"Welcome to my wonderful home," Riven shouted joyfully, his arms held wide open as he stood at the base of the walkway in front of the three ladies.
The Sera and her daughters stood there, gobsmacked at the sheer size of the house in front of them. From a distance, it looked like something carved out of history itself—white pillars brushing the sky, shadows pooling under its temple-like awning.
Dark metal, large glass windows, charcoal-gray roof features, and trims added a modern touch to the otherwise classical white exterior.
Snapping out of her daze, Sera turned to Riven, her eyes narrowing dangerously, "I thought you said it wasn't anything amazing?"
"Well, I figured you'd say no if I didn't say otherwise," he swiftly retorted, before adding, "But come on, let me show you around so you don't get lost while living here."
A wide set of steps stretched before them, leading to the entrance. As they got closer to the door, above it, they noticed pediments inscribed with abstract celestial motifs.
"Ehm… What are… those for?" Nyra questioned in slow, broken sentences, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Oh, those are just some aesthetic design," he said nonchalantly
"Ok," she says before returning to silence. Already used to the twins' behavior from the drive here, Riven paid it no mind as he walked forward to unlock the door.
Inside, the divine grandeur softens into something lived-in. Warm light reflected off sleek floors. Leading them through the house, Riven briefly introduced what each room was for and all the different things he had for them to do here for fun, like a game room and other such activities, even outdoor ones.
The last area he brought them to had a lower-hanging roof and warmer lights than every other wing. A T-shaped corridor held a small lounge where any of the occupants of the three rooms at the end of the hall could rest or talk with one another during early morning or late nights.
"Ok, now, here are your rooms," he pointed at the three rooms with blank signs hanging from them. "I thought you would all prefer if your rooms were next to each other."
Turning to Riven, Sera smiled at him gently, "Thank you so much, Riven. I don't know what to say other than thank you for letting us stay in your home."
"Don't worry, this is also your home, as well now. Now, that tour took a bit longer than I thought, so I'll go and prepare dinner while you guys settle in." Not waiting for a response, he turned on his heel and walked away.
"So, how do we choose rooms?" Shifting her weight, Aria almost tossed her luggage to the ground but stopped when Sera glared at her.
"Hmm, looking at the distance between all three rooms, a logical guess is that all three rooms are the same size and matters not who gets what," Nyra spoke quietly, her voice as soft as a cloud.
"Ok, well, there's Nyra's input, and I guess the last we'll get a full sentence from her." Aria rolled her eyes.
"Girls, I know this is different from what you're used to, but I hope you can bear with it until we're able to stand on our own two feet again. Aria, I know you are the most displeased by this, but at least look at the bright side, you finally get your own room."
"Ok, Mom."
"You two go ahead and choose your room, and I'll take what's left." Both girls nodded before taking two rooms, leaving the rightmost room for Sera.
Walking into their rooms, though they were shocked by the sheer size, they could barely muster a reaction after they toured this less-than-normal mansion. But even then, 600 sq ft rooms were much larger than they were used to.
At least the things inside were a bit more normal, with a queen-size bed, a study corner containing a desk, and a comfortable chair. This also included a bookshelf with a few books and study supplies. A small lamp was added for late-night studying and was neatly placed on the desk as well.
Also in the room was a seating area with a small couch and a small coffee table, next to a window. Finally, the last two parts of their rooms were a small walk-in closet and a personal bathroom.
It was worth noting that even though their rooms held the same stuff, the placement was different to give each room its own personality.
Girls slowly unpacked, feeling the room with what little stuff they had. Only when they were done did they finally leave their room, meeting in the lounge.
"It's almost mocking seeing how little space my own belongings take up," Aira grumbled in mock annoyance, her eyelid twitching.
"We can fix that tomorrow if you would like," Riven approached, wearing a more casual outfit than before, and his expression was much more relaxed. The lingering smell of spices clung tightly to his clothes.
"That… Haa," Aira paused before sighing. "No matter what I say, you're just going to do whatever, right?"
"It seems you understand me better than your mother. And to answer you, that's right, you both are in high school and most definitely need more than what you have. This is the perfect opportunity to fill your closets while also getting stuff to fill the rest of your room.
While also grabbing things that help you chase your dreams. Even if you are dissatisfied with my involvement in your lives, just think about it as taking advantage of the situation to succeed." The seriousness of his voice left the two girls stunned.
They knew that they were in the most important years of their lives, and the amount of money to support them was more than their mother could afford. Even if they both got a job, they weren't sure if they would be able to guarantee that they could both follow their dreams.
Sacrifices would have to be made. But now a god-given opportunity was before them, and all they had to do was say yes.
"Okay," Nyra spoke first, her eyes glistening with understanding. She then turned to her sister, her eyes telling her to agree.
Aria pressed her lips together, a wave of frustration washing over her. Deep down, she resented the idea of accepting his help, yet the weight of her situation left her with no other option. "Fine."
"Great! Now that we've settled that, let's go eat before the food gets cold." He said, leading the girls to the dining hall.
***The next day***
"So why aren't you coming with us?" Aria asked with a questioning gaze, her arms crossed tightly over her chest
"I talked with Riven yesterday and decided to stay back and get more familiar with the mansion and then start looking for a new jo–" Riven gazes at her, a smile playing on his lips, but the warmth never quite reaches his eyes.
"I mean, start planning a new career path," she corrected with a cough, awkwardly smiling after.
Aria's eyes narrowed. "Hmm, okay then."
"Alright, girls, let's get a move on. Lots of stores to visit and lots of things to buy." Riven interjected before he began walking down the path, twirling his car keys on his finger.
"You guys be safe, I love you both," Sera said with a smile that did little to hide the worry on her face.
"We love you, too, Mom," Nyra answered for both of them before following Aria and Riven down the path.
"You know, I kinda pegged you to be more of a supercar kind of guy," Aria said, seeing the same car he used to pick them up the day before.
"Oh, I mean I do have super cars, but not every car can be used for the same thing. Most supercars only have two seats, so I would much rather use the GMW. It's luxurious, comfortable, and decently fast."
"When you girls get your license, I'll let you both choose any car from the garage," he offered, forgetting how unusual such a thing was.
"You really are the furthest from normal, huh," Aira said bluntly, a strange expression on her face as she looked at him.
Riven was sure what to say was that not normal. When he returned, he watched and read a lot about how he should act, and this was said to be normal in one of the novels he read.
"Whatever, let's go," Aria noticed his confusion and got into the backseat of the car with Nyra. Riven shrugged before entering the car himself.
'Vroom', after a short drive, they had finally left the rural area surrounding Riven mansion and arrived in the urban area.
The early morning echoes had begun to fade as the sun climbed higher, its golden rays bathing the city in a soft, almost holy glow. It was a common sight—one that gave the city its name: Zion, the heavenly city, just like in the bible.
But to Riven, that name felt like a cruel joke.
He knew something no one else on this planet could ever begin to understand: everything in the bible was real… in a sense.
Not here, not in this universe. But in the one next door in the same multiverse? Absolutely real.
He had seen thousands of divine beings in hundreds of different universes and even met some from the next multiverse. And one thing he learned was that sometimes a universe could have a religion of a god not present in that universe.
He could only assume it had something to do with the twelve pillars of this omniverse. But that was something he would ask about when the meeting came.
But for now. "Hey, girls, do you both have any ideas on what you want?"
"Nope," Aria responded completely disinterested.
"Then I guess we'll figure it out when we get there," He remarked as he gradually ramped up the speed, skillfully maneuvering through the bustling traffic.
With a final turn, he smoothly turned into the mall parking lot, skillfully maneuvering into an empty parking space. Turning the engine off, he looked over at his passengers. "Alright, we're here. Let's shop until lunch and then resume shopping."
Both girls nodded, a bit relieved to get out of the car. "So, do you both want to get clothes first or something else?"
"We'll follow your suggestion," both answered almost simultaneously.
Navigating the mall, Riven first took the girls to get more casual clothing. Their current clothes showed obvious wear and tear and were a bit too small for both girls, who were still growing.
The first store they entered was called Hibiya Muse. Riven had taken his nieces and older sister here when he first returned to earth, and knew it was a reputable store, plus he also owned part of it.
In fact, He also owned a part of the mall they were standing in, wealth was just another aspect of strength, and to him, it wasn't even close to one percent of his true power.
But it didn't really matter, right? He had no plans of using even one percent of his strength, and is going to live without it anyway. But enough of that, Riven thought, shaking his head lightly. He focused on the shop attendant.
She offered a small bow, her voice silky and smooth, followed. "Hi, how can I help you?"
"We are here to pick out some outfits for these two. Could you possibly help them find at least seven outfits?" Though he was being kind, Riven's words sounded more arrogant than he meant.
Offering a bright smile, she nodded. "Sure, sir."
"Oh, and if possible, whichever one they like most, can they leave wearing those?" he added quickly after thinking about it.
"Sure thing, sir. We'll be back shortly," she gave another bow before walking away with the girls in tow.
Sitting in a nearby chair, he waited for five minutes, ten minutes, twenty, and finally, after almost an hour, he heard the sound of chatter as they walked over to him.
Both Aria and Nyra were wearing completely different outfits. Aria wore a black ribbed tank top, which was covered by a cropped bomber jacket. Paired nicely with slate gray cargo pants that featured a subtle belt for added flair. To complete the look, she added a thin choker around her neck.
On the other hand, Nyra sported an oversized cream knit sweater adorned with delicately stitched patterns. She combined it with ripped jeans and a small necklace that draped around her neck.
The only thing missing from both outfits, from what he could tell, were newer shoes matching both of their styles.
A strange feeling surfaced as he spoke, "You both look wonderful," his voice full of genuine appreciation.
Standing up from the chair, he walked over to the front counter, offering his card to the store attendant, who swiftly swiped it before handing him the bag of clothes after confirming the purchase.
"Sir, thank you for your purchase. I would also like to say it was very delightful picking clothes for your daughters."
"Oh they're not my—"
Aria jumped in front of him, responding, "Yes, it was very nice talking with you as well."
Following Aria out of the shop, Nyra grabbed his hand, dragging him along, "Come on, Dad."
As soon as they were out of sight of the shop, Nyra released his hand before making some distance. "So, do you mind telling me what that was about?" he folded his arms, staring at the two.
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{Chapter 3 Preview}
Next time on Daily Life of the Strongest…
The shopping trip takes a surprising detour — one offhand comment from Nyra, and suddenly Riven's dragging her to build a custom streaming setup.
From CPUs to heartfelt moments, the strongest just found a new way to support the next generation.
Next Chapter: "Just a Little Longer"