With Grace steadily approaching, Friday grew visibly restless, reacting like a child terrified of an injection.
Unable to endure it any longer, it yelled out in desperation, "Just listen to me. I'm not lying. I heard Master Khors' summons. I can't let him down."
The name caused everyone present from Belobog Heavy Industries to freeze on the spot.
Among them, Koleda's reaction was the strongest. Wise showed quiet sympathy, having almost lost his breath earlier when she held him too tightly.
"What the hell... why is his name being mentioned now?!"
Khors Belobog.
It had been so long that Koleda struggled to remember when she last heard it spoken aloud.
The former president of Belobog Heavy Industries, rumored to have escaped with company money, and the man who was also her father.
Hearing his name again stirred up memories from her childhood. The one that stood out the most was when he first showed her the prototype machine he built.
The last memory was harder to forget. It was the night he walked out of their home, and Koleda never saw her father again after that.
At the construction site, Koleda sat there spacing out, her eyes staring off into the distance.
Ben, standing next to her, had to call her a few times before she finally responded.
"...President... President?"
"Hm? Ben, did you call me?" Koleda said as she returned to her senses.
"Yes. The commission is complete, and Mr. Wise is here to collect the Bangboo."
"Oh, okay."
Koleda passed Eous to Ben without another word. Since hearing that name from Friday, her thoughts had wandered elsewhere.
Seeing Koleda in such a state, Grace chose not to ask for Eous back, even though she had initially wanted to examine it.
At that moment, Wise, who had just arrived, happened to witness the scene.
"Hello, Koleda."
"Wise, even with a small accident along the way, all three lost smart machines have been recovered. The commission is officially complete. Thanks to your help, Belobog Industries managed to push through this crisis. Thank you."
Judging from Koleda's demeanor, the incident did not seem to have affected her mood. Whether this was genuine or simply an act to keep others from worrying remained unclear.
"There's no need to be so polite. After all, we're already friends. If you need anything in the future, you can always come to me," Wise said with a gentle smile.
"Right... Speaking of that, Grace is checking those three machines right now. With her abilities, she should be able to pinpoint the cause soon. But what's wrong? You seem like you're holding something back," Koleda asked as she watched Wise closely.
Since the person involved had already noticed, he no longer tried to hide it.
"Well, it's just that your expression was really strange just now. Could it have something to do with the 'Khors' the Pile Driver mentioned?"
"Ah, oh no! It's getting late, President. If we don't handle Mr. Wise's commission fee soon, the money won't go through until tomorrow."
Ben was thoughtful. Noticing the awkward mood, he quickly jumped in, trying to give Koleda a way out.
"It's fine, no need for that, Ben. Even if we don't answer directly, anyone could just look it up online. Wise isn't just a benefactor, he's a friend we can trust. There's nothing to hide," she said, letting out a long sigh before finally revealing the truth.
She spoke with complete honesty, while Wise remained silent, listening intently.
"At the end of the day, I don't consider Khors Belobog my father anymore. Even the current Belobog Heavy Industries thinks the same. And this irresponsible man— Ugh!"
Wise gently covered her mouth with his hand, interrupting her.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to do that, but listening to your story, Koleda… Back when you were little, he wasn't a bad father, was he?"
He pulled his hand back, feeling a bit awkward. Koleda didn't say anything about it, just blushing slightly as she wiped her lips.
"So what? That still doesn't change that he's a scoundrel who left me… and Belobog Industries behind..."
Her tone trembled, not as firm as before. Wise's words had brought back scattered memories of her time with her father.
[Ding! Target: Koleda has decreased her favorability toward the host by 3… Ding! Target: Koleda has increased her favorability toward the host by 5…]
Wise watched the rise and fall of her favorability, the changes making it clear that her heart was in turmoil.
"Maybe there were some unavoidable reasons?" Wise said, only to be met with Koleda's annoyed reply.
"Hmph! What kind of reason would make him abandon his own biological daughter?"
"Hmm… How about I tell you a story?"
"Ah?"
Koleda tried to object, but Wise ignored her and started telling the story anyway.
The protagonists of the story were also a father and daughter, and for some reason, the daughter wore a bandage over her right eye.
Koleda glanced at herself unconsciously, but when Wise carried on, she stayed silent.
For a while, the tale unfolded in peace and happiness, a warm life shared between father and daughter. Koleda couldn't help feeling both envy and disdain, recalling similar moments from her own childhood.
But just as she thought the story would continue pleasantly, Wise's voice grew dark.
A sudden catastrophe occurred.
The tiny wooden home shared by father and daughter was reduced to ashes, and the father sustained a severe injury, losing one arm.
The daughter remembered nothing of the incident, only the golden light streaming from her right eye beneath the bandage. The sudden tragedy had caught Koleda off guard, but she felt the story wasn't finished.
After that accidental fire, the father left. He said he had to fulfill a very important promise.
Although he left enough money for his daughter to live, he never appeared before her again.
At that moment, the daughter didn't understand why he had gone. She resented him, thinking he was a scoundrel, yet still embarked on a journey to find him.
She searched the entire continent for any sign of him, but she never found a trace.
What she didn't know was that her father had actually been watching over her the whole time.
She just didn't realize it.
"So why are you telling me all this? Are you trying to say that even scoundrels, like the father in the story, have their own struggles?"
Koleda's tone was sharp, tinged with anger. Though the story didn't explain the accident, putting the pieces together, she couldn't help but wonder if it was her fault.
Otherwise, Wise wouldn't have focused on the girl golden pupils.
Was he trying to tell her that her father left because of her?
But that couldn't be it. The story and Koleda's reality were different, even if the father's figure in both cases resembled each other closely.