88 Fusion Souls Party

The bright sunlight entered the room through the window. Everyone was having their breakfast peacefully joined by Hina and Jue. It had been a few weeks since Ryu and Jue became adventurers,

"Lina sister, your potato salad still needs work," Hina said as she took a bite and she was right. Everyone agreed that potato salad skills of Hina were supreme,

"If you had woken up on time, I wouldn't have to make it!!" Lina rebutted

"Ryu, did you decide on our party name?" Aiena asked with a bright smile but with a little hint of playfulness, as if she succeeded in a prank,

"I still… can't figure it out," Ryu said as he thought,

'She never ceases to stop surprising… unintentional or intentional' as he remembered what happened the day before yesterday,

The day before yesterday, Jue and Ryu were discussing the name for the party when Aiena joined in and said,

"I want the name of our party to be something memorable which emphasizes our bonds". At first, Ryu began thinking about the name but as soon as he noticed she said our party he asked,

"Aiena? You will be joining us?" with a shocked expression because she did not register at adventurer's guild with them and also never talked about it before,

Without saying anything, Aiena takes out an adventurer guild card from the bag she was carrying as her skirt swayed when she moved the card in front of Jue's and Ryu's faces.

'When!?' Ryu wondered as he rubbed his eyes and saw again,

'It didn't change as it does in anime… since when' Ryu looked at the silver guild card and then at Aiena's face when did she,

"Awesome!! Aiena big sister!!" Jue exclaimed without a look of confusion or curiosity on his face.

"The silver card means B-rank adventurer? When did you do quest Aiena?" Ryu asked, trying to hold back his curiosity,

Aiena smiled a bit as she thought,

'Plan successful!! After all, I am still the elder sister!!' and started explaining,

"You know I cure people at church with the priestess and even went to the forest with parties on emergency healing sometimes… so priestess suggested me I should ask my patients to register the healing they need as quest and pay me through guild so I can rank up while doing my everyday healing… I've been doing this since your incident at Zerah forest"

'She kept it secret for this many years!? I pray she won't suddenly reveal she was the last boss all along…' Ryu was shocked on many levels as he never expected this,

"What now?" Ryu asked as he tilted his face.

'I can't possibly take her what will happen when she will see me murder humans eventually!?….' Ryu thought and started devising a plan inside his head, but when Aiena spoke, his soul was shaken,

"Ryu… I know it might be hard for you, maybe I am not as smart as you or strong… but I don't want to be away from you…" she said till here and remembered and remembered what Light Goddess said that night,

'The one who will play a major part in the fate of the world… I cannot let Ryu bear this burned alone!!' and with a flame burning within her heart, she shouted,

"I want to be with you and Jue no matter what kind of situation we are in… I would rather die standing beside you in a fight rather than standing watching from the side… or run away while you are in trouble!!" a single tear come out of her face and go down to her chin as she remembered the deaths of her father and then Ralph,

'Because I am the older one now… Ryu is my younger brother!!' she reassured herself, and spoke sunlight making her hair seem lighter,

"I wanted to heal Ryu if something were to hurt you!! That was my reason for being a cleric and that is why I won't feel at ease apart from you two, so take me with you!!"

Ryu's face was down and his expressions weren't visible. Jue already wanted to say yes but was waiting for Ryu's reply while he was thinking,

'It isn't fair… these people… I can't deny her if she asks like this...'

Ryu stood up and walked toward Aiena, his face devoid of any expression.

'Is he going to deny…' Aiena feared but when Ryu reached in front of him standing taller than herself, Ryu who she used to pick up in her arms he has gotten bigger than her in height his oceanic hairs and his crimson eyes even with the expressionless face seemed full of belief and kindness to Aiena,

"You are strong and smart Aiena… you kept up with being a healer even though you did not want to just because you wanted to heal us and without letting me know you worked hard and smart to become B- a rank adventurer… you are the best I could ask for. who would not want such a B-rank determined healer!?" Ryu said as he patted her hair with a gentle smile,

'Ryu patting me… just like father… and lord Viscount' Aiena's emotions were exploding from the praise and she looked at Ryu with upturned eyes, seeing her eyes holding tears back and blushing face Ryu realized what he did and walked away fast as he thought,

'In last life, I wouldn't have done something like this!!...'

And the Aiena who was left standing finally started crying and wiping her tears, as Jue said,

"I already knew big sister would come with us! Don't cry!!" but Aiena just smiled as she spoke in a cheerful voice,

"These are tears of happiness, Jue," as she thought,

'Someday I can meet mama… I believe' as she remembered her mom who was punished by the church during her childhood,

This was how the current situation came to be where Ryu was thinking about the party's name,

'What to do!? In my last life, I used to name my village in games R's village and the same for the party in MMORPG, R's party but it won't work here!!....' Ryu thought as he ate his food faster,

"Big brother, I want a cool name!!" Jue said with shining eyes as he thought,

'I am sure big brother would find a great name!! he always uses those cool-sounding spells' seeing Jue's shining eyes, Ryu felt more pressured,

'Hope this fusion of souls… had fixed my naming sense too' Ryu hoped and suddenly felt enlightened and stood up, almost lifting the table along with him,

"I got it!!" he spoke slowly, grinning as he finished eating. Once their dinner was finished, they went to Adventurer's guild,

The adventurer guild was emptier than usual as every party was busy due to excess quests collected on the board due to adventurers not doing any quests during Ryu's registration,

"You are here for party registration, I presume," the receptionist asked,

"Yes, we all want to register," Ryu answered and Jue and Aiena nodded,

"Please hand me over your guild cards and I presume the B-rank one will be the leader?" The receptionist asked,

While handing over their cards, Ryu replied,

"I will be the leader" as he looked toward Hina and Jue for reassurance,

"Yes, big brother will be leader!!" Jue answered,

"I am just a cleric," Aiena answered with a serene smile, but with a concerned look Receptionist suggested,

"I believe the highest rank one will be leader… that way there will be fewer people attempting to get a B ranked healer from a C-rank party… on the other hand if the leader is a C-rank adventurer other parties would bother Aiena with solicitations,"

Ryu knew what she said made sense as there would be many people trying to get a healer with miracle attribute something rarer than mages even as a C-rank healing priest is treated highly but,

"I will protect Aiena and we all believe each other deeply as family," Ryu answered confidently,

"Big brother is strongest!!" Jue answered, his eyes clearly signifying his trust,

"I just want to heal Jue and Ryu… like a responsible big sister," Aiena said. The receptionist stared at them for a few seconds before she finally sighed and said,

"If you all change your mind you can switch leader position at any adventurer guild," and they nodded,

"What should I put for the name Ryu?" the receptionist asked.

"I am feeling excited!!" Aiena said with a bright curious smile,

"Big brother should've chosen a nice name!!" Jue was equally excited.

'You both!! You are making me nervous' Ryu wanted to shout but holding back he answered

"A name that emphasizes our bonds is memorable like Aiena wants and a name that is cool like Jue wanted our party's name is…" Ryu stopped after saying till here,

"What is it, big brother!?" Jue asked, almost jumping from curiosity and Aiena was too shaking her hands in excitement,

"Please hurry up… you are wasting mana stone by taking long," the Receptionist complained,

And Ryu said in a clear and strong sounding voice,

"Fusion souls party!!"

-To be continued