Chapter 246: Family Business

[Glenn Delfane Level 10]

"This the other kid?" Drake asked giving a slight frown.

"Yeah, that's Glenn," Bjorn answered.

"Disgusting gigolo…" Mordred spat, actually hitting Glenn between the eyes.

"Mon amour! You know I only have eyes for you," Glenn smiled, wiping away the dribble on his face with his sleeve, then he stood up extending a hand, "Je suis, Glenn Delfane, Monsieur. At your service."

Drake took the boy's hand out of habit, shaking it lightly.

"Quite the handshake, no?" Glenn said pulling Drake in so that he could whisper something to him, "May I ask what is your type of woman?"

"Nico Robin," Drake said immediately, then blinked as if he didn't mean to answer.

Glenn gave a confused look, "I do not know who that is, you will have to show me later…But it is not a problem! A man who knows what he likes can only be a good person!" he shouted.

"I don't think that's how that works," Drake grimaced.

"Nonsense! For example, The only woman for me would be Mordred. This makes me a good man, yes?"

Drake opened his mouth to argue, but Bjorn shook his head behind the teen, letting Drake know it wasn't worth arguing.

He finally sighed and took a good look at the boy for the first time.

Glenn was fairly tall for a teenager, nearly the same height as Drake. Maybe in a few years, he would even be taller once his growth spurt had finally finished. Glenn had bright blond hair cut short with just enough bangs to cover his eyes. Unlike Mordred, he also wore light armor of leather make but didn't have any equipment currently on him otherwise. His build was lean and he had mischievous blue eyes, if there was such a thing.

If Drake were to sum up the boy in one very annoying word, it would be handsome. And Drake hated it.

"I don't like you," Drake smiled, letting go of the teen's hand.

Mordred laughed from her seat while Glenn's mouth hung open.

"Well that is to be expected, I am an acquired taste of a more sophisticated palette. No matter. You are the son of the wonderful woman who has put us up, yes? My deepest gratitude Monsieur," Glenn said not missing a beat.

Drake looked over his shoulder at Mordred, "What's his deal, how do you know him?"

Mordred frowned, "He's a childhood fri-acquaintance…"

"Now now, no need to lie!" Glenn smiled, "Mordred and I are quite close."

Mordred rolled her eyes and motioned for Lucium to roll her inside.

"It is a tale as old as time. Boy meets girl, boy falls for girl, boy swears to serve her for the rest of his life!" Glen recited placing his hand on his chest.

"So you're a white knight..?" Drake scoffed.

"That is a pale comparison of what I would do for Mordred. She is my angel and I will guard her from anything or anyone who dares to hurt her. Even if she is a little daddy's girl."

"You are womanizing trash! He is the son of one of the employees in my parent's house," Mordred explained, as she sighed being rolled passed them, "I did not have the best health growing up, so he was one of the few people I could talk to."

"Ah!" Glenn gasped, gripping his heart, "Such is a rose to have such thorns!"

Drake placed his hand to his head, "This is going to be a long trip back I can already tell… Right well, since you are her plus one, she can take care of you. What's your base class kid?"

"I am a humble but noble Knight!" Glenn announced, giving a blinding smile.

Drake frowned, "I can feel myself aging in real-time. I meant what is the name of your class, and not the Glenn version."

It was Glenn's turn to frown as he brought up his status, "I will show you only because Mordred seems to trust you. And I am of course indebted to your mother for hosting us for the time being."

[Glenn Delfane]

[Race: Human]

[Professions: Empty]

[Earthbound Lance] [Rare] Level 10

[Vitality] 173 (+15%)

[Strength] 69

[Dexterity] 40

[Intelligence] 30

[Wisdom] 30

[Endurance] 110 (+15%)

[Free Points] 0

[Skills Branches]

Empty

[Titles] 

First Blood, Two vs One, One vs Many, Fae Killer, Living on the Edge, Close Call, Deadman Walking, Slayer of Sparkles, Awe of Many

Drake looked at the boy's status with some surprise. He wasn't lying when he said he would protect Mordred at least. The boy had nearly two hundred Vitality and over a hundred Endurance marking him as a Tank Class, especially when one included his class name.

What surprised Drake more was that the boy had several hard-to-come-by titles, including most of the near-death titles he aimed for the teens to get for the stats.

"Slayer of Sparkles? Don't like things that glitter huh?" Drake scoffed, laughing for the first time since meeting Glenn.

"Fairies. Lurh little cretines… You could not imagine how disappointed I was to find that fairies were bloodthirsty little bastards with sharp teeth. Very sharp teeth," Glenn spat.

"Well, this status is actually pretty impressive. I'm assuming you're a tank class?"

Glenn nodded.

"Good, that actually rounds out our squad pretty well," Drake laughed, "Okay, that's it for now. By the way, what did you do to get thrown out of the house?"

"I asked the green boy what type of woman he liked," Glenn said flatly, "But he became angry and threw me out," he shrugged, "Some people are just terrible conversationalists."

Drake stifled a laugh and walked back inside.

—------------

Going through the door and shutting it before Glenn could come back in, Drake looked around his family home, the business as usual still continuing even after he left.

He could see parts of the living room and the TV that was somehow still on. Sitting on the couch he could see the back of heads he recognised easily. White hair and wolf ears, auburn hair, short cut black hair, and of course colorful feathers that were very quickly turning into a frustrated scarlet.

"What's going on over here?" Drake asked leaning on the back of the couch.

"The little man in the box is playing dirty!" Atropos screamed.

"Quetz doesn't like this squishy pink monster that eats everything!" Quetz growled.

"You all are just noobs! Bow down!" Landin laughed.

"Landin they're from a different world… They didn't have video games…" Charlotte sighed pressing buttons mechanically.

"This isn't just any game, this is OG Smash! And Pikachu reigns supreme!" Landin corrected, Ifrit giving a wide yawn in his lap.

Drake laughed, "Always knew you were a Pokemon. Where's Kalik?" he asked.

"He's in the corner brooding after the French guy asked him something," Landin said over his shoulder.

"Right, well. We have two new additions to the gang, including the 'French guy' so be ready to deal with them."

"Who is the other person?" Charlotte asked a little worry in her voice.

Drake looked around and found Mordred, pointing her out.

"The girl in the wheelchair, Mordred. Technically her helper as well but we'll count them as one. Either way, enjoy the last day of relaxing we're moving out right after you guys have ranked up."

"Quetz doesn't think any part of the long trip was relaxing. Quetz lost a lot of feathers on the way…" Quetz cooed.

"Oh great… another one…." Charlotte pouted, slumping down into the couch.

Drake chuckled and let them continue playing, noticing some of the younger children who shared the house were staring up at the beastkin and avian girls with wonder in their eyes making him smirk.

"I know it's my reality but it's still funny how quickly kids adapt," he muttered while going to the kitchen.

There he found his brother Travis the elf girl as well as his mother and Sah Ul'. Lamar and Bjorn were also there stirring something at the stove.

"Pretty packed in here isn't it?" Drake asked, announcing himself.

"Yeah, if only someone didn't come into the kitchen to make it more packed," Travis grinned.

"I just thought I'd grace you with my presence," Drake sneered back.

"Patriarch," Sah Ul' said, noticing him, "I-i made this. W-would you like to try it?"

Sah Ul' held out a spoon filled with piping-hot liquid that had a very acidic tang to it that Drake knew well.

"Sinigang?" Drake asked looking at his mom, "We still have powder?"

His mother nodded, smiling at Sah Ul'.

Sah Ul' urged the spoon forward, her ears reddening.

Drake smiled and took a sip from the spoon tasting the tamarind, meat juices, and spice filling his mouth with blissful nostalgia for the dish.

"Ah… That is just amazing. It tastes great Sarah. You learned to do this when I was outside? It was only a half hour at most."

"I wanted to learn of your favorite foods. To make later…"

Drake felt his stomach twist seeing the usually stoic and fierce Sah Ul' act so demure, her simple statement somehow bringing a grin to his face. And also the fact that his brother was motioning to puke at him, helped as well.

"Is that right? We'll have to find ingredients to replace the stuff in the powder then won't we?" Drake said.

"I have already begun looking! Some of these tastes I can match with food from the village, but others…I fear will be difficult," Sah Ul' answered back, turning somewhat crestfallen.

"I'm sure we can figure it out," Drake nodded back then turned serious for a moment, "Mom, Travis… I think we should talk. Sooner rather than later."

The previous casual and comfortable air in the kitchen suddenly turned dour.

"I know you've both seen the notifications but I don't know how much you both know about what is going on."

Bjorn turned around nudging Lamar who was bent over a pot on the stove. The huge cyclops shuffled around an extra large spoon in his mouth with a confused look before he took in the surroundings looking at Bjorn and nodding.

"Then we'll excuse ourselves, bro, seems like something you want just between the three of you?" Bjorn said, making for the kitchen entry, Lamar, not far behind with Sah Ul' and the elf girl Drake hadn't gotten the name of just yet reluctantly following.

Sah Ul' had a more dejected look on her face but Drake gave her a smile to try to comfort her as she joined the rest in the living room and halfway.

"Thanks, Bjorn, I'll catch you two up on the way back," Drake thanked, giving the two huge mountains of men slaps on the arm.

"On what way back? Where do you think we are going, Drake? We are already home, you are home and now you bring your wife. You can start a family here finally and have my grandbabies," his mother asked confused.

Drake shook his head, "We can't stay here Mom. Everyone in this house and anyone else willing to come from this city can return with us to ReUnite. My city, that is being built up right now to protect everyone. Protect you, Travis and Dillon! Our future!"

"What are you saying Drake? You can't possibly be saying we uproot our lives that we just got back to go across monster-infested forests that contain even E-Ranks?" Travis said butting into the conversation.

"I am," Drake said not missing a beat, "I have the strength to protect everyone. And with… with Atticus and the undead on the loose it's the only place I feel like I can keep you all safe as well."

"Atticus…" his mother muttered, "Is your brother really..?"

Drake nodded, "I've confirmed it with someone staying in my city, but there are also the notifications that keep pouring in. Mom," he said stiffly, looking into his mother's eyes, "He's even worse off than he was before…"

Travis scoffed, "Yeah, if you can even say that's possible…"

"Travis!" their mother snapped, "He is still your brother! And while you live under my roof, you will have some respect for family!"

Travis flinched but nodded and kept his gaze even.

"Mom…" Drake said warily, "Travis is right."

Their mother scowled looking back at Drake now with some disappointment.

"We all know how Atticus behaved before the system. He was distant, he basically hated us when we moved in. Not only that he was never around," Drake explained solemnly, "And with the system, the power he's seemed to obtained. Did you know he calls himself a God now?"

Their mother grimaced, "That… Your older brother has always been confused since your father left us…"

Drake felt his anger boil over for a moment, "Confused?!"

He wanted to scream at her for being so naive, for living under a rock since the tutorial ended. But he knew he also held out a small amount of hope that he was wrong. Atticus and he had never been very close. No one from his mother's side of the family was and he honestly couldn't recollect why. But he did know the morals his mother instilled in him and to never look down or give up on family, even if it hurt, even if they didn't want it.

Because if you didn't have family or those you called family, who else was there?

He took a deep breath, "I won't give up on him until I see him and have him explain, but we need to face the reality here, Mom. He has killed people, I'm not even sure how many just for being different than his idea of pure. I have saved children!" Drake said his anger smoldered as he remembered what had been done to Atropos, Clotho, Quetz, and the other countless slaves he had freed and he knew were a direct result of them being sold off to Atticus.

"Children just like the ones that are in this very house! And I won't sit by and watch it happen, being condoned by someone in our family."

The heads of the teens swiveled to look into the kitchen but Bjorn shook his head telling them to leave it alone for now and pretending not to hear the conversation from across the hallway.

"You think he would go that far?" Travis asked hesitantly.

"Are you really going to tell me after the tutorial you haven't killed people? Haven't you seen things you wish you could forget Travis? I know I've taken lives for my own selfish reasons and to protect people I care deeply for, but what Atticus is doing is borderline genocide."

Travis turned his head down, not wanting to meet Drake's eyes.

"Mom, I would do anything to protect you all. And I will do my best to help Atticus see reason. But I can't do that in this city. He and others are already on the warpath and there is no stopping it with the system doling out rewards for it."

Their mother bit her lip, "Totoy… When did you learn to talk like that?"

Drake clenched his hands, "When I had to protect the people around me and make hard decisions… I've done things Mom, things I never thought I could because it was me or them. Friends caught in the crossfire… Or kids being put in circumstances they should never be forced to witness-"

He was ready to continue his explanation but was cut short, the arms of his mother far too small compared to him had pulled his head down into an embrace.

"I know baby… It's okay… We'll figure this out like we always do. I know my son is good, all my sons are good," she said, letting his head up, "Fine, if you think this is good for us Drake, well go."

"Really?" Travis asked, "Just like that?"

"Yeah, just like that?" Drake parroted in disbelief, "You don't want to talk about this more?"

Their mother shook her head, "Susmarusep! I just agreed to do what you wanted for once!," she complained, raising a large wooden spoon, "But if you ever yell in my house again, punyeta!" she yelled as she brought the spoon down on Drake's backside, "I will make it so you can not walk for days la loco! And tell those kids of yours to pack up my tevo! I want to watch my soaps!"

Drake ran around the small island in the kitchen, his mother chasing him with a manic expression and her weapon of choice, the wooden spoon of justice.

"Then it's decided!" Drake shouted desperately as he ran, "Once the kids have ranked up we'll head back to ReUnite!"