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The imperial palace's grand hall.

When Rei Ao arrived, fully dressed, the room was already filled with people waiting for him. From Mai to Sui, each person regarded him with a unique expression.

Velgrynd wore a teasing smile.

"Well, well, we've been working hard outside, and you've certainly been enjoying yourself, haven't you?"

"..."

Rei Ao's expression stiffened. They had indeed been busy on his behalf, and the results were apparent.

He glanced at his own stats.

…

[Name]: Rei Ao

[Level]: 52

…

He had leveled up by two levels. It felt almost too good, like living off someone else's hard work.

Their task had been straightforward: eliminate all the high-level danger beasts in the world while maintaining ecological balance. The experience gained from these creatures was considerable.

"Good work," he complimented, then swiftly shifted the topic.

"Esdeath, how did things go with the revolutionaries and the outsiders?"

Esdeath smiled cruelly.

"Two-thirds of them are dead."

Two-thirds—a few hundred of thousands eliminated.

"Mm."

Rei Ao responded indifferently.

His orders to Esdeath had been clear: anyone who refused to surrender, including their leaders, was to be eradicated.

Esdeath continued, her tone cold.

"The former nobles and officials have all been dealt with. The surrendering soldiers were purged as well, and all Teigu have been confiscated."

Sui interjected,

"If that's the case, isn't it time for the coronation?"

Esdeath looked at Rei Ao expectantly.

"The ceremony is ready. Shall we proceed now?"

Time was on their side.

"Let's do it," Rei Ao said with a light laugh.

"Never thought I'd get to sit on an emperor's throne someday."

…

The coronation ceremony proceeded without a hitch. There were no interruptions or objections.

With the revolutionary army and the outsiders subdued and the original empire purged, who would dare oppose him?

For the commoners, the fall of the previous regime brought little excitement. Years of oppression had dulled their spirits. While the overthrow of the old empire provided some relief, the future under a new emperor remained uncertain. They could only hope for less oppression.

Rei Ao, however, had no interest in governance.

He took all the Teigu for himself and left the empire's administration to Najenda and Esdeath.

How they managed it didn't concern him.

Before leaving, he bestowed Esdeath with a powerful blessing.

…

[Name]: Esdeath

[Level]: 34

[Abilities]: "Dragon Force," "Frost Demon," "Rei Ao's Blessing," "Inherent Device: Winter's Edge"

[Possession]: "Demon God Manifestation: Demon's Extract"

…

Esdeath was ecstatic about her newfound strength, as it aligned perfectly with her belief in survival of the fittest. Stronger power meant pursuing even greater heights.

With the empire secured and power consolidated, Rei Ao and the others returned to their respective worlds.

…

At Eriri's Villa

Sayuri, having finished cleaning up the dishes, let out a long sigh of relief.

She was certain that nothing inappropriate had happened between Rei Ao and Eriri, which brought her a mix of feelings.

On one hand, she felt slightly disappointed—Rei Ao was exceptional in every way, and having him as Eriri's partner would have put her at ease.

On the other hand, there was an inexplicable sense of relief that she didn't dare examine too closely.

Seeking distraction from her turbulent emotions, she busied herself with cleaning the house again.

Eventually, she headed to the guest room to tidy the bed Rei Ao had "slept" in.

But as soon as she stepped inside and shut the door behind her, something strange happened.

"Hmm?"

Sayuri suddenly leaned forward, her body pressed against the door. She turned her head to find...

"..."

Rei Ao was standing behind her.

Her heart froze in place.

What stunned her even more was the undeniable sensation of warmth and softness through her silk sleepwear.

"..."

Rei Ao remained silent for a moment.

He hadn't anticipated being thrust into such an awkward situation right after returning to this world. Still, he calmly stepped back.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Sawamura."

"…"

Sayuri turned around, her expression a mix of shyness and confusion.

Shy because of the strange sensation she had just experienced. Confused because Rei Ao had suddenly appeared in the room.

"Rei Ao, how did you get here so suddenly?"

"What if I told you it was an illusion? Would you believe me?"

"What do you think?"

Sayuri crossed her arms. She wasn't naive enough to be fooled by such a flimsy excuse.

"Fair enough."

Rei Ao shrugged. He didn't think she would buy it, nor did he have any real reason to hide the truth.

"In that case, let's just say it's due to supernatural powers. Would that explanation sit well with you?"

"…"

Supernatural powers?

Sayuri had no idea how to process this revelation. Yet, without it, there was no way to explain the current situation.

She could confirm that the guest room had been empty just moments before.

Staring into Rei Ao's eyes, she felt as though she was teetering on the edge of a vast abyss. Still, curiosity pushed her forward.

"If you don't mind, Rei Ao, could we sit down and have a proper conversation about this?"

…

In the living room, on the sofa.

Rei Ao and Sayuri faced each other.

"Mrs. Sawamura, the truth is that this world contains supernatural elements—what some might call a hidden side to reality."

"My sudden appearance can be explained simply as a spatial transfer."

"And as for the earlier incident, it was purely accidental."

It really had been a coincidence. Sayuri had entered the room to tidy up just as Rei Ao returned, and the unfortunate contact had been incidental.

"Ugh!"

Sayuri blushed, her mind flashing back to the overly vivid sensation she had felt earlier.

Awkwardly, she stammered, "I-I don't mind about that… Let's just focus on the main issue."

Rei Ao spread his hands in a gesture of nonchalance.

"The main issue really is that simple."

As long as she could accept the premise of supernatural powers, everything else would fall into place.

"…"

Sayuri surprisingly didn't find it hard to accept. In fact, she found herself processing it more easily than she'd expected.

After a moment of reflection, her expression grew complicated.

"So, the fact that my ankle recovered so quickly after your massage… that was also due to supernatural powers?"

Her acceptance came naturally because she had already experienced the inexplicable. Reflecting on her instantaneous recovery, she realized it was beyond the realm of normal possibility.

"Correct. It was a combination of minor magic and healing energy."

"I see…"

Finally receiving confirmation, Sayuri felt a wave of relief. At the very least, Rei Ao didn't seem like someone who abused his powers indiscriminately. If anything, he had used them to help her.

Taking a deep breath, Sayuri asked cautiously,

"Rei Ao, I'm an adult. It doesn't matter if I know these things or not—I can pretend they don't exist."

"But Eriri is different. Does she know about this?"

Compared to herself, she was far more concerned about her daughter.

Rei Ao nodded.

"She does."

"An unforeseen event involving Tomoya Aki was the turning point."

"Tomoya Aki?"

Hearing the name, Sayuri frowned, a wave of revulsion washing over her. But soon after, realization struck.

"You're saying Tomoya Aki's death is connected to this… hidden world?"

Rei Ao's expression remained calm.

"A monster killed him. Eriri witnessed it all. That's how we first crossed paths."

"So that's how it happened…"

Sayuri's expression softened in understanding. No wonder Tomoya Aki's death had been so gruesome and bizarre.

After a long pause, Sayuri gave a bitter smile.

"Rei Ao, isn't this kind of secret something you shouldn't casually share with others? Shouldn't my memory be erased, or maybe I should sign a confidentiality agreement?"

She'd seen enough movies and read enough novels to predict the typical protocols for such situations. Offering to take these steps herself, she hoped to make things easier for Rei Ao.

However, Rei Ao chuckled softly.

"There's no need for any of that. There are no such strict rules here."

"But if it would put your mind at ease, how about this: in exchange, why don't you tell me the secret you avoided sharing yesterday?"

He still wanted to hear her confirm his suspicions.

"…"

Sayuri froze, clearly caught off guard.

She hadn't expected him to ask for this.

But this secret…

After struggling internally for a moment, she exhaled and forced a bitter smile.

"Rei Ao, this secret is about Eriri."

"Actually… I'm not her mother."

"…"

Rei Ao didn't look surprised. Instead, his expression carried a subtle clarity, as though a missing piece had finally fallen into place.

~~~

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