"Sir, Lady Alena has arrived."
Hearing that, Tyler raised his head and nodded. He saw a lady walking in. She wore a short skirt that reached her knees and a white shirt.
She had short black hair and milky skin. Just from the looks alone, she was no different than a princess. Even her walk was quite elegant.
"Rose, Mistake, give us some space!"
Rose and Misaka nodded at the same time before leaving the room.
"Tyler, it is so hard to meet you. Do I even need to have an appointment just to meet my love?"
Alena pouted as she walked in front of his desk and sat in the chair.
Hearing this, Tyler's lips twitched.
Although Alena was beautiful, she wasn't more beautiful than Rose.
He couldn't even bring himself to fall in love with Rose, who was more devoted to him.
So, how could love Alena?
Especially her love stemmed from her father's pressure and his incredible strength.
If her father weren't one of the five hunters of this city, he would have directly rejected her.
She had two sisters, and both of them married nobles from the Azure Country.
If Tyler hadn't helped John after the Outbreak, he was sure John would've left the moment he got the Natural Fruit.
After all, the strength of his city was several times weaker than the country.
Even Jacob, Liam, and Martin were staying in the city out of gratitude for changing their lives and giving them an opportunity after the Outbreak.
That Outbreak was the lowest point for every single person in this city.
Not only did they lose their family and friends, but they also lost their wealth and houses.
Most of them weren't rich. They lived outside the country because they couldn't afford to buy a house.
As for taxes, they didn't even need to think about that.
But it did come with the risk. Spirits could hunt them at any moment. Although people started living in villages, they weren't safe.
They didn't have the budget to build a proper Golden Light Formation that could repel weaker spirits.
So when Tyler used his personal wealth to build a city where he purchased Golden Light Formation from his pocket, built houses, and provided food, he became their savior.
It wasn't about fighting some monsters.
It was about using what he had.
From the perspective of those people, he could've easily hired a hunter and taken him to the country.
He could even go buy a Natural Fruit for himself with that wealth.
But instead of doing all that, he simply chose to donate his wealth.
Yeah! They even used the word 'donate' to describe Tyler's action.
They did have to pay back the money for the house, but it wasn't truly a problem since Tyler didn't give them any contract.
In other words, if they wanted, they could leave this city at any moment and never return.
This truly touched the hearts of the masses, and they accepted this city as their new home.
That's why, despite every success, John wasn't planning on leaving.
Instead, he focused on getting Tyler and Alena together.
And that's why Tyler was currently in this tough situation.
He wanted to reject Alena directly, but he was also a bit afraid of disappointing John.
'Enough is enough! If John does plan to leave after my rejection, it means my vision was wrong.'
Tyler strengthened his belief and spoke.
"Alena, as much as I like to call you my love, I am still not interested in love and marriage."
Before giving her a chance to speak, Tyler stood up and walked towards the window.
He looked at Alena and asked.
"Can you come here?"
Alena was confused by his blunt rejection. Although she found that Tyler wasn't in love with her, he never rejected her before.
So, why now?
Was it because of that woman? That thought came to her mind, and it lingered.
But she followed him towards the window as Tyler pointed outside.
He was pointing at the city buildings. Several buildings connected by roads with houses of different colors and shapes.
"This is what I built in one year. This is probably my best achievement."
Alena also felt a heartfelt emotion.
She still remembered that horrible night. The last thing she remembered was the cries of people.
She lost consciousness, and the next day, she woke up, only to find her mother and brother dead.
Her father managed to protect three of his daughters, but he couldn't protect his son and wife.
That was probably the day when her father lost all hope. Their wealth was gone, their house was destroyed, and they didn't even have food for that day.
At that moment, a young man she didn't even know suddenly came forward and helped them.
That young man also lost his parents and everyone close to him. But most of his wealth was kept in the form of gold in a bank.
So the very next day, he used his wealth to help many people, including her family.
That's why she always had a secret crush on him.
She was a bit afraid that he wouldn't like her since she was three years older than him.
Due to the fear of losing his daughters, her father married her elder sisters to the noble families in the Azure Country.
He even borrowed some money from Tyler just for their marriage.
After that, she confessed to her father about her crush, and her father tried everything to get them together.
'I'm so sorry for disappointing you, Dad.'
Alena bitterly smiled as she thought to herself. From that rejection, she knew Tyler wouldn't accept her love.
It was clear that her love was just an unrequited love.
She forcefully closed her eyes, stopping those tears.
Tyler didn't speak. He knew she was digesting his words. And, she did, she slowly opened her eyes and stared at the city.
From those ruins to a secure city, Tyler had truly created a miracle.
And, it wasn't just with money.
If it were so easy to create such a city with just money, there would've been many cities like this.
"It's beautiful."
Tyler smiled and continued.
"And, I plan to keep it that way. But now, it is only beautiful. It is not safe enough. So, it is my duty as a City Lord to keep it safe."
"Alena, I have a hard time trusting people. You should know this."
Alena slowly let out a chuckle as she nodded.
"Yeah, you haven't even hired another worker after Rose."
Tyler turned his head towards her and said.
"It's because I feel lonely. I am afraid that no matter how hard I try, people will one day leave me."
"You are afraid of betrayal?" Alena softly asked.
"I am afraid of not giving people enough." Tyler solemnly replied.
"That's not how you should live. You shouldn't leave for others." Alena sternly answered.
Tyler clenched his fists. He turned his head towards the window and said.
"I am afraid that my life will be over if I don't achieve something. It's like a soft voice speaking in my ears to do something outstanding."
Alena held his fist and spoke.
"You are afraid that if you don't do something, that voice will disappear."
"I am afraid that without that voice, my life will have no meaning. I feel frustrated, Alena."
"I know you and John are loyal, but I am always afraid that if I reject you, he will leave the city."
At this moment, Alena smiled. Looking out of the window, she spoke.
Unlike before, her smile was no longer bitter. It was filled with relief as she spoke.
"So, you haven't liked me for a long time? I guess you always showed me that, but I never took it seriously. After all, I only turned nineteen."
She turned back at him and continued.
"Tyler, it's normal for you to feel like you are not doing enough. You are not a God. You are not even an adult."
"You are only sixteen. And, you have achieved so much at such age. So, take it easy!"
"But I also want to say something, Tyler. Unless I fall in love with someone else or unless someone persistently chases after me, I will always wait for you."
Hearing that, Tyler strangely felt a lot of weight falling off his shoulders. He closed his eyes for a moment and suddenly opened them.
"Then, why don't you become a hunter?"
His words made her flustered.
"Me? I…I've never thought of becoming one." Alena fumbled as she replied.
"That's only because you haven't tried. Alena, Hunters will soon change the world. I don't want you to remain behind."
Tyler replied as he took out one of the Natural Fruits from his system's inventory.
"Take this and become a hunter!"
Alena blinked. She wasn't expecting Tyler to give her a Natural Fruit so easily.
She suspiciously glanced at him and asked.
"This isn't a compensation for your rejection, is it?"
"Of course not!"
Tyler rolled his eyes.
"Good! Otherwise, I would've thrown it away. By the way, I will be spending tonight in your mansion."