Making Game: CH 142 – A Day with The Parks (Patreon)

Several days had passed since the factory inspections. Today, Dorian Kepler found himself standing directly on an active battlefield.

Specifically, it was a battlefield heavily fortified by his potential in-laws. Apex Guild was celebrating its 69th Lustrum, a grand 345-year anniversary marking its continued dominance in the core systems. The guild stood stronger than ever and projected even greater power for the next five years. One could easily consider this a joyous occasion, provided they were sitting anywhere else in the venue. Dorian, however, was seated directly at the main table alongside Juno, her parents, and their direct family.

Alexei Park sat imperiously at the head of the sprawling banquet table. His wife, Olena Park, sat elegantly by his side. Juno occupied the opposite flank, and Dorian was seated securely right beside her.

This seating arrangement was terribly bad for his heart. Every few minutes, his Eagle Vision flared to life, involuntarily highlighting the heavily armed shadow guards moving silently within the floor panels and walls. Furthermore, the other branches of the extended Park family kept throwing sharp glares in his direction, looking at him as if he had just stolen their most precious artifact.

Yet, the luxurious banquet carried on, and the party remained incredibly lively.

Floating elegantly to his left, Aphrodite giggled softly. "My, my. Sorry to make you their absolute center of attention with my charm, fufu."

Dorian could hardly retort. There were far too many powerful Solars in the immediate vicinity to risk talking to empty air. The most dangerous presence was undeniably Alexei Park's younger sister, Victoria Park. Her grayish hair and piercing blue eyes stood out starkly against her incredibly calm, collected nature.

Dorian quietly analyzed the complex family dynamics playing out around the table. Victoria clearly held absolute authority over the internal Park family branches. With just a single, subtle glance, she reeled in the younger children and forced them to behave. Her control stopped exactly at the family border. It was Olena Park's explicit duty to manage everyone outside the bloodline, seamlessly directing the guild staff, managing the external members, and keeping the grand party flowing smoothly.

While Dorian observed all of this, he was simultaneously being interrogated by several Park cousins of roughly his own age.

"So, Dorian," a sharp-featured cousin asked, swirling his glass. "Those mismatched eyes of yours are certainly unique. Is that a specific genetic trait?"

"Just a rare anomaly," Dorian replied smoothly with a polite smile.

"And how exactly did you and our dear Juno meet?" another cousin chimed in, leaning forward. "Are you two officially dating now?"

"We met during a rather chaotic time back in Aethelgard," Juno answered for him, her tone firm enough to signal the end of that specific line of questioning.

A smartly dressed staff member stepped forward and poured another generous glass of champagne for Dorian. Juno leaned in close, her shoulder pressing against his. "You should probably stop drinking."

Dorian smiled warmly. "Don't worry, I will be completely alright."

Hovering just behind his chair, Dionysus lifted his own spectral goblet. "Don't worry, Princess J! Prince D will never be a lightweight with me around to process the alcohol."

The god's invisible words could only be heard by Dorian, prompting a soft, involuntary chuckle to escape his lips.

However, Dorian quickly noticed something deeply unsettling. Every single time his eyes flickered toward either Dionysus or Aphrodite, Victoria Park reacted. Her calm, piercing gaze kept darting directly toward him, tracking his subtle head movements.

He leaned closer to Juno, lowering his voice to a bare whisper. "Did I somehow piss off your aunt?"

Juno paused. She subtly assessed the situation across the table before looking back at him. "It is just in your mind, Dorian. Enjoy this evening. I was actually planning to invite your father and your siblings the next time we hold a large gathering."

Dorian felt a rush of genuine warmth. He locked hands with Juno, giving her fingers a firm, reassuring squeeze. "Sure. They would love that."

After a while, the tension at the main table slowly began to thaw. Things started to get significantly smoother for Dorian. The stiff formalities melted away, replaced by the natural rhythm of a lively family gathering. Everyone around the table began to open up, enthusiastically sharing stories and updates about their respective journeys.

Several of the young Park cousins, who were already active Solars, began recounting their recent guild missions. One cousin stood up slightly, animatedly telling a thrilling tale of a subjugation contract on a wild frontier planet. He described tracking a massive, heavily armored subterranean monster through deep caverns, mimicking the sound of its terrifying roar while his siblings playfully threw bread rolls at him to interrupt his bragging.

At one point, a younger cousin sitting near the end of the table launched into a long, animated joke completely in Rodian, the native language of the Rodia System.

The punchline landed, and most of the people at the table erupted into laughter. Alexei Park laughed the absolute hardest, his booming voice echoing over the clinking glasses.

Dorian laughed right along with them, a genuine, bright smile spreading across his face.

The cousin who told the joke wiped a tear from his eye and looked over. "Oh, do you speak Rodian, Dorian?"

Dorian shook his head. "Ah, no, I actually don't understand a word."

He smiled warmly, looking around the grand table. "It's just genuinely great seeing you guys together. When I was growing up, it was mostly just me, my younger brother, and my younger sister. I love them with all my heart. We simply never had a big, bustling family dynamic like this. It is really nice to experience."

Alexei Park raised his glass high, his eyes softening slightly. "Well said, Dorian. To family!"

"To family!" everyone cheered, raising their glasses for a unified toast.

The lively chatter immediately began once again. An older cousin leaned over and asked Dorian what he did for a living. Dorian kept his answer concrete yet safely vague enough to close off any deep probing. He explained how he owned his own land on a quiet planet and ran a small, independent business here and there.

The older cousin smirked slightly, taking a sip of his drink. "Very passionate about your little projects, huh?"

Dorian politely nodded, allowing the conversation to bleed into a new topic. He turned his attention to the heads of the table. "I actually wanted to ask. How exactly did the two of you meet?"

Juno leaned in, a fond smile on her lips. "They met in the Grand Senate hall, of all places. My father was shouting and aggressively complaining about a new guild taxation law that had just passed. My mother happened to be a senator who coincidentally walked by his protest."

Dorian put two and two together, his mismatched eyes widening in surprise. "Oh, I had no idea you were a senator, Lady Olena."

Olena Park set her crystal glass down gracefully. "I am a senator no longer. I officially withdrew from my title the day we got married."

Her sharp gaze wandered around the lively family members before settling back on her plate. "I chose to help my husband run this guild, to build it into what it is today, and to properly raise a family. For me, stepping down was an absolute privilege."

She then slowly raised her eyes, locking her gaze directly into Dorian's eyes.

"For a young man like you, perhaps those choices seem old-fashioned," Olena continued, her voice perfectly polite yet laced with cold, unmistakable steel. "It is nice that you can appreciate us being here together. However, all of this did not just magically happen. This legacy exists specifically because we know how to put family first, instead of foolishly chasing one's personal passion."

A heavy, suffocating silence immediately descended upon their corner of the table. The older cousin's previous comment about Dorian being 'passionate' suddenly hung in the air like a loaded weapon.

Before Juno could interject, Victoria Park smoothly stepped in. Her calm, calculating blue eyes flickered toward the podium. "Brother, it is time."

Alexei Park cleared his throat, standing up from his seat and heading straight to the podium to deliver his grand Lustrum speech to the rest of the guild.

Hovering right beside Dorian, Dionysus grimaced and took a long sip of his ghostly wine. "Uftt... awkward."

On his other side, Aphrodite crossed her arms, her divine eyes narrowing directly at Olena. "Who exactly does she think she is?"

…

Dorian let the cold water run over his hands. He splashed it heavily over his face, letting the chill shock his system. He gripped the edges of the marble sink and stared into the mirror. Jet black hair, a distinct white streak, and mismatched eyes stared right back at him.

He let out a long, heavy breath to calm his racing heart.

Dionysus floated casually beside him. "All in all, a good party. Rigid, sure, yet good still."

Aphrodite stood on his other side, still huffing in quiet protest over Olena Park's subtle insults.

Right at that moment, a familiar face appeared in the reflection of the mirror. Cassian Rhee stood near the entrance.

Cassian widened his eyes in surprise. "Dori?"

Dorian turned around, wiping the water from his chin. "Cass? What are you doing here?"

"I am a guild member," Cassian explained, stepping fully into the luxurious restroom. "Apex just finalized a collaboration with Rhee Industries too. What are you doing here?"

Dorian leaned against the sink. "Well, Juno invited me."

Cassian raised an eyebrow, a knowing look crossing his face. "So you both are officially together, huh?"

"Yeah," Dorian nodded. "How about you? Do you still have those two lackeys following you around everywhere?"

Cassian let out a low, self-deprecating chuckle. "It is great to see you again, Dorian. Things grew strained between us. The more they agreed with absolutely everything I did, the further away I stood from them. Here I am today, trying to make a name for myself."

Dorian smirked. "Is the Rhee family name insufficient for you?"

"I want to build something of my own first," Cassian said firmly. "Unlike my father or his father before him, I have zero interest in empty titles."

Dorian raised his eyebrows. "Whoa. Are you absolutely sure you want to say that to me? Your father is still a top-ten trillionaire the last time I checked."

Cassian smirked back, his eyes flashing with a sudden, dangerous glint. "Sure you can, composer Percival."

The entire momentum in the room dropped to absolute zero.

Dorian surged forward. Before Cassian could even blink, Dorian grabbed him by the collar and slammed him hard against the tiled wall, cornering him completely.

Cassian grunted in shock. "Whoa, you became a Solar too?"

Dorian tightened his grip, his voice dropping to a lethal whisper. "What did you just say?"

"Hah," Cassian gasped, struggling slightly against the crushing grip. "You just confirmed my suspicion then."

Dorian growled softly. "No... you were already entirely sure it was me."

Cassian managed a strained smile. "Don't be too hasty, Dorian. I come here as a friend."

"What is it then?" Dorian demanded.

"Would you mind dropping your hands off my collar first?" Cassian asked politely.

Dorian stared at him for a second longer before finally letting him go. Cassian dropped back onto his feet and took a deep, shaky breath.

"Wooo," Cassian exhaled, adjusting his ruined lapels. "That certainly did not go exactly how I pictured it in my mind."

"Just spit it out, Cassian," Dorian ordered.

Cassian held up his hands defensively. "Don't worry, I will not say a word to anyone. I have known you were Percival since the day we met at the Gilded Crescendo Awards. It was incredibly obvious. The specific way you answered my questions gave it away." He gestured toward Dorian's head. "Plus, you did not even bother to cover up that white streak of hair back in the day, haha."

Dorian narrowed his mismatched eyes. "What do you want?"

The playful demeanor instantly vanished from Cassian's face. "I have 'friends' whose interests severely clash with yours. I just want to tell you to be extremely careful when drinking at these corporate parties as Percival. Several years ago, you almost fell straight into their net."

Dorian felt a chill run down his spine, instantly recalling the drugged drinks at the EMG gala. "Who are they?"

"I cannot say," Cassian replied, shaking his head. "As much as I genuinely want to, there is a delicate balance in this thing we call business. I have already risked too much just telling you this. Just keep your wits about you."

Cassian turned and walked toward the exit. As he pulled the heavy wooden door open, Dorian caught a glimpse of the hallway. A massive guard was standing directly in front of the door. That completely explained why nobody else had entered the public restroom.

Cassian paused in the doorway. He looked back over his shoulder and smiled genuinely.

"Congrats on getting together with Juno. Take good care of my commander."

Then, the heavy door clicked shut, leaving Dorian entirely alone with his thoughts.

…

Dorian walked through the front doors of the Kepler estate and immediately slumped onto the living room sofa. He released all of his pent-up exhaustion and lingering tension in a single, loud sigh.

A soft cooing sound drew his attention. A fluffy Altaria gently approached and handed him a cold bottle of water.

"Thanks, Ly," Dorian murmured, gratefully taking the bottle from the cloudy bird.

Lyra was standing right over him, her arms crossed with an expectant look. "So, what happened?"

Before Dorian could answer, Marcus strolled into the room accompanied by his loyal Arcanine and a very newly evolved Houndoom. "Did something happen at Sister Juno's party?"

Dorian took a long drink of water and raised an eyebrow at his siblings. "Why are you guys so exceptionally thirsty for gossip?"

Lyra leaned down to pet her Umbreon. "It is hardly gossip when it involves our brother's life."

Marcus hurried over and leaned against the back of the sofa, his eyes wide with excitement. "Did someone challenge you to a duel? Don't worry, brother. My Pokémon and I will gladly burn any challengers to ashes."

Lyra rolled her eyes playfully. "This is real life, Marcus. People do not just challenge each other to a duel like we do."

Marcus pouted slightly. "What is it then?"

Dorian let out another soft sigh. "Nothing actually happened. It was just the usual high-society stuff." He sat up straighter, his mismatched eyes suddenly locking onto the dark, imposing canine by his brother's side. "Wait a second. Since when did you evolve your Houndour into a Houndoom?"

Marcus flashed a bright, incredibly sincere smile. "Just now, hehe! Dodo was herding the Muurbeasts outside. When he was resting, he ended up playing and battling with some of the other wild Pokémon around the fields. He won his match, so he just evolved!"

Dorian reached over and proudly patted Marcus on the head. "Great job, buddy."

Marcus let out a bright, contagious laugh that instantly warmed the room.

Lyra smirked, gently nudging her younger brother. "My Swablu still evolved into Altaria way faster."

Dorian chuckled, shaking his head as he watched his sister tease the youngest Kepler. "Alright, calm down. This is hardly a competition, you know."

Marcus crossed his arms, looking down his nose at Dorian with a teasing grin. "Sounds exactly like someone who has failed to evolve their Pokémon."

Dorian gasped in mock offense. "Hey, first of all, I did evolve my Beldum into a Metang, thank you very much."

Lyra laughed, shaking her head. "Yeah, however, it lacks its final evolution, so it hardly counts."

Dorian looked back and forth between his two grinning siblings. "Okay, what is this? Now you are both attacking me at the exact same time." He reached into his coat and dramatically pulled out his capsules. In a flash of brilliant light, his Charizard, his Articuno, and his Shiny Metang materialized in the living room. "I would say we settle this properly."

Marcus's eyes lit up with pure joy. "With a duel!"

Dorian smiled widely and jumped off the sofa.

Lyra just sighed, though a massive smile was already spreading across her face. She looked down at her Altaria and her Umbreon. "Ready."

And so, the Kepler estate hosted a vibrant, chaotic party of its own. They all rushed out to the fields, and dozens of wild Pokémon gathered around the pasture to eagerly watch and join the fun. As elemental attacks lit up the starry Friton night, Dionysus hovered above the farmhouse roof with a ghostly goblet in hand, happily giving the event his official stamp of approval for another excellent party.

⋘ 𝒍𝒐𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒅𝒂𝒕𝒂.. .⋙

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