~~~
With flickering lights and colors dancing throughout the festivities of the city streets, Shun finally arrived at the outskirts of Roina, otherwise known as the capital city of Catelia.
Unlike other players, he wasn't fazed in the slightest, at the sight of the grandiose yet rural celebration being held in here. This was something he was used to...well if we cut out the rural aspects of said celebrations.
"Serena," He calls out, and instantaneously, from the crowd of 8 girls behind him, a serene beauty with tantalizing golden hair and ivory-white skin steps out and comes to his side.
"Yes, Master Shun?" She asks, protectively holding her staff. She was always ready for battle, as most of her adventures with her master and co-wives primarily consisted of one of three things: battle, gaining prestige, and finding treasure.
She didn't know why they were in a continent she never knew much of and much less of why they were at an event that venerated a deity that she never knew...but she could take a guess. They were probably here for treasures...although it's been a long time since they had done so while strolling through city streets.
Without even saying a word, he only casts her a trustful gaze, and she felt...confused.
"What the hell do you even expect from me?! Why are you being so mysterious? Are you a little kid or something who expects that I can read your mind?!" ...is what she would have said had she been honest with her thoughts.
"Yes sir, we'll look for treasures and separate everyone into different paths...and all purchases will be recorded for your ease," She nods, doing what she thinks he expects from her.
His lips curl into a smirk, affirming her response with a nod. "Good, it's great that you understand what I want, you always do," He says, and she only looks at him with a constrained and satisfied smile.
If he looked clear enough, he would see a vein popping in her head...and he did, but he decided to ignore her displeasure for now. "If everyone is done with their exploration, you are free to do whatever you want." He says, and suddenly, all the girls look up to him with sparkling eyes.
Could they finally have a break somewhere nice?
It must be a dream! This only happens once in a century!
Serena, the leader of the group looks up to him with a change in expression...she looks as excited as her co-wives. "We will finish our task in due time, rest assured sir," She nods, currently doing her best to suppress the huge grin about to form on her face. Shun only nods and shakes his head, leaving his women to explore while he chats with the city's locals.
Oh, and let's not forget that Shun, although being a prestigious son of the Cailworth family...was a huge introvert!
Of course, he didn't like talking, but if he had to, he is capable!
"I wouldn't have done this if I weren't so curious about the lore in this game..." He frowns to himself as he chats with the other NPCs in-game...and naturally, although they are enamored by his charm, they are still relentless in sharing information.
Not by choice...but by design.
So now, he was stuck chatting with the locals randomly and getting nothing out of it!
"Damn this game and their amnesiac characters!" He curses to himself, keeping a political smile and lively tone on the outside. "Sh*t...I have to travel to more ruins and libraries if I have to encounter even a little bit of the lore in this game..." He thinks to himself, as he sighs, stuck chatting with women he didn't know.
...and of course, the girls in his harem didn't have a peaceful journey in the slightest.
Especially when each of them was a high-tiered beauty.
It only meant one thing: trouble and pestering from other players.
Thus, they continued their nightly adventure-- one filled with chaos, stress, and everything else that just went wrong.
On the bright side? At least they got two treasures!
~~~
...I woke up rather late in the morning, being greeted not by the harsh sunlight, but by the drizzling rain that was heavily pouring outside the house...and this condition only warranted one thing...
My mother will stay at my house today!
And that means...that I don't have to play that game today! I have a valid reason, and that's my mother!
So what if I miss out on games, it's very rare for my mother to stay at home and keep herself preoccupied here!
As soon as I strolled to the living room with a sly smile, I saw her frowning and sitting on the couch, preoccupied with her phone. She looked up at me as soon as she heard my footsteps and smiled at me lazily.
"You're awake, I thought you spent more time wallowing in your misery," She chuckled, doing an impression of an emo-boy.
It causes me to flush, blood rushing through my cheeks as I'm reminded of my...emotional outbursts from when I was 13 to 15...
Defending myself, I make hand signs and cast a defensive stance. "I'm not a kid who's into that stuff anymore..." However, in response to my defense, she continues her relentless taunts...all while lazily strolling through videos on her phone!
"Yeah, sure, tell that to yourself yesterday," She laughs, standing up and stretching. "But that doesn't matter now...you should eat, it's already 12," She sighs, rolling her eyes at me.
I only look at her exasperated and shake my head...sometimes my mother reminds me of those bratty kids in the neighborhood.
With...much more sass than I've ever expected from anyone-- much less those kids!
"Don't worry about me...I'm eating," I answer begrudgingly, avoiding my gaze at her as I eat...I'm helpless to her food, even if they're currently cold. She only laughs at me in response, knowing damn well I got this 'avoid the person when you're mad' mentality from her.
"Yeah? You better finish it up if you don't want me to be mad," She yawns, preparing drinks for the both of us.
"It's been a long time since we've spent our time together in the house...and I was wondering if you still love drinking cocoa milk?" She says with a sense of sentimentality, preparing a jar of cocoa powder. I look at her curiously...I know where this is going.
Back when my mom and dad were still together, she would be left in the house taking care of me while dad was working...and on typical rainy days, I would always demand from her a hot drink of cocoa milk.
Funnily enough, I still remember that there was one day I gave her such a big tantrum because I didn't have it...and the result?
We had to run to a convenience store under an umbrella just to get the ingredients.
I laugh softly and look at her with a happy nod. "Yeah, I still like cocoa milk, but you don't need to make it. I can do it for myself now," I smirk, and she only rolls her eyes again!
Forget about those queen bees in school!
My mother can hold the record of most times she can roll her eyes in a day!
"Say that when you can make a drink. You're not even finished eating your food." She scoffs, and I only sigh, laughing.
"Yeah, you got me." I laugh, gobbling the food on the table.
...sometimes, days where I can relax like this are better than days filled with nothing but adventure.
Especially so when I needed a day to wind off...I suppose it's a momentary respite from everything I just experienced yesterday.
...but it's also a day that would make me question many things. Sure, my mother can be a handful sometimes, especially with her stubborn and childish attitude, but deep down...she's my caring mom, the one who is always there for me on days when I'm down and sulking.
And my mom was much more than that...I could tell she loved dad as much as I did. She would always wait for him, watching through the window while she brushed my hair or cooked my food.
Sometimes, she would even stay up late in the living room...all to greet him when he would arrive.
So dad...why did you leave my mom?
Why leave us?
We would have been...the perfect family.
Not that it matters anyway...the past shall stay behind, and I will move forward. With my hot cocoa milk drink!
~~~
Meanwhile, after many hours have passed, the afternoon comes...and so does Alvana. She was scurrying through the mountaintop with a panicked and frightful look on her face, barging into Rosvyliana's pagoda.
She'd been running amock the pagoda, looking for wherever Rosyvliana was.
"Madam! Madam!" She shouts panicky, not even bothering to hide her coarse attitude as she does so with a voice that can echo a whole city...which indeed, can be heard by the whole city.
"I can hear you, don't shout like an imbecile," Rosvyliana answers back, looking at Alvana who just interrupted her training session.
"You better have a good excuse for why you disturbed me, Alvana." She says with spite, scowling at her subordinate.
With pursed lips and a flushed face, Alvana looks at Rosvyliana with a determined face. "I...my disciple is nowhere to be gone! I've been waiting in the courtyard for hours, and now I've lost my patience! Madam, what happened to sir? I...if you had any problems with me calling him my disciple, you could have told me! It's been a long time since I last fought!" She pouts.
Rosvyliana only looks at her confused...disciple?
Her husband was Alvana's disciple? He was crazy enough to be her disciple?
But worse of all...he was gone. How come she never noticed?
With a defeated look on her face, as well as the determination to keep what happened last night to herself, she only looks at Alvana with a defeated expression. "Worry not, these matters are marital issues. He'll be back in a few days time." She replies, and Alvana only bows respectfully and leaves the pagoda with no issue.
She even had the galls to look happy as she strolled outside...it's as if she didn't even cause a fuss inside!
It's a contrast to Rosyvliana's face and expression, as her head is only filled with worry...her husband was nowhere to be found.
She messed up big-time yesterday if he didn't even come in the morning...
"I...I might have to do a bigger crime tomorrow..." She says to herself, her eyes flickering between the ground and her body...she wasn't even sure if she could do it since she had a habit of her pride getting away with things..but she must try at the very least.
"May he accept my forgiveness if I do that tomorrow..." She tells herself, the deep and red blush on her cheeks making her breath feel heavier than usual.