Only small figures showed up to the business conference hosted by the Yukinoshita family.
The truly major merchants wouldn't bother attending an event of this scale. Which meant that everyone present today had effectively hit the jackpot.
The conference itself had been arranged through a special channel, specifically to let that man who coveted Minami Yukinoshita know about it. But he was never actually invited. So when the conference officially began, he was still on his way.
With nothing interesting happening yet, Jaden quietly hid in a corner, waiting for the show to start. All the miscellaneous matters were handed over to Sanzenin Mikado.
Out of courtesy to Jaden, Sanzenin Mikado spoke a few words.
Just a few.
Yet those casually spoken words were enough to make everyone present ecstatic. Because even if the major merchants later found out, they would regret not being here today-let alone these minor figures.
Because of this, Minami Yukinoshita and Haruno Yukinoshita could already foresee the Yukinoshita family's status rising sharply once the conference ended successfully.
And the reason-
Was simply that Jaden wanted to watch something entertaining.
Realizing this, the two sisters finally felt the gap between themselves and him.
On the other side, Kuzunari Yukinoshita was in high spirits, smiling as he socialized with the guests. Yukino Yukinoshita, much like Jaden, disliked these kinds of events and stayed quietly beside her mother and sister.
The first half of the conference passed peacefully.
And boringly.
It wasn't until a voice sounded from outside the door that Jaden slowly opened his eyes.
"The Yukinoshita family held a business conference and didn't invite me..."
"I thought we could become good friends in the future, Patriarch Yukinoshita. Your behavior makes me very uncomfortable."
As the voice echoed, a man walked in.
He was under 1.6 meters tall, wearing a suit with an oversized shirt that couldn't hide his bulging belly. His blonde hair was cut short, and a scruffy beard stretched from his chin to his earlobes. His eyes, however, were sharp and calculating.
"Oh, Patriarch Yukinoshita, about the conditions I mentioned earlier-"
He was still talking when he suddenly noticed Sanzenin Mikado standing beside Kuzunari Yukinoshita.
His face instantly stiffened.
...Why is this old man here!?
That was his first thought.
But when he looked around and saw no bodyguards, his expression relaxed again. He laughed loudly and walked over.
"Oh, the old gentleman is here too. I never expected you'd attend a conference of this scale. Truly eye-opening. Seems I still have much to learn, hahahaha."
Sanzenin Mikado let out a cold snort.
He knew exactly what the man was thinking.
But he didn't expose him.
Nor did he stop him from courting disaster.
After all-
He might not have brought bodyguards.
But the King was here.
If this man didn't act, there was still a way out.
If he did-
He would die.
"Toya," Sanzenin Mikado said calmly, "what I do has nothing to do with you. What interests me more is why you're here today-and the conditions you mentioned earlier."
Hearing this, Sanzenin Toya glanced at Kuzunari Yukinoshita without changing his expression. Then his gaze shifted to Minami Yukinoshita.
He didn't spare Yukino or Haruno a single glance.
His eyes lingered on Minami, filled with obsession.
"My conditions are nothing I can't state openly," Toya said. "For a small family like Yukinoshita, merging into the Sanzenin family would be a blessing."
"But your assets and influence are too insignificant. You're not worthy of merging directly."
"So if we're talking about integration..."
He smiled greedily.
"Patriarch Yukinoshita, I think your wife is quite suitable. Smart, flavorful-hehehe."
Hiss-
The surrounding guests immediately lowered their heads, stared at the floor, and pretended they hadn't seen or heard anything.
Kuzunari Yukinoshita trembled with rage.
Before falling in love with Minami, he had been a small-time thug. At this moment, he was barely holding himself back.
But before he could act-
Sanzenin Mikado moved first.
Slap!
The sharp sound echoed through the hall.
Sanzenin Toya froze, stunned by the slap.
Sanzenin Mikado stared at him coldly.
"Toya. I once thought you were at least somewhat shrewd."
"Now it seems I overestimated you."
"You are unfit to become the Patriarch of Sanzenin in every sense."
"You are expelled from the Sanzenin family."
For a brief moment, panic flashed across Toya's face.
Then he calmed down.
He met Sanzenin Mikado's gaze directly.
"Old man... whether you can still expel me is questionable now."
"And I completely disagree with what you said."
"Sanzenin is Sanzenin. All that nonsense about 'for the Royal Family,' all those self-righteous ideals-your brain has long been rotted by that damn Royal Family!"
"What you want isn't a Patriarch."
"You want a new slave to succeed you!"
Toya's voice rose as he shouted.
"Sanzenin has earned so much money, and I'm being judged just because I happened to like someone else's wife?"
"You never said you were unfit when you handed the entire family over to that cursed Royal Family!"
After shouting this, Toya stepped back, straightened his clothes, and clapped his hands in a specific rhythm.
Dozens of men dressed as bodyguards rushed in from outside.
"Old man... no-old thing."
"You didn't bring a single bodyguard today."
"And I've been sick of you for a long time."
"The purpose of making money is to spend it."
"The purpose of having power is to use it."
"Not to serve some nonexistent Royal Family!"
"Don't think you can control me today."
"You gave me this opportunity."
"No matter what you say, after today, I will be the Patriarch of Sanzenin!"
As he spoke, Toya turned toward Kuzunari Yukinoshita, no longer bothering to hide anything.
"And you-don't think you've won just because you brought the old man here."
"You've harmed him."
"No-"
"You've created an opportunity for me."
"I should thank you."
"Don't worry. After I become Patriarch, I'll incorporate the Yukinoshita family into ours."
"You'll become a subordinate family."
"I'll even keep a doorman position for you."
"The night your family becomes my subordinate..."
"I'll have you guard the door for me."
Pfft.
The atmosphere was completely shattered.
Minami Yukinoshita and Kuzunari Yukinoshita's expressions darkened.
And then-
A laugh rang out.
"Who was that!?"
Toya snapped his head around.
Jaden stepped out from the corner.
"Sorry," Jaden said casually. "I laughed out loud by accident."
"I have zero resistance to this kind of thing."
"If you ever debut as a comedian, I'd definitely buy a ticket."
He walked straight up and stopped in front of Toya.
Toya was short.
When he saw Jaden's height, he subconsciously looked toward the bodyguards behind him.
Others followed his gaze.
And then-
Time seemed to skip.
As if a long moment had passed in a blink.
All of Toya's bodyguards were kneeling on the ground.
Eyes vacant.
All unconscious.
Toya didn't recognize Jaden's face.
But the sight alone was enough.
As an East Asian council member, he instantly made the connection.
His legs went weak.
His voice trembled.
"Y-you're... the Strongest Creature on Earth."
"Lord Yuki... right?"
"Mhm."
Jaden nodded.
Then he grabbed Toya by the collar and lifted him up.
"And I'm also that damn Royal Family you were talking about."
That single sentence crushed him.
Toya had always believed the Royal Family was long extinct.
He never imagined one still lived.
And he certainly never imagined-
That it would be Jaden.
A monster recognized by the Empire itself.
Tears poured out instantly as Toya began begging incoherently.
"Lord Yuki-Your Majesty-I was wrong!"
"If I'd known you were the Royal Family, I would never have dared!"
"I'll reform!"
"I'll kneel and apologize to Patriarch Yukinoshita!"
"I can be his doorman!"
"I can be your doorman!"
"If you like the Yukinoshita daughters, I can help-"
"Please! Let me go!"
Kuzunari Yukinoshita looked awkward.
Yukino blushed faintly and frowned.
Haruno silently stepped forward, shielding her sister.
Minami Yukinoshita remained calm.
She knew better than anyone that with Erina beside Jaden, her daughters were never in danger.
As for Toya becoming Kuzunari's doorman-
Did he even have the courage?
Jaden didn't notice their reactions.
He looked at Toya and shook his head.
"You really don't understand me."
"If I want you to apologize, your opinion doesn't matter."
"If I wanted the Yukinoshita daughters, Kuzunari's opinion wouldn't matter either."
"And right now-"
"I don't like you."
"So whatever you say is useless."
Jaden walked to the window.
He kicked out the massive floor-to-ceiling glass.
Then he lifted Toya with one hand and held him outside.
Toya immediately wet himself in terror.
"Why would I need a grand reason to kill you?"
"The fact that I want to kill you is already enough."
Then-
Jaden let go.
Toya fell from the eighteenth floor into the empty courtyard below.
"Goodbye~"