Chapter 20 - Family

Volume 2

It was sunny on the third day of their journey.

Zero and Ace and would occasionally switch roles as the driver, but it's mostly because Ace wanted to try it out.

For their meals, Iris and Zero were the cooks while Ace hunts for the ingredients.

The three of them also make rotations during night-watch.

Iris was especially strong because of her Sensory Spells.

In fact, Iris has practically any spell for any sort of situation.

The amount of spells that she currently knows can fill up an entire grimoire.

[The sun sure is lively today.] (Zero)

Zero said from the driver's seat.

[That means I won't lose to anyone!] (Ace)

Ace yelled with vigor.

[Oh? Wanna have a go?] (Zero)

Zero said, replying from the driver's seat.

[Are you challenging me?] (Ace)

[If you're too scared, then that's fine.] (Zero)

[I ain't scared! C'mon let's slug this out!] (Ace)

[Stop it, you two! We're almost there, so try to hold back your battle-freak tendencies just for this day.] (Iris)

Zero and Ace fought during the first two days.

Ace won the first fight (noon), but Zero won the next (sunset).

Iris was stroking Koneko-chan while admiring her staff.

[Sigh... I can't believe this staff is mine... *Pant* *Pant*] (Iris)

[Iris, you're breathing quite heavily there...] (Ace)

[There it is! Zanuck Town!] (Zero)

Zero suddenly exclaimed when the walls of the town came into view.

It was Ace and Iris' hometown.

The town was relatively smaller than Ilram, but it was big enough to be the home of a few Noble families from Escalandria.

The two immediately went to the driver's seat and squeezed Zero in-between them.

[Ahh~! I can see them!] (Iris)

[It's only been about a month, and we're already coming home...] (Ace)

[As top Adventurers and Heroes too.] (Zero)

Before arriving, they changed their outfit to look like ordinary Adventurers.

The carriage finally reached the town's gate.

Two guards approached them.

[Halt!] (Guard)

They were stopped for inspection, but there were no entrance fees whatsoever.

[Jack? Jack!] (Ace)

The guard who stopped them happened to be Ace and Iris' acquaintance.

[Ace? If it isn't Ace! And Iris is with you as well! You're coming home already? It hasn't even been a month!] (Jack)

[It's a long story. But we're Adventurers now. And we're not returning, we're just passing by.] (Ace)

[You must be...] (Jack)

[Good morning. I'm Zero Hashura. I'm a member of Ace's party.] (Zero)

[He's also our friend!] (Iris)

[Nice to meet you, Zero-san. Well, just pass through. You're citizens of this town, after all.] (Jack)

[Thanks!] (Ace)

Their carriage entered the town without delay.

[So what are we gonna do here?] (Zero)

[Visit my parents!] (Iris)

[And stay for the night!] (Ace)

Their true goal is to reach the Escalandria's Capital City, but it'll take another week to reach the place.

"It's ideal to stay here right now, at least until tomorrow." Zero thought.

[I see. Let's go then.] (Zero)

[OOOhhh~!] (Ace/Iris)

[But before that, let me do some trading. It'll be bad if our stuff get wasted.] (Zero)

[Alright. We'll just be here watching.] (Ace)

And so, Zero traded everything that would expire if they wait it over to the next town, and of course, the ones that are hot on the market right now.

Negotiations were almost non-existent.

Ninety percent of the time, Zero was just making bargains to their advantage.

They gotta thank King Tyreon for the high quality goods.

[Oh... These are fresher.] (Ace)

[And these decay longer.] (Iris)

[Fufun. We also got the same amount as from the original but after some movie-style negotiations, I managed to earn us some extra income.] (Zero)

[Ohhh~...] (Ace/Iris)

[Alright, we're set. Lead the way, you two.] (Zero)

The two immediately lightened up with excitement.

After some quick turns, they arrived at a block near a vacant plot of land.

[Finn-chan! I can see him!] (Iris)

[Oh! There's Aeria-chan too!] (Ace)

The two jumped out of the carriage and ran towards the children who were playing tag.

[Everyone!] (Ace)

[Huh? It's Ace-nii-chan and Iris-nee-chan!] (Kid)

[Mama! Papa! Ace-nii-chan and Iris-nee-chan are here!] (Kid)

A kid who's around eight years old came running to her mom, and then ran back outside to greet Iris and Ace.

[Onee-chan! Onii-chan!] (Kid)

[Julie! Onee-chan is home!] (Iris)

It was a Iris' little sister, Julie Kinsley.

[Ara ara~. Are they now?] (Mom)

A woman in her early thirties (but looks like she's twenty) came out of the small house when the kid called out to her.

[Mother!] (Iris)

She was Iris' mother, Helena Kinsley.

[Iris! My, my, you're back.] (Helena)

[Mother!] (Iris)

Iris ran into her mother's... bountiful... bosom...

[Ara ara~. I'm glad that you and Ace-kun are safe and healthy, but isn't this too soon?] (Helena)

[Mother! I have a lot to tell you! About our adventures, about our journey!] (Iris)

[Iris, calm down. We need to ask Zero's permission first. Those are extremely sensitive information you know? Remember, we're on a mission right now. Helena-oba-san, it's good to see you again. I would like to introduce you to our friend, Zero.] (Ace)

[M-My bad, Zero.] (Iris)

[It's fine, it's fine. Anyway, it's nice to meet you, Helena Kinsley-san. I am Zero Hashura, an Adventurer like these two. They are always taking care of me, especially your daughter who's really kind to a fault.] (Zero)

[Hmm~. Nice to meet you, Zero-san. I'm glad these two actually made a friend. Anyway, I'm quite curious about what my daughter wanted to tell me, but if it's too much to reveal, then it's fine.] (Helena)

[It is certainly confidential, but don't worry Helena-san, it's fine to tell you everything... that is, if mister Joe Kinsley isn't around.] (Zero)

[Ara ara~. My husband is indeed not around. But I'm surprised that you knew about him not being able to keep his mouth shut when he knows a secret. Did Iris tell you, perhaps?] (Helena)

[No, I didn't... But of course, Zero knows about it. He knows everything!] (Iris)

[Eh...?] (Helena)

[Let's start from the top, shall we?] (Zero)

- ZERO'S POV -

So this is Iris' mom in real life...

I can't think of a word apart from "motherly" to describe her aside from "bountiful"...

Everyone sat inside the living room.

All three of us activated any Sensory Spell we had on us while Helena-san prepared tea.

Then, when everything was ready, we started talking.

[First, our identity.] (Zero)

[About a month ago, we headed out on a journey towards Ilram Town in order to register as Adventurers. We met Zero there and became official Adventurers with him. And currently... we're at the ranks of Adamantium...] (Ace)

[Ara ara~... Even my Iris is an Adamantium-Ranked Adventurer?] (Helena)

She was surprised, but her reactions were a lot calmer than those of the Noble heads.

They should learn from her.

[Y-Yes... I am indeed an Adamantium-Ranked Adventurer...] (Iris)

[We were anointed as Heroes by King Zephyrine himself.] (Ace)

[My! I am nothing but proud!] (Helena)

[We are currently on a Top Secret Quest requested by the king himself.] (Ace)

[May I ask what kind of Quest it is?] (Helena)

[The kind that deals with the Demon Lord.] (Zero)

Her eyes narrowed a bit.

The vibe she gives suddenly became heavy...

The three of us were somehow unnerved.

Well, she's a mom after all.

[Hm... Even for Adamantium-Ranked Heroes, the chances of deaths are really really high.] (Helena)

[Eh-?! You're aware of these things, mother?] (Iris)

[Of course, I was an Adventurer in the past, though I only reached Gold Rank before retiring and marrying your father. And even if I wasn't one, just hearing the words "Demon Lord" means death, you know?] (Helena)

[Oba-san sure is amazing! Right, Zero?] (Ace)

[Yes, she is.] (Zero)

EVEN I DIDN'T KNOW THAT!

SHE WAS A GOLD-RANK ADVENTURER?!

[Now, about Zero's identity... He's actually from another world.] (Iris)

[Ara ara, is he now...?] (Helena)

She covered her mouth with her hand.

She was also trembling- ever so slightly.

[My... A lot of things can still surprise anyone at any age, can they...?] (Helena)

Even she was shaken to the fact that an other-worlder was currently talking to her.

[But that's not all. Before I came here, I was in a dream-like state seeing everything and everyone- the past, present and future... And in the end, the Demon Lord won...] (Zero)

[That's... certainly bad.] (Helena)

[Yes. I knew that the king of Zephyrine can be trusted, that's why I chose establish myself there. And now we're here, out to find ways in order to stop the Demon Lord.] (Zero)

After that, we proceeded to spill everything from our first quest regarding the Elite Lizardmen and subjugating the Demonized Lawrence Dormunn- to the Nobles' betrayal to the latest meeting where I revealed everything.

About how we almost died a bunch of times.

She was calm on the outside, but even a kid could tell that she was worried.

[I see... You've been through a lot... Zero-san, why did you choose to tell me this?] (Helena)

[Nothing much, to be honest. I just wanted to be sure that you're aware of the dangers these two have faced and will be facing. I think you deserve at least that as Iris' parent and Ace's guardian. And I know that you can keep a secret so it's fine.] (Zero)

[I see. Thank you for your thoughtfulness.] (Helena)

Helena bowed her head deeply.

[Ace, Iris, go play with the children outside. Your sister really missed you so go do some catching up with her. I just want to ask Zero-san something- just the two of us.] (Helena)

[Eh...? O-Okay...] (Iris)

And so, the two left.

[What more would you like to ask me?] (Zero)

[Can you make sure that none of those two are hearing us?] (Helena)

[Don't worry. They're not eavesdropping on us. I can assure you that.] (Zero)

[I understand, thank you...] (Helena)

Helena-san sighed deeply... very deeply...

[So you've seen most things in Dunia, even events from the past and the future, right?] (Helena)

[Yes, you can say that.] (Zero)

[So you must know about it as well...] (Helena)

[What do you mean by 'it'?] (Zero)

[Ara ara~... You can't point out what I'm trying to say? It's about that thing... about her.] (Helena)

[I'm sorry. I do know a lot of stuff, but I can't really guess what you're trying to tell me...] (Zero)

[It's about Iris... It's about her not being my real daughter.] (Helena)

[Oh I see. "That" was the one you were trying to say...] (Zero)

NAAANIIIIIIIIIIII?!?!?!?!

I DIDN'T KNOW THAT!!!

[So...? Do you know the identity of her real parents?] (Helena)

[Hmm... I'm sorry, but they didn't appear in my dream, at least, not as Iris' real parents.] (Zero)

[I see... I'm sure that she's happy with us right now, but I can't stop thinking about it... Her real parents might be really lonely as we speak... They must be thinking about her, thinking about losing her and getting her back...] (Helena)

They left her though...

But still, this is getting interesting.

I need to pry for more information.

I want to know who this Main Heroine's real parents are!

[Helena-san, please calm down... I might actually have a clue on who Iris' real parents are. But first, can you please specify the details on how she got here? I can only remember it vaguely.] (Zero)

[I understand. My husband and I found her by our door during winter. We immediately took her in since we just can't leave a baby out in the cold.] (Helena)

[Was there anything that was left to identify her- a pendant, a special towel or a unique piece of clothing with a crest on it or perhaps, a ring?] (Zero)

I know for a fact that Iris has a ring that she uses as a necklace, but that wasn't really dabbled into in the Original Series.

[Ara ara~. So you know about the ring? The design of the ring isn't really special, and there weren't any special crest or symbol. And although Iris always brings it with her, she doesn't wear it at all, for some reason.] (Helena)

[Hmm... From what I could deduce, The one who put Iris on your front door was watching until you took her in. I know that because it's winter. He or she would check on her every few minutes to make sure that she's not too cold.] (Zero)

[Not only that, he or she must have known about you in some way... If I were to guess, that person must be strong. You were a Gold-Ranked Adventurer and your husband was a Silver-Ranked one. He or she must have the capabilities to watch you guys from a short distance without getting detected.] (Zero)

[Do you know anyone that fits those criteria?] (Zero)

[Well, I was acquainted with a lot of Platinum and Diamond-Ranked Adventurers, but not to the point where they'd leave their newborn child in my care...] (Helena)

[This is getting hard. In the first place, why would they leave their child in someone else's care? The only logical reason is a threat against their life since a Platinum-Ranked Adventurer would never suffer from poverty.] (Zero)

[Exactly. And maybe the person didn't survive since he or she didn't return to get her.] (Helena)

[That's the easiest way to interpret things, and it's very possible.] (Zero)

But there's also the possibility that he or she is a member a declining Noble, or even Royal family so in order to eliminate the danger of their newborn growing up as a slave, they left her in the care of a normal family.

But that would also contradict the fact that the ring wasn't special in some way...

Arrrghhh this is getting hard.

[In any case, I can investigate Iris' real heritage once we get going.] (Zero)

[You sure give off a very calculating and shady aura...] (Helena)

[E-Eh...?] (Zero)

[However, I sense no lie from your words, or malicious intent from your actions. I can see why Ace and Iris are very fond of you. Zero Hashura-san, I shall entrust those two kids in your care. Please, look after them.] (Helena)

[Yes. I will do my best, Helena-san.] (Zero)

They're stronger than me though.

...

Outside.

[There he is! His name is Zero. You can call him Zero-onii-chan.] (Ace)

Ace yelled while playing catch with some of the kids.

[Zero-onii-chan!] (Kids)

[Hello there, Julie-chan, Finn-chan, Aeria-chan, Carrot-chan.] (Zero)

[So how did it go?] (Ace)

[It went alright.] (Zero)

[What did my mother ask you?] (Iris)

[N-Nothing of importance...] (Zero)

Shit, I panicked for a second!

[Hmm...?] (Ace/Iris)

[Suspicious.] (Ace)

[Yes, very suspicious.] (Iris)

I looked away while sweating bullets.

[Tell us now, young man.] (Iris)

[Spill it out! Spill it out! Spill it out!] (Kids)

Even the children caught on!

Seems like I have no choice...

I placed my head near Iris' ears and...

[She was asking if you and Ace have gone "that" far.] (Zero)

It only took a second before a reaction occurred.

[Tomato!] (Finn)

[Onee-chan became a tomato!] (Julie)

[A very ripe tomato!] (Carrot)

Iris instantly reddened upon understanding what I said.

[Eh?! Iris, what did he say?! What did he tell you?!] (Ace)

When she saw Ace approaching, she blushed even more-

[S-Stupid! It's a secret! G-Get awaaay!!!] (Iris)

-And blew him away with Wind Magic.

[Naniiii?!?!?!] (Ace)

...

We explored the town before sunset.

I met everyone that Ace and Iris were acquainted with.

They were really chill.

And sadly, those who planned on making romantic advances on Iris immediately backed off upon seeing the chad, Ace with her.

(Narrator: This idiot isn't aware that he's half the reason, not just Ace.)

It was really hard to lie about our identity as they were asking left and right.

Luckily, our fake Guild Cards worked like a charm.

[Oh! Silver-Ranked in a month? You guys sure are talented! Haha, nothing less from the top graduates of the Academy!] (Johnson)

Said mister Johnson Fischer, the town's local blacksmith.

He also asked about our weapons and gear, but what we had on were simpler stuff that the old man provided.

Our disguises are perfect.

Night came, and as Helena-san prepared dinner for us, Iris' big brother and father finally came home.

[Ara ara~ Jurio, Dear, you're home. Look who we have here today.] (Helena)

[Nii-san! Father!] (Iris)

[Iris?! Iris!] (Joe)

[You're home!] (Jurio)

The two immediately embraced her.

[Good evening, Jurio-aniki, Joe-oji-san!] (Ace)

[Oh! Hey there, kid!] (Joe)

[Ace, you're here as well!] (Jurio)

Ace fist-bumped the two.

[That last job in Racaria (Town) was really a hassle so we came home later. But who would've thought that my daughter would come home so suddenly!] (Joe)

Jurio is an Adventurer while Joe worked as a Mercenary.

[Father, Nii-san, this is Zero. He's our friend and party member.] (Iris)

[Hoh... So you're the new guy, huh?] (Joe)

[Y-Yes. I'm Zero Hashura. Nice to meet you, Joe Kinsley-san and Jurio Kinsley-san.] (Zero)

[Fufun~. No need to be so formal, Zero-san. And Dear, stop trying to intimidate the boy.] (Helena)

[B-But...] (Joe)

[You don't need to worry. He's a kind boy that cares for these two. I've investigated him thou-rou-ghly~.] (Helena)

[I see... If Helena says so, then it must be true.] (Joe)

What trust!

[Hmm... How about we spar? Is that okay with you, Zero-kun?] (Jurio)

[T-That's fine but...] (Zero)

I looked behind me.

Helena-san was smiling indifferently while Ace looked away with a guilty look.

Iris approached me and whispered:

[H-Hold back, will you...? That's just how he establishes himself as an older brother. He's not being arrogant or anything, though he can be a bit annoying. He's going to beat you, then encourage you that not giving up is the key to get stronger, or at least that's what he wants to do...] (Iris)

[Iris, don't worry. I know your brother's a good-natured person.] (Zero)

[Oh... right.] (Iris)

[Don't worry, I'll hold back. You've only been an Adventurer for a month right? I'm a Diamond-Ranked so I should probably go easy on you. Iris, what rank are you guys?] (Jurio)

[Ada-Mmfph-!] (Iris)

[Silver! We're silver, Jurio-aniki!] (Ace)

Nice cover, Ace.

That was a careless slip-up by the careful Iris.

She's blushing furiously from Ace's sudden embrace.

Helena-san and Joe-san are smiling warmly too.

They seem to support the AceXIris Ship as well.

[Then, I'll bring my level to that rank at least.] (Jurio)

[P-Please do...] (Zero)

Well, I'm kinda tired so I look like a gloomy person.

I think he just wants to cheer me up or something.

Poor guy.

Even the little sister he wants to protect is stronger than him by miles...

[You boys can fight tomorrow. Let's eat dinner now.] (Helena)

And so we did.

Joe sat at one end of the table.

On his left were Helena-san, Julie-chan and Jurio-san.

On his right were Iris, Ace and then me.

Helena-san prepared a lot.

So we ate like we were on a buffet.

We were completely filled after eating.

[Zero and I can stay at the inn nearby. You can sleep here with your family, Iris.] (Ace)

[Yeah.] (Zero)

[Halt! Leaving isn't permitted!] (Joe)

[Ara ara~. Who told you that I didn't prepare a place for you two to sleep?] (Helena)

Ace and I just look at each other while laughing bitterly.

I guess we're sleeping here tonight, which isn't really a problem.

- Narrator -

Iris and Jurio will sleep in their own rooms.

Julie will sleep with Joe and Helena, while Ace and Zero will sleep in the guest room.

Before Zero went to bed, he wanted to bask in moonlight while thinking about stuff.

When he parkoured his way up to the roof, Joe was there, lying on his back.

[Yo, Zero-kun.] (Joe)

[Good evening.] (Zero)

[It's a beautiful night- really makes you want to fall asleep under the moonlight.] (Joe)

[...] (Zero)

Zero felt a bit nervous.

It felt like Joe was trying to size him up.

[Zero-kun, can you tell me about the development of those two's relationship?] (Joe)

"Oh, so that's what this is all about!" Zero thought.

[Ah, it's going great, I think. Ace has been more proactive in showing his care, and Iris is as love-struck as a maiden who just fell in love yesterday.] (Zero)

[Hahaha! I see. So they'll get lovey-dovey in no time, huh?] (Joe)

[Yeah!] (Zero)

[Hahaha!] (Zero/Joe)

...

[Hahaha!] (Zero/Joe)

...

[Haha...ha...] (Zero)

...

[You sure love making that empty smile, don't you?] (Joe)

[Eh-...?] (Zero)

[You... You're in love with her, aren't you? With Iris, that is.] (Joe)

At that point, Zero was put in a position he could've never predicted.