----- Eleanor POV -----
"So... we're all in agreement then?" I say cautiously.
All three of my dear siblings nod in response.
"It's the only way to get stronger. And while I don't expect to be the one changing history or anything... I don't want to be a burden ever again," Leo says.
Alea clenches her fist in response to his words.
"You do know this may irreparably damage our relationship with them, right? We may be abandoned and hated by the same two women we love so much. Something like this... once it comes out, there is no going back," I say cautiously.
This seems to make Alea and Stella freeze, while Leo only releases a resigned sigh.
"B-But! Even if they do... Papa will be there for us, right? And eventually... eventually everything will be happy, right?" Alea says hopefully.
A naive thought.
Even the love the three of our parents shared wouldn't be able to stop our possible rejection in the face of the truth.
But seeing her nervous face... I couldn't bring myself to tell her.
"...I suppose. Papa is the one making us do this before venturing into the dungeon, so I would be quite displeased if he didn't support us afterwards," I eventually say.
He wouldn't abandon us, right?
No... not the man that I was proud to call something as embarrassing as 'Papa' without a care.
"Anyway, regardless of our fears, this is something we must do. To get stronger. To not be a burden. We have to venture into the dungeon. But no matter what happens... we'll be together, alright? So there is no need to fear," I say clearly.
Right... regardless of this feeling of fear I held, this is something we must do.
"Tomorrow... we will tell our Mothers our truth. Together."
Seeing the resolute eyes of the three, and how Alea and Stella took my hand in theirs, I could feel courage bloom within myself.
----- 1 Day Later -----
That courage, which had flourished so brightly the night before, had disappeared.
As if it was a lie.
"M-Mamas... we have something to talk with you about. A-All of us." I say shakily.
Dammit.
I had faced that dreaded dragon, and had slain the legendary Leviathan, yet something as simple as this was making my stomach churn with fear and worry.
In response, Mama Ryuu and Alise look at each other, before both breaking out into suppressed smirks.
What?
"Is that so? Well, how about we go to our room for this. Now that your father is out and about, that is," Mama Ryuu says.
Indeed.
The instant he was cleared by the Dea Saint for physical activity, that reckless Papa of mine headed straight into the dungeon.
I guess he was feeling the same things we were, huh?
The seemingly tumultuous times ahead of us... we all needed to get stronger.
My conviction renewed, I led the other three of my siblings toward our parents' room, my hand grasping Stella and Alea's, trying to somehow transmit the second wave of determination I was feeling to their rapidly beating hearts.
Gently closing the door behind her, Mama Ryuu then takes a seat on the bed with Mama Alise, both looking curiously at the four of us.
"So? What did you want to talk about with us?" Mama Ryuu asks.
Okay... here it goes.
C-Come on, Eleanor.
Let's do this.
"M-Ma-"
"Mamas," Leo says, interrupting me.
Turning my head towards him, he gives me a nod and a reassuring squeeze on my shoulder before continuing.
"We... we have something to tell you. A secret we've been holding for... for a long time." He continues, his voice shaky, but still resolute.
Dammit... he's the one who took charge of telling Papa about us, even with his past trauma regarding reincarnated parenthood, so I wanted to be the one to do this.
"Oh? And what's this secret that's so important we need a meeting like this?" Mama Alise asks.
"We... we are reincarnated," Leo says.
Giving them a moment to take in this information, I can't help but turn my head down to hide my worried, tearful eyes.
"Pff!"
...What?
Glancing up, I see both Mama Ryuu and Alise wearing smirks, with their eyes both filled with mirth.
"'Reincarnated', you say?" Mama Ryuu says.
"Y-Yeah. We're... from another world, at least Alea and I are, and were born again as your children." Leo says, confused.
Why were they laughing?
"Oh, we already know that," Mama Alise says bluntly.
Huh?
"W-What do you mean, Mama?" Stella asks.
"Do you think we're idiots?" Mama Ryuu asks.
We all shake our heads.
"While we had our suspicions before, considering your odd behaviour, that suspicion turned into conviction after you got your status. While your father tried to weasel his way out with that lie of his, did you notice your father often plays with his hair when he's lying to us? As cute as it is, it's quite an obvious tell," she continues with a smirk.
Haa... stupid Papa.
"Besides, ever since you got your status, you four have been very close to your father. More than usual. Not to mention how I've heard a few of you mumble in your sleep about your past lives," Mama Alise says.
The three of us sisters turned our heads simultaneously to Leo, who was the most obvious culprit.
He pointedly ignored us.
"And Eleanor... did you really think we wouldn't notice? We fought you, after all. So there was no way we wouldn't notice the magic of the infamous Silence," Mama Ryuu says.
This time, it's my turn to avoid the gaze of my parents.
Right... I was different from the other three.
Here, I was a villain.
I fought.
I killed.
And eventually, I was finished off by these two girls of the Familia of Justice.
...Who were now my parents.
Gods, this was a weird situation.
Anyway, I wasn't an innocent beauty like Alea and Stella were, nor was I the hero of the land like Leo.
So... it was only natural for me to be hated.
"Well, never mind that. Once we both noticed the signs, we came to the correct conclusion, but we decided we wanted to wait until you four told us to reveal anything," Mama Alise says.
...
Okay, so they... already knew.
But... what did that mean for us?
"Mamas... can I- no, how... how do you feel?" Alea asks, her voice trembling with nervousness.
At this, both women share a look before turning back to us.
"To be honest, at first, we... didn't take it as well as your father did. We were shocked. Stunned. And... a little scared. I mean... reincarnation is commonly known as how the cycle of life works in this world, but retaining memories? Yeah... it was definitely a surprise," Mama Alise says.
Alea's shoulders slouch.
"Indeed. Remember those three days Alise and I went into the dungeon for a quest?" Mama Ryuu asks.
That was... a couple of days after we got our status.
"Y-Yeah, Papa said that his bed was too cold," Alea says.
"Tsk. That romantic perv," Mama Ryuu says.
Despite her biting tone, I could see the corner of her lips curling upward.
"Anyway, while we did complete the quest, the main reason we did it was to give us some time alone to just... process it all. And for Ryuu and I to talk about it together. Alone." Mama Alise continues.
I feel my heartbeat increase as my fist clenches.
Things were going... well.
No shouting, no screaming, nothing like that.
But... would it stay the same?
I was waiting here, anxiously, for this dream-like reality to come crumbling down in front of me.
"S-So? Do you... still love us?" Alea asks.
That indeed was the question, wasn't it?
""Of course we do,"" both women say simultaneously.
They... they did?
"The first thing we did was come to the agreement that we didn't blame you. None of this was your fault, so no matter how we felt about you four, anger would not be the outcome," Mama Ryuu says.
How... how could I be so lucky?
To have these kind people accept me, despite... everything.
"As for the love... Have any of you had children in your past life?" Mama Alise asks.
Alea and Stella nod their heads, though Stella stops after a moment, shaking her head.
"Well, Alea... how would you feel if your kids were reincarnated?" Mama asks.
My sister then looks down, her gold and silver hair draping over her face as she ponders over the question.
A moment later, she raises her head, her eyes blazing with a subtle resolve.
"I... I would definitely still love them. It doesn't matter what they are, or who they were. My love... it wasn't a lie," she says.
"Mhmm. And that's the same for us. Listen, kids. When I gave birth to you... when I held you as little infants... fed you my milk... watched as you grew older and gained awareness... held you close at night... those are all precious memories for me. You're my children... absolutely, you're my children. Nothing will change that," Mama Alise says, her eyes glimmering with unshed tears.
"Besides, I am quite happy with our family of seven. As you know, my family wasn't one with much love shared between us, while Alise lost hers at a young age. So I- no... we, wouldn't want to give this up for anything," Mama Ryuu adds.
While Leo and I share a look of relief, two blurs cross our vision as Stella and Alea jump into our mothers' arms before sobbing into their chests.
"Jeez... are you two sure you're not children?" Mama Alise says lovingly, gently running her hand through Alea's hair.
Alea chuckles at this, though it is muffled by her sniffles.
Feeling a little more relieved, I feel my body sink into the couch as the two younger, and more childish, of my siblings slowly come to grips with reality.
"B-But Mamas?" Stella asks.
"Yes, sweetie?" Mama Ryuu asks.
"Are you sure you're fine with us? As in... already being grown up," she asks.
"Hehe. I'm not sure how 'grown up' you think you are, but to me, you're still my daughter. I mean, look at you now!" Mama Alise says.
Alea turns her head away, blushing.
"But... if you're asking if Ryuu and I want to experience regular parenthood... well, we can always have Sirius give us another set of babies," Mama Alise says, which Ryuu agrees to with a nod.
...A nearly identical response as Papa.
Those three really were a match made in Tenkai, weren't they?
"Now, with that all out of the way, I wanna hear all about you guys! I bet Ellie and Leo have some cool stories to tell," Mama Alisa then says.
It all still felt surreal, how easy this day turned out to be.
I expected to be left in tears after this talk, with my heart clenched in sorrow as I consoled my dear sisters.
But it seemed that my worries were for naught.
My lips curling into a wide smile, I can't help but feel immensely thankful to whatever mechanisms of fate that brought this second life of mine to fruition.
"Well, Mama... I guess I should start by saying that Stella is my twin sister," I say.
Both of my mothers tilt their heads in confusion.
"Uhm... yeah, we know that sweetie." Mama Alise responds.
"No. I mean we were twins in our previous life as well." I say.
"Oh..."
And like that, the four of us began telling our tales, as both of my mothers listened on in interest.
Haa... although I know he was so excited to get out of the house, I do wish Papa was here with us.
----- Sirius POV -----
Watching the Minotaur's fist bear down toward me, I can't help but sigh in boredom.
These guys... they were all too slow.
Though I guess as a level 7, I shouldn't expect anything else from level 2 monsters.
But that's fine.
I wasn't here to challenge myself, nor was I here to grow my skills.
I was here to get used to my strength, and... and sort out my emotions.
Stepping to the side, I twist my hips, letting my sword flow through the air before bisecting the monster with a quick slash.
For opponents of this level, I didn't even need to think in order to defeat, as I could simply rely on my instincts.
Instead, my mind was preoccupied with something else.
'Mr Adventurer... I'm sorry.'
Gritting my teeth, I swing my sword to the side with all my strength, causing a sonic boom to erupt from the tip.
A moment later, a thunderous explosion resounds through the floor as a distant cliffside is cleaved in two.
That damn image wouldn't get out of my mind.
A frightened face, a trembling voice, an apologetic tone... I hated it all.
But no matter what I did, the image of that kid wouldn't get out of my mind.
I hated the unfairness of it all.
I hated Evilus.
And... I hated myself.
I knew, logically, that it wasn't my fault.
There was nothing I could do to save that kid.
Considering how I tried to relieve the boy before his death, you could say I went above and beyond.
But still... the hatred, the anger, was still there, churning like a violent hurricane in the back of my mind.
"I'm sorry..." I say to no one.
I continue my path of destruction through the floor, each swing slowly calming the turbulence in my head, before all that's left is a solemn sadness.
Logically, I shouldn't have been this shaken up about it.
In this cruel world, people die every day, many of them being children.
But... that hit me hard.
Was it because it happened in front of me?
Or was it just the fact it was in my city?
But past how much the death itself disgusted me, I was more saddened about the lost opportunities.
He could've been Leo's friend.
He could've grown up, started a family, pursued his dreams, and had children of his own.
But now... well, that wouldn't be happening anymore, would it?
And I didn't even know his fucking name.
I had been complacent with my strength, thinking that getting strong enough to go a bit deeper in the dungeon, slay a few more monsters, and see the numbers on my status go up would make everything okay.
But that wasn't the case, was it?
I had people to protect at every moment of my life, so I couldn't be satisfied by just looking at my future potential and rate of growth.
No... I needed to be strong right now.
Overwhelmingly so, so that nothing like that would happen again.
"Sorry..." I say sadly.
Unnamed kid... I'm sorry that you were a sacrifice to reignite my determination.
I promise... I'll get stronger.
And while I know next to nothing about you, I'll keep you in my memories.
Though... you probably can't hear this, can you?
"Haha! Haa..."
Letting out a deep sigh, I close my eyes while stretching my back.
Taking a moment to let all the stress out, I then start walking back toward the dungeon's entrance.
"I think it's time I treat myself to a drink, no?" I say with a small smile.
It's been a long damn week since we came back from Dragon Valley.
From getting those villagers a home, to my kids' reincarnation, to Evilus' attack... yeah, I definitely needed to destress.
Besides, adventurers usually head to a tavern after the dungeon, right?
----- Eleanor POV -----
"So... we're all in agreement then?" I say cautiously.
All three of my dear siblings nod in response.
"It's the only way to get stronger. And while I don't expect to be the one changing history or anything... I don't want to be a burden ever again," Leo says.
Alea clenches her fist in response to his words.
"You do know this may irreparably damage our relationship with them, right? We may be abandoned and hated by the same two women we love so much. Something like this... once it comes out, there is no going back," I say cautiously.
This seems to make Alea and Stella freeze, while Leo only releases a resigned sigh.
"B-But! Even if they do... Papa will be there for us, right? And eventually... eventually everything will be happy, right?" Alea says hopefully.
A naive thought.
Even the love the three of our parents shared wouldn't be able to stop our possible rejection in the face of the truth.
But seeing her nervous face... I couldn't bring myself to tell her.
"...I suppose. Papa is the one making us do this before venturing into the dungeon, so I would be quite displeased if he didn't support us afterwards," I eventually say.
He wouldn't abandon us, right?
No... not the man that I was proud to call something as embarrassing as 'Papa' without a care.
"Anyway, regardless of our fears, this is something we must do. To get stronger. To not be a burden. We have to venture into the dungeon. But no matter what happens... we'll be together, alright? So there is no need to fear," I say clearly.
Right... regardless of this feeling of fear I held, this is something we must do.
"Tomorrow... we will tell our Mothers our truth. Together."
Seeing the resolute eyes of the three, and how Alea and Stella took my hand in theirs, I could feel courage bloom within myself.
----- 1 Day Later -----
That courage, which had flourished so brightly the night before, had disappeared.
As if it was a lie.
"M-Mamas... we have something to talk with you about. A-All of us." I say shakily.
Dammit.
I had faced that dreaded dragon, and had slain the legendary Leviathan, yet something as simple as this was making my stomach churn with fear and worry.
In response, Mama Ryuu and Alise look at each other, before both breaking out into suppressed smirks.
What?
"Is that so? Well, how about we go to our room for this. Now that your father is out and about, that is," Mama Ryuu says.
Indeed.
The instant he was cleared by the Dea Saint for physical activity, that reckless Papa of mine headed straight into the dungeon.
I guess he was feeling the same things we were, huh?
The seemingly tumultuous times ahead of us... we all needed to get stronger.
My conviction renewed, I led the other three of my siblings toward our parents' room, my hand grasping Stella and Alea's, trying to somehow transmit the second wave of determination I was feeling to their rapidly beating hearts.
Gently closing the door behind her, Mama Ryuu then takes a seat on the bed with Mama Alise, both looking curiously at the four of us.
"So? What did you want to talk about with us?" Mama Ryuu asks.
Okay... here it goes.
C-Come on, Eleanor.
Let's do this.
"M-Ma-"
"Mamas," Leo says, interrupting me.
Turning my head towards him, he gives me a nod and a reassuring squeeze on my shoulder before continuing.
"We... we have something to tell you. A secret we've been holding for... for a long time." He continues, his voice shaky, but still resolute.
Dammit... he's the one who took charge of telling Papa about us, even with his past trauma regarding reincarnated parenthood, so I wanted to be the one to do this.
"Oh? And what's this secret that's so important we need a meeting like this?" Mama Alise asks.
"We... we are reincarnated," Leo says.
Giving them a moment to take in this information, I can't help but turn my head down to hide my worried, tearful eyes.
"Pff!"
...What?
Glancing up, I see both Mama Ryuu and Alise wearing smirks, with their eyes both filled with mirth.
"'Reincarnated', you say?" Mama Ryuu says.
"Y-Yeah. We're... from another world, at least Alea and I are, and were born again as your children." Leo says, confused.
Why were they laughing?
"Oh, we already know that," Mama Alise says bluntly.
Huh?
"W-What do you mean, Mama?" Stella asks.
"Do you think we're idiots?" Mama Ryuu asks.
We all shake our heads.
"While we had our suspicions before, considering your odd behaviour, that suspicion turned into conviction after you got your status. While your father tried to weasel his way out with that lie of his, did you notice your father often plays with his hair when he's lying to us? As cute as it is, it's quite an obvious tell," she continues with a smirk.
Haa... stupid Papa.
"Besides, ever since you got your status, you four have been very close to your father. More than usual. Not to mention how I've heard a few of you mumble in your sleep about your past lives," Mama Alise says.
The three of us sisters turned our heads simultaneously to Leo, who was the most obvious culprit.
He pointedly ignored us.
"And Eleanor... did you really think we wouldn't notice? We fought you, after all. So there was no way we wouldn't notice the magic of the infamous Silence," Mama Ryuu says.
This time, it's my turn to avoid the gaze of my parents.
Right... I was different from the other three.
Here, I was a villain.
I fought.
I killed.
And eventually, I was finished off by these two girls of the Familia of Justice.
...Who were now my parents.
Gods, this was a weird situation.
Anyway, I wasn't an innocent beauty like Alea and Stella were, nor was I the hero of the land like Leo.
So... it was only natural for me to be hated.
"Well, never mind that. Once we both noticed the signs, we came to the correct conclusion, but we decided we wanted to wait until you four told us to reveal anything," Mama Alise says.
...
Okay, so they... already knew.
But... what did that mean for us?
"Mamas... can I- no, how... how do you feel?" Alea asks, her voice trembling with nervousness.
At this, both women share a look before turning back to us.
"To be honest, at first, we... didn't take it as well as your father did. We were shocked. Stunned. And... a little scared. I mean... reincarnation is commonly known as how the cycle of life works in this world, but retaining memories? Yeah... it was definitely a surprise," Mama Alise says.
Alea's shoulders slouch.
"Indeed. Remember those three days Alise and I went into the dungeon for a quest?" Mama Ryuu asks.
That was... a couple of days after we got our status.
"Y-Yeah, Papa said that his bed was too cold," Alea says.
"Tsk. That romantic perv," Mama Ryuu says.
Despite her biting tone, I could see the corner of her lips curling upward.
"Anyway, while we did complete the quest, the main reason we did it was to give us some time alone to just... process it all. And for Ryuu and I to talk about it together. Alone." Mama Alise continues.
I feel my heartbeat increase as my fist clenches.
Things were going... well.
No shouting, no screaming, nothing like that.
But... would it stay the same?
I was waiting here, anxiously, for this dream-like reality to come crumbling down in front of me.
"S-So? Do you... still love us?" Alea asks.
That indeed was the question, wasn't it?
""Of course we do,"" both women say simultaneously.
They... they did?
"The first thing we did was come to the agreement that we didn't blame you. None of this was your fault, so no matter how we felt about you four, anger would not be the outcome," Mama Ryuu says.
How... how could I be so lucky?
To have these kind people accept me, despite... everything.
"As for the love... Have any of you had children in your past life?" Mama Alise asks.
Alea and Stella nod their heads, though Stella stops after a moment, shaking her head.
"Well, Alea... how would you feel if your kids were reincarnated?" Mama asks.
My sister then looks down, her gold and silver hair draping over her face as she ponders over the question.
A moment later, she raises her head, her eyes blazing with a subtle resolve.
"I... I would definitely still love them. It doesn't matter what they are, or who they were. My love... it wasn't a lie," she says.
"Mhmm. And that's the same for us. Listen, kids. When I gave birth to you... when I held you as little infants... fed you my milk... watched as you grew older and gained awareness... held you close at night... those are all precious memories for me. You're my children... absolutely, you're my children. Nothing will change that," Mama Alise says, her eyes glimmering with unshed tears.
"Besides, I am quite happy with our family of seven. As you know, my family wasn't one with much love shared between us, while Alise lost hers at a young age. So I- no... we, wouldn't want to give this up for anything," Mama Ryuu adds.
While Leo and I share a look of relief, two blurs cross our vision as Stella and Alea jump into our mothers' arms before sobbing into their chests.
"Jeez... are you two sure you're not children?" Mama Alise says lovingly, gently running her hand through Alea's hair.
Alea chuckles at this, though it is muffled by her sniffles.
Feeling a little more relieved, I feel my body sink into the couch as the two younger, and more childish, of my siblings slowly come to grips with reality.
"B-But Mamas?" Stella asks.
"Yes, sweetie?" Mama Ryuu asks.
"Are you sure you're fine with us? As in... already being grown up," she asks.
"Hehe. I'm not sure how 'grown up' you think you are, but to me, you're still my daughter. I mean, look at you now!" Mama Alise says.
Alea turns her head away, blushing.
"But... if you're asking if Ryuu and I want to experience regular parenthood... well, we can always have Sirius give us another set of babies," Mama Alise says, which Ryuu agrees to with a nod.
...A nearly identical response as Papa.
Those three really were a match made in Tenkai, weren't they?
"Now, with that all out of the way, I wanna hear all about you guys! I bet Ellie and Leo have some cool stories to tell," Mama Alisa then says.
It all still felt surreal, how easy this day turned out to be.
I expected to be left in tears after this talk, with my heart clenched in sorrow as I consoled my dear sisters.
But it seemed that my worries were for naught.
My lips curling into a wide smile, I can't help but feel immensely thankful to whatever mechanisms of fate that brought this second life of mine to fruition.
"Well, Mama... I guess I should start by saying that Stella is my twin sister," I say.
Both of my mothers tilt their heads in confusion.
"Uhm... yeah, we know that sweetie." Mama Alise responds.
"No. I mean we were twins in our previous life as well." I say.
"Oh..."
And like that, the four of us began telling our tales, as both of my mothers listened on in interest.
Haa... although I know he was so excited to get out of the house, I do wish Papa was here with us.
----- Sirius POV -----
Watching the Minotaur's fist bear down toward me, I can't help but sigh in boredom.
These guys... they were all too slow.
Though I guess as a level 7, I shouldn't expect anything else from level 2 monsters.
But that's fine.
I wasn't here to challenge myself, nor was I here to grow my skills.
I was here to get used to my strength, and... and sort out my emotions.
Stepping to the side, I twist my hips, letting my sword flow through the air before bisecting the monster with a quick slash.
For opponents of this level, I didn't even need to think in order to defeat, as I could simply rely on my instincts.
Instead, my mind was preoccupied with something else.
'Mr Adventurer... I'm sorry.'
Gritting my teeth, I swing my sword to the side with all my strength, causing a sonic boom to erupt from the tip.
A moment later, a thunderous explosion resounds through the floor as a distant cliffside is cleaved in two.
That damn image wouldn't get out of my mind.
A frightened face, a trembling voice, an apologetic tone... I hated it all.
But no matter what I did, the image of that kid wouldn't get out of my mind.
I hated the unfairness of it all.
I hated Evilus.
And... I hated myself.
I knew, logically, that it wasn't my fault.
There was nothing I could do to save that kid.
Considering how I tried to relieve the boy before his death, you could say I went above and beyond.
But still... the hatred, the anger, was still there, churning like a violent hurricane in the back of my mind.
"I'm sorry..." I say to no one.
I continue my path of destruction through the floor, each swing slowly calming the turbulence in my head, before all that's left is a solemn sadness.
Logically, I shouldn't have been this shaken up about it.
In this cruel world, people die every day, many of them being children.
But... that hit me hard.
Was it because it happened in front of me?
Or was it just the fact it was in my city?
But past how much the death itself disgusted me, I was more saddened about the lost opportunities.
He could've been Leo's friend.
He could've grown up, started a family, pursued his dreams, and had children of his own.
But now... well, that wouldn't be happening anymore, would it?
And I didn't even know his fucking name.
I had been complacent with my strength, thinking that getting strong enough to go a bit deeper in the dungeon, slay a few more monsters, and see the numbers on my status go up would make everything okay.
But that wasn't the case, was it?
I had people to protect at every moment of my life, so I couldn't be satisfied by just looking at my future potential and rate of growth.
No... I needed to be strong right now.
Overwhelmingly so, so that nothing like that would happen again.
"Sorry..." I say sadly.
Unnamed kid... I'm sorry that you were a sacrifice to reignite my determination.
I promise... I'll get stronger.
And while I know next to nothing about you, I'll keep you in my memories.
Though... you probably can't hear this, can you?
"Haha! Haa..."
Letting out a deep sigh, I close my eyes while stretching my back.
Taking a moment to let all the stress out, I then start walking back toward the dungeon's entrance.
"I think it's time I treat myself to a drink, no?" I say with a small smile.
It's been a long damn week since we came back from Dragon Valley.
From getting those villagers a home, to my kids' reincarnation, to Evilus' attack... yeah, I definitely needed to destress.
Besides, adventurers usually head to a tavern after the dungeon, right?
