"Please don't panic. While I'm not friends with Doctor Fueguchi, I haven't harmed him either."
Byakuya smiled reassuringly. "He provided me with intelligence on Yamori. And since he hasn't been involved in any human predation incidents, I have no intention of doing anything to him. As for saving you yesterday—consider it a favor I did in passing."
This framing didn't make it seem like he was harboring ghouls.
The CCG had no rule mandating ghoul elimination—only prohibitions against protecting them, and ghouls had no legal protections.
His explanation was reasonable. At worst, it conflicted with Mado's worldview—Mado believed no ghoul deserved to exist.
Ryouko and Hinami both exhaled in relief.
If what he said was true, Asaki was still safe.
And he apparently had no intention of harming them either. Otherwise, why save them yesterday?
Touka, meanwhile, was relieved she hadn't acted rashly.
This man was clearly stronger than Yamori—far stronger than her. Whether or not she could silence him, any attempt would inevitably draw CCG attention.
Facing both Aogiri Tree and the CCG would spell the end of Anteiku.
"Is my father... still okay?"
Hinami couldn't help asking.
"He's safe."
Byakuya replied.
The system hadn't reclaimed his 50 Fusion Points, meaning Asaki was still alive.
"That's wonderful."
Hinami felt much more at ease.
"It's hard to believe. You're a ghoul investigator, yet you're so lenient toward my husband and us."
Ryouko sighed.
"Not every investigator has extreme prejudice against ghouls. Though people like me are certainly rare."
Byakuya said.
Of course, this didn't mean he thought investigators who hated ghouls were wrong.
Simple logic: you're human. How would you feel about a species that views you as food?
Ghouls only escaped genocide because they looked virtually identical to humans. If they were some other creature that frequently attacked humans in large numbers, they'd have been wiped out long ago.
Perspective mattered too. The original story followed Kaneki's viewpoint as a one-eyed ghoul, constantly surrounded by ghouls. Readers naturally adopted his perspective, subconsciously softening their disgust toward ghouls.
If the original story had followed Kaneki on a hot-blooded path to becoming a top investigator instead, audience attitudes toward ghouls would have been quite different.
Having transmigrated here, Byakuya possessed a god's-eye view. Ordinary humans in this world couldn't possibly view ghouls the way he did. Most felt only revulsion—and that was perfectly natural.
Even someone like Mado could only be called extreme. Given his history, his hatred was understandable. Watching his beloved wife be gnawed beyond recognition by a ghoul—anyone would despise them.
"You saw my true form back then. Even knowing I'm a ghoul, you're not going to move against me?"
Touka asked grimly.
Byakuya shook his head. "Because I have my own principles."
"..."
Touka fell silent.
Even so, she didn't dare trust him completely. Anteiku's true nature absolutely couldn't be revealed.
Her ghoul identity was exposed, yes, but Anteiku itself hadn't been. She could pretend she just worked here, that other staff didn't know she was a ghoul.
"Let's leave it at that. I'll pretend I don't know anything about you. But other investigators won't be as accommodating."
With that, Byakuya stood to head downstairs.
But then Touka couldn't resist asking: "Since you're an investigator, you must know who the Binge Eater is, right?"
She'd been curious about his relationship with Rize for a while. She'd wondered why Rize hadn't made a move on this human yet. Turned out this seemingly ordinary college student was actually a highly capable investigator.
She could understand Rize not daring to attack such a powerful investigator. But she couldn't understand why Rize spent every day attached to him, looking so... intimate.
Given what she knew of Rize's personality, it was baffling. Could that woman actually have fallen for a human—and an investigator at that?
"Binge Eater? What do you mean?"
Byakuya reacted instantly, his acting skills on full display. His expression showed only blank confusion.
If he admitted knowing Rize was the Binge Eater, he'd essentially be announcing he was protecting her.
In situations like this, excellent acting avoided countless complications.
"Never mind..."
He probably didn't know.
Touka believed his performance.
She hadn't detected even a flicker of hesitation in his eyes. There was simply no reason to doubt him.
Besides, Touka suddenly felt she understood Rize's behavior.
That woman had probably marked Byakuya as prey, then discovered he was an investigator and hadn't dared strike. So she'd been using her feminine wiles to slowly ensnare him, planning to eventually...
This fit perfectly with that woman's vile personality—toying with her prey before devouring them.
Touka actually felt a bit sorry for Byakuya now.
She generally held hostility and disgust toward humans, especially investigators. But this man had genuinely saved them yesterday. She could distinguish right from wrong.
It was like how she disliked humans in general, yet was best friends with the very human Yoriko Kosaka.
Who knew how long Rize would keep toying with him before cruelly, mercilessly driving him to despair? The thought felt truly cruel.
Touka briefly considered warning him about Rize's true nature...