"Oh, right."
As if hearing Yuri's thoughts, Rin revealed a bright smile. "I have the Authority to read minds, you know."
"!!!"
Yuri's face instantly turned pale, and even her dogeza posture began to tremble.
"Ah, I was just joking, hahaha."
"???"
Yuri's mouth twitched slightly. She could no longer understand what kind of person the man before her was.
However, to be safe, she did not dare continue badmouthing him in her heart.
Who knew whether what he said was true or false?
Perhaps he claimed it was a joke, but in reality, he truly could read minds.
Were Campiones not such lawless beings?
"This child is quite interesting."
Rin said this, which was also a roundabout agreement to Hinata's plan to recruit Yuri. "As for the details, Hinata, you can explain them to her."
"Okay."
Hinata was very satisfied to have recruited Yuri.
In a better mood, even her hands moved more swiftly, massaging him until he felt extremely comfortable.
Afterward, Hinata and Yuri went into the kitchen to prepare dinner.
"Yuri, would you like to join us?"
"Join?"
Yuri asked, "Does that mean becoming a Hime Miko who serves the Seventh King?"
"No, not that kind of thing."
With his permission, Hinata did not hide their origins and told Yuri that "joining" meant traveling with them to other worlds.
"Other worlds?"
Yuri had imagined many possibilities, but such shocking news still left her stunned for a long time.
However, she did not doubt Hinata's words.
Because during her previous spiritual vision of him, she had witnessed power that should never exist in this world.
If such forbidden knowledge came from other worlds, she could barely accept it.
"But my family is still in this world. If I abandon them…"
Yuri was truly afraid of Rin. She suffered from Marquis Voban's PTSD whenever she encountered a Campione.
Fortunately, Hinata gave her a strange sense of familiarity.
She could feel that Hinata was upright and kind.
Only in front of her did Yuri dare to speak honestly.
"Don't worry about that."
Hinata smiled. "The Monster Nation has already developed a stable space time passage."
"When you miss your family, you can return to this world at any time," she said. "If your family is interested in the Monster Nation, they can even visit you at your workplace during their free time."
In her description, following Rin and joining the Monster Nation felt less like leaving home for a distant land.
It was more like going to work in another city.
If she wished, Yuri could even bring her family to settle in the Monster Nation, or return to the Campione world during holidays to accompany her sister and parents.
"If that's the case…"
Yuri was kind to the point of being somewhat saintly, but she was not foolish.
Hinata had offered such generous terms.
If she refused again, it would truly be ungrateful.
"Alright, then let's go."
"I'll take you to see Rin-sama."
Later, the two carried the prepared dinner to the living room.
There, they found him watching television, with a young girl who resembled Yuri by seven or eight parts, clearly much younger, sitting in his arms.
"Hikari!"
The moment Yuri saw her little sister sitting in his arms and playing with him, her pupils shrank.
"Sister!"
Mariya Hikari smiled brightly. "No wonder you said you were coming back to live here. So you brought a man home."
"My, my, as expected of Big Sister. So bold."
"Hikari, what are you saying!"
Yuri was truly frightened. She rushed forward, pulled Hikari out of his arms, then pressed her sister's head down and knelt to apologize.
"I am extremely sorry. This child did not mean it. Please forgive her rudeness."
"Sister, what are you doing?"
"Quiet, Hikari!"
"Alright."
Rin shook his head and interrupted her actions. He lifted the little girl from the ground and said, "This child is much more perceptive than you."
"Exactly!"
Hikari was not foolish. "Big Brother is clearly a good person."
If he were truly a villain, she would have hidden far away.
As the younger sister of a Hime Miko, her spiritual power talent was no worse than Yuri's.
She could sense that he was not a bad person.
After their brief interaction, the two quickly became friendly.
Rin quite liked this mischievous child.
Being with her was far more relaxed and pleasant than being with Yuri.
"When it comes to judging people, your sister is better than you Yuri."
"I'm sorry, I…"
"There's no need to be so reserved."
He gestured for everyone to sit down. "Since Hikari is here too, let's have dinner together."
"Can we?"
While Yuri was busy apologizing, Hinata had already brought out all the dishes.
Faced with a table full of delicious food, Hikari, still a child at heart, could not resist.
"This child…"
Yuri felt a headache coming on.
Even in such a tense situation, her sister behaved as if nothing had happened.
She had no idea how much pressure Yuri was under to protect their family.
"Don't be shy. Eat as you like."
"Then I'll dig in!"
Hikari picked up a piece of tempura, but instead of eating it, she placed it in his bowl.
"Big Brother, Hikari offers you tempura. Big Sister's tempura is super delicious."
"Thank you."
Rin smiled gently and tasted it.
The tempura itself was average, but the Mariya family's special sauce made his eyes light up.
Gradually, the heavy and tense atmosphere faded as he and Hikari began eating.
Yuri reluctantly relaxed.
She realized he truly had no ill intentions toward Hikari.
Her vigilance only completely disappeared that night, after Hikari fell asleep, when Yuri swore allegiance to him.
After becoming a Dependent, she learned about the origins of him and Hinata from Violet.
She also saw the Cardinal World, located outside the Campione universe.
(To be continued.)
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◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)