You might not believe it, but my teacher is actually a Celestial Dragon!
Wahaha…
Just saying it out loud made Kuina feel strangely good.
Sitting upright on the soft sable-fur sofa, she had already accepted that unbelievable truth in her heart.
Not only had she accepted it
She even felt a little proud.
A Celestial Dragon.
Her teacher, Saint Roselith Seraphina, was actually one of the highest nobles in the world.
The kind of existence ordinary people would never even dream of meeting in their lifetime.
And yet, that same person had become her swordsmanship teacher.
That absurd sense of contrast made Kuina's emotions especially complicated.
"My daughter! Are you tired from patrol duty?"
"Should I have someone replace you immediately?" ✤
"Just relax and go through the motions with that Marine work of yours."
"Rossa, rossa, rossa~"
Saint Roselith Victor had originally intended to go personally to the Marine encampment the moment he learned that Saint Roselith Seraphina had arrived in Mary Geoise.
However, after asking for his daughter's opinion, he had been mercilessly rejected on the spot.
What a joke.
If Victor himself appeared at the Marine base with all the pomp and status of a major World Noble, then the secret she had worked so hard to maintain would instantly explode across the entire garrison.
There would be no hiding it at all.
Saint Roselith Seraphina had done everything she could to keep a low profile within the Marines.
If her identity were fully exposed to all her colleagues, then many of the relationships she had built inside the Marines would become difficult perhaps even impossible to maintain.
In the worst-case scenario, she might even lose the freedom to continue serving in uniform.
That was not something she wanted.
At least, not yet.
There were still things she needed to accomplish while wearing this coat of Justice.
"Father, official duty is official duty."
"I will not neglect my responsibilities simply because I have returned home."
Saint Roselith Seraphina rejected Victor's "kindness" with an expression so serious that even Kuina instinctively sat straighter.
"Sigh… my daughter has grown up and no longer lets her father fuss over her."
"Rossa, rossa~"
Victor sighed theatrically, but his eyes remained full of unconcealed affection.
His daughter stood before him in a spotless white Marine uniform, her silver-white hair falling neatly over her shoulders, her bearing composed and dignified.
She looked less like a pampered World Noble and more like a disciplined officer of the sea.
That contrast alone made Victor's heart feel oddly complicated.
"Father, please be a little more serious."
"Right, before I forget…"
"I want to introduce someone to you."
Saint Roselith Seraphina smoothly changed the subject.
"Her name is Kuina."
"She is my disciple."
As she spoke, she turned slightly toward Kuina.
The implication was clear.
She wanted Victor to remember this child.
If something ever happened in the future, then this single introduction tonight might become the reason Kuina could survive where others would not.
"Ah! Yes!"
"Hello, Master-Grandfather!"
"My name is Kuina!"
Kuina, who had already been sitting stiffly, immediately stood up when she heard herself being mentioned.
Then, in a burst of nervous sincerity, she bowed deeply to Victor.
"Kuina, is it?"
Victor narrowed his eyes slightly as he observed the little girl before him.
The nervousness in her posture was obvious.
The stiffness in her shoulders.
The tightness in her breathing.
The awkward sincerity in her voice.
Everything about her revealed the unease of a child standing before one of the highest authorities in the world.
Still, after a moment, Victor nodded.
"Mm."
"What a good child."
He did not say much.
But a single sentence from someone of his status was already enough to count as recognition.
Kuina instantly felt as if a mountain had been lifted from her chest.
She secretly exhaled in relief.
At the same time, she carefully looked up and observed Victor for herself.
He was clearly middle-aged, yet he did not appear particularly old.
Years of luxury and privilege had preserved his features well.
His face was full, his figure rather plump, and his entire appearance gave off a strangely warm and almost benevolent impression.
At least… that was how Kuina felt about him.
Master-Grandfather… thank you for raising such a gentle teacher for me…
Of course, Kuina did not dare say that aloud.
"Thank you very much, sir."
"I'm honored."
She could only lower her head again and respond politely.
Victor gave another approving nod.
He had seen far too many people in his lifetime.
Girls like Kuina were not usually difficult to read.
Victor trusted his own judgment.
As one of the upper-tier Celestial Dragons who had survived countless layers of internal selection and political struggle, he was naturally skilled in both financial administration and the reading of human character.
Otherwise, he would never have been able to keep the finances of the World Government running in stable order for so many years.
Many people in the outside world believed that Celestial Dragons were simply born into ultimate power and could do nothing while still remaining at the top forever.
But that was not entirely true.
At least, not among the upper echelon families who truly held power.
If all Celestial Dragons were truly that incompetent, then the World Government's eight-hundred-year rule would have collapsed long ago.
There had always been internal competition among the World Nobles.
There had always been factions.
There had always been pressure.
Those born into the central bloodlines were taught from childhood how to preserve authority, how to govern, how to manage wealth, how to read people, and how to ensure that the machinery of the world remained in Celestial Dragon hands.
That was their collective consensus.
To preserve the rule of the descendants of the "Creators" at all costs.
Of course, there were also plenty of families whose descendants had long since rotted from within.
Families that had become arrogant, ignorant, indulgent, and useless under the protection of inherited status.
If one generation failed to educate its children, then every generation after it would likely fail as well.
The Donquixote-like degeneration of certain bloodlines was not unique.
Charloss's family was an excellent example of this rot.
Because of poor upbringing and unchecked indulgence, their descendants had gradually become excluded from the true center of Celestial Dragon power.
Although they still wore the title of World Noble, the only beings they could still oppress with confidence were ordinary commoners.
They held wealth, yes.
Status, yes.
But very little real power.
And unfortunately, they were not the exception.
In fact, the vast majority of Celestial Dragons had become worse with each passing generation.
Among the younger generation in particular, a dangerous mentality had already begun to spread
Why bother working hard to study governance or administration…
When they could simply enjoy the fruits of eight hundred years of inherited privilege?
That sort of rot was inevitable over time.
The World Nobles had sunk too deeply into luxury.
They indulged themselves in grotesque pleasures.
They stopped learning.
They stopped growing.
They stopped seeing ordinary people as human.
They sought only novelty, stimulation, ownership, and domination.
Born with everything in their hands, they had ultimately been corroded by excess itself.
Eight hundred years of stability had not created saints.
It had created parasites.
Sooner or later, if things continued this way, the Celestial Dragons' regime would one day be overthrown by the hatred of the world they had trampled beneath their feet.
Victor understood that much very clearly.
But whether that day came or not…
He did not truly care.
He only cared about one thing.
His precious daughter.
"Alright, enough of that."
"Kuina, you and Bruce should head to the guest wing first."
"I still have a few things to discuss with Seraphina."
Victor waved his hand casually, as if dismissing a meeting.
In truth, Saint Roselith Seraphina herself was already thinking about something else entirely.
Tom.
She still wanted to see Tom tonight.
No one in this house could fully understand just how important Tom was in her plans.
To others, he was only a gifted shipwright and researcher.
To her, he was one of the indispensable keys to changing the future of this world.
A man capable of creating infrastructure that could reshape the seas themselves.
If the sea train truly reached maturity under the right conditions, then entire islands could be linked in ways the world had never seen before.
The political, military, and economic implications were immeasurable.
That was why she had always intended to see him personally.
"Understood, Teacher."
Kuina responded obediently.
But inwardly, she was actually quite excited.
Very excited.
This enormous mansion no, this manor was likely the very place where her teacher had grown up.
Every hallway, every room, every courtyard might contain traces of Saint Roselith Seraphina's childhood.
She really wanted to see it.
She wanted to know what kind of place could raise a person like her teacher.
"Bruce."
"Take care of Kuina."
Saint Roselith Seraphina gave the order directly.
Although she was not worried about Kuina's safety inside Roselith Manor, there were still many practical matters in daily life that Kuina would not know how to handle in a residence of this level.
Bruce was the most suitable person to guide her.
"Understood."
Bruce nodded calmly.
He knew very well that Kuina could be unexpectedly absent-minded at times.
Leaving her unattended in a World Noble's estate overnight would indeed be unwise.
"Father…"
Saint Roselith Seraphina shifted her attention back to Victor.
"I want to confirm something."
"Is Mr. Tom still at the Research Institute?"
She asked directly.
If Tom was still there, then at this hour he was probably not asleep.
The old researchers in that facility were a group of hopeless night owls.
They often worked through the night with greater energy than most people had during the day, then slept at strange hours to recover.
"Yes, yes, he is still there."
"I had people keep a very close eye on him, so there was no chance he could run."
Victor answered casually.
"Ah?"
Saint Roselith Seraphina's expression changed instantly.
Her brows furrowed.
Her gaze sharpened.
That single sentence made her deeply uneasy.
Victor immediately realized he had said the wrong thing.
"No, no, no Dad misspoke."
"He likes the place very much."
"In fact, even if we tried to drive him away now, he probably wouldn't leave."
"That was just a slip of the tongue."
"Rossa, rossa!"
Victor quickly corrected himself while laughing awkwardly.
Only then did Saint Roselith Seraphina's expression ease slightly.
Still, a faint cold sweat had already formed in her mind.
As expected…
It really was better not to let Victor "help" too much unless absolutely necessary.
This man's standards for what counted as "taking care of someone properly" were fundamentally different from hers.
"Father."
"I will take my leave for now."
She did not continue pressing the issue in front of Kuina and Bruce.
But inwardly, she had already decided that tonight she absolutely had to see Tom with her own eyes.
Only then would she truly feel at ease.