Orion stepped out of his room, looking dejected.

"Man..."

After putting on his clothes, he realized that his hair contrasted too vividly with his dark outfit.

The white hair was a nuisance to his entire appearance, and that made him sour.

"I'll have to redo my entire wardrobe. At least I can wear some of it."

Wearing a gray shirt and blue jeans, he went down the stairs while thinking of adding new items to his wardrobe, until May came out of the living room and came face to face with him.

"Hey. Going somewhere?"

Seeing Orion in an outdoor outfit, she asked.

In front of May, his mood switched entirely, returning to a calmer and sweeter mood.

"I am. There is some business I need to finish in Albriar."

"I see."

Thinking that it had something to do with Florian, she stopped prying.

Noticing her fidgeting, Orion lifted an eyebrow. He turned his head and looked over his shoulder, recalling that the bathroom was right behind him.

"Go ahead."

Making way for her to pass, he nodded.

"Thanks."

Hurrying into the toilet, May smiled before disappearing into the room.

In a better mood, Orion entered the dining room.

"Amelia?"

Searching for her, he called her name as he entered the room.

"Yes?"

Popping her head over the counter between the kitchen and the dining room, she looked at him with a smile.

"I'm going away for an hour. When I return, I'll be talking to everyone privately."

"Can you tell them that?"

With a nod, she gave a thumbs up.

But, as Orion was about to turn around, she told him something.

"Aren't you forgetting something?"

Confused, he turned to look at her, grinning from ear to ear.

"Daddy is quite forgetful recently."

"..."

Orion pondered for a brief instant in silence before the realization came to him.

"That's right. Thanks, Amelia."

Waving at her, he moved out of the room and continued down the hallway, past the stairs.

He turned toward one room and knocked a few times.

"I'm coming in."

Announcing his entrance, he turned the doorknob.

"Orion? Is there something you need?"

Reon, surprised, stopped fiddling with the ring-like object in his hands and placed it down while looking at his son.

"Nothing special. I came to see if Stella was free."

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"Me?"

Her coat fluttered behind her as she joyfully turned around.

"I promised I would invite you out in exchange for what happened a few days ago."

"Since I'm going out today, I thought you would be interested in accompanying me."

Inside, he thanked Amelia again for reminding him.

"I'm coming! Wait a moment!"

Dashing past him, she left the room and rushed upstairs.

"That's my daughter. Not even realizing that she was using magic to boost her speed."

Smiling, Orion walked to his father.

"What are you working on?"

"Karteira asked me if I could build an inhibitor. I'm trying to find a way to make it work."

"An inhibitor? Like a way to seal someone's power while wearing the device?"

Reon nodded.

"That's interesting. If you manage to create one, would you mind making another for me?"

"I have no reason to refuse. All I need is the material to build it."

Pondering, Orion came up with an idea.

"Why don't you take this afternoon off and stroll around a city with mom?"

Seriously considering it, Reon placed a finger on his chin. Then he turned to look at Orion with a frustrated smile.

"I don't have much money."

Without a moment of hesitation, Orion threw his hand into a magical space and pulled out a thick bag of coins that he dropped on the table.

"Money was never a problem."

"Orion! I can't take that much!"

"Maybe take what you think is necessary and return the rest later."

With a firm nod, he smiled at his father.

"We're family. It doesn't matter if you have to ask me for funds for your research or if you want to take mom on a date."

"I can't thank you enough for giving me this life, and this amount of money isn't even enough to repay it."

"So take it and enjoy your time with her. At the same time, you can look for material for your devices."

At first, Reon frowned while looking at the bag.

But his expression relaxed afterward.

"Fine. I will depend on you."

"In exchange, I'll do everything possible to boost everyone's firepower."

"Just watch. Stella and I will create the greatest armaments ever created."

Shuddering at the idea, Orion smiled dryly.

"Don't go overboard."

"Haha~ I'll be careful not to let my passion create world-ending objects."

His comment didn't help ease his son's worries, but Orion shrugged it off.

"I'm ready!"

Hearing Stella shout from the hallway, Orion knew this was the moment to leave.

His father placed a hand on his shoulder and sent him off.

"Thanks for the support. I'll go speak with Orianne in a bit."

"It's nothing. Have fun, dad."

"Same to you. Take good care of your partners."

Opening his eyes widely, Orion looked at his father.

'He knew...'

Conflicted, he walked out of the room and joined with Stella.

'You cannot underestimate fathers. It's scary.'

Putting that thought in the back of his mind, he looked at his daughter, who had dressed herself nicely to go out.

Matching her father's outfit slightly, she wore blue jeans and a white shirt with long sleeves.

Over her shirt, she had a vest pairing well with her blue jeans, as it was the same feel and matter.

Her hair was tied in a ponytail, curving into a spiral as usual.

The beaming smile on her face was all it took for Orion to confirm that it was a good idea.

"Here, take that before leaving."

Amelia walked through the dining room's doorway and gave Orion a basket.

"Thanks."

Picking inside, he noticed a few sandwiches and a large bottle.

"We'll find a nice place to eat. I'm sure it'll be delicious."

"Compliments will give you nothing."

She kissed his cheek before returning toward the kitchen.

"Amelia."

"I know. It'll take more than an hour. Have a good time with Stella."

Scratching his cheek, he smiled while turning to his daughter.

"Let's go."

"Yes!"

...

"I barely remember this place."

Stella watched in awe at the tall buildings with Orion by her side.

"We came here when I showed the world to you. When you were a small bean."

"Don't call me that..."

Embarrassed, she smiled dryly.

"The little girl who never left my side grew in such a short time. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you at that time."

Feeling a sense of guilt wash over him, he placed his hand on the top of her head.

"That's how life plays out, right? We can't control every aspect of it."

"Just like each Remnant barely controls the power they were gifted, we cannot guess what the future has in store for us."

Orion nodded.

"I'm glad you're fine. I never really apologized for scaring you back then. I'm sorry you had to see that."

Grabbing his arm, she tightly hugged him.

"I don't blame you for what happened. All I wanted was to see the smile you always gave me."

A small thorn disappeared from his heart as he and Stella talked about the past earnestly.

'She's still the clingy and adorable little girl I adopted.'

Feeling emotions of longing building in his core, Orion basked in it for a while as both explored Albriar with smiles on their faces.

...

"Oh! A public garden!"

Pointing at the area in front of them, Stella looked at Orion with stars in her eyes.

"It's a good place to eat. Let's take a break there, if you'd like."

"Thanks!"

Excited by this moment alone with him, Stella ran forward. At the same time, she failed to notice a couple coming from the right.

Orion kept walking normally while watching carefully in case something happened, but as he expected, Stella took care of it herself.

"!"

Noticing the couple, she leaned on her right leg and jumped over them. Dropping past them, she turned around and immediately apologized.

"I'm sorry! I should have-"

She suddenly stopped while Orion approached.

"I should have known. Only those related to you can do such a thing."

A man with glasses and a fox-like stare glanced over his shoulder, holding the hand of a beautiful woman from another city far north.

"On a stroll, Florian?"

"You could say that."

Reading between the lines, Orion smiled. In front of Florian, he gave Kamala a respectful nod.

They were obviously on a date, which was rather easy to notice.

"D-Did I scare you?"

Looking like a sad puppy, Stella walked in front of Kamala, who immediately placed her hand on her head and caressed her hair.

"You surprised us, and that's it. We're perfectly fine."

Florian looked at her with a warm smile.

"I see you're doing well."

He was the one who saved her from a certain death. He was glad to see her in shape, removed from her trauma.

Relaxing under the warm touch and kind gazes, Stella recovered from her panic.

"I am doing well."

Satisfied, Florian looked toward Orion.

"Are you here for that matter?"

Without a word, Orion nodded.

"I heard it was completed. They said that it was the greatest artwork they ever did. They were proud of themselves."

Confused, Stella listened without emitting a sound.

"Since you've paid them well over their actual need, they went ahead and did wonder."

Orion smiled.

"I learned to trust your judgment. I'm glad I was right."

Looking at the rings around the couple's fingers, he felt genuinely happy.

"Those words actually make me happy. Earning your trust wasn't easy."

"I also remember how hard it was at the time."

Florian and Kamala laughed together.

"Alright. You should continue on your way. We've held quite a bit of your precious time."

Taking a step back, Orion made way for them. As they were the Lords of Albriar and Hocride respectively, they had very little time to actually spend together.

If not for Orion's opened portals, they wouldn't be able to see each other often.

"You have my thanks."

Bending his head low, Florian thanked his friend.

"We'll come see you in the future."

Kamala waved at him as they both walked away.

But before going too far, Kamala turned around and grabbed a strand of her white hair.

"Welcome to the club. It suits you well."

With a defeated smile, Orion waved at her.

When they were out of sight, he turned to Stella.

"Let's eat."

As he turned around and walked on the green grass of the public garden, Stella caught up to him.

"What were you talking about earlier? What business do you have here?"

Genuinely intrigued, she looked at his face.

"I need to pick an order."

"What kind?"

With a smile, Orion looked at her.

"Wedding rings."