A crack echoes through the air followed by a swoosh as Ais' wooden sword twirls through the air before landing on the ground.
Before she can recover, my own sword is brought to her neck, bringing an end to the spar.
"Nice fight. Wanna go again?"
"Mmm."
Kicking up her dropped sword, it lands in my hands before I toss it over to the brooding blonde.
While her emotional problems have certainly gotten better since we first sparred together, she still ends up pouting with every loss.
"Go Papa!"
"Papa's amazing!"
Hearing the two voices, I smile before waving at Stella and Alea, my two most vocal admirers, while Leo and Eleanor watch on in interest.
Over this past week, to train our new levels and magic, nearly the entire Familia had taken the week off for training or vacation, with Ais often coming over.
Lefiya and the Amazon twins also came over a few times, sometimes to train, but usually to see Iris, Haru, Ariel, and Lili.
It seems that the idea behind the 'children's table' worked, as they've become friends.
The kids have also been watching over our training in interest, well, except for Eleanor.
But she quickly took interest in me, and specifically, my new magic.
Huhu, be careful Ellie~ You'll make your mamas will get jealous at this rate~
Just as I'm about to bring my sword up for another round, I sense someone coming up to the front door.
It must be that, right?
"Sorry Ais, gotta get something."
Passing by Ryuu and Alise, I give them each a kiss as I make my way into the house.
Grabbing the valis I set aside for this, I open the door to see a Goibniu Familia member with a sheathed katana and a wooden box.
"Hello, Sirius Lovion. These are your two commissioned orders, the total for both items will come to 70 million valis."
Oof.
Well, it was expected, actually, it's a bit lower than the original 80 million quote.
Inviting her in, I then separate the correct amount of valis from the bag before handing over the total.
With her leaving shortly after, I then head back out to the training ground, specifically to where my two wives were sitting with the kids.
"Hey, you two. I got you each a present."
Handing Ryuu her new sword first, she passes Leo to Mother Astraea before taking her gift.
Her palm gripping the handle, I can't help but feel excited, after all, I haven't seen the finished products yet.
...Even though I already paid for it.
Well, I know that Goibniu Familia is trustworthy, so I don't have to worry.
Unsheathing the sword, a shimmering black blade with swirls of dark purple down the side.
Wow, it looks better than I thought.
I wonder how the practicality of it is though.
Standing up, she takes a few swings, the air whistling with each movement.
Eventually stopping, she stares at her blade with eyes alight in astonishment.
"Well? How is it?"
"It's... wonderful. Simply astounding. How much did this cost?"
"Mah, don't worry about that."
"Hmm, but this pattern, it reminds me of... No, Sirius, you didn't."
Seeing her face set in shock, I give her a smile and a nod.
"But that was your fight!"
"Yeah, and I used the drop item for what I wanted. So? You like it?"
"I love it, thank you, husband."
Mmm, just seeing that smile is enough.
"Good. With this, you'll have a permanent weapon to dual-wield. From what the girl told me, it's practically indestructible and increases your strength stat, though I don't know how much."
"I could feel the increase when I gripped the handle. This thing... it's quite amazing. Does it have a name?"
"Yep, Alf's Somnium. Seems like they wanted it to pair with your Alf's Lumina."
Running her finger along the blade, she hums to herself with a smile.
"Alf's Somnium, huh? I like it."
"I'm glad. Here, Alise. I got it to use with your new magic."
Opening the box, it reveals a white cylinder, like a handle.
Well, that was the purpose of it, so that's good.
"O-Oh? What is it?"
"Don't sound so disappointed Alise. It's a wand made from an Amphisbaena fang. I had it made so you can use your Flamma Flagellum a bit better."
"Ooh! What's its name!"
"Crimson Justice."
"Ah! Just like Ryuu's, it's paired with my Crimson Order."
Yep, I guess they like to do that, don't they?
Passing off Eleanor and Stella to Ryuu, she then steps onto the training ground.
Activating the short chant, the whip then grows from the tip of the wand rather than her hand.
Using the wand as the handle of the whip, she flicks it upward, the trail of fire speeding through the air at her action.
Her face growing an excited smile, she starts to move with increased vigour, the whip twirling through the air as if an extension of her limb.
It seems that it's another hit.
It seems that the increased control from the wand is even better than expected, as her whip can easily grow and shrink in size while also seemingly being able to heat up.
Extinguishing her magic, she then hops over to me before engulfing me in a hug, peppering me in kisses.
"Thank you, Sirius! I love it!"
Sitting down next to Ryuu, she also gives me a hug of her own.
Watching Ariel and Lefiya show off their magic, Alise and Ryuu each lean against my shoulder.
"You said these were to reward us for levelling up?"
"Yeah, but I was planning on getting you a second sword regardless, and a wand for Alise after I saw her new magic."
Turning her head, Ryuu then whispers into my ear.
"Then how about Alise and I give a reward of your own tonight?"
Feeling my pants tighten in response, I readily nod my head.
"Papa."
Looking down at Eleanor who is giving me a look of... disgust?
Why? You'll hurt Papa's feelings, you know!
Following where her pudgy hands are pointing, I see Ais looking at me intently.
Oh yeah, there was that.
"Well, I'm gonna go."
"Alright, we'll be cheering you on! Good luck!"
With the supportive words of a redheaded beauty, I pick up my wooden sword before standing opposite Ais.
"So, want another sword duel? Or do you wanna add in magic."
"Hmm. I want to practice deflecting ranged attacks. Can you use your new magic on me?"
"Yep, what element?"
"Water."
"Alright. Essence of creation, root of nature, heed my call, Aqua!"
A familiar tug as my mind swirls into the palms of my hands, leaving the barrier of my skin, it transforms into water, much like Aqua Corona.
It then gathers over my head, condensing into an orb of churning water.
While I still could control it a little bit, it was nowhere near the level of Celestial Ascent or Aqua Corona.
I guess I need to practice a bit more or gain a better understanding of it, just as my Magia Imperium skill said.
Feeling a sensation I could only describe as the tension of a drawn bow, I will the magic to attack Ais' position before releasing the tension.
A water bullet instantly shoots out of the orb, approaching Ais at rapid speed as she quickly deflects it with her sword.
Yeah, this feeling of 'tension' and simply 'willing' where the magic shoots are all very weird.
I can only hope that with more practice, it will become clear, just like my other two magics have.
Well, at least now with all three of my magic slots now filled, I won't be getting any new ones, meaning I can hone and perfect what I already have.
Huh, thinking about it, my three magics are amazing for the main positions in a team.
There's Celestial Ascent which is great for a frontline fighter.
Aqua Corona is an amazing healing magic.
And now Elemental Orb allows me to act as a rearguard mage.
Cool.
Continuing to shoot water bullets at Ais, I try to control the bullets to not be as lethal.
This is only training, after all.
Although the connection with the magic is faint, it's still there, after all, it's this connection that I use to fire off my bullets.
Now, trying to control the bullets themselves is not working that well, perhaps the connection is the problem?
Think, Sirius.
For all my other magic, the key is thinking of magic as an extension of my body, even once it exits my body.
I can even control Aqua Corona with enough proficiency to spell out words with the water.
So manipulating the shape of bullets to be blunted should be easy.
Besides, unlike with Aqua Corona, where originally I lost control after the magic left my body, I have a starting point to work with.
But from what Magic Sense is telling me, or rather, what it's not telling me, the reason for the difficulty is due to how advanced Elemental Orb is.
Enough useless talk, or, thinking.
Whatever.
I wonder...
Concentrating with my eyes closed, I activate Celestial Ascent and create a thin string of stellar magic, connecting from my fingertip to the orb of water.
Upon contact, I instantly feel a pressure bear down on my mind as my indescribable sense of mind and magic becomes overwhelmed.
But it works.
This 'magic connection', as I'll call it, is nothing but a temporary crutch.
But for now, it works.
And hopefully, it will show me the path to increasing my mastery over Elemental Orb.
Opening my eyes, I send a barrage of multiple water bullets, well, now water balls at Ais, each blunted to only bruise and shot at varying speeds to keep her on her toes.
Ais' mouth opens in a rare moment of surprise at the change of pace, her sword whipping through the air to defend herself while her body twists and twirls to avoid any balls.
The barrage soon overwhelms her as she gets hit on her thigh, disrupting her flow, and causing her to get hit by two more balls on the chest and arm, sending her to the ground.
Stopping my attacks, I dispel both magics, noting that the mind left in the orb was basically nothing.
Stepping forward, I extend my hand to Ais who is drenched and wearing a frowning pout, her eyes scrunched to further emphasize her dissatisfaction.
"Don't be so sad. I nearly had nothing left to fire after that last one, so you nearly had me."
Taking my hand, she pulls herself up to her feet before shaking out the water gathered on her head.
"How did it suddenly get so much harder? And you were able to control the shape too."
"Figured out a little trick. Sorry for the sudden change in difficulty."
"No, it was better, it just surprised me is all."
She then turns away from me to grab the sword she had dropped.
Oh, so she's in denial, huh?
"I'd like to go again."
"Alright."
Chanting the magic again, the familiar sensation of water leaving my palm and condensing into an orb above my head.
There is a difference though, the connection... is stronger.
Or should I say 'wider'?
It's hard to explain.
Aiming a bullet at the ground, I command it to be blunt like before as a water ball splashes into the dirt, forming a small puddle.
Yeah, much better.
While not as strong as the stellar magic string I had used before, it was good enough that I could aim a bit more precisely, change the speed of the attack, and roughly control the shape of the water projectile.
Though I couldn't send out a barrage of attacks like before.
Well, at least now I have a clear path in progress, and with each projectile shot, I could feel the connection growing stronger, as minuscule as the improvement was, it was an improvement.
----- Eleanor POV -----
Looking over at my father who was peppering the half-spirit girl with water balls, I can only marvel at the potential of his new magic.
Elemental Orb, capable of using multiple elements, which on its own would make it a powerful magic, but it can even use the famed space element.
A magic of legends, on par with my own.
That's not even counting my father's insane ability to use multiple magics at once.
I can picture it now, ranged cover from Elemental Orb, constant healing capabilities from Aqua Corona, and a powerful enchantment from Celestial Ascent in tandem with his constantly growing sword skills.
A monster.
While I was happy there was someone like him capable of fighting the Black Dragon, it also fills me with fear.
The love that I thought no one but Meteria could provide and a family I've sworn to protect.
Given this blessing, I would not want to lose it, I would not want to lose my father.
Haa, it seems I've become a bit more selfish in this life.
"Hoo, hey girls! And Leo."
The cheerful voice of Ariel enters my ears, the other girls following behind her, including some girls from the Loki Familia.
I held no grudge toward them, in fact, I was somewhat grateful.
Our Familias were demolished, of course, we could not continue to be the protectors any longer.
And our banishment forced Meteria to leave the city that would soon be infested with violence and give birth to her son in a place of peace.
Although I was angered at their strength during the Great Feud, our gamble seemed to have paid off as the four girls visiting all have the potential to aid in the final great quest.
"Aww, are you watching your Papa, Ellie?"
Taking me into her arms, Haruhime then sits me on her lap.
Although it was embarrassing to be treated like a baby by someone as young as her, she had an inexplicable air of calm and warmth, different from my parents.
I believe my father called it 'older sister vibes'?
"Un."
Dammit, if only my vocal cords could grow stronger, I would not be held back by such a babyish vocabulary.
At least my behaviour was not considered odd, both because there had rarely ever been a child born between multiple first-class adventurers, and that my siblings showed a similarly advanced growth rate and maturity.
Speaking of that...
My siblings were definitely like me.
Though it was weird, from the confusion on their faces, I could tell Leo and Alea didn't know the language.
I wonder, where could they be from to not speak the common language?
Perhaps an isolated tribe?
Well, no matter, thanks to my parents reading and speaking to us every chance they got, the two should catch up in no time.
A smile comes to my face at the memories.
While the stories did not bring out a sense of wonder like for Alea, or curiosity like Leo, it still felt nice, to cuddle up to my family and bask in their loving warmth.
I was even able to enjoy the stories themselves, after all, growing up in a poor orphanage and then the Hera Familia, my sister and I never got to enjoy such tales, much less have it read to us.
I could understand now, if only slightly, why my sister decided to have a child with her condition, even if it was the spawn of that bastard.
"But wow, I never thought that Celestial Sword was this strong. To be able to take on Ais like that."
Looking over, I see that the two have shifted to a general spar, melding magic and swordplay as they clashed.
"My Sirius is quite amazing! And Lefiya, you can just call him by his name. He'd actually prefer it."
"Ah, ok, Ms. Alise."
"Just Alise is fine, I'm only 20. So? How was your guys' training?"
"It was great! Hey hey, do you think we could go to the dungeon together!?"
Urk.
While I respected the Amazonness' potential, did she have to be so damn loud?
"Hmm, well, you'd have to talk with your executives first. And even then, Lili is still level 1 while the rest are relatively new to the dungeon, so you couldn't go too deep."
"That's a-okay! We don't go too deep and they're all good enough to keep up! Plus, Finn asked us to take Lefiya to the dungeon more now that she's had Riveria teach her some stuff! The more the merrier!"
"Having two mages does change things, and Lili is good enough to keep everyone organized... Yeah, I'm fine with it, what about you four?"
Iris then responds.
"Well, you said we were joining you guys on your next expedition, this is a good way to get some experience in the lower levels."
Lili, Ariel, and Haruhime all nod in agreement.
Wait, but who would take care of us during the expedition?
I mean, Goddess Astraea is a good caretaker, but she's only one person.
And who would protect the house while they were gone?
"Hmm? What's with that face, Ellie? Did you need a diaper change?"
No Mother! I do not need a diaper change!
"Wait, if they're all going on your expedition, who's going to take care of your kids?"
Thank you, Lefiya!
"I'll be staying back. It was tough to keep enough bottles for all four of them so they would need Alise or me. And since Alise is the captain, the choice was obvious."
Oh, so Mother Ryuu will be taking care of us.
That's good.
While I do not get as annoyed at how loud my birth mother is compared to others, the calmness of the golden-haired Elf is always appreciated.
"I see... but won't it be tough with one of your three level 6's not joining you?"
"You still haven't seen the full power of Sirius, Lefiya. He could easily match any one of us."
"O-Oh."
"Speaking of, it seems that they're done."
"Hey, guys! Loki Familia, would you like to join us for lunch?"
"Sure! Thanks, Sirius!"
"No problem Tiona. My two lovely wives, would you two like to practice with your new weapons? I can take care of the kids."
"That would be a good idea, husband. After lunch of course."
Her cheeks dyed red, Mother Ryuu then picks up Leo and Alea before heading inside.
With every passing day, I start to understand how my father picked up both of my mothers.
He's a shameless flirt.
Well, that shamelessness brought me back into this world and gave me the loving family I never knew I needed so dearly, so I'll forgive him.
"Here Sirius!"
With Haruhime handing me over, I soon find myself in the secure hold of my father.
"Thanks, Haru. Did you like the show, Ellie? Man, your hair is really pretty, did you know that."
My eyes unintentionally close in delight as Father runs his hand soothingly through my hair, tucking the stray strands behind my ear.
Snuggling closer into my father's hold, I feel the calling of sleep as the muffled sound of his heartbeat lulls me into deeper relaxation.
To render me into this state so easily...
It seems Father is amazing in more ways than one.
A crack echoes through the air followed by a swoosh as Ais' wooden sword twirls through the air before landing on the ground.
Before she can recover, my own sword is brought to her neck, bringing an end to the spar.
"Nice fight. Wanna go again?"
"Mmm."
Kicking up her dropped sword, it lands in my hands before I toss it over to the brooding blonde.
While her emotional problems have certainly gotten better since we first sparred together, she still ends up pouting with every loss.
"Go Papa!"
"Papa's amazing!"
Hearing the two voices, I smile before waving at Stella and Alea, my two most vocal admirers, while Leo and Eleanor watch on in interest.
Over this past week, to train our new levels and magic, nearly the entire Familia had taken the week off for training or vacation, with Ais often coming over.
Lefiya and the Amazon twins also came over a few times, sometimes to train, but usually to see Iris, Haru, Ariel, and Lili.
It seems that the idea behind the 'children's table' worked, as they've become friends.
The kids have also been watching over our training in interest, well, except for Eleanor.
But she quickly took interest in me, and specifically, my new magic.
Huhu, be careful Ellie~ You'll make your mamas will get jealous at this rate~
Just as I'm about to bring my sword up for another round, I sense someone coming up to the front door.
It must be that, right?
"Sorry Ais, gotta get something."
Passing by Ryuu and Alise, I give them each a kiss as I make my way into the house.
Grabbing the valis I set aside for this, I open the door to see a Goibniu Familia member with a sheathed katana and a wooden box.
"Hello, Sirius Lovion. These are your two commissioned orders, the total for both items will come to 70 million valis."
Oof.
Well, it was expected, actually, it's a bit lower than the original 80 million quote.
Inviting her in, I then separate the correct amount of valis from the bag before handing over the total.
With her leaving shortly after, I then head back out to the training ground, specifically to where my two wives were sitting with the kids.
"Hey, you two. I got you each a present."
Handing Ryuu her new sword first, she passes Leo to Mother Astraea before taking her gift.
Her palm gripping the handle, I can't help but feel excited, after all, I haven't seen the finished products yet.
...Even though I already paid for it.
Well, I know that Goibniu Familia is trustworthy, so I don't have to worry.
Unsheathing the sword, a shimmering black blade with swirls of dark purple down the side.
Wow, it looks better than I thought.
I wonder how the practicality of it is though.
Standing up, she takes a few swings, the air whistling with each movement.
Eventually stopping, she stares at her blade with eyes alight in astonishment.
"Well? How is it?"
"It's... wonderful. Simply astounding. How much did this cost?"
"Mah, don't worry about that."
"Hmm, but this pattern, it reminds me of... No, Sirius, you didn't."
Seeing her face set in shock, I give her a smile and a nod.
"But that was your fight!"
"Yeah, and I used the drop item for what I wanted. So? You like it?"
"I love it, thank you, husband."
Mmm, just seeing that smile is enough.
"Good. With this, you'll have a permanent weapon to dual-wield. From what the girl told me, it's practically indestructible and increases your strength stat, though I don't know how much."
"I could feel the increase when I gripped the handle. This thing... it's quite amazing. Does it have a name?"
"Yep, Alf's Somnium. Seems like they wanted it to pair with your Alf's Lumina."
Running her finger along the blade, she hums to herself with a smile.
"Alf's Somnium, huh? I like it."
"I'm glad. Here, Alise. I got it to use with your new magic."
Opening the box, it reveals a white cylinder, like a handle.
Well, that was the purpose of it, so that's good.
"O-Oh? What is it?"
"Don't sound so disappointed Alise. It's a wand made from an Amphisbaena fang. I had it made so you can use your Flamma Flagellum a bit better."
"Ooh! What's its name!"
"Crimson Justice."
"Ah! Just like Ryuu's, it's paired with my Crimson Order."
Yep, I guess they like to do that, don't they?
Passing off Eleanor and Stella to Ryuu, she then steps onto the training ground.
Activating the short chant, the whip then grows from the tip of the wand rather than her hand.
Using the wand as the handle of the whip, she flicks it upward, the trail of fire speeding through the air at her action.
Her face growing an excited smile, she starts to move with increased vigour, the whip twirling through the air as if an extension of her limb.
It seems that it's another hit.
It seems that the increased control from the wand is even better than expected, as her whip can easily grow and shrink in size while also seemingly being able to heat up.
Extinguishing her magic, she then hops over to me before engulfing me in a hug, peppering me in kisses.
"Thank you, Sirius! I love it!"
Sitting down next to Ryuu, she also gives me a hug of her own.
Watching Ariel and Lefiya show off their magic, Alise and Ryuu each lean against my shoulder.
"You said these were to reward us for levelling up?"
"Yeah, but I was planning on getting you a second sword regardless, and a wand for Alise after I saw her new magic."
Turning her head, Ryuu then whispers into my ear.
"Then how about Alise and I give a reward of your own tonight?"
Feeling my pants tighten in response, I readily nod my head.
"Papa."
Looking down at Eleanor who is giving me a look of... disgust?
Why? You'll hurt Papa's feelings, you know!
Following where her pudgy hands are pointing, I see Ais looking at me intently.
Oh yeah, there was that.
"Well, I'm gonna go."
"Alright, we'll be cheering you on! Good luck!"
With the supportive words of a redheaded beauty, I pick up my wooden sword before standing opposite Ais.
"So, want another sword duel? Or do you wanna add in magic."
"Hmm. I want to practice deflecting ranged attacks. Can you use your new magic on me?"
"Yep, what element?"
"Water."
"Alright. Essence of creation, root of nature, heed my call, Aqua!"
A familiar tug as my mind swirls into the palms of my hands, leaving the barrier of my skin, it transforms into water, much like Aqua Corona.
It then gathers over my head, condensing into an orb of churning water.
While I still could control it a little bit, it was nowhere near the level of Celestial Ascent or Aqua Corona.
I guess I need to practice a bit more or gain a better understanding of it, just as my Magia Imperium skill said.
Feeling a sensation I could only describe as the tension of a drawn bow, I will the magic to attack Ais' position before releasing the tension.
A water bullet instantly shoots out of the orb, approaching Ais at rapid speed as she quickly deflects it with her sword.
Yeah, this feeling of 'tension' and simply 'willing' where the magic shoots are all very weird.
I can only hope that with more practice, it will become clear, just like my other two magics have.
Well, at least now with all three of my magic slots now filled, I won't be getting any new ones, meaning I can hone and perfect what I already have.
Huh, thinking about it, my three magics are amazing for the main positions in a team.
There's Celestial Ascent which is great for a frontline fighter.
Aqua Corona is an amazing healing magic.
And now Elemental Orb allows me to act as a rearguard mage.
Cool.
Continuing to shoot water bullets at Ais, I try to control the bullets to not be as lethal.
This is only training, after all.
Although the connection with the magic is faint, it's still there, after all, it's this connection that I use to fire off my bullets.
Now, trying to control the bullets themselves is not working that well, perhaps the connection is the problem?
Think, Sirius.
For all my other magic, the key is thinking of magic as an extension of my body, even once it exits my body.
I can even control Aqua Corona with enough proficiency to spell out words with the water.
So manipulating the shape of bullets to be blunted should be easy.
Besides, unlike with Aqua Corona, where originally I lost control after the magic left my body, I have a starting point to work with.
But from what Magic Sense is telling me, or rather, what it's not telling me, the reason for the difficulty is due to how advanced Elemental Orb is.
Enough useless talk, or, thinking.
Whatever.
I wonder...
Concentrating with my eyes closed, I activate Celestial Ascent and create a thin string of stellar magic, connecting from my fingertip to the orb of water.
Upon contact, I instantly feel a pressure bear down on my mind as my indescribable sense of mind and magic becomes overwhelmed.
But it works.
This 'magic connection', as I'll call it, is nothing but a temporary crutch.
But for now, it works.
And hopefully, it will show me the path to increasing my mastery over Elemental Orb.
Opening my eyes, I send a barrage of multiple water bullets, well, now water balls at Ais, each blunted to only bruise and shot at varying speeds to keep her on her toes.
Ais' mouth opens in a rare moment of surprise at the change of pace, her sword whipping through the air to defend herself while her body twists and twirls to avoid any balls.
The barrage soon overwhelms her as she gets hit on her thigh, disrupting her flow, and causing her to get hit by two more balls on the chest and arm, sending her to the ground.
Stopping my attacks, I dispel both magics, noting that the mind left in the orb was basically nothing.
Stepping forward, I extend my hand to Ais who is drenched and wearing a frowning pout, her eyes scrunched to further emphasize her dissatisfaction.
"Don't be so sad. I nearly had nothing left to fire after that last one, so you nearly had me."
Taking my hand, she pulls herself up to her feet before shaking out the water gathered on her head.
"How did it suddenly get so much harder? And you were able to control the shape too."
"Figured out a little trick. Sorry for the sudden change in difficulty."
"No, it was better, it just surprised me is all."
She then turns away from me to grab the sword she had dropped.
Oh, so she's in denial, huh?
"I'd like to go again."
"Alright."
Chanting the magic again, the familiar sensation of water leaving my palm and condensing into an orb above my head.
There is a difference though, the connection... is stronger.
Or should I say 'wider'?
It's hard to explain.
Aiming a bullet at the ground, I command it to be blunt like before as a water ball splashes into the dirt, forming a small puddle.
Yeah, much better.
While not as strong as the stellar magic string I had used before, it was good enough that I could aim a bit more precisely, change the speed of the attack, and roughly control the shape of the water projectile.
Though I couldn't send out a barrage of attacks like before.
Well, at least now I have a clear path in progress, and with each projectile shot, I could feel the connection growing stronger, as minuscule as the improvement was, it was an improvement.
----- Eleanor POV -----
Looking over at my father who was peppering the half-spirit girl with water balls, I can only marvel at the potential of his new magic.
Elemental Orb, capable of using multiple elements, which on its own would make it a powerful magic, but it can even use the famed space element.
A magic of legends, on par with my own.
That's not even counting my father's insane ability to use multiple magics at once.
I can picture it now, ranged cover from Elemental Orb, constant healing capabilities from Aqua Corona, and a powerful enchantment from Celestial Ascent in tandem with his constantly growing sword skills.
A monster.
While I was happy there was someone like him capable of fighting the Black Dragon, it also fills me with fear.
The love that I thought no one but Meteria could provide and a family I've sworn to protect.
Given this blessing, I would not want to lose it, I would not want to lose my father.
Haa, it seems I've become a bit more selfish in this life.
"Hoo, hey girls! And Leo."
The cheerful voice of Ariel enters my ears, the other girls following behind her, including some girls from the Loki Familia.
I held no grudge toward them, in fact, I was somewhat grateful.
Our Familias were demolished, of course, we could not continue to be the protectors any longer.
And our banishment forced Meteria to leave the city that would soon be infested with violence and give birth to her son in a place of peace.
Although I was angered at their strength during the Great Feud, our gamble seemed to have paid off as the four girls visiting all have the potential to aid in the final great quest.
"Aww, are you watching your Papa, Ellie?"
Taking me into her arms, Haruhime then sits me on her lap.
Although it was embarrassing to be treated like a baby by someone as young as her, she had an inexplicable air of calm and warmth, different from my parents.
I believe my father called it 'older sister vibes'?
"Un."
Dammit, if only my vocal cords could grow stronger, I would not be held back by such a babyish vocabulary.
At least my behaviour was not considered odd, both because there had rarely ever been a child born between multiple first-class adventurers, and that my siblings showed a similarly advanced growth rate and maturity.
Speaking of that...
My siblings were definitely like me.
Though it was weird, from the confusion on their faces, I could tell Leo and Alea didn't know the language.
I wonder, where could they be from to not speak the common language?
Perhaps an isolated tribe?
Well, no matter, thanks to my parents reading and speaking to us every chance they got, the two should catch up in no time.
A smile comes to my face at the memories.
While the stories did not bring out a sense of wonder like for Alea, or curiosity like Leo, it still felt nice, to cuddle up to my family and bask in their loving warmth.
I was even able to enjoy the stories themselves, after all, growing up in a poor orphanage and then the Hera Familia, my sister and I never got to enjoy such tales, much less have it read to us.
I could understand now, if only slightly, why my sister decided to have a child with her condition, even if it was the spawn of that bastard.
"But wow, I never thought that Celestial Sword was this strong. To be able to take on Ais like that."
Looking over, I see that the two have shifted to a general spar, melding magic and swordplay as they clashed.
"My Sirius is quite amazing! And Lefiya, you can just call him by his name. He'd actually prefer it."
"Ah, ok, Ms. Alise."
"Just Alise is fine, I'm only 20. So? How was your guys' training?"
"It was great! Hey hey, do you think we could go to the dungeon together!?"
Urk.
While I respected the Amazonness' potential, did she have to be so damn loud?
"Hmm, well, you'd have to talk with your executives first. And even then, Lili is still level 1 while the rest are relatively new to the dungeon, so you couldn't go too deep."
"That's a-okay! We don't go too deep and they're all good enough to keep up! Plus, Finn asked us to take Lefiya to the dungeon more now that she's had Riveria teach her some stuff! The more the merrier!"
"Having two mages does change things, and Lili is good enough to keep everyone organized... Yeah, I'm fine with it, what about you four?"
Iris then responds.
"Well, you said we were joining you guys on your next expedition, this is a good way to get some experience in the lower levels."
Lili, Ariel, and Haruhime all nod in agreement.
Wait, but who would take care of us during the expedition?
I mean, Goddess Astraea is a good caretaker, but she's only one person.
And who would protect the house while they were gone?
"Hmm? What's with that face, Ellie? Did you need a diaper change?"
No Mother! I do not need a diaper change!
"Wait, if they're all going on your expedition, who's going to take care of your kids?"
Thank you, Lefiya!
"I'll be staying back. It was tough to keep enough bottles for all four of them so they would need Alise or me. And since Alise is the captain, the choice was obvious."
Oh, so Mother Ryuu will be taking care of us.
That's good.
While I do not get as annoyed at how loud my birth mother is compared to others, the calmness of the golden-haired Elf is always appreciated.
"I see... but won't it be tough with one of your three level 6's not joining you?"
"You still haven't seen the full power of Sirius, Lefiya. He could easily match any one of us."
"O-Oh."
"Speaking of, it seems that they're done."
"Hey, guys! Loki Familia, would you like to join us for lunch?"
"Sure! Thanks, Sirius!"
"No problem Tiona. My two lovely wives, would you two like to practice with your new weapons? I can take care of the kids."
"That would be a good idea, husband. After lunch of course."
Her cheeks dyed red, Mother Ryuu then picks up Leo and Alea before heading inside.
With every passing day, I start to understand how my father picked up both of my mothers.
He's a shameless flirt.
Well, that shamelessness brought me back into this world and gave me the loving family I never knew I needed so dearly, so I'll forgive him.
"Here Sirius!"
With Haruhime handing me over, I soon find myself in the secure hold of my father.
"Thanks, Haru. Did you like the show, Ellie? Man, your hair is really pretty, did you know that."
My eyes unintentionally close in delight as Father runs his hand soothingly through my hair, tucking the stray strands behind my ear.
Snuggling closer into my father's hold, I feel the calling of sleep as the muffled sound of his heartbeat lulls me into deeper relaxation.
To render me into this state so easily...
It seems Father is amazing in more ways than one.
