"What did I just see? Why did she suddenly seem happy? Weren't you punishing them?" Daniel asked, still confused by Lady Silvestro's erratic behavior.
Envy letting out a tired sigh. "The Silvestro are always shameless cunning bastards, Especially their shamelessnes seems to be inherited by blood. If their specialty is not in magic related to nurturing the soil, I would have thought that their Origin Element is 'Shamelessness'."Envy said with a chuckle.
"Is it really that bad to put it that way?" Daniel asked.
Envy watched the direction Lady Silvestro had just retreated. "Fine if you don't believe me," she replied, "but don't come complaining to me when they start causing you headaches."
"Now I really have a bad feeling about this," Daniel muttered.
Envy chuckled and followed Daniel into the waiting area. The moment they stepped into the VIP section, little Sylvana sprang onto the table and jumped toward him.
"Papa!" Little Sylvana giggled as she leapt into his arms. Nestling comfortably against him, she turned to Envy. "Are we eating out today? Or will there be a special feast?" she asked excitedly.
"We're eating out today, sweetie. I've reserved a private room for us at one of Uncle Veneziale's restaurants," Envy said.
"Huh? Which one? The Italian one, the French one, or...?" She paused, considering other possibilities.
"It's the Italian one, sweetie," Envy replied with a warm, motherly smile.
"Yay! I love pizza the best!" Sylvana squealed, laughing happily in her father's embrace.
The three left the waiting room, exchanging quick greetings with a few people who approached them, then headed to the parking lot and got into the car. They drove to the Italian restaurant, under the protection of the Veneziale family, where a VIP room awaited them.
The rest of their family who had free time were already waiting for them at the restaurant—whether it was Michaela or Penthesilea. As for Greed she had used the teleportation portal to go back to the USA since she has some urgent business to take care of.
The feast celebrating little Sylvana passing the examination went off without a hitch. But amidst the gathering, as they enjoyed their meal, they noticed numerous eyes on them.
Then, he pauses in a peculiar spot, staring intently into the space before him.
There lies a fiery red thread, leading nowhere, suspended amidst the starry abyss.
"Oh?" The Keeper takes hold of the fiery red strand, examining it closely. He senses its origin—the Abyssal Realm—yet which exact realm it stems from remains unclear without following the thread further.
"This is... very interesting. A Hell Lord has truly bestowed a blessing upon Mr. Emberweave? It seems that most of the offerings from his worthy deeds have been redirected to the owner of this thread. So that's why the power of the destined fate that he had changed didn't flow here; the world perceives the deeds as completed under the patronage of that... THIEF."
When the Keeper spits the word "thief," a hidden fury flickers within his calm eyes. From his shadow, countless hungry maws, monstrous tentacles, and claws of unknown abominations emerge briefly before fading as his expression returns to the composed and amicable demeanor of the Keeper.
"I'll take care of this first..." he mutters, clutching the fiery red thread tightly.
— Night —
After tucking little Sylvana into bed, Daniel steps out onto the rooftop to gaze at the stars. Today has been a good day, a rare one where he's enjoyed quality time with his family without shutting himself away in his study or personal lab for experiments and model testing.
Feeling nostalgic, he decides to take a late-night walk to the convenience store, as he used to when he was an office worker, to buy some snacks.
He descends from the rooftop in his private elevator, using his keycard to access the door leading from his building's main floor to the rooftop apartment. Outside, the neon lights illuminate the street, punctuated by distant car horns and the low hum of engines passing by. It's just after 9 PM, and the atmosphere stirs memories of his days as a game designer—debating card designs with his like-minded coworkers. Exhausting, yet fulfilling, those days couldn't compare to his current achievements, but he cherished them.
Inside the 24/7 convenience store, he picks up a few cheap instant noodles for nostalgia's sake, a couple of colas, and some snacks he used to enjoy. Mostly junk food, it doesn't hold a candle to Envy's cooking or the fine meals from high-end restaurants like the Italian one he visited with his family earlier. But tonight, these treats carry a nostalgic value.
Tonight, he plans a gaming session until dawn, just as he used to when he had some free time without pressing responsibilities.
As he exits the store, he accidentally bumps into a young woman, causing her to stumble to the ground.
"Kyah!" she exclaims as she falls.
"Oh! I'm sorry, my bad, my bad!" Daniel apologizes instinctively. But his trained instincts tell him he hadn't bumped into her that hard, and he's almost certain she saw him but didn't bother avoiding him. Nevertheless, he reaches out to help her up.