Chapter 188: To Kanade Tachibana's Home; Meeting Her Parents; Another Engagement?
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"Sae-sensei, Shoko, follow me for a moment."
Seito stood up and walked toward the deeper part of the cave. The two summoned girls blinked in surprise before stepping forward to follow him. Once they were out of Chika Fujiwara's line of sight, Seito stopped and turned to face them.
"Use these orbs immediately." Seito pulled out two Divinity Orbs.
The two took them without question and used them instantly. A moment later, they felt a strange, distinct power coursing through their bodies.
"The Path to Godhood?" Sae Chabashira muttered, staring at the notification on her status panel.
Seito took this chance to explain the phenomenon of Real World Manifestation. Shoko Nishimiya froze in shock, while Sae, after an initial flash of surprise, quickly regained her composure and fell into deep thought.
"If I'm not mistaken, all eleven Executives have already manifested in reality, haven't they?"
"Exactly," Seito nodded. He turned his gaze to Shoko. "Shoko, I need you to promise not to tell anyone about this—not even your mother. You understand the danger if this gets out."
"As for why I gave you the orb..." Seito let his voice trail off. "I think you already know the answer."
Shoko nodded fervently. She understood exactly what he meant. It was simple: he wanted her to use this power to heal her own disability.
"Thank you, Seito-kun..." Shoko whispered her thanks. She loved Seito, but unlike other girls, she didn't flush bright red or get flustered. She simply cherished the feeling of being with the person she loved.
"Don't mention it." Seito patted her head. Then, the three walked back out.
"You guys keep playing. Kanade and I have to head to her place." Seito reached out and took Kanade's small hand.
"Hehe, then I'm off to test the power of a Divine Artifact!" Sora grinned, eager to depart. Having just received his gear, he was itching to see what it could do.
The others had their own plans as well—some were questing, some were grinding materials, and others were testing their new equipment. Seeing everyone busy, Seito and Kanade logged out.
In the bedroom.
Seito removed his gaming helmet and got out of bed. Just as he stepped out of the room, he saw Kanade emerging from hers.
"Let's go." Without many words, Seito took her hand and headed for the door. Kanade naturally allowed herself to be led.
Half an hour later...
Stepping out of a taxi, Seito grabbed the gifts he had prepared for Kanade's parents.
"This way, Seito-kun," Kanade said, leading the way.
Kanade's parents lived in a modest villa. As the two entered, they saw a middle-aged couple sitting on the sofa. Unlike Mrs. Yukinoshita or Kotori's mother, Kanade's mother looked quite aged. Her father was the same. Judging by their looks, Seito would have guessed they were in their sixties!
"Kanade, you're back!"
"How is it? Is your health better now?"
The moment her parents saw her, they rushed over, eyes full of concern. They had heard their daughter say her heart condition was cured, but until they saw her with their own eyes, they couldn't be at peace.
"Mmh," Kanade nodded expressionlessly.
"I've fully recovered now."
"That's wonderful!" The couple beamed with relief.
At that moment, Seito walked up to Kanade's side, carrying the gifts. "Hello, Uncle, Auntie. I brought a few things for you."
The couple turned their attention to Seito.
"Oh, you child! You're here now, why bring gifts?"
"You helped cure our Kanade—that's more than enough to make us happy. You really didn't need to bring anything."
The couple was incredibly warm, pulling Seito over to sit on the sofa. Kanade followed suit. Once they were settled, Kanade's father let out a long sigh.
"Seito, to be honest, if it wasn't for you, we wouldn't have known how much longer we'd be worrying over Kanade's condition." He looked at Seito with tired eyes. "Tell me, how old do you think we look?"
"Uh..." Seito hesitated but decided to be honest. "Around sixty?"
"In reality, we're only in our early forties," her father said.
Seito blinked in realization. It made sense. They only had Kanade, and because of her heart condition, they had spent every single day consumed by worry and stress. It was only natural that it took such a toll on their appearance.
"Uncle, Auntie... you've worked hard," Seito offered, not knowing what else to say.
"It wasn't 'hard' work," Kanade's mother shook her head, then smiled. "We've learned a bit about your situation from Kanade. The reason we asked you here today is because we want the two of you to get engaged."
"We know that even if we tried to arrange a marriage for her, she wouldn't agree. So, we've decided to settle things between the two of you properly."
Seito realized that the "main event" had finally arrived.
Beside her, Kanade's father added, "The Tachibana family business will eventually belong to you two. You must live well together—consider it the fulfillment of our lifelong wish."
For years, the couple had dreamed of the day they could hold a grandchild. But because of Kanade's health, they thought it was an impossibility. But now... as long as they waited until Seito and Kanade graduated high school, they could marry.
Looking at Seito's looks, the couple was beyond satisfied. Kanade was so cute, and Seito was incredibly handsome. Their children would surely be beautiful! And definitely white-haired! The saying that everyone in the Eastern Country is a "white-hair enthusiast" isn't just a joke—white hair was a massive advantage!
"Uh..."
"Alright."
Seito agreed immediately. Regardless of anything else, he was never going to let Kanade leave his side! So, no matter what, he was locking this down right now.
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Thank you for reading.