Chapter 37: A Son, Brother, and Friend (1/2)

As I stepped into the teleportation gate, the faet used to the teleportation gate, despite the nu stuck in a space where I had no control just didn't sit right withloosely dangling on my thuet a headache just thinking about ho careful I would have to be once school started; I bought the ring so my souldn't be in plain view While I never used my teal-bladed sword as an adventurer, I did have it strapped toit a few tiether If he saw it again onat the other side of the gate in Xyrus, I heaved a big breath

I was hoe ho The pre at it from the outside, anyone could tell how dom had put into this place It seemed like its own separate world inside of the city, with various structures and landscapes changing throughout as I rode along the smooth roads

"Sir, we have arrived at Helstea Manor" The driver got off and opened the door for ently, careful not to arousebond as I handed by driver a few copper coins Taking one last look, I walked up the stairs I had become so fa for the gentle expansion and retraction of her sto Ever since her transforatheavily

I hadn't evenopen with a loud thud In the center of the entranceway, a little girl stood with her hands resting on her hips like a scolding mother On her face was an expression I couldn't quite describe; she appeared to be scowling, but flashes of exciteh her obvious facade

With the saracefully leaped down the flight of stairs and bludgeoned ut with the crown of her head

I quickly raised et Sylvie out of harm's way, but I couldn't save myself as the wind quickly escaped from ently stroked Ellie's hair as her face remained buried in my chest

"Welfom vack," she mumbled

"Sorry?" I tried to pry my sister off me, but her aro

Ellie looked up with red, tear-filled eyes as she clung ontoBrother"

"Thanks, Ellie Good to be back," I replied with a so?"

"That depends"—her alain?"

Letting out a chuckle, I shook o" Releasing rasp, she quickly wiped away her tears with her sleeve She looked at me once more, this tio inside!"

She scurried back up the stairs,for me to follow As I trailed behind her, I couldn't help but rerown fro back froht now Her birthday was a few months before mine so there was always a period where she'd only be three years younger than me For most people, that wouldn't matter, but for some odd reason, Ellie never failed to mention after her birthday that ere only three years apart

As e andMy sister, with her puppy-like eyes that shi+ned brightly in a light sand color, and perky little nose that had becomeinto a cute young lady

This aining interest in her

And when they started gaining interest in her, they'd begin s like sharing lunches during snack-ti hands

Then, after getting coht try to sneak a quick peck on my sister's cheek!

After the cheek, it'd…

Oh no

My eyes widened in horror as h the future years of Ellie's adolescence into full woetting flocked by testosterone-filled boys that only kne to think with their endocrine systee the cancerous thoughts, vowing to ladly carry out whatever torturous deed is necessary to any boy—with even a speck of filth in their degenerate minds—who dared to make a move on my sister

"Arthur!"

The sound of my mother's voice snappedforward, both with relieved and joyful expressions lined in their faces

My father, whose body seee, scooped rin

"My boy!" he beaer, oldtomy arm around my dad's neck

"Hey! That'sabout!" my mother chided as my father put me back down "Now come here"

My mother wrapped her aro, I could tell by her red eyes that she was trying her best to keep her tears back

"Sorry for worrying you," I said, seeing the pain in her eyes

Sniffing a sob back, she looked up and quickly wiped away a stray tear before s at etting into trouble, alorryingas tears rolled down her cheeks Still, her s at me with love and worry

My father wrapped his ar her close "Youractivated We both knew you wouldn't have died that easily, but it couldn't stop us fro you," I repeated as my heart dropped to my stomach

"Thankfully, the status on thethat you and your party arrived at the branch near the Beast Glades,"behind Father for some reason, took a peek out fro but concerns for you guys," I said with a wry s away so ive you," Ellie sniffled, hiding behind our father again

"It's a parent's job to worry for her children,"your end of the bargain a little too well"

My lance at h for everyone to hear, "And don't worry about your sister She aiting by thethe whole day since your friend, Elijah, caasped "That was supposed to be a secret!"

My little sister clung hard onto uess that'sto the second floor My newfound friend had been waiting for our little family reunion to end with Vincent and Tabitha

"Took you long enough to get here Did you decide to take a s here?" Elijah joked as he hopped down the stairs

"I wanted a break frorin "Where's Jasmine, anyway?"

"She already went back with the Twin Horns," he answered, re the at the bespectacled young man, it was hard for me to recall how inexpressive and cold he appeared to be when I had first seen hirounds

"Arthur Leywin! The prodigious son returns!" Vincent clasped

"We're glad you're back safe, Arthur" Tabitha followed behind hi as well

"Thank you," I s care ofus to stay—"

"Ah," Vincent interrupted with a finger held up "You're going to ht you had finally warht, you know," Tabitha joined in "Please, Arthur, your family is a part of our family No need to distance yourself with formalities Just think of us as your aunt and uncle"

"You're right," I s once more

At her words, I realized that there was one person absent frohtfor Lily, she's not here" Vincent had a wicked smile on his face while Tabitha rolled her eyes at hiot accepted into Xyrus Acade last fall after she turned twelve," Tabitha filledto be a lad!"

Tabitha nodded at this "Yes She really wanted to be here when you ca semester started, so she's stuck in the dorms until break"

"But it's all thanks to you, Arthur! Never would've figured, after generations of nothing, that a e would be born into the Helstea House! Now come—all of you—no need to stand around here e have a perfectly good set of couches in the living roo herded into the next roo my time as an adventurer

There were solances with Elijah when I skipped the part where Lucas betrayed us—but other than that, I made sure to fill them in to the best of ed on the couch across fro in her lap, ide-eyed the entire tieon experience with Elijah Her eyes practically sparkled at the fantasy-like fable, but it wasn't just her that became enraptured by the story

The audience couldn't believe it when Elijah continued the story on for uardian They refused to believe us until I finally pulled out the beast core It was then that they were forced to s their doubts as they stared in awe at the dull green orb that was s of core Dad, what stage are you at?" I asked

Giving me an embarrassed chuckle, he answered, "I've been stuck at the bottleneck of the dark orange stage since you left No matter how h"