There wasn't a shred of doubt in Kanzaki Ryoma's mind. Roma Hoito wasn't attracted to him—she simply found him entertaining.
"No, he's not a staff member," Touka said curtly. "He's a regular here."
"Oh? A regular customer, huh? That's fine too," Roma replied with an impish smile.
Ryoma stared at her, expression blank, completely unimpressed by her act.
Noticing how Roma continued to ogle him like some rare exhibit, Touka frowned and stepped in immediately.
"Stop pestering the customers," she said flatly. "You just joined today. If you can't work properly, we'll fire you."
She handed Roma a stack of dishes and cups. "Take these to the kitchen."
Roma pouted but didn't argue. She picked up the tableware and walked off. On the way, she passed Rize, flashing her a playful grin.
Rize raised an eyebrow but returned the smile politely. She wasn't particularly bothered.
"Ryoma-kun," Yoshimura's voice called gently from the staircase.
Ryoma looked up.
"If you have a moment, let's speak upstairs."
He followed the old man to the second floor. Once the door shut behind them, Yoshimura wasted no time.
"Ryoma-kun… are you connected to the Washuu?"
Ryoma shook his head. "I'm not from the Washuu clan. I imagine you're wondering how I recognized you, though?"
Yoshimura nodded, calm but curious.
"It was Rize," Ryoma said. "She mentioned a former 'cleaner' from V named Yoshimura. That he had a child. A half-ghoul. Then there were the Yasuhisa sisters, the One-Eyed Owl… and back then, there was no tech to artificially create half-ghouls."
Ryoma crossed his arms. "I also looked into reports about the Owl. It wasn't hard to tell there were inconsistencies. One Owl never killed anyone. That was you. Which means the other must've been your child."
Yoshimura didn't answer right away.
But there was no point in denying it.
"…Yes. The real One-Eyed Owl is my daughter," he said at last. "A natural-born half-ghoul."
His voice was heavy. As he spoke, he drifted into memory, telling Ryoma everything.
"I fell in love with a human woman. Her name was Ukina. A child was born between us—our daughter, Eto. She needed both normal food and human flesh to survive."
Ryoma listened without interrupting.
"Our happiness didn't last long. Ukina had been investigating the Washuu when we met. She uncovered secrets of V, and they found out. Because of that, they hunted us both."
Yoshimura's voice grew quieter. "To protect Eto… I killed Ukina myself. If I didn't, V would've captured her. Our daughter would've been exposed."
He paused.
"I sent Eto to an old friend in the 24th Ward. I hoped she would survive quietly. Then, ten years ago, the One-Eyed Owl attacked CCG… and I knew it was her."
Even though Ryoma had already known most of this, hearing it in Yoshimura's own voice still left a bitter taste.
Yoshimura hadn't wanted to kill Ukina. But V's threat was real. If she had lived, they would have hunted her, captured Eto, and killed them both.
It was a damned choice.
And Eto… she didn't hate her father simply for killing her mother. It was deeper.
Years ago, when she had become a famous author, she did thought about reconnecting. She even came to Anteiku once. But just before entering, she saw Yoshimura through the window—laughing with the other workers, living as if nothing had ever happened.
Compared to her lonely, brutal life, that image shattered any illusion she had left.
She turned and left without stepping inside. Since then, she never forgave him.
All because of a single moment.
Yoshimura knew this too.
"Even so," Ryoma said slowly, "she must know what you did. Why you fought alone at the 2nd Ward branch. You risked yourself for her."
Yoshimura nodded. "Perhaps. But I can't blame her. Not after what I did."
He looked at Ryoma with tired eyes.
"I told you all of this… aren't you worried I'm putting myself at your mercy? What if you turn me in?"
Ryoma smirked. "You think the higher-ups don't already know?"
Yoshimura chuckled softly.
"They've known for years. V always watches. But as long as I refuse to tell them where Eto is, they tolerate my presence—for now."
He stood and looked out the window.
"Anteiku owes you a lot. We've never done anything for you, but you've protected us again and again. If that day ever comes… when CCG comes to destroy this place… let me be the one you bring down. It might help your career."
Ryoma's eyes narrowed.
Suddenly, a familiar mechanical voice echoed in his mind.
[Ding! Task activated: God-Level Choice Unlocked]
[Choice 1: Defeat Yoshimura during the eventual Anteiku raid. Reward: 40 Fusion Points]
[Choice 2: Promise to protect all members of Anteiku. Reward: 60 Fusion Points]
[Choice 3: Not only promise to protect Anteiku, but also vow to save Yoshimura's daughter, Eto. Reward: 200 Fusion Points]
The air in the room stilled.
Ryoma stared at the man before him. This wasn't just a quiet old shopkeeper. This was the One-Eyed Owl who'd become a legend. A father who sacrificed everything. And a man waiting for death.
But Ryoma wasn't here to follow scripts.
He was here to decide.
And the next step would shape everything.
***
Sigh, What a pity that this book has reached its lowest point... Well, Ig it's supposed to go this way? Or idk....
Well, you can support me & read advance chapters on Patreon.com/Zexxxxy