36 Stage One, Denial

Japón, Hotel Continental Osaka.

As usual, Akira was at the hotel reception, welcoming people looking for a room in the hotel managed by her father. She typically worked as a concierge, so being the daughter of a wealthy dad was something she never got to enjoy, even though it didn't interest her.

After her mother's death, her sole desire was to support her dad in his life's work, something she had been doing after completing rigorous training as a martial arts expert and a well-trained assassin.

Today, like any other day, she was waiting for her dad, Koji Shimazu, to give him a detailed report of the previous day's statistics, as she always did. But for some reason, today seemed to be much stranger than usual; she felt it that way for some reason.

"Is there something I've been kept in the dark about?" Akira wondered, furrowing her brows slightly. She always felt this way when her father was hiding something from her, and last night's dinner, when he asked if she had a girlfriend, seemed unusual.

Ignoring those thoughts during her work, she began to perform her duties as usual. Just before noon, her father, Koji Shimazu, arrived at the hotel.

"Take over my position," Akira said, looking at her assistant, who nodded respectfully.

"I'll handle it, Miss Shimazu!" the assistant said, bowing as Akira left, appearing a bit anxious to talk to her father.

Koji looked at his daughter and asked, "Do you have any pending matters?"

"No, Dad, but why are you arriving at the hotel so late?" Akira had never noticed any irregularities in her father's schedule, so she wanted to know if something was happening.

"Enter my office; don't forget to close the door," Koji said, acting as he always had.

Akira nodded. She looked around and, upon reaching a glass elevator, pressed the button and waited for it to rise to the top floor of the Continental.

Living in Osaka, the third most populous city in Japan and the second-largest metropolitan area after Tokyo, Osaka is known for its business-oriented people and casual food. Therefore, this city hosts its own Hotel Continental, managed by the Shimazu clan.

"When are you planning to travel?" Koji asked in a softer tone now that he was alone with his daughter and there was no one else unfamiliar with their family in the room.

Akira furrowed her brows but still answered, "I haven't traveled for anything other than missions. Why do you ask?"

"Well, since you never leave the hotel, I've taken the liberty of finding a good son-in-law who could well be your husband in the future." Koji tried to appear very indifferent to this decision that would change his daughter's life, so after saying that, he placed a folder on the table.

Akira approached, sat down, and opened the folder containing photos and information about Anton ShadowBane, who appeared dressed as a priest in all of them.

"Do you have time to find me a fiancé, and he's also a priest?" Akira looked confused at her father, not wanting to refuse but still thinking this was a terrible idea.

Koji smiled slightly and said, "He's not a priest—well, not the kind you're familiar with. He underwent rigorous training, and his authority in The High Table is so high that they must listen to what the Shadowbane dictates. Isn't that incredible?"

"How powerful are they?" I asked Akira, surprised but also uneasy about this.

Koji nodded, then said, "It is said that there was a time when The High Table disobeyed the requests of the Light Association, which is managed by the ShadowBane family, and within days, a bloody massacre unfolded in all the Continentals."

"Have you investigated him?" Akira asked, ignoring the fact that she was talking about her fiancé.

"Of course, he's the heir to his dad, so he will rise to power after my friend retires." Koji smiled and said, "Don't worry, you know I respect your opinion, so if you don't like that guy, you can refuse to marry him. We decided to unite them because they have a lot in common."

Akira looked at her father, and after seeing Anton's appearance, who seemed to have two personalities, she believed her father's words were convincing. "If he doesn't suit my taste, then I will refuse. Are you satisfied with that?"

Koji nodded, walked to his daughter, and gave her a big hug. "Your solutions to these problems are always right. Once you get to know him, I'm sure you two will connect. For now, you can study a bit about him and draw your own conclusions."

"Okay, Dad..." Akira sighed. She didn't want to refuse because she didn't mind her father choosing a fiancé for her. She was sure that if he passed her dad's test, then Anton was a very capable man and not a fool blinded by his family's power.

...

Wisdom Springs Church

Anton was giving water to stray dogs. After that conversation with his father, he knew that the woman named Akira Shimazu was someone very refined, so it wouldn't be a bad idea to give it a try. Nowadays, finding a partner is complicated, so as long as his woman is capable, he will do everything possible for their union to be a success.

"At least I'm going to try..."