Before we start, can I just say that I find it so much easier to write this story than 'An Older Brother's Helping Hand'. For this story, I just have to go off how I would act or might act in the situation, but the other story is a lot more difficult haha. Besides that, I don't really have anything to say other than thanks for the support! Enjoy the story.

Also, found out what was wrong with notifications, Fanfiction doesn't like outlook... Had to switch to a different email, fucking dumb but I can now get updates when you guys love and or hate this chapter!

PoppingMonke- Hell yea I am! Hope this chapter is good enough for the long wait! Thanks for the encouragement, honestly made my day when I read it!

Broldakka- Sorry to disappoint on the fake chapter, hope this makes up for it!

alexbarnes806- Nah, no gender swaps for Bell or any character, but don't worry, I have a specific character for the MC, Bell can have the rest!

Onto the story!

The sun was filtering through the blinds as it woke me up, grogginess and the last remnants of sleep still trying to pull me back into my bed. After a few minutes of contemplation, I finally decide to sit up, and as I do so, a small wave of pain washes over my body and seems to cling itself to my muscles. I let out a small groan of disdain at the realization that yesterday's 'training' was a lot more intense than I realized at the time, and now I would be paying the price for it.

I slowly get out of bed, with every movement sending small bursts of pain with each body part moved, but I finally stand up and take a small moment to gaze around my room. Even though it has been ten years, I still wake up not sure if it was all a dream, or I suddenly teleport back into my long-forgotten bedroom back home. Happily, I am still in the universe of DanMachi, and a small smile graces my face at the thought. As I continue to look around my room, the bags and luggage in the corner near the door catch my eyes, and the small grin disappears as a pang of sadness washes over me. Today is the day I finally leave the village and everyone I have grown close to. The day where I finally start my long dreamed adventure… I know I should be more excited, seeing as I have been looking forward to this day for almost ten years, but now that it has finally arrived, the only thing I can think about is my parents and friends… Before any tears start to form, I slap my hands to my face somewhat hard, trying to distract my inner turmoil with more physical pain. Luckily it works, as the now pinching sensation on my face distracts me enough to start getting ready for the day.

I go through my morning ritual of getting ready for the day, starting with making my bed, and grabbing the set of clothes I had prepared for myself the night before. Next, I head out of my room and into the hallway where I immediately see the open door to my parent's room. It looks to be absent and judging by the aromas coming from downstairs, I can take a wild guess and say they are already awake and making breakfast. With the thought of breakfast, I quickly walk to the bathroom that separates our two rooms apart as I begin to do the end of my morning ritual.

I do everything that most people have to do in the morning, brush teeth, relieve themselves, shit like that, as well as take a small shower, and when I mean shower I mean a few warm buckets of water and some soap, but it is better than nothing. After cleaning myself, I dress in the clothes I brought from my room. The clothes are still somewhat new, as the fabric for the clothes was only bought a few months ago in preparation for today. The clothes were more durable than the average clothes worn around the village, as these clothes would need to accommodate the travel to and around Orario. The clothes were nothing special, but they did contain a large amount of leather that would protect me from anything that would happen in the travels. The leather was also dyed black, which I had paid a small extra for, seeing as it was my favorite color. The rest of the clothes were made out of plain cotton, so it also gave me a small amount of warmth and comfortability that leather couldn't. The rest of the outfit consisted of dark greens, which matched well with the black leather. The aesthetic of the outfit seemed to be going for a dark forest vibe, which I greatly approved of seeing as that was what I had wanted when buying the two-colored fabrics.

After dressing up, I looked into the mirror we had in the bathroom to give myself a small once over to see if everything fit accordingly and to see if I really looked as cool as I felt. The clothes were a bit loose, and I had to roll up my sleeves and pant legs just a bit so that they wouldn't drag. I also had to wear a small belt to keep the pants on rather than having them slip off at each step. While it was slightly annoying to do all these things now, it only meant that this outfit would last for some time as it had room to grow. It looked a bit ridiculous on me, but it would looker better after gaining a few more inches and muscle.

After getting a good look at my outfit, I eventually look up to my face to finish the once-over. As I gaze at myself, it takes me a few seconds to process that it's my face and not someone else's. I quickly shake my head, as if shaking it would help me finally realize that this was my new life and not to compare to my old, and slowly forgotten life before. Just like usual, it doesn't work, and I continue to gaze into the mirror at the face gazing back at me.

To my slight satisfaction, my eyes take after my mother, as violet eyes stare back at me as I continue to observe myself. The rest of my face seems to take after my father, as I had the same angular jawline, chin, and nose that he had. Although most of my face was covered in a small amount of baby fat, it was still easy to see that I looked like a smaller, sharper version of my father. The angular characteristics come from my mother, but not enough to overpower my father's likeness. Lastly was my hair, which was at a reasonable length, just reaching the bottom of my ears. It was longish on top, but not enough to get in the way. My style was similar to my father's as we both shared the messy look, mine was just a little bit more polished than his, as he would just put his hands through his hair and call it good. The last characteristic of my hair was that it was black with small highlights of grey blended in here and there. My hair was a mix of my mother and father, but still held a small amount of uniqueness that made it my own. All in all, I really enjoyed my appearance, as I held some uniqueness thanks to my hair and eyes, but in comparison to most of the cast of DanMachi, I would look fairly normal.

After my once-over was complete, and my appearance finally settled in, I gave the mirror a cocky grin as I shot finger guns at my reflection as I said, "Looking good me! Women will be all over this ten-year-old body!"

I try to keep my cocky smirk on as I say this, but the absurdity of my comment as well as my continued finger guns makes my lips quiver in amusement, which eventually turns into a laughing fit at my stupidity. It takes a few moments to fully compose myself, as every time I think I am done laughing, one glance at the mirror changes that and a new laughing fit begins, but eventually I can leave the bathroom with only a small amount of chuckling. I go towards the end of the hallway and onto the descending stairs to the first floor as I follow the amazing scents coming from the kitchen, which have only increased in potency as I got ready.

When I finally reached the first floor, I could see both of my parents working in the kitchen, both of them looking very flustered as I arrived. What looks like batter is splattered around the kitchen as well as my father and mother, with the majority of it coming from my father's part of the kitchen. My father looked sheepish as we made eye contact, especially since a large wad of batter was dripping down his nose, as he spoke.

"Good morning son, I don't think breakfast is ready yet, why don't you go pack for your big day while your mother and I finish!"

My mother gave my father a small stink eye at the mention that they weren't finished yet, but before she could scold him, I chimed in, moving my way into the kitchen.

"Already all packed, just waiting for the merchant to finish his business with Welby, which won't be until noon."

A few months back, my father was able to obtain a form of transportation for my journey with the local merchant that visited four times a year. The fee was ten thousand valis, and he would only be able to take me in the first week of spring after he sold much of his stock to Welby. All in all, it was a pretty good deal, seeing as it would cut my travel time by an excessive margin and would be a fairly safe journey.

As I finished washing my hands in our sink and moved in between my parents was I finally able to see the breakfast my parents had planned. The breakfast was relatively plain, pancakes and juice, but seeing as spring had just arrived and the food stores were still low from the winter, it was still a good breakfast, especially since pancakes were my favorite.

As I started grabbing the batter and a small skillet to start cooking the pancakes, I was able to see small brown, almost black specks in the batter. Suddenly scared about the spoiled batter, I took a close look and to my surprise and joy, the black spots were actually small amounts of chocolate! I quickly looked between my two parents, pride showing on their faces at my delight.

"Where and when did you guys get chocolate! Welby's stock of chocolate has been emptied all winter, and most of the autumn too!"

My mother smiled down at me as she explained, "We bought it during the last weeks of summer in preparations for today. We wanted our last breakfast with you to be the best it could be, and what better way than with chocolate."

My mother tried to hide it, but the way she emphasized 'last breakfast' was a clear indication that she was still upset about the whole thing. I gave her a one-armed hug, as I continued to cook a pancake as I spoke.

"Don't worry mom, this isn't the last time we will ever have breakfast together, rather, it's just a somewhat long break in-between the next one. I promised I would come to visit next year during the Spring celebration! I would try to come earlier, but there are too many unknown variables to make any concrete plans for the future."

Tears began to form in my mother's eyes as she looked down at me, but before she could respond or worse, cry, my father's arm looped around the both of us as he gave both of a large grin before he spoke.

"What are you saying Asura! Knowing you, and I obviously do, you are going to be demolishing through the dungeon so fast that you are going to be level two before you know it! I even bet my left nut that you will level up in three years!"

As quick as a flash, a wooden spatula, directed by my mother flew through the air and hit my father on the back of the head as she spoke, aghast and chiding in her tone.

"Rilifane, watch your language, he is only ten years old."

"Ouch women! Maybe you should be the adventurer instead of Asura, you already can hit like one!"

My father kneaded the spot where my mother had hit, a small lump already forming. A small grin formed on both my mother and me as we watched my father whine and rub his head with battered hands, waiting for him to realize his mistake.

"I don't know why you hit me for saying nut, kids going to be an adventurer, that practically makes him an adult by most standards. He will be hearing a lot worse in Orario than from me."

Again, my mom's hand moved, and once again my father felt the small sting of the wooden spatula as she spoke, her grin now a full blooming smile as she gazed at the wailing man child next to me.

"That doesn't mean he has to hear it coming from you, you're his father, show some couth!" While she spoke, she sarcastically upturned her nose and spoke in a snooty tone as she tried and failed to act like the typical high elf as she let out small giggles at her impersonation, as well as having a wide smile at her husband.

"I'll show you couth your highness!"

With that said, my father grabbed a small glob of the batter and flung it towards mom, now horror-struck at the flying projectile. Before she could do more than shout in protest, the glob of batter landed home, as it made contact with her open face, uncooked batter splattering all over her face and mouth.

Silence overtook the kitchen for less than a second before my father burst out laughing as he witnessed his wife. My mother remained motionless for a few seconds as the sound of father laughing at her resounded throughout the kitchen before she wiped the batter off her face and gave her husband a death glare. While it would have been a lot more intimidating, small droplets of batter were sliding down her face, making her expression a lot less scary than it should have been, which probably was the reason behind my father's continued laughing rather than him running as fast as he could.

While my father was clutching his stomach as he continued to laugh at his wife, he was caught unaware as a similar glob of batter arrived on his face, splattering the already battered man.

At the batter's contact, as well as my father's expression of disbelief, my mother's laughter replaced my father's as she pointed and laughed at my dad.

"Hah, in your face! Literally!"

"So that's how it's going to be." My father said, wiping a small amount of batter from his face and into his hand, gently forming a small, sticky ball.

At my father's words and actions, my mother mirrored the movement as she too formed a batter ball. "I guess so…"

They remained silent, as they both gazed at one another, waiting for either side to move, and with some unspoken agreement, both began to throw ball after ball of batter, all the while I continued to look on in horror as I whispered.

"My pancakes…"

The small food fight between my mother and father only lasted around a minute or so before I was able to get a handle on the situation, with the outcome of the fight being a pretty solid hit from the handle of the spatula on each of their heads. After some quick apologies and some salvaging, we, mostly me, were able to make more than enough pancakes before the sound of knocking came from our front door.

At my father's response of "Come in", the door opened, and to my surprise, Oghren, Welby, and Alice walked in, all carrying small platters of food as well as small parcels in each hand. All three also looked shocked as they gazed at our battered kitchen, as well as my battered parents. Oghren unsurprisingly laughed at the scene, as well as Alice trying and failing to hide her small giggling by covering her mouth with her unoccupied hand. Welby causally ignored my embarrassed parents as he delicately placed his platter of food on the table. He looked at my still surprised face as he began to speak.

"What are you looking so surprised about boy, you didn't think we would let you leave without giving our own goodbyes did ya? Your parents thought it was a good idea to have a group breakfast before you get shipped off, but seeing the way your parents have decorated, I almost wish we had it at my shop."

Embarrassment washed over my parent's faces at Welby's comment but judging by the smile from Welby, it was all in good fun. Before my parents could get too embarrassed, Welby once again looked towards me as he handed me the medium parcel he had brought with him. The package was oddly shaped, standing around one and a half feet tall and maybe a foot wide. Brown wrapping paper covered the object, but a large indent in the middle of the object pointed towards a circular object, or something hollow. As I held the unknown object, Welby spoke with an almost faraway look as he described the object.

"This used to be mine during my old adventurer days, but ever since I left that part of my life, I never could find the strength to play it again. It's been collecting dust for the last few decades, but when you first told me your plans to go to Orario, old memories of my adventures came back to me, and this was always in the forefront in those ventures. I decided that since I couldn't play it, why not pass it down, especially to my favorite employee." He smiled at me as he said it, but I couldn't help but mutter.

"More like your only employee."

I said under my breath, but not enough for Welby not to hear as a small feeling of pain came from the top of my hand thanks to a quick chop from Welby's hand. Welby ignored my now pained face, as I rubbed my head in discomfort as he continued his story.

"I fixed her up during my free time, most of that time gained from my oh so short employee." Welby looked into my eyes as he said this, a small knowing grin plastering his face.

I once again chimed in, this time raising my voice in protest at his comment.

"I'm taller than you, you old, short Fu…" I immediately held my tongue as I felt a sense of impending doom coming from behind me as I got ready to insult/banter with Welby. The feeling only intensified as I began to say the swear word. I took a small gulp, as I continue my comment, the small grin from Welby growing larger at my predicament, as well as laughter coming from Oghren, Alice, and my father. Old bastard set me up! He's always known I'm sensitive to my height!

"You old, short, fuuunnnn boss…" My cheeks turn red in embarrassment at the terrible save, but either through my embarrassment or save, the impending doom feeling subsides as a small, pleased hum originated from my mother who was now sipping on her drink.

Welby only gives a small chuckle at his win before he continues his story, "I bought new strings, as well as fixing up any of the damage that was gained from the time spent in my cellar, but she still carries all the nicks, dings, and scratches that silently tell the story of me and my old familia."

A small, pained look quickly flashes over Welby's face, most likely him thinking about those said times before his smile once again plastered his face.

"I want to give this to you because I want you to have a life outside of the dungeon. I don't want you becoming the type of adventurer that runs himself into the ground with nothing but the dungeon to keep you company. I know you have all your books and learning, but you need an interest that will help you and possibly others relax and forget the hardships that are always apparent in the dungeon. She got me and my familia through some of those times, and I hope she will help you in the future. I know you don't play, but I hope you will find the time to learn."

A lone tear dropped from one of his eyes as he completely gave me his gift, physically, and now emotionally. Struck by the amount of thought and emotion that Welby took into my parting gift, I could only swallow down the rising emotions as I gave him a deep nod of gratitude as I gazed at the package.

"Don't open it yet child, I don't know if my old heart can take it at the moment. Open it during your trip, maybe you can practice on the journey. I wrote the basic cords as well as a few of my favorite songs and my familia's in a small journal in the package. Maybe, when you get good enough, you might try playing it around Orario, you just might meet some of my old Famila…

I only gave another nod of appreciation as I placed the package down next to me with care and gave Welby a large hug in gratitude as I said.

"You make it sound like this is the end old man, I'm still coming back. When I get good enough, you will be the first person to hear your songs, that I promise."

More tears streamed from Welby's face and down onto the both of us, but we remained to hug for a long moment before we broke the embrace.

"I know you will child, I know you will."

With his final input said, Welby went and sat down on the table, grabbing a few pancakes as well as a few pieces of fresh fruit that he had brought before he solemnly began to eat. Before I could say or do anything, Oghren suddenly walked up to me next, almost like a precession as he placed the food he brought, bacon obviously, onto the table and presented me a somewhat large box. The box was simple, with no outward design to give off the object inside, but the immediate weight that I felt as Oghren dropped the box into my outstretched hands clearly indicated something heavy.

"Now, while I ain't got a present like Old Welby, I hope mine can be just as impactful to you as his was, maybe more so for your beginning time as an adventurer. Now open the box, I want to see your face when you see them!"

Them? What could that mean? But I guess I would find out as soon as I opened the box. With a nod, I put the box onto the table as I deftly opened the container, surprise, and glee springing to my face at the contents.

Inside the box contained two short swords that probably would have been considered daggers by any reasonable adult. The swords were around a foot in length, and about half the span of my arm, each shinning from what I knew to be meticulous and thoughtful crafting and care. The blades were shaped like small cutlasses, with the bottom part of the blade being the cutting edge, while the blade ridge slightly curved upwards. The handles were covered in basic brown leather wrappings, which I knew from continued work with Oghren were comfortable and efficient but lacked outward appeal. Cross guards as well as pommels were missing from the blades, with the leather wrappings being the only thing stopping them from being completely naked. The only other noticeable characteristic of the blades was a small inscription on each blade right at the base of the blade. On one blade, the inscription read the word 'family' in Elvish, while the other said 'friend' in Dwarvish.

Before I could even try to come up with a sentence that could express my immense gratitude and affection for the gift, Oghren chimed in, breaking me from my thoughts.

"Now, they ain't anything special, as you can already guess, but I've been working on those two for some time. They are made from the bits and pieces of steel that were leftover from our previous jobs, and I got enough to just make these blades before you left! I don't know if it was fate, destiny, or just plain dumb luck that you so happen to favor small, bladed weapons, but it don't really matter since it all worked out in the end!"

Oghren rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment as spoke, but a small grin was plastered over his face as he talked about his work.

"I asked Alice and your mother here for some help in the inscriptions since I'm dog piss in my own writings, especially in that dainty Elvish script! Bah, Elvish is only good for swearing since you still sound all pish-posh even if what's leaving your mouth is something your mother would flay all our tongues for!"

Oghren let out a bellow of a laugh at his comment, which I and my father also let out small chuckles at the truth of his words. My mother on the other hand only glared at the three of us, mainly my father, but enough at both Oghren and myself to stop our laughing and force us to involuntarily shudder at her action. Oghren then continued talking, only giving my mother a small apologetic response before looking at me.

"I know that these won't last very long when it comes to the dungeon and won't even compare to the kinds of equipment that those blacksmithing Gods Familia can make, but I hope they can be useful to you for as long as possible, alright!? These blades are named family and friends so even when you join your new familia in Orario, you won't forget about the 'familia' you have made here. Never forget us kid, even when you make it big alright?"

As Oghren neared the end of his speech, tears slowly began to fall from his eyes, and as he asked his question, worry and sadness were clearly expressed in his complexion and mannerisms as he began to wring out his hands as he finished his question.

I gently placed the box holding the blades onto the table before I walked over to where Oghren was sitting and quickly gave him a hug that would hopefully express all my affection and happiness I could muster towards him. Oghren's arms instantly wrapped themselves around me as small sniffles escaped from my old friend as we held the hug for some time, sniffles could also be heard coming from those around the room, especially from my mother, but seeing as I was currently confined in the vice-like grip of my dwarf friend, I could not see anything other than the top of his head, and while I was trying in vain to stifle my tears, I was able to notice one thing as I gazed at the forest of red hair that made up my friends head that stopped me from bursting in tears… a very small patch of thinning hair on the very precipice of Oghren's head that formed a small balding patch…

I couldn't help but let out a small choke of laughter at this new observation, but with everything that was going on around me as well as my own sad emotions barely being held back, the small outburst of laughter must have sounded like a sob or exhale of breath, as Oghren only held me tighter at the sound, thus pulling me closer to the now known bald spot.

I held the rising laughter back…barely, as we finished our moment, the amusement helping me reign back the sad emotions that were slowly building from Welby and Oghren. As we both let go from the embrace, I looked at Oghren and spoke.

"Oghren, I don't think I could forget you even if I tried! Not only because I'll be wielding your blades through the thick of the dungeon, but because you are one of my best friends, and I plan to visit you and everyone else whenever I can find time from being a "big shot." I mean, I can't leave my beautiful, short, balding bro all by himself now can I?"

I let out a small chuckle at the new truth I laid on Oghren,

"OYE you little Thunderhumper, for starters, you are barely, BARELY, taller than me, and Second, I ain't bald! Look at all this!"

Oghren gestures to all of himself, especially to his long red beard that he had sloppily braided for the occasion.

"If I'm bald, I'll kiss old Welby straight on the lips, I swear by my late dad's beard hairs!"

Revulsion quickly spread on Welby's face at Oghrens comment, but I only continued to grin at the new development.

"But seeing as I am still in the cusps of manhood."

Oghren flexed his arms in the stereotypical strong man pose, and while his arms were very large thanks to his work, the extending beer gut that was obviously showing through his shirt took away from his pose.

"I won't be balding anytime soon!"

"Suuuurrreee, cusps of manhood, more like at the very end of it more like it old man!"

I held back my newfound information, seeing as I wanted to leave Oghren on a happy note rather than one that would scare not only me but most likely Welby too. At my comment, banter and teasing went back and forth between Oghren and me, with everyone around sneaking a small teasing remark at the both of us here and there. After a few minutes of this going on, and everyone finishing breakfast, we all sat down in the living room and drank some coffee, which had been Alice's contribution to the breakfast.

Alice had several different crops that she grew on her farm, ranging from fruits, vegetables, and grains, but the largest quantity and her absolute favorite were her coffee plants! She sold the majority of her harvests, but she kept and stored enough coffee that she could somewhat regularly drink it, as well as provide it during the village's winter celebrations! To my utter delight, she would make me a cup whenever she made one for herself, which always and forever cemented her status as the best older sister! Other than getting the occasional cup of coffee, the smell of coffee permeated her house and farm, which was something I immensely enjoyed whenever I visited her… Gods I'm glad coffee here exists, what would I do without my lifeblood!

But aside from my slight coffee addiction, the rest of the time spent with my family and friends was peaceful, as we talked about all our time spent together and our favorite memories and moments. The time seemed to speed right by, and before I could even grasp that this moment was the end of my childhood, the knocking of the door cemented that fact as the merchant taking me to Orario was getting ready to leave.

At the sight of the merchant, all my plans, ideas, and future knowledge hit me all at once, leaving me almost breathless at the sudden influx of thoughts and memories going through my mind. A wave of grief, trepidation, and guilt also overwhelmed me as tears started streaming down my face at my now sudden reality. I tried to speak, but the influx of emotions and thoughts had made me mute, with my open mouth remaining speechless as I tried but failed to relate anything to those around me.

While I was trapped in my thoughts, an unspoken command was relayed between my parents and friends, and almost as if it was choreographed, everyone stood up and began to walk up the stairs and began to carry my meager belongings to the merchant and his cart. All I could do was watch as my family took my belongings to their destination, even my most recent gifts from Welby and Oghren were quickly shipped to the cart, all the while I continued to remain motionless.

Before I even had time to comprehend the packing, it was already over, with the only thing left to be transported to Orario was myself, and an unknown backpack that my father and mother held between themselves at the doorway. I remained motionless, as my teary vision gazed onto my parents and guilt overshadowed the rest of my emotions and thoughts as tears also flowed down their faces. Just as I was finally able to think of a response, that being cancellation of my plans to Orario, a sudden but gentle push was being given by Oghren and Welby who had noticed my distraught and gently began to guide me to my parents, and then into my future.

I marched robotically, with me reaching my parents in only a few steps, but what felt like an eternity as I finally approached them. No words were spoken between us as there wasn't enough time to fully convey all of our respecting feelings. A short, but emotional hug between one another was the only thing that we were able to convey, and even that wasn't enough, as our hug was quickly over. As we reluctantly let go of one another, my mother's emotions couldn't handle me leaving, and with one final squeeze and a choked sob as well as an "I love you", she quickly ran up the stairs. My father and I both looked to the stairs with concern, but before I could respond to the departure, my father gently pushed the unknown bag into my chest, and still needing some type of comfort, I unconsciously hugged the bag to my chest for some kind of security. My father gave me a nod of approval at my action as he wiped away his tears before he spoke to me in a serious tone.

"In that bag are a few things that your mother and I wanted to give you when you got a bit older but seeing as we won't be there for that moment, this was the best time to give them to you. Inside are two books, one from your mother and one from me. Your mother's book is the full history of her side of the family and those associated with the Larethians and all their political and family bullshit. You and your mom come from a very prestigious family, which will probably make your life a little harder when you leave the village. Luckily, Orario is one of the last places for Elves, especially High Elves to be all high and mighty. Sadly, the Illusio family line comes with even more difficulties and troubles, especially concerning other Elves, so read up and try not to get into too much trouble alright?"

I gave a simple nod to his question. I knew there was tension between my mother's family and my father's, seeing as she was disowned for their marriage, but for that tension to extend to other elves was surprising and slightly worrying. Why does the Illusio name carry such hostility? What did we do? What does that mean for me? Before I could voice my concerns, my father spoke again.

"The other book, if you can call it that, is a memoir of sorts that illustrates the fleeting lives of the sole Illusio family line, from the very origination of our namesake to now. The book is slightly magical and will continue to create more pages as more are needed while still keeping its same thickness. It is an odd form of magic that a few of the original Illusio's tried to delve deeper into but didn't find any answers judging by their notes of frustration and scribbles." At that comment, my father gave out a small chuckle before he continued.

"There are a few pages that are dedicated to my life, specifically when I was younger and full of teenage angst, and important moments of my life, like meeting your mother, our marriage, and your birth… While I wish I could give you more, this book is the only thing that has been passed down from my family, even to the extent that it was left with me when I was dropped off at an Elven orphanage as a baby… This is the sole history of our cursed family and I hope you can learn from not only my life but from all of your family, even when their stories often lead to grief… Our family line is not one that often leads to happiness, but one of sadness and constant fighting for survival and recognition. Early on in my life, I thought I would be the same, as my life was full of hardship, survival, and anger. Luckily, that changed when I met your mother, and while new challenges became apparent, I no longer dwelled on the negative aspects of our family, but learned from them and grew; and now, it is your turn. Grow into the man I know you will become, learn from the Illusio's, and write your story for the future."

With his explanation over, my father put his hand on top of my head and ruffled my hair as he walked up the stairs to comfort my mother and probably himself. As I watched him walk away, more questions began to plague me, 'Who are the Illusio's? What did they do? Why are they hated? What does that mean for me?' As more and more questions formed, the weight of the bag holding the answers of both of my families increased, to the extent that I was worried that I would topple over. Luckily, I was able to remain upright, and with another gentle push from Welby and Oghren who I had forgotten was there, I was once again walking to the merchant's wagon, and leaving my childhood house behind.

Silence overtook us as we left the house and walked towards Welby's store where the merchant waited, none of us brave enough to say any type of farewell. Before I knew it, Welby's store and the merchant's wagon were in view, as well as Alice waiting beside it, a small sad smile gracing her face as she gazed at us.

After a few more robotic steps, we finally arrived at the end of my destination, and while I was in the midst of my three closest friends, I remained melancholy and full of unanswered questions. With a silent command between the three, Oghren and Welby both rapidly hugged me from both sides, surprising me with the swiftness and the amount of comfort I could feel from their embrace. As quick as those feelings came, they quickly left as Oghren's, and Welby's embrace ended as they unexpectedly let go and walked away. As they walked away, I watched them leave, tears threatening to once again form.

Oghren seemed to stumble and trip as he walked home, his face hidden from view, but the shaking of his shoulders as he walked gave away his silent sobbing. As for Welby, his departure was quicker as his store was only a few steps away, but for those few steps, a small trail of teardrops followed his path as Welby's grief finally overtook him. My own sadness stopped me from doing anything but watch as they left until they were both gone in their respecting home. That finally left me alone with Alice, and I don't know if I could handle any more grief, especially seeing as I was the reason behind it. I hurriedly tried rubbing the tears from my eye and my face to try and gain some reasonable presentable state that I could lean on as I said my final goodbye, but judging by the sad smile from Alice, it wasn't working.

The tears were still falling from my face, but I was able to at least gain enough stability that I was able to move my feet enough that I now was standing in front of her, my eyes looking up to hers. Tears were absent from her face, but her eyes were able to fully express the sadness that our parting was doing to her, but she remained strong, even to the last moments. With gentle care, Alice wrapped her arms around me as we embraced for the last time until I would return. She didn't speak as we hugged, but her love was easily expressed in our embrace. The hug only lasted a few moments, but the reassurance, affection, and joy in that short moment was enough for me to finally pull myself together. As our embrace ended, I once again looked into her brown eyes and spoke, finally gaining back a semblance of cognition.

"I'll be back I swear it! Nobody, no elf, dwarf, monster, or God will stop me from coming back to you all! We will make more memories when I come back, and maybe, just maybe you will finally treat me like an adult the next time we see each other."

I tried giving her a small grin as I said the last part of my little speech, to try and liven up my goodbye, but it probably wasn't the best seeing as I was still puffy-eyed from all the crying. Although it was very cheesy and overdramatic, I meant it, nothing in Orario would stop me from coming back to my family. Luckily, Alice gave a small chuckle that didn't hold as much mirth as I planned but judging by the situation it was the best I was going to get.

When she finished her small chuckle, she gave me one more sad smile before she slowly leaned down and kissed my forehead. The kiss wasn't long or flashy in any sort of aspect, but a kiss of fondness between two people that were practically siblings in all but blood. A final tear fell from my eye as my last loved one said her final goodbye before she gave one last smile and walked towards her home.

I stood there for a few moments as I continued to watch her form get smaller and smaller until she walked over a hill and was gone. The merchant who had been quiet during my final goodbyes to my friends and family, finally let out a small cough to get my attention. The sudden and unexpected sound broke me from my thoughts, and I hurriedly shouldered my bag and walked to the back of the cart. When I reached the cart's back entrance, I gazed into the cart's contents seeing a variety of crates, barrels, and other oddly shaped parcels. Before my mind began to wander at their contents, I saw a few bags hastily placed to the side of the main contents and made the connection that they were mine. With a final long, and slow breath, I gently climb into the cart and into my place of travel for the next couple of days.

As the cart began to move and my final thoughts on my departure end, I swung the bag from my shoulder and begin to sift through the bag and grab onto the larger of the two books. As I take out the book, slightly surprised by its weight, I notice the nicks, and tears that cover the outside of the book. The cover is thick enough for the damage to not extend to its contents, but it looks like father was right about the life of the book as the wear and tear seem to have different ages. The rest of the book cover and spine are completely black, lacking any contrasting colors besides some minuscule silver threads holding the leatherbound book together. As I gaze at the book, twisting and turning it in my hands, I look onto the front cover, which displays the only other significant distinguishment from the rest of the book. A very worn-out circular symbol of an owl and a crow flying in a circular pattern. The owl was at the top of the loop, while the crow flew at the bottom, all the while small dots littered the inside of the circular path of the avians. When I looked closer, the dots were actually small starts that had slowly begun to wear away after the many, many years of use and damage. The symbol was completely unknown to me, even from my past knowledge of Earth, but without too much hesitation, I opened my family's legacy and began to read.

So, there is the new chapter! I don't want to know how long this took between chapters, so I published it without looking! I don't know if I am super thrilled about how I ended the chapter seeing as I found it difficult to describe and write such an important and sad moment for the character. I hope I wrote it well! I am also pissed as fuck that I didn't write clear descriptions of Oghren, Welby, and Alice! I didn't want to just write descriptions for them in the middle of a touching moment, and rarely bring them up while in Orario. I just left it as it is, but I am not happy!

If anyone can guess the God that I plan to have in the story, they earn a shoutout when I eventually write the next chapter! Probably not that hard! Until then!