Chapter 466: The day of a busy father – II |
"...I think that's it, right?" John looked through his list one more time to make sure.
Mira-chan floated down to read it too. Then she nodded and said, "Looks like it!"
"Alright. Then..." John rolled his office chair over to his keyboard and turned on his PC. "Now to create the credentials for the other girls, remember to schedule a proper meeting with them, arrange a meeting with Hope-"
A soft *ding* echoed from across the room. The sound of the elevator door to John's office.
John blinked. "Huh."
Considering that he was the CEO, the only people who should be able to come up here to his office were the girls, Myth Inc. staff, and Takashi along with the security crew.
But everyone should be busy right now?
John paused and then turned towards the elevator doors, curious on who was coming to meet him on a Saturday afternoon of all times.
And then the doors opened. As for who had come to visit...
There was a flash of crimson and then a delicate hand plucked Meggie away from John.
"Apologies, Father." Betty held Meggie back and said, "Meggie has been quite... shall we say, put out with her recent date?"
Meggie turned a beet-red and said, "IT WAS NOT A DATE!"
A soft giggle echoed from the elevator as another person walked out. A beautiful young woman with crimson eyes and silky black hair. John's eldest daughter, Alphy.
Alphy smiled at Meggie and said, "You say that, Meggie. But I heard from Rin about how you carried a flower on each shoulder as you ran off from school..."
"I DID-" Meggie paused and then mumbled, "Okay, maybe I did. Technically. BUT THAT'S NOT THE POINT!" Still straining against Betty's grip, Meggie pointed at John and said, "I NEED LIFE COUNSELING DAD AND I NEED IT NOW!"
John slowly blinked. Then he looked at his daughters. The three daughters he had been with the longest, and who he actually hadn't seen together for a long while.
For a brief moment, he reminisced at just how much they had changed.
Alphy... Magnum Opus Alpha.
She had been with John the longest. His first creation in the Three Realms, and his first daughter... She was originally made as a combat automaton to help protect him when he was still getting strong enough to protect himself. A young woman modeled after his first disciple, who treated Alphy as her own daughter in a way from how close they were.
Even so, back in the Three Realms she had always been stiff. Dutybound and focused on pure destruction. As the one with the highest combat power, she had always been on edge, focused on destroying the enemy in front of her.
But now she was this. A beautiful young woman who enjoyed dressing up, talking with her friends, and lightly teasing the woman she loved. Someone completely relaxed and so lovable that she was treated as a goddess by her fans, some devoted enough to rework their entire lives in her honor.
John shifted his gaze to his second eldest daughter next.
Betty... Ars Nova Beta.
John's second creation, the daughter that came into being as a second opinion. She was designed with 'wisdom' from the start to help John navigate through the dangerous Three Realms. And over time, because she spent a lot of time with Su Daji, Betty slowly shifted her appearance to match.
Of course, that came with its own set of problems. Due to the precious materials used to create Betty and Su Daji's own beauty...
Well, the 'incident' in the Three Realms didn't happen without reason.
But setting that aside...
She was different too.
When they had first arrived here on Earth, Betty had been completely formal. Stiff. Like an AI who had to learn what feeling was like... or like a child genius who was too terrified of saying the wrong answer.
She wasn't like that anymore.
Betty teased, joked. She actually used informal language at times...
But there was also the fact that she could enjoy herself properly. Dabbling in creative works, running her own studio, just honestly expressing herself...
It made John happy to hear about every time they chatted, even if he didn't often get a chance to since they were both busy.
And finally, Meggie. Omega... the first 'child' formed from John and his wife. One created by exchanging life essence, dao comprehension, and various precious treasures.
At the time, Yue had been impatient and wanted immediate proof that John would stay. And she wanted a child too... but she didn't want to do it the traditional way yet.
It had still been early on in their relationship before Yue was comfortable dropping her role as a princess and be physically intimate.
Maybe that was why...
Meggie had always been trying to get his attention. Yue's too. She probably had a sense that she wasn't a 'real' daughter, even if she came from both of them.
Inferiority and a bit of insecurity entwined as one. Something that got worse after John immediately headed to Earth after breaking through as a Transcendent.
It had been... well, quite an ordeal.
But Meggie wasn't like that anymore. She was secure in who she was, unabashedly certain that her parents loved her, and also never worried about Aurora taking her place.
So much, that she was fine with completely throwing propriety out the window and doing stuff like this, running directly to John and demanding things.
Looking at all three of his daughters together, the ones who had come so much since they all arrived here on Earth...
John couldn't help but tear up a bit.
Meggie immediately froze. "D-Dad?"
Betty paused as well, looking at John with concern. "Father? What's the matter?"
Alphy's eyes widened and she quickly crossed the room, reaching out to hold John's hands. "Papa... Why are you crying?"
John laughed and gently freed one hand from Alphy's. Then he wiped his tears away and said, "Nothing. Just... I get what they say now. Getting old really does make you more emotional."
It was something that he could never have even conceived back in the Three Realms. And it was also something he never would have even thought could happen when he arrived on Earth.
John looked at his daughters again, who were all looking at him with genuine concern. Then he let out a soft smile and said, "Man. I really am lucky, huh?"
Despite everything, they were here. Despite everything, they were happy. Despite everything, they could finally, finally be at ease. And they WERE at ease, living their best lives in whatever way they wanted.
"Ugh." Meggie's golden eyes glimmered and she averted her gaze. "Stupid Dad. Why do you have to go and make it all mushy...?!"
Betty calmly wiped her iridescent eyes and murmured, "Unfair, Father. I was not prepared for emotional warfare this afternoon."
Unlike her younger sister, Alphy didn't cry. But she gently massaged John's hand and said, "It's not you that's lucky, Papa. It's all of us. Like Asako says. The past is in the past. If we're happy now... that's what matters. Right?"
John laughed and said, "Quoting Asako now, huh? Guess I really do have to prepare for her to be part of our family, don't I?"
Alphy blushed but she didn't deny it.
John smiled and then looked towards his youngest daughter. "Alright, Meggie. You said you wanted life counseling? Let's- wait." John blinked, suddenly realizing that all three of his daughters showing up together was NOT something normal. "...Why are you ALL here right now? Am I forgetting something else?"
Betty pulled out a pair of glasses and put them on. She definitely didn't need them, but it seemed like it was a calming habit for her. When she wore the glasses, Betty relaxed and said, "It was a coincidence, actually."
Alphy nodded. "Mmhm! It turns out, we all needed something from Papa today!"
Meggie crossed her arms with a huff. "Yeah. And you'd better not ignore me just because my big sisters are here!"
"Of course I wouldn't, Meggie." John smiled and said, "Let's start with you then." His eyes sparkled with mischief as he said, "So... love triangle, huh?"
"Grk." Meggie froze, apparently JUST realizing who she was talking to, what she was talking about, and who else was in the room with her.
Alphy paused and then let go of John's hand. Then she slowly turned to look at Meggie, mischief glittering in her eyes as well. "Oh? My dear sister is in love already?"
Betty adjusted her glasses, making the lenses turn white with glare. Then she smiled and said, "Interesting... I happen to be an expert in relationship concerns these days, Meggie. Let us hear it."
Meggie swept her eyes between John, Alphy, and Betty. Then she swallowed and said, "I-I change my mind. I'll handle it on my own-"
Betty immediately blocked the elevator and placed a hand on Meggie's shoulder. "No, Meggie. I insist."
Alphy crossed the room and placed a hand on Meggie's other shoulder. "That's right~ Let your big sisters give you proper love advice, Meggie."
"DAD!"
"What?" John tilted his head. "It's a very dire situation, isn't it? And better us than your mom."
Meggie froze. Then she groaned. "...True."
"Right." John nodded. "So... what's the problem?"
Meggie sighed. Then she started explaining. "Well..."