It was quite an unusual gathering that day.
At this hour, the four little ones were still at school, leaving only Carnelian, the sisters Lemuen and Lemuel, and Avdotya—who was preparing to head to Lungmen for university alongside Felix.
The angelic sisters had already met the younger ones before, but now their gazes were all drawn to the Lupo girl standing beside Felix—the girl whose tail never seemed to leave his leg.
Who was she?
Why did she look so cold and distant, like an ice sculpture?
And why, for the love of all things holy, was her tail still wrapped around Felix's leg?
Carnelian's crimson eyes narrowed slightly as she turned her head away. She had long known her "boss" possessed an almost inexplicable charm, but she hadn't expected the number of "adoring little sisters" around him to keep increasing like this.
Avdotya quietly poured tea for everyone and took her seat, her gaze toward Cellinia filled with curiosity—and just a hint of scrutiny. When her eyes drifted to Felix, however, that look became something far more complex.
Carnelian, watching from the side, could practically read the younger girl's heart—that subtle, indescribable feeling she had toward Felix.
Avdotya was talented in literature. Lately, she'd been devouring Columbian novels and poetry, even trying her hand at writing—mostly short stories and lyrical essays.
Carnelian thought it was a good idea for her to study in Lungmen; after all, Columbia's air was too thick with science and research, and far too thin with art.
"As I mentioned before," Felix began after clearing his throat, "Miss Cellinia here will be returning to Lungmen with us. Lemuel-chan, she'll be one of your new coworkers in the future."
For some reason, he could feel a few rather… odd gazes directed at him. Probably just his imagination.
"Ahaha, I see! Um, Cellinia—pleased to meet you!"
Just as expected, Lemuel extended her hand cheerfully. She must've noticed Cellinia's restraint, because her smile was warm but not overwhelming—just enough to make the other girl quietly exhale in relief.
After that tragedy, Cellinia hadn't closed her heart off completely, but socializing still drained her. What she needed now wasn't new friends—it was the numbing rhythm of work to dull the pain.
"…Texas," she said softly. "From now on, you can call me Texas."
Felix looked at her, nodded, and smiled. "Texas… a fitting codename."
"Texas, huh? That's such a cool codename!" Lemuel clapped her hands in admiration before turning to Felix with sparkling eyes.
"Say, Brother Felix, can you give me a codename too? I'm going to start working in logistics soon, and using my real name just feels so uncool!"
"…You'll get your codename during your coming-of-age ceremony," Felix said with a sigh, though his tone held amusement.
He never played favorites—the sisters Lemuen and Lemuel had been working with him for a while now, and as Lemuel's birthday approached, he was already planning a lively celebration.
Returning to Laterano wasn't on the table, though. Not after what he'd done in Kazdel. People muttering behind his back was one thing; showing up in person would be like slapping them across the face.
So, when asked last time, he'd simply said that he probably wouldn't be going back to Laterano for quite a while.
"Texas, do you want to rest for a bit?"
"No need," Texas replied, shaking her head.
She noticed Lemuel's curious eyes on her. The wolf's tail coiled once around Felix's leg, hesitated, then flicked—a small, silent acknowledgment of goodwill. Keeping that cold expression much longer would only seem unfriendly.
Though she was calm and quiet by nature, she wasn't emotionally oblivious.
"From now on, Tomorrow's Development will scale back operations to focus near Lungmen and Kazdel."
Since everyone present was an ally, Felix laid out his plans openly. Originally, Tomorrow's Development had intended to establish a permanent base in Columbia, but plans seldom kept up with reality.
The Columbian military had grown increasingly reckless in recent years—terran experimentation was practically routine now, and the scandal involving the use of the undying in research had made things even worse.
Continuing to operate there was dangerous—for both Felix and his people.
His gaze turned toward Kazdel—a broken land waiting to be reclaimed.
"So if we act near the frontier district, won't the Military Committee interfere?" Carnelian asked.
"The Frontier district are something the Committee neither values nor dares to abandon," Felix replied. "Aside from the so-called 'undying,' all that remains there are mercenaries playing both sides and ordinary Sarkaz civilians with no real combat ability."
"In other words," he continued, "the people there are mostly Tomorrow's Development adventurers. Even if the Committee sends troops, our people can retreat instead of fighting to the death. They can't truly die, after all. The ones who suffer would be the mercenaries and civilians caught in the crossfire. General Theresis wouldn't allow that."
"Wars need justification. Everything Tomorrow's Development does in Kazdel is for the sake of its people—and Theresis, as Kazdel's hero, understands that."
Carnelian's lips curved into a faint smile. "Then I'll take up residence in Kazdel for a while. Plenty of mercenaries there—sounds like a place I can fight every day."
She volunteered without hesitation.
Felix merely chuckled—that arrangement suited him just fine.
"Other than Kazdel, we should also make some cautious contact with Ursus—it's relatively close to Yan. However, I can't say I'm fond of how things stand in Ursus right now. Once we're back in Lungmen, I'll hold an internal meeting to discuss the matter. We'll decide then."
"Victoria hasn't exactly been peaceful these past few years either—unrest both inside and out. To be honest, I've been tempted to go back and see it for myself, but circumstances don't allow it."
The only people in Victoria who could still pique his interest were two individuals: Siege, and Eblana.
"What about Senomi and the others?"
"They'll return to Lungmen with me, of course. But I'll ask for their opinions first."
Felix interlaced his fingers, his tone calm and open.
Snowsant, the young girl he'd once "recruited" from Lungmen to Trimount, had already interned at Rhine Lab for a year and worked there for two more. Now she was entering her senior year, stepping into that inescapable phase of thesis writing with her professor.
Feist had entered university a bit later than her, but he too was now on the verge of his final year. Over the past few years, his skills in mechanical engineering had become more refined and precise. Occasionally, his grandmother would even make the long trip to Trimount to visit him and stay for a while.
Neither of them could be brought back just yet—he needed people to keep an eye on Rhine Lab. If both of them left, Felix could already imagine Yala inviting him over for a "friendly chat."
After that small private meeting concluded, Felix arranged a room for Texas. She didn't have much luggage—barely more than the clothes on her back—so he handed the task to Lemuel. The girl had spent the past few days exploring Trimount, and she was more than capable of guiding Texas around for some shopping.
"Lemuel-chan, I'll leave this to you."
He handed her a bank card and watched as the two girls stepped out the door, chatting as they went.
"Sorry to trouble you about Lemuel-chan's matter."
Lemuen leaned against the doorway, a gentle smile on her face.
"It's my duty," He said softly. "Having you all here is my fortune. Naturally, I'll make sure you're well taken care of."
Felix shook his head, neither proud nor flattered by her words. He was simply doing his job—the angel sisters had come a long way to work under him, and it was only right that he treated them well.
"Of course, the same goes for you," he added. "If there's anything you need, just let me know. Though I have a feeling you're not the kind of girl who enjoys shopping."
Among Laterano's people, those like Lemuen—calm, artistic, seeking spiritual rather than material fulfillment—were common. Still, according to Mostima, Lemuen wasn't particularly fond of explosions; the only time she'd done anything close was using the drone Spuria gifted her to conduct a… "carpet bombing."
"I only wish for your future to be peaceful," Lemuen said softly.
She stepped closer to Felix. "Once Mostima and Fia return, we should ask them about the Pope's stance—and the Cardinals' as well. From what I know, the pro-war faction among the Cardinals isn't very strong right now. That's good news."
"The chances of Laterano starting a war on its own are slim," Felix agreed.
In his previous life, plenty of players had operated out of Laterano. While its technology didn't quite rival Columbia's extremes, it still far surpassed that of most other nations. Given that, Laterano's choice to walk a diplomatic, internationally cooperative path instead of a militaristic one spoke volumes about the Pope's intentions.
"Oh, right," he said after a pause. "Since we've got some free time, let's go ahead and reserve the venue for Lemuel-chan's coming-of-age ceremony. I plan to invite some of my friends as well. What do you think?"
"Lemuel-chan really is lucky," Lemuen murmured, reaching out to take Felix's hand. Her slender fingers lightly intertwined with his. "Let's go."
Felix blinked in mild surprise before nodding.
Behind them, Carnelian let out a long sigh.
What did she just see? What did she just hear?
She knew exactly what was happening—and it spelled trouble. Her apprentice, Mandragora, might be in danger. Every woman who gathered around Felix seemed to be anything but simple.
Lemuen accompanied Felix as they planned the details of the ceremony. Securing the venue and arrangements was no trouble at all—such minor tasks didn't even require him to pull scientific strings. But when it came to the guest list, Felix gave it careful thought.
Among those invited would be several familiar department heads from Rhine Lab, a few professors who were both mentors and friends, and even Tin Man from the Maylander Foundation.
Throughout it all, Lemuen remained quietly radiant—a calm, elegant presence. She always stood just behind Felix, a silent reminder that she was there. That if he ever turned around, or ever needed help, she would take that single step forward.
That was the way she knew how to support him.
And yet… there were moments when she couldn't help but feel a faint loneliness.
He was always in a hurry, always looking forward—his gaze fixed on something distant, something invisible.
He always looked too far ahead.
He lived too heavily.
Many had been saved because of him—yet he himself found it so hard to ever reach out for help.
Faced with someone like that—
After Felix finished writing the invitation letters and slipped them into the mailbox, Lemuen suddenly tugged him into a narrow alleyway.
Bang!
She wasn't weak—far from it. Anyone capable of wielding such a massive anti-materiel rifle naturally possessed remarkable strength.
"What's wrong, Lemuen?"
"...Say my name one more time."
Her lips curved into a soft, serene smile. She extended her hand, fingers lightly brushing against his. As their fingertips met, the empathic link of the Sankta allowed her to feel his emotions—the gentleness, the calm joy radiating from him.
Yes. Those feelings often appeared when he was with Lemuen and Lemuel.
"The more I learn about you," she murmured, her fingers tracing his as if playing a quiet game, "the more terrifying you seem to me."
She chuckled faintly. "After seeing all that you've done, I can't help but feel a little unwilling… to stay standing behind you all the time."
"Lemuen, you don't need to belittle yourself—"
"What Andoain said… Felix, you actually agree with him, don't you?"
Her voice was gentle but piercing. Felix fell silent. He didn't try to hide his thoughts—only gave a slow nod.
"In a sense, I don't think Andoain's choice was wrong," he admitted quietly. "Only his method was."
"And you," Lemuen whispered, resting her forehead lightly against his chest, "are walking the right path… but one filled with thorns."
From that close, she could hear it—the strong, steady beat of his heart.
"I just want you to know," she said softly, "that I'll always support you."
"Mm."
"Honestly," she sighed with a wry smile, "you really are a sinful man. Where do you get all this charm from?"
Stepping back, she released him, then gently took his hand again. Turning his palm upward, she poked his palm lightly with her lips—a teasing, feather-light touch.
Felix's looks certainly gave him an advantage, but what truly drew people in were his actions—his character, his conviction.
There's a saying: Attracted by looks, devoted to talent.
And wasn't that true for every remarkable woman gathered around him?
"Lemuen."
"In the future," she said softly, "I suppose I'll finally become sisters with Mostima in the truest sense. I once thought about going through the formal adoption process at the Tribunal… but maybe now, that's no longer necessary."
For orphans whose parents had died, Laterano maintained a complete adoption system—even allowing children to form sibling bonds between themselves.
"I see," Felix said quietly. "So that's what you were thinking."
He stepped closer and took her hand in his own, this time deliberately, firmly.
"Eh?"
"Thank you, Lemuen," he said with a faint smile. "I'll take responsibility."
"...Mm."
Her reply was barely audible. Then, as Felix pulled her into his arms, Lemuen let out a small sigh of contentment. Perhaps it was back in that cavern—when Felix had thrown himself over her to shield her from Andoain's art—that something deep inside her, quiet and still for over ten years, had begun to stir again.
When their lips finally met, Lemuen's mouth curved upward ever so slightly.
Gomen, Lemuel-chan… Big sister's taking the lead first.