Stepping through the gates of the Twilight Manor, the Loki Familia home, I pick up on a divine presence racing in my direction.
Dodging out of the way, the redheaded Goddess jumps through the air.
"Welcome home~"
With multiple Loki Familia girls moving out of her path, she eventually lands on Lefiya before promptly... fondling... her boobs.
...
I-Is this how she shows her love for her children?
Groping them?
I... should thank Mother Astraea, for not being a deviant like Loki.
And I guess we'll need to work on some spatial awareness, Lefiya.
Wait... she didn't lay her hands on Mother Astraea like that, did she?
No, I doubt she would tolerate that.
A smack breaks me out of my thoughts as I look to see Loki massaging her cheek while Lefiya is covering her chest with tears in her eyes.
Umm...
"We're back, Loki." Finn says.
"Ah, good! How was it? Finally catching up to those old bats." Loki says with a close-eyed smirk.
"It was... cold. I'll give you the details later. For now, we should get to the courtyard and unload the carts."
Yes, due to the size and importance of the expedition, instead of crowding the guild with our giant group, they would be coming to us on their own, both to collect the drops and to have a meeting concerning the 'new' fully explored floors and the maps we made.
Keeping my senses sharp, I eventually feel five familiar presences making their way toward us.
"Papa!"
"You're back!"
With Stella and Alea running out of the door, I crouch down to receive them as they jump into my arms.
"Yep! All done and no one got hurt. So? How was your week over here? Did they treat you well?" I ask.
"Un! I got to swim around in their big bath!" Alea says with a smile.
"Good, good." I reply.
Maybe Loki wasn't that bad, I should thank her.
"Is that Alea!?"
"Wow. They're really growing up fast, aren't they?"
"Mmm. Cute."
"Uuu~ I wonder if this is how mine and captain's babies would look like."
Tiona, Lefiya, Ais, and Tione come up to greet the kids as Leo and Ellie go over to their mothers.
"Huh? What are some brats doing here-"
"Bete Loga."
Glancing behind me, I see that Kaguya has her hand resting on Bete's shoulder while the poor guy is slightly trembling.
"Is that how you greet such cute children?" Kaguya asks with a smile that doesn't quite meet her eyes.
"N-No ma'am." Bete crumbles under the pressure.
Ah.
So he felt the 'Kaguya aura'.
One I hadn't felt firsthand since my training.
My condolences, but don't talk about my kids like that.
'Big sis Kaguya' is a terrifying beast.
Seeing Loki walking over, with a red handprint still on her face, I send over the stream of Aqua Corona I had in wait to heal her.
"Thank you for watching over them, Loki. I hope they were good." I say.
"Ah, thanks for the healing! And they were fine. No problems whatsoever." Loki responds.
Mother Astraea then goes through the girls, hugging each of them, before coming to me.
"Welcome back, Sirius. Was it an eventful expedition?" She asks.
"Very! I was even able to slay Balor by myself!" I say with pride.
*Cough*Cough*
"Ellie! Are you okay?" Alise says with worry.
"F-Fine, Mama. Just a tickle in my throat."
Looking over in worry, I see Ellie looking at me with wide eyes.
"You okay, Ellie?" I ask.
"...I'm fine, Papa." Ellie says.
Weird.
Lyra then walks toward us.
"Hey girls, we can head back now, Finn said their Familia would call someone over when the guild comes." She says.
"Alright. Then let's head back home. I'll give everyone a status update before the celebration." Mother Astraea says.
----- 1 Hour Later -----
With the entire Familia holding absolute trust for one another, there was no need to have a private setting for our status updates, hence why we were all in the common room.
However, whenever one of the girls took off their shirt to expose their back, Alea quickly covered Leo's eyes while Ellie and Stella did the same for me.
Cute kids.
"Lift your shirt, Sirius."
Now being my turn, I place Ellie and Stella down and do as Mother Astraea asked.
The familiar heat spreads across my back before being amplified.
Good, Balor was enough to level up.
"Oh my-! Sirius, you really outdid yourself!"
Did I?
"Did my stats increase that much?" I ask.
"Indeed. And three development abilities levelled up too... Speaking of, you can choose between Magic Resistance, Chain Attack, Strong Body, and Supreme Blade." Mother Astraea says.
"Oh? So I levelled up?" I say.
"Yes. Congrats Sirius, you are now the fourth level 6 in the Familia."
Cheers break out among the girls while Alea and Stella give me small applause.
Thanks, kids.
"Sweet. Anyways, Supreme Blade sounds good. What does it do?" I ask.
"It's essentially the superior version of the Swordsman development ability. The 'supreme' variants are those that appear at level 6 and beyond, although it's exceedingly rare. And... done. Here's your status, Sirius. You also got a new skill."
Taking the page, I look down at my status, only to feel my breath get caught in my throat.
-======================================================-
Name: Sirius Lovion
Level: 5 --> 6
Strength: SSS1353 --> I0
Endurance: SS1152 --> I0
Dexterity: SSS1442 --> I0
Agility: SSS1428 --> I0
Magic: SSS1524 --> I0
Magic Sense: D
Abnormal Resistance: F --> E
Magic Swordsman: E --> D
Spirit Pleasure: G --> F
Supreme Blade: I
Skills:
Heroic Will
Strike of Hope
Stellar Sword Style
Magia Imperium
Concursus Pugnae - Increases stats and amplifies magic in close combat.
Magic:
Celestial Ascent
Aqua Corona
Elemental Orb
-======================================================-
"Holy shit!" I exclaim.
"Husband!"
"S-Sorry, Ryuu. But look!"
Giving me a glare, Ryuu then takes the page and reads it, her eyes sharpening in surprise a moment later.
"Mother of Alf... Sirius! Y-Your stats!"
"They're high, I know!" I say.
The other girls then crowd around my status page, all showing shocked expressions, especially those who hadn't seen my status before and were surprised by the skills.
"Ah! Your new skill! Concursus Pugnae, it's like mine!" Alise says with excitement.
She then wraps her arms around me, beaming at the fact we share a similar skill.
Seeing her so happy over something relatively simple, a smile unconsciously forms on my face.
"Alright, alright, that's enough. We still have the newbies to go over."
Heeding Lyra's words, the girls quiet down as Mother Astraea updates the newbie's status.
"Everyone besides Ariel levelled up." Mother Astraea says with a smile.
"Huh? Why~? Sirius, tell me why I didn't level up~"
Pulling off the pouting Ariel from my shoulder, I bestow upon her some knowledge.
"Probably because you were on the backline and never in danger. You also recently levelled up, so you had little to no high-quality excelia saved up." I say.
"But Lili was with me in the back!" She pouts further.
"And she's also a level 1 that helped take down a level 5 monster. Level boost or not, it's a feat worthy of a level-up. Anyways, all you girls did great, I'm very proud of you."
Giving them a smile, the three girls in question grow broad smiles of their own with red cheeks.
Feeling my arms getting pinched, I look down to see Ellie giving me a stern glare.
But before I can comment on her irritation, I'm interrupted by Mother Astraea.
"-and done."
Passing them their pages, each of the newly levelled girls scrutinize their pages before looking at each other's.
"Dammit. I'm the only one without a new skill." Iris says.
"Yeah, but Iris, you're also the highest level among us." Lili retorts.
"Hee~ I guess so." Iris says with a smirk.
"Don't act all smug now!"
Ignoring their banter, I peek over Haru's shoulder to see the three's statuses and their new skills.
-======================================================-
Name: Haruhime
Level: 2 --> 3
Strength: C621 --> I0
Endurance: D519 --> I0
Dexterity: B736 --> I0
Agility: B749 --> I0
Magic: S926 --> I0
Mage: G --> F
Abnormal Resistance: I
Skills:
Mikuzumenohou
Nintai - Improves mind regeneration and allows the user to stay conscious when out of mind.
Magic:
Uchide no Kozuchi
Kokonoe
Miko no Shukufuku
-======================================================-
Name: Iris Sylven
Level: 3 --> 4
Strength: C672 --> I0
Endurance: C617 --> I0
Dexterity: A821 --> I0
Agility: S962 --> I0
Magic: A884 --> I0
Swordsman: F --> E
Abnormal Resistance: G
Magic Resistance: I
Skills:
Sorosis Amorem
Accelero Ruptis
Magic:
Hunter's Ground
Aqua Imperium
-======================================================-
Name: Liliruca Arde
Level: 1 --> 2
Strength: G293 --> I0
Endurance: F306 --> I0
Dexterity: C634 --> I0
Agility: C626 --> I0
Magic: D560 --> I0
Abnormal Resistance: I
Skills:
Artel Assist
Command Call - Increases the area the user can convey orders depending on how loud they are shouting, the area of effect is determined by the size of the battle. Able to remotely relay orders to members of the same Familia, maximum distance is determined by level.
Magic:
Cinder Ella
-======================================================-
Thank god, they all have Abnormal Resistance now.
No more drowning our stores of antidotes in the Large Tree Labyrinth.
And Haru's new skill makes her immune to mind-downs if I'm understanding it right, which is perfect for her.
As since she can now cast Uchide no Kozuchi on four people at once, it'll drain her mind even faster, so her main weakness has just been nullified.
"Well! Even without the expedition, getting four new level-ups would be enough cause for celebration! Let's head over to the 'Hostess of Fertility' tonight!" Alise says with a smile.
Remembering the grey-haired friend of my two wives I look over to Ryuu.
"Have you two told Syr you're back?" I ask.
"No, but I'm sure she already heard the news." She responds.
"You three haven't hung out in a while, no? I'll pay off Mama Mia to let her sit down with us if you'd like." I say.
"Heh, not like Syr would be working very hard anyway. But thank you, husband."
"No problem. Does anyone have anything planned for today? It's only a little past noon, no?" I ask everyone else.
Alise then saunters over, picks up Stella and Ellie, and promptly sits on my lap before giving me an answer.
"Hmm... I think we're all pretty low on formal clothes, so how about a girls' day out? We can each get some new dresses, and with the reward the guild will be getting us, we can spend a good amount on it."
With the girls vocalizing their agreement, I look down, meeting Alise's emerald eyes.
"And? What about me?" I ask.
"Umm, bonding time with your cute children?" She says while averting her eyes.
You little!
"Haa. Yeah, I've missed them anyway. Plus I can tell them all about our adventure." I say.
"Yeah! Please, Papa!"
"Sure thing Alea. So when are you girls gonna leave?" I ask.
"Well, we can go right now. That way we can get some lunch on the way while the stands are still open." Ryuu says.
"Alright, girls! Let's go drop everything off in our rooms and meet back here in 10 minutes!"
At Alise's words, everyone makes their way to their respective rooms, even Ryuu and Mother Astraea, leaving me alone with my kids.
All four heads turning to me in anticipation, I can't help but grin at their synchronized cuteness.
"So... want to hear about Water City?" I ask.
""Yeah!""
----- Eleanor POV - 4 Hours Later -----
Laying down on the couch, I look over at my father, who was sitting on the ground in front of the sofa while Alea and Stella comb his hair.
"Seriously Papa! While it's clean, it has so many knots! You have to take care of such long hair, you know!"
"Sorry, Alea. I didn't know it bothered you so much. I was thinking of cutting it anyw-"
""No!"" Stella and Alea shout, cutting him off.
It seems like both of my sisters like Papa's long hair.
Well, while it certainly is handsome, it likely gets in the way during combat.
I would know, as the only reason I kept my long hair was due to Meteria's insistence, surrendering to the overwhelming love I felt for her.
"Alright, alright."
And my father seems to have followed the same path.
"Sirius~ My babies~ We're back!" Mama Alise shouts.
Looking over, I see that the Familia has returned from their shopping trip, with each girl holding a bag of what I assume to be new clothes.
Noisy.
But... it wasn't that bad.
The usual disgust I would feel toward such cheerful people seems to have been cleansed from my soul.
Could it be seeing them as family just like I had with Meteria?
The burdens of my incurable disease and an executive of the Hera Familia being lifted?
The loving environment I had now found myself born into?
Or perhaps the gratefulness I felt toward them for giving me everything in this new life and being able to share it with Stella.
Well, it matters not.
"Welcome back." I say.
"Uuu~ Ellie~ your sisters are pampering your Papa again. Give me a hug!"
My birth mother, Mama Alise, then scoops me into her arms, the comforting smell of a fireplace permeating my nose.
Mmm... warm...
Perhaps this is from her fire magic affinity?
"We're ready to go out now. We met up with Riveria on the way and she said the guild would be going over tomorrow. Ah! We also submitted everyone's level-ups!" Mama Alise says.
"Good. What'd you girls get for clothes?" Papa asks.
"It's a surprise~ Well, we're wearing them tonight, so not much of a surprise. But Ryuu got something very special." Mama Alise says with a teasing smirk.
Glancing over at my other Mama, I see the golden-haired Elf fidgeting with a slight blush.
"Y-You'll have to wait until tonight for that. And not around the children!"
...
Do they constantly have to be in heat?
I am not ready for another sibling just yet.
Well, they did just return from the dungeon on a long expedition and are likely to consume alcohol tonight...
Haa, I should prepare myself to fall asleep quickly, lest I overhear them once again and give myself more traumatic memories.
"I look forward to it. Anyways, I'll go get washed and changed and then we'll go?" Papa says.
"Sounds good!"
Damn.
Do we really have to return to that noisy pub?
Haa, well, at least Stella likes it there.
----- Sirius POV -----
"So you became level 6, huh? Well, if defeating Balor alone wasn't enough of a feat I would be worried for your future."
"Mmm... I'm just glad Haru's magic doesn't affect high-quality excelia gains."
Responding to Finn, I then take a drink of mead.
While I had no intention of getting shitfaced, like a certain redheaded Goddess, I was still going to enjoy a slight buzz for the celebration.
"But to finally start truly exploring the dungeon... It's exciting, is it not?" Finn says with a smile.
"Mmm... I can get stronger faster." Ais adds on.
That girl...
"Don't be in such a rush, lass!" Gareth says.
Currently sitting with the Loki Familia, indulging in the various platters of food Mama Mia had graced us with, I turn to look at the table behind me.
"Ho~? So you got a special present for Sirius~? How bold, Ryuu."
"S-Syr! I-It's embarrassing!"
Syr Flova.
A good friend of both of my wives, one of the few that are not in the Familia, and is a waitress at the Hostess of Fertility.
From what I learned of her, she was kind, compassionate, cheerful... and weird.
Weird for a few reasons.
Not only did my intuition hum whenever she was near, both my natural one telling me to be wary of her and the inexplicable one I can assume to be my 'future knowledge', I also noticed a few times she was under surveillance of some high-level adventurers.
Adventurers I eventually found out to be of the Freya Familia.
There's also her secretive nature in how Ryuu and Alise didn't even know where she lived or anything else that personal about her.
Yeah... weird.
But, she loves children, especially my kids.
She's helped out Alise in the past, and is a good friend to both her and Ryuu, so I'm not that worried.
"Oy! Sirius!"
Turning back to the table, I see that Bete is extremely red in the face.
Despite his brutish nature, he can't hold his alcohol for shit.
"Yes?" I ask.
"Think ur hot shit now, bein' a level 6, eh? I challenge you to a drinking... uh... challenge!"
What an eloquent guy.
Certainly has a way with words, doesn't he?
Well, I can always down a potion to relieve my drunkenness if I get too wasted.
Besides, I think it'd be funny if he got even more alcohol in him.
"You're on."
Stepping through the gates of the Twilight Manor, the Loki Familia home, I pick up on a divine presence racing in my direction.
Dodging out of the way, the redheaded Goddess jumps through the air.
"Welcome home~"
With multiple Loki Familia girls moving out of her path, she eventually lands on Lefiya before promptly... fondling... her boobs.
...
I-Is this how she shows her love for her children?
Groping them?
I... should thank Mother Astraea, for not being a deviant like Loki.
And I guess we'll need to work on some spatial awareness, Lefiya.
Wait... she didn't lay her hands on Mother Astraea like that, did she?
No, I doubt she would tolerate that.
A smack breaks me out of my thoughts as I look to see Loki massaging her cheek while Lefiya is covering her chest with tears in her eyes.
Umm...
"We're back, Loki." Finn says.
"Ah, good! How was it? Finally catching up to those old bats." Loki says with a close-eyed smirk.
"It was... cold. I'll give you the details later. For now, we should get to the courtyard and unload the carts."
Yes, due to the size and importance of the expedition, instead of crowding the guild with our giant group, they would be coming to us on their own, both to collect the drops and to have a meeting concerning the 'new' fully explored floors and the maps we made.
Keeping my senses sharp, I eventually feel five familiar presences making their way toward us.
"Papa!"
"You're back!"
With Stella and Alea running out of the door, I crouch down to receive them as they jump into my arms.
"Yep! All done and no one got hurt. So? How was your week over here? Did they treat you well?" I ask.
"Un! I got to swim around in their big bath!" Alea says with a smile.
"Good, good." I reply.
Maybe Loki wasn't that bad, I should thank her.
"Is that Alea!?"
"Wow. They're really growing up fast, aren't they?"
"Mmm. Cute."
"Uuu~ I wonder if this is how mine and captain's babies would look like."
Tiona, Lefiya, Ais, and Tione come up to greet the kids as Leo and Ellie go over to their mothers.
"Huh? What are some brats doing here-"
"Bete Loga."
Glancing behind me, I see that Kaguya has her hand resting on Bete's shoulder while the poor guy is slightly trembling.
"Is that how you greet such cute children?" Kaguya asks with a smile that doesn't quite meet her eyes.
"N-No ma'am." Bete crumbles under the pressure.
Ah.
So he felt the 'Kaguya aura'.
One I hadn't felt firsthand since my training.
My condolences, but don't talk about my kids like that.
'Big sis Kaguya' is a terrifying beast.
Seeing Loki walking over, with a red handprint still on her face, I send over the stream of Aqua Corona I had in wait to heal her.
"Thank you for watching over them, Loki. I hope they were good." I say.
"Ah, thanks for the healing! And they were fine. No problems whatsoever." Loki responds.
Mother Astraea then goes through the girls, hugging each of them, before coming to me.
"Welcome back, Sirius. Was it an eventful expedition?" She asks.
"Very! I was even able to slay Balor by myself!" I say with pride.
*Cough*Cough*
"Ellie! Are you okay?" Alise says with worry.
"F-Fine, Mama. Just a tickle in my throat."
Looking over in worry, I see Ellie looking at me with wide eyes.
"You okay, Ellie?" I ask.
"...I'm fine, Papa." Ellie says.
Weird.
Lyra then walks toward us.
"Hey girls, we can head back now, Finn said their Familia would call someone over when the guild comes." She says.
"Alright. Then let's head back home. I'll give everyone a status update before the celebration." Mother Astraea says.
----- 1 Hour Later -----
With the entire Familia holding absolute trust for one another, there was no need to have a private setting for our status updates, hence why we were all in the common room.
However, whenever one of the girls took off their shirt to expose their back, Alea quickly covered Leo's eyes while Ellie and Stella did the same for me.
Cute kids.
"Lift your shirt, Sirius."
Now being my turn, I place Ellie and Stella down and do as Mother Astraea asked.
The familiar heat spreads across my back before being amplified.
Good, Balor was enough to level up.
"Oh my-! Sirius, you really outdid yourself!"
Did I?
"Did my stats increase that much?" I ask.
"Indeed. And three development abilities levelled up too... Speaking of, you can choose between Magic Resistance, Chain Attack, Strong Body, and Supreme Blade." Mother Astraea says.
"Oh? So I levelled up?" I say.
"Yes. Congrats Sirius, you are now the fourth level 6 in the Familia."
Cheers break out among the girls while Alea and Stella give me small applause.
Thanks, kids.
"Sweet. Anyways, Supreme Blade sounds good. What does it do?" I ask.
"It's essentially the superior version of the Swordsman development ability. The 'supreme' variants are those that appear at level 6 and beyond, although it's exceedingly rare. And... done. Here's your status, Sirius. You also got a new skill."
Taking the page, I look down at my status, only to feel my breath get caught in my throat.
-======================================================-
Name: Sirius Lovion
Level: 5 --> 6
Strength: SSS1353 --> I0
Endurance: SS1152 --> I0
Dexterity: SSS1442 --> I0
Agility: SSS1428 --> I0
Magic: SSS1524 --> I0
Magic Sense: D
Abnormal Resistance: F --> E
Magic Swordsman: E --> D
Spirit Pleasure: G --> F
Supreme Blade: I
Skills:
Heroic Will
Strike of Hope
Stellar Sword Style
Magia Imperium
Concursus Pugnae - Increases stats and amplifies magic in close combat.
Magic:
Celestial Ascent
Aqua Corona
Elemental Orb
-======================================================-
"Holy shit!" I exclaim.
"Husband!"
"S-Sorry, Ryuu. But look!"
Giving me a glare, Ryuu then takes the page and reads it, her eyes sharpening in surprise a moment later.
"Mother of Alf... Sirius! Y-Your stats!"
"They're high, I know!" I say.
The other girls then crowd around my status page, all showing shocked expressions, especially those who hadn't seen my status before and were surprised by the skills.
"Ah! Your new skill! Concursus Pugnae, it's like mine!" Alise says with excitement.
She then wraps her arms around me, beaming at the fact we share a similar skill.
Seeing her so happy over something relatively simple, a smile unconsciously forms on my face.
"Alright, alright, that's enough. We still have the newbies to go over."
Heeding Lyra's words, the girls quiet down as Mother Astraea updates the newbie's status.
"Everyone besides Ariel levelled up." Mother Astraea says with a smile.
"Huh? Why~? Sirius, tell me why I didn't level up~"
Pulling off the pouting Ariel from my shoulder, I bestow upon her some knowledge.
"Probably because you were on the backline and never in danger. You also recently levelled up, so you had little to no high-quality excelia saved up." I say.
"But Lili was with me in the back!" She pouts further.
"And she's also a level 1 that helped take down a level 5 monster. Level boost or not, it's a feat worthy of a level-up. Anyways, all you girls did great, I'm very proud of you."
Giving them a smile, the three girls in question grow broad smiles of their own with red cheeks.
Feeling my arms getting pinched, I look down to see Ellie giving me a stern glare.
But before I can comment on her irritation, I'm interrupted by Mother Astraea.
"-and done."
Passing them their pages, each of the newly levelled girls scrutinize their pages before looking at each other's.
"Dammit. I'm the only one without a new skill." Iris says.
"Yeah, but Iris, you're also the highest level among us." Lili retorts.
"Hee~ I guess so." Iris says with a smirk.
"Don't act all smug now!"
Ignoring their banter, I peek over Haru's shoulder to see the three's statuses and their new skills.
-======================================================-
Name: Haruhime
Level: 2 --> 3
Strength: C621 --> I0
Endurance: D519 --> I0
Dexterity: B736 --> I0
Agility: B749 --> I0
Magic: S926 --> I0
Mage: G --> F
Abnormal Resistance: I
Skills:
Mikuzumenohou
Nintai - Improves mind regeneration and allows the user to stay conscious when out of mind.
Magic:
Uchide no Kozuchi
Kokonoe
Miko no Shukufuku
-======================================================-
Name: Iris Sylven
Level: 3 --> 4
Strength: C672 --> I0
Endurance: C617 --> I0
Dexterity: A821 --> I0
Agility: S962 --> I0
Magic: A884 --> I0
Swordsman: F --> E
Abnormal Resistance: G
Magic Resistance: I
Skills:
Sorosis Amorem
Accelero Ruptis
Magic:
Hunter's Ground
Aqua Imperium
-======================================================-
Name: Liliruca Arde
Level: 1 --> 2
Strength: G293 --> I0
Endurance: F306 --> I0
Dexterity: C634 --> I0
Agility: C626 --> I0
Magic: D560 --> I0
Abnormal Resistance: I
Skills:
Artel Assist
Command Call - Increases the area the user can convey orders depending on how loud they are shouting, the area of effect is determined by the size of the battle. Able to remotely relay orders to members of the same Familia, maximum distance is determined by level.
Magic:
Cinder Ella
-======================================================-
Thank god, they all have Abnormal Resistance now.
No more drowning our stores of antidotes in the Large Tree Labyrinth.
And Haru's new skill makes her immune to mind-downs if I'm understanding it right, which is perfect for her.
As since she can now cast Uchide no Kozuchi on four people at once, it'll drain her mind even faster, so her main weakness has just been nullified.
"Well! Even without the expedition, getting four new level-ups would be enough cause for celebration! Let's head over to the 'Hostess of Fertility' tonight!" Alise says with a smile.
Remembering the grey-haired friend of my two wives I look over to Ryuu.
"Have you two told Syr you're back?" I ask.
"No, but I'm sure she already heard the news." She responds.
"You three haven't hung out in a while, no? I'll pay off Mama Mia to let her sit down with us if you'd like." I say.
"Heh, not like Syr would be working very hard anyway. But thank you, husband."
"No problem. Does anyone have anything planned for today? It's only a little past noon, no?" I ask everyone else.
Alise then saunters over, picks up Stella and Ellie, and promptly sits on my lap before giving me an answer.
"Hmm... I think we're all pretty low on formal clothes, so how about a girls' day out? We can each get some new dresses, and with the reward the guild will be getting us, we can spend a good amount on it."
With the girls vocalizing their agreement, I look down, meeting Alise's emerald eyes.
"And? What about me?" I ask.
"Umm, bonding time with your cute children?" She says while averting her eyes.
You little!
"Haa. Yeah, I've missed them anyway. Plus I can tell them all about our adventure." I say.
"Yeah! Please, Papa!"
"Sure thing Alea. So when are you girls gonna leave?" I ask.
"Well, we can go right now. That way we can get some lunch on the way while the stands are still open." Ryuu says.
"Alright, girls! Let's go drop everything off in our rooms and meet back here in 10 minutes!"
At Alise's words, everyone makes their way to their respective rooms, even Ryuu and Mother Astraea, leaving me alone with my kids.
All four heads turning to me in anticipation, I can't help but grin at their synchronized cuteness.
"So... want to hear about Water City?" I ask.
""Yeah!""
----- Eleanor POV - 4 Hours Later -----
Laying down on the couch, I look over at my father, who was sitting on the ground in front of the sofa while Alea and Stella comb his hair.
"Seriously Papa! While it's clean, it has so many knots! You have to take care of such long hair, you know!"
"Sorry, Alea. I didn't know it bothered you so much. I was thinking of cutting it anyw-"
""No!"" Stella and Alea shout, cutting him off.
It seems like both of my sisters like Papa's long hair.
Well, while it certainly is handsome, it likely gets in the way during combat.
I would know, as the only reason I kept my long hair was due to Meteria's insistence, surrendering to the overwhelming love I felt for her.
"Alright, alright."
And my father seems to have followed the same path.
"Sirius~ My babies~ We're back!" Mama Alise shouts.
Looking over, I see that the Familia has returned from their shopping trip, with each girl holding a bag of what I assume to be new clothes.
Noisy.
But... it wasn't that bad.
The usual disgust I would feel toward such cheerful people seems to have been cleansed from my soul.
Could it be seeing them as family just like I had with Meteria?
The burdens of my incurable disease and an executive of the Hera Familia being lifted?
The loving environment I had now found myself born into?
Or perhaps the gratefulness I felt toward them for giving me everything in this new life and being able to share it with Stella.
Well, it matters not.
"Welcome back." I say.
"Uuu~ Ellie~ your sisters are pampering your Papa again. Give me a hug!"
My birth mother, Mama Alise, then scoops me into her arms, the comforting smell of a fireplace permeating my nose.
Mmm... warm...
Perhaps this is from her fire magic affinity?
"We're ready to go out now. We met up with Riveria on the way and she said the guild would be going over tomorrow. Ah! We also submitted everyone's level-ups!" Mama Alise says.
"Good. What'd you girls get for clothes?" Papa asks.
"It's a surprise~ Well, we're wearing them tonight, so not much of a surprise. But Ryuu got something very special." Mama Alise says with a teasing smirk.
Glancing over at my other Mama, I see the golden-haired Elf fidgeting with a slight blush.
"Y-You'll have to wait until tonight for that. And not around the children!"
...
Do they constantly have to be in heat?
I am not ready for another sibling just yet.
Well, they did just return from the dungeon on a long expedition and are likely to consume alcohol tonight...
Haa, I should prepare myself to fall asleep quickly, lest I overhear them once again and give myself more traumatic memories.
"I look forward to it. Anyways, I'll go get washed and changed and then we'll go?" Papa says.
"Sounds good!"
Damn.
Do we really have to return to that noisy pub?
Haa, well, at least Stella likes it there.
----- Sirius POV -----
"So you became level 6, huh? Well, if defeating Balor alone wasn't enough of a feat I would be worried for your future."
"Mmm... I'm just glad Haru's magic doesn't affect high-quality excelia gains."
Responding to Finn, I then take a drink of mead.
While I had no intention of getting shitfaced, like a certain redheaded Goddess, I was still going to enjoy a slight buzz for the celebration.
"But to finally start truly exploring the dungeon... It's exciting, is it not?" Finn says with a smile.
"Mmm... I can get stronger faster." Ais adds on.
That girl...
"Don't be in such a rush, lass!" Gareth says.
Currently sitting with the Loki Familia, indulging in the various platters of food Mama Mia had graced us with, I turn to look at the table behind me.
"Ho~? So you got a special present for Sirius~? How bold, Ryuu."
"S-Syr! I-It's embarrassing!"
Syr Flova.
A good friend of both of my wives, one of the few that are not in the Familia, and is a waitress at the Hostess of Fertility.
From what I learned of her, she was kind, compassionate, cheerful... and weird.
Weird for a few reasons.
Not only did my intuition hum whenever she was near, both my natural one telling me to be wary of her and the inexplicable one I can assume to be my 'future knowledge', I also noticed a few times she was under surveillance of some high-level adventurers.
Adventurers I eventually found out to be of the Freya Familia.
There's also her secretive nature in how Ryuu and Alise didn't even know where she lived or anything else that personal about her.
Yeah... weird.
But, she loves children, especially my kids.
She's helped out Alise in the past, and is a good friend to both her and Ryuu, so I'm not that worried.
"Oy! Sirius!"
Turning back to the table, I see that Bete is extremely red in the face.
Despite his brutish nature, he can't hold his alcohol for shit.
"Yes?" I ask.
"Think ur hot shit now, bein' a level 6, eh? I challenge you to a drinking... uh... challenge!"
What an eloquent guy.
Certainly has a way with words, doesn't he?
Well, I can always down a potion to relieve my drunkenness if I get too wasted.
Besides, I think it'd be funny if he got even more alcohol in him.
"You're on."
