Their voices echoed in unison.
Gabriel—Ash—smiled faintly.
Behind his closed eyelids, his mind raced.
A good scene.
Perfect composition.
Neat formation.
Formal acknowledgment.
And yet…
The atmosphere felt slightly lacking.
This should have happened at night.
Under the moonlight.
With thick mist shrouding the city walls.
That would have created a far more dramatic scenario.
But…
One could be grateful.
Even this bright daylight was satisfying enough.
He nodded slightly.
The mana pressure that had been bearing down on the General Members vanished instantly.
Meanwhile, the members who had earlier acted aggressively froze in shock.
Understandably so.
The figure they had accused of being an intruder was, in fact, someone who commanded Alpha to kneel.
Epsilon knelt.
Even Eta lowered her head.
And that alone conveyed what didn't need to be said—they had just aimed their weapons at one of the highest-ranking figures in the Shadow Garden hierarchy.
"For those of our members who did not immediately recognize you," Alpha said, keeping her head bowed, "please administer a severe punishment!"
Before Gabriel could respond, Morgan raised her right hand gracefully.
"No need," she said calmly, her voice cold yet fair. "They are still new. Do not punish them. Praise them instead—for having the courage to aim their weapons at an unknown enemy without hesitation."
Her statement made some of the members who had been trembling bow even deeper.
"Understood," Alpha replied without hesitation.
The General Members who had previously challenged Gabriel immediately dropped to their knees.
"We beg your forgiveness, Ash-sama!"
"Our mistake is unforgivable!"
Their voices rang out in unison, now filled with respect and tension.
Gabriel only gave a faint smile.
No reprimand.
No punishment.
He and Morgan walked leisurely past the bowing ranks, entering the grand gates of Alexandria.
Once past the walls, the view of the city spread out before them.
Busier.
More alive.
Buildings taller, distribution routes more organized—helping the Shadow Garden members' activities run systematically.
Gabriel smiled.
"This city has grown livelier since the last time Ash left it," he said softly.
Then his eyes—still closed—shifted toward the sky above the workshop buildings.
A large object floated in the air.
An elongated structure with giant balloons and a metal frame.
It looked like a cigar.
"And… what is that? A Zeppelin?"
He turned slightly, glancing toward Eta.
"Eta built this?" he asked, his tone tinged with curiosity.
Eta pushed her glasses up with one finger.
"Correct, Ash-sama," she replied flatly, though a hint of hidden enthusiasm showed. "It is the latest prototype for long-distance aerial transport and strategic observation."
She looked at the Zeppelin hovering steadily.
"Constructed recently. Still in the testing phase. Mana stability and propulsion systems are not yet fully optimized."
Nearby, Alpha had stood up, followed by Epsilon and the others.
She stepped closer to Gabriel, standing slightly at his side.
"That is the second prototype," Alpha explained calmly.
Gabriel tilted his head slightly.
"Second prototype?"
Alpha nodded slowly.
"The first one… had a minor incident."
Minor.
That word was understated to the extreme.
"During the initial test, the mana conversion system experienced an unexpected surge. Instead of maintaining altitude, it kept rising uncontrollably."
Eta interjected in her straightforward scientific tone, "Technically, that was maximum thrust success."
A few of the Numbers listening stiffened slightly.
Memories of that test day were far from erased.
Mana explosions.
Emergency alarms.
And a massive object ascending… piercing the sky with no way to stop it.
"And to this day," Alpha added calmly, "it has not returned."
A silence fell among them.
The midday wind drifted softly through Alexandria's main streets.
Amidst the atmosphere, Gabriel's mind raced.
The first prototype.
It had flown beyond the atmosphere.
And had not returned.
For some reason, instead of seeing it as a failure, he imagined something far more absurd.
A zeppelin in this world… evolving into a spacecraft?
The initial transition from air balloon → orbital vehicle → interplanetary exploration…!?
He froze.
Partly amazed.
Partly concerned.
And slightly… unsure how to even react.
"Sending an air balloon beyond the planet" was clearly not what he had anticipated.
Morgan cast him a quick glance.
She knew.
Gabriel was holding back countless thoughts, refusing to voice them.
Meanwhile, Eta stared at the sky with the expression of a scientist who genuinely saw nothing wrong.
"Theoretically," Eta murmured softly, "if we triple the mana output, we could achieve a stable orbit."
Several Numbers stiffened.
Alpha remained calm.
And Gabriel's lip twitched.
He truly didn't know… whether to feel proud or start cutting the research budget…
***
Several hours had passed.
The late afternoon now dominated the sky above Alexandria, draping the city in a warm, golden light.
During that time, Gabriel had toured nearly every corner of the city—ranging from production facilities, training barracks, and logistics warehouses, to the gardens that sustained internal self-sufficiency.
He had even reviewed the summaries of the past six years neatly compiled by Alpha.
Technically, none of this was necessary.
Alpha had managed everything with near-perfect precision.
Yet as Ash—the figure who always thought in long-term schemes and layered scenarios—direct verification was a duty.
Now, Gabriel sat comfortably in a small gazebo near Alexandria's cocoa garden.
The evening breeze stirred gently, carrying the soothing scent of earth and leaves.
On the wooden table before him lay several of the latest reports.
A glass of chilled chocolate sat beaded with condensation beside them.
And a plate of softly colored macarons.
Enough time for production, quality testing, and design refinement to maximize market value.
As initial capital, he was even willing to part with his Vibranium armor and combat pants.
To anyone else, that decision might seem reckless—far too costly to sacrifice. Yet for him, it was not a loss, but a step that was simply due.
Old equipment, no matter how strong, remained the past. And the past would never be enough to embrace greater power.
Gabriel reached for his chilled chocolate.
A thin layer of condensation ran down the glass, while the ice inside clinked softly.
He took a slow sip, without any rush—as if the decision he had just made was merely a small part of a much larger plan.
"Second Boss…!!!"
A bright, energetic voice rang out from a distance, accompanied by the pounding of heavy footsteps on the ground.
Gabriel's Ki perception immediately recognized the source.
Very familiar.
He exhaled slowly, resigned.
Calmly, he set his glass of iced chocolate on the table, stepped out of the gazebo, and spread his arms wide—already perfectly anticipating what was about to happen.
The next moment, a figure shot forward like a bullet and slammed into him with brutal force.
CRASH—!!!
Both were thrown hundreds of meters, gouging the ground, shattering the pavement, before finally crashing into a building, causing it to collapse.
Dust and debris billowed high into the air.
A few General Members who happened to be nearby could only freeze in shock.
Inside the half-destroyed building—Gabriel lay sprawled on the cracked floor.
Perched atop his chest, Delta glowed with unrestrained excitement.
"Hahaha! The Second Boss is finally back!" she shouted gleefully, her tail whipping wildly.
"Yes. I have returned," Gabriel replied flatly, his tone unchanged in the slightest.
Delta then leaned forward, pressing her face against Gabriel's chest and neck, sniffing enthusiastically.
"The Second Boss smells amazing, nano desu!"
Gabriel stared at the cracked ceiling with a vacant expression.
Somehow, every time this happens, he feels like he's raising an overexcited husky that has absolutely no idea how to greet someone normally.
___
Author's Note:
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