After spending a peaceful week at his house, a piece of news reached Rio's ears.
[The Heartwell family's heir Leonard rushes into the Eisjer domain to save the people trapped inside due to a collapse of an ore mine.]
"And so it begins." Rio said, rembering the plotline of this open dungeon, and the godsent gift awaiting the protagonist.
"Es," Rio said, and a mont later his shadow stepped in through the door, "We're going to Harendale. We'll stay there for 2 or 3 days, make all the preparations."
"_ Yes, master." Es froze for a second, hearing the sudden command, but still answered and steadily stepped out. Going back to contact the guild, inform the guards, prepare the teleportation circles, arrange the carriages, check security on his route, and whatever else is needed.
While she was busy, Rio walked towards his mother's office to get her permission. As he said to Agnus, no way was she willing to let him go away in the rare holidays he received from the academy,
It took a bit of a convincing and many minutes of acting cute and innocent, but finally his hard work paid off.
While he was walking back to his room, arguing with system who started repeating all the 'cringe' sentences he said to get Artemis's approval, a sharp voice reached his ears, before a tiny fra rushed his way and crashed into him. "Rio brother, is it true?"
Looking at the little bundle of joy acting all sullen, Rio bent down and spoke gently, "Calm down, my foot soldier, and tell what's true or not?"
"Sister Es said you're leaving again?" Tanya spoke, taking deep breaths with her mouth, making her words a _ little bit harder to understand.
Though she was 15 and almost a teen, who's almost the sa age as them give and take a few years, but she still had that childlike innocence in her life. Sothing which none of them had.
Alia, Rebecca, Es, Erza, Ayla, Aina - these were all kids educated and trained since their childhood. Being forced to learn everything and experience many challenges to maintain that societal image of nobility and perform their duties to perfection.
But she didn't have that.
She was simple, shy and silent most of the ti. And for the rest she was either in the kitchen experinting with her dishes with no restraints, or hearing and telling Rio's stories to and from the maids she t.
With little to no outside contact or suffering the selfishness of society, her heart remained pure. And since she was just a cook, safe at his ho, Rio didn't force himself to educate her on ways of villains either. Giving total freedom to her and fate to control her life.
And that's why everyone liked her. Her mother even going as far as to say, "The sweets Tanya makes are so sweet, just because she, herself is so sweet." cringey words, but maybe true too.
As Tanya's innate talent route does have a similar skill. And how in an event in the future of the original novel, when Rio/Devil attacks Leon's house and tries to kill his mother in front of her, she ends up cooking a poison so deadly, it puts him to sleep for seven days. And by the ti he woke up, he was already thrown into the towers of hell as a prisoner, sentenced for a lifeti of misery.
(Why am I so bad to explain stuff and rge plot lines into realti story paragraphs.😭)
"So are you really going back?" Tanya asked again.
"I'm not going back to the academy, just going out for so work. I'll be back in 3 days at most." Rio replied.
"Take with you na," Tanya said in an innocent way, while tilting her head to make her request more impactful. "I'm so bored at the house now, and there's no one to play with , or taste my dishes."
"Plus I haven't even shown you half the things I learned in this ti, you rember the book master gave , I've rembered almost half the recipes listed there. So I can co with you and make you eat everything all day."
"Tanya, I'm going for work, not a picnic trip." Rio said, refusing her request as he patted her head, "As for the food, well how about we try all those recipes once I'm back, okay."
"But…"
"No buts, Tanya. Now go and help your mom in the kitchen, I'll bring you so gifts when I co back."
"But mom's not in the kitchen. Nowadays she's always at the lab. Helping mister Augustus with his studies." Tanya replied,
"Then get Amy to help you out. She always told how much she missed those sweet cookies you made at the academy." Rio said, trying to coax her away.
"Big sis Amy is going to et sister Rebecca, she probably left already." Tanya replied, "that's why, I'm saying take _"
"Wait_ Amy's not here?" Rio interrupted her and asked in surprise. "When did she leave?"
"Soti ago. She said she'll be back a couple days before going to the academy." Tanya explained.
Rio stood up and called his sister telepathically, only to realize she was already outside of its range. He checked their common storage ring, and found a letter thrown onto the ssaging board.
A trick they use to communicate when they're distant. And to make sure their letters or hints don't get buried or mixed into the hundreds of other things piled into that ring, they deliberately set a small area in the center just for this massage table.
While Rio took out his letter and started reading it, Tanya hurriedly sneaked away. Going back to pack her luggage and all her lucky instrunts and ingredients. As for permission from Rio, didn't you guys hear Rio say yes when she called him at the end..
(Big brother, can I co? she said slowly, tugging at his clothes, and then Rio, who was busy reading the letter, nodded his head before getting lost in thoughts like always.)
…
{Brother, I'm going to et Becca at Haven. It's a girl's only secret, so don't cry over why we didn't tell you.
Ps Erza's also with , so don't worry about anything, we'll be careful and safe. Be back in a few days.
Amy.
ooh, and also we're planning a hiking trip together so maybe we'll get so network issues, so don't try to call . Or her, especially at night, you know.🤭}
Rio read the letter and then shook his head with a smile.
[You were right, the tricks of godmother affected her more deeply than she showed outside.] System spoke what its host had predicted a week ago. [You sure, you wanna let her out of your sight. She may do sothing stupid.]
"If I want them to be strong, I can't control their lives all the ti." Rio said, "Gauri was right, my shadow will only make them more dependent on , my overprotectiveness is only hindering their potential. So I'll just let them live freely now."
"Let them make their own decisions, their own mistakes, so when I'm occupied or not around, they can better control themselves."
[What if she sses up one of your plans? Endangers not only herself, but all you've worked for all these years?]
"_ If that happens, we'll just have to step up and handle things. Only when the sky crumbles, we'll show up to lift up the clouds." Rio replied and looked at the clear sky outside, "Plus she's not the sa Amy she was 3 years ago, she's changed. She'll take care of herself now."
[Host, if you're worried about the nightmares, or the voice in your head resurfacing again now, then _ ]
"They're my mories, and my trauma to handle, you said so yourself, right, that no amount of potions or pills can heal my broken psyche, so don't worry, I'll be fine." Rio said, reminding system of their previous conversation when he started rembering bits and pieces about Kajal, or Katherine. (ch 205 & ch 276.)
[...] System, who wanted to tell him about the dark entity living in his head, swallowed its word and went silent. Clearly now wasn't the ti. He's not ready to handle the truth yet.
…
While Rio started making preparations for his adventure to steal Leon's chance, and interrupt the plans of Apollo to gain power, _ Alia on the other hand was planning an assasination in the capital.
"You sure you want to do this?" Rebecca asked, looking at the mission tag from the adventurer's guild Erza picked up for them.
"You know I have to." Any replied, mories surfacing of her past as she clenched her fists in anger.
When godmother took control of her body, her consciousness just stayed there, struggling to free itself _ that feeling of helplessness was horrifying. And she never ever wanted to feel that again.
And since she wants to train her mind to be clearer and calr, what better way than to solve out so unfinished business from her past.
"He was the first one who made feel how ignorant and weak I am, so if I want to grow beyond that, that's where I'll start." Amy said, taking a look at the profile on mission notice.
{Mission - The infamous Gyandel
Wanted - Dead/Alive (To collect reward for his death, proof must be submitted first.)
Target rank - ???
Target strength - ???
Target's main God - Apate, the goddess of lies and deceit.
Criminal Record - Cris against royalty, charged with murder of over 30 noble and elite family mbers. Causing public distrust and riots, conspiracy for promoting terrorism, 12 recorded counts of theft and arson at rchant routes leading outside Schilla.
Mission history - 18th draft. (All 17 previous challengers who took this mission have been missing, presumably dead.)
Mission difficulty - High.
-- To accept, pour your mana and sign your na at the bottom.}
Rebecca looked at Amy's anger, and placed her hand on her shoulder. "Have you talked to Rio about it? You know it can make things complicated for him and you?"
"Nyx and Kali, they were always going to fight anyway, killing her daughter's avatar won't change a thing." Alia said sternly, and poured her mana into the letter to sign her na on it.
"Ria" The na appeared in the corner for a second, before the page started burning and turned to ashes.
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