For the first time since the fortress, Yukio felt normal again.

  He sat sprawled comfortably on Candessa’s office couch, armor stowed away, body wrapped in a loose linen shirt and dark trousers. The lingering ache from mana backlash had faded into a dull throb, easily ignored. A quick bath had washed away the grime, blood, and stress of the day, leaving him refreshed physically, at least.

  Mentally, he was already working.

  A stack of documents rested on his lap, carefully organized and neatly annotated. Across from him stood Allen, posture straight, hands clasped respectfully behind his back.

  Yukio skimmed the final page, nodded once, then closed the folder.

  “Mm. I knew I could trust you with management,”

  Yukio said with a satisfied smile.

  “You’ve handled logistics, distribution, and vendor negotiations better than most professionals I’ve met.”

  Allen blinked.

  “I… I appreciate the praise, Sir Yukio.”

  Yukio looked up at him.

  “You’re getting a raise.”

  Allen froze.

  “…Sir Yukio,”

  He said carefully,

  “I don’t actually work for you.”

  Yukio tilted his head, confusion crossing his face.

  “Huh?”

  “I work under Lady Candessa’s employ.”

  Yukio stared at him for a moment, then waved a hand dismissively.

  “If I said you’re getting a raise, you’re getting a raise. We’ll sort the details later.”

  Allen hesitated, then bowed deeply.

  “Thank you… I believe.”

  Before the conversation could continue, the office door opened.

  Yukio looked up and forgot how to breathe.

  Michibiki stepped in first.

  She wore an elegant white gown, flowing like mist, adorned with subtle golden patterns that shimmered softly when she moved. Her silver hair was styled simply, cascading down her back like moonlight, framing her calm, radiant expression.

  Behind her was Kaede.

  Her long black hair was loose for once, falling freely down her back. She wore a black gown trimmed with deep red and orange accents, the colors resembling embers frozen in silk. The dress hugged her athletic form without restricting it, emphasizing strength rather than delicacy.

  Then Candessa entered.

  She wore a crimson gown threaded with gold, the fabric shimmering with intricate patterns that caught the light with every step. Confident, elegant, and commanding, she looked every bit the noble businesswoman she was.

  Yukio’s gaze didn’t leave them.

  Not for a second.

  “…You…”

  He started, then stopped.

  His mouth opened again.

  “You all look… beautiful.”

  The silence that followed was brief, but loud.

  Kaede turned bright red instantly. Candessa’s confident smile faltered, just slightly.

  Michibiki laughed softly.

  “Staring is rude,”

  She said teasingly.

  “But yes. Of course we look good.”

  Kaede crossed her arms, looking away.

  “Thanks. I don’t really like these kinds of clothes. Feels… weird.”

  Candessa smiled knowingly.

  “You’re such a sweet talker, Yukio.”

  She clapped her hands once.

  “Alright, your turn. Allen, help him get changed. And fix his hair, please. He’ll look ten times better.”

  “Hey.”

  Yukio protested lightly as Allen ushered him toward the adjoining room.

  Minutes later, the door opened again.

  Yukio stepped out.

  He wore an elegant green suit, tailored perfectly to his frame, embroidered with subtle gold patterns along the cuffs and collar. Gold buttons gleamed softly under the light, and a delicate chain hung from his pocket, catching the eye without being ostentatious.

  His hair had been neatly styled, still unmistakably him, but sharper.

  Allen followed behind him, dressed in a black suit accented with a silver chain.

  The reaction was immediate.

  Michibiki blinked.

  “…You clean up nicely.”

  Candessa stepped forward, eyes gleaming with approval. She reached out, gently touching Yukio’s cheek.

  “Practically delicious,”

  She murmured.

  Kaede turned her head away again, cheeks warm.

  “I guess… he looks okay.”

  Yukio smirked.

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  “Okay? I’m more than okay.”

  Candessa laughed.

  “Alright, enough. It’s time to head out. I’ve waited long enough.”

  She gestured toward the door grandly.

  “Tonight, Primordia gets a glimpse of what’s coming.”

  Yukio exhaled, heart beating a little faster.

  A ball. Nobles. Politics. Influence.

  A different kind of gamble.

  And he was walking straight into it.

  Candessa’s mansion was alive.

  Crystal chandeliers bathed the grand ballroom in warm golden light, their reflections dancing across polished marble floors. Music floated through the air, a refined hum that matched the murmurs of conversation. Nobles in tailored coats and flowing gowns gathered in clusters, greeting one another with practiced smiles and thinly veiled curiosity.

  “Did you hear?”

  “Candessa’s firm surpassed the eastern trade route profits this quarter.”

  “They say her newest product is revolutionary…”

  “And that mysterious partner of hers, who are they?”

  From the second-floor balcony, Yukio watched it all unfold.

  He rested his hands against the railing, staring at his reflection in the tall glass window across from him. The suit fit perfectly, the gold accents catching the light just enough to feel… unreal.

  “How quickly things change,”

  He murmured.

  “It’s almost shocking.”

  A familiar presence stirred behind him.

  Soft light shimmered, and Vaelora materialized, floating lazily in front of him. Her translucent form glowed faintly, her expression smug and proud.

  “You look good, Yuki,”

  She said with a grin.

  “So… when are you going to treat me? I can’t live off your mana forever, you know.”

  Yukio chuckled, reaching up to gently pat her head.

  “You’re technically a spirit. Why do you even need food?”

  Vaelora scoffed and wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head against his stomach.

  “Because I deserve it. And because I’m proud of you. You’ve come so far.”

  She pulled back, her expression softening.

  “Go enjoy yourself.”

  Before he could respond, she dissolved into particles of light, slipping back into his mind.

  Yukio smiled to himself.

  “I really need to introduce you to the others one day… though I’m not sure how they’d react.”

  He exhaled slowly.

  Footsteps approached.

  Allen opened the door to the balcony.

  “Sir Yukio,”

  He said respectfully.

  “It’s time.”

  In the center of the ballroom, Candessa stood atop a small raised platform, the crowd gradually quieting as she lifted her hand. Her confident smile radiated poise and authority.

  “Esteemed guests,”

  She began, her voice carrying effortlessly.

  “Thank you all for joining us tonight.”

  Applause followed, polite but eager.

  “Tonight, we celebrate the launch and success of our newest product, an invention designed to make daily life just a little easier.”

  She paused, lifting a small object into view.

  A lighter.

  With a practiced flick, a steady flame bloomed to life.

  Murmurs rippled through the room.

  “This,”

  Candessa said,

  “is only the beginning.”

  Her gaze shifted toward the grand entrance.

  “And in addition… I would like to formally introduce my business partner, the brilliant mind behind this invention.”

  The doors opened.

  All eyes turned.

  Yukio stepped inside, flanked by Kaede on one side and Michibiki on the other. They moved with quiet confidence, their presence commanding attention without effort as they approached Candessa.

  “Yukio Yoshino,”

  Candessa announced, smiling as she took his hand.

  “Our genius inventor.”

  The reaction was immediate.

  “Him?”

  “He’s so young…”

  “Which family does he belong to?”

  “Is this some kind of joke?”

  Yukio smiled calmly, bowing slightly.

  “Welcome. I’m truly grateful you could all join us tonight.”

  The whispers shifted.

  “So well-mannered…”

  “He carries himself well.”

  “And… he’s handsome.”

  Candessa watched the room carefully, satisfaction glinting in her eyes.

  Tonight wasn’t just a celebration.

  It was an introduction.

  And the beginning of something far greater.

  From the shadows lining the far wall of the ballroom, the blonde-haired noble observed quietly, one hand resting atop a crystal goblet he hadn’t yet touched.

  So this is him…

  Lucien Aurovine’s eyes narrowed slightly as he watched Yukio stand beside Candessa, laughing politely while fielding offers that would make lesser merchants faint.

  Foreign features. Young. No visible crest.

  No noble lineage. No political backing.

  His lips curved into a faint, amused smile.

  This will be easier than I thought.

  Across the ballroom, the atmosphere buzzed with ambition. Nobles clustered in loose circles, voices layered with practiced charm as they pitched ideas like gamblers laying cards on the table.

  “Joint investments in the southern trade route.”

  “My daughter would make an excellent match.”

  “Our house could provide logistical support.”

  Yukio listened with a calm smile, nodding where appropriate, deflecting where needed. Candessa handled the sharper negotiations effortlessly, her presence commanding the room like a seasoned queen of commerce.

  Yet Yukio’s attention drifted.

  His gaze slid past the sea of silk and jewels until he spotted them.

  Kaede and Michibiki.

  Both stood near one of the marble pillars, unmistakable even in a crowd like this. Kaede’s dark gown and fiery eyes drew attention whether she wanted it or not, and Michibiki’s serene elegance only made her more noticeable.

  Unfortunately, so did the company they were keeping.

  Several noblemen had formed an uncomfortable semicircle around them, postures overly confident, smiles a touch too eager. Each tried to outdo the other with compliments, introductions, or thinly veiled boasts.

  Yukio frowned.

  Who are these guys…?

  Without moving his hands, he focused.

  The air around the group shimmered faintly. Invisible threads coiled into existence, delicate as spider silk.

  He tugged one.

  A noble’s elbow bumped another’s shoulder.

  A second tug.

  Two glasses collided mid-toast, crystal chiming sharply before shattering against the floor.

  A third pull.

  One of the men stumbled back, sloshing wine onto his own sleeve. Another stepped aside to avoid him and tripped over the fallen goblet.

  To anyone watching, it looked like a cluster of drunk nobles losing their footing.

  Yukio smiled faintly.

  Good enough.

  A final, gentle tug sent the remaining two turning away, muttering embarrassed apologies as they retreated into the crowd.

  Vaelora’s laughter echoed in his mind, barely contained.

  HA! That never gets old. You should do that more often.

  Later, Yukio replied dryly.

  He excused himself from Candessa’s circle with a polite bow and moved toward the pillar.

  “You guys alright?”

  He asked lightly.

  Michibiki glanced up, a knowing smile touching her lips.

  “Was that your doing?”

  She let out a soft giggle.

  “Thank you for the rescue.”

  Kaede crossed her arms, eyes sharp.

  “Those jerks were getting on my nerves. Good thing you acted or I would’ve thrown punches.”

  Yukio chuckled.

  “No need for that. This is a party, not a battlefield.”

  He gestured subtly toward Candessa across the room, now surrounded by another wave of eager nobles.

  “Come on. Let’s pull her away from the lions for a bit.”

  As they moved together, their presence shifted the flow of the room. Conversations paused. Eyes followed.

  Not unnoticed.

  From his vantage point, Lucien watched the exchange carefully.

  The way the nobles scattered wasn’t random.

  The timing. The subtlety.

  So… not just luck, he thought. Interesting.

  His smile returned, colder now.

  “I won’t let Luminelle ruin another one of my enterprises,”

  He murmured into his glass, finally taking a sip.

  Across the ballroom, Candessa felt it before she saw it, a shift in the air, the kind that came with dangerous attention.

  She turned just in time to see Yukio approaching with Kaede and Michibiki, relief flashing across her face.

  “Ah,”

  She said smoothly, stepping away from a particularly persistent duke.

  “Perfect timing.”

  Yukio offered a small bow to the gathered nobles.

  “Apologies, everyone. My partner and I need to discuss production logistics.”

  It was phrased politely, but final.

  The nobles dispersed reluctantly, some casting curious glances at Yukio as they left.

  Candessa leaned closer, lowering her voice.

  “You’re making waves already.”

  He shrugged.

  “Didn’t mean to.”

  Her smile was sharp and approving.

  “That’s usually how the best ones do it.”

  Unseen by them, Lucien Aurovine stepped forward from the shadows, adjusting the cuff of his glove. His expression was warm, almost friendly, as he joined the flow of guests moving toward them.

  The game had begun.

  And this time, he intended to play it slowly.

  Lucien stepped forward smoothly, his movements polished, his smile warm in a way that never quite reached his eyes.

  “Lucien Aurovine,”

  He said, offering a gloved hand.

  “Head of the Aurovine Trading Firm. A pleasure to finally meet the prodigy everyone’s whispering about.”

  Yukio returned the gesture instinctively.

  “Likewise.”

  The moment their hands touched, Yukio stiffened.

  In his mind, the Threads of Fate writhed violently, flaring a deep, ominous red. They trembled as if warning him, as if screaming. For just a heartbeat, the sensation was overwhelmingly cold and hostile.

  He released Lucien’s hand a second too quickly.

  “…Sorry,”

  Yukio said with an awkward smile, forcing the tension down.

  Lucien’s expression didn’t change, though his eyes gleamed with interest.

  “May I ask,”

  He said casually,

  “How a man so young managed to create such a revolutionary tool?”

  Yukio met his gaze, cautious now.

  “It’s simple, really. But I’d hate to bore you with technical details.”

  Candessa appeared at Yukio’s side instantly, looping her arm through his with practiced ease.

  “It’s time for the announcement Yukio,”

  She said smoothly.

  “Come stand with me.”

  As they walked away toward the platform, Lucien watched them go, his smile slowly twisting into something sharper.

  “I’ll crush this boy,”

  He murmured under his breath.

  “No matter what it takes.”