"So, teacher, what are we here for again?" Lefiya asks.
Looking over at the Elf, I can't help but think about how far she's come in these past two months of training in the dungeon.
The way she walks, now with confidence and purpose rather than fear and confusion...
She's done really well.
And with some training, both from me and Ais, she was now able to somewhat wield a sword.
However, she still needed a lot of practice, and doing it while chanting is still a bit much.
While Ais had come a long way in controlling her strength, she still made some mistakes while training with the brunette Elf, sometimes striking a bit too hard and sending Lefiya into the land of dreams.
Well, it wasn't all too bad for Lefiya as I had told Ais to apologize each time by giving her a lap pillow, leading to Lefiya waking up completely flustered.
I'm broken out of my thoughts as Lefiya's cheeks start to gain some colour.
"T-Teacher?"
Whoops, I was staring for a while, must have made her uncomfortable.
"Ah, sorry. I was just thinking of how far you've come." I say with a smile.
"Hwa!? Ah, um... thank you, teacher. It's all thanks to you!"
Haa, for some reason, whenever we're in the dungeon, she only calls me 'teacher', despite my insistence to use my name.
"While I did guide you, you've grown due to your own efforts. Be proud."
Returning my gaze forward, I suddenly feel a slight pain at my side.
"R-Ryuu! Why are you pinching me, sweetie?" I ask.
Did I do something wrong?
Looking into my eyes with a slight glare, Ryuu then shakes her head in exasperation.
"Haa, nothing, husband. It seems that you've become an idiot."
How rude!
Before I could comment further, I feel a couple of presences enter my range of perception.
"Two monsters up ahead. Ais and Lefiya, each of you take one." I command.
"Okay."
Both of them stepping forward, the monsters in question come into view.
A pair of Thunder Snakes.
Perfect.
Exactly what I was looking for.
We were currently taking a small trip down to the 52nd floor of the dungeon, both to get a medicinal plant from a certain grotto for a quest and to get some Thunder Snake fangs for Haru's birthday.
...That would be happening in a week.
I hope the Goibniu don't mind doing expedited orders.
Anyway, here, with the flat, rocky, square-shaped corridors, there was not a light to go around, only the odd glowstone serving as a lamp.
Which was why I had my fire element orb floating above.
But it didn't simply idly levitate overhead, after all, while Ais and Lefiya were taking care of the monsters for training while Ryuu watched over them, I needed to get some training done of my own.
This was why small birds of fire were slowly flying in the air with strings of blue fire floating around us, both for increased light and more importantly, for practicing my control.
My control of Elemental Orb has gotten, using Ryuu and Lefiya's words, 'quite ridiculous'.
I was now able to use the elements like an extension of my own body, creating shapes, attacks... whatever I wanted really.
Though I still had some trouble with the lightning and space elements.
Both of them were simply too volatile.
Lightning wasn't bad, I mean, I had the same absolute control that I have with water, fire, and wind, but the lightning simply didn't stay, well, 'alive', for long enough to do much with it.
But I was able to fire off supercharged lightning bolts, so that was cool.
As for space, well...
It was hard.
Really, really hard.
I was still only able to do the 'spin' technique.
Forming space 'balls' of antimatter, and combining those of opposite spin to create a pseudo-'Hollow Purple' of a certain anime character-
...Wait.
Beautiful women... white hair... stunning blue eyes... pupils... space element... laid back confidence... teaching...
Was I just a lesser Gojo Satoru!?
No, no, no!
I'm not!
I have kids, I'm responsible, and I'm really good at the sword!
Not to mention having two knock-out wives!
Yeah, definitely not a knock-off Gojo.
"Husband, there's a horde approaching."
Returning my focus ahead, I pick up on the tens, no, that's nearly a hundred monsters heading our way.
Luckily, Ais and Lefiya had finished taking out the monsters they were assigned to.
"Ais, Lefiya, sweetie. Stand back."
Raising their eyebrows, they follow my order and step behind me as I unsheathe Infinite Eclipse.
I am not a knock-off Gojo, dammit.
The horde of Thunder Snakes, Venom Scorpions, and Silver Worms comes into view, the bodies piling over each other as they race down the corridor.
My training with Take had been worthwhile.
Extremely worthwhile.
While I found it quite annoying how he kept calling me a 'hero' and 'sword saint' after I used the ambient magic power in a sword swing, I was happy to have finally done so.
The answer, which was quite a cliche, was attaining the 'perfect swing'.
A swing that even the divine martial art god couldn't find any faults in.
Now, the problem with that, is that not every swing can be perfect.
Well... it can... but not for me, at least not right now.
I could only do this with my overhead swing, though I had been practicing how to manipulate the swing with Take.
And even then, I needed a controlled environment to do so.
The perfect stance, perfect focus, perfect lead-up, perfect timing...
It's unusable in the middle of combat due to the chaos of a battle, at least in its current state.
But here?
With my enemies coming my way?
Well... it's about time I reveal my prowess to the world.
Or, at least, three people.
While I had excitedly told my wives about my progress, they had yet to see it in use, and I had yet to see it used for killing anything...
So let's do something cool.
Raising my sword overhead while engulfing my body in stellar magic, just as the monsters come into range, I go through the familiar motions.
Stance, firm and balanced.
Breath, even and deep.
And finally, swinging down while using all the energy in my body for absolute power.
Not power in brute strength, or even speed.
The power in the pinnacle of technique.
Feeling the ambient magic power suck into my blade like a vacuum, a smile unconsciously forms on my face.
Okay, maybe the title of 'Sword Saint' isn't too bad.
My blade reaches the end of my swing as a torrent of energy flows forth, dealing thousands of cuts against the approaching monsters as if a mesh grid had just appeared.
In less than a second, the cries of monsters and thumping footfalls cut off, only leaving a giant cloud of dust and blood.
Absolute silence.
Turning back, I see all three are in a state of absolute shock, but one expression, in particular, intrigues me.
"F-Father..." Ais says in a shocked whisper.
That face... past the surface surprise, I can see recognition in the eyes of the Sword Princess.
But 'Father', huh?
In the four months since telling me about her goal to kill the One-Eyed Black Dragon, she had yet to further explain about her parents, not that I was going to force her.
But from what I can only assume, it seems her Father was quite the swordsman.
Perhaps that's how she attained her sword skills since Riveria, Finn, and Gareth were not exactly amazing swordsmen.
Either through her genetics, watching her Father with the sword, or a little bit of both.
Well, it's none of my business.
"So? How was that?" I ask with a cocky smile.
"H-Husband... Is that what you've learned with Lord Takemikazuchi!?" Ryuu asks.
"Well, yeah. It still needs some work though. At this point, I can't even move while doing it, plus I need some time to prepare. Almost like a mage." I say.
"Still, that's amazing. To do that with such a simple swing..." She responds.
Yep, it was pretty cool.
I wonder how Leo and Alea would react to that?
They love it when I show them cool sword tricks after all.
At this point, both of them somehow had the basics of swordplay down, with Alea being extremely talented at footwork while Leo was great with the blade itself, or rather, dulled blade.
My kids were very talented indeed.
Looking back at the pile of magic stones and monster drops, I take off my backpack with a sigh.
"Well, let's collect everything and head back, alright?"
----- 1 Week Later -----
"Thanks for making it so fast." I say to the man.
"Mah, it was fine. Upgrading doesn't take nearly as long as making a new one. And with you giving us some of those new materials, you got the smith's blood boiling."
Handing over the valis to the Goibniu Familia representative, I looked over the sheathed katana that I had gotten upgraded for Haru's birthday.
"Well, pleasure doing business with you." I say.
"You as well." The man responds.
A quick and efficient trade, just as expected of the Goibniu Familia.
Closing the door, I unsheathe Suiran, the blade sparking lightly under the light.
With the added Thunder Snake fangs, not only had it upgraded into a first-class weapon, or at least close to it, but it also added the effect of improving mind regeneration for the wielder.
Perfect for Haru.
While most of the celebration for her 15th birthday had already happened, everyone was still milling about in the dining room.
Very lucky timing.
Returning it to its sheath, I make my way toward the commotion my Familia was making.
"Hey, Haru."
Her ears perk up at my call as she immediately sets her sights on her sword.
Yeah, while I wanted to keep it a surprise, taking away her sword for a week probably gave her a vague idea for her gift.
"Here's Suiran, I got it upgraded." I say lightly.
Getting out of Ariel's hold, she patters over with her tail wagging behind her.
Taking the sword, she slowly unsheathes it to reveal the blade before taking a few swings, eyes widening at the increase in quality.
"T-This... it's amazing! Thank you, Sirius!"
She then engulfs me in a hug, her tail gently wrapping around both of us.
How cute.
Patting her ears, I explain what the Goibniu Familia had done with her sword, her ears twitching at the mention of 'first-class weapon' and 'mind regeneration'.
Mmm. I think it was a good purchase.
Suddenly, I feel a slight tug at my pants.
Looking down, I see both Stella and Ellie looking up at me with lazy eyes.
"Huam~ Papa... sleepy~" Stella voices for them both.
Hehehe, so cute.
"Of course, let's get you two to bed."
Detaching Haru from my waist, I bend down and pick up both of my daughters, their now chest-length hair draping across my shoulders.
"Sirius~ me too~ carry me to bed~"
...and I guess my drunk redheaded wife would be joining us.
----- 1 Week Later -----
Leaning back onto the lap of my beautiful Elven wife, I look over my most recent status sheet, the one I had gotten just last night.
-======================================================-
Name: Sirius Lovion
Level: 6
Strength: F376
Endurance: F325
Dexterity: E487
Agility: F389
Magic: E437
Magic Sense: D
Abnormal Resistance: E
Magic Swordsman: D
Spirit Pleasure: E
Supreme Blade: F
Skills:
Heroic Will
Strike of Hope
Stellar Sword Style
Magia Imperium
Concursus Pugnae
Magic:
Celestial Ascent
Aqua Corona
Elemental Orb
-======================================================-
Damn, I was slowing down.
Makes sense as I had been focusing on honing my technique, both with the blade and magic, rather than hunting monsters for excelia.
Still, it was a little disheartening.
I mean, I have a growth skill for god's sake!
"Is something the matter, husband?" Ryuu asks.
Moving my gaze toward the two sky-blue eyes overhead, a gentle smile forms on my face.
"Nothing, sweetie. Just a little bummed about my stat progress."
Her eyebrow twitches.
"You became a level 6 five months ago, husband. If you said that to anyone else they would think you were making fun of them." She says.
"Haa. I suppose."
Falling back into a comfortable silence as Ryuu combs her fingers through my hair, I look down at Alea and Stella who are sleeping against my side.
"They're almost two now. How time flies." I say offhandedly.
"Indeed. But I think we have it worse than others since they look to be nearing four." Ryuu responds while looking at them with her motherly smile.
"Speaking of the kids... where's Leo and Ellie?" I ask.
"Last I saw, Leo was practicing with his sword, and as for Ellie... I think she went with Alise to the store."
"Heh, probably to ask for more paint supplies."
"Mmm... our Ellie is quite the artist."
Indeed she is.
While we could always buy enough art supplies to last her a lifetime, we always only get the bare minimum just so she has to ask us for more.
After all, it's very cute how embarrassed she gets.
Hearing a knock on the door, it soon opens to reveal Alise with a slight frown.
"What's wrong, Alise?" I ask.
"I don't know... the guild has called a meeting of the top four Familias." Alise responds.
Both Ryuu and I raise our eyebrows at this.
The top four Familias, at least in terms of power, were us, Ganesha, Freya, and Loki.
The most defining trait of the four Familias is that we each have multiple first-class adventurers, and as such, we were to be called for any important matter that require such strength.
But to call all four of us...
It's either something really big or something that requires some coordination.
"How many can go?" Ryuu asks.
"They've asked for the Gods and five members to attend." Alise says.
At least I can hear first-hand what's going on as I am the fifth in 'command' regarding meetings like this at least.
Getting up from my wife's comfortable lap, I move both of my daughters to lie against the pillow before stretching.
"Well, let's see what all the fuss is about."
----- 20 Minutes Later -----
"Good, you're all here. Thank you for coming."
With the Freya Familia entering the meeting room, Rose, the guild's representative for this meeting, then closes the door behind them.
"It must be quite a problem for all four of us to be gathered like this. Though, it's not like I mind."
Freya says before sending me a small wink.
Huh?
W-What did she mean by doing that?
Know what?
I'll just ignore it.
Yes, she's probably just thanking me for our dance, that's all.
"Dragon Valley."
The gathered eyes sharpen at Rose's words, but none can be compared to Ais.
Well, it makes sense.
That's the place where the One-Eyed Black Dragon was last spotted and where the Hera and Zeus Familias made their last stand.
The place where her revenge lies.
"Monsters, mostly dragons, have been leaving Dragon Valley and wreaking havoc on the surrounding lands for as long as we can remember. But it's gotten worse. Much worse. The closest branch of the guild has asked for our assistance along with the School District."
Oh.
That's... not great.
"As it would be quite a journey, the guild will not force anyone to take on the quest. But if any Familia were to be able to help, it would be you four."
Hmm...
Wait.
Isn't this the perfect opportunity to see the world?
"Yeah... I don't think we can do that. Sorry, Ais. We are one of the two leading Familias, we can't just up and leave."
Loki says that, and there is some truth to it, but I know it's because she doesn't want to lose her position as one of the two leading Familias of Orario out of greed rather than worry about instability.
After all, our Familia is likely stronger than theirs at the moment.
"We will decline for the same reasons. We can't have the city's only level 7 leaving for such a long time."
A similar excuse, but she's not wrong in that the strongest in Orario next to me, the King Ottar, should stay in the city.
"I am Ganesha! We... are the protectors of the city. We man the gates, patrol the streets, capture the criminals... we cannot leave with these duties. I am Ganesha."
Uhh... yeah.
You are indeed Ganesha.
But he's right.
Their Familia is the only one with an actual reason to not leave.
Turning to my side, I see that Alise's face is alight in exhilaration.
Yes... she's wanted a quest like this.
Especially after our rooftop talk after I became level 6.
Suddenly, the calm voice of Mother Astraea cuts through the air.
"Ganesha, as he said, can deal with the protection of the city. In fact, ever since the remnants of Evilus were destroyed four years ago, there was little need for us to patrol anymore. And our justice does not only extend to this city."
She then looks at her gathered children, all of us giving her strong nods and wide smiles.
"We accept this quest."
And so, the Astraea Familia would be going to Dragon Valley.
"So, teacher, what are we here for again?" Lefiya asks.
Looking over at the Elf, I can't help but think about how far she's come in these past two months of training in the dungeon.
The way she walks, now with confidence and purpose rather than fear and confusion...
She's done really well.
And with some training, both from me and Ais, she was now able to somewhat wield a sword.
However, she still needed a lot of practice, and doing it while chanting is still a bit much.
While Ais had come a long way in controlling her strength, she still made some mistakes while training with the brunette Elf, sometimes striking a bit too hard and sending Lefiya into the land of dreams.
Well, it wasn't all too bad for Lefiya as I had told Ais to apologize each time by giving her a lap pillow, leading to Lefiya waking up completely flustered.
I'm broken out of my thoughts as Lefiya's cheeks start to gain some colour.
"T-Teacher?"
Whoops, I was staring for a while, must have made her uncomfortable.
"Ah, sorry. I was just thinking of how far you've come." I say with a smile.
"Hwa!? Ah, um... thank you, teacher. It's all thanks to you!"
Haa, for some reason, whenever we're in the dungeon, she only calls me 'teacher', despite my insistence to use my name.
"While I did guide you, you've grown due to your own efforts. Be proud."
Returning my gaze forward, I suddenly feel a slight pain at my side.
"R-Ryuu! Why are you pinching me, sweetie?" I ask.
Did I do something wrong?
Looking into my eyes with a slight glare, Ryuu then shakes her head in exasperation.
"Haa, nothing, husband. It seems that you've become an idiot."
How rude!
Before I could comment further, I feel a couple of presences enter my range of perception.
"Two monsters up ahead. Ais and Lefiya, each of you take one." I command.
"Okay."
Both of them stepping forward, the monsters in question come into view.
A pair of Thunder Snakes.
Perfect.
Exactly what I was looking for.
We were currently taking a small trip down to the 52nd floor of the dungeon, both to get a medicinal plant from a certain grotto for a quest and to get some Thunder Snake fangs for Haru's birthday.
...That would be happening in a week.
I hope the Goibniu don't mind doing expedited orders.
Anyway, here, with the flat, rocky, square-shaped corridors, there was not a light to go around, only the odd glowstone serving as a lamp.
Which was why I had my fire element orb floating above.
But it didn't simply idly levitate overhead, after all, while Ais and Lefiya were taking care of the monsters for training while Ryuu watched over them, I needed to get some training done of my own.
This was why small birds of fire were slowly flying in the air with strings of blue fire floating around us, both for increased light and more importantly, for practicing my control.
My control of Elemental Orb has gotten, using Ryuu and Lefiya's words, 'quite ridiculous'.
I was now able to use the elements like an extension of my own body, creating shapes, attacks... whatever I wanted really.
Though I still had some trouble with the lightning and space elements.
Both of them were simply too volatile.
Lightning wasn't bad, I mean, I had the same absolute control that I have with water, fire, and wind, but the lightning simply didn't stay, well, 'alive', for long enough to do much with it.
But I was able to fire off supercharged lightning bolts, so that was cool.
As for space, well...
It was hard.
Really, really hard.
I was still only able to do the 'spin' technique.
Forming space 'balls' of antimatter, and combining those of opposite spin to create a pseudo-'Hollow Purple' of a certain anime character-
...Wait.
Beautiful women... white hair... stunning blue eyes... pupils... space element... laid back confidence... teaching...
Was I just a lesser Gojo Satoru!?
No, no, no!
I'm not!
I have kids, I'm responsible, and I'm really good at the sword!
Not to mention having two knock-out wives!
Yeah, definitely not a knock-off Gojo.
"Husband, there's a horde approaching."
Returning my focus ahead, I pick up on the tens, no, that's nearly a hundred monsters heading our way.
Luckily, Ais and Lefiya had finished taking out the monsters they were assigned to.
"Ais, Lefiya, sweetie. Stand back."
Raising their eyebrows, they follow my order and step behind me as I unsheathe Infinite Eclipse.
I am not a knock-off Gojo, dammit.
The horde of Thunder Snakes, Venom Scorpions, and Silver Worms comes into view, the bodies piling over each other as they race down the corridor.
My training with Take had been worthwhile.
Extremely worthwhile.
While I found it quite annoying how he kept calling me a 'hero' and 'sword saint' after I used the ambient magic power in a sword swing, I was happy to have finally done so.
The answer, which was quite a cliche, was attaining the 'perfect swing'.
A swing that even the divine martial art god couldn't find any faults in.
Now, the problem with that, is that not every swing can be perfect.
Well... it can... but not for me, at least not right now.
I could only do this with my overhead swing, though I had been practicing how to manipulate the swing with Take.
And even then, I needed a controlled environment to do so.
The perfect stance, perfect focus, perfect lead-up, perfect timing...
It's unusable in the middle of combat due to the chaos of a battle, at least in its current state.
But here?
With my enemies coming my way?
Well... it's about time I reveal my prowess to the world.
Or, at least, three people.
While I had excitedly told my wives about my progress, they had yet to see it in use, and I had yet to see it used for killing anything...
So let's do something cool.
Raising my sword overhead while engulfing my body in stellar magic, just as the monsters come into range, I go through the familiar motions.
Stance, firm and balanced.
Breath, even and deep.
And finally, swinging down while using all the energy in my body for absolute power.
Not power in brute strength, or even speed.
The power in the pinnacle of technique.
Feeling the ambient magic power suck into my blade like a vacuum, a smile unconsciously forms on my face.
Okay, maybe the title of 'Sword Saint' isn't too bad.
My blade reaches the end of my swing as a torrent of energy flows forth, dealing thousands of cuts against the approaching monsters as if a mesh grid had just appeared.
In less than a second, the cries of monsters and thumping footfalls cut off, only leaving a giant cloud of dust and blood.
Absolute silence.
Turning back, I see all three are in a state of absolute shock, but one expression, in particular, intrigues me.
"F-Father..." Ais says in a shocked whisper.
That face... past the surface surprise, I can see recognition in the eyes of the Sword Princess.
But 'Father', huh?
In the four months since telling me about her goal to kill the One-Eyed Black Dragon, she had yet to further explain about her parents, not that I was going to force her.
But from what I can only assume, it seems her Father was quite the swordsman.
Perhaps that's how she attained her sword skills since Riveria, Finn, and Gareth were not exactly amazing swordsmen.
Either through her genetics, watching her Father with the sword, or a little bit of both.
Well, it's none of my business.
"So? How was that?" I ask with a cocky smile.
"H-Husband... Is that what you've learned with Lord Takemikazuchi!?" Ryuu asks.
"Well, yeah. It still needs some work though. At this point, I can't even move while doing it, plus I need some time to prepare. Almost like a mage." I say.
"Still, that's amazing. To do that with such a simple swing..." She responds.
Yep, it was pretty cool.
I wonder how Leo and Alea would react to that?
They love it when I show them cool sword tricks after all.
At this point, both of them somehow had the basics of swordplay down, with Alea being extremely talented at footwork while Leo was great with the blade itself, or rather, dulled blade.
My kids were very talented indeed.
Looking back at the pile of magic stones and monster drops, I take off my backpack with a sigh.
"Well, let's collect everything and head back, alright?"
----- 1 Week Later -----
"Thanks for making it so fast." I say to the man.
"Mah, it was fine. Upgrading doesn't take nearly as long as making a new one. And with you giving us some of those new materials, you got the smith's blood boiling."
Handing over the valis to the Goibniu Familia representative, I looked over the sheathed katana that I had gotten upgraded for Haru's birthday.
"Well, pleasure doing business with you." I say.
"You as well." The man responds.
A quick and efficient trade, just as expected of the Goibniu Familia.
Closing the door, I unsheathe Suiran, the blade sparking lightly under the light.
With the added Thunder Snake fangs, not only had it upgraded into a first-class weapon, or at least close to it, but it also added the effect of improving mind regeneration for the wielder.
Perfect for Haru.
While most of the celebration for her 15th birthday had already happened, everyone was still milling about in the dining room.
Very lucky timing.
Returning it to its sheath, I make my way toward the commotion my Familia was making.
"Hey, Haru."
Her ears perk up at my call as she immediately sets her sights on her sword.
Yeah, while I wanted to keep it a surprise, taking away her sword for a week probably gave her a vague idea for her gift.
"Here's Suiran, I got it upgraded." I say lightly.
Getting out of Ariel's hold, she patters over with her tail wagging behind her.
Taking the sword, she slowly unsheathes it to reveal the blade before taking a few swings, eyes widening at the increase in quality.
"T-This... it's amazing! Thank you, Sirius!"
She then engulfs me in a hug, her tail gently wrapping around both of us.
How cute.
Patting her ears, I explain what the Goibniu Familia had done with her sword, her ears twitching at the mention of 'first-class weapon' and 'mind regeneration'.
Mmm. I think it was a good purchase.
Suddenly, I feel a slight tug at my pants.
Looking down, I see both Stella and Ellie looking up at me with lazy eyes.
"Huam~ Papa... sleepy~" Stella voices for them both.
Hehehe, so cute.
"Of course, let's get you two to bed."
Detaching Haru from my waist, I bend down and pick up both of my daughters, their now chest-length hair draping across my shoulders.
"Sirius~ me too~ carry me to bed~"
...and I guess my drunk redheaded wife would be joining us.
----- 1 Week Later -----
Leaning back onto the lap of my beautiful Elven wife, I look over my most recent status sheet, the one I had gotten just last night.
-======================================================-
Name: Sirius Lovion
Level: 6
Strength: F376
Endurance: F325
Dexterity: E487
Agility: F389
Magic: E437
Magic Sense: D
Abnormal Resistance: E
Magic Swordsman: D
Spirit Pleasure: E
Supreme Blade: F
Skills:
Heroic Will
Strike of Hope
Stellar Sword Style
Magia Imperium
Concursus Pugnae
Magic:
Celestial Ascent
Aqua Corona
Elemental Orb
-======================================================-
Damn, I was slowing down.
Makes sense as I had been focusing on honing my technique, both with the blade and magic, rather than hunting monsters for excelia.
Still, it was a little disheartening.
I mean, I have a growth skill for god's sake!
"Is something the matter, husband?" Ryuu asks.
Moving my gaze toward the two sky-blue eyes overhead, a gentle smile forms on my face.
"Nothing, sweetie. Just a little bummed about my stat progress."
Her eyebrow twitches.
"You became a level 6 five months ago, husband. If you said that to anyone else they would think you were making fun of them." She says.
"Haa. I suppose."
Falling back into a comfortable silence as Ryuu combs her fingers through my hair, I look down at Alea and Stella who are sleeping against my side.
"They're almost two now. How time flies." I say offhandedly.
"Indeed. But I think we have it worse than others since they look to be nearing four." Ryuu responds while looking at them with her motherly smile.
"Speaking of the kids... where's Leo and Ellie?" I ask.
"Last I saw, Leo was practicing with his sword, and as for Ellie... I think she went with Alise to the store."
"Heh, probably to ask for more paint supplies."
"Mmm... our Ellie is quite the artist."
Indeed she is.
While we could always buy enough art supplies to last her a lifetime, we always only get the bare minimum just so she has to ask us for more.
After all, it's very cute how embarrassed she gets.
Hearing a knock on the door, it soon opens to reveal Alise with a slight frown.
"What's wrong, Alise?" I ask.
"I don't know... the guild has called a meeting of the top four Familias." Alise responds.
Both Ryuu and I raise our eyebrows at this.
The top four Familias, at least in terms of power, were us, Ganesha, Freya, and Loki.
The most defining trait of the four Familias is that we each have multiple first-class adventurers, and as such, we were to be called for any important matter that require such strength.
But to call all four of us...
It's either something really big or something that requires some coordination.
"How many can go?" Ryuu asks.
"They've asked for the Gods and five members to attend." Alise says.
At least I can hear first-hand what's going on as I am the fifth in 'command' regarding meetings like this at least.
Getting up from my wife's comfortable lap, I move both of my daughters to lie against the pillow before stretching.
"Well, let's see what all the fuss is about."
----- 20 Minutes Later -----
"Good, you're all here. Thank you for coming."
With the Freya Familia entering the meeting room, Rose, the guild's representative for this meeting, then closes the door behind them.
"It must be quite a problem for all four of us to be gathered like this. Though, it's not like I mind."
Freya says before sending me a small wink.
Huh?
W-What did she mean by doing that?
Know what?
I'll just ignore it.
Yes, she's probably just thanking me for our dance, that's all.
"Dragon Valley."
The gathered eyes sharpen at Rose's words, but none can be compared to Ais.
Well, it makes sense.
That's the place where the One-Eyed Black Dragon was last spotted and where the Hera and Zeus Familias made their last stand.
The place where her revenge lies.
"Monsters, mostly dragons, have been leaving Dragon Valley and wreaking havoc on the surrounding lands for as long as we can remember. But it's gotten worse. Much worse. The closest branch of the guild has asked for our assistance along with the School District."
Oh.
That's... not great.
"As it would be quite a journey, the guild will not force anyone to take on the quest. But if any Familia were to be able to help, it would be you four."
Hmm...
Wait.
Isn't this the perfect opportunity to see the world?
"Yeah... I don't think we can do that. Sorry, Ais. We are one of the two leading Familias, we can't just up and leave."
Loki says that, and there is some truth to it, but I know it's because she doesn't want to lose her position as one of the two leading Familias of Orario out of greed rather than worry about instability.
After all, our Familia is likely stronger than theirs at the moment.
"We will decline for the same reasons. We can't have the city's only level 7 leaving for such a long time."
A similar excuse, but she's not wrong in that the strongest in Orario next to me, the King Ottar, should stay in the city.
"I am Ganesha! We... are the protectors of the city. We man the gates, patrol the streets, capture the criminals... we cannot leave with these duties. I am Ganesha."
Uhh... yeah.
You are indeed Ganesha.
But he's right.
Their Familia is the only one with an actual reason to not leave.
Turning to my side, I see that Alise's face is alight in exhilaration.
Yes... she's wanted a quest like this.
Especially after our rooftop talk after I became level 6.
Suddenly, the calm voice of Mother Astraea cuts through the air.
"Ganesha, as he said, can deal with the protection of the city. In fact, ever since the remnants of Evilus were destroyed four years ago, there was little need for us to patrol anymore. And our justice does not only extend to this city."
She then looks at her gathered children, all of us giving her strong nods and wide smiles.
"We accept this quest."
And so, the Astraea Familia would be going to Dragon Valley.
