Chapter 3: Fluffy Moment

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(...) -> small moment of silence

"Talking"

'Thinking when the story eventually is in third person'

[Chanting]

{System} (If it was even talking in the chapter at all)

Don't shy from commenting on a typo or suggesting a modification to certain things that didn't make sense to you.

I hope you enjoy reading this chapter.

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Nephelont: "Then I will just have to get strong enough.

There was once a hero who was way weaker than his love interest. He was mocked for it.

Her close people denied and discouraged him because of it.

His solution? He got strong enough to stand beside her. It was that simple.

So, taking after his example, I will just have to get stronger"

*sigh*

Who was that?

"You will go through a lot going down that path. knowing that, will you willingly go along with such hardship?" Oh, father. He is saying this in a weirdly majestic way, unlike his usual self.

"Of course" I said that with all determination I had at the time.

"By the by, why did you suddenly change the way you speak?" I need to know.

"I wanted it to seem like the most important choice yet" he said that while scratching the back of his head sheepishly.

"But may I ask, son? What was that hero's name?"

Ouch. I dug myself into this hole.

"I... don't want to... answer this question" I look everywhere trying to avoid his inquisitive stare.

Do I have to answer it?

Wait a minute. Are these stars I see in both his and aunty Haruhime's eyes? Aaah, I remember them titled hero lovers, alongside Tiona. God bless that one, she is cute.

She is just like a child. If not for her real age being mentioned, I would have assumed her to be an early-to-mid teen.

They are still waiting for an answer. I will still try to avoid this one.

I steel my nerves and ask.

"Hestia, do I really, really have to answer that one?"

"Of course, you must give us information"

Before she could open her mouth, father said this. Zeal dripped from his voice.

"We need to document his tale and tell it to others. His epic shall not die with us" Aunty followed with the same zeal, her cute tail swishing from side to side.

Should I say it?

No, requesting to touch that will need proper justification.

"You better do as they ask. The last time something like this happened, the poor soul who they asked didn't get a wink of good sleep for weeks. They took turns pestering them to give up the info" It was then Hestia said a dreaded thing, in a dead monotone voice and a face to match.

If I tell them, I will have to spell even more information about my past life. If I don't, I will be pestered, a lot according to Hestia's testimony.

"What about no?" I don't want everything to be known. I already told them a few too many things, just to avoid misunderstandings. But the rest is unneeded for that purpose.

"You HAVE TO tell us" The stars in their eyes shone brighter.

"I won't tell you the name, if I still have a choice, but a hint should be fine" This should be fine, right?

They nodded. Phew, they are willing to settle this with a hint.

"His name has to do with music, and he was an arsonist" I know I made him sound horrible, but I have to twist my truths however it was possible without being a lie. Father loved his magic, Firebolt. But as it stands, being in love with shooting fire so willy nilly is being an arsonist in my books.

I was born after the fact. And father's adventures didn't become a widespread hero's story, not as known as some others yet. I shouldn't know as much as I do now. I didn't hear anyone talking about hero stories near me before, which doesn't help with Hestia's lie detector.

"The name?" Why do they have to be persistent?!

"Told you they will pester you" Hestia is still looking dead. Maybe she was the victim last time? Seems like it.

"But they promised to not dig for more?!" I shout lightly in defiance.

"It is useless against these two" Mommy destroyed my defiance.

"Uhhh, fine, fine. I will tell you his name if and only if you stop asking questions regarding this matter and its implications. Do you agree to that condition? And this time, it's final" I say to them.

They didn't take even a moment to think, they just nodded with enthusiasm and waited, their eyes still shining. Is this normal in this world? Is it normal for people's eyes to have stars in them and shine on top of that? I will assume so because nobody else questioned it.

I pray for your forgiveness, father.

MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA, I will make you suffer mommy's wrath and jealousy after breaking a promise with me.

"He was the spitting image of a rabbit, a cute lady killer of a man, however that could be. His hair was white as snow and his eyes were of bright blood-crimson, filled with childish glee when he thinks of his future adventures" Most started holding their laughs and giggles by now. The only exceptions are Mommy, whose expression is still stoic - to some extent, and father and aunty who were drowned in their excitement at the prospect of a new hero story. Their excitement made them forget who resembles a rabbit here.

"He started his journey in hopes of rescuing maidens and falling in love with them. A harem of his lovable ladies, especially elves as he has an elven fetish.

It was a dream within reach, if not for him being rescued from a monster and falling in love one-sidedly for a long while.

Before giving you the name though, I will mention some of his deepest embarrassments, three of them.

He sucked the bodily fluids of a mermaid monster while his companions were being persecuted by a stronger monster. Even though he had a heavy crush on a woman, he slept with an elf, naked. I will leave what happened after to your imaginations. Lastly, he promised a goddess to fall in love with her, knowing he still loved his first crush. What a naughty rabbit. His name is Bell Cranel, my father" It was at this moment, Bell knew, He. Fucked. Up.

His prior excitement vanished like a candle in the winds. Oh, did I forget to mention mommy exerting pressure that screams bloody murder after hearing that "elven fetish" tidbit? Because she does.

"Aiz, why do I have a bad feeling about this? Aiz?! AAAAAAAAIIIIIIIZZZZZZ!!!" And his screams disappeared into the darkness of the corridors, not to be herd for what remained of the night, probably.

"THAT'S FOR BREAKING YOUR PROMISE OF NOT ASKING MORE ABOUT THIS SUBJECT. YOU BROUGHT THIS UPON YOURSELF" I scream for him in hopes he hears me.

"Anyway, should we interfere with that?" I look at Hestia and ask.

"I don't think we should. That is something they should solve alone as a married couple" Hestia answers sweat dropping.

"Are you not afraid for his safety?" I ask her.

"Not really. He can solve it on his own" Uncle Welf assured.

I don't really know if you should trust THE Bell Cranel when it comes to his crush.

Anyway, I wanted to ask a question without mommy's presence. She might undermine this one.

"By the way, aunty Haruhime?" I take her attention back to me.

"FUEH?! YES?!" she was forced out of her concerned trance.

"I require repayment for forcing an answer out of me, and for breaking a promise" I say that looking at her ears and tail.

She noticed that and started covering them with her hands while blushing.

"No, they are for someone else" She says bashfully.

Sigh. How sad.

"PFFFFFFFFFFF" Aunty Mikoto had a spit take in the background.

Probably thinking that aunty Haruhime is still stuck on love that wouldn't be given back. How sad.

"Hahaha, you don't have to be so guarded. I meant that I'd use the excuse of brushing your tail to feel the fluffiness of your fur. I always wanted to touch an animal-person's fur before. It is a great excuse to tease you, too" I made clear what my real intention is.

"By the way, who might that person be? I hope it is not father?" I just want to tease her about it, okay?

Her face started reddening at an alarming rate.

"Pfft, HAHAHAHA. YOUR CUTE BLUSHING FACE IS ENOUGH PAYMENT, HAHAHA" I say, laughing at her expense all the while.

"That is mean" Hestia comments plainly.

She became a blushing mess for most of the time my parents were gone.

As for aunty Mikoto, she was still in a shocked trance for a while.

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(About an hour later) (AN: It's 8:30 PM for them right now)

Mommy and father returned acting all lovey-dovey, saying that they shared the details of things I said about my father's past.

"Father, you didn't do anything weird to mommy, did you? Returning with her in a princess carry is not a normal thing, is it?" I squint my still draconic eyes at him, trying my best to intimidate him.

"OMPH" I immediately regretted that, as I was tackled down to a hug by aunty Haruhime, who conveniently forgot her embarrassment by now.

"How cute" she said.

"Aaaaaaammmm, aunty? I don't think I was meant to be cute. I should come off as menacing, at least come off as even a little worrying seeing as I am an infantile dragon. But NOT cute. The curse of the "Cranel Cuteness" runs deep in the family it seems" I say that out loud, unknowingly.

Father blushes like a tomato "You should say that your dad is handsome, not cute" he nearly shouted.

"Two things. First, that was meant to be my thoughts, not something I say. Also, you have been a cute "rabbit boy" up to now" I say in the smuggest voice I could manage.

"Aiz, you are my only ally here, right? OMPH" He was grappled into a lap pillow.

"Cute, fluffy white rabbit" She said with a dusting of pink on her cheeks. She was fluffing his white locks. Her face stoic and her voice monotone.

Father is a stuttering mess at the moment. No dialog from him is available for now.

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(After they calmed down)

"Mommy, there remain things to be discussed, right?" I ask.

"Umm" she nodded.

"Before that, why was Welf awfully quite this entire time? His serious face conveys a since of incoming danger, even to me" Hestia interrupted that conversation of ours.

We look at him, and indeed, he is in deep thought about something.

"What were you thinking about, uncle Welf?" I ask him directly.

"Hmm? Nothing that relevant for now" He says. Unconvincingly, might I add.

"So, it IS relevant. Tell us about it" I demanded answers.

"Sigh. It wouldn't be relevant until at least 8 years later. Don't worry" He tried to wave it off.

"I insist. Why not tell us now so we could prepare in advance?" I persisted.

He looked at mommy, only for her to nod at him. Are these two accomplices?

"I'll tell you when you are 7 years old, my dear nephew" He said that in a defeated tone.

"Forget that. What say you about marrying my daughter when you both are of age?" He said that with a cunning smile. He is trying to div... Wait just a moment. HOW DOES HE HAVE A DAUGHTER? A MOTHER, WHO IS THE MOTHER?

A voice suddenly came to me, from the innermost parts of my brain "Hephaestus... Hephaestus..... Hephaestus........" fading with each time it repeated that accursed probability.

"Huh?!" Nephelont.exe failed to execute.

...

"Who is that daughter's mother?!" I ask, shaken a little at the implication of the impossibility.

"Hephaestus, goddess of the forge. Though, why are you startled?" He inquires.

I recollect myself before answering "Aren't goddesses incapable of becoming pregnant? How did you overcome the impossible?" I ask him.

"It just happened. We came to the conclusion that they are able, at a really low chance that is" He smiled so proudly at himself impregnating a goddess. So smug.

Oh, OH. There comes the perfect tease for a certain far-eastern aunty of mine.

"So you say that both miss Naaza and aunty Mikoto have chances with Lords Miach and Takemikazuchi respectively?" I asked.

"How did you know that?" She asks in bewilderment. She also sounded so collected for someone whose cheeks are red in embarrassment. I commend such temperament.

"Lily thinks that your love is quite obvious to take note of. Only that the gods involved are dense, like someone I know" She took a jab at father's dense nature.

"Lily agrees, however. How did you know?" She has become suspicious of me already.

"I remember saying that it is final, that nobody should ask me about that subject?" I ask.

"From what Lily can remember, you were only talking to master Bell and miss Haruhime. We were not involved in the deal" She showed a smug expression at her conclusion.

"Naughty child" I will take a jab at your height if you are so smug with me.

"HEY" An angry Lily, the best thing to see today.

"Remember how I am 23 inside?" I asked.

"Don't you dare divert the conversation from our point" She brings the conversation back to square one.

Everyone's eyes shined at the opportunity.

"Tsk" I guess, since that one said that he will send me to "different worlds", that I will leave this one to another. Maybe it is fine to tell them a little. (AN: Sadly, I am this naive sometimes (severely underestimating his situation). And Nephelont is sort of a SI, so...)

"I want to confirm something first. Why are all of you not treating me like some sort of monster? I mean, I am an adult in the body of a child. I may have as well hijacked this body, and the original soul resides in limbo now, its fate undecided" I have had this concern for a while now. What will they think of me if they knew my true nature? That I'm not as young of a child as they thought? That I may have killed their true son?

"You are still my child regardless. I had given birth to you, raised you. You have been yourself this entire time. One more thing. There is a link of wind between us spiritual beings who bear Aria's, my mother's blood. The you in front of me right here and now has that connection with me. There is no reason to treat you as anything but my son"

Unexpectedly, it was mommy of all people who talked. The woman known to me as a woman of few words talked a lot for my peace of mind.

I cried to sleep that night, in relief of being proven innocent, that I didn't take someone else's place and at the fact that I'm, indeed, mommy's child.

I really should control my emotions more.

{After fulfilling certain conditions, the skill "Cute Appearance" has been acquired. Master can see its details in the skills section}

I was drowned in my overflowing emotions that the system notification wasn't known to me until it was next morning.

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Well, the thing with why this chapter was late by about a week is that the drafts were suddenly deleted by inkstone. Yes, inkstone deleted my drafts of this chapter and I had to write it again.

I am quite thankful though. The reason is simple. If the chapter was following the deleted drafts, it will start from next day morning. That will take away from the core things of many of the present cast. Like Bell and Haruhime's adoration of heroes. It is overflowing to the point of actually pestering people about heroes, if what I grasp about their characters is right.

I will mess Lily's over suspicious personality, Welf's friendliness, Mikoto's normally composed mindset, gained after years of tempering it from when she was still training since the far east till now, Aiz's habit of giving Bell lap pillows while fluffing his "fur" and her jealousy of when she hears him doing something with another woman. Things like that were not present in the drafts, they felt rushed and seemed like they brush actual characteristics of the cast aside in favor of plot.

There is also the fact that the conversational format I was using for the past chapters does not allow for much detail to be written from my perspective at least.

Do tell me if both/one of them still need/s adjustments.

As I have no studying for the next week or so, expect an interlude and maybe, possibly a chapter before Saturday midnight (Time zone GMT +3). Don't put your hopes on the chapter though, as I still have responsibilities in a Warframe clan, where I am a founding member of, and a thing I want to accomplish in ARK: Survival Evolved. They take time.

One more thing, I couldn't, for the life of me, put so much fluff in so few chapters (5 Chapters as planned before). And thus, I will increase the number of chapters spent in DanMachi. As for the "Hell Later" portion of this volume's title, it will become clear by the first chapter of the next world.

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This here is my personal emotions. You may skip them if they don't interest you.

So, I know it is not probably wise of me to write this here, but I'm starting to lose hope in people commenting if the story was good enough or if it still lacks some polishing in certain areas.

By now, I'm only continuing this story because I have a value in life, such that "If a promise is within reach, fulfill it". Say that the promise doesn't go against morals and only really needs time to fulfill, then I will fulfill that promise. No matter how long it takes.

The promise I made was that I will either finish this story or die trying. But still, your comments are going to make me feel encouraged, since that means my writing has enough potential and was commented on.