After a night of 'punishment', I was sitting in the common room with the rest of the Familia.
While I say 'punishment', I also experienced quite a bit of pleasure myself from the night.
Especially when they both bent over, letting me go back and forth-
"Husband, wipe that perverted smile off your face. We have a guest."
Ah, yeah, Familia meeting.
Serious time.
"Ahem. Yes, well, I guess I should begin."
The 'guest', of course, was Fels.
"I should start with the aftermath of your attack on Knossos. With the recovered Xenos being kept by the Ganesha Familia, I will be taking them group by group into the dungeon and to the hidden villages, with the help of the Hermes Familia."
That seems logical-
Wait, what?
"The Hermes Familia was in on it?"
"Well, not quite. It seems that they got wind of our operation and asked to take part in it. They have worked with Ouranos multiple times, so they can be trusted."
Uhh, okay then.
I guess with the entire city shaken, our activities couldn't be called very stealthy.
"They've also been tasked with retrieving any Xenos sold to other nations."
Lyra then speaks up.
"That's good and all, but what's in it for them?"
"They've been hiding their actual levels and accomplishments, so the guild will not pursue that in exchange for their aid. They also hope to deal with the Xenos in using their hidden villages as a base."
That makes sense.
With their secretive nature, having a secret safe zone in the middle of various dungeon areas would be amazing.
Wait, don't we have that privilege too?
Sweet. Though we probably won't use it except for emergencies to not reveal the existence of the Xenos.
The world isn't quite ready for them just yet.
"And what about the Xenos that are still lost in the dungeon? Or those that will be born soon?"
"Ah, that. Thanks to your help, some members of the Xenos have increased their strength to a degree where they no longer require your protection. Of course, I ask that you guide any Xenos you see on your explorations toward the hidden villages, but for now, you can consider the quest complete."
He ends his words by standing up with his arms spread wide.
...
Quite the eccentric, isn't he?
"Ahem. Apologies. While we didn't discuss a payment, we would not issue a quest of this importance without a proper reward. Here-"
He then tosses a key over to Alise.
"Safe 13 in the Gnome's Rental Safe in the Eastern District. You'll find your reward there."
"I see, thank you, Fels."
"No, I- we should be thanking you. To take on this quest without a promised reward, and to complete it so well... the guild will not forget this debt. Well, I bid you all a good day."
Bowing his head, he then disappears in a wisp of smoke.
How the hell does he even do that?
Well, no matter.
"I guess that's all over. So? Who wants to go check on what we got?"
I say as Alise hands me the key.
"Oh me! Me!"
"I'll join too."
"Haa... might as well make sure you two don't do anything crazy."
So Ariel, Haru, and Lili then?
"You say that Lili, but I could see your eyes sparkle when he mentioned reward."
"S-Shut up! I'm just curious."
"Of course, of course."
While I still loved to tease Lili, I hadn't spent as much time with her as I would have liked to.
But I'm glad her trauma of growing up in a bad home seems to have faded away even without my intervention.
I guess I have her teammates to thank for that, they all act like sisters now.
Well, except for Ariel and Haru.
I don't think sisters are supposed to date.
But they're close, and they all love each other, so that's all that matters.
"Well, I got three. Anyone else?"
Alea and Stella then jump up from their mother's grasp.
"Papa, can I come!?"
"Me too!"
They sure are energetic in the morning.
"Are you sure, you two? I was going to take you four to get some clothes..."
Ryuu gently states.
"It's fine, I can take them."
"Are you sure?"
"It's fine, all the girls are the same size. Besides, I was going to get Alea a wooden sword soon anyways."
"Yes!"
Yeah, for the past two months, Alea has been swinging around a wooden stick, pretending it's a sword.
While she fell, a lot, she was getting better and better, and I could see her enthusiasm for sword arts from whenever she watched me practice.
Although she was only, what, seven months old?
Well, with their weird growth rate thing, they were all 14 months old, biologically speaking.
I wonder if their mental age is doubled too?
Actually, from how mature they are, I wouldn't be surprised if it grew even faster than double.
Well, whatever.
"Umm, Papa... can you get me one too?"
Oh yeah, Leo wanted me to teach him, didn't he?
That'll have to wait, but I know he has a fascination with swords.
As expected of my son, it's a man's romance after all.
"Of course, did you want a sword like me and Mama Ryuu, or one like Mama Alise?"
"Uhh, Mama Alise. Please."
"Of course."
I ruffle his hair as he averts his eyes from Alise, who's giving him a wide smile.
So, western style sword for him.
"Um, Papa, I want-"
"It's alright, Alea. You can pick what you want once you get there."
Now, where was the best place to go for a child's wooden weapons?
A toy shop? Woodworkers? Weapons smith?
Well, I guess we'll have our own adventure around Orario.
"Okay girls, let's go!"
Picking up Stella in my right arm and Alea in my left, I lead the way toward the Eastern District.
----- 10 Minutes Later -----
"T-T-This..."
"I-Insane."
"Hehehe."
Disregarding, the three, I look over the collection of goods, our reward for the Xenos quest.
Gold, precious stones, jewelry, elixirs...
There were even three grimoires!
Hell, now we could give a few of our members magic, or we could just sell them for valis.
Either way, it was quite a good reward, worth hundreds of millions of valis.
"Well, let's pack this up. And I'll need to keep a good lookout for any thieves now."
"S-Sure. Do you know who'll get the grimoires?"
"No clue. I'll let Lyra sort that out, the most 'fair' thing to do is sell them, but the most important thing is making sure everyone stays alive. Meaning boosting someone's strength would be the best use of them. But that's not for me to decide."
Hmm, maybe we can do a lottery for all the items?
I can see a few rare powders that Lyra would want for herself, so everyone can get something from this.
Not like we're hurting for money.
With us and the Ganesha Familia being designated as 'protectors', both for our sworn duty to protect the city and our past exploits in doing so, we hardly pay any tax to the guild.
And it'd be cool to see a grimoire in action.
"Whoa!"
"Pretty!"
Well, at least the girls are happy with the jewelry.
I guess I can take that as my portion of the reward if it comes to it.
"Now, let's get you and Leo's sword!"
"Yipee!"
What a cheerful girl.
Walking through the city, I can see that its usual liveliness is laced with worry.
It makes sense, there was what felt like a giant earthquake, and then a god returned to Tenkai.
Something that had only been seen back during the Great Feud, except for Rudra's demise of course.
I wonder what the guild's excuse is gonna be.
On the way here, we visited a toy shop, which ended up being a dud.
While it had wooden swords, they were all of horrible quality.
I only want the best for my kids.
Apparently, where we got our training swords should be a small shop, a woodworking shop specializing in weapons, mostly staffs and bows.
I can only hope they have some child-size ones.
Coming across the shop, I soon enter, the jingling of a bell entering my ears.
Huh, it's so... humble.
At least compared to other weapon shops that have display cases and all that stuff.
This place feels much more... homey.
"Ah! Celestial Sword! An honour to have you! Does the Astraea Familia need more practice weapons?"
A Cat Person man rises from behind the counter, a wide smile on his face.
"Well, something like that. I was wondering if you had any practice swords for my Alea here."
Looking over to the girls in my arms, his eyes widen slightly in surprise.
"So the rumours about you having children were true... I guess they're following their parents' footsteps quite early! As for the practice weapons... I should have some. It's meant for young Pallum adventurers, so it might be a little big, but they should soon grow into it."
Yes! Thank god for Pallums!
"Great, could you show me what you have?"
"Sure thing. Give me a sec."
Going into a back room, I see that Ariel is looking over at a crossbow.
Hmm...
"Did you want to get it?"
"Huh? Ah, no, maybe, it's just, I've been thinking... if we ever encounter a monster that can stop magic, I don't want to be completely useless."
Taking it off the shelf, I can see it's made with good quality.
Really good quality, actually.
And the Familia could use another archer aside from Noin...
"I'll ask him about it when he comes back, alright?"
Soon enough, the shop owner returns, holding a bundle of swords of various styles.
"These are all of them, pick whatever you like, they're all the same price."
Setting down my daughters, I pick up one of the swords, a sabre style.
Even though it doesn't fit my hand, I take a small swing, causing a grin to form on my face.
Good, really good.
"Alright Alea, try them all out and pick which one you like best."
Now, Leo wanted one like Crimson Justice, and I can see a few that fit the bill.
Picking up one that has a plain longsword style, I take a few slow swings, testing the balance.
Yeah, this is a good one.
"I'll take this, and Alea? Did you find one?"
Looking at my daughter, she's staring intently at the swords in each of her hands, the tip drooping from her lack of strength.
A tachi style and a sabre style.
Guess she likes one-sided swords like her Papa and Mama.
"Papa... I can't choose."
Hmm, well, I guess she might be a dual wielder like Ryuu, who am I to halt her progress?
No, I am not spoiling her.
"Then we can just get both. In case it breaks or if your sisters want to try. You can even try to use both at once like Mama Ryuu."
"Really!? Thanks, Papa!"
"So those three, is there anything else?"
"Yeah, I was wondering about that crossbow over there."
Nodding my head toward the crossbow Ariel had wanted, I see the shop owner rub his chin.
I... probably should've asked for his name.
"Hmm, that things my best work. My magnum opus. I have strong feelings toward that one, so I wouldn't let it go to any run-of-the-mill adventurer. But since it's Astraea, I think I can entrust it to you. Just don't let it gather any dust, you hear me!?"
He says while staring at Ariel.
"A-Ah! Of course Sir! I'll take good care of it!"
"Good. While I'm not one for fancy names like those smiths, that one holds a special place in my heart. It's called Ballista Prima."
"Well, we'll take that too."
"Alright, the total's gonna be 5 million for that beauty alone, I'll throw in the swords for free."
"Sure thing."
Passing over five bags of valis, one we got from the safe, he takes it without even looking over the contents.
I sometimes forget how much the civilians trust us.
"Come visit for any maintenance on that thing and for any arrows. While it can fire any normal arrows, it's made specifically for mine."
"A-Alright. Thank you."
"Eh, don't mention it. I got quite a bit of valis, plus, that thing should be used for its purpose. See ya later!"
"Bye, cat man!"
Alea...
Leaving the shop, we start our way back home as Ariel fawns over her new weapon.
"U-Umm, thank you, Sirius. I'll be sure to pay you back!"
"Don't mention it. We're family, right? Besides, I've been going to the dungeon a bunch from the Xenos quest, so I have quite a bit saved up."
In fact, I don't even know how much I have.
Only keeping it saved in the guild bank and a chest at home.
"Are you sure? Thanks!"
Giving her blue hair a light pat, we continue down the street, Stella held in my arms while Alea looks over her new swords with glee.
----- Eleanor POV -----
Having returned from our shopping trip, where I was used by Mama Alise as a mannequin, I asked Mama Ryuu to tell me about their recent mission while she combed my hair.
"So there was another dungeon?"
"Yes, and it was, or is, nearly indestructible. The big earthquake last night was one of the floors collapsing, though we don't know why."
Wow.
To think there was something like that, hiding right under our noses.
And from what Mama Ryuu told me, it was deep enough to reach the middle floors.
And that's not even considering these 'Xenos'.
Hmm... the times are changing.
But I have confidence that my family and my Familia can lead the new era.
"Wait, Mama. How did you get through the door? Wasn't it super hard?"
Calling Adamantine 'super hard' is an insult, but I wouldn't want to scare Mama Ryuu with my complete vocabulary.
It should be indestructible to anyone below level 6, and even with a level 6, it would need multiple attacks to break through.
From what I had overheard, it was taken care of by one attack.
"Tsk. Your father did something both stupid and amazing, using a new attack to destroy it in one shot."
Huh.
Papa... cool.
I look up to see Mama Ryuu's face relax into a gentle smile, her cheeks growing a rosy tint.
"But it's not all bad. His recklessness gave me and Alise leverage to make your father do 'that' all night."
...
Gross.
I want to leave.
And from Leo's deadpan stare, he's thinking the same thing.
Are my parents crazy perverts?
Did they not notice that their noise from last night passed through the walls, partially traumatizing me and Stella?
Well, Leo and Alea begged for some practice swords, right?
Maybe I could ask for some earmuffs or something-
"Oh? It seems they're back."
"Mama! Look what I got!"
Alea catapults toward us, showing off her two new swords.
"Wow. You got two, huh? Did you thank your father?"
"Yeah, she did. Besides, she was a good girl on the way there. Anyway, Leo, here's yours."
"Thanks, Papa."
Taking the sword, Leo looks over the wooden blade with thinly veiled excitement.
"Luckily, the guy made good practice swords for Pallums, so it wasn't too hard to find them."
"That's good. And? The reward?"
"Ah, we'll probably have a meeting about it later. I already dropped it off with Lyra. They gave us three grimoires, isn't that crazy?"
I nearly choke on my spit.
Three grimoires?
I guess the guild's economy is still thriving, huh?
"Papa, what's a 'grimoire'?"
Oh right, I hadn't taught them yet.
Seeing how rare it is, it simply slipped my mind.
"Well, you see, Alea. Usually, people either get magic when they get their falna or when they level up. But what grimoires do, is they give people a magic by reading it. Although Ryuu and I can't use it since we have all three of our magic slots filled."
An extremely simplistic explanation, Papa, but I suppose it will suffice.
"Whoa! So I can get magic!?"
Sister, grimoires are hundreds of millions of valis, one cannot simply-
"Of course! But we have to wait until you get your falna. I'll be saving up early."
...
Right.
I forgot.
My father spoils us quite a bit.
"Was there anything else in the safe?"
"Yeah, drop items, valis, jewelry, gold, and all that jazz. I don't know how Lyra's gonna handle it, but I was thinking of a lottery or something, for everyone in the Familia."
"Hmm, maybe. Or perhaps the grimoire should go to who would use it best. Someone who already uses magic in combat but doesn't have their slots filled."
"Well, for that the candidates would be Alise, Haru, Iris, Maryuu, Ryana, and Ariel, right?"
"Yes, but with Ariel being ready to level up, we should hold off to see if she fills her last slot."
"Hmm... well, I guess we'll talk about it during the meeting."
Papa then crouches down to my level and pats my head.
"So~ How was your shopping trip, Ellie?"
It was horrible.
"It was okay."
"Good~ So? What did you want to do today?"
"Umm... play with Stella."
"Yeah, you sure do love your twin, don't you?"
Of course, I do.
"But, did you want a present like Leo and Alea?"
Hmm, thinking back on my past life, I hadn't had any hobbies.
Always being ready to protect Meteria, or delving into the dungeon to pay for medicine, I never had the time.
Maybe reading, if that counted, but that was for information gathering rather than pleasure.
But after seeing Mama Alise... I couldn't help but want to try.
"U-Umm, could I... maybe... try painting?"
"Oh~?"
Uuu, wipe that smug grin off your face this instant Papa!
"Sure, let's go get some supplies ok? My little artist~"
Turning my head away from his teasing words, my eyes meet my sister's, whose lips are curved upwards in amusement.
Gah! Stella! Stop looking at me like that!
After a night of 'punishment', I was sitting in the common room with the rest of the Familia.
While I say 'punishment', I also experienced quite a bit of pleasure myself from the night.
Especially when they both bent over, letting me go back and forth-
"Husband, wipe that perverted smile off your face. We have a guest."
Ah, yeah, Familia meeting.
Serious time.
"Ahem. Yes, well, I guess I should begin."
The 'guest', of course, was Fels.
"I should start with the aftermath of your attack on Knossos. With the recovered Xenos being kept by the Ganesha Familia, I will be taking them group by group into the dungeon and to the hidden villages, with the help of the Hermes Familia."
That seems logical-
Wait, what?
"The Hermes Familia was in on it?"
"Well, not quite. It seems that they got wind of our operation and asked to take part in it. They have worked with Ouranos multiple times, so they can be trusted."
Uhh, okay then.
I guess with the entire city shaken, our activities couldn't be called very stealthy.
"They've also been tasked with retrieving any Xenos sold to other nations."
Lyra then speaks up.
"That's good and all, but what's in it for them?"
"They've been hiding their actual levels and accomplishments, so the guild will not pursue that in exchange for their aid. They also hope to deal with the Xenos in using their hidden villages as a base."
That makes sense.
With their secretive nature, having a secret safe zone in the middle of various dungeon areas would be amazing.
Wait, don't we have that privilege too?
Sweet. Though we probably won't use it except for emergencies to not reveal the existence of the Xenos.
The world isn't quite ready for them just yet.
"And what about the Xenos that are still lost in the dungeon? Or those that will be born soon?"
"Ah, that. Thanks to your help, some members of the Xenos have increased their strength to a degree where they no longer require your protection. Of course, I ask that you guide any Xenos you see on your explorations toward the hidden villages, but for now, you can consider the quest complete."
He ends his words by standing up with his arms spread wide.
...
Quite the eccentric, isn't he?
"Ahem. Apologies. While we didn't discuss a payment, we would not issue a quest of this importance without a proper reward. Here-"
He then tosses a key over to Alise.
"Safe 13 in the Gnome's Rental Safe in the Eastern District. You'll find your reward there."
"I see, thank you, Fels."
"No, I- we should be thanking you. To take on this quest without a promised reward, and to complete it so well... the guild will not forget this debt. Well, I bid you all a good day."
Bowing his head, he then disappears in a wisp of smoke.
How the hell does he even do that?
Well, no matter.
"I guess that's all over. So? Who wants to go check on what we got?"
I say as Alise hands me the key.
"Oh me! Me!"
"I'll join too."
"Haa... might as well make sure you two don't do anything crazy."
So Ariel, Haru, and Lili then?
"You say that Lili, but I could see your eyes sparkle when he mentioned reward."
"S-Shut up! I'm just curious."
"Of course, of course."
While I still loved to tease Lili, I hadn't spent as much time with her as I would have liked to.
But I'm glad her trauma of growing up in a bad home seems to have faded away even without my intervention.
I guess I have her teammates to thank for that, they all act like sisters now.
Well, except for Ariel and Haru.
I don't think sisters are supposed to date.
But they're close, and they all love each other, so that's all that matters.
"Well, I got three. Anyone else?"
Alea and Stella then jump up from their mother's grasp.
"Papa, can I come!?"
"Me too!"
They sure are energetic in the morning.
"Are you sure, you two? I was going to take you four to get some clothes..."
Ryuu gently states.
"It's fine, I can take them."
"Are you sure?"
"It's fine, all the girls are the same size. Besides, I was going to get Alea a wooden sword soon anyways."
"Yes!"
Yeah, for the past two months, Alea has been swinging around a wooden stick, pretending it's a sword.
While she fell, a lot, she was getting better and better, and I could see her enthusiasm for sword arts from whenever she watched me practice.
Although she was only, what, seven months old?
Well, with their weird growth rate thing, they were all 14 months old, biologically speaking.
I wonder if their mental age is doubled too?
Actually, from how mature they are, I wouldn't be surprised if it grew even faster than double.
Well, whatever.
"Umm, Papa... can you get me one too?"
Oh yeah, Leo wanted me to teach him, didn't he?
That'll have to wait, but I know he has a fascination with swords.
As expected of my son, it's a man's romance after all.
"Of course, did you want a sword like me and Mama Ryuu, or one like Mama Alise?"
"Uhh, Mama Alise. Please."
"Of course."
I ruffle his hair as he averts his eyes from Alise, who's giving him a wide smile.
So, western style sword for him.
"Um, Papa, I want-"
"It's alright, Alea. You can pick what you want once you get there."
Now, where was the best place to go for a child's wooden weapons?
A toy shop? Woodworkers? Weapons smith?
Well, I guess we'll have our own adventure around Orario.
"Okay girls, let's go!"
Picking up Stella in my right arm and Alea in my left, I lead the way toward the Eastern District.
----- 10 Minutes Later -----
"T-T-This..."
"I-Insane."
"Hehehe."
Disregarding, the three, I look over the collection of goods, our reward for the Xenos quest.
Gold, precious stones, jewelry, elixirs...
There were even three grimoires!
Hell, now we could give a few of our members magic, or we could just sell them for valis.
Either way, it was quite a good reward, worth hundreds of millions of valis.
"Well, let's pack this up. And I'll need to keep a good lookout for any thieves now."
"S-Sure. Do you know who'll get the grimoires?"
"No clue. I'll let Lyra sort that out, the most 'fair' thing to do is sell them, but the most important thing is making sure everyone stays alive. Meaning boosting someone's strength would be the best use of them. But that's not for me to decide."
Hmm, maybe we can do a lottery for all the items?
I can see a few rare powders that Lyra would want for herself, so everyone can get something from this.
Not like we're hurting for money.
With us and the Ganesha Familia being designated as 'protectors', both for our sworn duty to protect the city and our past exploits in doing so, we hardly pay any tax to the guild.
And it'd be cool to see a grimoire in action.
"Whoa!"
"Pretty!"
Well, at least the girls are happy with the jewelry.
I guess I can take that as my portion of the reward if it comes to it.
"Now, let's get you and Leo's sword!"
"Yipee!"
What a cheerful girl.
Walking through the city, I can see that its usual liveliness is laced with worry.
It makes sense, there was what felt like a giant earthquake, and then a god returned to Tenkai.
Something that had only been seen back during the Great Feud, except for Rudra's demise of course.
I wonder what the guild's excuse is gonna be.
On the way here, we visited a toy shop, which ended up being a dud.
While it had wooden swords, they were all of horrible quality.
I only want the best for my kids.
Apparently, where we got our training swords should be a small shop, a woodworking shop specializing in weapons, mostly staffs and bows.
I can only hope they have some child-size ones.
Coming across the shop, I soon enter, the jingling of a bell entering my ears.
Huh, it's so... humble.
At least compared to other weapon shops that have display cases and all that stuff.
This place feels much more... homey.
"Ah! Celestial Sword! An honour to have you! Does the Astraea Familia need more practice weapons?"
A Cat Person man rises from behind the counter, a wide smile on his face.
"Well, something like that. I was wondering if you had any practice swords for my Alea here."
Looking over to the girls in my arms, his eyes widen slightly in surprise.
"So the rumours about you having children were true... I guess they're following their parents' footsteps quite early! As for the practice weapons... I should have some. It's meant for young Pallum adventurers, so it might be a little big, but they should soon grow into it."
Yes! Thank god for Pallums!
"Great, could you show me what you have?"
"Sure thing. Give me a sec."
Going into a back room, I see that Ariel is looking over at a crossbow.
Hmm...
"Did you want to get it?"
"Huh? Ah, no, maybe, it's just, I've been thinking... if we ever encounter a monster that can stop magic, I don't want to be completely useless."
Taking it off the shelf, I can see it's made with good quality.
Really good quality, actually.
And the Familia could use another archer aside from Noin...
"I'll ask him about it when he comes back, alright?"
Soon enough, the shop owner returns, holding a bundle of swords of various styles.
"These are all of them, pick whatever you like, they're all the same price."
Setting down my daughters, I pick up one of the swords, a sabre style.
Even though it doesn't fit my hand, I take a small swing, causing a grin to form on my face.
Good, really good.
"Alright Alea, try them all out and pick which one you like best."
Now, Leo wanted one like Crimson Justice, and I can see a few that fit the bill.
Picking up one that has a plain longsword style, I take a few slow swings, testing the balance.
Yeah, this is a good one.
"I'll take this, and Alea? Did you find one?"
Looking at my daughter, she's staring intently at the swords in each of her hands, the tip drooping from her lack of strength.
A tachi style and a sabre style.
Guess she likes one-sided swords like her Papa and Mama.
"Papa... I can't choose."
Hmm, well, I guess she might be a dual wielder like Ryuu, who am I to halt her progress?
No, I am not spoiling her.
"Then we can just get both. In case it breaks or if your sisters want to try. You can even try to use both at once like Mama Ryuu."
"Really!? Thanks, Papa!"
"So those three, is there anything else?"
"Yeah, I was wondering about that crossbow over there."
Nodding my head toward the crossbow Ariel had wanted, I see the shop owner rub his chin.
I... probably should've asked for his name.
"Hmm, that things my best work. My magnum opus. I have strong feelings toward that one, so I wouldn't let it go to any run-of-the-mill adventurer. But since it's Astraea, I think I can entrust it to you. Just don't let it gather any dust, you hear me!?"
He says while staring at Ariel.
"A-Ah! Of course Sir! I'll take good care of it!"
"Good. While I'm not one for fancy names like those smiths, that one holds a special place in my heart. It's called Ballista Prima."
"Well, we'll take that too."
"Alright, the total's gonna be 5 million for that beauty alone, I'll throw in the swords for free."
"Sure thing."
Passing over five bags of valis, one we got from the safe, he takes it without even looking over the contents.
I sometimes forget how much the civilians trust us.
"Come visit for any maintenance on that thing and for any arrows. While it can fire any normal arrows, it's made specifically for mine."
"A-Alright. Thank you."
"Eh, don't mention it. I got quite a bit of valis, plus, that thing should be used for its purpose. See ya later!"
"Bye, cat man!"
Alea...
Leaving the shop, we start our way back home as Ariel fawns over her new weapon.
"U-Umm, thank you, Sirius. I'll be sure to pay you back!"
"Don't mention it. We're family, right? Besides, I've been going to the dungeon a bunch from the Xenos quest, so I have quite a bit saved up."
In fact, I don't even know how much I have.
Only keeping it saved in the guild bank and a chest at home.
"Are you sure? Thanks!"
Giving her blue hair a light pat, we continue down the street, Stella held in my arms while Alea looks over her new swords with glee.
----- Eleanor POV -----
Having returned from our shopping trip, where I was used by Mama Alise as a mannequin, I asked Mama Ryuu to tell me about their recent mission while she combed my hair.
"So there was another dungeon?"
"Yes, and it was, or is, nearly indestructible. The big earthquake last night was one of the floors collapsing, though we don't know why."
Wow.
To think there was something like that, hiding right under our noses.
And from what Mama Ryuu told me, it was deep enough to reach the middle floors.
And that's not even considering these 'Xenos'.
Hmm... the times are changing.
But I have confidence that my family and my Familia can lead the new era.
"Wait, Mama. How did you get through the door? Wasn't it super hard?"
Calling Adamantine 'super hard' is an insult, but I wouldn't want to scare Mama Ryuu with my complete vocabulary.
It should be indestructible to anyone below level 6, and even with a level 6, it would need multiple attacks to break through.
From what I had overheard, it was taken care of by one attack.
"Tsk. Your father did something both stupid and amazing, using a new attack to destroy it in one shot."
Huh.
Papa... cool.
I look up to see Mama Ryuu's face relax into a gentle smile, her cheeks growing a rosy tint.
"But it's not all bad. His recklessness gave me and Alise leverage to make your father do 'that' all night."
...
Gross.
I want to leave.
And from Leo's deadpan stare, he's thinking the same thing.
Are my parents crazy perverts?
Did they not notice that their noise from last night passed through the walls, partially traumatizing me and Stella?
Well, Leo and Alea begged for some practice swords, right?
Maybe I could ask for some earmuffs or something-
"Oh? It seems they're back."
"Mama! Look what I got!"
Alea catapults toward us, showing off her two new swords.
"Wow. You got two, huh? Did you thank your father?"
"Yeah, she did. Besides, she was a good girl on the way there. Anyway, Leo, here's yours."
"Thanks, Papa."
Taking the sword, Leo looks over the wooden blade with thinly veiled excitement.
"Luckily, the guy made good practice swords for Pallums, so it wasn't too hard to find them."
"That's good. And? The reward?"
"Ah, we'll probably have a meeting about it later. I already dropped it off with Lyra. They gave us three grimoires, isn't that crazy?"
I nearly choke on my spit.
Three grimoires?
I guess the guild's economy is still thriving, huh?
"Papa, what's a 'grimoire'?"
Oh right, I hadn't taught them yet.
Seeing how rare it is, it simply slipped my mind.
"Well, you see, Alea. Usually, people either get magic when they get their falna or when they level up. But what grimoires do, is they give people a magic by reading it. Although Ryuu and I can't use it since we have all three of our magic slots filled."
An extremely simplistic explanation, Papa, but I suppose it will suffice.
"Whoa! So I can get magic!?"
Sister, grimoires are hundreds of millions of valis, one cannot simply-
"Of course! But we have to wait until you get your falna. I'll be saving up early."
...
Right.
I forgot.
My father spoils us quite a bit.
"Was there anything else in the safe?"
"Yeah, drop items, valis, jewelry, gold, and all that jazz. I don't know how Lyra's gonna handle it, but I was thinking of a lottery or something, for everyone in the Familia."
"Hmm, maybe. Or perhaps the grimoire should go to who would use it best. Someone who already uses magic in combat but doesn't have their slots filled."
"Well, for that the candidates would be Alise, Haru, Iris, Maryuu, Ryana, and Ariel, right?"
"Yes, but with Ariel being ready to level up, we should hold off to see if she fills her last slot."
"Hmm... well, I guess we'll talk about it during the meeting."
Papa then crouches down to my level and pats my head.
"So~ How was your shopping trip, Ellie?"
It was horrible.
"It was okay."
"Good~ So? What did you want to do today?"
"Umm... play with Stella."
"Yeah, you sure do love your twin, don't you?"
Of course, I do.
"But, did you want a present like Leo and Alea?"
Hmm, thinking back on my past life, I hadn't had any hobbies.
Always being ready to protect Meteria, or delving into the dungeon to pay for medicine, I never had the time.
Maybe reading, if that counted, but that was for information gathering rather than pleasure.
But after seeing Mama Alise... I couldn't help but want to try.
"U-Umm, could I... maybe... try painting?"
"Oh~?"
Uuu, wipe that smug grin off your face this instant Papa!
"Sure, let's go get some supplies ok? My little artist~"
Turning my head away from his teasing words, my eyes meet my sister's, whose lips are curved upwards in amusement.
Gah! Stella! Stop looking at me like that!
