The Agnus estate was ginormous. And even that was an understatement of the scale. Forget the main manor where they lived; if you counted the side building where the maids and butlers lived, the Facold family's mansion in the back, the training grounds arena, the storage, stable, etc., it was practically the size of a town.
It was no surprise that when Bell Agnus asked his mother if he could repurpose one of the buildings into a new home for the orphaned children, the ever-so generous Tiara didn't hesitate to accept once she determined that her son was serious about the request.
Taking a building that had served as the old storage before the new one was built a few years ago, it didn't take more than a few days before a home was created that could fit all the children and then some.
It didn't take long for Maya's groups of beggars to move all their stuff.
After all, they were just beggars. How much stuff could they even have?
Seeing the children's reaction to their new rooms, their beds, and the light above their heads, Maya couldn't help but feel a little reassured that she had made the correct decision.
The only child who wasn't here was Emily, who was still recovering at the hospital.
Although she wanted to tell Emily that there was a chance she could regain her arm someday in the future, a part of her was still unsure if Bell's promise would come into fruition, so she felt it was best not to mention it.
To give Emily hope would be cruel if it never came true.
Once she got the kids settled, she grabbed her daggers and left their new home after instructing the older children on what she needed them to do while she was away.
Her first order from Bell was conveniently the same one that she wanted to fulfill.
He was having her search for traces of the person or people responsible for the underground lab.
Maya had to take care of the children, so it was hard to put all her attention on the search, but now that they were in a comfortable position after she swore loyalty to Bell, she no longer had to worry about them.
Grabbing the cloth on her neck, she pulled it up and covered the bottom half of her face. Then she turned invisible, and her presence vanished.
* * *
Valdonia, as the world's leader in the Second Technological Revolution that was currently taking place across the planet, has placed most of its attention and government resources on keeping itself in the lead of the unofficial race of technology.
Despite nobility being nothing more than an honorary title meant to keep a small part of the old traditions alive, due to the rise of democracy and the state having more power than the imperial family, it isn't a surprise that the Agnus family was still extremely powerful and influential, even if you didn't consider Godfrey's ties and personal influence.
After all, the current Duke was the founder of the company that introduced the invention of the century—
The automobile. Also known as the car. It was the creation that was taking over the world, one vehicle at a time.
Alistar Agnus.
A name that commanded respect.
But even if he didn't create the car, his name would've still garnered massive attention due to his reputation from the past, which made him a figure for the young generation of Valdonians to look up to.
During the Iron March, a war between Valdonia and two of its neighboring countries that had been affected greatly years prior due to a catastrophic kaiju attack that crossed both of their lands, Alistar was one of the major forces who left his mark during the war.
Despite being outnumbered six to one, he had managed to hold down a vital fortress for more than a week, lasting long enough for reinforcements to arrive and push the other army back.
With how powerful he was, as well as his impressive feats, it was no surprise that he was currently ranked 76th on the Hundred Stars Pantheon, a global listing of the 100 strongest people alive. (As impressive as that is, his father, Bell's grandfather, is ranked 25th, a literal walking nuke.)
His wife, on the other hand, didn't have any wartime accolades, wasn't involved in the creation of the car whatsoever, nor was she even born a noble.
She was of common blood, born into a lower-middle-class family, and she was only granted her middle name by the King once she had married into nobility.
Yet, she was just as famous, if not more famous, than her husband.
The reason for this was simple: her beauty.
If you were to count the number of people more beautiful than Tiara Agnus in the country of Valdonia, you wouldn't count any further than zero.
If you were to include the whole world, it wouldn't be more than a single hand's worth.
Before she had encountered her future husband, she had been subjected to more than a dozen confessions a day, hundreds of love letters by the end of the night, and plenty of rich bastards were willing to offer half of their net worth to buy her hand in marriage.
She rejected all their offers because she didn't care about money.
Which is ironic considering that their combined net worth paled in comparison to what she would eventually marry into.
Her blonde hair that could be mistaken for woven strings of gold was the opposite of the rest of the Agnus family, and in every family portrait, most people are drawn to her first because of that contrast.
At 5'11", she would tower over most men, but the height difference between her and her giant of a husband, who stood at 6'5", made the two of them "picture-perfect" standing next to each other.
But she wasn't only famous for her looks, which she passed on to her children.
Adding together all the donations she has given to orphanages, charities, and other causes in the country of Valdonia, no one has donated more than she has.
Why is all of this being mentioned?
Because this sort of information is what everybody at the birthday party was thinking about as they watched the couple share a dance in the middle of the floor.
The Duke and Duchess were out of Valdonia at the moment, having taken a starship which wasn't a spaceship but rather just a fancy name for the highest-quality blimp in the world that ran on star energy.
It allowed them to travel halfway across the world in less than two days.
It would've taken less than a day in a straight line, but there were only so many countries that the starship was allowed to travel across without the risk of being shot down.
The couple was currently in the country of Tensora.
If this land had to be compared to one from Earth, the closest thing would be Japan.
But rather than a small island, Tensora was a large land three times the size of Japan that was on the edge of the continent.
Tiara and Alistar were here to celebrate their close friend's birthday. Asano Gonkuro, the head of the Asano clan.
Asano Gonkuro's status in Tensora wasn't just similar to the Agnus' in Valdonia, it was even higher as the imperial family still held the majority of the power in the country and nobility ruled over the people.
Asano Gonkuro was also listed on the Hundred Stars Pantheon. Although he was a "measly" 98th, it still made him one of the world's hundred strongest people.
The dance that Alistar was sharing with his wife was a traditional dance that the Tensoran culture had been known for doing for five centuries. It was a complicated dance with many steps, but moving his feet at command was so natural for him that he had memorized the first time he saw the dance a decade ago.
His wife was a little slower in catching on, but he had enjoyed every second of teaching her in the past.
Once the drums stopped beating, the dance came to an end, and the two of them returned to their seats, which were right next to the head of the Asano clan and his wife's seat.
"Thank you, my friend," Asano Gonkuro laughed. Alistar and Tiara weren't required to dance as they weren't Tensorans, but they did so anyway as a sign of respect to Asano Gonkuro, as technically only the birthday boy or girl and their partner were allowed to sit during the dance.
"You're welcome," Alistar responded as he took a sip of the drink in front of his wife before handing it back to her.
Only after he gave her a nod did she drink the cup in her hand.
This wasn't a showing of obedience or anything of the sort. It's just that the Duke had many enemies, and he wouldn't dare let his wife drink or eat anything not prepared by his people prior to it being tested by him first.
Asano Gonkuro understood what was happening, but he wasn't offended.
This was the land of Tensora after all.
It was a savage place to say the least.
Every clan was aiming for the neck of another clan. An heir could be assassinated on their way to school. Your own sibling could stab you in the back during your sleep.
Asano Gonkuro then stood up, gave his speech of appreciation to everyone who came, and officially announced the start of the party, which meant that everyone could now just split off into their own conversations, stand up, eat as much as they wanted, drink until they passed out, etc.
Sitting back down, he turned to Alistar and said, "Once again, thank you for coming to my birthday party, my friend."
Alistar nodded.
"Although I would like to imagine that you're just here to celebrate your friend's birthday, would it be wrong for me to assume that there's something else for us to discuss?"
Alistar nodded once again.
Leaning into Alistar's ear, Asano Gonkuro asked, "Shall we have this conversation in private away from our wives? Or…"
"Yeah. It's best that they don't know yet. Let them enjoy the party."
"...It's bad news, huh?" Asano Gonkuro rubbed the hair under his chin.
'You care about your wife and my wife enjoying the party, but you're ignoring how I feel? It's my birthday,' he pondered, chuckling to himself.
Asano Gonkuro leaned to the other side where his wife was, and asked, "My wife, could you entertain the Duchess while I have a private conversation with the Duke? Perhaps you'd like to show her your new collection of swords?"
His wife nodded and stood up, taking the Duchess along with her.
Then, once they were gone, the Duke and the head of the Asano clan entered a private room, informing the guards not to let a single soul enter without their permission.
"Want a drink?" Asano Gonkuro asked as he began pouring himself a glass of wine.
Although the two of them couldn't get drunk due to their body's superhuman immune system, the taste of wine itself was enjoyable.
"I'll take a glass."
Pooour.
"Here. Cheers to my birthday."
"Cheers."
Clink.
The two of them took a sip as they stared out of the balcony they were standing on. Two of the three moons that orbited Nara were visible in the sky that lay before them.
With a sigh, Asano Gonkuro said, "Now then, let's get down to business. Hit me with this bad news."
As Alistar began to speak, Asano Gonkuro's face sank more and more.
By the end of the conversation, he was sweating at the revelation his friend had given him.
"That's… wow, that's a lot to take in. And you're sure that this information is correct?"
"Yes. My eldest son was the one who confirmed it for me."
"Cyro? Yeah… if it's him then… in all likelihood, this has to be the truth."
Then there was a moment of silence.
And then—
Ding!
A lightbulb lit up above Asano Gonkuro's head.
"My friend, how old is your youngest son again?"
"He's 15. About to turn 16 in a little over a month."
"I seeeeeeee."
"...Why did you ask?"
"My daughter just turned 16 a couple of weeks ago."
"?"
Alistar turned to his friend.
His friend turned to look at him.
Their eyes met, and an entire conversation was held within the span of a split second without any words being uttered.
"That… that is a possibility we can explore," Alistar uttered. "It depends on how my son feels about it."
"My daughter will accept," Asano Gonkuro smiled. "That means that it's all up to your side. Let me know how it goes. If he feels good about it, then let's not hesitate. I've considered you a brother for a long time now, my friend. Maybe it's time we make that a reality."