After playing house, Sylphy asks Rudeus to teach her magic. And she was quite talented. Atleast she had more mana capacity than ordinary people. Rudeus is teaching her the basics of magic. When it reached sundown they decided to go home.
After reaching their home, Arthur and Rudeus saw an angry Paul.
Arthur: '*Gulp*...'
He's showing off an angry expression. Both of his hands are on his waist as he's standing in the veranda.
Rudeus: 'Hm, did I screw something up? If I think about it, there's only the divine artifact that I carefully kept (panties) but had been discovered... Wait if I remember the divine artifact was lost. Crap, maybe he discovered it!!'
On the other hand Rudeus is blaming it to the [DIVINE ARTIFACT] that had been lost since this morning, that Paul is angry.
Arthur: "Dad we're home."
Rudeus: "We're home Dad."
Paul: "Do you know why I'm angry?"
Paul asks straight to the point.
Rudeus: 'This... Is bad!!! Pretend that I don't know. If the pa..... divine artifact isn't actually discovered, then I'm digging my own grave.'
Arthur: "Yes."
Without hesitation Arthur apologizes immediately. He remembered that if he finds an excuse first then Paul will really punch him hard. As an Asian in his past life he had also experience of Asian parenting. For example 'Respect your elders... Be polite... Don't talk back to your parents, grandparents and the adults... ', if you don't follow these rules you'll recieve Garp's fist of love(Asian parent's discipline). At this time, Arthur became rebellious. Only after their deaths that he remembered his parents is teaching him. Now that he had parents again he was don't want history to repeat itself. Forming the ideology of 'Your parents is always right... If I won't follow these rules I will become an outcast'. Even if Arthur's parents died when he was 10 years old, he still remembered how tough their love for him. It got even worse when he started living with his grandparents after they died.
Rudeus also being a 39 year old including his past life's age knows what Paul is talking about.
Paul: "Good. Now Rudy tell your brother what I said earlier."
Rudeus: "Y-yes... Being strong isn't for the purpose of being cool?"
Paul: "Do you understand now Arthur? Do you admit your mistakes?"
Arthur: "Yes. I'm sorry Dad..."
Paul feeling very satisfied with Arthur's response make him have a little sense of pride as a father. For being a father of 2 boys with 20+ old minds make him lose confidence as a father, and now that he just disciplined one of them finally raised his confidence a little. He also felt relieved that his son is also a kid and can commit mistakes, so as a father he has the responsibilty to uphold proper discipline.
Paul: "Don't apologize to me... Let's go to Mrs. Ada and her kid Somar to apolo-"
Arthur: "Sorry Dad but I can't do that..."
Paul: "Don't find excuses and come wi-"
Arthur: "No..."
Arthur gave the look that he won't back down no matter what Paul will say.
Arthur: "I won't apologize to them until they apologize first..." *whack*
Arthur who cut Paul's sentence answered immediately when and answered but when Paul heard that the victim should 'apologize' was sent flying by Paul's full powered punch.
Even though he didn't see the future that time, he still trained his [[Armament Haki]] to instinctively and with his Godlike reflexes protected him from any harm. So its like a passive ability now...
As Arthur said this he felt his heart crumble. He had always been rebellious to his to his parents and wished that he will have a family again after they died early when he was still 10 years old. And now here he is again, rebelling against his father.
Arthur: 'I see, so it still ends to this. Hahahahaha...'
Although the this situation is quite serious he still had the thought of laughing. When he is in a bad situation Arthur had always been optimistic, its also the reason why he didn't commit suicide with all the bullying at his school in his past life. He also when he gets angry and finally snaps he will have murderous tendencies. And that's also the reason of him being scold by Paul today.
Also Paul hearing what Arthur said was furious that the victim should be the one apologizing.
Arthur who forgot Rudeus's lines in the novel how he handled the situation finally spoke.
Arthur: "Even if you beat me to death today... I won't go and apologize!"
Arthur said it and finally he really felt that his heart will bleed to death...
Arthur: 'W-what... is this... pain in my heart... What am I doing?'
Paul who had seen Arthur being stubborn remembered that he was also very like him when he was his age.
This time teardrops started falling down Arthur's face.
Arthur: "Sorry... Dust flew to my eyes, I'll go to my room first."
Paul: "Arthur where are you going!? We're not done he-"
Paul felt a pulling force from his shirt. He sees Rudy shaking his head.
Rudeus: "Dad, you should here out what nii-san wanted to say first."
-*-*-
Arthur ran to the living room and bumped to Zenith.
Zenith: "Ara? Your home now Art~ The dinner for today is your favorite~ look forward to it okay~"
Arthur hearing Zenith's lovely and caring voice of a mother made him guilty.
Arthur: "Sorry mom... I'm tired today and I'm not hungry. I'll be in my room."
Arthur: 'I don't deserve such loving parents... I'm just a trash person who don't deserve this...'
Zenith noticed something wierd but let him go.
Zenith: 'Something must be wrong. I'll talk to him after I finish this... Its been a while when I saw Arthur cried like that.'
Arthur had always been close to his parents. Every night when Arthur will decide to take a break from everyday training at night will go and sleep with Zenith and Paul. Zenith was happy when Arthur do this and Paul although feeling sexually frustated also became happy. Arthur will ask about stories about their adventures and his eyes will always have sparkling star like he is hearing stories from his idol.
-*-*-
(10 mins later)
In a room with 2 beds Arthur is laying on the bed wrapped in a blanket like a caterpillar in a cocoon. His pillow is wet in tears.
Arthur: 'What am I even doing here? Crying like this, what am I? A 3 year old throwing a tantrum because his Ice cream dropped to the floor?'
Like a depressed middle aged man his eyes are dead.
Arthur: 'Whatever let's sleep. I'm tired'
*knock**knock*
Zenith: "Art~ Mama baked you some cookies~ Can you let me in?"
Arthur opened the door and looked at Zenith's beautiful face.
Zenith saw her cute son with red eyes showing that he just cried. She went inside and sat down beside Arthur.
Zenith: "Why? Who bullied my cute son~"
Arthur: "No no... I was not bullied Mom..."
Thankfully Arthur covered his cheeks with [[Armament Haki]] before Paul's punch came. If Zenith saw a bruise on his face and know that Paul did it, it will be a disaster...
Zenith: "Then what happened?"
Arthur explained everything what happened...
Zenith: "So you got angry because Mrs. Ada's son bullied your friend?"
Arthur: "Yes... At first I can control myself at that time they are bullying Sylphy, but when they started to target the bento, I can't hold it back. As a cook, disrespecting food is an absolute crime(worthy of death penalty). Thanks to Rudy they were safe..."
Zenith was thinking what is best to say to her son.
She just gave him a lap pillow while stroking his hair.
Zenith: "Listen Arthur... Even if the world says you are cursed or a monster your mother will not think so. You will always be my son and I am proud of you"
Zenith kissed his forehead.
Zenith: "Paul might have been angry at you but he really cares about you. He don't want his son to be an outcast and people will treat you as a 'cursed child' instead of a 'blessed chilld/miko'... He really loves you very much and cares about us, and that's why I love your father... Being a father of 2 geniuses made him anxious that you might strayed of the path and be evil, and that's why he is being strict. So Arthur please don't hate your father."
Surprisingly Zenith showed her motherly side to him. He read in the novels that Zenith and Paul has been very inexperienced in parenting.
He always thought that they are just a horny married couple when everytime he went home after a night training he will hear sounds of them having sex.
Arthur: "Yes, mama"
Arthur hugged her back
Zenith: "Are you okay now? As for your father punching you~ *yandere face* He won't be sleeping with me this month as a punishment~."
Arthur giggled at the scene thinking it would be funny seeing Paul's face.
Arthur: "Mama~"
Zenith: "What is it Art~"
Arthur hugged Zenith and kissed her on the cheeks.
Arthur: "I love you~"
Zenith: "I love you too Art~" *blushes happily*
-*-*-*
(Rudeus and Paul)
Rudeus stopped Paul from chasing to Arthur.
Rudeus: "Dad, you should here out what nii-san wanted to say first."
Paul: "What?"
Rudeus: "Father, nii-san have done everything he can to be a good child. He had never betrayed his parents' lessons, and he have accomplished things with all his efforts."
Paul: "That has nothing to do with today, right?"
Rudeus: "No, it has everything to do with it. He had worked hard to gain father's trust and to have a peace of mind, yet father doesn't listen to any of his explanations, trusts someone whom we have never met blindly, and then yells at him before finally hitting him."
Paul: "But that kid Somar really did get hurt. And your brother also admitted his mistakes too."
Rudeus: "Even if he got hurt because of him, nii-san will not apologize. Since he have not betrayed Father's lessons, nii-san can even raise my chest up to say that it was done by him. And I will stand up with nii-san if it happemed again."
Paul: "Wait, what exactly happened?"
Paul finally asked the important questions.
Rudeus: "Didn't you refuse to hear any excuses?"
Paul: "...."
Paul was speechless
Rudeusl: "Don't worry father, after seeing Art-nii getting this treatment. Next time I will act as if I didn't see 3 people hitting a defenseless person. I might as well join them to make it 4 versus 1. I will even announce everywhere that bullying the weak is Greyrat's proud lessons. Then when I grow up, I'll leave home and not call myself a Greyrat anymore. Disregarding that kind of violence in both verbal and physical abuse, and continuing to allow it to happen, makes me feel ashamed to call myself a Greyrat. Honestly I'm dissapointed."
Paul became silent. His face turns green and then red, as if he is very conflicted.
Paul: "I'm sorry. It's father's mistake. Tell me about it."
Paul: "Don't apologize to me. Apologize to Art-nii first. I'm sure he really need to hear that."
After that Paul apologizes to Arthur and finally Paul listened to Arthur's side of the story.
After listening to the whole story, Paul decided to talk with Rawls(Sylphy's father) about this.
(Next Chapter: [[R-18 with Roxy]])