Just like Dyon had expected, the human world was nothing like the martial world. Even with Ri and Madeleine's beauty being well beyond anything mortals had ever seen, they were at most the subject of passing glances.
He had brought them both to experience human world food and everything had gone smoothly. It seemed that mortals felt less entitled. Or, more accurately, they had better control over how they acted upon their feelings – mostly because strength didn't dictate as much here as it did there.
Ri and Madeleine couldn't help but look around in awe. Although much of the martial world was also technologically advanced, it was definitely not to this extent. They were mostly fascinated by things like cars and smart phones. It inspired Dyon to revamp his communication device. He felt it was a bit ridiculous that he needed to use dao stones, and yet still have communication limited to just this planet. To Dyon, it must have been because his energy cultivating talent had been non-existent when he first created the device, so he was much too wasteful.
Dao stones contained enigmatic energy, the energy of dao level experts. These were people who could destroy an entire universe should they have incentive to do so. In fact, it was a war between experts of that level that results in Chaos Universe and most likely, by Dyon's estimation, also led to the energy deficiencies of this universe. If energy that potent could only communicate across a single planet, then there had to be a mistake somewhere.
However, Dyon put that to the back of his mind for now. Aside from tonight, he had two more days of peace with Madeleine and Ri before they had to head back to the martial world. So, he planned on using it to the fullest.
Later that night, Dyon brought Ri and Madeleine to a Hilton hotel and reserved the entire top floor suite for the next three days.
Although Ri and Madeleine had no idea, that was something that was meant to be impossible. The idea of showing up to a 5-star hotel and asking for their best room on such short notice was only possible for very few people.
However, it seemed that enough odd occurrences had happened that day for Ri and Madeleine to finally grow curious enough to ask.
"What exactly is that black thing you've been taking out all day?" Ri asked curiously.
"This?" Dyon held up a sleek black credit card. But, it was unlike any other. It was nearly half a centimeter thick and weighed nearly a pound. There wasn't a number code on it, but there was a single silver chip that likely acted as a source of identification. "This is just a payment method we call a credit card. They're usually separated by tiers depending on the credit limit, or money you have access to at any given time."
"So why has everyone been so silent when they see it if it's so normal?" Madeleine chimed in while looking out the glass window of the elevator they were slowly riding up.
Dyon laughed. "That's probably because it's the first time they've seen one without a limit."
"Without a limit? So you're basically a king here." Madeleine giggled.
Dyon grinned. He hadn't told them, but he had been using his array alchemy to stop people from recognizing him the entire day. Although he was two years older now, it was likely that many would still remember his face and he hadn't wanted that to take over the entire day.
"Come." Dyon said as the elevator doors opened to their exclusive two floor suite. "Tonight, this king is yours."
Ri and Madeleine giggled as Dyon swung them into his arms and swooped into the room.
**
"Dyon is back?" A middle-aged man with greying hair sat in an office few wouldn't recognize. He was clearly a busy and quite tired, but this seemed to be the best news he had heard in years.
"If you can believe it Commander in chief, the little rascal came back with two wives. Two!" The robust voice of Lieutenant General Barbaros erupted from the other end of the phone line, clearly having needed someone to vent to.
"Sh sh, not so loud!" The middle-aged man turned a wary gaze over to a nineteen-year-old girl who had been quietly typing away on her phone – an action that had stopped when she heard Dyon's name. But, when she heard Barbaros' words, it would have been more accurate to say that she froze.
It was only then that the middle-aged man realized that he had likely made things worse with his words. But, before he could attempt to fix it, a knock came at his door.
"Sorry, Mr. President. I know that this is time you usually reserve to spend with your daughter. But, something important has come up."
The middle-aged man could only apologetically smile toward his daughter, but she seemed to be showing no other reaction aside from her initial surprise. She wouldn't say it out loud, but as the daughter of the President of the United States, she was very much used to hiding things… Especially when that thing was how she felt.
"It's okay dad, we still have tomorrow. We meet everyday after all."
Hearing his daughter's words, he couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt. She repeated those words to him everyday… He couldn't remember the last time they had ever finished their time together.
"Clara, wait." He called out just before she stepped out of the oval office.
"Yes?"
"Would you like me to invite Dyon for dinner?"
Clara smiled a smile that almost seemed rehearsed. "You can. But, I don't think I'll be there."
With that, Clara disappeared, not allowing her father to respond as she walked down the lonely hallways. It wasn't that there weren't people. But, the moving pieces were so numerous and so loud that they were almost too easy to ignore.
Soon, Clara found her way to her room and entered the bathroom silently, standing in front of the mirror.
She stood there for a while, scanning over her long brunette hair and eyes so a pale blue that they were actually grey. She had a fair caramel skin tone that made it obvious she was of mixed race, and she had delicate and soft features that were a striking dichotomy to the cold that permeated her eyes.
After a few moments, Clara took a deep breath before washing her face and toweling off. Then, she did something she rarely did and smiled, thinking of a handsome boy with a personality large enough to make even her stoic father happy to hear his name. It was likely that anyone who would have seen this smile would have been at a loss for words. But, it remained hidden, never to be seen.
"I wish you the best." She whispered before walking out.
