This little Family Arc is about to end and we'll start exploring the world outside and its secrets, including many adventures I've long wanted to explore.
Once we return to Orario, that will mark the end of this Volume (possibly) but that will take some time.
Peace!
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/Later…/
"... Satisfied with my results, I left..."
'Inside Marcus' house, everyone could be seen listening quietly to Silver as he recounted yet again another one of his stories, with Bell being the most excited of them all, unaware of the absurdity of his words.'
'Because while to him Silver's tale sounded like one of his Hero stories, to the others, what they heard was...'
/Chatter chatter…/
"... And that's how my first day on the Dungeon came to an end." Silver said with a smile as a bead of sweat fell from his forehead
Haa... I expected these reactions but man... It sucks.
Their expressions... Don't look good.
""...""
/Silence…/
"So, let me see if I got that straight." Ullia asked as her eyelids twitched
"You went to the first floor unequipped, fought a goblin, found it easy, and continued down to the second floor?"
"I... I did not say that, I said I fought more than one Goblin on the way down. Besides, it was not 'unequipped', I was using the standard equipment issued by the Guild…"
At least until I switched for my armor... This word feels a bit strange in my mouth, how long has it been since I used anything that could be considered armor?...
Details better off not shared.
"Humph, that is pretty much being unequipped." Saphos said as he interrupted Silver
"Moving on, you continued fighting monsters on your way as you went down directly to the third floor where you then took out your real equipment before being ambushed by a group of five Kobolds."
"I wasn't ambushed, the situation wasn't that dire, it would be more accurate to say I stood there and let them come at me first then ambushed..."
"... Then, after defeating them, instead of stopping and reflecting upon your discoveries, you moved down once again you interjected in a conflict between complete strangers, taking the side of the defeated because they…"
"Wait, first of all, I was constantly reflecting on my actions and surroundings!"
"And before you say something highly incriminating, it wasn't like I was completely unrelated to the issue as some of them did attack me as I approached, so I was given little choice in the matter but to defend myself."
"Besides, I did not attack the bandits, they fought each other instead."
'Although his words were somewhat evasive, it was true Silver did not injure the bandits directly, using his Plasmids to have them fight each other instead.'
'In better terms, they were one of his first test subjects, a test to see how well his Plasmids would perform against ordinary adventurers.'
'Of course, he would never disclose his true intentions.'
"And lastly, I wasn't going to leave people to die in cold blood like that."
Good think I removed most of the 'gory' details, I'm afraid things wouldn't been even worse.
I didn't want to lie to them, but the truth can be heavy, besides, I'm not sure Bell would be able to keep his mouth shut either.
Better the truth be relayed through me than him…
'At that moment, Silver looked at Bell, his mouth closed, but his voice still echoed inside the child's mind:'
*Remember Bell, to pick up girls in the Dungeon, you have to save them first, keep that in mind.*
And for the love of the Gods, don't tell my family I said this...
/Sparkle!/
'Although Bell's change of expression was evident, he kept his mind shut as his eyes seemed to shine with light.'
"Uhum, don't try to be cheeky here boy!"
"If you used magic to make them fight each other that's the same thing as fighting them yourself." Ullia said as she tapped on the table
"You pretty much went against everything we told you to do!" She said as her expression twisted slightly
"Cough… Don't be so heavy on the boy, we knew things would end up like that didn't we? He's good enough and everything went fine, besides, he saved other people's lives and that's that…"
Good riddance, if she learns he already leveled up... Breaking the record by being the fastest... She'll end up asking how, and if he replies to that I'm afraid... I am curious as to what would happen but I don't want to see bloodshed.
Especially since it'll end up with my blood mixed with his...
"That is true, saving others is commendable but…" Ullia said as she sneaked a glance at Bell and Via
"But you need to be more self-aware of your surroundings! Rushing things won't lead you to a safer path! The world isn't black and white, just because someone is being attacked, it doesn't mean they're deserving of being helped!"
"Intervening in other people's business without understanding what is going on is foolish…"
"But had he waited any further, they would've suffered."
"It's not every time we have the luxury to wait and weigh down our options, it's in situations of strife that one must be decisive and make the choice others would not dare think about." Lingtom said on the side as he played with his mustache
"A single second could mean victory or defeat, following one's heart is the right thing to do if one wishes to live without regrets. What one must do is prepare themselves as much as possible in-between so they can pursue their desires."
"Only the strong of mind and body are qualified to pursue their Heart's most intimate desires."
"Had Silver not intervened, then I fear for the worst for a group of well-intentioned adventurers."
"... Sigh, very well, let's forget about that." Ullia said as she shook her head
'It was clear she was unwilling to drop the issue, but given that it wouldn't be a good influence for the kids to keep putting pressure on Silver, it was better to drop the issue.'
'Unfortunately, the damage was already done, at least for one of them...'
"... Welcome back Mel, we all missed you." She added with a smile as she got up from the table, hugging Silver lightly as he smiled as well
"... Thank you, me too gran." He replied as he hugged her back
But please stop calling me Mel... That looks like a dog nickname... I thought we were over it when I turned 14...
"Don't forget me." Saphos said as he approached them from the side, hugging both
/Chuckle.../
"Give me some space to breathe old goat!" Ullia said with a laugh as she tried pushing her husband away
"Humph, when we were young you were the one who tended to squish me in your hugs, guess things changed huh?"
/Chuckle/
'Laughing with an honest smile, Silver proceeded to greet everyone again, including a new member of their family…'
"Silver… Here."
"Hm?"
'From the side, his mother appeared from a side room while holding a small baby in a sling.'
'His father was right beside her, smiling lightly as he stopped walking.'
"...?"
A baby? Don't tell me…
"Impossible, it hasn't been that long since I left…" Silver said in disbelief as he held the baby in his hands
Mother had me when she was 20, which is already considered old for these times... Though that doesn't matter.
Adding to that, it's been eighteen years and a few months, adding those together…
What a time to have a child… But better late than never again.
My parents always had difficulty regarding children, and I never really tried to see why… It was just not my business.
But life found its way, and right on time.
I wouldn't mind having another brother though… Maybe even a sister, although I don't think I would have the time to deal with one…
Would there even be a man who would try to approach a girl knowing her brother is me?... That wouldn't work... That would be troublesome.
Imagine having me as a brother... It would be either super cool... Or super stressful...
I am inflating my ego here, but I'm trying to be realistic.
"He's three months old, when you left, I wasn't even aware of it, by the time I realized it you were long gone…" Rubia said with a chuckle as she saw Silver's stunned expression
"Three months?..."
That means it's been a year since she got pregnant...
I left for Orario somewhere around late November and it's currently early September... Damn.
"It's your little brother, we named him Lavos Beryl due to his green emerald eyes." Marcus said on the side as he looked at Silver
"... Is it a custom to name the children after the color of their eyes now?" Silver asked with a smirk as he looked at his parents
"Guess who we got that idea from?" Marcus replied with a chuckle as he turned to Rubia
"Oh, come on, it's cute." Rubia said with a laugh as she turned to the side to set up the Dinner table properly while Silver got to know his brother
"..."
This is weird… But funny too.
Time sometimes passes too quickly.
'Silver looked at the baby's big round eyes as it stared at him, there was absolutely nothing in its gaze but his reflection, it was innocent and pure.'
'Maybe in that moment, he was everything in the baby's world.'
'He wondered if this was how his parents saw him when he was a child, it's quite the change of perspective to be the adult…'
/Tap!/
"What are you thinking so deeply about, boy? Here, let your Goddess get to know him too." Lingtom said as he approached from the side, tapping Silver's shoulder gently, causing him to wake up
"Hm? Ah… Of course."
"Eh? N-N-No I-I…"
"Heh, he doesn't bite, that's for sure." Silver said with a chuckle as he gave Hestia the child, causing her to freeze over in fear of dropping it down
'This caused the others to laugh, the atmosphere was good and everyone seemed happy.'
"Mnn… "
'While his mother went with his father and his parents to the Kitchen to fetch Dinner, Silver noticed Bell's expression as he looked around silently, sometimes looking at both his sister and then at Silver.'
'It wasn't hard to understand what he wanted to do.'
"Bell, aren't you going to introduce me to this cute gal?" Silver asked with a chuckle as he approached him
Looking at her like this… She is the picture depiction of her auntie.
There aren't many illustrations and sketches of how the members of both Zeus and Hera's Familia looked like but I managed to find one about Alfia, her's and Bell's aunt, not that she would like to be called or so I was that I was told...
If anything, she's exactly how I would picture her... But younger.
Thinking about it, even Bell inherited the silvery hair, her Genes must be quite potent...
If she had red eyes like Bell it would be very hard to differentiate them... Aside from their clear expressions.
Not only are they twins of different sexes but also eye colors, this is considerably rare...
"Y-Yes?... Yes!" Bell said excitedly as he moved to the side
'With a wide yet shy smile, Bell brought Silver to his sister who had been watching them from afar.'
"T-This is…"
"I'm Avia Cranel, it is a pleasure to meet you, son of Marcus Esca, Mellios Silver." She said formally as she bowed slightly and elegantly
""...""
'To this display, both Bell and Silver remained stunned.'
"S-Sis…"
"What is it?" She asked in a sharp tone
"N-N… Nothing…" Bell replied as he looked away, scratching his chin as he did so
"Fufu… Isn't she a cutie? I taught her how to do that." Misty said as she approached Avia from behind, hugging her tightly and breaking her 'tough' performance
"Granny…" Avia replied as she let Misty squish her, she seemed somewhat displeased with the situation but did not try to stop her or push her away…
'Maybe because she knew it would result in nothing good happening…'
"Oh my, don't be embarrassed now, we practiced it so many times after all, you did exceptionally well." Misty added as she patted Avia's long silvery hair
"..."
'Avia remained silent, albeit she threw Silver a side-eye before looking away.'
"So? Aren't you going to say anything?" Misty asked in a displeased tone as she looked at Silver
"Ahem… Sorry, I got a bit distracted, she was so cute I lost my breath there for a moment haha… It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Bell told me a lot about you."
Sorry pal, it's on you.
"I-I did?" Bell asked out loud as he pointed at his face
/Glare…/
'Bell could feel his sister's glare on the back of his head, but he didn't dare to turn back and face her.'
"Fufu, isn't that right? She always tries to act serious but only ends up being cute, if only she smiled more… But then she would get all the boys, fufu." Misty said with a smile as she stopped hugging her
"But… What about old Cranel?" She asked as she turned to Bell
"I'm… I'm not sure, when we went back he wasn't home." Bell replied as he looked at her
"?"
'Avia's face changed a little as she frowned, confused.'
"Oh, you know him, he likely went to the woods to fetch some firewood…"
"..."
'But while Misty began talking about Bell and Avia's grandfather, Avia herself was lost in thoughts, thinking about something…'
"Excuse me~ Food's here." Rubia exclaimed out loud as she began setting up the table, Marcus and his parents right behind her as they began laying down plates full of food for everyone
"Fufu, we can talk more later, sit down dear, we have much to talk." Misty said as she passed by Silver and Bell
"Yeah…"
'Silver momentarily turned back, seeing all of his family gathered, talking and laughing.'
'He looked at Artemis and Hestia, still fascinated by the baby in their hands.'
'Things… Were good.'
…
'What transpired after was yet again another happy reunion full of hugs and introductions, stories and scolds as Silver continued to share his stories with everyone.'
'Minutes turned into hours as he continued his long list of ramblings, telling them all kinds of things, some completely true, others a mix of truths and lies...'
'The growth of the Familia, the people he met, the monsters he saw, and more.'
'And soon enough, the sun began to set.'
'After many discussions, it was decided that Silver and the rest would remain in the Village for the night to catch up a bit more with everyone before resuming their journey.'
'Silver wasn't that concerned with time, but he did have some things he wished to accomplish before returning to Orario, and he couldn't spend too much time lazing around, although he did not consider spending time with his family as such.'
'Either way, he would be back to them once he returned so there was little to worry about.'
'He would enjoy his stay once he returned, for as long as time permitted.'
'So as the sky began to turn red, Silver led Bell and Avia back to their shed as he had promised the boy to read and tell more stories to him after everything was done...'
'He was a little tired himself, but no matter, as an adult, it was the least he could do.'
'This wasn't his first time taking care of children, but his memories of doing so were so distant and vague they may as well be shadows of dreams...'
'Time passed...'
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Notes