The Darkness of Valorious

Hiro who heard his words grew angry not from the implication to him but instead from the heartache it caused his family. Though still recovering, his emotions vanished from his face, as Aura, Mana, and Spirit started to revolve around him in a mini light show.

The girls who felt both the change and saw the calibers revolving in the air knew, their man was about to lose it. Fearing the worse, Vanessa and Jade held his arms and embraced them. Raylene quickly moved to his front and grabbed his face as she forced him to look at her.

"Darling! We are fine! Not now! I know how you feel! We will get him back for that. But not now. Please! Come back!"

Her firm and heroic voice brought the trash swordsman back to his senses, the hands grabbing his cheeks were trembling in fear. At the skull woman's words, two other voices spoke one after another.

"Hiro-sama, you will not die! You are going to come home just like always! I refuse to believe anything else! So Please! Please calm down!"

"Husband. Curb anger. His words meaningless. Focus on goal. Stop being childish."

Vanessa tried to prevent her voice from cracking, but tears were already spilling from her eyes. With the hunt tomorrow, they could not afford a battle right now. It would directly reduce the odds of Hiro returning. The Maid was willing to endure any hardship so long as her man returned.

Jade on the other hand grew angry at Hiro, as she considered responding to provocation stupid. She knew Max was trying to bait her husband to react. Hiro failed to see how stressed she and her sisters were at his departure tomorrow.

They regularly cried themselves to sleep, the powerlessness they felt at leaving everything to fate suffocated them to the point they could not breathe. Doing everything humanly possible to stop themselves from staying idle, they all acted to waste as much time as possible.

Brushing hair, practicing etiquette, and even practicing making faces became ways to alleviate their worry. It became better than sleeping. When one dreamt of nothing but nightmares no one would want to rest. Doing enough just to be able to function, desperation and worry gripped their hearts.

Yet Hiro now wanted to throw it all away just because of this stupid bastard. Jade felt furious not at Max but at her husband instead. The transmigrator took a moment to step back. He felt the dampness of tears in his right arm, the angry fingers digging into his left arm and the trembling hands on his face.

Each represented the state of mind of his women, all because he was about to challenge Max. While he placed their well-being above his own, they also considered his above theirs. Warmth flooded his heart. Again being reminded that his life no longer belonged to him, but to them, the transmigrator rapidly calmed his heart.

- Alert: Reality Rearming: [My women are my world] has been upgraded to [My life belongs to them] -

-Alert: Reality Defined: [My life belongs to them], Skill [Strength Derived from Pride] now grants increased Health and Caliber regeneration on top of giving a stat buff based on combat situations per wife target present! -

- Alert: Wrath of the Vengeful activated, Inherited Transgression mutation acquired! -

- Inherited Transgression: attacks on wife targets grants unique a Mark of Vengeance symbol for that wife. The mark bonuses from each wife target stack with other wives and the Host. -

- Alert: Maximilian Andino has approached within 100 meters of the host. Three marks detected ([R],[V],[J]) initiating combat grants a 90% increase in combat-related active skills! -

Hiro felt weird, the system acted like a private psychiatrist. Every time he made a significant decision the system created mutations and skills to represent them. His mental stability defined his abilities, the man hoped the opposite does not hold true.

When the Hiroyuki regained control of his emotions, his face again showed a slight smile, and the calibers floating around dissipated.

He then looked at his wives in a gaze absolutely dripping in affection and spoke in an equally love-struck voice. "Girls, I am fine now, thank you."

With feelings returning to his voice and countenance the girls knew the worse has passed. The day Hiro trashed twenty-five adventurers his harem all started to fear him.

They all went to Krayto in secret much to the old man's annoyance. The women asked the veteran warrior why did the transmigrator suddenly do something so inhumane. His response brought them nothing but alarm and worry.

"What? You expect power to not require payment? The bastard was probably low in Spirit and Aura possibly even Mana.

"Listen here you three, the caliber diseases are not something to be taken lightly. They are not simple side effects like most people think they are.

"Aura gives one pride but balances aggression. Without it, you will become a blood-drunk warmonger.

"Spirit gives one peace and a sense of belonging which controls apathy. If you become apathetic you become an emotionless machine.

"Mana gives one happiness and a sense of worth, similarly it reigns in depression, extreme depression causes people to want to see the world burn.

"From what I am hearing the bastard exhibited all three caliber diseases at once, which turned him into a battle-hungry, apathetic bastard who cares not for others but wants to see them suffer.

"Well, should I say as expected of a transmigrator? Caliber diseases are like a drug, if he experiences them too frequently, his personality will change to the point of insanity.

"The examples I stated are all real. They all had names and were powerful people who never recovered from Caliber diseases. Each one of them grew too dangerous they had to be executed.

"If you care about that bastard, ensure the times he stays in such a state is as short as possible. Otherwise you will lose him in more ways than one."

Since that conversation, they slaved without rest to find a way to alleviate such a state. The golden fluid or overdrive canceler became the fruits of their efforts. Vanessa concocted it at great expense supported by their entire household.

Each of them carried three vials at all times to ensure they could assist Hiro when needed. Of course, the man himself always carried four vials. This serum became the most important medicine in their household.