"Hmm, so the Stellaron Hunters wanna turn over a new leaf and follow my godfather? Sure..."
Stelle answered without the slightest hesitation, nodding decisively as if she fully supported the idea.
However, just as Kafka's smile widened slightly in satisfaction, Stelle suddenly added another condition, a sneer appearing on her face.
"But only take the women, not the men."
Kafka: "???"
Lucian: "???"
Out of the blue, the abstract Stelle blurted out something astonishing, her words landing with unexpected force and leaving Kafka and even Lucian visibly taken aback, their composed expressions briefly cracking into clear surprise.
In Kafka's ears, that kind of statement sounded outright shameless, the implication impossible to miss.
Only accepting women—its intent was practically written across Stelle's face.
Even though she had not even been a month old, she was already saying things like that, which made the situation feel even more absurd.
Clearly, she had been led astray, thoroughly and undeniably led astray.
Kafka turned her gaze toward Lucian, her eyes narrowing slightly while her expression clearly conveyed the four words 'seeking accountability,' as though she had already decided exactly where the blame lay.
"You taught her that? How could you teach her something like that?"
"Taught her that? Why would I need to teach her that?" Lucian let out a quiet laugh, clearly amused by the accusation. "Maybe she hasn't completely forgotten everything?"
Hearing that, Kafka did not continue pressing the issue, seemingly deciding that arguing over it would be pointless.
Instead, she fixed her gaze on Lucian, her violet eyes steady and probing as she raised the core issue in a measured tone.
"Alright, Mr. Gentleman, then what about you? We invited you to join the Stellaron Hunters, and you refused. Now we're offering to join you, and you still refuse. Is it really because you only accept women and not men?"
"Of course not." Lucian immediately waved his hand, denying it with a relaxed expression. "As long as someone's got the skills and doesn't betray me, I value them no matter their gender. Our issue is just that we haven't gotten to that point yet."
"In that case, can Silver Wolf and I join your group?"
Kafka tilted her head slightly as she asked.
"Of course you two can..." Lucian replied without hesitation before casually adding, "But what about Firefly? Isn't she coming?"
As soon as she heard his question, Kafka's eyes narrowed faintly, and a cold, knowing smile appeared on her lips.
"Oh my, so you've even investigated SAM's identity."
Like godfather, like goddaughter—there was a certain consistency in their behavior.
Lucian had clearly investigated the female members of the Stellaron Hunters in detail, yet he still spoke of valuing skills alone, making the contradiction rather obvious.
In the end, it all came down to a preference for beauty.
If that was truly the case, then it also meant there was a clear point of leverage to exploit.
===
A few minutes earlier, aboard the Astral Express, Himeko held a cup of coffee in one hand while watching the satellite surveillance feed with quiet interest.
Her gaze settled on Stelle as she stared at skewered meat with unconcealed drool and a somewhat foolish expression, causing a faint, indulgent smile to form at the corner of Himeko's lips.
"Stelle really is a child full of energy..."
Himeko remarked softly, but before her words could fade, two familiar figures suddenly passed through the edge of the screen, causing her hand to freeze mid-motion as the cup hovered in the air.
'Lucian… and Kafka?'
Just as that thought crossed her mind, Himeko saw Lucian, Kafka, and Stelle vanish on the spot.
'Why are they together, and why have they taken Stelle aside for a private conversation?'
A trace of confusion and concern surfaced in Himeko's eyes as she immediately increased the satellite's resolution, first zooming in on Stelle's current position before switching to the feed from her recorder to observe more closely.
Within the footage, Kafka's red lips moved as she spoke casually with Stelle, her demeanor relaxed and unhurried, which initially did not raise any particular concern for Himeko.
However, the moment the words 'the Stellaron Hunters wanted to turn over a new leaf and join your godfather's side' appeared, everything changed.
'Poaching?!'
Himeko could no longer remain seated, and in an instant, the gentle, composed smile on her face disappeared.
*Thud!*
With a sharp motion, she placed the coffee cup heavily onto the table beside her, producing a dull, forceful thud that echoed faintly throughout the room.
Trying to poach the Astral Express's honored passenger right in front of her, and even attempting to take Stelle away—such behavior was nothing short of shameless.
In an instant, the elegant navigator of the Astral Express shed her usual composure and transformed into a protective lioness guarding her own.
"Welt, watch the Astral Express."
Himeko threw the instruction toward Welt without even turning back before quickly leaving the Astral Express with hurried steps, her urgency evident in every movement.
Welt did not even have the opportunity to ask what had happened and could only watch her depart before turning his attention to the surveillance system.
"For Himeko to be this urgent, it must be something serious... let me take a look."
Welt murmured thoughtfully, and then, as he sat down before the monitor, Kafka's figure immediately appeared on the screen.
"What is this?"
Before he could observe further, however, he noticed that a program was currently running in the background, and after opening it out of curiosity, his expression shifted slightly.
It was a preparatory program for Himeko's satellite orbital cannon.
'Good grief, Himeko...'
Evidently, Himeko was actually preparing to bombard Kafka if necessary.
===
Meanwhile, back on Belobog, Kafka leaned slightly closer to Stelle and whispered into her ear, her tone low and persuasive.
"Stelle, remember to put in a few good words for me in front of Lucian—just say you want to get a few more godmothers from the Stellaron Hunters."
Since she had already confirmed Lucian's preference for beauty, approaching the situation from that angle was both logical and efficient. Using appearance as a means to achieve a goal did not necessarily mean truly offering herself, so the cost remained acceptable.
Silver Wolf and Firefly would not object to such a tactic, either.
Even so, Kafka could not help but feel a faint trace of guilt at involving Stelle in her scheme. As someone taking on a maternal role, she knew she probably should not have been doing this.
"Hmm, then what do I get out of it?"
Stelle blinked and asked directly.
"Plenty..." Kafka replied decisively, her lips curving into a gentle smile. "I'll protect your safety and give you more money than you could ever spend—unlike Himeko, who still limits your allowance. I can give you as much money as you want, and you can spend it however you like."
Hearing that, Stelle's eyes lit up immediately.
'I'm sorry, Mommy Himeko... feels like a bad woman like Kafka would've been better off getting fixed by Godfather earlier...'
Just as that thought crossed her mind, however, a sharp, mocking voice suddenly cut into the conversation.
"Heh, who knows if you're telling the truth? Trying to trick a kid—isn't that improper?"
Lucian, Kafka, and Stelle immediately turned toward the source of the voice, only to see a red-haired woman approaching gracefully, dressed in a white toga gown that accentuated her tall, elegant figure and mature, composed demeanor.
Needless to say, it was none other than Himeko, who had arrived in a hurry yet still carried herself with poise.
"Mom!"
Stelle shouted the moment she saw Himeko.
Himeko's expression stiffened slightly, and a faint blush appeared almost instantly.
Being called 'Mom' by such a tall girl made her feel inexplicably older.
Moreover, Stelle already had a godfather, so such a form of address would easily lead others to misunderstand her relationship with Lucian.
Yet no matter how many times she tried to correct it, Stelle never listened and continued calling her that.
"Stelle, don't call her Mom. She's not your mother."
Kafka clearly didn't like hearing that and spoke up, sounding a little annoyed.
"Oh? Then are you?" Himeko stepped forward and stopped in front of the three of them, her posture calm and steady. "If she wants to call me that, I'll accept it. It's still better than acknowledging a wanted criminal like you as her mother."
At the same time, Stelle lightly tugged at Lucian's sleeve and whispered in a low voice.
"Godfather, Mommy Himeko acknowledged me. Soon you'll get what you want."
Lucian looked down at her with visible suspicion, completely unable to follow her train of thought.
What exactly was going on inside this gremlin's abstract little mind?
"You... don't actually think I told you to make Himeko your godmother, did you?"
"Huh? Wasn't it?"
Faced with Lucian's suspicion-filled question, Stelle blinked in astonishment.
"..."
Lucian immediately fell silent.
Honestly, the way Stelle said it made it sound as though he had deliberately sent her out to act as a wingman to help him pursue Himeko, which was entirely unfounded.
Only then did he realize why Stelle had been so persistent in clinging to Himeko and calling her Mom—it had all stemmed from a misunderstanding.
As expected of someone with such unconventional thinking, even Lucian had not been able to predict Stelle's reasoning.
Still, when he thought about it, the outcome was not necessarily a bad one.
Since things had already developed this far, allowing Stelle to act as a wingman was, in a sense, acceptable.
Himeko was, after all, undeniably beautiful, attractive, elegant, and refined—denying her appeal would have been dishonest.
Meanwhile, while Lucian and Stelle were quietly exchanging words, the atmosphere between Himeko and Kafka had already begun to heat up.
"You're encouraging passengers of the Astral Express to become wanted criminals? Aren't you ashamed?"
"Why should I be? Lucian has that kind of value, which is precisely why I'm sitting here patiently trying to persuade him."
Faced with Himeko's anger, Kafka remained completely composed, showing not the slightest sign of panic as she responded with a faint, almost teasing smile that carried an unmistakable hint of mockery.
Himeko stepped forward and positioned herself between Lucian and Stelle, clearly establishing her stance.
"No, that's not persuasion—that's manipulation. Give it up. I won't let you succeed."
"Ms. Himeko, such a temper?"
Kafka crossed her legs elegantly, her posture relaxed as her violet gaze swept slowly over Lucian and Stelle before returning to Himeko.
"When did both of them become your personal property?" Kafka's voice remained soft, yet each word carried a sharp edge. "I don't mind sharing, you know. They can be both Trailblazers and Stellaron Hunters. Do you mind, Ms. Himeko?"
"Of course I do!" Himeko responded without hesitation, her tone cold and resolute. "I won't stand by and watch my companions become wanted criminals. A group of lunatics like you—I won't let you interfere with their path."
"Hmm…" Kafka let out a quiet hum and leaned forward slightly, her expression tinged with amusement. "Himeko… your possessiveness is quite adorably intense..."
Her words were laced with open mockery, and she even turned her gaze toward Lucian, giving him a subtle wink.
"Wouldn't you agree, Mr. Gentleman?"
Seeing that, Himeko was nearly driven to laughter by sheer frustration.
"Kafka! You are… utterly unreasonable! Lucian, Stelle, we're leaving—don't associate with bad women like her."
Without waiting for a response, Himeko reached out and grabbed Stelle's hand, then hooked her arm firmly around Lucian's, pulling both of them along as she turned to leave.
"Suit yourself. See ya."
Lucian left Kafka with that brief remark before allowing himself to be led away by Himeko, bringing this chaotic confrontation—one that felt almost like a struggle over both man and child—to a reluctant close.
Kafka did not rise to follow them and remained seated where she was, legs crossed and posture relaxed, quietly watching the three figures as they departed into the distance.
Himeko, beautiful and composed, holding onto Lucian's arm while leading along the somewhat absent-minded yet endearing Stelle.
"It really does look like a family of three… If it were me, could I create that kind of atmosphere as well...?"
Kafka murmured to herself, an unfamiliar trace of emotion surfacing in her violet eyes.
For a fleeting moment, she realized that she actually felt a hint of envy.
"When Stelle recovers her memories, I wonder if you'll still be able to remain this firm, Himeko..."
With that quiet remark, Kafka finally stood up and left.
Not long afterward, she boarded her small spaceship and returned to the Stellaron Hunters' hideout, while also taking the opportunity to pre-order a property in Belobog's new city district.
Perhaps the next time she returned to Belobog, it would no longer be a temporary visit, but a decision to settle down.
After all, as long as Lucian was somewhere, relocating her home to that location would naturally bring her closer to him—making everything far more convenient.
===
[A bonus chapter for every 300 Power Stones.]
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