Claud was bringing out the pot when a polite set of knocks echoed through the house, and he exchanged glances with Lily. Looking at his pot of soup a moment later, he said, “I suppose this too, is another kind of coincidence.”

“The one where the visitor arrives just in time for free food?” Lily asked.

“Yeap.” Claud turned back to the kitchen. “I’ll fetch one more bowl.”

“I’ll do it. You and Risti welcome our…visitor,” Lily replied. “Shoo!”

“Why are you shooing me anyway?” Claud asked, mystified. “But okay.”

As he walked to the door, Claud asked, “Does your dad have weird behavioural tics that I need to be aware of? Is he a daughter-con? Does he not like a certain hair colour?”

“He’s just a normal person, so don’t worry,” Risti replied.

“Normal, you say…” Claud opened the door, took one look at the gaudy man outside, and then turned back to Risti. “Normal?”

“…Dad?” Risti looked at the middle-aged man, who was wearing bright green clothes from head to toe. Eight lifestones orbited his head for some weird reason, and even more accessories made from lifestones could be seen on his neck and wrists.

“Ris-Ris!” The middle-aged man beamed, and then hugged her. “Dad’s here!”

Claud promptly noted down that adorable nickname, which Lily would absolutely love. “Good morning, President Cadenza. I’m told that you’ll be staying over at our humble abode.”

“Ah.” The gaudy man turned to Claud, his green lights glimmering like lifestones. “You must be Claud.”

Lily walked out of the kitchen a moment later, and President Cadenza bobbed his head in her direction. “And you must be Lily. I am Neo Cadenza, Ris-Ris’ father. Thank you for taking care of my daughter in those trying times!”

“Dad…”

“Yes?” President Cadenza turned back to Risti. “What’s wrong, little one?”

“Can you not—” Risti lowered her volume, and mumbled a few words that were very audible to Claud. “—use that nickname in front of my friends?”

“Oh. Okay.” President Cadenza clapped her cheeks. “Sure thing, daughter!”

Claud chuckled, and then turned to glance at Lily, who had a huge smile on her face. Unfortunately for Risti, it was clear that Lily too had heard her tiny little request, but again, Lily was already a tetra-folder who was closing in on her fifth fold.

“Still,” President Cadenza muttered, “it’s surprising that you have such impressive friends. Your words don’t seem to do them justice.”

“What do you mean, Dad?” Risti asked.

“Hmm?” President Cadenza looked at her, and then at Claud and Lily. “Hmm. I see. Interesting. Sir and Lady Primus, can I have a word with you two in private?”

Claud blinked at the sudden formality, and then shrugged. “Sure. I don’t see why not.”

Risti looked at them curiously, but said nothing as the three of them headed out of the house for a while. After putting some distance between them and the house, President Cadenza took out a skillstick and snapped it into two.

“Don’t worry. It’s just to prevent our voices from being heard by anyone at all,” President Cadenza reassured Claud. “Now, does my daughter know of your true strengths?”

Claud narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, you are a hexa-folder. Your wife is closing in on her fifth mana circuit.” The President of the Folders’ Association smiled gently. “My daughter, however, tells me that you two are at best tri-folders. This huge discrepancy in strength is too unnatural. It is almost certainly deliberate.”

Claud clicked his teeth. “How did you know?”

“It’s just an effect of an artefact,” President Cadenza replied. “Anyway, I am not sure about the reasons behind this discrepancy, but I do not want to incur your displeasure by spoiling plans you two may have had. Therefore, this private discussion.”

Claud looked at the middle-aged man. “You’re quite considerate.”

“That’s how I wooed Risti’s mother, see?” The middle-aged, all-green man smiled gently. “So, about your strength…”

“Mention nothing of it,” Claud replied. “The two of us are…thinking of something. And it is best that our friends do not know of our strength. They might decide to do something stupid or reckless, and that’ll be a problem. As long as they think they’re still weak, they’ll be careful.”

“I’m sure you have seen your fair share of stories,” Lily added. “About how noble scions acted recklessly due to the mana-users in their families, and eventually ended up provoking people who didn’t care. We want to avoid that.”

“I see.” President Cadenza nodded. “I am glad you two think that way. In that case, I will not mention anything about your strength. It is, after all, for the best that my daughter keeps a cool head. She can be quite…reckless at times.”

“Reckless?”

The president showed a doting smile. “Yes, indeed. She’s really adorable…right, who’s Nero? Is he here?”

“Nero? That’s the Holy Son of—”

“Of course I know he’s the Holy Son of the Black Church. What I mean…well, what do you two think of him?” President Cadenza asked. “As a person.”

Claud and Lily promptly replied, “Alcoholic.”

“Huh?” Risti’s father blinked. “Alcoholic? Huh. Okay, uh…what kind of alcoholic is he, then? Risti didn’t seem to mention that bit.”

Claud tilted his head, but he didn’t quite get where the conversation was going. “Okay, while both of us did say that he’s an alcoholic, he’s the kind that doesn’t get drunk. He likes drinking, but I’ve never seen him drunk. Even our resident bartender’s purest water can’t even get him drunk.”

“Purest water? How can such a drink get people drunk?” The confusion on Juni’s face grew visibly.

“It’s the kind that can be set on fire,” Lily clarified. “Ninety-five percent alcohol. A cup can knock me and Claud out if we’re not prepared. Nero chugs that down easily, though.”

“Ah! I see. Your resident bartender…Schwarz, yes? He sounds like a fun person. Anyway, Nero’s…an alcoholic that can’t get drunk, then. Alright. Anything else noteworthy about him?”

“Uh…” Claud frowned. He hadn’t interacted all that much with the Holy Son of the Black God compared to the others, since he and Lily had fled not too long afterwards. “I think you’ll need to ask the others. We’re not really the best people to ask.”

“Oh. Okay. My little one tells me that she is going to fetch them over soon. It’s good enough. Thank you, the two of you.” The middle-aged man smiled. “Let’s go back, shall we? Ris-Ris must be bouncing off the walls from curiosity right now.”

“Not literally, I hope.”

The three of them returned under Risti’s curious gaze, and after Claud closed the door behind them, Risti sidled up to Lily and whispered, “What did Dad ask you two about?”

Claud glanced at the president, who had clearly heard her words too, and then rolled his eyes. The elder Cadenza shrugged with a small smile, and then indicated the table.

After Lily whispered back her answer — which she knew was completely pointless — the four of them sat around the table.

“Interesting soup. What’s this soup?” President Cadenza asked. “It’s quite savoury.”

“It’s made from fermented soybeans. Very nice to drink when the weather is cold,” Claud replied.

“There isn’t winter in Grandis, though,” President Cadenza replied, the lifestones on his body glimmering. “Still, this is quite good. It’s a perfect drink to counteract the sweetness of lifestones. For someone like me who eats them every day…”

Claud glanced at Lily, who looked like she had found someone who could understand her suffering, and then held her hand under the table. Her fingers tapped eight times in reply, and Claud chuckled.

“Are you two telepathic?” President Cadenza murmured. “Anyway, I won’t bother the two of you. I’m just lodging here to look after my daughter.”

“Is something wrong?” Lily asked. “I mean, you suddenly wanting to look after Risti after some time is a bit…odd, right? Is there something we don’t know?”

“Not really. It’s…well, it’s just that I’m taking a step back from managing the Folders’ Association. Like a vacation. Old men need holidays, after all. Anyway, it seems I came a bit early, so I’ll leave with her and head towards the Moons’ camp first.”

“Eh?” Risti looked at her father. “You don’t want to rest here?”

“Don’t be silly, little one.” President Cadenza flexed his arms. “I’m here to look after you. That’s my rest. What’s the point of staying here if you’re not with me?”

“…Um, okay.”

“I can tell that you’re jumping with joy inside, though…”

Claud looked at the father and daughter, before turning away. He didn’t want to feel jealous of his friend, who had a father who would travel long distances just to see his daughter.

Turning his attention to the soup, he glanced at Lily once, and then started taking small, slow sips. Lily, who had disciplined her facial expressions too, lowered her head and emulated his actions.

His mind spun as he drank slowly.

What, exactly, were the interactions between a father and a grown child like? Was it the distant, yet close banter that they shared? Or the gentle, knowing smile of the parent, who had weathered untold burdens for his little one? Claud didn’t know, but he could feel the deep affection President Cadenza had for his daughter, like a tall, sturdy wall, blocking out the wind.

How could anyone not feel jealous of something like this?