-415- No big deal

"Mr....Rozen?" Yui couldn't help but be stunned.

"Rozen?" Asuna also looked towards him.

In that moment, Rozen's tone was filled with a multitude of emotions. There was tenderness, reproach, displeasure, and relief, almost every kind of emotion one could imagine.

With this tone, Rozen spoke.

"You really are an idiot, Yui."

Rozen finally stepped forward, coming in front of Yui and half-crouching down. His gaze met Yui's bewildered eyes as he spoke gently.

"Just because you're an AI program, does that mean you're not allowed to feel human emotions? Who made such a rule?"

With a simple statement, Yui found herself at a loss for words.

But wasn't that true?

"Yui, you're a highly intelligent AI program, right? You should know that these third-rate melodramatic situations only happen in novels and TV shows. If you start sulking because of something like this, you'll be laughed at in the real world."

Rozen spoke with a playful tone.

"When the time comes, I'll be so embarrassed as your Papa, won't I?"

With words like these, a mix of surprise, joy, and nervousness filled Yui's pretty face.

"Papa..." Yui hesitated nervously. "Can I still call you Papa?"

Yui felt uncertain and hesitant about this.

However, her uncertainty was met with Rozen's irritation.

"Someone who called me Papa without permission was you, you know?" Rozen scolded her with irritation. "And now you suddenly don't want to acknowledge it? In the real world, this would be called turning your back on someone, and there's no way to argue against it."

Rozen seemed to be reprimanding his daughter, leaving no room for leniency in his tone.

"But... but..."

Yui wanted to say something, but Rozen interrupted her.

"If you don't understand, let me tell you, Yui." Rozen looked directly at her and continued, "I'm not a saint who can accept anything. If something truly heartbreaking were to happen, your so-called 'mental health values' would definitely change, becoming less stable and less peaceful."

That was the way things naturally were.

"Or should I say, if something happened that I couldn't accept, I would definitely become more excited, sadder, and crazier than anyone else."

Rozen said this with sincerity.

"For example, if my beloved daughter suddenly stopped calling me her Papa."

Rozen's heartfelt words made Yui's tears flow even more frequently, and he continued to smile as if he couldn't see.

"But don't use the excuse that you're just an AI program. Otherwise, Saichou and Hanachou might get angry too, you know?"

After all, these two familiars, to some extent, were like Yui. They were also constructed from AI programs, even though their intellect didn't match Yui's. Yet, they had their own emotions.

If Yui thinks she doesn't deserve it because she's an AI program, wouldn't that also include Saichou and Hanachou?

"Gu!"

"Gu!"

Saichou and Hanachou made sounds in response.

It made Rozen realize that upon further consideration, Saichou and Hanachou's fondness for Yui probably stemmed from the fact that they were of the same kind.

But right now Rozen have only one thing to say.

"I already have two familiars; having one more daughter is no big deal."

Rozen spoke with utmost ease, leaving Yui speechless.

"Papa!"

Yui finally called out that name again.

Even as tears flowed, even as her voice faltered, the joy inside was just like the first time she called Rozen by that name.

Asuna, who had been watching, couldn't hold back either.

"Hey, Yui-chan."

Asuna squatted beside Rozen, keeping eye level with Yui. Her eyes were already moist.

"Why did Yui-chan call us Mama and Papa?"

Asuna asked this question with tears in her eyes but a smile on her face.

"Because..." Yui tried to speak through her sobs, but her crying made it difficult to articulate.

But that was okay.

No matter how incomprehensible Yui's words were, it wasn't the first time.

Even though the reasons were different, during the time they had lived together, Yui had often spoken unclearly, and Asuna had understood her intentions.

"Because you wanted to be with us."

"Like a family, always together."

"So, we are your Mama and Papa, right?"

Asuna smiled, her tears now flowing freely.

"Em... em....."

Yui could only nod continuously, shedding tears alongside Asuna.

Watching this scene, Rozen didn't feel sadness but just silently watching over them.

As for the words he wanted to say, they were already quite evident. Yui herself had mentioned it before, hadn't she?

"This is what you said, right?" Rozen smiled warmly. "You've acknowledged it; that place is your home, isn't it?"

With that settled, there was only one thing left to do. "We've completed what we needed to do here. Your memories are fully restored, and even your original role has been revoked. You can freely choose your future. You can be certain of that. So, let's go home."

Yes, back home.

The little wooden cabin was the true home for the three of them.

Yui couldn't express it in words, so she continued to nod, her tearful face now radiating a wide, innocent smile, just like the Yui from the past.

Asuna rushed over and hugged her daughter tightly.

"Gu!"

"Gu!"

Saichou and Hanachou fluttered above the two of them, making joyful and cheerful sounds that filled the entire room.

Rozen watched the mother and daughter before him, their faces streaming with tears, and felt a warmth and understanding that he had never experienced before in his heart.

Perhaps, in coming to this world, his greatest gain wasn't the collection of familiars or the mastery and advancement of skills, but the companionship of this mother and daughter before him.

Indeed, Rozen and Asuna weren't married, not even a couple.

Certainly, Yui wasn't related to them by blood, and they had only known her for three days.

But all of that didn't matter anymore.

From this moment on, these three would truly become a family.

As long as they could confirm that, it was more than enough.

Rozen raised his head and looked at the black console before him.

"Is this the console to connect to the system?"

Rozen squinted his eyes and then looked away.

In this white room, the warm atmosphere continued.

Until after a long while...

"All right, let's go back."

"Yes!"

"Em!"

"Gu!"

"Gu!"

Asuna, Yui, Saichou, and Hanachou responded one after another. The first two had already wiped away their tears, leaving only smiles on their faces.

Afterward, the group used a teleportation crystal to return directly to the 22nd floor.

To welcome a brighter future.