Four years had passed since Van joined Artemis Familia, and in that time, the group had traveled from one forest to another, intervening in countless villages besieged by threats. From toppling criminal organizations to clashing with Evilus, they had saved many lives, rescued people from being sold into slavery, and foiled numerous sinister plots. In their rare moments of respite, they trained relentlessly, honing their skills for the battles ahead.
During those four years, Artemis Familia grew from 21 members to 32, the most recent additions being two girls Van had saved by coincidence a month ago. Jeanne, a 12-year-old girl, and Gabriel, her 10-year-old sister, were the sole survivors of a mountain village near the Black Desert. Van had stumbled upon them while training in the mountains, his regimen bordering on self-torture as he also pushed his healing abilities to new extremes by inflicting and curing injuries on captured animals so he can't be seen by the others. And at that time, the monster that had nearly wiped out their village roared a kilometer away, and Van—hearing it, quickly flew in that direction to assess the situation from the sky and seeing the two girls who was about to be devoured by an ogre, he instantly teleported and intervened just in time to rescue the sisters.
What intrigued Van most about the village was the deity that had once protected it. The villagers worshipped a goddess called Yahweh, and their settlement, according to Jeanne was rumored to be over a thousand years old, had been without divine protection for a century. Also the sight of Jeanne, whose appearance reminded him of a certain heroic spirit from the Nasuverse.
---
Van, now seven years old but with the appearance of someone slightly older than 9, closed the leather-bound diary he had kept over the past four years. He tossed it into the swirling black vortex that had opened in front of him, watching as the journal disappeared into the abyss.
*Sigh.*
So much had happened. Four years of relentless battles and training, but at long last, Artemis Familia was heading to Orario. Their plans to settle there had been delayed for years due to the chaos caused by the Dark Factions, yet now it was finally happening. It was time to register some of them officially, explore the Dungeon, and allow the members to progress. Some of them had plateaued, their stats having reached the upper limits without the proper opportunities to fight stronger monsters, even potions that can increase Excelia gain and tort—training devices he gained in Gacha aren't helping anymore due to the limited amount of high-level monsters on the surface.
Though, atleast our foundations got stronger, we will have an easier time gaining Excelia and Leveling Up from the Dungeon, coupled up with those ridiculous potions, the whole of Orario will surely be shaken up due to our fast growth.
For Van, the move to Orario also signaled the perfect opportunity to meet Alfia and Zald. He was confident that his healing abilities had advanced enough to cure the problems in their bodies.
---
A grand mansion stood deep within the forest, surrounded by the lush wilderness that Artemis Familia had called home for years.
The mansion itself, made of Adam Wood from One Piece and was also enhanced by Van's, was from the Yearly Gacha, being an S rank at first and turned into an SS-rank after getting enhanced can withstand attacks from Level 6s.
It also have a small farm from behind with a different types of seeds that he also gained from Gacha along with battle attires, weapon materials, potions, and even luxury items like clothing, soaps, and shampoos, and many more, even money. His contributions to the Familia had been so significant that his influence rivaled even that of the captain. Though still young, Van held a unique authority, and no one—whether strict or initially opposed to his joining—could deny the critical role he played.
"Little Harem Prince" was a nickname that, once given in jest, had stuck over the years, as many of the older members doted on him. It was a title that still persisted even today.
---
One week later, they had arrived in Orario. But the city they found was not the gleaming beacon of hope they had imagined. Orario felt dark—gloomy and broken. The streets were littered with the remnants of destruction, old and new battle scars marking the walls of homes and shops. Many businesses had shuttered, and only a handful of civilians wandered the streets, dwarfed by the presence of adventurers.
This was Orario after the fall of the Zeus and Hera Familias—a city drowning in despair.
After a quick stop at his mother's grave, where Van spent a solemn hour in reflection, he made his way toward the School District. But before he could reach his destination, chaos found him once again.
---
Alise, captain of the Astrea Familia, was not having the best day. She, along with her vice-captain Kaguya and their recently added member, Ryuu, had been ambushed by members of Evilus while showing Ryuu around the City as she haven't looked around it yet with her constantly avoiding people and hiding herself under the hood for the past few weeks.
What should have been a simple day out had turned into a bloody skirmish, and the trio was now cornered. The odds were grim; they were outnumbered, and the enemy had several higher-level adventurers on their side.
"Lion! Behind you!" Alise shouted, eyes wide in alarm.
The young elf had no time to react. A deranged Evilus member swung his blade toward her unprotected back, and in that split second, she could only think of how powerless she felt—how utterly helpless she was in the face of death.
Is this it for me...? I haven't even fulfilled my goal yet... Sorry Alise, Kaguya and everyone... She thought as everything slowed down with the sword inching towards her and slowly close her eyes, accepting her fate.
But the blow never landed.
In a blur, Van appeared, effortlessly intercepting the attacker. He grabbed Ryuu, carrying her to safety with a casual grace that belied the seriousness of the situation. Her legs wobbled as she tried to stand, still dazed by her brush with death. She subconsciously clung to his chest tightly for support, too weak to move on her own.
Van's eyes grew cold as he assessed the situation. Without hesitation, he carried her like a sack of potato and stepped forward. In the blink of an eye, he appeared behind them and unsheathed his sword, cutting down the robed attackers with precision. By the time Alise and Kaguya could react, the enemies lay in pieces, save for one Van had deliberately left alive for interrogation.
The battlefield fell silent.
---
Alise blinked in disbelief. The boy in front of her had just effortlessly dispatched their enemies—stronger enemies—without breaking a sweat. Gathering her composure, she stepped forward with her usual exuberant smile, though her face and body were still covered in blood.
"Thank you for saving us! I'm Alise Lovell, captain of the Astrea Familia, level 3! Alias, Knight of Justice." She tilted her head in curiosity. "Might I ask your name, young man? Or are you perhaps a Pallum, kind sir?"
Van didn't even glance her way. "I'm human. You can call me Van. I'm younger than you, Alise-san."
Alise froze like a statue, her mind racing to process what she had just heard. *A human?* After all, even though she asked that question, she's already certain that a he's a Pallum due to his strength and young appearance who looks to be around ten, and a ten years old human child can't achieved that level of strength at this age, it's practically impossible, and yet this cute thing just said that he's a human...?
Meanwhile, Kaguya sighed at her captain's antics. Stepping up, she bowed politely to Van. "Thank you for saving us, Van-kun. My name is Gojouno Kaguya, vice-captain of the Astrea Familia. Alias is Blade of Justice and also a Level 2, like my captain here."
As Kaguya introduced herself, she noticed Ryuu who's now blushing, clutching tightly to Van as if for dear life. Annoyed, Kaguya muttered under her breath, "This elf… What happened to her stoic attitude?"
To make matters worse, Alise who also noticed it was pointing dramatically at Ryuu and Van, her voice full of exaggerated disbelief. "Ryu-chan! Are you flirting with a boy?!"
*Sigh.*
Kaguya pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. It was going to be one of *those* days.
---
As the group processed the chaotic encounter, Ryuu finally found her voice, stuttering slightly. "I-I'm not… I mean, I didn't mean to… cling...? to him."
"Well, I guess I can't blame you for flirting with him, after all, he's strong for a boy at your age." Alise said as she nodded to Ryuu with a knowing look at her face making her blush even more.
"Strong? You're putting it lightly," Kaguya replied dryly, glancing at the fallen enemies, three level 3 and and a bunch of level 2 and 1. "That was some impressive swordsmanship. Where did you learn to fight like that?"
"I've had my share of experiences," Van said simply, trying to downplay his achievements. "But it's not about me. Are you all right?"
Ryuu nodded, though her grip on Van's arm didn't loosen until Kaguya pulled her away. "I-I'm fine now, thanks to you. I thought I was going to die…"
Alise's mood shifted from admiration to mischief as she beamed at Van. "You saved my team and made quite the impression. We could use someone like you in the Astrea Familia. How about it?"
Kaguya shot her a disapproving look. "Alise! Stop joking around! We can't have a male in our Familia and we just met him!"
Van raised a hand, shaking his head. "I'm grateful for the offer, but I'm already with Artemis Familia."
Alise pouted, crossing her arms dramatically. "Aww, that's no fun. I was hoping you'd join us instead. But hey, if you ever want to spar or need a hand, just look for us."
"I'll keep that in mind," Van replied, a small smile breaking through his cool demeanor.
As the tension eased, Kaguya turned serious again, glancing around to ensure the area was clear. "We should find somewhere safe to regroup. Those Evilus members won't take kindly to losing, and they'll likely come looking for us."
"Good idea," Alise said, her cheerful tone back in place. "Let's head back to our base. Van, do you want to come with us?"
Van hesitated, glancing toward the streets of Orario. "I need to check in with my group first, but I appreciate the offer."
"Understandable. Just know the door is always open for you," Alise said with a wink.
With that, Van turned to leave, casting one last glance at Ryuu. "You should take care of yourself. I'll see you around."
Ryuu nodded, her cheeks still flushed. "O-Okay. Thank you, Van…"
...
As Van walked away, Kaguya, while carrying a dazed Ryuu from her back, couldn't help but smirk at Alise's enthusiasm. "You have a thing for cute boys, or what?"
Alise brushed her off with a wave of her hand, her eyes glimmering with excitement. "What? He's just so cool! I can't help it!"
Alise then looked at Ryuu who seems to be occupied with her thoughts and couldn't help but tease, "rather than me, you should be asking Lion, after all, she always subconsciously reacted fiercely to anyone who touches her and yet she tightly clung to him?"
Kaguya just chuckled, shaking her head. "Let's get back to the base. We have a lot to discuss."
The group made their way through the broken streets of Orario, the shadows of their past encounters lingering but hope flickering like the lanterns that lined the streets. The darkness was far from vanquished, but with allies like Van emerging from the shadows, perhaps the light would break through once more.
---
A/N: Ryuu was still kinda naive at that time, and it's her first time having a skin contact with an opposite sex and at someone close to her 'age' at that, being 11 years old herself.
There's not that much difference in appearance of someone at 10-11 anyway, of course they still don't know that Van is still only 7.
Ryuu - 11 yo
Kaguya - 14 yo
Alise - 14 yo
There'll be Side Stories for the things that happened in those Four years.
I also made some changes, anyway please do comment if there's any error.