Chapter 13—lunch with family

Valor arriving in front of the double door closed his eyes with a deep breath; The doors are painted oak like the others and are chiseled with ancient patterns. It has a golden-colored ring as doorknobs, welded neatly on golden square plates. He grabbed the golden—coated handle as he opened his eyes again.

He pulled them with a hefty smile and their dining room showed its interior, It's not extravagant like one would expect. just composed of Cushioned wooden chairs, a rectangular table of wood— Sheathed with a maroon table mat, and lamps on the wooden designed walls.

Here already sits, Rein, Aunt betty, And aunt betty's older child— Harden, About sixteen with brown hair and is 1.9 meters in height. The three all looked at him before all wore a smile. "There's the promising lad..." Aunt betty welcomed him with her usual demeanor, Smiling brightly with her porcelain teeth.

"What took you so long? Practicing some spell? Huh?" She asked assuming with her still smiling face. "Mom!" Rein intervened, signing her mother to stop. But Valor didn't get uncomfortable with the question and smiled at aunt instead. He said, "Yeah I was practicing some magic circulation and moves." This gave the three different thoughts, assuming with his concise explanation.

Aunt betty went first, "What mage's circulation did you get?", "I thought you are between?" , "So our plans of fighting beside each other are now off?" They bombarded him with questions, with curiosity, confusion, and disappointment for the broken dreams they had.

Valor who just sat beside Harden smiled in denial before explaining, "Oh... no, No, no no no... I didn't become a magic learner, I threaded the path of Magic enhancers instead. To the way of magic knights is where I'm going... Isn't that great?" He explained enthusiastically, Hoping for them to give advice and react normally. But they just went quiet and looked at him pondering, three seconds of silence and he started smiling awkwardly.

Three more seconds and aunt betty leaned to the side of Rein then started whispering, Sadly it isn't audible in Valor's ears, so he gulped a bit nervous. Rein then answered Aunt with confirmation, "Yep, He said magic enhancer." She said while looking at Valor with a gaze, Making him feel more uncomfortable.

"Isn't great?... Is it?... Father just said they are just a little bit hard, but I think I'm sure I can do it." He said nervous, But he is not letting them crush his spirit. Luckily Aunt betty answered with a question "Your father said that they are a little bit hard?" Valor nodded and answered, "He said that it needs constant pressure to keep it in good quality... That its common knowledge is banned because people are blinded with their past glory, Most cannot even pass through the very first requirements."

Betty rolled her eyes while saying, "That cunning man..." She then looked at him and explained, "Okay, listen here. The path you are taking is one of the noble paths... Don't want to pamper you here, but they are called the foundations of heroes." She took a sip of wine and continued, "Only a few people can choose them isn't because they are so hard... Well, they are hard. But it's because they are within the human from the beginning. The talent and determination." She then exampled, "If the only requirement to become a magic knight is to wield blade and magic, then your father wouldn't be a swordsman now."

Rein then took the lead, "That's great Val, Really great... Spare some time to be my aim dummy?" She asked with hidden intent in her eyes, Valor of course looked away in a hurried demeanor, he already knows where this is going. He'll be railed with bullets if he agreed, he fell for that question to his mother not long ago—he was bedridden for two days.

Har patted his shoulder and joked, "If You go out there and announced you had taken the path to magicknight. Many Nobel chicks will willingly open their legs for you." He said smiling, with chuckles escaping his curved lips.

"Brother!"

"Har, sweety." His mother and sister quickly warned, while he smiled more and reasoned smiling, "Why?, Isn't it the best to warn him now? Come on, he has the hero's foundation. That's more than enough for a noble family of the capital to celebrate for a week. We can't let him walk there ignorantly with that title, Like no scavengers hunt for his body, or no malicious human may take advantage of him." He explained while remembering some memory, painful ones.

Elizabeth sighed and before saying, "Alright, I get your point. But that joke of yours is inappropriate for his age, Be a good example to the young will you." She nagged him so he can't do anything but to say sorry to her, And also to Valor.

Valor just sat there quietly, Pondering within the family's quarrel. He said in his mind, 'Isn't the days going too well for me? It's so well that it isn't normal anymore. I got the power of the tree, the hero's foundation, and the steam foundation... I feel like I'm missing something here, It's like there aren't many consequences nor hardships for these great things... Or... the consequence is just on its way, Charging up first.'

But with his thoughts, his mother's voice echoed in the room, holding her tone on the air, "Alright guys, lunches ready." The table went quiet within these words, his mother came out of the kitchen with a pot on her hand, "Ohh my, that smells beautiful charlotte." Elisabeth said excited, waiting with her red wine glass.

"Sure is, my dishes are my pride within the kitchen." She then placed her beef stew on the table smiling. Valor who was thinking also smiled and stood up, he went into the kitchen and helped move the dishes his mother cooked. He came out holding the last dish, before walking to the table and placed the last dish carefully on the sheathed wood, before sitting again beside Harden.

"So what were you guys talking about earlier? Was it important?" Charlotte in her late forties asked, with golden hair and bright skin. Elizabeth straightened her lips and answered her, "Well, your son got the hero's foundation. So I believe it is important." Her tone synced with her voice, explaining without interest at first before smiling at charlotte in the latter part.

She looked at Valor surprised first before she said happily, "Would you look at that, A hero from me, That's an honor." This made Valor flattered, he scratched his cheeks in embarrassment, "What's with the recognition?" He finally asked with the constant praise for his path.

But his mother responded more enthusiastically, "You're right, What's with the lousy recognition? A hero is born yet this is our celebration? Let's roast some class-A pigs!" Charlotte said happy, very proud of her son.

But Valor doesn't like celebrating so he made her stop, "Mom, Can you please elaborate what's happening? I'm genuinely confused right now." He asked her so she sighed and explained, "Alright Valor, with your path, you can be legally called a hero immediately. That's a special rank in the military, They are either the 'special' that passed the hidden test or the already special that has the foundation of the heroes."

"Your dream to become a legendary swordsman may be dissipated because you became a magic bringer. But fate gave way for you to continue your dreams, much better than that." She said before staying quiet, Elizabeth then thought out loud.

"Don't you think the magic bringer thing is a bit sketchy? Like it's planned to happen... To drive away those foggies?" She quickly knew she went too far so she didn't spoke anymore.

"Shall we say thanks then?" Charlotte asked to kill the mood, all smiled and said their thanks. Before they started scooping out their food from the bowls of different dishes.

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Within the kuruuk forest, tents settled mightly came a shout toned of respect. "Sir Reporting!" The purple-haired soldier said in high volume, He stopped in front of the plastic green curtains and waited patiently.

"Come in." Louie's Voice echoed from inside, Busy planning for the upcoming moves and cleanups. He rubbed his head in headache because he knows this isn't just some weak rift. They have miniature, and higher class of chimeras— That alone is the very sign things aren't simple.

"Sir, The expert from the military increased the initial grade of the rift. It's now C5." The soldier reported, He looked at him and questioned, "How did it jump from 3 to 5?" The soldier nodded and explained, "They have shamans and elite kibol Sir, Delta 4 and 3 spotted them, But they didn't engage to battle yet."

Louie contemplated with the information that was given, Analyzing the possibilities. "We still haven't fully uncovered the tunnels, so we can expect this grade isn't the final..." He paused with his voice diminishing, before it became audible again, "We need to request a sieged fortress."

"But sir, It's just a C5... Isn't it a bit excessive for a lower rank?" The soldier said his opinion, Unable to understand the general's decision.

Louie smiled and looked at the 3D printed copy of kuruuk, It is one-meter square, with trees and poses that are pinned to mark every factor. He reconciled some memories, "I had seen too many situations like this, from the time I became an anspiring to being a gold bar soldier, this tactic of theirs already ripened."

"With the three phases of the rifts, The first one is the most troublesome. The higher monsters who have the intelligence of tacticians will use any tactic just to triumph over humans..." He then enumerated for the clarity of his underling, "First is that they sent us a bunch of goblins to lower our guard, Then the ogres and minotaurs were sent to set the limits of our expectation... With all that, We will assume that "that's it, Just set camps for anspiring to hunt here."

"And when all the high-ranking humans went away, they will abduct many ansipiring for energy, Then set the domain tower. You know what that means right? Already forty percent of earth is enshrouded with darkness, And the heroes are still struggling to take back those land. We don't want to add another land to that... And I know The government will even quickly support us with the appearance of the rift."

He explained before assuring the soldier with confidence. Slightly remembering the scenes of the past, His already dark eyes hued more. With his aura changing for one second, before it turned normal again