a moment later.
Her forehead immediately bumped against my back as she winced silently.
"Why is everything so bright...?"
"What are you standing in front of me fo-"
Anathasia stopped midway through her sentence the moment she looked up at the skyscraper herself.
Then she immediately looked away too.
"...Whose idea was it to wrap that thing in gold?"
Noah simply laughed it off before gesturing for us to follow him toward the entrance.
"Wasn't my idea. Ask my father-in-law," he replied casually while Anathasia and I followed him inside.
"Mr. Shinzhou?"
"I think it was Shizhou actually," Anathasia corrected while raising a finger beside me as we walked.
"Or something like that..."
"It's a pain calling them all Fuyukawas too since literally everyone here is a Fuyukawa."
The sliding doors opened shortly after.
A familiar receptionist immediately came into view alongside several indoor plants, marble flooring, and rows of elevators further inside.
The usual corporate headquarters atmosphere.
"Huh..."
Anathasia's eyes wandered around the lobby.
"It looks pretty similar to Kithia's architecture."
"Hinami and the Li heiress..."
Noah paused briefly.
"Well, family head now."
"...did work together while building up Kithia."
He glanced back toward us over his shoulder while the receptionist politely lowered her head as we passed by.
"Kithia, that clothing brand of yours, right?"
The two of us nodded while stepping into the elevator.
"Mr. Mingyuan suggested we invest our money somewhere back then."
"And he also said he'd handle the complicated parts since Mei was taking over the family."
I paused briefly.
A mental image of Mr. Mingyuan suddenly flashed through my mind, grinning ear to ear while giving me a thumbs up.
"...Apparently he was bored."
A dry laugh escaped Noah as the elevator slowly began climbing upward.
"Experienced old men with literal legacies behind them tend to develop pretty insane hobbies..."
"Yeah..."
The conversation died down shortly afterward.
Meanwhile, Anathasia stood near the transparent elevator wall, staring out over the city below while the skyline slowly expanded beneath us.
"I have a feeling this place becomes noisy as hell during rush hour..."
Silence settled over the three of us again while we waited for the elevator to finally stop.
After what felt like an unnecessarily long minute, the elevator eventually reached the twenty-ninth floor.
The doors slid open.
Noah stepped out first.
"Hinami's office..."
He stopped in front of a massive glass door.
The only door on the entire floor.
"...is right here."
Anathasia and I followed him inside shortly afterward.
The moment we entered-
"So far, the markets are stable."
"You shouldn't need any assistance for now then."
A familiar melodic voice immediately reached our ears.
A blonde woman wearing a formal suit stood near Hinami's desk while a pink-haired girl sat nearby on one of the couches, quietly sipping from a juice box.
"Roselia?"
Anathasia spoke first, one brow raising slightly as the blonde woman slowly turned toward us.
The ornaments in her hair glimmered beneath the office lights.
"Ah, Miss Veridielle. Sir Kyle."
Roselia clasped her hands together before offering us a small smile.
"Fancy meeting you here."
"Ah, Mom! Dad!"
Grace immediately called out from the couch before standing up and waving excitedly toward us while running over.
I waved back slightly in response.
A second later, Grace flickered out of existence briefly and instantly reappeared directly in front of me.
Her arms immediately wrapped around my waist as she buried her face affectionately against my chest.
"Glad to see you again!"
She paused briefly before looking up at me with a bright smile while my hand gently stroked her hair.
Noah suddenly turned toward me, his gaze narrowing slightly while Hinami tilted her head.
"Dude..."
"...you have three daughters now?"
"We do," Anathasia smoothly chimed in while casually gesturing with one hand.
"But she's from somewhere else entirely."
Noah blinked once.
Then twice.
"...How? When?"
A dry laugh escaped him as he shook his head before quietly excusing himself and walking toward the couch instead.
He dropped onto the seat while rubbing his temples, silently staring at the small table in front of him as though trying to process reality itself.
Grace paused briefly before simply shrugging.
Then she casually walked over toward Anathasia and wrapped her arms around her from behind, burying her face into Anathasia's hair.
"Mom smells so nice..."
Anathasia visibly stiffened for a second before letting out a small sigh, allowing Grace to continue clinging onto her while lightly shaking her head.
"How's your aunt been taking care of you so far?"
As she asked that, Anathasia casually glanced toward Roselia. The woman's smile visibly faltered for a split second.
"Everything's been fine~"
Grace happily replied.
"Aunt Roselia's actually handling everything really well."
"She just recently passed the bill regarding firearm ownership and handling precautions too."
"And the train already passed the last few tests before commercial operation."
"It should start operating for the public next month."
Anathasia let out a quiet sigh.
"I was asking about you, though..."
"She's taking good care of me too~" Grace replied casually.
"And Reina's slowly getting used to her authority now."
"Just enough that she can finally go back to school again..."
She paused briefly before continuing.
"Aunt Rania and Aunt Roselia still have her under strict observation though."
"But I think she'll be okay."
A soft laugh escaped Anathasia as she turned around before gently pinching Grace's cheeks and stroking her hair afterward.
"Really..."
"You're barely over two years old."
"Aren't you growing up a little too fast?"
Grace giggled softly while slowly pulling away.
"Mom, Demiurges don't really have ag-"
She abruptly went silent.
Anathasia had already placed a finger gently against her lips, immediately silencing her mid-sentence while a faint smile curved along her own.
"Ah, ah."
"Don't say that."
Her voice softened slightly.
"You're still my daughter nonetheless."
"...No?"
Grace's eyes widened slightly.
Her body stiffened as her gaze locked onto Anathasia's.
Eventually, she slowly nodded.
Her voice turned quiet afterward.
"Right..."
With that, Anathasia casually flashed her a small smile before lightly pinching her cheek again.
Then she turned toward Roselia, who still stood in front of Hinami's desk.
"Still a politician through and through, huh?"
Meanwhile, I quietly looked around the office while walking over toward the couch Noah was sitting on.
For a moment, my gaze drifted toward the city visible beneath the glass walls before lowering back toward Noah slumped against the couch.
Grace quietly followed behind me, peeking out slightly from behind my back.
"So..." Anathasia started casually while slowly walking toward the massive window overlooking the city skyline.
"It's not just Noah who wanted to catch up with Kyle, then?"
She took her time walking before eventually stopping near the glass.
Then she turned slightly, meeting Hinami's eyes directly. The other woman slowly stood before briefly lowering her head respectfully.
When she raised it again, her gaze met Anathasia's once more.
"Partly, yes."
Roselia folded her arms across her chest while raising a brow slightly.
"Is this regarding the coalition between several countries that has recently been monitoring Miss Veridielle and Sir Kyle?"
Anathasia slowly nodded.
The faint smile on her lips widened slightly.
"Well..."
"That issue's already been dealt with."
Both Hinami and Roselia paused immediately.
Their expressions subtly shifted.
Hinami lowered her gaze slightly, resting her chin against her fingers in thought.
"We did detect signs of an operation shortly after Mr. Joseph issued the warning a few days ago..."
"...but there were no disturbances detected anywhere near the area afterward."
"The TCA also appears to be redirecting their attention elsewhere this time."
At that moment, Roselia, who had been watching Hinami, suddenly froze.
Slowly, she turned toward Anathasia.
The woman merely stood there smiling softly before giving a small nod.
"Something like that."
Then her smile thinned slightly.
"And the thing you fought back then..."
For the first time since entering the room, the atmosphere subtly shifted.
"...is back too."
Roselia's gaze narrowed slightly.
Her expression slowly changed as the air in the room seemed to grow heavier.
"That thing..." she whispered quietly.
"You mean..."
"...the anomaly Kagariel himself failed to notice within the Ruins?"
She paused briefly before swallowing.
"That same anomaly that negated both Causality and Equilibrium themselves...?"
Anathasia merely tilted her head slightly, the faint smile on her face never disappearing.
"Anathasia Dunaleff."
The moment that name left her lips, Roselia's pupils visibly constricted.
"That woman who nearly destroyed everything we have here," Roselia continued quietly.
"She's currently at the library in our city, actually."
Anathasia casually shrugged afterward.
"I already dealt with her."
Roselia completely froze.
Her shoulders stiffened immediately while confusion flickered across her face once more.
"...what?"