Chapter 36: My Stepsister and I Have a Date (It’s Mandatory)
I followed Kimiko into the dining room, my guard still sky-high after our conversation. The dostic scene that greeted us was like sothing from a family sitcom—Luka arranging plates of glistening bacon, fluffy scrambled eggs, and perfectly browned toast while Natalia sullenly poured orange juice into glasses.
"There they are!" Luka bood, his face lighting up with genuine joy at the sight of his wife and stepson. "Just in ti! The bacon’s at peak crispness!"
I slipped into my seat, adopting the eager-to-please son persona I’d been crafting. "Everything looks amazing, Dad. Thanks for cooking."
"My pleasure, kiddo! Gotta fuel up that new muscle you’ve been building!" He clapped a hand on my shoulder with enough force to stagger a normal man. I absorbed the impact without flinching, earning an approving nod. "Strong as an ox now! What did I tell you, Kimiko? Just needed so motivation!"
"You were right, dear," Kimiko said, settling into her chair with graceful economy of movent. Her eyes never left , despite her words being directed at her husband.
Natalia sat across from , her entire body radiating tension. She changed into baggy sweatpants and an oversized t-shirt—clearly chosen to hide any evidence of our activities—but nothing could disguise the hickey peeking out from beneath her collar. Her eyes flicked to mine, then away, a flush crawling up her neck.
"Salt, Dad?" I passed the shaker before Luka even reached for it.
"Thanks, son!" He seed genuinely touched by this tiny gesture.
"So how was the conference?" I asked. "Did you give that presentation on team combat?"
Luka’s fork paused halfway to his mouth, his eyes widening in surprise. "You rembered that?"
I nodded, crafting my expression into one of earnest curiosity. "You were practicing it before you left. Sounded fascinating."
The big man’s chest swelled with obvious pride. "It went great! The Guild Leadership actually asked
to expand it into a training module for the C-Ranks!" He launched into a detailed explanation, his hands gesticulating wildly, occasionally causing his fork to fling bits of egg across the table.
I nodded attentively, asking relevant questions at appropriate intervals while monitoring the won at the table. Kimiko watched our interaction with that sa unsettling intensity, though her expression remained warm and loving.
Natalia picked at her food, stealing glances at
when she thought no one was looking, each glance lingering a little longer than the last.
"Natalia," Kimiko said suddenly, causing the girl to jolt. "Is that a mark?"
"I—it’s not—"
"Oh," Kimiko laughed. "Must have happened during training."
Natalia’s face flad red. She shot
a murderous look that promised future retribution. I smiled back pleasantly, taking a deliberate bite of toast.
"How’s that ring working out for you, Natalia?" I asked, smoothly changing the subject. "The ice catalyst seed to stabilize your output yesterday."
"You’ve been training together?" Luka asked, his eyebrows rising in surprise.
"Satori’s been... helping
test the Cryo-Lich Ring," Natalia admitted grudgingly. "He’s surprisingly knowledgeable about energy modulation."
"That’s my boy!" Luka bead, his chest puffing out like a proud rooster. "Always said you had a good head on your shoulders when you chose to use it!"
"Did you get to see any action on this trip, Dad?" I asked.
Luka launched into an animated story about a surprise Gate that had opened near their hotel, gesturing wildly with his utensils. "Took down a B-Rank Magma Crawler! Guild’s throwing a bonus our way for the quick response."
"That’s wonderful, dear," Kimiko said, her hand resting on his massive forearm. The gesture was casual but there was sothing possessive in it, a quiet statent that this mountain of a man was hers.
"Oh!" Luka exclaid suddenly, setting down his fork with enough force to rattle the dishes. "Speaking of the Guild, I’ve got fantastic news!"
We all turned to him expectantly.
"My Guild got a corporate table at the VHC Gala in two weeks," he announced, grinning broadly. "And they’ve given
seats for the whole family! It’s ti to show off my two prize-winning kids to the world!"
My fork froze halfway to my mouth.
The VHC Gala. The most prestigious social event in New Vein’s Hunter community. A gathering of the elite, the powerful, and the connected. A place where careers were made, alliances ford, and reputations cented.
A place where every eye would be watching.
[New Mission Issued: The Alpha’s Debut]
Objective: At the VHC Gala, publicly establish a new social standing and decisively humiliate an arrogant Scion without revealing your true power.
Reward: 50 SP, new Title [The Social Predator]
"The VHC Gala?" Natalia’s voice rose an octave. "But that’s—we can’t—I’m not—"
"Not ready?" Luka finished for her, misinterpreting her panic. "Nonsense! You’ve been ready for years! This is your chance to network with the best Hunters in Valoria before the entrance exams. Make connections, show off that beautiful ring of yours!"
"I don’t think..." Natalia began, her eyes darting to .
"It sounds like an amazing opportunity," I interrupted smoothly. "Thank you for including , Dad. I know these seats must be extrely valuable."
Kimiko nodded. "Honestly, the timing couldn’t be better. With your new Aspect manifestation, this is the perfect place to make your debut."
Silence crashed over the table.
"Aspect manifestation?" Luka asked.
Kimiko’s gaze hadn’t left my face. "Satori was just telling
about it. It’s so sort of fire manipulation!"
Luka laughed. "This calls for a demonstration after breakfast! And we’ll need to get you registered with the Global Aspect Registry right away. Can’t have my boy going unclassified!"
Shit. Registry ant official testing. Blood work. DNA verification. Things that would imdiately flag
as an anomaly.
"I was hoping to wait until after the entrance exams," I said carefully. "I want to focus on training rather than paperwork right now."
"Fair enough," Luka conceded easily. "Plenty of ti for all that. But definitely not too early to start showing it off at the Gala! You’ll need a proper suit. Nothing off the rack will do for my son’s Aspect debut!"
"Dad, about the Gala," Natalia tried again, her voice strained. "I really don’t think—"
"It’s mandatory, sweetheart," Luka said firmly, his jovial tone hardening just enough to indicate `this wasn’t up for discussion. "The whole family will be there."
Natalia’s jaw clenched, her fingers white around her fork.
"It’ll be fun," I said, smiling at her across the table. "We can go shopping for your dress together. Sothing to complent that beautiful ring of yours."
If looks could kill, I’d have been reduced to a smoldering pile of ash. Her eyes promised murder, but her words when they ca were sugary sweet.
"That sounds lovely, brother dear." The emphasis on our familial relationship was pointed enough to draw Kimiko’s gaze.
"Wonderful!" Luka bood, oblivious to the subtext. "We can go after breakfast!"
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