MIGHT AS WELL BE OP

Donna and Vivian stared in shock as the man they both knew stood before them. He stood with the exact same carefreeness, the same smile, the same calm confidence, and that familiar presence that silently declared nothing in the world could truly touch him.

Their minds paused, as if frozen in time, each one lost in her own thoughts. When was the last time they had seen him? A year ago? A year and a half? Two years?

Memories flooded their consciousness, vivid and unrelenting. They recalled the first time Anthony had approached them with the offer to be something more. He had worn that same enigmatic smile back then, carried that same mysterious aura that seemed to veil his true intentions.

They didn't even bother pondering how Anthony had arrived without them noticing. To them, Anthony was no different from a god, his movements inscrutable, his ways unfathomable by the logic of mortal minds.

"Won't you say something? Or did you not miss me enough?" Anthony's voice broke the silence, pulling them sharply from their trance.

Vivian's lips moved, her famously icy expression cracking as a warm smile slowly blossomed. Donna smiled as well, her face calm and still, serene like the surface of an untouched lake.

"Welcome back, Anthony," Vivian intoned softly.

"It's been a while," Donna stated.

"You say that like I ran away or something," Anthony added, his tone playful.

Donna and Vivian chuckled, and Donna replied with a light shrug, "Well… you sorta did, you know."

Anthony shook his head with a faint smile. He pushed himself off the wall where he had been leaning. His folded arms fell to his sides before slipping into his pockets in one smooth motion.

He began to stroll around the room. "So, this is what you've been up to, huh?" he mused aloud as he took in the environment. A glacial chandelier hung elegantly from the ceiling, casting a cold glow across the room. A tall mirror, polished to a perfect sheen, rose from the floor to the ceiling, giving the illusion of replacing the wall itself.

Shelves lined the walls, adorned with various works of art and luxurious ornaments that softly illuminated the space. The office radiated a refined majesty, it screamed of ice, water, and unapologetic opulence. Both Donna and Vivian had clearly designed the place to reflect their elemental affinities, sparing no expense. Mana crystals of considerable value had undoubtedly been used to bring this office to life.

Anthony made no comment on the sheer cost of such extravagance. It had nothing to do with him. He knew they had both grown up poor, perhaps spending money like this had once been a childhood dream, a fantasy from long ago before they ever knew only true power only matter in this world.

Vivian and Donna nodded in response to Anthony's earlier statement. They weren't surprised he already knew the details. Their systems was a record of everything they did, and it wouldn't have taken much for that information to reach Anthony if he willed it.

"I heard from Spectre and Clement that you opened multiple orphanages and a guild. I'm guessing this is the guild?" Anthony asked casually. "Care to give me a tour?"

"Of course, why wouldn't we?" Donna replied as she rose gracefully from her seat, eager to show off the fruits of her and Vivian's tireless effort.

Vivian stood as well, her hair still as vividly blue as ever. "Spectre and Clement told you? I thought everyone was stationed at different military bases," she said, her brows slightly furrowed.

"About that… well, long story short, the military base I was stationed at was destroyed during a war. The surviving soldiers and I relocated to another base, and that's where I ran into Spectre and Clement again," Anthony explained, his voice dismissive, clearly too lazy to delve into the details.

Vivian and Donna exchanged glances, both choosing not to pry further. The fall of a Supreme Monarch, the death of soldiers, and the destruction of an entire military base were events that, frankly, had nothing to do with them.

They approached the door, which slid open silently in response to their movement. A sleek hallway stretched out before them. The trio walked in silence, Anthony positioned between Vivian on his right and Donna on his left.

"Oh… almost forgot," Anthony said as if remembering something trivial. "That mana quantity and the blood you sensed earlier, that was me. You can call back your guild members. I've dealt with the threat… if it could even be called one."

Hearing this, neither Donna nor Vivian asked for specifics. If Anthony said it was handled, then it was handled. That was all they needed to know.

Donna pulled a slim phone from her system storage and typed a quick message before it vanished once more into the limitless space.

They stepped into an elevator, which swiftly carried them to a lower floor. As the doors parted, Anthony's gaze was drawn to a wide training room. A group of women were engaged in intensive drills, their uniforms clinging to their forms like a second skin. A figure stood at the front, guiding them through the routine. The moment the door opened, every head turned.

"Good evening, esteemed Guild Masters," they all greeted in unison with respectful bows.

There was no Vice Guild Master, Donna and Vivian shared equal authority within the guild.

Donna and Vivian nodded without a word, continuing forward. Anthony strolled slowly around the training room, taking in every detail. He said nothing, but he could feel the heat of the trainees' curiosity pressing against his back.

He was certain rumors would begin circulating very soon.

Donna then led Anthony to the guild's trade center, a bustling hub where anything of value could be traded. Mana crystals, techniques, rare abilities, and even mundane items like quarks could all be exchanged here.

"You really didn't hold back, did you?" Anthony said, whistling softly. "I imagine more than a few people must've tried to steal from you."

How many guilds had the resources to distribute techniques and abilities like candy? Such opulence was bound to invite predators.

"And neither they nor their guild members are alive to rob anyone anymore," Vivian replied coldly, her tone sharpened with steel. She had personally wiped out any organization that dared to challenge the authority of her guild.

Anthony didn't respond. He simply smiled, a wry expression tugging at the corner of his lips. Silently, he offered a fleeting prayer for the souls of those unfortunate enough to underestimate Donna and Vivian simply because they were women.