— — — — — —
Inside the cathedral's prayer hall, Ryo saw a silver-haired girl squatting on the floor, a cat cradled in her arms.
Even meeting her for the first time, he couldn't help but admire her presence.
That airy, almost otherworldly purity made him think that even the angels of the Church probably wouldn't look much different.
In a sense, the girl in front of him really could become an angel.
Of course, with Ryo's abilities, he could tell at a glance that Kanon had never undergone any training or artificial modification.
Right now, she was just an ordinary girl.
"Who are you…?"
Kanon stood up, still holding the cat, her blue eyes filled with cautious curiosity.
"She's so pure…" Sayaka murmured without thinking.
"Kanon Kanase?" Ryo asked, confirming her name.
"And you are?" Kanon looked at him, slightly puzzled, as if searching her memory for his face.
With looks like his, she doubted she would forget him so easily if they had ever met.
"I'm someone your father knows," Ryo replied.
'Your adoptive father and your biological father both know me, even if I don't really know them,' he added silently.
"Oh, one of Father's friends?" Kanon said, accepting it without much doubt. Hugging the cat, she looked surprised. "Then… are you here to see my father?"
Before Ryo could answer, a voice came from behind them.
"Kanon!"
Ryo turned slightly and saw a man standing at the entrance. He wore a white lab coat, had short-cropped hair, and strange earrings in his ears.
This was Kensei Kanase, currently employed by a multinational pharmaceutical company.
"Father," Kanon said, then fell quiet.
She assumed her father's friends had come by to discuss something important.
Kensei studied Ryo and Sayaka for a moment, then spoke coldly. "I don't recall knowing either of you. If you have no business here, please leave. This is private property."
He felt that Ryo was dangerous, but he didn't believe the man would dare act here.
Not only because of the magic formations he had set up in the abbey, but also because since the Fourth Primogenitor's return, divine-made weapons patrolled the streets of Itogami Island day and night.
One call was all it took for those weapons, capable of going head-to-head with elder vampires, to descend and suppress any troublemaker.
With security like that, Kensei had little reason to fear criminals.
"Private property?" Sayaka frowned, clearly displeased. "Since when did a public abbey become someone's private land?"
"And even if it did, it would belong to His Majesty."
Although Adelard's Abbey had been funded by Aldegyr, the money was a donation. Officially, it was managed by the Itogami Island Administration.
After the Dawn Empire was founded, the land was still nominally under the Administration, but in practice, it belonged to the Fourth Primogenitor.
Once that was clear, Kensei's claim didn't hold up.
At the title "His Majesty," Kensei's brows knit together.
Subordinates of the Fourth Primogenitor?
That made things troublesome.
Keeping his guard up while maintaining a calm facade, he asked, "Are you from the Administration?"
"Of course we are… well, I mean…"
Sayaka's confidence stalled halfway through.
If she was being honest, she technically wasn't part of Itogami Island yet.
Realizing that, she turned to Ryo with an awkward look.
"Pfft."
Seeing Sayaka's utterly embarrassed expression, Kanon couldn't help but laugh.
Sayaka shot her a resentful glare, which startled the girl.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…" Kanon covered her mouth, trying to suppress her laughter.
It was just that Sayaka had sounded so righteous when scolding her father, only to be instantly shut down and left looking completely lost. The contrast was too funny.
Being laughed at by a young girl was more than Sayaka could bear. Blushing in shame, she turned to Ryo, "Your Majesty…"
Kensei, who had been on the verge of laughing himself, suddenly froze.
His heart sank.
At the same time, Ryo chuckled and reached out to ruffle Sayaka's hair.
"Alright, alright. Tonight I'll have Natsuki assign you an official post so you don't keep getting stuck in these awkward situations."
Sayaka could only nod helplessly.
She had only joined Ryo's side recently, after all.
After soothing Sayaka, Ryo finally looked at Kensei, who was now sweating profusely.
"Looks like you already know your secret's out," he said lightly.
Kensei's expression was grim as he asked uncertainly, "The Fourth Primogenitor?"
Ryo smiled. "On this island, I doubt anyone would dare pretend to be me."
Kensei let out a bitter laugh.
That was true.
Anyone foolish enough to impersonate the Fourth Primogenitor only needed to look at the "divine weapons" activity in the park to know how that would end.
Thinking of that, Kensei glanced at Kanon, then turned back and sighed. "Is this because of Princess La Folia's visit?"
Ryo wasn't surprised in the slightest, "Looks like your contacts in Aldegyr are quite diligent."
La Folia's secret visit to Itogami Island was known to very few in Aldegyr. Yet Kensei, all the way out here, had been informed.
Which meant the old king himself had likely sent word.
That also explained why Kensei had shown up here in his lab coat. He was probably afraid that his former niece, now adopted daughter, would be taken away by Aldegyr.
"…."
Kensei opened his mouth, then finally buckled under the pressure. He dropped to his knees and bowed deeply, pressing his forehead to the ground.
"Please, I beg you. Spare this child's life."
Ryo blinked, then laughed in mild amusement. "You're quite sensible."
He had expected some resistance, but instead Kensei folded faster than paper. He was more timid than a mouse.
On second thought, that was only natural.
Offending the ruler of an empire from within its borders was obviously idiotic.
And a Primogenitor wasn't like a human emperor. This was a monster whose power lay entirely within himself.
Ryo studied Kensei, considering what to do with him.
"Father…"
Kanon didn't understand the situation, but she could tell that everything hinged on Ryo.
She looked at him, wanting to say something, yet afraid she'd say the wrong thing. All she could do was stand there, watching her family with worry in her eyes.
Seeing her unease, Ryo chuckled. "Relax. I'm not here to kill you."
He added casually, "And I'm not interested in your blood either."
Hearing this, Kensei's heart sank even further.
They were all adults here. No one believed in free kindness.
If the Fourth Primogenitor had come in person and didn't want lives or blood, then his intentions were far more frightening.
Ryo didn't bother explaining. He just smiled and looked toward the cathedral doors.
"Looks like the real guest has arrived."
.
.
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