The night wind brushed gently as lantern lights flickered.
That day, Uesugi Koshi had uncharacteristically closed his shop early.
The normally warm glow from the ramen stand that never missed a night was dim and gloomy today. The colorful lights around the shop sign were turned off, and only a small, weak bulb above the soup pot faintly illuminated the "Closed" sign beside it.
After waving off yet another group of friendly Tokyo University students, the smile on Uesugi Koshi's face gradually faded.
These students, not yet part of society, were mostly sincere and kind-hearted. A ramen chef occasionally closing for a day wouldn't make them angry the way bitter office workers might.
On the contrary, after their initial surprise, many would express genuine concern: Was Koshi-san overworked due to his age? Was he feeling unwell?
Some even asked about his children—how many he had, why none were around to care for him. In a country like Japan, where aging alone was increasingly common, such questions weren't rare.
But Koshi would quickly wave it off and change the subject.
He knew his family background was anything but normal—steeped in underworld entanglements and secrets. If the students ever found out, the Yatsushiro clan might treat them to an "elegant seat" at the bottom of Tokyo Bay.
Besides, the subject of children struck a sensitive chord deep inside him.
Eventually, the last of the students departed, leaving Koshi alone. He stared across the dim alley behind the university toward the glowing skyline just a short walk away.
That glittering part of Bunkyo ward seemed like another world—loud, bright, full of neon dreams. By contrast, his quiet street, untouched by developers, was frozen in time with old wooden homes and twin paulownia trees guarding every doorway.
A relic of a bygone era—much like himself.
The only reason this old street survived was thanks to Inuyama Ka, who had quietly helped him.
All the land here was in Koshi's name, but ramen profits couldn't keep up with the taxes. Normally, the government would have seized and auctioned the property long ago. Had Inuyama not paid off the debt silently, Koshi would have been out on the street.
Inuyama had never demanded thanks or repayment.
If not for his recent meeting with Shirou, Koshi wouldn't even have known he might have children out there.
That revelation had struck him like lightning.
Though Inuyama offered to arrange a DNA test, Koshi didn't need one. Once he learned of someone with imperial blood surfacing in the younger generation, he felt it in his bones—they were his.
And yet… a more important question nagged at him than simple proof.
He'd declined further help from Inuyama and sent away the bodyguards. He needed peace and quiet—to think through this major upheaval in his life.
Do I really have the right to meet my children? And if so, how should I face them?
A proper father would care about how his children had grown, what hardships they'd endured without him, if they were happy now, if they'd found love and purpose.
But he had not been a proper father.
Koshi was the son of Uesugi Hideo and a French-Chinese nun named Charlotte Chen. His father had once slain his own baby brother, born a Dead Apostle, and from that day despised imperial blood.
Koshi inherited that hatred.
Charlotte had been a living saint—beloved, kind, faithful. She died at the hands of the Yatsushiro clan.
Koshi never forgave them.
He'd destroyed the family shrine, burned irreplaceable records, slaughtered the breeding women meant to bear imperial offspring, and vanished after looting ancient treasures and swords.
His name became taboo among the Yatsushiro—an unspeakable shame.
Now, his son had become a rising star. Another had returned as a world-famous dragon slayer. Glorious, radiant, untouchable.
Would they really be happy to know their father is a disgraceful old ramen vendor who used to sleep around with izakaya owners?
"Master Koshi, still not open today?"
Shirou's voice pulled him from his spiraling thoughts.
Seeing the boy's familiar face, Koshi panicked.
He wasn't ready for this!
Searching for words, he stammered, "Ah, sorry, young man. Just not feeling too well today..."
Before he could finish, he wanted to slap himself.
What an awful excuse!
Sure enough, Shirou's expression twisted with concern. "You should rest, really. Don't push yourself. Also, maybe cut back on those, uh, adult videos. Too much stimulation's not good for someone your age."
Wait—what!?
"Young man! Hold on there! You came all the way to Tokyo—how can I let you go back hungry!"
Koshi stood up proudly and pounded his chest like a drum. "It's just a minor thing! You're rare guests. I'll cook for you—no complaints!"
Shirou hesitated, but Koshi's enthusiasm won him over. Alongside a red-and-white miko-dressed girl, they finally took their seats.
On Shirou's left, he was furiously texting Nono, asking what was going on.
Nono replied: she'd been mistaken for someone important by Yatsushiro agents—probably due to her red hair and shrine maiden outfit.
"I think the real person is next to me," Shirou typed back. "She's named Erii. Can't speak due to some condition. But she does resemble you. I thought you were twins…"
Nono responded excitedly, "Don't ruin this! It's perfect infiltration. Send a pic—I'll adjust my makeup and mannerisms. Let's see how much I can learn from this place before getting caught. If I do, I'll call in Melusine to storm the place!"
"Don't do anything reckless!!"
Meanwhile, Erii quietly tapped away at a handheld console, playing Final Fight, unaware of the surrounding tension.
Koshi watched them both, thinking: so distant, as if strangers…
He didn't notice the difference between Nono and Erii.
Assuming they had a lovers' spat, he tried offering fatherly advice while preparing noodles.
"Young people shouldn't bottle things up. Talk it out! Cold wars only make problems worse…"
And where were the two other girls from before? Looks like this "son" had a messy love life ahead…
"Huh?" Shirou looked up, confused.
Erii, too, glanced up with innocent eyes.
Koshi stared at her, noting the resemblance… and then said:
"You planning to date twin sisters?"
Huh!?
"That's not it at all!!" Shirou flailed.
He'd only bought her a console! They barely spoke—she answered by writing everything down.
Still, if Erii was the person the Yatsushiro were trying to retrieve, she must carry some hidden value.
They wouldn't shelter a mute girl for years just out of kindness. They weren't raising a princess—they were guarding a tool.
Shirou recalled Lord El-Melloi II's Case Files—was Erii, like Akira Yoruya, meant to be a vessel for a god?
Koshi's thoughts returned.
"So you're not after both sisters… then you dumped Nono for this one, right?"
"Wrong again! Erii is a proper lady! And I never even dated Nono!"
A lady?
Koshi's eyes narrowed. Red hair… could this be another child?
Did Inuyama hide something?
He'd said that the now-"Emperor" Yatsushiro was raised in the mountains… maybe the clan found more than just a son?
"Forgive me for asking something bold, but… what's your family situation?"
Shirou blinked. "I don't know. I was adopted by my foster father—he saved my life."
Erii nodded.
Koshi froze.
Same story… again!?
Could it be… he had two sons and two daughters?
Just how many children did he have!?
(End of Chapter)
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