Sui interjected,
"If that's the case, isn't it time for the coronation?"
Esdeath looked at Rei Ao expectantly.
"The ceremony is ready. Shall we proceed now?"
Time was on their side.
"Let's do it," Rei Ao said with a light laugh.
"Never thought I'd get to sit on an emperor's throne someday."
The coronation ceremony proceeded without a hitch. There were no interruptions or objections.
With the revolutionary army and the outsiders subdued and the original empire purged, who would dare oppose him?
For the commoners, the fall of the previous regime brought little excitement. Years of oppression had dulled their spirits. While the overthrow of the old empire provided some relief, the future under a new emperor remained uncertain. They could only hope for less oppression.
Rei Ao, however, had no interest in governance.
He took all the Teigu for himself and left the empire's administration to Najenda and Esdeath.
How they managed it didn't concern him.
Before leaving, he bestowed Esdeath with a powerful blessing.
[Name]: Esdeath
[Level]: 34
[Abilities]: "Dragon Force," "Frost Demon," "Rei Ao's Blessing," "Inherent Device: Winter's Edge"
[Possession]: "Demon God Manifestation: Demon's Extract"
Esdeath was ecstatic about her newfound strength, as it aligned perfectly with her belief in survival of the fittest. Stronger power meant pursuing even greater heights.
With the empire secured and power consolidated, Rei Ao and the others returned to their respective worlds.
At Eriri's Villa
Sayuri, having finished cleaning up the dishes, let out a long sigh of relief.
She was certain that nothing inappropriate had happened between Rei Ao and Eriri, which brought her a mix of feelings.
On one hand, she felt slightly disappointedRei Ao was exceptional in every way, and having him as Eriri's partner would have put her at ease.
On the other hand, there was an inexplicable sense of relief that she didn't dare examine too closely.
Seeking distraction from her turbulent emotions, she busied herself with cleaning the house again.
Eventually, she headed to the guest room to tidy the bed Rei Ao had "slept" in.
But as soon as she stepped inside and shut the door behind her, something strange happened.
"Hmm?"
Sayuri suddenly leaned forward, her body pressed against the door. She turned her head to find...
"..."
Rei Ao was standing behind her.
Her heart froze in place.
What stunned her even more was the undeniable sensation of warmth and softness through her silk sleepwear.
"..."
Rei Ao remained silent for a moment.
He hadn't anticipated being thrust into such an awkward situation right after returning to this world. Still, he calmly stepped back.
"Good afternoon, Mrs. Sawamura."
""
Sayuri turned around, her expression a mix of shyness and confusion.
Shy because of the strange sensation she had just experienced. Confused because Rei Ao had suddenly appeared in the room.
"Rei Ao, how did you get here so suddenly?"
"What if I told you it was an illusion? Would you believe me?"
"What do you think?"
Sayuri crossed her arms. She wasn't naive enough to be fooled by such a flimsy excuse.
"Fair enough."
Rei Ao shrugged. He didn't think she would buy it, nor did he have any real reason to hide the truth.
"In that case, let's just say it's due to supernatural powers. Would that explanation sit well with you?"
""
Supernatural powers?
Sayuri had no idea how to process this revelation. Yet, without it, there was no way to explain the current situation.
She could confirm that the guest room had been empty just moments before.
Staring into Rei Ao's eyes, she felt as though she was teetering on the edge of a vast abyss. Still, curiosity pushed her forward.
"If you don't mind, Rei Ao, could we sit down and have a proper conversation about this?"
In the living room, on the sofa.
Rei Ao and Sayuri faced each other.
"Mrs. Sawamura, the truth is that this world contains supernatural elementswhat some might call a hidden side to reality."
"My sudden appearance can be explained simply as a spatial transfer."
"And as for the earlier incident, it was purely accidental."
It really had been a coincidence. Sayuri had entered the room to tidy up just as Rei Ao returned, and the unfortunate contact had been incidental.
"Ugh!"
Sayuri blushed, her mind flashing back to the overly vivid sensation she had felt earlier.
Awkwardly, she stammered, "I-I don't mind about that Let's just focus on the main issue."
Rei Ao spread his hands in a gesture of nonchalance.
"The main issue really is that simple."
As long as she could accept the premise of supernatural powers, everything else would fall into place.
""
Sayuri surprisingly didn't find it hard to accept. In fact, she found herself processing it more easily than she'd expected.
After a moment of reflection, her expression grew complicated.
"So, the fact that my ankle recovered so quickly after your massage that was also due to supernatural powers?"
Her acceptance came naturally because she had already experienced the inexplicable. Reflecting on her instantaneous recovery, she realized it was beyond the realm of normal possibility.
"Correct. It was a combination of minor magic and healing energy."
"I see"
Finally receiving confirmation, Sayuri felt a wave of relief. At the very least, Rei Ao didn't seem like someone who abused his powers indiscriminately. If anything, he had used them to help her.
Taking a deep breath, Sayuri asked cautiously,
"Rei Ao, I'm an adult. It doesn't matter if I know these things or notI can pretend they don't exist."
"But Eriri is different. Does she know about this?"
Compared to herself, she was far more concerned about her daughter.
Rei Ao nodded.
"She does."
"An unforeseen event involving Tomoya Aki was the turning point."
"Tomoya Aki?"
Hearing the name, Sayuri frowned, a wave of revulsion washing over her. But soon after, realization struck.
"You're saying Tomoya Aki's death is connected to this hidden world?"
Rei Ao's expression remained calm.
"A monster killed him. Eriri witnessed it all. That's how we first crossed paths."
"So that's how it happened"
Sayuri's expression softened in understanding. No wonder Tomoya Aki's death had been so gruesome and bizarre.
After a long pause, Sayuri gave a bitter smile.
"Rei Ao, isn't this kind of secret something you shouldn't casually share with others? Shouldn't my memory be erased, or maybe I should sign a confidentiality agreement?"
She'd seen enough movies and read enough novels to predict the typical protocols for such situations. Offering to take these steps herself, she hoped to make things easier for Rei Ao.
However, Rei Ao chuckled softly.
"There's no need for any of that. There are no such strict rules here."
"But if it would put your mind at ease, how about this: in exchange, why don't you tell me the secret you avoided sharing yesterday?"
He still wanted to hear her confirm his suspicions.
""
Sayuri froze, clearly caught off guard.
She hadn't expected him to ask for this.
But this secret
After struggling internally for a moment, she exhaled and forced a bitter smile.
"Rei Ao, this secret is about Eriri."
"Actually I'm not her mother."
""
Rei Ao didn't look surprised. Instead, his expression carried a subtle clarity, as though a missing piece had finally fallen into place.
~~~
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Chapter 150: New Function: Refinement!
After learning Sayuri's secret, what truly surprised Rei Ao was what she revealed next.
"In truth, the arranged marriage was orchestrated by my family. I never even met my husband."
"When I moved here, I was informed that he had already passed away."
"Afterward, I received an inheritance and a child. That child is Eriri."
The details were indeed unexpected for Rei Ao.
"So, you raised Eriri all by yourself. That must have been very difficult."
Rei Ao's gentle tone carried genuine respect for such a mother.
This kind reassurance sent a subtle tremor through Sayuri's heart.
It was the first time anyone had said something like this to her, and the man who spoke was none other than her daughter's potential romantic interest.
At that moment, she felt a fleeting trace of envy and jealousy toward her daughter's youth.
Wait!
This kind of thought was unacceptable!
Realizing her chaotic emotions, Sayuri quickly dismissed the strange notion.
Clearing her throat awkwardly, she said, "Rei Ao, are you heading to school next?"
Rei Ao shook his head.
"No, I've already arranged for a friend to excuse me. It's fine if I don't go."
"Oh, I see."
Sayuri lowered her head.
For a moment, she found herself speechless, unsure of what to say next.
Rei Ao, noticing her discomfort, stood up.
"Since we exchanged secrets, let's leave it at that. There's no need to dwell on it, Mrs. Sawamura. I'll take my leave now."
With that, his figure vanished abruptly.
"!!"
Even though Sayuri had already been introduced to the concept of supernatural powers, she was still startled by the sudden disappearance.
After a moment, she glanced down at her own figure.
Her face involuntarily flushed once more.
The outline she had felt earlier had been exaggerated, to say the least.
If it were petite Eriri, could she even handle it?
At this thought, Sayuri silently scolded herself.
"What on earth am I thinking?!"
"What are you thinking about?"
In the Service Club, Yukino Yukinoshita finally couldn't hold back and addressed the source of the noise. Yui Yuigahama, who had been restlessly shifting in her seat, was driving her to distraction.
The constant rustling and movements made it impossible for Yukino to concentrate on her book.
Though, to be fair, Yukino hadn't been able to calm her thoughts since the previous night. She was merely using Yui's behavior as a convenient excuse.
"Ugh"
Yui, too, was struggling internally.
She looked at Yukino with hesitant eyes before finally asking, "Yukinon-chan, did you see it yesterday?"
"See what?"
Yukino replied, though the slight twitch of her eye betrayed her unease.
"You know, what Rei Ao uh"
Yui's face turned crimson as she fumbled to bring up the subject of the broadcast.
Sensing where this was headed, Yukino attempted to cut her off before she could finish.
She really didn't want to discuss such a risqu topic.
Luckily, she didn't have to interrupt herselfsomething else intervened.
Clang!
The door to the Service Club was flung open with great force.
"Please! Help me!"
A sobbing boy burst into the room, tears streaming down his face.
Yui and Yukino exchanged glances before standing up.
Yui asked cautiously, "Hey, did you come to the wrong place?"
"I didn't!"
The boy replied anxiously, "I heard this was a place where wishes can come true."
Yukino closed her book, her tone cold as she clarified:
"This is not a place for granting wishes. We only take on requests that are within our capabilities."
Yui tilted her head, intrigued. "Do you need help with something?"
"Yes!"
"Then, go ahead and tell us."
After a brief pause, the boy began explaining his situation.
His name was Taishi Kawasaki, a student in the elementary division of the school. Recently, he had been troubled about his older sister, Saki Kawasaki, a senior in the high school division's Class 3-5.
According to him, his sister had been acting strange lately. She frequently left the house late at night and didn't return until the early morning hours.
He didn't know what was going on but was deeply worried. Upon hearing that the Service Club could help, he decided to come.
Yukino frowned as she listened to the details and honed in on one key point.
"Let me get this straight: your family is struggling financially, barely able to cover tuition and living expenses for you and your sister. Yet she recently paid for your tuition and often stays out all night. Is that correct?"
"Yes, that's right!"
Taishi nodded vigorously.
"Hmm"
Yui hesitated, her expression turning uneasy as a troubling thought crossed her mind.
She was reminded of something sinister: compensated dating.
The description of Saki's behavior brought a strong sense of dj vu tied to that concept.
Before Yui could voice her thoughts, Yukino gave her a sharp look, stopping her mid-sentence.
After a moment of contemplation, Yukino said, "We'll take on your request."
After Taishi left, Yui leaned in, her tone hushed and secretive.
"Yukinon-chan do you think it could be, um compensated dating?"
"I don't know," Yukino replied with a shake of her head. "Don't jump to conclusions without evidence. It could cause unnecessary misunderstandings."
"Oh! Got it!"
Realizing her mistake, Yui scratched her head in embarrassment. She hadn't meant to create a bad impression for Taishi.
"So, how should we handle this request?"
After a brief pause for thought, Yukino said, "Since none of us know Saki Kawasaki well, let's start by trying to make contact with her."
Returning home, Rei Ao found that both Mai and Tohru had gone to rest.
He decided not to disturb them.
Tohru, after being battered by both Velzard and Velgrynd, was likely nursing her bruised ego. Mai, on the other hand, was still recovering from yesterday's events and needed some quiet time to process everything.
But Rei Ao wasn't idle.
He had plenty to do, including organizing the items in his possession.
Apart from his Freezing-God Sword, he now had a collection of Teigu from his time in the other world.
Most of these didn't interest him. Aside from Esdeath's Demon God's Extract, none of them were particularly noteworthy.
"Hmm, what should I do with these?"
He held one of the weapons, weighing his options.
Giving them to his allies felt unnecessary; they already had stronger powers from his blessings. Plus, Teigu were finicky, requiring compatibility with the user.
Absorbing them for experience points didn't seem worthwhile either.
As he debated how to deal with the seemingly useless items, the chat group chimed in with a notification.
[Ding! A new feature has been unlocked: 'Refinement']
Refinement: Convert owned items into Awakening Stones.
Awakening Stone: Grants a random special ability upon use.
