If you notice any errors, please feel free to give me constructive feedback. English is not my first language, so if you notice any mistakes, please mention them in the comment section at the end of the chapter. I do not own Overlord. All property rights belong to their respective creators. Let's begin the story!
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Chapter-03
Kurenai Estate,
Tokyo, Neo-Japan;
22nd Century Earth
Kai groaned as the firm yet respectful voice of the assistant butler, Hiroshi, echoed through the grand bedroom.
"Master Kai, it's time to wake up."
He buried his face deeper into the blanket, grumbling under his breath. "Just five more minutes…"
"I'm afraid five minutes passed ten minutes ago, Master."
With a resigned sigh, Kai turned over and blinked at the ceiling, the pale rays of artificial sunlight diffused through the tall curtains inside his room. His body still ached slightly — a ghost of fatigue from yesterday's late-night gaming session. Dragging himself out of bed, he trudged into the bathroom, letting the shower's heat chase away the remnants of sleep clinging to his skin.
As the warm water cascaded over him, Kai leaned his forehead against the cool marble wall, allowing himself a moment of peace. 'Back to reality…' he mused, watching the mist gather on the glass door. 'Or whatever passes for it these days. I'll have to get things sorted out fast – now that the beta phase is over, there's only a couple of months left before they launch the official Game.'
Refreshed, and with a towel lazily slung over his neck, Kai returned to his room, quickly dressed, and followed Hiroshi – they walked on the familiar path through the corridors of the estate, eventually arriving at the opulent dining hall. The long, polished table stretched across the room like a runway of silence — devoid of chatter or presence.
He paused at the entrance, letting his eyes scan the room.
Empty chairs.
Silverware perfectly in place.
His expression didn't change, but the corner of his mouth twitched ever so slightly. Hiroshi, ever dutiful, stood by door, bowing slightly as Kai entered.
"Master Kai, the table has been set. Please have your breakfast. The Madam and others have already—"
"—had their lunch. Yes, I noticed," Kai cut in dryly, stepping forward as he pulled out a chair and sat down with practiced grace, moving past Hiroshi. "How thoughtful of them to not let me suffer through the burden of family bonding."
Hiroshi, for his part, remained unreadable, as if the sarcasm had wafted past without touching him, as his hands remained stretched out frozen – awkwardly, trying to pull the chair for Kai.
Kai gave a breathless chuckle, shaking his head as he reached for the coffee. "It's not like I expected otherwise."
He held the coffee cup with a lazy elegance, eyeing the plate before him — pristine, warm, meticulously arranged. A breakfast meant for one.
******
Kai picked up the spoon with a lazy rhythm, twirling it slightly in his fingers before dipping it into the still-warm bowl of Cereals. As he did, he turned his head slightly toward Hiroshi, his tone casual—too casual.
"Where's Kanami?"
The question lingered.
Hiroshi hesitated.
The silence stretched just a moment too long.
Kai smiled, eyes not lifting from the bowl. "Ah… I see. Finally pulled him off me, have they?" His tone dripped with humour. "It's a wonder it took them this long. Poor Kanami—he was far too fond of indulging my little hobbies. Can't have someone like that encouraging the wayward heir, now, can we?"
"There is… no such order from the Madam," Hiroshi answered, though the quiver in his voice betrayed the truth. "Master Kai, Kanami is simply—"
Kai raised a hand mid-sentence, halting Hiroshi's explanation with a quiet finality. 'Well, having Kanami purchase the stock of Yggdrasil's parent company on my behalf – might have shocked them. Well, it's no use worrying about it now. As far as I know them, neither will he hand over the stocks, nor will they snatch it.' He mused.
Soon the sound of the silver spoon gently tapping porcelain took over, filling the silence as Kai began to eat. 'After all, what do they have to gain by meddling with a small company that makes games. That's beneath them – moreover they wouldn't want me to be intruding on the family business. So, to them – it is better for a small game company to hold my attention. And they most probably took Kanima to make a point or to dig up information on me.' He mused, as let out a breath, before continuing his breakfast.
Hiroshi bowed his head slightly, stepping back once more, resuming his silent vigil behind Kai.
Nothing more was said.
******
Kai placed the spoon down with a faint clink, dabbing the corners of his mouth with a napkin. He leaned back slightly in the chair, exhaling softly as he prepared to rise.
Just as he pushed his chair back—
"Master Kai," Hiroshi spoke gently, stepping forward.
Kai paused, eyes narrowing slightly but saying nothing.
"The formalities for your withdrawal from the Academy have been completed," Hiroshi continued, his tone professional but carrying a hint of regret. "All necessary documentation has been processed and approved by the school board."
Kai remained still, then gave a small nod, more to himself than to Hiroshi. "I see."
"There were also some… messages," Hiroshi added after a moment's hesitation.
Kai's brow lifted slightly. "Messages?"
Hiroshi inclined his head. "From your classmates. They were delivered through the Academy's network and forwarded to the family mail." He spoke, with sadness evident in his tone. "As it seems, you have abstained from sharing your personal contact information with them." He paused, observing Kai's reaction, he continued. "I took the liberty of compiling them."
Kai gave a tired chuckle, shaking his head as he slowly rose to his feet. "I didn't think I'd leave such a mark."
He stepped away from the table, stretching briefly. "Though, I imagine most of them are just hollow words — more out of obligation than anything sincere."
"There were a few who seemed… genuinely concerned," Hiroshi offered, carefully.
Kai looked over his shoulder, his gaze unreadable. "Concerned? Or just curious how soon they can climb over the top – without me in the picture?" He sighed, before continuing. "Well, if they were to get to know about my condition – I'm sure, there will be many among those who will be overjoyed by the news."
Hiroshi didn't answer.
Kai waved a hand lazily. "Anyway, who will be saddened by an egotistical person like me dying." He sighed, as he continued. "And send the messages to my mail. I'll look through them when I feel like disappointing myself."
He walked out of the dining hall, the soft fall of his footsteps echoing behind him. Hiroshi remained behind, his eyes lingering on the now-empty chair – feeling of guilt consuming him from within.
******
The soft rustle of pages filled the quiet air as Kai lounged in the rooftop garden, his back nestled against the cushioned chair, a thick economics book resting in one hand. In the afternoon, the artificial sun filtered gently through the glass dome, casting shifting shadows of the ivy-laced trellises that surrounded him. While, Kai remained still, absorbed in the dense paragraphs.
Footsteps approached—alerting Kai.
Kai didn't glance up, his eyes trailing the lines of text. "You rarely walk all the way up here, Hiroshi."
There was a pause, before Hiroshi spoke with practiced composure. "You have a guest, Master Kai."
That made Kai's brow twitch slightly, though his eyes stayed glued to the page. "A guest?"
"She insisted it was urgent," Hiroshi added.
Kai flipped a page with a practiced motion – faltering at the end. "She?"
Hiroshi hesitated for a fraction of a second before speaking the name.
Kai's eyes stopped mid-line.
"…Say that again?"
Hiroshi repeated the name.
This time, Kai closed the book with a quiet thump, pressing the spine against his leg. He leaned his head back, facing the sky as he brought up one hand to pinch the bridge between his eyes, letting out a long breath.
"Of all the people, doesn't she hate me?" he muttered under his breath.
He lowered his hand and placed the book gently on the stand beside him. Rising from his seat, he straightened his shirt with a flick and nodded once.
"You can bring her here. This place should be suitable for a conversation."
Hiroshi bowed slightly. "Understood."
Kai turned his gaze back to the skyline for a brief moment, watching the distant shimmer of Neo Japan's cityscape. The light in his eyes dimmed just slightly.
"What could she want with me?" he murmured. "It's not as if we are close. And neither of our families are on good terms with each other."
Kai sighed with exasperation, he mused 'It's a first – for a girl to visit my house. Anyway, meeting her shouldn't shorten my life… maybe. probably.'
******
Kai stood at the entrance of the rooftop garden, arms loosely crossed as a gentle breeze from the air conditioner set to maintain the garden's ideal environment, tousled his dark black hair. The glass door opened with a quiet hum, and Hiroshi stepped through, followed closely by a girl whose composed steps barely made a sound on the stone pathway.
A subtle flicker of emotion crossed her face the moment their eyes met—but like a ripple on still water, it vanished just as swiftly, replaced by a practiced calm, while Kai failed to notice the change.
"Shouko Hoshina," Kai greeted, voice even. "Welcome."
She nodded lightly in return. "Kurenai."
He stepped aside, motioning toward one of the cushioned chairs nestled under the ivy-draped trellis. "Please, take a seat."
With a glance around the serene rooftop, Shouko walked forward and sat down. Kai turned slightly toward Hiroshi. "Tea, coffee, and some snacks. Prepare the usual."
Hiroshi bowed. "Right away, Master Kai." With practiced grace, he made his quiet exit, leaving the two in a silence filled only by the rustle of leaves and distant hum of the city.
Kai seated himself across from Shouko, resting one arm on the arm rest of his chair, as he offered her a calm smile. When their eyes met once again, with a measured voice, he spoke.
"So, what brings you here, Shouko Hoshina?"
Her answer came swiftly, wrapped in cool detachment: "I've just come to make sure you're alright… you haven't been to school for so long, after all, so you don't go blaming your health – the next time you lose." Feigning ignorance to the fact – him discontinuing school.
Kai raised a brow, letting out a brief chuckle.
The corners of his lips tugged upward as he leaned back into his chair, 'Being blessed with a superior body that was the epitome of physical perfection… and a great computational mind than most – in this life. I really did make use of it to dominate everything I set my sights on. May be it was my ego, that the situation turned out this way.'
He let the thought linger a moment longer, amusement glinting in his eyes before speaking aloud. "Well, you've never been the type to worry about others—so... What truly brought you here?"
A quiet fell between them, charged and oddly delicate. Shouko said nothing. The silence dragged on, with neither Kai speaking nor Shouko replying.
At that moment, the door opened once more—Hiroshi entering, pushing a sleek food trolley ahead of him. The gentle clink of porcelain followed as he rolled it beside the table, bowing to both.
"Would you prefer tea or coffee?", he asked them both, while he held a cup, making arrangements to pour, tea or coffee into.
"Coffee," Kai answered without a glance.
"Tea," Shouko replied softly, while she observed his every step – her eyes refusing to meet Kai's.
******
Hiroshi moved with methodical ease, pouring coffee into a porcelain cup and placing it before Kai. Then a delicate teacup followed for Shouko, fragrant steam curling in the air between them. Beside the drinks, he placed a selection of pastries, muffins, croissants, and perfectly baked cookies, arranged with artistic precision.
He took a step back and bowed once more. "Your refreshments, Master Kai. Lady Hoshina."
Kai turned to look at him with a small smile. "You can take your leave now, Hiroshi. I'll call you if I need anything."
With a respectful nod and a rare smile, Hiroshi replied, "As you wish, Master Kai." Turning, he exited, the sound of his footsteps fading behind the door.
Shouko's eyes lingered on the butler's retreating figure, but Kai simply took a single glance before reaching for his coffee. Lifting the cup with his usual elegance, he took a long sip. Then, with a smile, he motioned toward her cup. "Go ahead. It's not poisoned."
Shouko gave him a measured look, uncertainty flickering in her gaze. Her hands held the cup with hesitation – an inch away from her mouth.
Kai sighed, throwing his head back slightly with exaggeration.
Her lips twitched watching him, then parted into a small giggle. She finally lifted the teacup and took a sip.
Another sigh escaped Kai as he relaxed into his seat.
******
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**The End**
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