Chapter26+ BONUS

Chapter Twenty-Six: Mizu no Miyako ni Kaeru

Time passed quickly, and before anyone could believe it, a month-and-a-half had come and gone. This led to many surprising developments; chief among them was that Hestia Familia had grown in leaps and bounds as their work continued, not only because of their teacher's guidance, but because of their captain aiding them in a manner he was unaware of. Hestia had sworn them all to secrecy, but informed them as they would notice the effects soon enough, after she discovered upon their return from that first week in the Dungeon below the 18th floor.

"Listen everyone, this has to do with Bell's skill, alright? That's why I'm being so strict about it. Anyway, it seems like the skill has… evolved, for lack of a different word. It still does everything it did before, but now it has additional effects: Liaris Freese is now Liaris Freese Familia, and it still boosts his growth in accordance to his feelings; however, now it also extends that same benefit- in a reduced manner- to the rest of our Familia; everyone the holder see as true friends and family will benefit from the growth that drives them. I don't know how drastic it will be, so I can't tell you what to expect, but be aware of it as you move forward, and know it's why you have all grown so much faster lately than before"

Hestia's judgement had proven sound, as their work over the short period granted them all hefty boons. Welf, Mikoto, Haruhime, Lili, and Oriana had all boosted their stats to happily continue on to very high level 2, close to maxing, with most of their status at all B and higher; this led them all to decide to level up at last, and then they had begun to grow quickly into their new levels. All of the other girls had decided to go forward and level up to 2, after having satisfactorily raised their status after earning the right to level up; they had waited long enough. With their stats ranging from high C's to max, they took the next step. Even Ryu had noticed that her growth was prodigious as a level 5, but still not as quick as Bell's. His highest stats were already approaching the mid-range, meaning he could also qualify to level-up again soon, if he found a worthy feat. His ludicrous pace was unchanged as ever.

Still, this growth was met with happiness from them and their goddess, but ever the taskmaster, Haroeris had smiled at them and said, "Now we will be looking forward to earn the right to advance once you have all progressed enough for your next adventure; for that, you will slay the Amphisbaena under Ryu and Lili's leadership, and with your captain and I to watch you" His words set in them the same trepidation that the challenge to face the Goliath had; even having faced the Green Dragons and Bloody Hive, returning to fight the aquatic Dragon Rex was a tall order, and without the help they had before from Aisha and the others; still, they were even stronger and would have Ryu helping them, so they resolved they could lead the others in killing it once again. Of course, their teacher had to add more stipulation onto the mix, and handicapped Ryu from helping them too much.

So while the Familia planned their assault on the monster Rex of the 27th floor, while training hard to push their stats close to the required point to level, Bell decided to seek out some aid from Loki Familia per their alliance, and was able to get agreement from Finn that some of their second-string would clear the way for them to challenge Amphisbaena, and escort them back, which was a relief to him and the others. In the meantime, Aedan had been hard at work, and contacted everyone in Orario that he intended to; now with his Familia having an adventure planned, he chose to set a meeting for a couple of days after they would return. He made sure to inform everyone he had contracts with, including Ottar and the Loki Familia executives. Hopefully it would be enough of them that were on board with his plan, and if not… perhaps the surprising strength outside of Orario could be relied upon.

All the same, their preparations had gone well: the mapping was complete even though the water city, and went as planned. Each time they had gone, Bell had snatched a Jack Bird before going down, and each time their haul was considerable. Even after paying their reduced taxes early as Aedan suggested, they still had over eight million vallis stored up, which would surely be at ten after their return from the next adventure. Things were going well, and yet they couldn't let up; they had been promised a good rest after their return, though, so they were looking forward to it.

The day finally came after nearly two harsh months of training, and Hestia Familia stood arrayed with their captain, Haroeris, and a large group of Loki Familia, who greeted them warmly enough. Once everything was organized, they departed immediately. Thanks to Loki Familia taking the brunt of the effort on the way down, they made great time and- after a short rest on the 18th floor for their escort- arrived in the Water City fresh for the battle ahead. Down below, they could tell that the Rex had already spawned and was waiting on the next group to challenge it, so they put their plan into motion: much to the confusion of their allies.

"Why are they going with that formation?" Raul asked, Aki nodding in her own confusion, to the Captain and level 7 standing back with their group.

"I restrained them from relying on Ryu since she is a first-class adventurer; so she is in the rearguard. She is cleared to take out any monsters that try to attack them besides the Rex, and can assist if they begin to show serious sign of trouble; of course, we will step in, too, if things are dire"

"But they are mostly level 2, right?"

"Yes, well… they are all level 2, actually, aside from a handful, which is why I allowed Ryu to assist them at all; against the Amphisbaena- which is a high level 5 to low level 6 threat- a level 2 would have a hard time dealing damage, let alone killing it. Our level 3 leaders will have their hands full taking the brunt of the burden. When they fought the Goliath, they had five level 2's, and the rest were level 1's; this will be much the same challenge, merely at a higher level" his statement sent shock through their allies, who nervously watched the battle closely to see how it would unfold.

In the end, it was likely their experience having faced the beast once before that allowed them to pull through.

As soon as Lili ordered them to engage, a monster party had spawned from the waters around the Amphisbaena, forcing Ryu to take a great weight of effort from the start; she continued to be harried as monsters swarmed to the massacre, while Welf and the girls fought hard to injure and maim the Rex, mostly with their various magic. This only worked because- as Alfia had theorized to them- Welf's anti-magic worked against both the dragon's breath abilities. Despite kicking himself for not trying it before, he thanked the woman in his mind as he gave the monster an Ignis Fattus time and again. Once it was weak enough, it emerged from the water to get above them and try another breath attack, but Ryu judged to intervene at that moment it was exposed, and concurrently cast Luminous Wind while fighting off the other errant monsters around them. Her vicious magic forced the monster back to the water, now heavily injured, and the team of Emma, Karen, Welf, and Mikoto were able to deal devastating attacks to each head, while Haruhime and Oriana did the same to the main body.

After nearly a half-hour which felt like as many days as it was minutes, they defeated it, and even collected the liver of the Amphisbaena as a trophy. Though from where they were now moving to join their comrades, they could tell that injuries were severe, and Primo was on the verge of a mind down, with Emma having collapsed from one already. Pretty much nobody was spared, having all clearly pushed themselves right to the brink of their abilities.

"Good work everyone, just as I expected"

"He's right you guys; you all did great! Come one, let's go" Bell exclaimed, moving to pick up Emma and Primo who couldn't walk on their own, "We'll head down to the 28th floor so you can all recover; then we'll go straight back home"

He, Haroeris, and the Loki adventurers took them down to the next safe zone, which was much alike to the 18th floor, but with a great deal more water, and was much larger to boot. Not having much energy of course, they simply drank it all in quietly, knowing that they would return sometime to continue mapping, most likely. For now though, they rested, and looked forward to even more rest after their return. Catching their second wind, they left the floor and began the trek back to the surface. With only another short rest on the 18th floor, they continued straight up to Babel, and went together to the Guild once more.

Bell had collected all the stones and drops from their battle, and turned everything in save for the liver from the Amphisbaena, crediting half the funds from their part to the Loki Familia, which surprised them.

"We got plenty from our own part, ya know? This is a pretty good haul, especially for the amount of time we spent down there" Raul said, nervously scratching his head.

"Don't worry, I'm sure about this; you helped us out a lot, after all. Well, we'll see you guys again soon! Come on everyone, let's get home"

With that, they departed, with Hestia Familia forgoing any big celebrations this time in favor of simply resting at their home; in two short days, they would be hosting quite a gathering, after all.

When the set day came, they began preparations immediately for receiving guests that early afternoon. Aedan assured them the manor had ample space, so they simply made sure there was plenty of food and drinks ready, enough seats, and anything that might be pertinent to the planning, like papers, maps, and such things. They even made sure to dress their best, being as Horus had not yet truly secured any definite aid except their alliance with Loki Familia and Ottar, they wanted to present their best front.

Soon enough, their guests began arriving, with Loki and her Familia coming first, including their entire executive group and second-string elites: Finn, Riveria, Gareth, Aiz, Tiona, Tione, Bete, Lefiya, Raul, Aki, Alicia, Narvi, and Cruz. Hardly a beat after they came, Freya Familia arrived, minus their goddess.

"You were able to bring more than I'd hoped for, Ottar"

The boaz showed a smile to contrast with the sneers or poker faces his family wore, "They don't want to fall behind"

Aedan nodded as the level 8 led Allen, Hogni, Hedin, the four Gulliver brothers, as well as some level 4's of Freya Familia: Vanir, Heith, and Tammuz.

With the powerhouses of Orario having gathered first, the tension was thick already in the Hearthfire Manor, but luckily, their guests continued to arrive in short order: Tsubaki Collbrande came next with her goddess, who both went to pester Welf in good humor, while Shakti Varma and Ilta Farna of Ganesha Familia came soon after. Next were Falgar Batros and Aisha, who came with their god Hermes, along with Laurier, "Unfortunately, my dear Asfi couldn't make it tonight" was all he said, but Haroeris got his meaning well, that she would not be allowed to join their mission; this was fine with him, but disappointing. Another man showed up right after- simply named Vito- and eyed Hermes coldly, though said nothing.

"I'm glad you came Vito" Aedan smiled at him.

"I should hear you out if nothing else; this whole endeavor may be worth something to me, after all" he nearly went inside behind the man, as he was the last invitee, but stopped himself as he sensed two more people approaching the mansion. Soon enough, he saw Mia Grande and one of the cat-girl waitresses from her pub walk up to him.

"Mia, what are you two doing here?" he asked, looking between the two. The girl looked down, ears going slightly flat, while Mia simply frowned, shaking her head.

"I'll say now and privately that I won't be accepting anyone who is forced into joining our quest; I don't know what you've been told, but that's how it is. Even if your goddess is the one commanding it, you won't come along unless you want to" The women maintained their silence and he sighed, "Very well, come along then"

The trio joined the others and earned the surprise of most there, seeing the two women; even Freya Familia seemed shocked, except Allen, though his eyes did track Mia for a moment before looking away. As they took their seats, Bell and Haruhime handed them some food and drink as they had done for the others, and he spoke, "It isn't much, but everyone have what you want to refresh yourselves, and then, we'll get down to business"

-Bonus: O Tanjōbi-

In the heat of preparing to face the rex of The Water City, the Hestia Familia had been informed of an important development; though their captain had been kept out of the loop for reasons that were soon apparent.

"You mean Bell's birthday is in just five days!?" Hestia wailed, having just been told by Alfia after the woman told her to gather everyone, "You could have told me sooner, you know? That isn't much time to plan…"

"I'm telling you now because at the least, we should have a party for the occasion, and I plan to get him a gift as well; he is entering into manhood, after all" Her words took everyone's attention; the woman didn't speak much, normally. When she did, people paid attention.

"You haven't known master Bell very long, Ms. Alfia, but you seem pretty close to him" Lili observed suspiciously, many of the other girls and Welf nodding in agreement.

"For now, be satisfied with knowing that we are relatives; I will say no more"

"!"

Suddenly, things clicked in place for the sharp-minded pallum, and she reflected on just how much sense that made, "Lili guesses that explains why you also know when master Bell's birthday is, and she agrees! We should plan a surprise party for him" so the Familia got down to the important business of celebrating their captains birthday.

The day before they were set to leave for the Amphisbaena, Bell woke early as he usually did. However, rising left him with the distinct awareness of being alone.

'This is weird… normally a few of the others are up by now, too'

The feeling tickled at the back of his mind, so instead of going to cook breakfast like he might have normally, he decided to search around the grounds of the manor, having no luck in finding anyone. Eventually, he decided to check their rooms, thinking that maybe everyone was sleeping in coincidentally. Knocking and checking despite his hesitance proved that nobody was still in bed, or even in their rooms, either; now worried, Bell rushed with his high agility all the way through the mansion top to bottom.

Ironically enough, it wasn't until he entered the kitchen that he found anyone; it was normally the place he would have immediately gone to. Entering saw him jumping back a bit as a massive shout rose up from inside, "Happy Birthday Captain!"

He blinked, noticing that the entire Familia had holed up in the room, before registering the phrase that had hit his ears a moment before. He looked at everyone and their happy expressions, tearing up a bit at the atmosphere, "You guys…"

Lili and Haruhime quickly came and took his arms, "Master Bell, come on, we'll all get things ready and the table set; today's a special day, after all" the renard nodded in cadence with her friend.

"Lili is right master Bell, today we will think about nothing other than fun and relaxation, alright?" smiling, he went along with them, letting himself be seated at the head of the table, which was quickly filled out with all manner of savory foods, with some sweets. His tastes had clearly been catered to the most, but nobody complained as a great feast for late breakfast was taken in with gusto.

The day went on well from there, with the girls even putting on a show from the Dungeon Oratoria, acting, using magic for effects, and more… it was really great! Towards early evening, their energy was starting to wind down, and they had gathered in the comfortable den; Haruhime had left and returned without him noticing, and came to him holding out a moderately-sized package.

"Master Bell… um, I would like for you to have this gift; happy birthday" she was the first to give him a present, and he looked at it and her in surprise; he wasn't even expecting presents after the day he had!

"I… don't know what to say, Haruhime, except thank you"

"Of course, er… could you open it?"

Smiling, he tore into the beige wrapping paper carefully, only to gape when he unveiled and unraveled a fine set of clothes. She had gifted him a handsome garment of her homeland's tradition: a kimono. The set was fine-spun cotton, and felt incredibly comfortable. The full-length hakama were dyed a deep, solid black, and the undergarment shirt a pure, soft white. The main article though- the kimono itself- was silken, and smooth to the touch. The clothing was a deep, dark crimson, even a darker shade than his eyes, and was run-through with a small number of thin, straight, vertical lines of pure white through the red. Finally, the obi- or belt- was also silk, dyed black and embroidered with intricate stitch work depicting a fine pattern of white roses.

Despite listening closely as she gave an overview of the gift, he was still speechless, and Haruhime preened ever-so-slightly.

'Now I just have to work up the courage to tell him that I have my own matching kimono; if I can, I want to tell him what the white roses mean, too… Wait! What if he already knows?' Her thoughts of the roses and their symbolism of purity, youthfulness, young love, eternal loyalty, and new beginnings made the girl pause as a blush started to creep onto her cheeks, only made more prominent once Bell lunged forward to wrap her in a tight hug.

"Thank you Haruhime! This is a very beautiful gift" somehow, she as able to constrain her embarrassment and step aside so that the others could continue after her.

Lili and Mikoto came up to present their mutual gift, "Master Bell, it was through our combined efforts that we were able to put this gift together for you" Lili started as Mikoto nodded.

"Indeed, though we feel this will be a proper gift for you"

Repeating the process of unwrapping the parcel, he revealed a large cluster of organized paperwork. Raising an eyebrow, he looked at them, but with their encouragement, perused the gift. Doing so made him jolt in surprise, "Is this, a collected work of the Guild's archives?" Smiling widely, Lili nodded.

"That's right, since master Bell has mentioned how useful he found them, we decided to dig into them and put together everything we found that you might want to see" Her words rolled into his mind as he froze, taking in some of what he was reading.

"Er, Lili, Mikoto… are these documents… from the restricted and sealed parts of the Guild's archive?"

The tension rose significantly in the room as Mikoto nodded, Lili sighing, "As a secret among our Familia, master Bell, nobody can ever know about this. We thought that maybe there was some very useful knowledge being kept away from the public, so using our skills, we copied as much as we could and arranged this log for you"

His mouth worked without noise like a gaping fish. Eventually, he gave his own sigh and slouched, "Well, it's done now… I just hope you two weren't caught, or that there isn't anything that can trace it back to you. Still, I appreciate this gift, and I imagine it was very hard to pull off; thank you both very much" his response was much more subdued, but no less sincere than with Haruhime, "Maybe keep this a one-time thing, though?" They easily agreed he hugged them, too. Lili basking in the affection while Mikoto blushed, nodding stiffly as she patted him on the back. Releasing them, they went to the side as well so that Welf and Aedan could step in their place.

"Hope ya didn't forget about me, Bell; thanks to the big guy, I got some help with the materials and work for some goodies for ya"

"I may not be a proper smith, but I do have a good deal of skill in crafting items and mixing compounds" The two men left to grab and carry in a covered table, "Wanna do the honors, Welf?" Smiling wide, the younger man grabbed the ratty cloth and pulled it aside in one go, revealing a table full of items that wouldn't look out of place in one of Hephaestus Familia's high tier shops.

"As promised, I finished the sections of mithril chainmail and already fixed 'em to your gambeson" he indicated first the clothing that Bell normally wore under his armor plates, now with the steely-blue, interlocked, riveted, metal rings adorning it where his armor would not cover, "It's a bit heavier, but I think you can handle it" Welf grinned at Bell's own childish smile.

"Welf and Lili also mentioned that- while you obviously don't use a proper shield- you did once use a piece of equipment similar to a shield: a flared armbrace called Green Protector; with that in mind, I suggested he reforge the armbrace you use for your dominant side into an improved version of that" his eyes trailed to the next item as Aedan explained, and indeed the piece looked similar to the gift Eina had given him before. It swooped back over his arms like a normal vambrace before flaring out even wider than the Green Protector did. Unlike the reflective greyish-charcoal of the other armor pieces, though, this one now had a very pronounced silvery sheen, "I also suggested that he incorporate some very pure adamantite into the protector, instead of just reshaping the Juggernaut Shell armor. This will stand up to almost anything the Dungeon can throw at you, captain"

"And this" Welf gestured to the next item, "Will kill just about anything" Bell marveled at the spear, "I made it with some of Udaeus' sword drop; we made an alloy with it, mythril, and some very pure adamantite. The material is amazing, and it came out great for it. That… and I made it the next iteration of my magic weapons"

"What, really!?"

Welf smiled in pride, "Yeah, you're lookin' at the Shikou Kaisho: Honeō no Naga Ude; I still like Honagude better, though" the man pouted at Haroeris who sighed, closing his eyes and lifting his brow in exasperation.

"It's better than your first attempt; I still can't believe you wanted to go with Honeō no Megumareta Ashi" Welf rolled his eyes, not noticing a number of the girls embarrassed reaction to his first-chosen name; Haruhime nearly fainted if not for a blushing Mikoto catching ahold of her.

"Come on, it was clever! Calling it the Bone King's huge leg was a great pun since Udaeus doesn't have legs"

From the side, Lili raised her hand with a blank face, "Lili suggests that from now on, Welf will have restricted naming privileges for the equipment he makes until it's approved by… anyone else"

"Come off it, whu- you guys!?" Welf shouted in shock as the other girls agreed with Lili unanimously, "At least wait until you hear about this one, alright? It's even better, and this guy didn't override my first name for it" he pointed to the last item on the table, a fine recurve bow well-suited for even relatively tight spaces in the Dungeon.

"We'll see" Lili closed her eyes.

"Tch, alright… anyway, the spear is imbued with air-based magic, since I figured it would be the most versatile for ya"

"The reason is because you can charge this with magic in a similar fashion to your knife, captain" Aedan continued, "It isn't quite on the same level as your main weapon, but thanks to the runes I put on it and the materials used for it, you will certainly be able to use this spear in that same fashion, in addition to its aero-magic quality"

"That's right! The bow was something I used a bit more of that drop on" Welf moved to the last item now, indicating the shining black inlaid pieces in the curved wood, "as well as some Deformis Spider thread for the string"

"The draw weight is enough that even well-made crossbows from the surface couldn't touch it; you'll need Welf to craft special arrows to use it, but it is a proper warbow. Even monsters from the deep levels and beyond can be slain with this bow alone"

Bell's eyes were shining again, but Lili cut in, "So what did you name it, anvil-head?"

"It's called Usagi no Enkyori Kōgeki, or Usenkyogeki"

"… Your naming sense is still weird, but that's better" Lili acquiesced, "Lili still thinks your names should be approved before you try to sell anything you make; even quality items will drive off customers if they have weird names!" Having finished with his presentation, Welf descended into an argument while Aedan chuckled.

"I actually have a little something for you, myself, captain; I didn't make this one, though" he presented him with a smaller wrapped package, and he quickly opened it.

"Is this…" he turned the piece of metal about in his hands as it clicked.

"I wouldn't call it a helmet, but it's protective headgear, since I've noticed you also tend to eschew helmets along with shields" the man mock scolded him with a smile, "as you can see, this is a minimal piece with an open face and crown; still, it is well-made, and the cheek guards, crest at the forehead, and the band that holds it on your head- as well as the pieces that help cover more of the back of your head- are as robust as armor comes in Orario. Well, maybe not nowadays"

Bell was still marveling at the piece, which had a shine that matched his new protector, "What do you mean, Mr. Aedan?"

"Well, the funny thing is that when a familia vacates Orario, their assets are forfeit, generally speaking. The exception to this is anything that is kept in private holding or stored with the Guild. Usually you need a key or passcode for such things. As the last member of Zeus Familia that remained in Orario after their defeat, did you think that Lord Zeus left me no way to access what was left behind after they left?"

"Th-this is…"

He laughed lightly at the reverence Bell was showing the simple piece of equipment, "That is a legacy from Zeus Familia, headgear of the twelfth captain of the Familia: a man from what is now the Empire named Cornelius Scipio Africanus; his title was Horatius. We were never very close, but he did tell me I could use it as I wished once he retired, because our titles were similar"

Everyone deadpanned at the reason, all thinking it was… anticlimactic, but it was a piece of armor at the end of the day.

"I never had need of it before, so I left it with the rest of the Familia treasury; however, I think it suits you well enough. What do you think captain, will you use it?" he kept his wide smile as Bell nodded vigorously.

"Yes, I will; I definitely will!"

After they calmed down, Alfia came up, almost surprising Bell when she spoke because of how unassuming she was about it, "Bell, this is my gift to you" she handed him a simple envelope, though he could tell it wasn't a letter. Opening it, he pulled out a pair of extraordinary rings, crafted with enough skill that he didn't even want to guess at how much they must have cost.

"Ms. Alfia, are these… wedding rings?" he asked tentatively, his guess in line with that of most everyone else. Lili and Haruhime were almost stricken when they realized what the gift seemed to be, Hestia was puzzled, many of the other girls were shocked, and Aedan nodded in understanding.

"Indeed, they are. The rings are made from holycite, and the jewels are triangular, Barion-Cut magic treasure stones; they aren't terribly sturdy, like the armor you have been gifted, but the male of the pair will boost the potency of your magic immensely, and the partner will do the same for your own, when that time comes" Bell admired the pure white metal of the rings as she described them, gazing at the shine of the ruby-red jewels that seemed to almost sprout a fountain of tinted light when caught at the right angle.

"They're wonderful, Ms. Alfia, but… I have to ask, why give these to me?"

"I can think of no better person to give them to. When Zeus and Hera Familia were kicked out of the city, my sister and her husband knew things were not going to end well, especially with her sickness worsening. At her request, they left these hidden in a place precious to the both of them, and they remained there ever since. I found them, and knew that your mother would want you to have these, and I'm sure your father would agree"

"… huh?" Bell mumbled, a feeling reflected by most of those listening, reacting with either confusion or increasing levels of shock.

"My sister was your mother, Bell, and I can say she would want you to keep these. I'm… sorry I didn't tell you sooner, but~" Alfia didn't continue when she saw the face of the boy; no, the man in front of her, slack and tearing up. Clutching the rings tightly- but so gently and carefully- he stepped close to her without a sound and pulled her into an embrace. It was tender, wretchedly warm, and wonderfully quiet.

As Bell buried his crying face into her neck, she pulled him close to her, 'Your little boy is a man now, Meteria. Can you see him? Can you see how full of love he is, how much he takes after you? I wish you could be here to see this, but for now, I will give him all the love I know you would, if I can'

The celebration quickly wound down after that. Everyone had given their gifts and wishes to Bell and after a few words, he was left alone with the comfort of his goddess. Without a word- and without any embarrassment from him- she pulled him onto a couch, and set his head in her lap. Gently combing his hair with her fingers, she hummed, "Did you have a good day, Bell?"

"Yes goddess… the best"

"Good" the pair let any conversation lapse as she continued to musically hum, even long after her captain had fallen to sleep.

Having left the two alone, Alfia and Aedan had walked out to the grounds, where evening had fallen to the first dark of night.

"I noticed that your gifts were intent to protect him in ways he normally wouldn't; I approve very much" Alfia squeezed one of the man's hands in both of her own, "Even though I wish you could get him to wear a full helmet"

He squeezed back, "Baby steps, as long as it suits him; though now I wonder how long we will have until he puts your own gift to full use?"

"He is a man now, and can marry whomever he chooses… so long as they are good enough for him" the man chuckled at the almost petulant manner she said it, "What?"

"You've had the biggest smile on your face I've ever seen since then" his other hand came up and traced her chin gently as he looked at her, "It's a good look; I'm just happy that you were finally able to tell him, and that you're happy"

She stared at him for a moment before glancing down and away, "I want to hold onto this feeling as long as I can, and at any cost. Isn't that selfish?"

"Foolish girl… that's love. Hold onto it, but keep the wisdom in knowing that this time will pass; however, don't ever lose the hope that many more such moments and feelings will come to pass in the future"

"The future… the present feels almost fanciful; I can't even imagine a future from here, let alone which will bring more of this feeling I am enjoying now"

"Then trust me for it; I'll work to deliver a future full of these moments and feelings so that you don't have to worry"

"… I'll hold you to it; don't think I won't"

"I wouldn't offer if I couldn't deliver on it; we have come to know each other very well in our recent years, after all. There are no words nor secrets between us now" Finally, she looked back at him, looking into his eyes for any weakness, any pretense that he was simply humoring her. After a moment, her smile returned, and without a word, she pulled him back inside.