"There's obviously more to this, right?" Isaac asked. "You traveled down here to let Wiene be with her own kind." He was speaking factually, not harshly. "Yet, she has gotten attached to both you, Bell, and you, Haruhime. Separating is going to suck…" he muttered.

"I don't want to leave them!" the young dragon girl shouted.

Irene gently directed Wiene's attention to her, "Do you understand why you have to stay here? You are not safe on the surface."

"But Bell and Haruhime have been kind to me! So has everyone else!" Wiene pouted childishly, puffed cheeks and all.

Irene gave her a comforting look, one that made the female Xenos bristle at the similarity between her and Sofia. Ray was the most affected, her wings coiling around her form. Gros and Lyd both looked on with sympathy for their Siren friend. More often than not, she was on the receiving end of these looks. Isaac noted this and sighed to himself. There's more to that story then…

Wiene looked into Irene's hazel eyes, seeing the sternness but also the kindness she was trying to extend. The dragon girl knew something else was going on but she didn't know how to exactly say it. "Listen, Wiene," Irene said, getting on her knees to be eye level with the girl. The younger Vlahos twin was most definitely turning on her motherly instincts. "The people on the surface have…done things…that would jeopardize your health if you were to be seen. The last thing that your fellow Xenos, Bell, Haruhime, and even myself want is for you to be hurt."

"Psst, Isaac," Mikoto whispered to her…boyfriend…now, "Has Lady Irene always been like this?"

He chuckled amusingly, "No, but the one thing I noticed is how she always smiled at the children or let them drag her attention away. She may not have shown it before because of how busy we were. But I do know that when she becomes a mother, she will be an amazing one. We just have to make sure the great-grandmother sticks around."

Mikoto cracked a smile, "So what does that make you?"

Isaac snorted, "The cool uncle, of course."

Mikoto nodded with a grin as she turned her attention back to Irene speaking to Wiene. "So please understand that when we leave, you will have to stay here where they can keep you safe. They won't abandon you, right?" she raised her voice and laced it with intent at the Xenos to get her point across. They all nodded in appeasement, missing the comparisons to her grandmother. "Good. Now please…don't look at me with a frown. Look at me with a smile."

Wiene cleared her eyes of tears before smiling at Irene. Seeing that the smile was trembling, the Vlahos girl pulled her into a caring hug.

"She really is like Sofia," Ray muttered from beneath her wings.

Isaac then looked over to the Familia, "By the way, once we get to the surface, I'll need to talk to Hestia. No doubt, she probably already knows I'm here. The same goes for Irene. So, I hope you're ready. I will be handling your training, yes, even you Haruhime in the physical aspect. Irene will handle the magical aspect, or Riveria, or Gran if she wanted." It was left unsaid that the last two were less than likely.

The Hestia Familia paled at the thought of being trained by Isaac. They thought they saw something manifest behind him, almost looming over him before his attention was called elsewhere. "And since you've been beaten around by the Sword Princess, Bell, it will be just us duking it out."

"Lili thinks you're awfully confident," Lili said, skeptical of this new sudden development.

The elder twin huffed, "Listen, Lili, I have the scars, broken bones, and blood loss to prove that I'm capable. Irene and I fought our Grandmother who was only using high-level seven levels of strength. She was still splattering our blood all over Nike's arena, barely able to make her move out of a circle no bigger than Lyd's arm span. Healers on standby notwithstanding. It makes Bell's training look like a kiddie fight, no offense, Bell." Lyd's arm span was at least three meders or more, so the circle seemed bigger than imagined.

"None taken?" the rabbit questioned.

Mikoto, upon hearing this information, started running her hands over his form, checking where she could for any of these injuries. One of his hands stopped her, "Not to worry, we're better."

Welf noticed that when people have said 'I'm fine' they are most definitely not fine. Far from it. So, for Isaac to say better, meant he was healing. The smith just happened to know these things because of the number of times he's either given advice to Bell or just notice it within his previous Familia. Isaac and Welf shared a look that would solidify a brotherly bond between them.

"The reason is that…" he paused. "You're making our stealth attempt look infinitely better, come on out." The way his voice changed tones and how no one noticed his fingers thumbing his throwing knives was beyond anyone's guess. Irene looked up from Wiene, her staff pointed at them.

Lyd was quick on trying to clear up the misunderstanding, "Wait you two! This is a friend. Fels, please come introduce yourself!"

"Fels?" the murmured question of the Hestia Familia minus the Vlahos twins.

"So, do you mind explaining who you are?"

"I guess Sofia has never mentioned me then," the cloaked figure replied.

Isaac and Irene huffed, ""Great, another one…""

The Xenos and Hestia Familia didn't understand why they suddenly looked like they had storm clouds over their heads.

"Uhm…moving on, I am glad that you're here, as I do have a reason for showing myself," the sage settled themselves down on one of the stone benches littered around the area. Such things were needed in this place called a Hidden Village. "That is…I've come to request your help, Children of Hestia and Child of Loki. Please help the Xenos."

Isaac was already in agreement but didn't speak up. He sighed internally knowing that he was about to get roped into something, and for what it's worth, he might just enjoy it. Because he has learned about being an efficient combatant in a short time means that he'll be ready. Irene followed the same wavelength as Isaac, she was willing to help and repay the kindness that they showed her and for saving Isaac's life.

She shuddered thinking of going on in life without her other half. There was still the matter with Dino she had to mess with. She's had time to think about it but unfortunately, this was not the perfect place to reminisce. She looked to her brother, who was in turn, looking at Bell.

Isaac was not Captain material. He never liked being responsible for large groups of people. Bell, who had the experience of being a Captain, was the more than likely choice. Hence why he always asked Irene for decision choices, offering her to give her opinion.

Bell, meanwhile, answered with a smile that he's well-known for, "Of course! I'll…We'll do our best to help you!"

Lili, being the pessimist, spoke up, "Master Bell, is that a good idea?" She was a thief beforehand so she was going with her gut.

"Nonsense, Lili," Isaac intervened. "When was the last time Bell has made a choice that ended super poorly? Sure, his choices often lead to crazy adventures, but have they worked out in the end?"

Welf snorted, "Yeah, after a few misunderstandings here and there." The redheaded smith rolled his shoulders, "but I do get your point. You just want us to be prepared for something."

Isaac sheepishly rubbed his head, slightly more at ease, "Yeah because once a certain Goddess knows we're here, she'll either keep an eye on us or wish to talk to us. I'm not sure I am ready for that conversation…if I even want to have it."

"I agree but if she does approach us, I am letting her have it," Irene said, joining the conversation. She felt like that was something they needed to approach her head-on. Ironic since Isaac would be the one to do such a strategy. The bronze-haired mage was not going to budge on such a thing.

Fels watched the conversation with trace amounts of amusement. Even the Xenos were intrigued at how a human conversation would go. They were confused at who 'her' was but that seemed to be something personal for the two descendants of Sofia. "How has she not seen you yet?"

"These cloaks were made by someone in Nike Familia, they apparently shroud our souls to those that can see it, or at least that's how I choose to interpret it," Isaac offered his opinion on it. "But I can't say that this will be a permanent wardrobe thing."

Irene directed her attention back to Fels and the Xenos, "Is there anything else you need from us or shall we prepare?"

Haruhime's ears drooped as she understood that she was going to have to leave Wiene. Her maiden heart was fragile and to leave someone she has come to adore in such a short time would hurt. However, the Renard understood that this had to be done. That did not mean she liked it. Such things are just how life works.

Bell asked Lyd a question, prompting the Lizardman to speak, "There is someone who is stronger than me. I may lead this Village alongside Ray and Gros but he…he's definitely someone who should not be trifled with. We had to send him away, having known what his reaction would be if he saw you, Bellchi."

The white-haired rabbit tilted his head much like his namesake, "And…?"

"He would want to fight you," Lyd said bluntly, "And that would result in one of two things."

"The death of one or the other…" Isaac interrupted, seeing the path of the conversation, "...what kind of Xenos is he?"

Ray's soft voice answered the elder Vlahos' question, "A Minotaur."

"The only Minotaur that could be…" Isaac started

"...is the same Minotaur that Bell killed to achieve level two…huh…funny how life works," Irene finished in an awed tone. The same Minotaur that they witnessed Bell kill was the one that came back to life, reborn as a Xenos, all for the sake of fighting Bell.

"Your rival," Isaac said, "Bell, your training now takes priority." The soft smile accompanying the statement did not assuage Bell's growing trepidation. "Listen, I survived mine, and I was sure that she was really out to kill me. I don't plan on taking it that far."

It still didn't lower the tingle in his spine.

Moving on, the group got ready to leave, "Before you go, Hestia Familia, please take these," Fels said as the sage held out a hand.

In that hand were two orbs, one yellow and one red. "These are some of my inventions, an orb that allows communication between each other. The Xenos have the opposite one for the yellow orb. This will allow you to keep in discrete contact without exposing them."

The elder Vlahos quirked his lips, "How did you all know about them?" He looked to Welf, Lili, and Mikoto. "I'm not accusing you but did you put the pieces together after you met Wiene?"

"I had gone to Blue Pharmacy to speak with Lords Miach and Takemikazuchi about Lady Wiene's existence and they were both stumped but swore to secrecy. They did not consider that such a possibility existed," Mikoto said.

The Prum spoke next, "Lili disguised herself before looking in at a bar where Lili met a peculiar woman. She seemed far to interested in what I was asking for. Lili did not stay for much longer than that."

Welf ran a hand through his red hair, "I was in the guild hall hearing rumors about monsters stealing weapons and armor and no offense to you Xenos, I thought it was a hoax but I am glad to be proven wrong."

Ray seemed to have perked up at that, "I am glad to see I was right about you…this could be our chance."

Ranye was disgruntled about the situation but did not raise a fuss, especially since there were two adventurers in the room that could overpower them all as none other than Ray, Lyd, and Gros were considered what humans call level five.

Bell gratefully accepted the orbs from the sage, "Thank you."

"All you have to do is speak into them and the message or conversation will be carried through as if you were right there next to them," Fels explained. "Now, you should head home, as I'm sure this was not supposed to take long. Many citizens are wondering who the three of you were." The elder sage referred to the twins as he spoke.

Irene groaned lightly, "Don't remind me. I'm not looking forward to the reunion as much as I was hoping. Seeing Mum will be great but I'm not ready for the interrogation."

Fels could only wince in sympathy, "Best of luck to you all. Lyd, I shall be in touch."

The departure was not without tears, as Haruhime was not consoled until floor nine. Thankfully, no one saw them. The twins hung back from the party not because they wanted to avoid them but because they needed a little space. Not everything was as simple as they wished for it to be. Mikoto adjusted the Salamander Wool and walked next to Isaac.

"Is this what you expected coming back to?" The samurai winced as that was not the thought on her mind. Her lips still tingled from before.

The man shrugged, "Truthfully, I was wondering how I could properly approach you as I didn't leave you on the best of terms…" his tone downtrodden. The physical stress of it all came back in one exhale. The look on his face made him seem eight years older…and he has a level five falna on his back. "I wouldn't have been surprised if you rejected me on the spot…and I wouldn't have fought the decision." Before either Irene or Mikoto could chide him, he perked up, "But you didn't and I cannot wait to smother you in affection that I've missed out on in the past two months."

"Wait, aren't elves supposed to not be so touchy-feely?" Welf asked. Bell just sputtered, wondering where and how the hell this conversation turned into…whatever this is.

"Unless with their chosen partner, touching is not just allowed but encouraged," Irene explained. "I wonder if they made it back." Mikoto blushed at the implications, proving that she's had some…thoughts…about something.

Isaac gave Mikoto a chaste kiss before speaking up, "We'll see him, probably. Now, we'll hang back while you all report in," Isaac said, cutting his time short, putting the mask up, and redonning his hood. Irene followed suit. "I'll be in the Manor by tonight." We have to see Loki Familia. No excuses.

You have to-

-be there, yes, I planned on it. I wouldn't leave you out to dry. We need to check in on Grandma.

…Are you ready to face that?

Isaac mentally sighed, I'll have to be.

Normally, life in Twilight Manor would be tame but considering that Ais was in a small village—attended a festival—and that Bete had returned from his leave of absence made events seem mundane. Riveria had been slightly unfocused as of late and it's not her fault. With everything piling up, the High Elf had to actually take a nap of all things. High Elves don't need naps like she was a child again! She is ninety-nine years old. She's still a child in elven terms, for goodness sake!

The jade-haired elf decided to pace around the Manor, not with a destination in mind but entering the streets at this hour was not wise…for the potential perpetrators, and seriously, no one could be that stupid, right?

Anyway, back to her pacing. Multiple questions raced through Riveria's brain, and her body language showed that she was under quite the mountain of stress. Not to mention the whispers of a mysterious trio entering Orario. It was a rumor because Shakti Varma herself was there. Normally, she isn't there on the wall but once in a blue moon, she takes a shift. This shift proved to be more fruitful than before.

It was this very event that had Riveria hoping. She paced some more, unaware of the spectators she seemed to be getting. They almost interrupted her but paused when a sound broke out.

*Knock Knock Knock!*

She looked to the clock position on the far wall, noting that it was close to eight at night. Everyone in the Familia should be here. Tiona and Tione were also close by and they saw the High Elf approach the door. The knocking didn't happen again so Riveria presumed that someone 'ding-dong ditched' but threw that notion out because that required them to get past the guards.

Not many would dare risk the temper of Nine Hell so easily…unless your name was Sofia Vlahos.

What they expected was a stern lecture or a disgruntled noise from her; instead, they heard a stuttered voice, "Y-You…"

Thanks to the level five hearing of the twin sisters, they approached, "Riveria~!" Tiona sing-songed, "Who is it?"

The High Elf turned with tears in her eyes as the two hooded figures at the door of Twilight Manor regarded them and relaxed slightly but their Amazonian instincts suggested they were still plenty on guard. "Who are you?"

The shorter of the two lowered the mask, making their mouth, clearly feminine, visible. "Well, I'm shocked that I wasn't given a proper announcement…Mother. I thought I was welcome here…since her falna is on my back after all."

That word made the twin Amazons tense. No one and they mean absolutely no one calls Riveria 'Mom' 'Mother' 'Mum' or anything of the sort unless…

"Is that you, Irene?!" Tione surprisingly exclaimed. This was slightly unbecoming but judging from how the taller figure's shoulders were shaking meant they enjoyed this. She pointed at the other figure, "Then, what are you doing here, Isaac?!"

Both then revealed their faces, seeing the forest eyes they haven't seen nor heard from in two months. The last time Tione or Tiona had seen them…they weren't well. Clearly, they have improved but Tiona could almost feel that they were just beginning to heal.

Riveria, all the while, was indecisive. Both twins looked to Riveria, tears beginning to bud in Irene's eyes, ""Can we have a hug, Mum?""

Normally, Riveria would hold herself to a standard. She had warmed up to the idea of being a mother after finding out how much she liked having the Vlahos twins around. So when they left, her demeanor had reverted to what she was before…or even past that. Ais had noticed and tried to reach out, getting the High Elf to snap out of her funk, mostly. Thankfully, Finn and Gareth were also able to make her see reason. Aside from the letter left by Irene, she had no new information on them. She didn't dare go to Hermes for anything.

So, imagine her surprise when they suddenly dropped in again. She undoubtedly missed them. Before they could open their arms, Riveria was squeezing them and in a feat of strength not often seen, lifted the twins off the ground. "Of course!"

If they were in pain, they didn't show it. In fact, they seemed amused. Tione took notice of the newly found confidence in their body language. They certainly did not slack off in the last two months.

"When did you return?!" Riveria's voice was muffled into their shoulders. Isaac and Irene hugged their adoptive mother with a gentleness that assured her.

"Today but there was something we had to take care of before we could get the chance to come to see you," Irene answered. "Hello, Tione, Tiona," she giggled, "It's nice to see you. I look forward to being a part of your Familia."

On cue, ""She's in our Familia?!""

Irene then frowned as Isaac laughed, which could have been mistaken as cackling. "Did you seriously not tell them?!"

"Supposed to wait until you returned."

"And I did, so let's go, round everyone up!" Irene expressed her impatience. She elbowed Isaac in his ribs, to which he felt a shift.

The three experienced adventurers took notice and looked alarmed except for the man himself. "Come on, you held back on that one. You could easily break my rib like that."

"Isaac…"

He sighed, rolling his eyes, "Well, as much as I want to stay, I have to return to my own Familia."

""Wait you split up?!""

""Yes. So, Loki, are we going to have a chat?""

Riveria froze as she realized what she was doing, letting the twins go, not wanting to admit that how they spoke as one was quite unnerving."

Loki was amused at the top of the stairs, and to Isaac's surprise, Hestia was there beside her. "Welcome home, kiddos."

Isaac slipped by and walked to Hestia who had a calming smile. "Lady Hestia."

The loli goddess didn't wait and leaped at the man. "I'm so happy you're home and safe!"

Isaac chuckled as he wrapped an arm around Hestia, "Did you know we were here?" The question was posed to both Hestia and Loki.

The grin from the Trickster was actually less sharp than normal, "Yep~ ever since you walked into the city limits. So, is Grandmama here?"

"Yeah but don't expect her to pop in," Irene answered from below.

At that moment, Ais walked in. She noticed the twins and nodded to them, "Hello."

Irene detached from Riveria, much to her dismay, and walked up to the Sword Princess, "Nice to formally meet you, Ais. I will be in your care whilst I am a part of the Familia."

The stoic look Ais held softened, "Okay. Thank you, Irene." She turned to Isaac, only to see a challenge brimming in his eyes.

Irene elbowed him again, showing that he was too deep in his thoughts again, "No, you can't challenge her now."

"I have to see if the standard is there, Irene," Isaac said, not breaking eye contact. "If I'm to train Bell, I need to see how his previous teacher worked. What better way than a spar?"

"Right now?" Riveria interjected, "Absolutely not!"

Tione and Tiona just watched the byplay and were excited but confused. Tiona seemed joyful at the mention of Mister Argonaut. "Can we watch?"

Hestia sighed at Isaac's battle maniac tone, "As much as I want to say yes to him fighting Wallenwhatsherface, you need to come back to Hearth Manor," Hestia said. "You are far overdue for a status update."

"Same here, I need to show my new mage around," Loki said but her grin shifted into a perverse one.

Irene calmly walked forward and slapped Loki upside the head, her strength reduced to almost nothing. It felt harder than a firm pillow but softer than a log being thrown at her. "Do anything to me, I can research a permanent sober spell~," Irene's smile made Isaac hold back a chuckle.

"N-No need to be so hasty!" Loki said with her hands out in front of her. Riveria let out a breath at seeing how she could just sic Irene on Loki to keep her in check.

"Unfortunately, that will have to wait, Loki," Irene said. "We need to check in on the state of…Dia's home…so I will be residing in Hearthfire Manor for the night, provided that-"

"Of course," Isaac cut her off, "She's allowed in at any time, right, Hestia?"

The auras the twins were exuding were above their level but contained to just the main lobby. "So, nothing's changed…" Riveria idly commented.

"Y-Yeah! I am the Goddess of the Hearth, Fire, and Family. I wouldn't be so cruel to separate family!" The newly descended goddess said, placating the elder sibling. While she did note that they were lively compared to the last time she saw them, there was still some darkness in his eyes, even if his posture showed otherwise. "Come on, I need to check on Bell, make sure they got home safe."

"Unnecessary, as we did escort them home before we came here," Irene said. "For now, we have to go. I shall see you around, Tione, Tiona, Ais, Loki, and Mother," the younger twin said with a bow before leaving. Isaac offered a two-fingered salute before escorting Hestia out the door.

"Raincheck on that spar, Ais?" he asked. He received a nod in return. "Cool. Oh, Mikoto and I are recourting…since you know…I left and all that. So, I guess you have an adoptive daughter-in-law now?"

Riveria was pleased with this information, "I do hope it works out. She and I have been discussing an assortment of topics whilst you were away."

"...really?" He could feel various emotions well up within him and had to suppress them for the moment. "…thank you…" Isaac shut the door with a fragile smile.

As soon as it was shut, the members of Loki Familia sighed, "He's still hurting."

"They both are, Loki," Riveria said with a sigh. "What happened is not something they could just get over in a short time frame. As for you, Ais, no fighting him."

Loki scoffed, "You think my little Aizu wouldn't win?" Even Tione and Tiona were wondering about this declaration.

Riveria sighed and ascended the stairs, muttering under her breath, "No…I just don't want to see the two people I consider my children fight at all…"

Once the twins and Hestia left Twilight Manor, the goddess looked to see them covered in their masks. "Was their mission successful?"

"Yes, Lady Hestia," Irene said, her voice modifier within the cloak active, making it sound lower and filtered. "There were no injuries, aside from a small test."

This put Hestia on edge, not knowing the contents of said test. Isaac noted Hestia's stance on this. The elder twin sighed, "He's uninjured, as is everyone else. Should they have injured them…" The message went unsaid.

Hestia turned and walked backwards to the twins. She was undoubtedly curious as to what happened. "How are you two?"

A filtered sigh, "Better…not one hundred percent but definitely better than when we left. Also, elves are douchbags."

Hestia didn't expect the language from her newest child—which Hestia will admit that he will always be Dia's child, as well as Irene—so she was off-kilter and almost tripped. However, Isaac caught her.

"Please be careful, Hestia. Wouldn't want anything to happen to you…because the moment someone tries anything with you…"

"Isaac, kill the impulse," Irene said as they continued to walk the darkened streets of Orario. The City didn't seem to have changed much in the last two months. The buildings were still lit up with magic stones, the people still the same, and nothing seemed to jump out at them. Even if there were a lot of eyes on them because who the hell wears a cloak later into the evening? However, some connected that they were one of the cloaked trio that had gone through the rumor mill.

They wisely said nothing. Orario was a unique city if Irene was being honest, but the distance between the homes was longer than she remembered. Then again, she wasn't running through it like before. "This is your stop. We shall return soon, okay?"

"Be safe. Oh, here's a key for when you arrive, since we will most likely be sleeping. I shall let the Familia know that you two will be here."

""You have our thanks, Lady Hestia.""

Hestia shivered, "Have I ever told you that it's creepy when you do that?"

The Goddess could feel the smirks on their faces, ""Once or twice.""

It turns out, they made it to Hearthfire Manor in record time. They let Hestia in before turning back in the direction of Dia's Complex. If either one noticed the hesitation in their steps, neither one called the other out on it. Their thoughts were the same as the burden in their hearts stalled.

In the end, they bit the proverbial bullet and made haste, taking to the rooftops, noting the fluidity of their movements. Their time training had given them a 'base' lift in status. Obviously, they haven't received a status update since before their conversion, but it was the principle of the matter. They were moving faster than before, plain and simple. They easily arrived at the familiar location, noting the window was open and there were lights on from within.

Without pause, the twins jumped in the window, "Grandma?"

"There was this time that when they were younger, like little beans, they wanted to experience what-"

"Grandma!"

The scene looked a little something like this: Their grandmother, Sofia Vlahos, sitting on a bed with four little orbs around her, two in a similar color. "Oh, you're back." She stood and closed the distance between them and hugged them tightly, "I missed you both…I guess I just didn't want you to leave the nest so soon…even if I'm over a decade too late."

Ignoring that, "Who are you talking to and why can I see four different wisps?" Irene asking the real questions here.

"Well, one of them is my beloved. Another is my closest friend, and the last two are whom I'd consider my younger kid sisters. They have a connection with the resident rabbit."

Isaac stared blankly at them, noting that one of the silver-looking wisps went in front of another. "For some reason, I can see-wait did you just say Grandpa is one of these wisps?!"

Said wisp floated in front of the twins before dancing around them, making Sofia laugh softly, "He says you've grown up well, considering everything…"

"Anyway," Isaac turned and closed the window, "We met the Xenos."

The playfulness in Sofia dropped off there, "Explain."

And so they did, recounting the entire journey, even if it only took twenty minutes. The entire trip was around seven hours, that being because of how the twins blitzed through the Dungeon. At the end of the explanation, the twins were leaned against the wall, hoods down, and just staring off into the wild blue yonder. They weren't exactly focused on anything. If they were, the memories would come back with a vengeance.

"They seemed to have known you…like everyone else," Isaac muttered and even if he tried, he couldn't keep the disdain out of his tone, which he immediately flinched to. He refused to look up at Sofia to see the potentially angered expression.

"Isaac, look up, please," Sofi's voice was soft, maternal, and warm. She was right in front of him. She cupped his face in her hands, "I understand what you're feeling. I know. I've felt it too once upon a time." Sofia's hazel eyes locked with her grandson, "I know you and your sister will rise from my shadow. I know it is vast and I know that it seems like no matter where you go, I'm there, but please understand you can do things that I could have never dreamed up."

"Like what?"

"Did you know when my Familia was slaughtered, betrayed, and disbanded, I had no one, no one to turn to, not a single person who understood my pain. Not even Riveria understood. She was too close to the pain for me to think rationally?"

"Yet you took her as a student?" Irene's voice hitched.

Sofia released Isaac's face and sighed, "I did because that was the point in time I realized that I was pregnant with Melissa and I refused to let myself hurt my precious unborn child." Sofia's cheeks flushed as she recalled the circumstances that lead to that. The wisps, still present in the room, seemed to be flashing in laughter.

"So Mom was the one who helped you."

Sofia turned to look at one of the many pictures within the office, "Yes, now I'm telling you both to not let yourselves fall back down. The one thing you both should focus on is rebuilding the foundation before moving on. So, Isaac, you need to have an in-depth discussion with Miss Mikoto. No making any moves on her until you are certain that you are ready to pursue a courtship."

Isaac grimaced, knowing this contradicts what he had said to her back in the Dungeon. "No."

"Hm?"

"The foundation starts with her. She can help me rebuild the foundation I've lost," his words became confident. A fire in his eyes, his posture, his whole being. Unbeknownst to him, a certain distraught goddess saw this change and smiled pleasantly. Her observer rose a brow before drawing his own conclusions.

The forest-haired High Elf blinked, before smiling once more, "Then it looks like you're on your way. As for you, Irene, you'll be happy to know that those two boys from Anubis Familia are on their way to Orario, and should be here tomorrow."

Irene's face flushed as she shouted, "What?!"

With that being said, Sofia stayed inside the Complex, while the twins headed to the Manor. The Moon was out tonight in its highest position, meaning it was closer to midnight. "Well, let's see if this key works."

Irene jumped the fence first, Isaac following shortly after. Their footsteps were silent, more force of habit than anything else before Isaac inserted the key into the door before it popped open. The door opened slowly.

Irene was already looking over his shoulder, searching in a direction opposite of him. Their training was kicking in, and one of the hardest parts was shaking off the instinct. In Lady Nike's arena, there were no such things as logic. Only after the fight did that come into play. Matteo and Leonie made sure to drill that lesson in. One hand resided under their cloaks, wondering where everyone was. It was too quiet. Too…barren. There wasn't a trace of anyone being here. Fear began to grip their hearts. Not again… the venom within Irene's voice gave Isaac a chill down his spine.

Whoever did this…will pay.

Suddenly, the lights flickered on and a banner descended from the ceiling. "Welcome Home, Isaac and Irene!"

The twins were stupified. They lowered their hoods once more to see the sextet of one goddess and five adventurers. Mikoto was the first person that Isaac noticed and what she was wearing was too damn cute. A blue turtleneck sweater with hearts sewn into the sleeves, two straps that looked like suspenders, and a pair of black shorts with white fluffy trims to them. She was wearing cross-strapped sandals and her hair was slightly off to the side. Isaac glossed over her once more, his face slowly turning a rosy red. Hers did too, much to her happiness,

Bell, Welf, and Lili were wearing their normal outfits while Haruhime was wearing a maid outfit.

Irene chuckled first, losing all of her hostile demeanor. Her intent wasn't directed at anyone, so no one felt it. "Next time, tell us to actually be prepared, we thought something happened to you guys."

Bell had the decency to blush and scratch his face, "W-Well, we just wanted to welcome you."

"And what better way to welcome you back to Orario than with a cake!" Hestia exclaimed as Haruhime emerged from a side room with a massive cake.

The twins sighed before hearing the door once more. "Hello?"

Irene turned on a dime, her mouth open, as the door opened to reveal a familiar dark elf.

"Dino?!"

...

I'm alive after two months, my apologies, the writer's block was still hitting me but then I got random motivation and here we are.

Hope you enjoyed.