"Mom! Dad!"
"Anna!"
Karen and Huey, who had been waiting in a state of agonizing anxiety at their home, jolted at Charlie's sudden appearance. However, their shock was instantly swept away by a tidal wave of joy at the sight of their daughter, whole and unharmed.
"Are you alright, Anna? Did they... did they do anything to you?"
Karen pulled her daughter into a crushing embrace, as if fearing that letting go would cause Anna to vanish again. Her voice broke with the profound maternal grief of someone who had nearly lost her entire world.
"I'm fine, Mom!" Anna sobbed into her mother's shoulder. "Charlie-san saved me... he got me out just before things turned for the worse!"
Standing nearby, Huey kept his head bowed, his face a mask of shame and regret.
"Anna... forgive your useless father! I swear, I promise I will never touch a card or a die again for as long as I live!"
"..."
Watching the emotional reunion from a short distance, Charlie could only scoff inwardly at Huey's declaration. As a former police officer, he had heard these honeyed promises far too many times.
Everything a gambler says is hot air. They rarely change, and they never truly repent. As long as they have coin, they will wager it. When they run out, they will bleed the moneylenders.
(I'll give Huey one final chance. If he truly turns over a new leaf, fine. But if he crawls back to that disgusting habit... it won't be too late for me to remove him quietly and make it look like a tragic accident.)
Considering Huey's sin—wagering his own flesh and blood—Charlie, who usually showed zero tolerance for such filth, decided to grant a second and final opportunity.
Truthfully, he was skeptical. Human nature was as slippery as an eel. Faced with massive gain, most failed to maintain their original resolve; or, those who tried often met some unforeseen tragedy that warped their character entirely.
After the initial outpouring of grief and relief, the Claes family approached Charlie with deep reverence.
"Charlie-sama... thank you for saving Anna." Karen wiped the remaining tears from her eyes. "Without you, I fear I would never have held her again."
"I know a simple thank you can never repay the debt of her life or your kindness to this family. But right now, we have nothing of value left to give... we are completely penniless!" Huey offered a bitter, self-deprecating smile at the poverty he had manufactured. "Instead, if you'll have me, I am willing to be your beast of burden! I will do any work, no matter how menial, to pay you back!"
Seeing Huey preparing to prostrate himself, Charlie caught the man's shoulders and pulled him upright.
"There's no need for that. If you're truly sorry, prove it by being a good father and husband. Focus on your family, and above all... never gamble again."
"Yes, yes! Charlie-sama is right! I've learned the hardest way possible... gambling only ends in total ruin!" Huey nodded fervently, like a chicken pecking at grain, desperate to convince Charlie of his sincerity.
"As for your debts, don't worry about them. Consider the slate wiped clean. No one will be coming to collect."
"Truly?! Thank you, Charlie-sama!"
Huey's eyes lit up with profound relief. He mistakenly assumed Charlie had personally paid off his creditors. The reality was far darker.
Save for the mastermind behind the grand conspiracy, everyone involved in the scheme to trap Huey—from the loan sharks to the casino owner who coveted Anna—had been erased from existence. If they hadn't died by Charlie's hand, they had been incinerated in the El Dorado Resort blast orchestrated by his mysterious enemy.
"Anyway, it's very late. I won't intrude on your reunion any longer."
Despite Charlie's calm tone, a faint furrow appeared on his brow, and beads of cold sweat began to prickle at his temples.
Anna stepped forward, her eyes shimmering with an unreadable light.
"Thank you, Charlie-san... Not just for getting me out of there, but for always being there when we need you most. I... I don't know what would have happened if it had been anyone else."
She looked down, her voice dropping to a soft, emphasized whisper. "Whenever you feel weary from your adventures, my door will always be open to you. Please, take care of yourself."
"..."
Hearing the weighted subtext of those words, Karen and Huey exchanged a look. As parents, they knew all too well that their daughter had lost her heart to the young man before them. Yet, instead of joy, their hearts were clouded with apprehension.
It wasn't that they disapproved—who wouldn't want a son-in-law like Charlie?—but they were acutely aware of the chasm between them. They were mere civilians with no influence, while Charlie was a Level 6 adventurer, the pinnacle of power in Orario, one of a handful in existence.
To them, hoping for a youth with such a brilliant future to stand beside a common girl like Anna felt like a dream reaching too high for the stars.
"Mm."
Oblivious to the Claes' internal turmoil, Charlie gave a curt nod as a final farewell to Anna. He couldn't stay any longer; the pain was becoming unbearable.
With a single thought, he activated the Hundred Gauntlets. In an instant, the space around him distorted, and he vanished through causal teleportation, leaving the family in a night that now felt much more peaceful.
◆━⊰✿✧✿⊱━◆
*SWISH!*
Charlie materialized abruptly in the center of the Empyrean Citadel's courtyard. He stumbled slightly, his breathing heavy, shattering the silence of the estate.
On the terrace, Astraea, Aishia, Est, and Kei—four women of striking beauty—had rushed out, startled by the massive tremors and the roar of the explosion that had just rocked Orario.
"Charlie-san! Do you know what caused that explosion? The vibration reached all the way here!" Kei asked, her tone a mix of curiosity and worry.
Charlie struggled to steady his labored breathing. "Sorry, Kei... let's discuss that later. There's something more urgent."
"Charlie. You're hurt." Aishia interrupted suddenly.
"Hah... I guess I really can't hide anything from you, Aishia." Charlie said with a wry, pained smile.
He stopped trying to play the hero. In front of those he trusted most, he felt no need to maintain a facade of toughness. His consciousness flickered, the world tilted into shadow, and his body slumped forward.
Astraea: "Charlie!"
Shirogane Kei: "Charlie-san!"
Est: "Onii-chan!"
Only Aishia reacted with god-like speed. Before Charlie could hit the ground, she had caught him, pulling him into a tight embrace. She immediately focused her Spirit Arts to scan his internal condition. However, her expression turned to one of pure horror as she realized her healing magic was practically sliding off the wound.
Now, she understood why Charlie hadn't healed himself. It wasn't that he wouldn't; he couldn't.
There were traces of an alien power actively suppressing and slowing his regenerative process.
Realizing the situation was far more dire than it appeared, Aishia swept Charlie up into a princess carry. Without wasting a second, she sprinted into the house, followed by the frantic gazes of the other girls as they swarmed around them.
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