Alex and Aria appeared at the entrance to the dungeon. After experiencing her first teleportation, Aria understood why Alex had asked her to hold his hand. The feeling that overwhelmed her was reminiscent of the nausea she felt when she was pregnant with Ais. One hand clung to Alex, while the other covered her mouth as she tried to suppress the urge to vomit.
Alex observed Aria's reaction, puzzled by how she could feel nauseous after not eating for a thousand years. Perhaps her body had been in a state of hibernation and was now beginning to recover.
"How are you feeling?" Alex asked, gently rubbing her back in an attempt to ease her discomfort.
"I'm fine... I think," Aria replied, trying to pull herself together.
"Everyone's first experience with teleportation is like this, though your daughter handled it better than you," Alex said, trying to cheer her up.
"Of course, she's my daughter," Aria responded proudly, but then nausea struck her again, and she covered her mouth with her hand.
Alex just shook his head, watching her actions. He couldn't help but compare her to Ais. As he continued to rub her back, he noticed it wasn't helping much.
"Do you want me to carry you so we don't waste time?" Alex offered, still rubbing her back.
"Hm, you want to carry me like a princess rescued by a brave hero from an evil dragon?" Aria smiled. "Sorry, but I was already married and have a daughter, so I can't be your princess."
Alex almost sighed at this. He just wanted to pick her up like a sack of potatoes and move on without wasting any more time.
"For heaven's sake, just get on my back so we can go," Alex said wearily, crouching down in front of Aria so she could climb onto his back.
"So now you've decided to be a noble steed?" Aria smirked as she leaned onto his back and wrapped her arms around his neck. Alex stood up and started walking forward.
"I'm suddenly tempted to take you back to where I brought you from," Alex said with mild irritation.
"You wouldn't abandon such a delicate girl like me back in the dragon's lair, would you?" Aria asked playfully, tightening her grip around his neck.
"The dragon's gone, and you could've returned on your own with your powers," Alex replied, feeling her grip tighten.
"But I've been asleep for so long. How could I quickly regain my strength?" Aria said, resting her head on top of his to see where they were going.
"When I pulled you out of the crystal, I fully restored your body and damaged foundation. Everything the dragon took from you, I returned," Alex said.
Aria's mouth opened in surprise, unable to comprehend how that was possible. The dragon had been draining her power for a thousand years, and it should have taken a long time to restore it.
"How is that even possible?" she asked, peering over his shoulder to look into his eyes.
"So it didn't surprise you that I killed a dragon that was much stronger than it was a thousand years ago, and that I literally filled the dungeon's heart with a massive amount of mana?" Alex asked, turning his head to meet her golden eyes.
"That's different," Aria replied, trying to justify her words.
"To me, it's the same," Alex said, turning his head forward again.
"How can it be the same? Fighting and healing someone whose powers were drained for a thousand years are not the same," Aria argued, shaking him slightly.
"If you're feeling better, maybe you can walk?" Alex suggested, ignoring her shake.
"No," Aria flatly refused and tightened her arms around his neck again.
Alex just shook his head and continued on his way. A funny thought crossed his mind: what if Ais were like Aria? He imagined how it would drive him crazy, especially if Ais were influenced by Tiona. Then he'd definitely have to run away somewhere, taking Hestia with him. What scared him even more was the thought of Ais becoming like Loki.
"Oh my God, thank you for not letting that happen," Alex mentally prayed, thanking all the gods that Ais had avoided the influence of those troublesome individuals.
Noticing the crooked smile on Alex's face and his silence, Aria wondered what could have caused such an expression.
"What are you thinking about?" she whispered, interrupting his thoughts.
"About how lucky it is that Ais didn't pick up any bad traits from her friends and family," Alex responded automatically.
Aria's eyes narrowed as she thought Alex was implying something about her.
"Are you suggesting that my daughter could have picked up bad habits from me?" Aria said with a squint.
"Who knows," Alex replied, leaving her speechless.
Realizing that Aria had gone quiet, lost in thought, Alex continued on his way. He could already see the exit from Babylon, but the silence around them made him uneasy. Expecting to hear the sounds of battle or at least some movement, he quickened his pace to find out what had happened while he was busy fighting the dragon.
As he got closer, Alex noticed that the barrier was active, which calmed him a bit, but the tension remained.
"Is something bothering you?" Aria asked, noticing the tension on his face.
"When I went to fight the dragon, I thought there might be an attack on the surface as well. So I'm a little worried," Alex admitted as they approached the exit.
"Everything will be fine," Aria tried to reassure him.
"I hope so," Alex sighed.
Stepping out of Babylon, Alex expected to see signs of battle, but the scene before him made his brow twitch. Instead of battle scars, he saw a large group of people cheerfully relaxing as if they had come for a picnic. Alex turned his head and saw the goddesses sitting at a table, drinking tea with snacks.
"They even brought a table," Alex thought, feeling his irritation grow.
His gaze shifted to the groups of adventurers from different familias, chatting and laughing as if there were no danger around them.
Alex stood there, his expression growing darker. He understood that sometimes it was necessary to relax, but not in a situation like this. His hand slowly reached for the secret pocket where he kept his punishment items. However, just as he was about to pull out a stick, he squinted and decided to find a better moment for revenge.
"You said there was supposed to be an attack on the surface. Why are they relaxing and resting? I don't even see any signs of a battle," Aria whispered, glancing around in search of her daughter.
"Looks like I was wrong. But they still broke the main rule," Alex replied, thinking about how to ruin the mood.
"What rule?" Aria asked cautiously, noticing Alex's grim expression.
"They must always remain vigilant," he answered seriously.
"What surprises me more is that they didn't even notice us coming out and continue to go about their business," Aria said, glancing at the groups of people.
"Exactly," Alex nodded, surveying the scene and noticing that no one was paying attention to the entrance to Babylon.
"And now, the most enjoyable part of this situation," Alex said, a wide smile spreading across his face.
"What exactly?" Aria asked nervously, feeling a chill from his smile.
"You'll see," Alex replied with a smirk.
He decided to ruin their fun. While he had been spending time fighting the dragon and restoring the dungeon, the others, who were supposed to be prepared for an attack, were sitting around and relaxing. Alex spread his arms out, preparing to clap loudly, and took a deep breath to amplify his voice.
"Constant vigilance!" Alex shouted, enhancing his voice with mana, and clapped his hands with such force that a shockwave spread across the entire field.
Alex loudly called out to everyone, then clapped his hands with such force that it created a powerful shockwave. The sudden noise made everyone who had been relaxing and chatting with friends cover their ears, stand up, and take a few steps back. Some even lost their balance and almost fell. Even those who managed to cover their ears were stunned by the sharp gust of wind. The goddesses, who had been peacefully drinking tea, dropped their cups in fright, spilling their drinks on themselves.
"Who's shouting?! Because of that, I spilled the expensive alcohol I barely managed to get from Alex!" Loki exclaimed in annoyance, looking at her alcohol-stained clothes.
"You're yelling like you're the only one who got splashed! And since when did Alex buy you anything?" Hestia frowned, glaring at Loki with discontent.
"When we went on a date," Loki replied with a smirk, not taking her eyes off Hestia.
"Ladies, I think we have bigger problems than spilled drinks," Freya interjected, pointing toward the entrance of Babylon.
"Who's there?" Loki turned her head in the indicated direction, and upon seeing who was standing at the entrance, she felt cold sweat on her forehead. "This isn't good…"
"What is it, flat-chested?" Hestia asked, following Loki's gaze, and then froze in place as well. "He's not angry, is he?" she asked nervously, noticing the grim expression on Alex's face.
"Ask him yourself," Hephaestus replied dryly, noticing that Alex looked extremely displeased. Her hands were slightly sweaty from anxiety.
"Freya, maybe you could do something?" Loki appealed to Freya, who continued to sit with a slight smile on her face.
"In a situation like this, everyone is on their own. We may call ourselves a family, but right now, everyone has to take care of themselves," Freya calmly responded as she rose from her chair and headed toward Alex.
"Hephaestus, maybe you could help?" Hestia asked hopefully, clearly not wanting to listen to another long lecture.
"Sorry, Hestia, but I could use some help myself..." Hephaestus replied, realizing that she too had given in to the overall relaxation while Alex was fighting in the dungeon.
"Maybe we should hide until his anger subsides?" Loki suggested, glancing around at the other goddesses.
"I don't think that will help," Hephaestus quietly said, then stood up and followed Freya.
While the goddesses searched for a way to avoid Alex's wrath, a group of adventurers nervously watched his grim face, unsure of what to do. When the earthquakes stopped, they assumed the battle was over and let their guard down, forgetting the main rule that Alex had constantly reminded them of. The girls from Hestia's familia were especially scared, knowing that Alex had repeatedly emphasized this during every training session.
"What do you think will happen to us?" Lili timidly asked, not daring to approach Alex.
"A long lecture," Daphne answered gloomily, avoiding Alex's gaze.
"Maybe we can find some excuse?" Cassandra suggested, hoping to avoid yet another lecture.
"Then he might come up with another punishment for us," Lili pointed out, realizing their options were limited.
"And what punishment could be worse than a lecture?" Haruhime asked, looking at the girls, who were deep in thought.
"Maybe he'll ban us from watching movies," Bella suggested uncertainly.
"No, I'd rather sit through the lecture than be deprived of movies. I haven't even finished the series Alex recorded," Daphne declared firmly, remembering how much she enjoyed one of the shows from Alex's world.
"I want to finish my series too! It's just getting to the good part," Cassandra agreed, nodding.
"Girls! Don't you have any shame?" Lili exclaimed, pointing at them accusingly.
"What did you expect? You're just like us," Daphne retorted, looking at Lili.
"I think it's better to sit through the lecture," Haruhime sighed.
"So, what should we do? Wait for him to call us or go to him ourselves?" Lili asked.
"Wait, his attention is being distracted right now," Daphne replied, pointing at Freya, who was walking toward Alex.
On the other side of the clearing, the members of Loki's familia were also nervous, realizing what was about to happen.
"This is definitely not a good sign," Tiona said, glancing at Alex.
"We're the ones who got ourselves into this situation, and we need to be ready for the consequences," Riveria remarked sensibly.
"And you're not scared of what Alex might do?" Tiona asked incredulously, casting a sideways glance at Riveria.
"No, it'll just be another lecture and a small punishment, like always," Riveria replied.
"Ais, do you have anything to say?" Tiona asked the silent girl, who hadn't taken her eyes off Alex.
At that moment, Ais felt something very familiar emanating from Alex, a feeling she had long forgotten. It seemed so close and dear, as if she had finally found what she had been searching for. She continued to stare intently at Alex, trying to understand why this sensation felt so familiar.
"Ais, are you listening?" Tiona said, nudging her in the side, pulling her out of her thoughts.
"We'll have to accept the punishment," Ais replied monotonously.
"Not you too," Tiona groaned, realizing that there was no way to avoid a bad outcome.
"Maybe you could help, Lefiya?" Tiona asked, turning to the frightened elf.
"I'm sorry, Tiona-san, but I'm also scared of what awaits us," Lefiya nervously replied, gripping her staff tightly.
"Accept your fate, and maybe he'll forgive you sooner," Riveria said, looking at Tiona, who considered that this might be a reasonable decision.
"Perhaps," Riveria continued, completely dashing Tiona's hopes. In the end, Tiona fell into despair, understanding that luck was not on her side today.
"Or maybe he'll forgive us sooner," Riveria added, pointing at Freya, who was confidently approaching Alex.
After Alex had drawn everyone's attention with his loud clap, he began to carefully observe those who were looking at him. Everyone he met eyes with quickly averted their gaze in embarrassment. Alex noticed the group of goddesses watching him anxiously. Only Freya and Hephaestus remained calm, while Loki and Hestia were noticeably nervous.
Aria, who had quietly slipped off his back, remained hidden, deciding to simply observe the events for now.
"Why did you do that?" Aria asked, not revealing herself.
"I just wanted to disrupt their peace," Alex honestly admitted, without turning to her.
"Why?" Aria continued to ask questions, lightly tugging on the hem of his clothing.
"Because while I was fighting that dragon Pokémon, they were just relaxing here," Alex revealed the true reason.
"What are Pokémon?" Aria asked with curiosity, like a child.
"They're cute little monsters that kids collect. They're more like pets," Alex briefly explained, not wanting to go into detail.
"Kids catch monsters and bring them home? How do their parents even allow that? It's dangerous," Aria protested, starting to delve into her worries.
Alex didn't want to continue the conversation, knowing that the explanation could take a lot of time. At that moment, he was waiting to see who would dare to approach him first. Finally, he noticed that Freya stood up and slowly made her way toward him with a slight smile on her face.
"I'm glad you're alright, dear," Freya said as she approached Alex, wrapping her arms around him as if inhaling his scent.
"Are you trying to distract me?" Alex asked, raising an eyebrow, but he still hugged her back.
"No, I was just worried about you. When you started fighting, I thought Babylon was going to collapse," Freya replied, looking up at Alex with eyes full of tenderness.
"Then why are you all relaxing here like it's a picnic?" Alex asked, feeling his anger gradually dissipate in Freya's presence.
"When you started fighting, we expected monsters to appear, but nothing happened. Then there was a strong tremor, and we thought you had already finished and were just dealing with the aftermath," Freya said, pressing herself against his chest.
"Then why hasn't the barrier been removed?" Alex asked suspiciously, raising an eyebrow.
"We were waiting for you to return," Hephaestus replied, stepping closer to him.
Freya stepped aside, and Hephaestus immediately embraced Alex, pressing herself against his chest. She listened to his heartbeat, which had a calming effect on her, and snuggled even closer. Seeing how tenderly Hephaestus was behaving, Alex sighed, realizing that he couldn't stay angry with them for long. He hugged her back tightly, burying his nose in her hair.
"Dear, I don't want to interrupt you," Freya suddenly said, looking at something behind Alex.
Embarrassed, Alex raised his head and looked at Freya, who was pointing at something behind him. Hephaestus also turned around, raising an eyebrow in confusion, and, following Freya's gaze, saw a girl who looked very familiar to her.
"But who is that behind you?" Freya asked with mild surprise.
Alex turned around and locked eyes with Aria, who had been silently observing the situation until now. She looked embarrassed as she glanced at Freya and Hephaestus, who were now examining her with interest.
"Would you believe me if I said I saved her in the dungeon?" Alex asked, looking at Freya.
Freya raised an eyebrow, shifting her gaze from Aria to Alex, who looked slightly embarrassed by the situation.
"How could you have saved someone in such a dangerous place?" Hephaestus asked, lifting her head to meet his gaze.
"It's a long story, but to sum it up, her name is Aria. A thousand years ago, a dragon kidnapped her to absorb her power. I happened to find her in the dungeon after the battle," Alex explained. Freya and Hephaestus exchanged surprised glances.
Freya, studying Aria carefully, understood why the dragon had wanted to absorb her power. Aria was a powerful wind spirit, but what surprised Freya the most was how she had managed to survive such a dangerous battle.
"She looks very much like…" Hephaestus began, squinting.
"Yeah, she's Ais's mother," Alex confirmed, causing Hephaestus's eyes to widen in surprise as she looked at Aria, noticing even more similarities between them, except for one: unlike the always serious Ais, Aria was smiling.
"It's incredible that she managed to survive for so long," Hephaestus said, still amazed that Aria had lived for so long despite the dragon feeding on her power.
"Her body was in a state of hibernation, which allowed her to survive," Alex explained, dispelling the goddesses' doubts.
"It can be assumed that the dragon used her as an energy source," Freya said thoughtfully, coming to the most logical conclusion.
"And this could be the reason for the defeat of the Zeus and Hera families?" Hephaestus asked, turning to Freya.
"If the dragon fed on her power for so many years, then yes, it explains their defeat," Freya confirmed, glancing at Aria, who was watching the conversation with embarrassment, not understanding what was being discussed.
While Alex and the two goddesses were talking, everyone else watched them with tension, afraid to make a sound. They decided to stay as quiet as possible until Alex's anger subsided, hoping to find out later what had happened in the dungeon. No one noticed Aria standing behind Alex. Summoning her courage, Hestia decided to approach.
"What are you talking about?" she asked cautiously.
"We're discussing your careless attitude toward this situation," Alex replied, looking at the approaching Hestia.
Hestia immediately lowered her head, feeling ashamed and unable to meet his eyes.
"Sorry," she whispered in a guilty tone.
"Everything is fine, but you'll have to attend a lecture," Alex said with a smile. Hestia initially beamed with joy, but her expression quickly changed to a frown as she realized what he meant.
"I know I acted wrong. I won't do it again," she promised, taking Alex's hand and looking at him with sad eyes.
"I'll think about it," Alex replied, trying not to look into her tear-filled blue eyes.
But he couldn't resist her gaze and gave in.
"Alright, I'll forgive you this time," Alex said.
Hestia immediately jumped with joy and hugged him like a koala, showering his face with kisses.
"Who taught you to do this, Hestia?" Alex asked, feeling her affection.
"I don't understand what you're talking about," Hestia replied, stopping and resting her chin on his shoulder. At that moment, she noticed Aria standing behind Alex.
"Where did you find this girl?" she asked, leaning back slightly to look into Alex's eyes.
"Dear, instead of explaining to everyone separately, it would be better to tell everyone at once," Freya suggested, seeing that Alex was about to explain who Aria was again.
"Explain what?" Loki asked, deciding to approach when she realized Alex was no longer angry.
"Have you decided to join in too, my dear Loki?" Alex asked, raising an eyebrow at Loki, who gave a sheepish smile.
"You're not angry anymore and won't scold me?" Loki asked, squinting her eyes and smiling.
"We'll talk about it later," Alex said, narrowing his eyes.
Aria, watching the scene, felt very embarrassed, especially because of Hestia's actions, showering Alex's face with kisses.
"Are all these women goddesses? And are they all in relationships with Alex?" Aria wondered, raising an eyebrow in surprise. "Or are they much closer than just being in relationships..." she continued, noticing the matching rings on the goddesses' fingers.
Aria was trying to make sense of what was happening when she heard the name of one of the goddesses. A flash of anger swept over her as she remembered that this goddess, according to Alex, had harassed her daughter. In an instant, Aria rushed out from behind Alex and pointed a finger at Loki.
"Are you the one who harassed my daughter!" Aria shouted, pointing at Loki, who initially couldn't understand what was going on.
But when Loki looked closely at Aria, her eyes widened in realization of whom this woman resembled. Loki stood frozen in confusion, not knowing what to say. Aria's shout drew everyone's attention. Only one girl's eyes widened in shock before she burst into tears.
"Mom!" Ais cried out and ran toward Aria.
Everyone around stared in astonishment at Ais and the woman, realizing their remarkable resemblance.
Hearing the voice, Aria turned and saw the young girl, recognizing her as her little daughter. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she rushed toward Ais.
"Ais, my sunshine!" Aria cried out with tears in her eyes as she embraced her daughter.
Mother and daughter, reunited after a long separation, hugged tightly, their faces glowing with smiles and tears of joy streaming down their cheeks.
"Mom..." Ais whispered, hugging Aria.
"Everything is alright, my sunshine, I'm here," Aria said softly, stroking her daughter's back, who was unable to hold back her tears.
"You must have been through so much," Aria continued, comforting Ais.
"It's okay, Mom. I'm just glad you're alive," Ais replied, a rare smile appearing on her face.
As mother and daughter embraced, everyone present couldn't hold back their tears of joy for Ais. Hestia, in tears, wiped them away with her hands.
"This is so touching," Hestia said, accepting a handkerchief that Alex handed her.
"I'm so happy for Ais that she found her mother," Hephaestus said, wiping away tears.
"They really look alike, yet they're so different," Loki remarked, observing the mother and daughter.
"Don't ruin the mood, flat-chested," Hestia snapped.
"What did you say, loli granny?" Loki retorted, turning to Hestia.
"You two, stop arguing, at least in this situation," Hephaestus intervened, preventing the goddesses from starting another fight.
"You did a good deed, dear," Freya said, still in Alex's embrace.
Alex merely nodded, watching Aria and Ais. He continued to smile until he sensed impending danger. His smile froze on his face.
"Everyone, get out!" Alex shouted, pushing the goddesses to a safe distance.
Everyone turned to Alex, whose face had taken on a serious expression.
"I came only for you," a sinister voice echoed from behind Alex.
The voice was so horrifying it sent shivers down everyone's spines and struck them with terror, as if they had heard the voice of the most dreadful creature. From a portal that opened behind Alex, a tentacle emerged and instantly wrapped around him.
"Damn it..." Alex cursed, realizing he had been trapped. He had broken a rule he always followed.
Before Alex could react, he was pulled into the portal. The last thing he heard was the cries of his family and the sound of them running towards him before the portal snapped shut.
To be continued...