The Extra's Rise
Chapter 689: Daughter (4)

Chapter 689: Daughter (4)

The towering headquarters of Guild Ouroboros stood like a monument to ambition in the heart of the capital’s guild district. The sleek glass and steel structure, with its distinctive serpentine logo, commanded respect and no small amount of wariness from passersby.

"Wow," Luna breathed as we approached the main entrance, her small hand clasped firmly in mine. "It’s really tall. And kind of scary."

"Only to people who aren’t family," I assured her, noting how the security guards straightened to attention as the automatic doors recognized my biometric signature. "Everyone inside works for me, which means they work for you too now."

The grand lobby bustled with activity—adventurers receiving mission briefings on holographic displays, support staff coordinating logistics through advanced communication systems, and junior members training in the practice areas visible through reinforced glass walls. The moment we entered, conversations quieted as members took notice of their guild master’s unexpected appearance.

And more specifically, the little girl walking beside him.

"Guild Master!" A familiar voice called out across the lobby. Elias Vance, my secretary and one of the most organized individuals I’d ever met, approached with his usual mixture of relief and exasperation. The man was in his early thirties, with neat brown hair and the kind of precise bearing that made him invaluable for managing the administrative nightmare that was a gold-rank guild.

"Elias," I greeted him with a slight smile. "I trust everything has been running smoothly in my absence?"

"Define smoothly," he replied with the kind of dry wit that had made me hire him in the first place. "The guild hasn’t burned down, nobody has died from paperwork-related stress, and Vice Guild Master Maelkith has only threatened to quit twice this week."

"Only twice? She’s mellowing in her old age."

"I heard that!" an indignant voice called from the elevator area.

Kali Maelkith emerged with the fluid grace of someone who could probably eliminate half the people in the lobby without breaking a sweat. As my vice guild master and one of the strongest combatants in the guild, she commanded respect through a combination of devastating magical ability and an even more devastating tongue. Her black hair was pulled back in its usual practical ponytail, and her dark eyes blazed with the righteous fury of someone who had been handling far too much administrative responsibility lately.

At twenty, she was only a year older than me, but her maturity and strategic mind had made her the obvious choice for vice guild master when I’d established Ouroboros.

"Arthur Nightingale," she said with dangerous sweetness, "you disappeared for over a week without a word, left me to handle three major contract negotiations, two guild expansion proposals, and a diplomatic incident. I hope you have a very good explanation."

"I do," I replied calmly. "I became a father."

Kali’s rant died in her throat as she noticed Luna for the first time. The little girl had been partially hidden behind my leg, but now she stepped forward with the polite courage I’d come to admire.

"Hello," Luna said, offering a small curtsy. "I’m Luna Nightingale. Are you the person who yells at Daddy about work?"

The silence that followed was absolute. Then Kali’s stern expression cracked, replaced by something approaching wonder.

"You’re..." She looked between Luna and me, then back to Luna. "You’re adorable. How does such a sweet little angel belong to this evil man?"

"Daddy’s not evil," Luna protested with eight-year-old indignation. "He saved me from bad people and gives me butterfly toys and reads me stories."

"He reads you stories?" Kali asked with mock amazement. "Are you sure we’re talking about the same Arthur Nightingale? The one who considers paperwork a form of cruel and unusual punishment?"

"I read very good stories," I said with dignity.

"This is incredible," Kali continued, kneeling down to Luna’s eye level. "You’re like a miracle worker. I’ve been trying to civilize this barbarian for years."

Luna giggled. "Daddy says you’re very good at your job but you worry too much."

"He’s right about both things," Kali admitted. "Though I notice he didn’t mention that I do all the actual work around here."

"If you can’t handle the guild operations without me," I said with a deliberately casual shrug, "maybe you should hand back your gold-rank certification. I’m sure there are plenty of other vice guild masters who’d appreciate the challenge."

Kali’s eye twitched. "You absolute—" She caught herself, glancing at Luna. "You absolute... meanie."

Luna looked confused. "Was she going to say a bad word?"

"Probably several," I confirmed.

"Don’t worry, sweetheart," Kali said, patting Luna’s shoulder. "I save all my really creative cursing for when your daddy isn’t hiding behind adorable children."

"I’m not hiding," I protested. "I’m strategically positioning myself near my most effective ally."

Elias cleared his throat diplomatically. "Perhaps we should move this discussion to the office? There are quite a few matters that require the Guild Master’s attention."

"Of course there are," I sighed. "Kali, I want you to know that despite my teasing, I do appreciate everything you’ve done. The guild expansion is reaching a critical point, and I know the workload has been overwhelming."

Kali’s expression softened slightly. "It has been intense. The preparations for the Aetherite release are more complex than we anticipated, and the political maneuvering around territorial rights is getting nasty."

"The timeline?"

"Still manageable. We have perhaps six months before the market is ready, which gives us time to finalize the distribution networks and security protocols." She glanced at Luna, then back to me. "But I need you functional, Arthur. Whatever happened during your mission, you look like hell."

"Magical advancement complications," I explained briefly. "I’ll need to take things easier for the next few months while my foundation stabilizes. Nothing life-threatening, just... inconvenient timing."

"Of course it is," Kali muttered. "You have the worst timing in the world."

"Daddy’s magic grew too fast," Luna chimed in helpfully. "So now he has to wait for his body to catch up. It’s like when you eat too much candy and get a tummy ache."

"That’s... actually not a terrible analogy," Elias said thoughtfully.

"Speaking of complications," Kali said with a wicked grin, pulling out her phone to show the latest news headlines. "The press has been having a field day with photos of you and Luna leaving the Imperial Palace."

I grimaced at the trending story: "GUILD MASTER’S SECRET DAUGHTER? Exclusive Photos Inside!"

"Social media is going crazy," Kali continued cheerfully. "Speculation ranges from secret affair with foreign nobility to adoption of war orphan to elaborate publicity stunt for guild expansion."

I glanced at the article, then shrugged. "Let them speculate. I don’t owe them any explanations about my personal life."

"That’s what I told the seventeen reporters who’ve called asking for interviews," Elias said. "Though I should mention that several major guilds have reached out expressing ’concern’ about your sudden family responsibilities affecting guild operations."

"Let me guess—they’re hoping to poach some of our contracts while I’m distracted?"

"The Crimson Hawks were particularly transparent about their intentions," Kali said with disgust. "I may have been somewhat... direct in my response to their inquiry."

"Define direct."

"I told them that if they thought a single child could compromise Ouroboros’s operational capacity, they were welcome to test that theory in a formal guild competition."

I grinned. "And their response?"

"Suddenly they remembered urgent business elsewhere."

We spent the next hour in my office, with Luna quietly working on a coloring book in the corner while I caught up on the most pressing guild matters. The Aetherite project was indeed progressing well—the revolutionary substance we’d been developing would soon revolutionize mana tech across the world. But the political and economic implications meant every detail had to be perfect.

"Alright," I said finally, closing the last urgent file on my tablet. "That covers the immediate crises. Luna, ready to head home?"

"Can I come back tomorrow?" she asked hopefully. "I like watching you work. And Miss Kali promised to show me the training rooms."

"Did she now?" I looked at my vice guild master with raised eyebrows.

"What? She’s curious about guild operations. It’s never too early to start leadership training."

"She’s eight years old."

"So? I started combat training at four."

"You started combat training because your family were battle maniacs."

"And look how well I turned out!"

I decided not to comment on that particular claim.

After dropping Luna back at the penthouse with promises to return for dinner, I made my way back to the guild. The backlog of digital paperwork was substantial, and while Kali and Elias had handled the urgent matters admirably, there were decisions that only the guild master could make.

I had been working for perhaps an hour when the office door opened without a knock. Only one person had that particular privilege.

"You look tired," Reika observed as she entered, closing the door behind her and activating the privacy wards with practiced efficiency.

"Long day," I admitted, not looking up from the contract I was reviewing on my screen. "How did you know I was here?"

"Kali mentioned you’d returned to handle the backlog." Reika moved around the desk with her characteristic silent grace. "She also mentioned that Luna is absolutely adorable and that you’ve somehow become even more insufferable as a father, which I disagree with Master."

"I prefer ’confidently paternal.’"

Without ceremony, Reika settled onto the floor beside my chair and rested her head against my thigh. It was a position that had become routine over the months—her way of being close while I worked, offering comfort through simple presence.

"How are you Master?" she asked quietly, her violet eyes reflecting genuine concern.

I set down my stylus and let my hand settle in her silver hair. "Tired. Worried about the advancement complications. Trying to figure out how to balance guild responsibilities with being a proper father."

"You’re already a wonderful father," Reika said firmly. "Luna adores you, and she’s thriving under your care. As for the guild..." She shrugged slightly. "Ouroboros has excellent leadership at every level. It can function while you focus on what matters most."

"And what matters most?"

"Luna. Master’s health. The people you love." She tilted her head to look up at me. "In that order."

We settled into comfortable silence, Reika’s presence grounding me as I worked through the remaining digital files. Outside the office windows, the city lights began to twinkle as evening approached. Somewhere across town, Luna was probably pestering my parents with questions about guild management or showing off her latest drawing.

For the first time in months, I felt truly at peace.