A delicate balance 1.23 - ING. VERSIÓN

Viggo and Kain arrived at the mansion of Hephaestus, with its large white walls and huge windows. Two stories high and one hundred meters wide. The doors at the entrance were made of firm and beautiful wood, varnished in nature, with a large aldaba hanging from a lion's head made of bronze.

Viggo and Kain stood in front of the door. Kain took the knocker and hit it twice. Then he looked at Viggo next to him, the young man ran his hands over the sides of his pants to dry his sweat. Kain smiled, tapped him on the shoulder, and Viggo looked at him. Kain raised his finger and drew two circles in the air. Viggo turned to look at him head-on and Kain combed his hair to the side while Viggo looked at him with her beautiful lazuli eyes. Once Kain finished combing his hair as best he could, he took his chin and turned his face from side to side to look at him in profile.

-Mmm, you are less ugly than usual, your mother will be happy- Kain said in a burlesque tone and with a smile on her lips. Viggo frowned and grumpy angrily. However, Kain just smiled to him and let out a chuckle.

The door latch sounded, Kain and Viggo looked, and the door opened. From inside appeared an old lady dressed in a dark servant suit and white apron. The old lady in appearance would look at Kain and bowed.

-Master Kain, good afternoon, the lady is in her workshop- was the first thing she said. Then she got up and looked at the other person. Her face was filled with amazement, and then she made a big smile. She came over and hugged him –Master Viggo, so long, so long-

-Esther, you're crushing me- Viggo said in a choked voice.

The woman smiled and just hugged him. Viggo had grown up in another house, but when Hephaestus brought him, Esther was the one who took care of him. He remembers it as a child, but with the years and experiences, he had stopped coming.

-I'm so glad you are okay- said Esther, leaving her hug.

-Me too, I'm glad you're okay- replied Viggo.

-I find him taller and more handsome, must he have been training with his father?-

-Not exactly, but almost-

-The important thing is that you are okay, pass, pass, his mother is in her workshop-

Viggo looked at Kain and nodded. They both entered the house and Esther left them to go to the kitchen and prepare a dignified dinner. Kain and Viggo advanced through the reception of the mansion and then went into a long corridor. The walls and ceiling were painted white with beautiful cornices and wooden dust guards in the upper and lower corners. On the other hand, the walls were adorned with painted pictures by Kain, Hephaestus and Viggo. There were much more Viggo's paintings, from when he was born until two years ago, when he became rebellious and did not want to listen to anyone.

At the end of the corridor reverberated the classic and distinctive ringing of a hammer when tempering the steel. It sounded clear, firm and precise. Kain knew it was the sound of Hephaestus, while Viggo could only guess it was his mother. They advanced to the end of the corridor, arriving in front of two dark brown doors. Kain opened the door, and the sound of the hammer became louder and clearer. Viggo came in behind him and Kain closed the door.

The goddess's office was a luxurious room with a large dark wood desk in its center and a fluffy-backed leather chair. Behind the chair was a wide wall with a large painted picture, where Hephaestus and Kain stood in elegant clothes and held one-year-old Viggo in their arms. They looked like a young and beautiful noble family.

On the left side of the room was a lot of furniture that functioned as displays. On the right side were many shelves with books. One of those shelves had the left side running forward, the width a person could pass. Behind the shelf was a room with exposed brick walls. Weapons and tools were also seen hanging on the walls. On the other hand, the sound of hammering came from that room.

Viggo moved forward looking at his mother's office, but was inclined to go see the displays with guns. All were made of fine wood and a glass cover that translucked one or more weapons inside. These were the best works of the goddess, which had a crystalline appearance; of celestial colors, green and bluish. However, in the middle of all those furniture with beautiful weapons, there was an individual exhibitor with two katanas that clashed with the other weapons.

Viggo approached the exhibitor and passed his fingers over the glass -Mom and Dad's swords- he said.

-That's right- Kain said with a look of nostalgia -Have I told you why I made them?-

Viggo denied -Mom just said that these were your swords. They represented their union and were the beginning of a wonderful life-

-Your mother is very romantic-

-That's it, Kain- said Hephaestus, coming out of the room from behind the shelves. Kain and Viggo turned around and saw Hephaestus. She wore his typical white shirt, tight pants, and leather boots. Her blood-red hair framed her beautiful face. One of his eyes was dark in color while the other was crimsi. She smiled to Viggo, happy and full to see him safe and sound. She advanced to Viggo and as he approached, his eyes filled with tears. Once she arrived in front of Viggo, embraced him with all her strength feeling complete. The smile on his lips surfaced and his tears overflowed from his eyes. Then she separated a little, took both cheeks with his hands and looked at him.

-I'm happy you're back- said Hephaestus.

Viggo pouted, his lips trembled, and he let out a few tears from his eyes. He took the sleeve of the shirt to his eyes and wiped his tears.

-Me too, Mom- Viggo said in a broken voice, almost about to cry.

Hephaestus hugged him again and kissed him all over his face. Her smile was happiness and her face shone with all the gratitude you can have for life. Then took his hand and brought him back to the exhibitor where the katanas were. He let go of his hand and opened the latch that kept the glass lid of the display closed.

-These swords were made by your father for me- said Hephaestus with a big smile -your father presented them as proof of his love and thanks to them, we had the blessing of all the gods-

Kain walked and hugged Hephaestus by the hip with his right hand and put his other hand on Viggo's left shoulder.

-It's like your mother says- Kain said, recalling the events a little differently. He practically had to intimidate the gods so that they would not snoop on their affairs. Kain had a lot of knowledge that caught the attention of the gods -I was working on these swords for two long years-

Viggo threw his head back and looked at Kain up -but they look normal- he said.

-Idiot, never let the simple appearance confuse you- Kain said half-jokingly, half-seriously. He turned away from Hephaestus and Viggo, took one of the katanas from the exhibitor, and stepped back three steps. Then he unsheathes the katana, put the pod aside, and take the katana with both hands while channeling its mana. The leaf was taking on a crystalline blue tone, becoming light until it became an acuso green color. At the same time, glows appeared inside the leaf, as if a large number of stars floated in a bright emerald water.

-Beautiful- said Viggo in amazement.

-Right!- said Hephaestus super proud of what Kain had done for her.

Kain raised the edgeless side of the katana and rested it on his right shoulder. He sneered with disdain and said -your mother said the same as you when she first saw them. I was almost certain that if I didn't give her a good explanation, she would beat me to death-

-That was, that was because I still didn't know the trick that the katana shid- he said Hephaestus shielding himself, with red cheeks and a shy attitude. Kain let out a chuckle and came to her. Hephaestus raised his face to look into his eyes, and Kain brought his lips closer and gave her a tender kiss.

Viggo coughed a little uncomfortable and said -I'm still here, you remember -

Hephaestus became even more red and looked away. Kain let out a chuckle and then returned the katana to the display and closed the glass lid.

Hephaestus coughed to regain a character more suited to that of a mother and looked at Viggo - you see, let's see what Esther did for dinner- she said, stretched out his hand and Viggo took it. Then they advanced to the exit. Kain followed them and once they left the room, he closed the door. Then they moved down the hall, side by side as there was enough space.

Hephaestus moved forward looking at the paintings on the walls and smiled –Are you going to want to portray yourself this year? Last year was impossible- she said.

-Mom, I'm not a baby anymore- Viggo claimed.

-And who said the paintings were for you? they are for me-

-I know, but-

-Accept it, Viggo- Kain said from the other side -I would also like us to take a portrait, we haven't done it for a long time-

-Okay- Viggo replied in a low voice.

-Then it's decided- said Hephaestus, then she started looking at Viggo by ignoring and commenting -your hair grew quite a lot, do you want to cut it?-

-Well, as it is always fine, it is more comfortable-

Hephaestus moved and looking forward, nodding with a big smile. With her other free hand, she took Kain's hand and they advanced together through the hall.

An hour later, Viggo and his parents sat in the dining room of the house. A luxurious room on the first floor. With a burgundy and resplendent ceramic floor. The roof is white and adorned with a large chandelier in its center. On the other hand, the long table more than ten meters long, was covered with a white tablecloth and three-armed chandeliers with golden candles. Kain, as always, was sitting at the head, Hephaestus on his left and Viggo on his right.

Hephaestus took his glass of wine and took a sip, then looked at Viggo on the other side of the table and asked him -Where am Mr. Xiao taking you?-

-To the mountains, to train with a bald man- said Viggo as he put his fork with meat in his mouth.

-A bald man?- asked Hephaestus somewhat confused.

Kain let out a sigh and looked at Viggo seriously. The latter understood the look and made an uncomfortable grimace.

-With my master- said Viggo -he is a person with no hair on his head, but don't be confused, it's very scary. All day long he is serious, and his voice is as powerful as thunder. When he screams it is as if his orders roar-

-Eeeh? and were you alone with your master?-

-No, his family was with us. Well, I was with them to be more precise. The lady is called Faye and her five-year-old son is named Atreus. We are super friends; Atreus is someone nice. Sometimes I wonder how such a kind child can be the son of someone so stern-

-Viggo- Kain said in a serious tone, stopped the movement of his cutlery and looked at his face – you don't know your master, you only know what you have seen. Sometimes life forces us to become hard, but no one was born hard, not bad, not wicked, not good. It is the path that makes them so-

-I'm sorry father- said Viggo, bowing his head, but hear in his head "don't be sorry, be better" Then he raised his face and looked Kain in the eyes -I will be better and wiser, I promise-

Kain smiled with pleasure, stood up from his stall and kissed his head -I know, son, I know- he said in a calm tone -The great Viggo will be a great person in the future-

Viggo froze for a moment, he had been serious, but his father came out with those words –Father! – he complained.

On the other hand, Hephaestus laughed.

He looks down somewhat embarrassedly, thinking that he would not get rid of his own past so easily. At least, his family would remind him of his embarrassing pretensions.