Feeling like he had been woken from a very long dream, Dylan slowly opened his eyes. The first thing he saw, however, felt like a nightmare. He recognized her instantly, but she looked much more miserable than he remembered.
Even with his sluggish mind and stiff, numb body, he called out to his crying and raging daughter in a hoarse voice, "...Sona?"
His vision blurred momentarily, but he was certain his daughter had turned and rushed toward him. "Dad?!"
'Dad.' It was a call he hadn't heard in a long time. Since she began taking on responsibilities at a young age, bearing the weight of managing the Household, Sona had only ever addressed him as 'Father.'
A second later, he felt the warmth of her embrace and heard her loud cries of worry and relief. Though he was in an extremely weakened state, he managed to lift his hand to rest it on her head. "...It's okay. Everything's going to be fine."
He could hear the servants in the room moving frantically, one of them issuing instructions to search for someone and secure the area. He was curious about what had happened, but for now, he focused on comforting his obviously hurt daughter.
For the first time in a long while, the Sitri Household was bustling with activity, leaving those monitoring from afar puzzled over what might have occurred. All they could discern was that the household members were securing their surroundings, but contrary to the usual gloomy atmosphere, everyone appeared bright and energized, as if injected with a surge of joy.
In the heart of the now brightly lit mansion, Sona and her mother, Cordelia, who had just returned from an important business engagement, were happily tending to Dylan, who was recovering at an unusually rapid pace.
After the emotional reunion and once everyone had calmed down, Sona and Cordelia explained to Dylan what had transpired and the current state of their household. "I see... A lot has happened," Dylan sighed, looking at his daughter regretfully. "I'm sorry that I wasn't there to support you when you needed it the most. Instead, I only became a massive liability that you almost fell victim to."
"Please don't say that, Father," Sona replied quickly. "The fault lies with those greedy enough to assert their positions at our expense."
Although Sona and Cordelia wanted him to rest, Dylan insisted he'd had enough of resting and refused to lay back down.
Cordelia turned to Sona and asked, "Sona-chan, tell me more about this 'thief' who visited today. I'm struggling to believe that in the short time he escaped your notice, he managed to cure Dylan's ailment when no one could for three decades... though there are some who might, none would do it like this."
Dylan grew concerned and asked, "What did he ask of you?"
Sona didn't answer immediately, instead using magic to replay the recording she had from her office and Dylan's room.
They watched in silence, the short recording ending without any immediate reaction. After a few seconds, Cordelia muttered, "It feels like a trap... but isn't it too obvious? Either he's incredibly incompetent or surprisingly honest."
Dylan, however, was more intrigued by the mysterious man's healing, "What was that thing he pulled from me? And how? I have no wounds."
Sona nodded. "That's what we need to figure out now. I've already summoned experts to give you a thorough examination. They'll arrive early tomorrow morning, as they're occupied with other matters. At this point, it's futile to speculate until I can speak with him again. For now, I'm issuing a complete gag order to keep his involvement as secret as possible."
.
.
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[What are you planning to do next?] Benihime asked upon their return to the dagashiya. [I feel like you're about to create a huge mess.]
Kisuke first checked the underground space and saw that Issei's children had already left. 'I wanted to gather more information, but with the volatility of Sona Sitri's situation, I might be able to use it to my advantage. Maybe I can lure a few of my metallic friends or even some stealthy ones.'
His primary goal was to reach Melvazoa and ensnare him in a complex spell. But to do so successfully, he needed to remove any obstacles that could hinder his chances. Melvazoa might become cautious around him, which was why Kisuke had been reluctant to draw attention.
But what if he wasn't the only one in the spotlight, or if someone else stole center stage? Incidentally, both Indra and Shiva still had unfinished business in this world. 'I wonder if those two still have the same inclinations?'
[I doubt they've changed much,] Tiamat commented.
'Three decades is still a long time, though. They might have shifted their views or alignments. Either way, they could be incredibly useful.'
Unlike their original world, however, he was essentially alone here and lacked the same reliable allies he could draw from multiple worlds. He had to be extremely cautious; one wrong move could set him back centuries or even millennia.
Fortunately, the Evies and Etouldes of this world didn't regard Draconic Deus with the same importance as in their original realm, as they had not discovered the ability to traverse dimensions through the Dimensional Gap. Furthermore, there were no special individuals or items, such as Kisuke and the Soul Gears, to prompt such interest.
This situation made it easier for him to take drastic measures without immediately alerting these two formidable forces.