"It really doesn't have to be such a huge production," Ren said with a helpless smile. "As long as we've got a place to live, that's enough. Kunou and I have already gotten used to this place."
"If we suddenly move sowhere unfamiliar, she'll probably… have a bit of a situation again."
To be honest, was Ren's apartnt actually small? Not really.
It had two bedrooms and a living room, and only the two of them lived there. In fact, the living room was hardly ever used—they rarely had visitors—so it usually felt quite spacious.
Besides, the location was close to the school, which ant the rent wasn't cheap at all. At one point, Ren had even thought he was living sowhat extravagantly…
Hearing Ren's words, Kunou first blinked in confusion. But the mont she realized what he ant by a "situation," her face flushed bright red, and she nodded vigorously.
"Y-Yes! We're already used to living here, so there's no need to move!"
Of course, she wouldn't mind living in a bigger, more comfortable house—but she was worried that if they moved sowhere new, her little secret might be exposed.
"Well, since both you and Kunou like it here, Brother, then you may continue living here," Yasaka said with a gentle smile.
"However, please allow to make so renovations and expansions. Especially the living room—if you were to receive guests here, it would be quite improper as it is."
Ren was about to refuse again, but when he looked around the currently cramped living room—now occupied by himself, Kunou, Yasaka, and her two guards, totaling five people—it did feel a bit crowded.
In the end, he nodded and accepted her proposal.
"Then I'll take care of everything," Yasaka continued. "During the construction, I'll set up soundproof barriers in the surrounding area to ensure your rest isn't disturbed."
She paused briefly before adding,
"And… I may have to trouble you for a while as well, Brother. The three-faction conference will be held soon, and as one of the invited witnesses, I'll likely be staying here for the ti being."
"Since I'm unfamiliar with the human world, I'll have no choice but to stay with you and Kunou for now. You don't mind, do you?"
There was still so ti before the conference officially began. The main reason Yasaka had hurried over was, in truth, concern—for both Kunou and Ren.
When she received the invitation from the three Biblical factions back in Kyoto, she had been genuinely surprised.
The yokai of Kyoto rarely ventured beyond their territory. After all, this wasn't Ren's original world, where yokai were the dominant force and could roam freely.
In this world, yokai were considered a relatively weak faction. Aside from Yasaka herself, there were few who could truly stand at the top.
And yet this ti, their long-overlooked faction had received a formal invitation from the three great Biblical powers.
Across the many mythological systems in the world, the Biblical pantheon stood at the very pinnacle—widely spread, deeply believed in, and imnsely influential.
In the past, if leaders of those factions encountered her, they might offer nothing more than a polite nod.
But now, not only had they been invited to the conference—they had been asked to serve as witnesses, a role of great importance.
At first, Yasaka couldn't understand their reasoning.
But when the Governor of the Fallen Angels ntioned that they also hoped her "elder brother," Ren, would attend…
Everything suddenly made sense.
The Kyoto yokai were still the sa as before.
If they were suddenly being valued, it could only be because of so external factor.
And clearly, that factor was Ren.
Because Ren's battle with Vali had taken place only the day before, even though Yasaka had been keeping an eye on the situation, she couldn't possibly have received the information imdiately.
Still puzzled, and wanting to understand what had happened firsthand, she had left Kyoto overnight and rushed here.
Upon arrival, she didn't even need to ask Ren directly.
The subordinates she had stationed here had already reported the latest developnts.
She had even visited the site of Ren's battle with Vali. From the traces left behind and the lingering aura, she could tell that both combatants had displayed power at least on the level of a Dragon King.
"I always believed that soone of your ability, Brother, would soon catch the attention of the world's great powers," Yasaka said, her golden eyes gleaming with admiration.
"But I never imagined it would happen so quickly."
"They say the current White Dragon Emperor is the strongest in history—and yet you were able to suppress him so easily. It's a sha I wasn't there to witness your magnificence myself."
From the very beginning, Yasaka had sensed that Ren's strength surpassed her own. Partly to strengthen the foundation of the yokai faction—and partly because they were both yokai—she had chosen to acknowledge him as her sworn brother.
But she hadn't expected the return on that decision to co so quickly.
Now, everyone knew that Ren was her brother, and that he belonged to the Kyoto yokai faction.
The stronger Ren proved himself to be, the more attention—and respect—the entire yokai faction would receive.
This invitation from the three factions was proof enough.
"Yasaka," Ren said quietly, his expression turning serious, "I don't know whether you acknowledged as your brother out of genuine sincerity… or for other reasons."
"But tying to the Kyoto yokai faction won't bring you only benefits. The things I plan to do in the future might very well drag you into trouble."
As the supre commander of the Kyoto yokai, Yasaka was no naïve fool.
Ren could more or less guess her original intentions. But over ti, she had indeed helped him quite a lot.
And Kunou clearly saw him as family now.
Because of that, Ren felt obligated to warn her.
Yasaka gently waved her folding fan.
"This is a private matter between family mbers," she said calmly. "You may leave."
Her two guards bowed and withdrew from the room.
Then she turned back to Ren, her expression softening into a warm, unwavering smile.
"Since I've chosen you as my elder brother, then I will stand firmly by your side."
"There is no such thing as a path with only benefits, is there? If the Kyoto yokai wish to rise, we must be prepared to take risks."
She paused for a mont, then added with disarming honesty,
"To be frank… my original intention was to make you my partner. That kind of bond would be even stronger—built on deeper trust."
Her gaze remained steady.
"But considering that I am a single mother with a child, I thought you might mind. So in the end… I proposed becoming your sworn younger sister instead."
The mont those words fell—
Ren and Kunou both froze on the spot, their expressions perfectly synchronized in stunned disbelief.
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