Chapter 4 - But things can get better

speech:"like this"

though:'like this'

telepathy:<like this>

—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

////////MC POV///////

Why the hell do I have to do this? I'm five years old, some vacation I am taking. Well, at least I will be able to retire early…..I hope. Now I'm really looking forward to when I have the personnel to deal with all of this, my wives will be in control and I will be back to being a househusband.

The reason I'm complaining right now is because of the Erina problem, I thought that the two would be able to deal with that with no issue since one was the CEO of the Nakiri group most of his life and the other is the head of a Yakuza family.

But I don't know why they took this as a opportunity to test me for whatever reason, Senzaemon is the most obvious one, he is trying to see if I'm worthy of his granddaughter, useless, since we are going to marry anyway in this world and there is nothing the Nakiri family can do about it.

Issei on the other hand is a whole other story, he is probably probing me for his group and by the way, he is making Raku spend more time with me when they can come around, I can only think he wants me to be some kind of right-hand man for his son.

And I say fuck that I only work for my wives, and no matter how many times I bring up my age into the conversation they just snort and continue like I didn't say anything, assholes. But well, no matter how much I complain I'm still doing this for Ivy.

And since she knows it she is always thanking and pampering me, she now comes every day, her meeting with Mamako was funny, I thought we got a new garden statue. My new parents don't know yet, it has been only a few days since our reunion and I'm waiting for both of them to be together at home to tell them.

About the two schmucks, they are having me plan the course of action they will take to deal with the issue, you would think that the possible child abuse of a dear family member would mahe them take it more seriously but go figure.

For now, I had Ivy and the old man go visit Erina and her father and while Senzaemon has his adult talks with Erina's dad, Ivy will take Alice to go play with Erina, instigate their rivalry to create a distraction allowing her to bug that place.

And obviously, we are using runes to ensure they are not found, not that the two old guys know about it, but considering that the guy is a meticulous person I won't take my chances.

The one that is enjoying this situation the most is Nanako, even if I am immune to her teasing, Kosaki and Alice are not. Kosaki was pouting to no end at the start until she said she wouldn't talk to me anymore, to which I said ok and tried to move on.

She almost cried, Nanako got mad, I did not care.

Everything got back to normal now but she got clingier, Mikan didn't care much after Ivy said that not only I'm still going to be her brother but now she got a new sister, and that was all it took to "buy" her.

Alice, on the other hand, is a way more complicated case, she is between hate and pure embarrassment she regards me as somebody that trying to corrupt her sister, the problem is that said sister is trying to corrupt her to marry the same guy as her.

And somehow even though I'm not doing anything I'm still the bad guy, somehow. Women.

—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A few days later

Ringo:"You are soo sweet, I'm glad my son met a friend like you."

Ivy:"No, I'm the one who is glad to have met him."

Saibai:"Ou, you are a smart one, is good to see that someone his age can keep up with him, please take care of him."

Ivy:"Always."

Saibai:"Oh, and he has I bit of an attitude problem, but even though his sharp tongue hurts he is a good kid inside, so don't take it to the heart, he doesn't even respect his own father."

Cad:"If there was something worth respect I would."

Saibai:"Gah."

Ivy:"*giggle* Don't worry I wouldn't have him any other way."

Ringo:"So Cad-kun, what is it that you want to tell us."

Cad:"Yes, is about me and Ivy."

Ringo:"Yeeeesss."

Cad:"She will come here frequently, her grandfather already permitted."

Ringo:"Oh that's good, now you have someone with the same kind of mind as you to talk to, that's great,"

Cad:"....Yes well, we are going to spend a lot of time together in fact."

Ringo:"That is good, having good friends to share the best moment is important."

Cad:"Her father is a bit of a problem but it's not like he can do something about it."

Ringo:"Oh well, every family has some kind of problem but that…."

Ivy:"He is my fiance."

Ringo, Saibai:"Uh????"

Ivy:"We will get married."

Yeah, I know I was dancing around the subject but even if they are like this they are still my parents, they treat me without distinction from Rito and Mikan and clearly care for me so how am I going to say that the small child that they adopted almost a year ago already has a fiance.

They get stuck in time for a while, and my mom keeps opening and closing her mouth like a fish out of water. Dad was the first to "get his movement back" he look at Ivy and then me, and with a proud smile gave me a thumbs up. Mom….

Ringo:"No."

Saibai:"Honey, please…"

Ringo:"No is no."

Ivy:"Is there something wrong with me Yuuki-san."

Ringo:"There is nothing wrong with you but…no it's too soon, you guys are too young to decide that I just had him as my son it is too soon for things like that."

Cad:"Mom, it is not like that, you don't have to worry…."

Ringo:"No, I'm sorry, you don't have to keep helping us with anything, we will work two, no three times as hard and you can have the childhood that you deserve but I don't want to lose my son just yet."

Her voice is failing as she keeps letting her feelings out of her chest, now I know why Lisa planned for me to be adopted by them. This is just like when one of my daughters told me she was getting engaged, she was 18 and he was 23.

There wasn't anything wrong with their relationship. He was…. is a good lad with a good head on his shoulders and I knew she had made the right choice, but I as the stubborn mule that I am said it was too early for me to let her go and didn't like it.

There was no drama, everybody knows that I was just being overprotective of my kids, the same thing happened with one of her brothers a year prior, not to her extent but I did the same thing.

The point is, none of them had blood relations to me, but they were my children and I would have done anything for them and no matter at what age, even if married with children they will always be my babies, so I always had some difficulties when they had to leave the nest, one way or the other.

I sigh helplessly and without answering her just stood up and hug her. If I always felt like that even when they were close to their thirties imagine what she is feeling when I'm still five.

Cad:"I will always be your child, I'm not dissatisfied with anything and love you the same way you love me."

Still, with little tears in the corner of her eyes, she stops talking and just hugs me. Eventually, I will tell them about my origin, not now, although the fact that I will have a crazy childhood is already confirmed it still won't be anything compared to when the journey actually starts.

So let's have this as our prologue and let it be less crazy than it needed to be, if they are anything like me and Lisa, as they are already proving themselves to be, not only will nothing change in our relationship but they probably will complain a lot for not telling them sooner.

Ivy:"You don't have to worry about anything Yuuki-san, you will always be his mother and even if I am from Nakiri, it won't change how we will live our life."

Ringo:"*sniff* I know, it is just, it is all happening so fast, I feel so useless being his mother and yet he does so much for us, that was supposed to be my job and now, not even a year after he came into our lives he already has a fiance, I don't know how to feel about this whole situation."

Cad:"Mom, you don't have to feel like that, I…."

Ringo:"I know dear, I know, but I can't help it can I? I'm your mother."

Shit, so that's how my kids feel. As if know what I'm thinking right now Ivy looks at me amused.

Ringo:"Just give me a little time, I know that this is a far-off thing and I trust you enough to do the right decisions, but I will need some time to get used to this idea."

Ivy:"Yes don't worry, the earlier you get comfortable with this the easier it will be when the other girls start joining us."

Silence got back with a vengeance with Ivy's statement, realizing the implication of what she was saying in front of a normal couple that wasn't used to this kind of information she closed he mouth with her hands with an "oh shit" face.

Father had a not-bad look on his face and there was a proud glint in his eyes and mom…..why is she getting closer and closer to me? What is she going to....Oh shit, Olympo has fallen I repeat Olympo has fallen.

—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A few more days later.

In a fancy private office in an expensive building, six people stood surrounding a table, the room screamed evil lair, and in various parts of it were machines, tables, and boards that anyone who entered there would think plans of world domination were being created and put into place.

At the center back of the room there was a wood office table with a luxurious chair only lacking a bald white man with a scar on his eye and a cat on his lap. This is the office that I made Senzaemon and Issei build for me.

When they asked me why it had to be like this I said "Since you two are going to keep bullshiting me to test how I do things and treating me like a mastermind the least you can do is give me an evil lair.".

That was more than enough to convince them, believe it or now, boys and their toys, am I right? Normally I would leave it in a dimly lit state but today it is not a day to play around. There are four men and two women in the room.

Me, Senzaemon, Issei, Nakiri Soe, Ivy and Nakiri Leonora. This is actually the first time that I'm meeting Ivy and Alice's parents, normally with something important like her daughter getting a fiance would have been enough to make them catch the first flight back to Japan.

But Senzaemon delayed delivering the news because of this issue with Erina not wanting to spook Asami, Erina's father, for no reason, so he broke the news to them slowly while feeding them on the investigation and why they couldn't get back in a rush.

It all changed at the beginning of the month however, Leonora's brother died leaving a wife and two daughters, and foul play may be in place so she and her husband went to the funeral in New York where they met her other sister who was going through a divorce.

After the funeral, they came back to Japan to resolve a few things in the main office of the Nakiri group as Leonora will take an extended leave to help her sister-in-law in her company and spend time with her, her sister, and her nieces.

Cad:"Leonora-san, Soe-san, I wish we could have met in better circumstances but…."

Soe:"Indeed, we will have plenty of time for our more pleasant family drama after this whole mess is over but for now we have someone that needs our attention."

Cad:"Family?"

Soe:"Even if I don't like your thing with my daughter, not only do I trust the judgment of the two but from what my father told me you have no problem saying no when the situation calls for, and this has nothing to do with you and I wouldn't blame you with you didn't get yourself into our affairs."

He answers me while his eyes narrowing dangerously, probably thinking about Asami.

Cad:"*shrug* I just did it for Ivy, and people like him are the kind I like to mess with the most."

Soe:"*chuckle* Exactly, as a father it would be perfect if she never married."

Ivy:"DAD"

Soe:"But also as a father and more than that, as a member of an important family with as many enemies as the power we hold, it lifts a weight from my shoulder knowing she has someone like you to have her back."

Ivy:"Thank you, dad."

Soe:"Still not accepting you though."

Ivy:"Ugh, you had to spoil."

Despise our gloomy mood that still put a smile on everybody's face, truth be told we needed that.

Cad:"My condolences Leonora-san."

Leonora:"Thank you Cad-kun, maybe you should come with me to New York sometime and help me with my family's problem too."

Cad:"*sigh* For how long will you guys keep throwing those things on me and keep testing?"

Leonora, Soe, Senzaemon, Issei:"What are you talking about?"

Ivy:"*giggle*"

They fake ignorance in the worst way possible with smiles plastered on their face, although I complain I don't actively stop them, I did the same thing in their place, always training my kids and their partners for the worst it could happen, it is just weird to be on the other side for the first time.

Cad:"Alright ladies and gentlemen I know we needed to lighten up a little considering the matter at hand but now we need to focus."

Everybody gives a solemn nod to my words.

Cad:"As you have already seen in the videos the main things are physical and physiological abuse in the name of training, and forced incarceration. We have it all taped and ready to sue him to kingdom come, we can't count on her mother thought."

At my comment at the end, Senzaemon bites his lips and Soe clenches his fist, both of them with painful expressions. Issei put his hand on his friend's shoulder while Ivy and Leonora hold Soe's hands.

Cad:"But we can't do anything before we take care of his backing, how much of the board is in his pocket?"

Leonora:"From the information, Issei-san gave me I was able to point out the bad apples while traveling and meeting them, I estimated that around 70% is already on his side."

Cad:"It is not as bad as it could be, Issei-san, Soe-san how are we in our countermeasures?"

Soe:"I managed to get evidence to make them have to take care of something else, this will stop them from helping Asami until we are finished with him."

Issei:"I already prepared the right people to deal with it in the government, we don't have to worry as they aren't corrupt and will always uphold the law to the best of their abilities."

Cad:"Said the boss of Yakuza."

Issei:"HEY."

Everybody chuckles at my comment and even Issei has a smile on his face, can't blame them, not only because of the funeral of a family member, who may just have been murdered but knowing that another is being tortured and their family's company being slowly eaten away right under their noses.

Cad:"Right."

I say with a sigh.

Cad:"Senzaemon-ossan, Ivy, you will deal with Erina in the aftermath, take her to your house, you two and Alice are the only ones that she trusts right now.

They resolutely nod at me and Soe and Leonora make a sad expressions.

Cad:"Issei-san, you have a more important job, have your man ready, when we attack Asami, who looks like their leader, there will be a brief moment of panic so they will have to act quickly and gather the evidence they can so we can permanently deal with them."

Issei:"Oho, so that's why you insisted for me to have people around all over the world, even if I had to make alliances earlier and reach out to my contacts."

Cad:"Yes, remember people, he is a meticulous weasel, and sometimes bad luck can be on our side so keep your guards up, we don't know what contingency he may have."

Everybody nods with a serious expression.

Cad:"Alright people I think we can start."

Ivy:"And what will you do?"

With Ivy's question, everybody looks at me curiously.

Cad:"I'm not part of the family, not yet at least, Issei-san already has a deep connection with Senzaemon so he is included, so it's best that I don't appear much so we have an ace on our sleeve."

I take a box from under that table and open it in front of everyone.

Cad:"These communications devices can't be blocked and release a sonar pulse from time to time to map out your surroundings, it is also hard to notice, I will be here on the computer giving support, be your eyes and anything else you need within my abilities."

Everybody but Ivy looks at the small devices with curiosity and wonder.

Cad:"Alright I know you have a few questions about them but let's leave that for later, we will start in an hour, coordinate the people you selected for this operation, let's not give the bastard time to know we are into him.

And with a nod, everybody disperse, sigh, this is going to be a long night.

—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------