At noon the next day, in the residential area of Nazarick's underground Tenth Floor.
"Where am I?"
Staring at the unfamiliar ceiling above him, Naiyuan was briefly confused.
"Oh, right. I was transported here. I wasn't living in that little cabin anymore."
"My first night in the New World had been pretty good."
After getting up and stretching, Naiyuan got dressed, preparing to see what Momonga and Herohero were doing.
As for washing up, a single Cleaning Magic was enough for him now.
YGGDRASIL's magic was incredibly comprehensive. Not only did it have immensely powerful Super-Tier Magic, but it also had all sorts of spells for small everyday conveniences like this.
Once he had straightened his clothes, Naiyuan opened the door and walked out. However, the figure standing outside made him stop in his tracks.
"Sephis?"
"Good morning, Father."
"It seems like it's already noon."
"Then, good afternoon, Father."
Naiyuan looked helplessly at Sephis, who stood respectfully before him. He did not need to guess to know that Sephis had been waiting there all morning.
As the child Naiyuan had personally created, he could be said to understand Sephis's personality better than anyone.
"Come in, Sephis. Let's talk."
Turning around and returning to his room, Naiyuan sat on the bed and patted the spot beside him.
As Sephis's father, Naiyuan felt it was necessary to have a proper talk with him.
"Yes, Father."
Sephis answered, then rose and entered the room, gently closing the door behind him.
It was Sephis's first time entering the room, and he curiously looked around. This was the first time he had ever visited his father's room.
Ordinary. Extremely ordinary.
It was ordinary to an unexpected degree. Sephis stared at the plain surroundings before him in disbelief.
In his mind, even if his father's room was not resplendent and magnificent, it should not have looked like this.
Even Sephis's own room was far better than this. The environment here was inferior even to the living quarters of Nazarick's maids.
It was impossible to imagine that this was the room of Nazarick's ruler, a Supreme Being.
"What? Is it very different from what you imagined?"
Seeing Sephis standing there in a daze, Naiyuan spoke softly.
"My apologies, Father. I was merely surprised. Why would you, as a Supreme Being..."
"Live in such a poor room, right?"
Seeing Sephis hesitate, Naiyuan finished the thought for him.
Sephis was not the first to react this way. Back when Momonga, Peroroncino, and several other friends had visited his room, they had raised the same question.
It was not that his room was truly bad. It actually looked quite nice. But in a game where everyone wished to turn their rooms into Imperial Palaces, he was certainly unusual.
"I don't like that resplendent, extravagant feeling. It's only a place to sleep, so there's no need to make such a fuss over it."
"This kind of environment is already very nice. I like it."
Naiyuan pulled Sephis over to sit beside him on the bed and explained.
In truth, this room had been recreated from a scene in his memories from two lifetimes ago.
Living in such an environment gave him a sense of security.
As the saying went, no golden nest or silver nest could compare to one's own doghouse.
Of course, this was not a doghouse. It should be called a dragon's nest.
"All right, let's leave that topic there."
"By the way, Sephis, you should have spoken with Aura and Mare already, right?"
Naiyuan looked at Sephis curiously. Since they were all his children, he cared greatly about their relationship.
"Yes, Father. I got along very well with them."
"Aura and Mare are now my most important family."
Recalling their earlier secret conversation, Sephis smiled as well.
They had found common ground when it came to protecting Father.
"That's good."
"Um, Father, may I ask a question?"
"What is it?"
"How is your relationship with the other two Supreme Beings?"
Thinking of the plan he had made with Aura, Sephis cautiously tested the waters.
Although he suspected that the Supreme Being Herohero harbored ill intentions, Sephis still wanted to ask for his father's opinion. This matter was too significant, and he was still hesitant.
Assassinating a Supreme Being was far too insane a plan.
"That? They're family, Sephis. My most important family!"
Recalling the experiences of the past, Naiyuan answered with a smile.
"...Is that so?"
Sephis was stunned by that answer. It was somewhat different from what he had expected.
"Then if something were to happen to the other two Supreme Beings..."
"Sephis!!"
Sephis wanted to continue questioning him, but before he could finish, Naiyuan loudly cut him off.
His dark golden dragon eyes fixed tightly on Sephis, and a terrifying aura erupted from his entire body.
"There are no what-ifs, Sephis. Remember that."
"If something happened without my knowledge, I would investigate it to the very end."
"Momonga and Herohero are my most important family. Nothing will happen to them—not now, and not in the future."
Realizing that his father was angry, Sephis did not hesitate. He immediately dropped to one knee as beads of cold sweat continuously dripped from his head.
He could feel a horrifying pressure radiating from his father. Scales began growing across his body, and draconic features emerged one after another. He knew very well what state his father was in. These were changes that only appeared when a Dragonoid fell into Wrath.
"I understand, Father. I will definitely not allow either of them to suffer even the slightest harm."
His heart pounding rapidly, Sephis felt as though he were a lone boat sailing through a violent storm, liable to be overturned by enormous waves at any moment.
Having no further intention of probing, Sephis immediately made the promise without hesitation.
"That would be best, Sephis. Remember what I said. This is an order."
Dark golden dragon eyes stared coldly at the child he had created. Naiyuan was not stupid; Sephis's questions had made him realize something was wrong.
He did not know what Sephis was thinking, but Momonga alone was his reverse scale. Whoever dared touch him had better be prepared for a fate worse than death.
Even if that person was someone he had created, he would not hesitate in the slightest.
He could give Sephis love. He could give him anything in the world, because they were family.
But some boundaries could not be crossed even by family. Even if Sephis was his child, Naiyuan would not forgive him. He had to make him understand that.
"Yes, Father."
Sephis replied tremblingly, unable to suppress the fear in his heart.
Originally, he had only wanted to test his father's view of the two Supreme Beings. But he had been too careless. His blunt questioning had exposed the problem to his father.
He had been warned. Sephis knew that Father had surely guessed something, which was why he had directly warned him.
He even felt that if he had not been a being created by Father, this time he might have met a terrible end.
Father was truly enraged this time. Sephis was certain that he had not misread that gaze, as though Naiyuan would kill him the very next moment.
If he had shown even the slightest hesitation just now, even he would have been killed immediately.
"I believe in you, Sephis. Don't disappoint me. I don't want to see something I do not wish to see."
Narrowing his eyes, Naiyuan slowly examined Sephis, who knelt before him.
"By your command."
Sephis answered nervously. He was strong as well, and even if he fought Naiyuan, he could hold out for some time.
But for Sephis, who had even developed the extreme thought of killing a Supreme Being to preserve Naiyuan's status and dignity, if he were asked to fight Father, he would rather kill himself immediately.
"You may leave."
Watching Sephis rise tremblingly, open the door, and leave, Naiyuan's heart was not at peace either.
He had looked furious just now, but what he felt more than anything was pain and suffocation in his chest.
"Was my tone too harsh just now? In the end, Sephis's intentions were for my sake." "Sigh..."
Naiyuan felt somewhat regretful. The moment he thought that Momonga might be in danger, he had instinctively wanted to kill Sephis.
His killing intent had immediately enveloped Sephis, as though he would act at the next moment and eliminate any future threat.
Although he had calmed down in the end, seeing Sephis tremble, Naiyuan knew that he had frightened him with his killing intent.
The desolate, trembling look Sephis had worn when he left made Naiyuan feel even more agitated. He knew he had gone too far.
As a father, he should not have revealed killing intent. He should have patiently guided Sephis instead.
Toward the child into whom he had poured so much care and effort, he should have used a gentler method to correct his mistakes rather than resorting to violence.
"Showing killing intent toward my own child... had I become the person I hated most?"
"My child, I hope you won't hate me..."
Before you continue