"I am Hayasaka Ai, from the Shinomiya Foundation. I've come to meet with you on behalf of my master."
"The master is waiting downstairs. If it's convenient for you, sir, please follow me. The reception room is fully prepared, and I'm confident it will meet your standards."
Since she didn't know Yami's name, Hayasaka could only address him with formal honorifics.
As expected of a professional valet, her polite and composed manner was enough to put anyone at ease.
The fact that the Shinomiya Consortium existed in this world was somewhat surprising to Yami. But considering the presence of people like Utaha Kasumigaoka, it wasn't all that shocking. However, the situation was different from what he had expected.
Yami had initially thought the first people to approach him would be representatives from the Hero Association—or, at the very least, wealthy individuals backing the association.
Yet, the first to arrive were from the Shinomiya Consortium. And their humble demeanor showed they clearly understood the situation well.
"The Shinomiya Consortium, huh? They certainly move quickly."
"If their leader wishes to see me, let Gan'an come up here himself," Yami said coldly, his tone completely devoid of warmth.
Hayasaka's expression changed instantly. In all her time serving Shinomiya Kaguya, she had never seen anyone speak so dismissively to the head of the Shinomiya Consortium.
Even members of other financial groups or heroes from the Hero Association showed respect when speaking to Gan'an. At most, powerful individuals treated him as an equal, but none dared to be so arrogant.
But then Hayasaka recalled the detailed instructions Gan'an had given her before coming up, and she realized something. Whoever could command this level of respect from the patriarch was indeed worthy of speaking like this.
Suppressing her surprise, Hayasaka bowed and said, "Understood, sir. I'll go ask the patriarch to come up immediately."
With that, she respectfully excused herself, giving a subtle glance to the lobby manager before leaving.
The manager, understanding her cue, approached Yami with a bright, almost sycophantic smile. "Sir, may I—"
"I don't need anything," Yami interrupted before the manager could finish. "If there's anything I require, I'll let you know. You can go now."
The manager's smile faltered, but he quickly bowed deeply before leaving.
The room fell quiet again, but Yami knew it wouldn't be long before more visitors arrived.
"Hephaestus, why don't you return to your room for now?" Yami suggested. "I'll handle this."
"Alright, Yami. We'll leave this to you then," Goddess Hephaestus replied.
The three goddesses promptly left the room and went next door. With four of them, it was impossible to share just one room—although the thought may have crossed their minds, it wasn't happening anytime soon.
"The Shinomiya Consortium is probably here to recruit me." Yami muttered to himself.
"But how do I get them to help me find what I need willingly? That's the tricky part."
"Since I'm part of Hephaestus's Familia, I can't just force them into it."
"I'll have to lure them in…"
After a moment of reflection, Yami came up with a rough plan. Not long after, footsteps echoed outside the door.
Yami glanced up, watching as several figures approached.
Leading the group was an elderly man with white hair, trembling slightly with each step. He looked so frail that Yami couldn't help but wonder if he might collapse at any moment.
"Is he even going to make it through this meeting without collapsing?"
"Excuse me, sir!" Hayasaka's voice called from the doorway. "This is Shinomiya Gan'an, the patriarch of the Shinomiya Consortium."
Before stepping inside, she introduced the elderly man respectfully.
Gan'an spoke with a raspy voice. "Ahem... It's an honor to finally meet you. I'm Gan'an, head of the Shinomiya family. I apologize if my visit today is an inconvenience…"
"May I come in?"
"Of course," Yami replied, though his voice carried a cold edge. "But I don't like too many people."
Gan'an hesitated for a moment, then glanced over his shoulder at the three sons who had followed him. Their foolish expressions irritated him to no end, but this wasn't the time for reprimands.
"Kaguya and Hayasaka, you two come in with me. The rest of you, wait outside."
"Yes, Father!" the sons and bodyguards quickly responded, standing silently by the door with no intention of following.
Only Kaguya and Hayasaka entered the room, though Gan'an still needed Kaguya's support to walk. His frailty made Yami frown slightly.
"You really didn't need to come all this way in person at your age," Yami commented, a slight hint of sarcasm in his voice. "Shouldn't you be enjoying your retirement?"
Though the remark was mildly offensive, Gan'an didn't show any sign of being upset. In fact, after a lifetime in a high position, he knew better than to reveal any emotions in situations like this.
He might have mastered self-control, but in front of Yami, his efforts were futile. Yami's ability to sense emotions—thanks to his Kenbunshoku Haki—made it clear that Gan'an wasn't offended. In fact, his composure was almost admirable.
Still, even with all his restraint, there was no hiding from Yami.