Things in the Order went on smoothly. Tamie often trained, her 'sisters' took jobs, and the life went on, full of happiness and joy. Tamie finally felt that here, in Rosenweld, in the order of Rose Cruce, she was home, in the right place... and whenever she missed her parents (which happened rather often), she would call them and have long chats with them, telling them about all sorts of things she and Nick had undergone on those days. It felt amazing.

But one day, Tamie and her friends understood that happiness was not eternal but could often give its place to obstacles and difficulties, then to be felt doubly as strong again... On that particular day, the beginning of difficulties came, and it concerned Riza's past, which the girl didn't like talking about, so her friends knew nothing of.

The members of the Order were chilling in the hall as usual, and Yuri - a blond guy of Singer Class - was singing on the stage, while Riza and her 'sisters' - Tiger and Tamie - were drinking juices at one of the tables, and the two Elders of the Order - Lord Nick and the Magister - were discussing some philosophical matter at another table, when suddenly someone knocked on the door. Everyone started and looked at it - if it were their member, they would simply let the system know of their presence and enter without knocking!

"Who can it be?" Yuri's voice sounded through the microphone so that everyone could hear.

"I don't think our brethren would need to knock," Edmund furrowed his brow.

Shiba - the same long-white-haired guy who cured Astra before - stood from his chair and walked to the door with clenched fists, apparently ready for anything:

"I'll open".

Blizzard, Tiger's dog, wagged the tail and rushed after Shiba, excited to see the new guest.

"Hey, Blizzard, don't run off so carelessly!" Tiger scolded him, but the dog didn't listen and tagged after Shiba, wagging his tail furiously at him. He really loved Shiba, as it seemed. "Ugh..." Tiger sulkingly crossed arms, displeased that her dog tagged along with some other person than her.

Shiba instead welcomingly smiled at Blizzard and even petted him a little, rendering him even more excited and crazy. Blizzard happily barked at him. Then the boy slowly took the handle, moving it down and making the door creak. It opened. Once he peeped out, his eyes widened - there was a middle-aged, brown-haired, beautiful grey-to-blue-eyed woman standing at the threshold, all covered in her cloak as if wanting to stay hidden.

"Um, what would your desire be here, madam?"

"Excuse me, sir... I'm looking for my daughter, Riza Wagner..." the woman answered in a tearful voice.

Shiba gasped in shock. He almost fell back.

"Shiba, what is it?" Edmund strictly asked him, his frown getting deeper.

Shiba quietly turned back and called Riza, not answering the Magister:

"Riza, come here for a minute!"

Edmund blinked - what was it all about? He stood up too to investigate the case. Riza instead raised an eyebrow surprisedly - why was Shiba calling her out of all people? She quickly ran up to him and looked out of the door, freezing on the place:

"M... Mother?!"

Edmund, as well as all the other members, gasped once they heard Riza's exclaim - she said 'mother'?!

"Riza, so good you're alright. I was so worried!" the woman brightened once saw her beloved daughter and tightly hugged her.

Riza was confused - why was she worried about her? She was always perfectly safe in Rose Cruce Order! She frowned - there was clearly something bad going on...

"Magister, may my mother come in?"

Edmund first raised both of his eyebrows, and then adjusted his glasses:

"Generally, it is our policy not to let strangers in, but... our member's mother wouldn't be considered a stranger now, would she?" he gifted Riza a benevolent smile. "Of course she may come in, Riza Wagner. We all are a family here, and our brethren's families are also our brethren. You and your mother are no exception".

Riza returned him a grateful smile and then hastily grabbed her mother's hand:

"Come in, mom!"

The woman hesitated, but then sighed and walked into the mansion. Shiba closed the door behind her. While they led Riza's mother to one of the tables Tiger and Tamie too curiously joined the company, as well as Lord Nick, and Shiba went back to his place, leaving them in peace. Riza presented her mother as Danielle Wagner. The woman meanwhile took a seat at a table and took her hood off, showing her face swollen with tears.

"Mom, what happened?" Riza asked with concern, grabbed her palm in her hands, and squeezed it.

"Riza, it is a disaster," Danielle sighed, wiping off her tears. "Your father and I... we divorced..."

"Huh?" Riza gasped - so her mother actually had nowhere to go now?!

"But that's the least of it. The court decided to leave you to him! They demand you to return to the estate. Your father desires so..." the woman covered her face with her hands and began weeping. "I'm sorry. He's got all power in his hands as the Aquarius Lord. I could do nothing... So I came to you directly..."

Riza's hands trembled - her father had gained authority over her?!

That man... she gnashed her teeth. That man... I don't want to even see him anymore!

"Oh no, sis, we don't want you to go!" Tiger pressed hands to her chest in fright - would Riza really have to go, after all these years they had spent together?!

"Huh? But it's nonsense!" Tamie was no less stupefied, "Isn't Riza already an adult? She's twenty-one years old, after all, turning twenty-two later this year! It's impossible for her father to just take her away as he pleases!"

"Aquarius Lord, you say?" Nick furrowed his brow and crossed arms. Everybody looked at him - if there was anyone who knew a lot about the Aquarius Celestial Lord, it was Nick, as he himself was the Cancer Celestial Lord. "He is said to be one of the most powerful Celestial Lords, as is fit for the Aquarius sign. Also considering he's the Dragon spirit and the Battler Class of Emperor rank... clashing with him would pose a problem to our entire order and mainly its reputation in the Zodiac Council's eyes".

"But Riza cannot be sent back to the parent she doesn't want to be with!" tears gathered in Tiger's eyes - it seemed that such a feeling was quite familiar to her.

"Riza..." Danielle desperately clutched her beloved daughter's hand - to just imagine she was to be sent back to that gruesome estate of the Wagner!

"W... Why does he want me back? Why now?! He clearly has some purpose!"

"You are a powerful Sagittarius sign, already Enchantress rank of Singer Class. He apparently needs you to magnify his powers," Danielle replied with clear disgust in her voice, directed towards her former husband's despicable motives.

"Ugh, I hate it!" Riza gnashed her teeth and clenched fists so strongly they nearly bled. "How he dares insult us like that?"

They all were in indignation. They had a heated discussion, mainly expressing their complaints, when a deep, strict, majestic manly voice which sounded too familiar, stated in its authoritative tone:

"Whatever the reason it is for claiming Riza Wagner back, and no matter the fact he is her very own father and the court has given him the full authority to do as he sees fit, he is not allowed to take Riza Wagner back to his estate".

Everyone widened eyes and looked back at Edmund, who was the exact one to have spoken.

"B... But how does he not have the rights to claim his daughter back, after the court has officially approved it?" Danielle was confused. Everyone curiously stared at Edmund - what was it he wanted to say?

"Rose Cruce Order is not a game. It is an official house, a lodge, where all of the members are brethren. Every order is a family. Rose Cruce is no different. Like all families, orders too, have their own heads - the overlords, or the magisters, name it how you will. But the main point is that overlords are the heads of orders, thus fathers of all members. In Rose Cruce, we Jaeger Clan have been patronizing the members for centuries. That tradition stands even today. I am Edmund Jaeger, the current owner of this order, its overlord, its magister, and its absolute ruler, and as I am the Magister, I am a father to all the members this order has accepted. The day Riza joined, she swore to accept this order as her family, so this order is her family now. It matters no more what her blood father says, for by the name of all the laws of Zodiac Masters, I am Riza's current father and whether Lord Wagner takes her or not, is a decision of mine and not his. Thus said, if Lord Wagner wishes to claim Riza back, I'd be willing to accept his request of meeting me. Let him discuss that matter with me as a man to a man," he clenched his fist he wore the Order ring on, and his eyes shimmered like the ones of a hawk from behind his glasses, "But let him be sure - I am not giving up on my children so easily. The only way for him to settle things with me is a fist to a fist".

All of the friends, including Riza's mother Danielle, gasped - so this was the true face of Edmund Jaeger! A fierce and protective leader of the Rose Cruce...