----- Leo POV -----
"So, Mama Ryuu, what's the plan for today?" I ask my mother.
"Mmm, I think we'll be reaching the ruins of Ancient Lakrios by tonight, barring that the path isn't intact." She responds.
We had been travelling for a few weeks, with a few stops at some towns along the way.
Travelling mainly along the river, outdoor baths were of course the norm, much to my embarrassment.
Seriously... were all the women of this world this beautiful? Or was it just this Familia?
Thinking about romance brings the thought of Tess back into my mind.
If I find someone special like I did with her... I shouldn't hesitate. Not this time.
I'll be damned if I remain a virgin across three lives!
The only issue is that every one my 'age' in this world would be over 50 years younger than me mentally.
...Isn't that a depressing thought?
Though, there was one person that caught my eye...
The vice-captain of the Loki Familia, Riveria Ljos Alf.
Not only was she a smart and strong woman, but she also was 98 from what I've overheard from Lefiya and Ais, so the age thing was not much of a problem.
And, embarrassingly as it was to admit, I was quite smitten with her appearance.
Perhaps I just have a thing for Elves?
Although I had only seen her a few times, with none of those times being close to 'love at first sight', it did give me hope for my future relationships in this world.
...Although I did have a vivid memory of her holding me as a baby.
But if I could get past that, then I could get past anything in regard to love.
"Ooh! Ruins! And after that?" Stella asks with eyes sparkling in excitement.
"We'll begin heading toward Dragon Valley. You three must listen to us when we get there, understood?"
All three of us kids nod at her words.
With Alea deciding to catch a ride on our father's horse, I imagine she would get the same warning later.
"But... weren't we going to see Mama Alise's village?" Stella asks.
"We decided to do so on the way back, the situation seems to have gotten even worse over the past month." Mama Ryuu responds with a frown.
So it has already been a month...
Time flies fast when you're having fun, I suppose.
Thanks to Papa's... eccentricities, the carriage ride I had thought would be horribly boring turned out to be pretty fun and comfy.
Although I shuddered when I heard the cost of it.
But they would probably make up all the expenses with the completion of this quest, so no worries there.
But... 'time flies', huh?
Although I am only nearing two years old, with my doubled growth rate I am nearing four in physical age, large enough to hold a short sword.
Although it's much harder now without the help of mana, I have to get better.
To protect my new family from the dangers no one knows.
"Okay... Leo! Let's play checkers!" Stella says while tapping my shoulder.
But for now, I guess I'll play around for a while.
----- Sirius POV - 1 Day Later -----
"Remember, we still have a quest to complete, so we'll only be spending a day here. Stick together, stay safe, and let's see if anyone can find a cool treasure, alright?"
"Yes~"
As Alise's enticing speech came to a close, we began making our way toward the distant ruins with me being in the lead.
"So there's supposed to be a lot of monsters here, right?" Ariel asks from my side.
"According to the villagers, there should be. But no one has been around here for quite a while, so who knows." I answer.
With her taking horseriding lessons back in the School District, she was riding with Haru in front of her, her tail constantly wagging due to the closeness of the two.
Smirking at the two's cuteness, I continue.
"Either way, when the fighting starts, I want you two, Iris, and Lili as the vanguard. You've been pretty lazy lately after all."
"H-Hmph! We've kept up with our training every night, thank you very much! And what about you, Sirius? I don't see you casting spells every night like you used to?" Ariel responds with a huff.
"Well, that's because my training lately has been much more... delicate."
I then summon stellar magic from my core, the familiar warmth spreading through my body toward my fingertips before shooting outward.
The golden arcs trace through the air, and as they reach the peak of their arc they all simultaneously explode with a loud 'boom', sprinkling golden light onto the ground below.
"Whoa~!"
Yes, this was my attempt at recreating fireworks with my magic, and if I'm honest, it went quite well.
Now, while I did do this to show off to my cute juniors, it also served a secondary purpose...
'GROAAAH!'
"Well look what we have here~ You're up, newbies!" I say with a smirk.
Glancing over at Ariel, she's looking over at the approaching horde of monsters with her mouth widened in shock and eyes twitching in annoyance.
It takes a moment for her to understand the situation and get over her surprise before she hops off the horse, grabs her staff, and runs forward with a resentful scream.
"Damn you Sirius!"
"Have fun~" I reply with a wave of my hand.
Hmm... I only see a few level 4s, and even then they're all on the weak side, so the girls will be fine.
"Haa... did you have to do that to them?" Alise asks from my side.
"Well, I didn't want us to be ambushed or anything. An open field like this is perfect for those four to fight on. Besides... the brats were getting smug." I respond.
"It was only Ariel. And 'brat'? She's only five years younger than you." Alise says with a huff.
"I'm a father, I have the right to call her a brat."
"Whatever you say, husband."
Looking over at Alise, I was once again reminded of how beautiful she was.
With her bright red hair flowing down her shoulders and lips spread in a calming smile, she looked really good.
But I had to say, she looked even better when we were fooling around in the woods a couple of days ago... but I digress.
Hearing the familiar term, I decided to tease her a little.
"You've been saying that a lot lately. Trying to steal Ryuu's thunder?"
"Nah, only sometimes. But I understand why she uses it so often, feels right, you know?"
She then rides up next to me before kissing me on the cheek.
"We'll get the gear ready, so you have to watch over them." She says, nodding toward the four newbies that were about to clash with the monster horde.
"Got it, wifey~" I say with a smirk.
"Ew. Don't do that again." Alise says with a repulsed frown.
"Haa... got it."
I'll stick to names then.
----- Iris POV -----
"Fucking dammit, I was just about to win too." I mutter under my breath.
I had already heard from Lyra that we would be clearing out the monsters, or at least the first wave of them, but I didn't think it would interrupt my card game with Celty!
I was one hand away...
Well, at least I had a good way to vent my frustrations coming right toward me.
"GROAA!"
"Shut up! Haruhime! Hit me!"
"Ask nicely~" The Renard in question says while running beside me.
She's been getting cheeky lately...
Must be the influence of my dear sister.
"Please." I say through gritted teeth.
"Alright, alright. Grow!"
The golden light seeps into my body and I feel my speed increase as the ground begins to tear from my footsteps.
Haven't done his in a while, eh?
Let's see what a level 5 me can do.
Bending my knees, I launch myself toward the approaching horde, the air screeching at my intense speed as I draw my two short swords.
While I could deal with a number of these beasts at range with Aqua Imperium, this was a perfect time to test my pure martial abilities.
I had been practicing quite diligently, after all.
Before coming to Orario, I had thought that the School District was a den of talented people, but after I saw the abilities of my Familia, I realized just how small-minded I was.
They were, quite simply, amazing.
And even after reaching the level of 'amazing', they still continued to grow.
Magic, wits, strength, skill... they had it all.
And I'd be damned if I let my family get ahead of me.
A pair of sonic booms erupt from my twin blades, cleaving a deep gash into the approaching monsters.
Nearly all of them looked like an evolved form of Hellhounds, but not evolved enough to stop my massacre.
But... 'family' huh?
What would the me from three years ago think of that?
I've really grown quite a lot from the prickly girl who was afraid of the world, afraid to trust...
And that's not even mentioning how much happier Ariel was now.
But, weirdly, I didn't feel thankful.
Or rather... that wasn't exactly right.
I felt as if it was only a matter of course.
Like how a child is not thankful for their mother's care, it was just something natural that was a product of love, something you pay back with loving actions of your own.
Haa... what a sappy girl I've become.
Two Hellhounds... well, they aren't exactly Hellhounds, and they have a larger set of ears... so, Hellwolves.
Yeah, two Hellwolves jumped toward me, seemingly unperturbed by my initial attack.
These two... were probably level 4s.
Well... not like that means much.
My swords, which were extended outward due to the follow-through of my swing, twist to point the edge of the blade inward toward my chest.
But my chest was still exposed and undefended, leaving me completely at the mercy of their fangs and claws.
...At least that's how it's meant to appear.
This technique, while not so useful against intelligent fighters like fellow adventurers, was perfect for these guys who rely entirely on instincts for combat.
As their heads drew closer to me, I swung the arms I had been holding back, the gathered tension being released in an instant and drawing a white line across my vision, beheading the approaching Hellwolves in the next moment.
Two more down for the count.
Glancing to my side, I see two bright blue bolts of lightning leaping from monster to monster, leaving a trail of dust in their wake as a pungent odour spreads through the air.
What did Sirius call it... ozone, right?
The smell of lightning.
Well, if my sister is so adamant about showing off some magic, I'll follow her example.
Keeping the numerous lessons with Ryuu in my mind, I begin chanting Aqua Imperium.
Remaining vigilant of my surroundings, I feel the pure mind in my body transforming into magic power as it courses through my veins and then the connection with each disk of compressed water forming around me.
With a magic like this one, the key was to maintain a delicate balance of concentration and flexibility.
A contradiction that would stump even the most skilled of combatants.
I shudder to think of where I would be without her guidance.
Ryuu... was truly overlooked in our crazy strong Familia.
But I suppose that makes sense, as I was also ignorant of her true skill before obtaining a similar magic.
So, even though I was far from the ideal that the beautiful Elf had set, I still had something to be proud of.
Pointing my sword forward, the numerous disks compress even further into sharp blades, following the teachings Sirius had given me as well.
'Magic is truly magical.', he had said.
A stupid comment when looked at objectively, but for me, it was all I needed to hear.
This was my magic, after all.
Who said I should have limits to how it's formed?
Who said such magic is unchanging?
Well, those School District mages did, but they had never met Celestial Sword of the Astraea Familia.
The disks shoot forward, slicing into the neck of every monster they pass through the grasslands, forming a scene of blood, gore, and dust.
And then, just as their momentum began to peter out and my connection to them became frail, I commanded them to explode.
But not an uncontrolled blast like the magic had been originally, but rather, exploding outward in a controlled manner, cleaving through anything that's in its path.
The rumbling of monsters quiet in an instant.
After all, a bisected beast could not run any longer.
----- Sirius POV -----
"Phew~! Iris really has become a monster, hasn't she?" I say with a smile.
She really made Aqua Imperium her own... I was quite proud of her.
Before, the explosion of water could only be used to distract, perhaps dealing some damage to those with weak endurance.
But by making it explode outward and compressed, forming what was essentially a giant sword slash, she made it an extremely dangerous AOE spell.
And that was only a secondary function of the magic!
"Don't call her a monster, husband. Besides, she became like that because of you." Ryuu says while lightly pinching my side.
"Auch! Well, she learned more from you than she did me." I respond while rubbing my pinched side.
How could such delicate fingers become so deadly?
"Yes, but nothing like that." Ryuu says while shaking her head.
"Anyways, let's head on over." She then says.
"Should we bring the kids?" I ask.
"Might as well. Being next to us is the safest place around here, and I'm certain they want to explore as well." She responds.
Before I could retort, the cheers of my two excitable daughters interrupt me.
"Yep!"
"Of course we do!"
Haa... while they were very easy to take care of as babies, once they learned to walk they turned into such troublesome children.
"Alea. Stella. Back in the carriage, or you're not coming along." Ryuu says sternly.
""Okay~""
They're lucky they're so cute.
----- Leo POV -----
"So, Mama Ryuu, what's the plan for today?" I ask my mother.
"Mmm, I think we'll be reaching the ruins of Ancient Lakrios by tonight, barring that the path isn't intact." She responds.
We had been travelling for a few weeks, with a few stops at some towns along the way.
Travelling mainly along the river, outdoor baths were of course the norm, much to my embarrassment.
Seriously... were all the women of this world this beautiful? Or was it just this Familia?
Thinking about romance brings the thought of Tess back into my mind.
If I find someone special like I did with her... I shouldn't hesitate. Not this time.
I'll be damned if I remain a virgin across three lives!
The only issue is that every one my 'age' in this world would be over 50 years younger than me mentally.
...Isn't that a depressing thought?
Though, there was one person that caught my eye...
The vice-captain of the Loki Familia, Riveria Ljos Alf.
Not only was she a smart and strong woman, but she also was 98 from what I've overheard from Lefiya and Ais, so the age thing was not much of a problem.
And, embarrassingly as it was to admit, I was quite smitten with her appearance.
Perhaps I just have a thing for Elves?
Although I had only seen her a few times, with none of those times being close to 'love at first sight', it did give me hope for my future relationships in this world.
...Although I did have a vivid memory of her holding me as a baby.
But if I could get past that, then I could get past anything in regard to love.
"Ooh! Ruins! And after that?" Stella asks with eyes sparkling in excitement.
"We'll begin heading toward Dragon Valley. You three must listen to us when we get there, understood?"
All three of us kids nod at her words.
With Alea deciding to catch a ride on our father's horse, I imagine she would get the same warning later.
"But... weren't we going to see Mama Alise's village?" Stella asks.
"We decided to do so on the way back, the situation seems to have gotten even worse over the past month." Mama Ryuu responds with a frown.
So it has already been a month...
Time flies fast when you're having fun, I suppose.
Thanks to Papa's... eccentricities, the carriage ride I had thought would be horribly boring turned out to be pretty fun and comfy.
Although I shuddered when I heard the cost of it.
But they would probably make up all the expenses with the completion of this quest, so no worries there.
But... 'time flies', huh?
Although I am only nearing two years old, with my doubled growth rate I am nearing four in physical age, large enough to hold a short sword.
Although it's much harder now without the help of mana, I have to get better.
To protect my new family from the dangers no one knows.
"Okay... Leo! Let's play checkers!" Stella says while tapping my shoulder.
But for now, I guess I'll play around for a while.
----- Sirius POV - 1 Day Later -----
"Remember, we still have a quest to complete, so we'll only be spending a day here. Stick together, stay safe, and let's see if anyone can find a cool treasure, alright?"
"Yes~"
As Alise's enticing speech came to a close, we began making our way toward the distant ruins with me being in the lead.
"So there's supposed to be a lot of monsters here, right?" Ariel asks from my side.
"According to the villagers, there should be. But no one has been around here for quite a while, so who knows." I answer.
With her taking horseriding lessons back in the School District, she was riding with Haru in front of her, her tail constantly wagging due to the closeness of the two.
Smirking at the two's cuteness, I continue.
"Either way, when the fighting starts, I want you two, Iris, and Lili as the vanguard. You've been pretty lazy lately after all."
"H-Hmph! We've kept up with our training every night, thank you very much! And what about you, Sirius? I don't see you casting spells every night like you used to?" Ariel responds with a huff.
"Well, that's because my training lately has been much more... delicate."
I then summon stellar magic from my core, the familiar warmth spreading through my body toward my fingertips before shooting outward.
The golden arcs trace through the air, and as they reach the peak of their arc they all simultaneously explode with a loud 'boom', sprinkling golden light onto the ground below.
"Whoa~!"
Yes, this was my attempt at recreating fireworks with my magic, and if I'm honest, it went quite well.
Now, while I did do this to show off to my cute juniors, it also served a secondary purpose...
'GROAAAH!'
"Well look what we have here~ You're up, newbies!" I say with a smirk.
Glancing over at Ariel, she's looking over at the approaching horde of monsters with her mouth widened in shock and eyes twitching in annoyance.
It takes a moment for her to understand the situation and get over her surprise before she hops off the horse, grabs her staff, and runs forward with a resentful scream.
"Damn you Sirius!"
"Have fun~" I reply with a wave of my hand.
Hmm... I only see a few level 4s, and even then they're all on the weak side, so the girls will be fine.
"Haa... did you have to do that to them?" Alise asks from my side.
"Well, I didn't want us to be ambushed or anything. An open field like this is perfect for those four to fight on. Besides... the brats were getting smug." I respond.
"It was only Ariel. And 'brat'? She's only five years younger than you." Alise says with a huff.
"I'm a father, I have the right to call her a brat."
"Whatever you say, husband."
Looking over at Alise, I was once again reminded of how beautiful she was.
With her bright red hair flowing down her shoulders and lips spread in a calming smile, she looked really good.
But I had to say, she looked even better when we were fooling around in the woods a couple of days ago... but I digress.
Hearing the familiar term, I decided to tease her a little.
"You've been saying that a lot lately. Trying to steal Ryuu's thunder?"
"Nah, only sometimes. But I understand why she uses it so often, feels right, you know?"
She then rides up next to me before kissing me on the cheek.
"We'll get the gear ready, so you have to watch over them." She says, nodding toward the four newbies that were about to clash with the monster horde.
"Got it, wifey~" I say with a smirk.
"Ew. Don't do that again." Alise says with a repulsed frown.
"Haa... got it."
I'll stick to names then.
----- Iris POV -----
"Fucking dammit, I was just about to win too." I mutter under my breath.
I had already heard from Lyra that we would be clearing out the monsters, or at least the first wave of them, but I didn't think it would interrupt my card game with Celty!
I was one hand away...
Well, at least I had a good way to vent my frustrations coming right toward me.
"GROAA!"
"Shut up! Haruhime! Hit me!"
"Ask nicely~" The Renard in question says while running beside me.
She's been getting cheeky lately...
Must be the influence of my dear sister.
"Please." I say through gritted teeth.
"Alright, alright. Grow!"
The golden light seeps into my body and I feel my speed increase as the ground begins to tear from my footsteps.
Haven't done his in a while, eh?
Let's see what a level 5 me can do.
Bending my knees, I launch myself toward the approaching horde, the air screeching at my intense speed as I draw my two short swords.
While I could deal with a number of these beasts at range with Aqua Imperium, this was a perfect time to test my pure martial abilities.
I had been practicing quite diligently, after all.
Before coming to Orario, I had thought that the School District was a den of talented people, but after I saw the abilities of my Familia, I realized just how small-minded I was.
They were, quite simply, amazing.
And even after reaching the level of 'amazing', they still continued to grow.
Magic, wits, strength, skill... they had it all.
And I'd be damned if I let my family get ahead of me.
A pair of sonic booms erupt from my twin blades, cleaving a deep gash into the approaching monsters.
Nearly all of them looked like an evolved form of Hellhounds, but not evolved enough to stop my massacre.
But... 'family' huh?
What would the me from three years ago think of that?
I've really grown quite a lot from the prickly girl who was afraid of the world, afraid to trust...
And that's not even mentioning how much happier Ariel was now.
But, weirdly, I didn't feel thankful.
Or rather... that wasn't exactly right.
I felt as if it was only a matter of course.
Like how a child is not thankful for their mother's care, it was just something natural that was a product of love, something you pay back with loving actions of your own.
Haa... what a sappy girl I've become.
Two Hellhounds... well, they aren't exactly Hellhounds, and they have a larger set of ears... so, Hellwolves.
Yeah, two Hellwolves jumped toward me, seemingly unperturbed by my initial attack.
These two... were probably level 4s.
Well... not like that means much.
My swords, which were extended outward due to the follow-through of my swing, twist to point the edge of the blade inward toward my chest.
But my chest was still exposed and undefended, leaving me completely at the mercy of their fangs and claws.
...At least that's how it's meant to appear.
This technique, while not so useful against intelligent fighters like fellow adventurers, was perfect for these guys who rely entirely on instincts for combat.
As their heads drew closer to me, I swung the arms I had been holding back, the gathered tension being released in an instant and drawing a white line across my vision, beheading the approaching Hellwolves in the next moment.
Two more down for the count.
Glancing to my side, I see two bright blue bolts of lightning leaping from monster to monster, leaving a trail of dust in their wake as a pungent odour spreads through the air.
What did Sirius call it... ozone, right?
The smell of lightning.
Well, if my sister is so adamant about showing off some magic, I'll follow her example.
Keeping the numerous lessons with Ryuu in my mind, I begin chanting Aqua Imperium.
Remaining vigilant of my surroundings, I feel the pure mind in my body transforming into magic power as it courses through my veins and then the connection with each disk of compressed water forming around me.
With a magic like this one, the key was to maintain a delicate balance of concentration and flexibility.
A contradiction that would stump even the most skilled of combatants.
I shudder to think of where I would be without her guidance.
Ryuu... was truly overlooked in our crazy strong Familia.
But I suppose that makes sense, as I was also ignorant of her true skill before obtaining a similar magic.
So, even though I was far from the ideal that the beautiful Elf had set, I still had something to be proud of.
Pointing my sword forward, the numerous disks compress even further into sharp blades, following the teachings Sirius had given me as well.
'Magic is truly magical.', he had said.
A stupid comment when looked at objectively, but for me, it was all I needed to hear.
This was my magic, after all.
Who said I should have limits to how it's formed?
Who said such magic is unchanging?
Well, those School District mages did, but they had never met Celestial Sword of the Astraea Familia.
The disks shoot forward, slicing into the neck of every monster they pass through the grasslands, forming a scene of blood, gore, and dust.
And then, just as their momentum began to peter out and my connection to them became frail, I commanded them to explode.
But not an uncontrolled blast like the magic had been originally, but rather, exploding outward in a controlled manner, cleaving through anything that's in its path.
The rumbling of monsters quiet in an instant.
After all, a bisected beast could not run any longer.
----- Sirius POV -----
"Phew~! Iris really has become a monster, hasn't she?" I say with a smile.
She really made Aqua Imperium her own... I was quite proud of her.
Before, the explosion of water could only be used to distract, perhaps dealing some damage to those with weak endurance.
But by making it explode outward and compressed, forming what was essentially a giant sword slash, she made it an extremely dangerous AOE spell.
And that was only a secondary function of the magic!
"Don't call her a monster, husband. Besides, she became like that because of you." Ryuu says while lightly pinching my side.
"Auch! Well, she learned more from you than she did me." I respond while rubbing my pinched side.
How could such delicate fingers become so deadly?
"Yes, but nothing like that." Ryuu says while shaking her head.
"Anyways, let's head on over." She then says.
"Should we bring the kids?" I ask.
"Might as well. Being next to us is the safest place around here, and I'm certain they want to explore as well." She responds.
Before I could retort, the cheers of my two excitable daughters interrupt me.
"Yep!"
"Of course we do!"
Haa... while they were very easy to take care of as babies, once they learned to walk they turned into such troublesome children.
"Alea. Stella. Back in the carriage, or you're not coming along." Ryuu says sternly.
""Okay~""
They're lucky they're so cute.
