Permission from Dad

"Pardon?"

"What did you say?"

Both Robert and Ryan stood struck utterly speechless.

"You're familiar with the Guardianship System, aren't you?" Ceria asked.

It was a legal framework wherein a state-sanctioned citizen could assume legal custody of a minor lacking parental guardians. Alongside formal adoption, it had served as a vital lifeline rescuing countless war orphans in the years following the conflict.

"If my father agrees to become Ryan's guardian, there won't be any major issues," Ceria explained breezily. "He can live at our house, attend school, and settle in without difficulty. Having a stable daily life should make recovering his lost memories much easier, too."

For the Commander of the Western Knights, obtaining guardianship authorization would hardly take an ounce of effort. No one in the region would dare raise an objection.

"...It is certainly not a bad proposal," Robert said cautiously. "However, whether Lord Johann would so readily grant his consent is..."

"Don't worry about that. I'll handle the talking," Ceria replied. "Do you have a telephone here? I absentmindedly left my communication panel on my bike."

Robert gestured toward the desk telephone situated across the research wing. Leaving Ryan behind in a bewildered stupor, Ceria darted straight over and snatched up the receiver.

Her fingers flew across the keypad before pressing the receiver tightly to her ear. Once connected, Ceria reported everything that had transpired up to this moment without omitting a detail.

Then, dropping her voice to a discreet whisper that neither Robert nor Ryan could catch, she slipped in one crucial revelation: that Ryan seemed to be *that person*.

Insisting with fierce conviction that he was undoubtedly the one, she threw everything she had into persuading Johann. She promised to do all her chores, swore to finish every homework assignment, vowed to train harder than ever—bargaining desperately with every condition she could muster.

Faced with his daughter's earnest, breathless pleading, Johann eventually threw his hands up in defeat.

As she listened intently to her father's reply, Ceria's face gradually brightened into a brilliant smile.

"I love you, Dad!"

Ceria hung up the receiver with a triumphant clatter and turned back to relay Johann's terms.

First, the administrative procedures would take at least a week, even under the most expedited circumstances.

Second, while the formal paperwork would be initiated in advance, Johann reserved the final decision until he met Ryan face-to-face.

Third, upon passing approval and clearing the Awakener Examination, Ryan would be assigned to Special Training Team 2.

"Thank you very much," Robert said with a polite bow. "This is entirely thanks to you, Lady Ceria."

"Don't mention it. Ah, could I ask one small favor?"

"Ask anything you wish."

"May I take Ryan with me into the residential sector?"

"As ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠long as you are accompanying him, Lady Ceria, there should be no problem... provided combat weaponry is not brought inside."

Ceria wore an expression that made it clear such restrictions were trivial. With their arrangements settled, Ryan and Ceria stepped out of the research wing into the open air.

She was practically buzzing with excitement at the thought of taking Ryan with her all the way to Westgard. Since they were going to be living together under the same roof, there was no longer any need to keep things stiff or formal. Though she did not yet know his exact age, an instinctive longing to be close and friendly prompted her words to slip into easy, casual speech.

"Ryan! Let's head over to the residential sector together!"

"W-Why all of a sudden...?"

Ryan blinked, caught off guard by the abrupt drop in honorifics. It wasn't that he disliked the prospect of living in a nice house or being sent to school. Sharing a home with her would keep them in close proximity, which might very well increase his chances of recovering his memories. He was simply startled by how warmly and familiarly she was acting when she had spoken to him with impeccable courtesy only moments ago.

Before he could fully process the whiplash, the two of them set off toward the residential quarters. Naturally, Ryan handled the driving.

Situated on the far northwestern periphery, District 48 was a modest settlement with fewer than two hundred residents, where even the tallest building barely reached five stories. The farmers Ryan had stopped to help along the road were all locals from this very district.

Ceria flashed her identification card to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the sentry knight guarding the perimeter gate and swaggered into the residential zone as if she had just accomplished something monumental, in stark contrast to Ryan, who walked with taut shoulders at entering such an unfamiliar space.

"Hey, why did you suddenly want to come to the residential sector?" Ryan asked.

"Finally dropping the formalities, are you? You didn't say a single word the whole ride here!"

"Well... it felt awkward if you were talking casually and I stayed formal..."

"I like it~ Keep talking to me like that from now on! Come on, we've got to go pack my bags."

"Pack your bags? Why?"

"Did you honestly think I was just going to stay here in the residential quarters? Until the paperwork clears, I'm staying at the research bunker with you. So obviously, I need my things."

"You didn't tell Mr. Robert that, did you?"

"Uhhh... I forgot! I'll just break the news to him when we get back."

Cutting through the center of the settlement, they arrived before a two-story prefabricated steel structure. Ceria tapped her identification against the panel beside the entryway, and the heavy door unlocked with a metallic click.

"This is the District 48 Knight Post. The garrisoned knights use the first floor, and the second floor is reserved for dispatched knights. So up we go!"

When she pushed open the second-floor door, it revealed a sprawling common room large enough to swallow four of the bedroom Ryan had been given at the bunker. In the center of the lounge sat a round table encircled by four chairs, while a massive, enigmatic black panel dominated one entire wall.

Ryan stopped in his tracks, staring blankly into the reflective dark glass as though looking into a mirror. Watching him, Ceria burst into helpless giggles. She had initially harbored slight doubts when Robert claimed Ryan had virtually no memories, but seeing him now made the reality painfully obvious.

"You really have no idea what this is, do you, Ryan? Look at this."

Ceria retrieved the handheld panel she had retrieved from her bike and docked it into a black terminal resting on the floor. Instantly, the wall-mounted black surface blazed to life with a clean white glow, populating with an array of colorful icons.

"Calls, directory, broadcasts..." Ryan murmured.

"Both the big screen and the little one are called communication panels. They let you talk to people far away, see their faces, or watch fun programs sent out by broadcasting stations. And among all of that..."

Ceria tapped a book-shaped icon on the handheld screen, and a long directory of names cascaded across the display. When she selected one on the small device, the identical entry highlighted simultaneously on the wall panel.

It was the roster of Special Training Team 2, just as Ryan had seen in the magazine. Flanked on either side of the nickname for Europe Jupiter—'Lope Unnie'—were mysterious little heart symbols.

"It might feel a little awkward to say hello right away, right? I'll introduce you properly later, so wait inside my room for a minute, okay? Don't touch anything!"

"All right."

Gathering from the layout that her quarters were the room deeper down the hall, Ryan began walking toward the door, only for Ceria to scramble forward and block his path with both arms outstretched.

"W-Wait! Are you seriously about to barge straight into a girl's bedroom?!"

Slipping inside alone, she shut the door behind her. A frantic cacophony of clattering and rustling echoed from within for what felt like an eternity before the door finally swung open to let him enter.

Shortly after the door clicked shut behind him, the muffled sounds of lively conversation filtered through from the living room. Ryan couldn't make out the exact words, but the bright, cheerful atmosphere of the exchange was unmistakable.

Left alone in the bedroom, Ryan cast his eyes around the space. By all appearances, this was where Ceria had been sleeping throughout her deployment. Outdoor clothes hung neatly on a rack, garments poked haphazardly from drawers that had been shut in a desperate hurry, and the bed was draped entirely in a rumpled duvet that seemed to be concealing something bulky.

Curiosity getting the better of him, he lifted a corner of the bulging blanket to inspect the contents.

If she wanted to hide these, she should've tucked them in properly. She has two plushies practically the same size as her. One's a teddy bear, and the other... a bird?

Every single personal item sparked his curiosity, but remembering her warning, he kept his hands firmly to himself.

This is a world apart from my room at the bunker. I didn't have anything in mine.

After some time, Ceria stepped back inside. Her eyes swept the room at once, clearly checking whether he had actually obeyed her instruction not to meddle with her things.

"You didn't touch anything, did you?"

"No. I swear I didn't lay a finger on anything."

"Make sure you do the same next time you come into my room. Keep in mind that getting invited into a girl's room isn't something that just happens, okay~?"

"Then why did you make me wait in here?"

"W-Well, I couldn't just let you stand there watching me chat with the older team members! That would've been way more embarrassing!"

Judging by the crimson flush spreading across her cheeks, she meant every word. Patting her cheeks briskly with both palms to compose herself, Ceria hauled out a travel suitcase from the corner. She began packing her belongings one by one until virtually everything aside from the heavy furniture was neatly stowed inside.

Once everything was packed, Ceria surveyed the room to ensure nothing had been overlooked. The bed was cleared, and the desk was spotless. She felt an inward burst of pride, glad to have demonstrated her thoroughness to Ryan—right up until Ryan pulled a sheaf of documents from the storage compartment beneath the bed frame.

"Ceria, is this yours?"

"Oh, uh... yeah."

She reached out to take the papers, but Ryan was already scanning through the pages.

"What's this? Names, ages, last known locations...?"

The dossier contained detailed personal profiles of multiple individuals. Ceria had intended to set aside a proper time to explain if he ever asked, but since he had already seen it, she decided it was best to lay it out immediately.

"That file is the whole reason I came to District 48. Let's sit down—it's a bit much to explain while standing."

The two pulled up chairs and sat side by side at the desk. Ceria cleared her throat, her playful demeanor giving way to solemnity as she began to explain her mission.

"Recently, people have been disappearing one after another here in District 48. Starting with the first victim last year, twelve people have vanished so far. That means one out of every twenty residents in District 48 is gone."

The document contained the identities and last known locations of each missing individual. Every single one of them was a farmer who had vanished in the early morning while heading out to tend their crops.

"When you say disappeared... you mean literally?" Ryan asked.

"Yes. Not a single body has been recovered. You know that demons don't eat humans, right? And there aren't any large predatory beasts living anywhere near this region either."

"And you came all the way out here to investigate that?"

"More than investigating, I just wanted to help the people living here. When I learned that things like this were happening to a struggling farming village, I felt pathetic just lounging around training comfortably back in Westgard."

Ceria pushed back her chair and stood up abruptly.

"Well, though it's only been about a week since I arrived!"

Although the disappearances had begun the previous year, the string of incidents had only been formally escalated as an official case to the knight order last week. After occurring once every two to three months, five people had vanished in rapid succession over the course of a mere fifteen days, finally triggering a formal inquiry.

Ever since arriving in District 48, Ceria had spent her mornings patrolling the outskirts on her motorcycle during the hours farmers went to work their fields. Fortunately, the past week had been entirely peaceful. At most, she had eliminated a few stray low-tier demons that wandered near the residential borders.

So that dead demon I came across earlier... Ceria had killed it before I arrived.

"There's an inspector from the Inspection Bureau dispatched here as well, though he isn't around right now," Ceria continued. "The actual criminal investigation is his responsibility. But it sounds like his progress has hit a complete dead end."

The moment she finished speaking, Ceria leaned in abruptly, closing the distance between them. Startled by the sudden intimacy, Ryan instinctively leaned back.

"W-What is it all of a sudden...?"

"Um... Ryan, I sprang that whole 'let's live together' thing on you out of nowhere. You were pretty shocked, weren't you?"

"Uh... I mean, I was surprised, but... it wasn't that bad."

"I'm sorry. That was honestly the only solution I could think of. Looking back on it now, I feel like I completely ran over you without asking how you felt..."

Seeing Ceria suddenly turn bashful and apologetic felt entirely unfamiliar. It was impossible to reconcile this flustered girl with the bold, headstrong knight who had been dragging him forward all morning. But with the proposal already conveyed to Johann, it wasn't ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠as though they could take it back, and Ryan had truly been surprised rather than displeased. Above all, since they were going to be living under the same roof, it felt ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠far too early for her to be apologizing.

"It's really fine," Ryan said gently. "If anything, I'm grateful you invited me into your home. Mr. Robert's research facility is... nice, but it doesn't feel like the kind of place a person should stay for very long..."

"Really? Truly?! Oh, Ryan~ thank you!"

At his reassuring words, a radiant vitality surged back into Ceria's wide, expressive eyes. Overwhelmed by a sudden swell of uncontainable joy, she threw both arms around his neck and pulled him into a tight, breathless embrace.

An instant later, the realization of what she had just done struck her like lightning. She leaped backward to her original spot in a panic, her face flushing crimson down to the tips of her ears. Yet even as heat blazed beneath her skin, a quiet certainty resonated deep within her chest—that today, more than any day in her life, felt like the work of destiny.