Byakuya's comment was met with a puzzled look from Arima.
"Papa! Mama!"
At that moment, Mayu, who had been playing upstairs, must have heard the voices below and came rushing down excitedly.
She couldn't wait to see Byakuya and Eto again.
"Mayu, have you been a good girl these days? Listening to Grandpa and all the aunts and uncles?"
Eto crouched down and asked with a smile.
"Yes, yes! Mayu has been super good!"
Mayu answered proudly.
"I thought you guys would be gone for a long time…"
She added, a little pouty.
"We won't be. And for now, we're not planning to go anywhere far for a while."
Byakuya reassured her.
Not long after Mayu came down, Suzuya, Touka, and even Kaneki also appeared from upstairs.
Apparently, the second floor was pretty packed with kids.
"Kaneki's here too?"
Byakuya raised an eyebrow when he saw Kaneki coming down.
"I invited him over. He was being all shy at first, though."
Touka said casually.
"That's because... I thought it was your house…"
Kaneki mumbled, his voice growing softer toward the end.
"Hm? What was that?"
Touka tilted her head, not quite catching what he said.
"N-Nothing."
Kaneki quickly waved it off. He definitely couldn't tell her what he really thought — she'd never let him live it down.
Byakuya, meanwhile, was silently impressed. Kaneki's moving fast!
Even though so many things had changed — like Kaneki not becoming an artificial one-eyed ghoul, and Touka still having her parents — the bond between them hadn't been broken.
Which, in Byakuya's eyes, was definitely a good thing.
...
After spending some time at the Anteiku, Byakuya made a quick trip to the TSC — the agency formed after the merger of the former CCG and Aogiri Tree.
He needed to check on things in case anything major had happened within the organization without his knowledge.
Fortunately, things were stable. No internal conflicts.
Byakuya took the opportunity to catch up on the latest situation. Besides the persistent problem of the dragon orphans, there were still unruly ghoul factions causing trouble.
After all, not every ghoul was willing to live peacefully with humans. Some still preferred human flesh, despite the availability of synthetic alternatives. Others simply killed for the thrill of it.
So the TSC wasn't just dealing with the dragons orphans, but also rogue ghouls.
Overall, though, the TSC remained in control. The only real issue was the stubborn pockets of resistance that couldn't be wiped out completely.
With no major threats requiring his attention, Byakuya decided to visit Dr. Kanou's lab.
"How are things going with the synthetic food and dragon cell research?"
Byakuya asked.
"Quite well" Kanou said, clearly in good spirits. "We haven't hit any major setbacks. The taste of the synthetic food is improving, and we're close to using dragon cells in clinical applications. It could help cure most diseases."
"Good. I won't keep you any longer."
With that, Byakuya turned to leave.
But just as he was about to exit TSC headquarters, Marude appeared.
"Byakuya, perfect timing."
Marude approached him quickly.
"What is it? Something wrong?"
Byakuya asked.
"You know the Tsukiyama family, right? The famous Tsukiyama Group. They recently struck a partnership with the TSC. They've poured massive funds into Tokyo's reconstruction and even contributed financially to us. But here's the kicker — turns out they're a ghoul family."
Marude said with a sigh.
At this point in the timeline, only the Washuu family had known about the Tsukiyamas' true identity. The average CCG investigator hadn't known a thing, which is how the Tsukiyamas managed to grow into such a powerful corporate force.
"I know the Tsukiyamas. Did they just come out and reveal their identity?"
Byakuya asked calmly.
He had clear memories of Shuu and his father, Mirumo Tsukiyama. Mirumo wasn't exactly a good or bad person, but he was an exceptional father. In the original story, after the Dragon War, he donated all remaining funds from the Tsukiyama Group to help rebuild Tokyo.
Byakuya held a favorable opinion of him.
"Yes. They came clean. But just yesterday, the Tsukiyama Group's CEO — Mirumo — reached out asking for help."
Marude continued, "Apparently, the Tsukiyamas have a branch family in Germany — the Roswalds. They're being targeted by Matsuri and his ghoul hunters. Mirumo wants us to step in, at least to ensure that part of his family survives."
"I see..."
Byakuya paused for a moment.
He remembered the Roswald family. In the original timeline, they were wiped out. The lone survivor was a servant named Kanae — real name Karen — who later came to live with the main Tsukiyama family.
"Alright, send someone to handle it."
Byakuya wasn't particularly concerned about the outcome.
Even without his intervention, Kanae had survived in the original timeline.
"Well… there's a bit of a problem."
Marude looked awkward. "Since this involves negotiating with Germany's ghoul investigation agency, only someone from the Washuu family or you, the Chairman, would have the necessary authority."
"Then send someone from the Washuu family."
Byakuya replied. "Since it's Matsuri leading the operation, it's most appropriate to send someone from his own family."
Matsuri was the grandson of Tsuneyoshi and the son of Yoshitoki.
Despite being older than Furuta, by hierarchy, Furuta was technically Matsuri's uncle.