Danmachi: Westward C [Vol.4] Quest 331- Surprise

[Vol.4] Quest 331- SurpriseHestia Familia ho.

"Sorry for barging in all of a sudden," Cirrus said, laying on their couch.

"That’s fine, but what brought you here?" asked Bell.

"Marital problems?" Hestia said with a smirk.

"I doubt one such as he will have such problems." Said Karen Morris, a level 4 in the Familia.

"One such as the great Lord of The Night is truly perfection!" said Clarice Boyd, a level 3 tar in the Familia.

"Boyd, even after so many years, I find your words hard to bear," said Enoch, a level 5 in the Familia. "Sir, would you like sothing to drink? I can ask Haruhi to make her wonderful tea."

"No, I’m just here to kill ti, and speaking of it, are most of your children in the dungeon?"

"Well, yeah, but if you're talking about the actual kids, Vento and Hippolyta are in the dungeon with their moms, while Natsune is reading with her mom," Said Hestia. "And seeing as Gersemi isn’t by Bell’s side, she's off with your kid."

"Hmm... well, that’s nice." He reaches into his coat and pulls out a book. "I’ll be gone in a bit. I’m just here to kill ti for them to finish preparing my surprise party."

"Oh, it is your birthday today!" said Hestia. "I was curious why you weren’t working today."

"Yeah, it’s pretty nice not working during the weekday. Oh, have you t with the Xeno?" He glanced at Bell.

"Yes, I visited them two days ago. They seem a bit on edge for so reason. Even Asterius was concerned about this."

"Even him, huh?"

‘Does it have to do with what Ouranos and Fels were discussing before I ca?’

"It seems you know sothing," Said Hestia.

"No, just so theories, that's all."

Cirrus simply read his book until it was ti, which was when Alise ca barging in.

"Dad! We need to hurry ho!" she shouted.

"Alright." He gets back up. "Did you have fun?"

"Hm!" she nods.

Cirrus picks her up and waves the Hestia Familia farewell.

Arriving back at the entrance to the Moonlight Tower, Cirrus found it very barebones.

"Welco back, captain." Said one guard.

"Thank you." He nods at them while walking in.

He could feel a familiar feeling, and he put Alise down.

"Is sothing wrong, Dad?" Alise asked.

"… Hm. I feel Ai is around." Cirrus looks around.

"You just miss her, Dad! Co on, let's go in!" Alise tugged at his pants.

"Alright, alright. I’m coming."

He then opened the doors to find it dark. He took a step before the light turned on.

"Happy birthday!!!!" several people shouted.

"Cirrus!!!!"

"Gah!!"

Ai headbutts him to the ground.

"Happy birthday, Cirrus!" she said with her bright smile on top of him. "I just barely got here! Haku, co over and hug your father as well!"

"Ai… We are too old to keep doing this."

"Nonsense!" She gets up and extends her hand. "You still look pretty young to !"

Cirrus grabs her hand and gets back up.

He saw Haku, 11 years old, walk up to him.

"Happy birthday, Dad! I, um, tried to tell Mom not to do that, but then she just blitzed towards you."

"It’s the thought that matters." Cirrus patted Haku’s head. "Oh, have you seen your little sister?"

Alise looked up at Haku, and he gazed at her.

"Oh, it has been a while since we t." Haku bent his knee. "Do you rember ?"

"A little," Alise rembered him vaguely when she was born.

"Well, I am Hakushika, your older brother."

"By like a minute!!" Callisto shouted.

"Shut up!" He turned his head towards Callisto. "That doesn’t lessen the fact that I am older than you!"

"Well, why don’t you two get to know one another?" Cirrus said. "The night is long, so have so fun." Cirrus looked out to see a lot of familiar faces. "I hope the damages are very minimal."

With that, the party began.

The party began, and many of the friends Cirrus made were there, from Jane to even Captain William, who brought him to Yamato.

"Hahaha!! So he threatened you!" William said.

"He had a spear to my throat. But look at

now!" Jane said.

"So how goes your business?" said Bann. "Last I heard, you were vying against the Poseidon Familia."

"We still are."

"Yup!" said Poseidon. "Gotta say he is a hell of a sailor! Bahahaha!!"

Even Bache from Telskyura, along with so of the Amazoness Kali brought with her. It was a festive day with tons of food and drinks, and there were even kids running around having fun.

"Kahahah!!" Kali laughed while drinking so alcohol. "Then he sent her flying!"

"Hahaha!!" Lance laughed. "Was that why you wanted to know if he was with us when we returned?" Lance looked at Argana.

"No! Shut up!" She said, embarrassed. "Oy! Bache, were you gonna try to get in with him?"

They looked at Bache, who was looking away.

"N-not really. His wives are really scary."

They looked at the wives, and each one was fearso in their ways. But they have heard what Malion had to do and sort of just let her pursuit of Cirrus go.

"Was that why you went and had a kid with another guy?" Argana raised an eyebrow.

"He is a sweet guy!"

"Oh? Then were you the one to na your child—Mmph!"

"No! No!" Bache covered Kali’s mouth.

During the party, Cirrus took a mont to take in the mont. He could see friends of old friends and friends from foreign lands. He smiled warmly, having been surrounded by so much happiness.

"It has been a long journey, hasn’t it, Cirrus?" Said Hers, coming up to him.

"It has."

The two lean against the wall in the corner with a drink in hand.

"You know, I still rember the day I first t you." Hers closes his eyes and rembers that day in the Room of Prayer. "Your eyes were like a cold edge, but now..." He glances at Cirrus' eyes. "Well, they're warr now." He makes a soft smile.

"Really?" He rose an eyebrow.

"Very." Said Astraea, coming to his side. "I still rember those cold, fierce eyes behind that deer mask of yours. I asked myself, How much have you seen for such a young boy to have those eyes? It’s nice you have so much warmth around you now." She smiled at him as a mother would at their child's progress.

"Yeah… I like this." He takes a deep breathe and closes his eyes. "I feel normal. Far better than those days, but there was one person to make it better." He opens them up again and looks at all the people at his birthday party.

"Yes, her." Astraea and Hers nod.

"I’m sure she will return one day." Astraea puts her hand on Cirrus' shoulder. "She did always say you two were bonded together—"

"Dad!!" Callisto cos up to Cirrus and grabs his hand. "Co! Co! We've got you sothing!"

She pulled Cirrus from his conversation. Callisto now being a Level 3 was considerably stronger now. Her parents and just those who know her heritage fear how strong she will be as she matures. Callisto's base stats were already absurd and now added with Falna she is shaping up to surpass Bell and her father.

"Alright, I’m coming." He follows along. "Lead the way." He stops himself from being pulled and looks to the two gods. "Sorry, Lord Hers, Lady Astraea, you know how children get."

"Of course." Hers nods. "I raised my fair share of children, it's rough."

"You go spend ti with your daughter." Astraea nods. "We can wait, ti isn't very much a problem for us."

Cirrus bows and goes where Callisto was dragging him to.

"Hmm." Astraea looks at Callisto as the father and daughter leave. "Hers, you don’t think she’s..."

"Who knows?" He shrugs his shoulders. "But seeing as she isn’t turning into an owl or having the sa or even similar aura to her, She isn’t Nox."

"But what if the sa thing happened to her as it did to Cirrus? She has the other half of Elpis."

"Then we really don’t know. When the ti cos, she will co to his side."

"You don't think... you know, that she would like her father as much as we thought she would?"

"... Yeah that was surprising but hey, wouldn't be the first surprise we gotten huh? After all you took her place as Heavens 3 Great Virgin Goddesses."

"I didn't take it I got it by default."

Going up to one room, Cirrus opens it to find Auberon and Alise with a small box. Haku was also in the room with a larger box than his siblings.

"I’ll go first," Haku said, walking up to his father. "So um…" He fidgets a bit. "I didn't know what to get you, so I got you this." He holds up his gift, a fairly sized wrapped box.

"Oh? You got this for ?" Cirrus takes the gift.

"Yeah, um, I hope you like it."

Cirrus goes opens the box to see a pair of brown boots. From a glance he could tell they were of high quality.

"Oh boots!" Cirrus smiled, happy at the gift his son gave him.

He walked over to a chair and sat down to take a better look at them.

"I asked Mom what you would like, but she listed too many things, so I thought you would want sothing pract—Thud~," Cirrus took off his boots. "You're going to wear them now!?" Haku said, surprised.

"Yeah, why wouldn’t I use the gift you gave ?" He took off his boots and put on the ones Haku gave him. "Oh! They fit like a glove!"

"It’s our turn!" said Callisto.

"Go on," said Auberon gently pushing Alise up.

Alise walks up and hands him the wrapped box. The box was far smaller than the box Haku gave.

"You three got

a gift, huh?" Cirrus gets the box and see that the box had their nas on it.

"It took us a while, but we spent a lot of ti and money on this," said Callisto. "Thankfully, the people we got really got their money’s worth! Even Haku chipped in!"

"I told them to say who their parents were so they wouldn’t try to scam them," Haku added.

"Nun-huh! You didn’t say that!" Callisto rebutted.

"He did," Auberon said.

"Yup." Alise backed him up. "I rember it was his suggestion, I even have the letters."

"The only reason this was done so well was because we told them who our family is and the Familia."

"Whatever, just open the box, Dad!" Callisto ignores everything else and just wants her father to open the gift.

Cirrus opens his gift to find a pendant. He picks it up and opens it to find a masterful drawing of his family. It has Ai, Artemis, Malion, Ryuu, Haku, Callisto, Auberon, and Alise all in a portrait. His eyes widen, and tears fall. Seeing them all swelled his heart with joy, happiness, and various other synonyms for being happy.

"D-dad, are you alright?" Alise said, concerned.

"Dad!" shouted Callisto and Auberon as well.

All of his kids stand before him a bit worried. This was the first ti they saw their father cry.

He, of course, taught them that there is no sha in crying; the ability to cry is there for a reason to express and process emotions. Be it sadness, anger, or joy, crying is as natural as breathing is.

"I'm… I’m fine." He had a sweet smile, wiping the tears from his eyes. "Sniff. Thank you." He opened up his arms and hugged all four of them.

"D-dad?" said Auberon.

"Um… Are you okay?" Haku said.

He hugs them tightly in his arms. He wanted to know that he truly loved the gift, that he loved them all as much as a father could love.

"I love you kids..." His voice was soft, almost breaking from the joy that wished to break out. "Thank you."

They looked at one another, and knew without a single word said what to do. This was a mont they also wished to rember fondly.

"Love you too, Dad," Haku said, hugging him tightly.

"I love you more, Dad!" Callisto boldly said, hugging him tightly.

"I love you, Dad!" Auberon said, hugging him firmly.

"Happy birthday, Dad!!" Alise said, hugging him as tightly as she could.

They remain there for a while. They didn't speak or anything of the sort. They just let this mont last as long as it could.

Cirrus soaks all of this in as if to rember this scene by searing it into his mind and body.

A bit later, when the party died down.

"Haku," Alise said to her older brother.

"Hm? What’s up, Alise?"

"How long are you gonna stay in Orario?"

"Ah well… about one more day, I have school and... well, yeah. My ride is the Poseidon Familia, so..."

"Then can I sleep in your room?"

Her proposition didn’t really surprise him. They are family.

"Of course." He nods. "Anything for my little sister."

"!!" Her eyes shone brightly. "Can Calli and Auby join too? I want us all to sleep together!"

"Uhh…" He rembers how small his bed was here. "I don’t think my bed is big enough?"

Haku also rembers the early days when he and Callisto shared a bed. She was rough.

"Don’t worry about that! Calli!! Auby!!" Alise rushed to get her siblings.

"Welp, guess that happened." Haku looked over to his mom, who linked her arms with his father. "Mom said she would be staying the week with Dad. Hm."

"Thank you for making her day," Ryuu said, coming up beside him. "She has been talking about this to

for weeks."

"Oh, hello, Aunty— What are they calling you? Or do you want

to call you Mom?" Haku looked at Ryuu. "Sorry about not going to your wedding."

"Callisto called

Liom. After my surna, Lion."

"Yeah." Haku nods. "Callisto has a... unique naming style."

"As for the wedding, It's fine, Haku; I know you had stuff to do."

Haku felt pretty bad for not going.

"Sorry again. But the na Calli gave you isn’t that good."

"Considering Artemis is Moomah, Ai is Fom, and Malion is Mama, mine is..." She leaned over to him. "It can be better."

"I'm sure she will get better with naming."

"She does. She keeps thinking of better nas. Personally, Moomah and Mama are really good."

"They are good." A question surfaced at the top of Haku’s head. "Hey Liom, can I ask you sothing?"

"Of course, ask away." Ryuu nods.

"Has Moomah kept treating Callisto like her child?" He turns to Ryuu's face. This was a question that he has been in the back of his mind.

"You know Artemis has a shine for her."

"I know, but we are twins pretty much. Yet Moomah spends more ti with Callisto that what Fom does? Like does Fom like

more than Callisto or is it that Dad and Fom kinda like... you know gave Callisto to Moomah as like her child to raise?"

Ryuu could see the intelligence behind Haku's eyes, the shine the sa as his fathers. Moreso than any other of the siblings, but ti will tell how much they inherited from their parents.

"A preference." She smiles and nods slightly. "I would know; I have several older siblings myself. I was not the favorite."

"So you guys do have favorites!" Haku pointed at her.

She could see the child-like expression on Haku's face. Even with his intelligence he is still a child in heart and mind.

"Between you and , Haku." Ryuu got in close. "We like our children the most and since Artemis can have any; she picked Callisto to dote on and nurture." She leaned back.

"Hmm..." He understood why Artemis cared for Callisto so much. So he asked another question. "So who is Dad’s favorite?"

"He doesn’t have any. He loves you all very deeply. But he does like so specific traits from you four."

"Like what?"

"He loves your independence and maturity. With you around, he knows your siblings will be fine. He loves Callisto’s love for him, but it is also sothing he doesn’t like as it becos overbearing at tis. He worries about her future."

"I can see that."

"He loves Auberon’s empathy and his art. He is happy with whatever path he takes in life but is worried that his soft nature will co back to bite him one day. He loves Alise’s energy; she moves around so much it’s a bit dizzying at tis."

"Hmm..." Haku nods. "Can I also ask you why you and Dad are so serious about the expeditions?"

Ryuu took a mont to phrase her words.

"Because our fellow sisters-in-arms are down there."

"?" Haku raised an eyebrow. "What do you an?"

"Haku, even after marrying your father, I still did not convert. I take a week off so I can go and et with my goddess, Lady Astraea. Many years ago, your father was also part of the Astraea Familia but left for your mother’s holand. While he was away, the whole Familia was killed, with

as the sole survivor of that incident."

"I…" Haku's lips fell. "I am sorry." He couldn't imagine it. He knows that the bonds made within a Familia are that as deep as blood as he couldn't imagine his own siblings killed. But now thinking on it his blood began to boil, his body tensed slightly at the thought. "You must have been angry."

Ryuu nods as for a brief mont Haku saw in her eyes a deep grief, anger, and darkness. But just as brief as it ca so did it disappearing with a calm and composed eyes.

"To this day, we are working to go and get their bodies."

"But shouldn’t they have been—"

"Haku." Ryuu cut him off. She put her hand on his shoulder. "There will be a ti when you will learn more of this. Today is not that day."

A secret as to why the Familia goes on expeditions so much.

"Fine. I’ll just have to bide my ti so I can help you guys."

Room of Prayer, six days later.

"Lord Ouranos…" Royman said it with a solemn expression.

Ouranos’ expression darkened.

"Is it as we feared?"

"Yes." He lowers his head. "We have confirmation from the other Guilds around the continent. The Black Beast, the Behemoth, has returned with a purple-dark fla."

"Haa~" Ouranos closed his eyes and focused. "I wished this was just old age." With his Arcanum and duty as the watcher of Gekai, he fine-tuned his senses to detect three great powers radiating into Gekai. The powers were refined and growing, yet they did not give off a wave that would cause Rifts to form. They gave off the sa feeling as humans when in a large group.

There was only one explanation of how. "The fla has survived and mutated, evolved to escape the gods, my notice, from its previous defeat, and given life to that which humanity distains... Give word to all other Guild locations to monitor the Behemoth. We will need to send people to the sea off the shores of Yamato."

"And... what of the Black Dragon?" Sweat dripped down the elf’s face to form a pool under him.

"It most likely has been emboldened by the fla. Get ready Royman, the city will soon wake up to this."

The strings of fate have strumd their cords.

The hero must take to the stage and put on a show no one will forget.