541 Warmth [4]

"As expected, those bastards took advantage of my absence to lay their hands on my guild." 

Several files and papers were projected on the holographic projection in front of Edward, whose deep voice echoed throughout the apartment. 

The more he stared at them, the greater the frown on his face became. 

"You don't have to worry too much." 

Standing by his side, Natasha comforted him. 

"Your daughter is a lot more capable than you think. She may not have handled everything perfectly, but she was still able to deal quite a severe blow to all of the guilds that tried to lay their hands on the Demon Hunter guild."

"I would say that she had done a fantastic job." 

"...She really did." 

The news of his daughter's accomplishments made Edward's face soften a bit. 

As he gazed at all the things she had accomplished during her career, he felt great pride fill him. 

Despite being just twenty years old, she was able to manage the guild without her father's support and prevent it from being devoured by other guilds. 

His pride grew for every minute that passed. 

'You truly have grown up so well...' 

"Edward." 

Jolting him out of his thoughts, Edward suddenly heard his wife's voice. Turning his head, he softly asked.

"...Yes?" 

With an uncertain look on her face, Natasha thought for a moment before asking. 

"You can choose not to answer this, but..." 

"Weren't you supposed to be in the demon world? From what I've heard, you fell into some sort of scheme, and the dungeon you were in desync. How is it possible for you to have come back?" 

Edward's face turned serious when he heard her words. 

Pondering for a bit, he eventually nodded his head. 

"There is no need to hide anything from you. Yes, I was indeed in the demon world." 

"So it's true..." 

Natasha's face was filled with worry as she looked at Edward. 

"...But how were you able to escape? I heard that it's almost impossible for someone to come back to earth once they enter the demon world." 

"About that." 

After briefly covering his hand with his mouth, Edward looked at Natasha for a moment before finally telling her everything. 

From how he had spent several years trying to find a way out, to one day finding himself inside the arena after getting injured in a big fight, and everything else that happened after. 

The expression on Natasha's face changed when she heard Edward tell about his time with the demons. It became increasingly concerned. 

"...Who would've thought that the fights were rigged. Had it not been for Ren who—" 

"Wait, did you just say Ren?" 

Cutting Edward off, Natasha's eyes opened up a little bit. 

"Yes? You heard correctly." 

Tilting his head, Edward looked at Natasha. 

"Is there something wrong with him? Had it not been for Ren I would've never been able to escape the place." 

After his confirmation, Natasha sat down on a couch with a deep and contemplative look on her face. 

Finding her reaction strange, Edward sat next to her. 

"What's wrong? Did something happen with Ren?" 

"Yes..." 

Natasha nodded her head. 

Lifting her head up to stare at Edward, she softly mumbled. 

"It was also because of him that I was able to get rid of the Mind breaker curse..." 

"What?" 

Immediately after hearing her words, Edward stood up as his eyes widened. 

"Did I hear correctly? Did you just say that Ren was also the one that saved you?" 

With a complicated look on her face, Natasha nodded her head. 

"...Yes." 

Thinking back at everything that had happened back in Issanor, Natasha's face softened up a little before muttering. 

"He's a good man." 

In an attempt to rebuke, Edward opened his mouth. However, as he thought about what had happened in the past, and what Ren had done for him, he eventually closed his mouth and nodded his head in agreement. 

"...He is." 

Standing up from her seat, Natasha checked her watch. 

"Amanda should be here anytime soon. How about we go to dinner?" 

"Okay." 

***

Knock— knock—

Having just taken a shower, I opened my room door without too much thought after hearing someone knock. After all, I could only think of my mother knocking on my room door. 

…but it was at the moment when I opened the door that I was greeted by a familiar face. A face that I had not seen for over the past half a year. It was Amanda. 

It was at that moment that my mind blanked out as my eyes repeatedly blinked. 

"You…"

It took Amanda's careful gaze to snap me out of it. With no trace of shyness, she carefully examined my body from head to toe. 

I felt a little weird. 

"Ehm, have you looked enough?"

The moment I said those words, Amanda snapped out of it and raised her head to look at me. 

More specifically my hair as she asked.

"…What happened to your hair?"

After scratching my face, I glanced at Nola who had her head turned away from me. It was from that moment that everything started to click for me as I thought. 

'…It was you.'

Was Nola going through her rebellion phase? 

But wasn't that supposed to happen when they were in their teens? An early bloomer? 

Ugh. 

As I stared back at Amanda, I replied in the same way I had spoken to my mother.

"It's kind of complicated."

Vaguely.

"Complicated?"

Unconvinced, Amanda's eyes squinted. But she eventually relented and her face softened up a little. 

"Never mind, I don't care if you don't tell me. As long as you're fine, I'm fine."

After that, her eyes paused on my body, prompting me to reflexively cover it. Staring at her, I asked.

"What are you doing?"

"…Your scars."

Pointing at the scars on my chest, Amanda's brows furrowed. 

"There are quite a lot. A lot more than when I last saw you."

Even though she was trying to hide her emotions, I could tell from her glance that she was concerned.

I smiled reassuringly.

"Don't worry about them. I'll get them healed once I get myself a potion. They aren't even that bad, mostly from training."

'...And from my fight against Lightning Dragon.' 

That fight... 

It really took everything I had to beat him. 

"I see…"

Despite not being completely convinced by what I said, Amanda eventually nodded.

In her eyes, there was a trace of relief. But that didn't last long as a small hand reached out for her pants and tugged them.

It was Nola.

"Nola?"

Raising her small hand, Nola pointed in my direction.

"Sister. Remember the promise!"

"Ah!"

Covering her mouth with her hand, Amanda glanced in my direction. Following this, her face quickly became expressionless. 

Or rather, it became quite cold. 

Opening her mouth, she icily said. 

"It's good that you're back."

  "Hmph!"

Accompanying her words, was Nola's exaggerated snort as she turned her head.

For a split second, Amanda's lips trembled. This obviously didn't escape my sight as I leaned against the side of the door.

"If you want to pretend to be angry at me, at least try your best to not laugh."

"Sister!"

As she gazed at Amanda, Nola raised her voice.

Amanda's face quickly crumbled as she quickly apologized to Nola.

"...I'm sorry Nola, but I just can't do it. Why don't you forgive your brother already."

Glancing my way, she gave me a signal with her eyes. With one glance, I understood what she meant and pretended to look hurt.

At the same time, I did this, Amanda pointed in my direction.

"Nola, I don't think this is a very good game. Your brother is very sad that you aren't talking to him anymore. I think he may cry soon."

"…Cry?"

Turning her head to look at me, I secretly channeled some mana and pinched the side of my leg, causing my eyes to fill with tears.

"Oh no."

In an instant, Nola's face changed as she rushed to comfort me.

"Brother don't cry. Nola was only joking. I'm not angry."

"...You're not?"

I asked as I wiped my tears. 

Nola repeatedly shook her head. 

"No."

"Then give me a hug."

"Okay."

Extending my hands, I tightly held Nola in my arm as I slowly stood up. Feeling her squishy body in my arms, I felt a wave of pure bliss wash over me. 

"There, there, don't cry brother."

Patting me on the head, Nola tried comforting me. Not that I cared as I was trying my best to stop myself from grinning.

But it seemed as though I had failed miserably at this as Amanda just shook her head when she looked at me.

I could only helplessly shrug my shoulders. Unfortunately, Nola's charm was that destructive.

Coddling Nola for the next few seconds, I suddenly realized something.

Staring at Amanda, I asked.

"Did you meet your mother yet?"

"Mom?"

Cocking her head a little, she looked at me with a confused look.

After a while, she shook her head.

"No."

My brows furrowed when I heard this. Putting Nola down, I grasped Amanda's wrist and brought her with me.

"Come with me for a second."

"Wait, Ren!"

Without putting any resistance, Amanda followed me from behind. She did call my name a couple of times, but I was too preoccupied looking for Edward to notice. 

"Oh, here."

Upon hearing voices in the dining hall, I dragged Amanda along with me into the dining hall. 

The moment we entered the place, all forms of noise ceased as I felt everyone's eyes pause on me.

"Hm? What's wrong?"

Why was everyone looking at me like that? 

But it didn't take too long for me to understand what was wrong as the towel on top of my head fell to the ground. 

Then, turning my head slightly, my eyes soon paused on Edward whose eyes were fixed in my general direction.

I instantly let go of Amanda's hand and took a step back.

"I know this looks weird, but please don't mis—"

As I was about to finish my sentence, Amanda's figure disappeared from beside me and reappeared in front of Edward. 

As tears streamed down her cheeks, she tightly hugged his body.

"D…dad!" 

***

At first, she was flustered. 

Being dragged around by a half-naked Ren would obviously fluster everyone. 

But. 

From the moment that she stepped into the living room, all of those emotions ceased to exist as her eyes paused toward two figures happily conversing with each other at the end of the dining table. 

It was as if her body and mind had frozen completely. 

'...Is this a dream?' 

Amanda wondered to herself as her eyes lingered in the direction of the two figures in the distance. 

That sight.

It was a sight she had dreamed of since she was young, and something she never believed could ever happen... 

'Mom, Dad?' 

Their presence prompted the two figures to turn their heads, and their eyes met. As Amanda's eyes locked onto the man sitting next to her mother, she felt a bolt of electricity run down her body. 

That figure... 

The figure she had been longing day and night to see for the past three years. 

"I know this looks weird, but please don't mis—"

Within seconds, her body moved on its own, and her body began lunging toward him. 

"D…dad!"

In that moment, Amanda's face sank into the man's broad chest and she felt a familiar warmth. 

A warmth she had long yearned for...