The goodbyes were warm and unhurried. Alia clasped both of Talyra’s hands in hers, like older won do when they want soone to feel truly seen.
Talyra, known for her lack of sentintality, refrained from making any sarcastic remarks, which spoke volus in itself.
Talyra turned to Rex when Alia stepped forward a little bit to give him a mont and adjusted the strap on the small bag she was carrying.
She didn’t say anything at all, but she did give him a look that said, "You owe and don’t waste this."
Then she pointed two fingers at her own eyes and then back at him.
Rex turned his head. "What was that...?"
"Nothing," she said.
Then she smiled, and it was a real smile, not one that was fake. "Have fun being so dependable, Rexy~!"
Rex then realized that she’s being assisted by Talyra and Aisella.
’Oh my fucking lust... Talyra... you genius bitch, I didn’t know you really get what I want right now in this situation.’
Aisella walked up to her and looked at him again. She spoke in a quieter, more honest way, without any show.
"She’s a good person," Aisella said simply. "Be honest with her."
Rex looked at her for a mont. The way she said it made it sound like the sentence had more than one aning.
"I always am," he said.
Aisella nodded once.
After that, they turned and walked together in the other direction, their footsteps fading into the sounds of Aethelgard’s streets as they recovered.
Rex watched them leave for exactly two seconds before turning back to Alia.
She had waited patiently, like soone who was used to people needing a mont. Her hands were loosely clasped, and she was open and not bothered by the delay.
"Should we?" she asked.
"Yeah, let’s go." Rex walked next to her.
...
The Brightsoul household was located in the district next to the Academy grounds, specifically in a neighborhood where individuals with significant institutional positions lived without prioritizing the display of their status.
The house was big enough for a senior cleric to live in. It was well-kept and organized around the needs of people who worked in the life-affinity tradition, which included spaces for communal gatherings, private study, and areas for practicing their craft.
Alia initiated another conversation, saying, "Judging by how close they are to you, I think Apollo really let them loose, huh?"
Rex didn’t expect her to say that, but he already knew the answer. "Well, Apollo didn’t really pay much attention to them."
"Yeah, I noticed... my son is indeed a dense young man who couldn’t express his feelings really well." Alia chuckled. "And I don’t bla him or you at all."
"In fact, my son has been granted a system blessing known as the Harem King Protocol, although he hasn’t really made good use of it. At least he also has another blessing: divine favor from the goddess of life herself."
"I’m relieved he hasn’t used the Harem King Protocol system. I strongly doubt my son could manage more than one woman at a ti. Just handling one has already made him act so dense and awkward," Alia laughed.
’Does she know that her son is reincarnated from another world...?’ Rex thought. ’Maybe I should ask him, but she’s the one who starts the new topic, so I just let it be.’
"But... it’s unfortunate that my son’s ntal state has been slowly deteriorating after witnessing the deaths of two of his harem mbers at the hands of the Undead Bringer..."
"The Harem King Protocol provides a power boost for him, but with the loss of those two mbers, my son is going to beco weaker."
Rex wanted to laugh so hard at that, considering he was the hypocrite responsible for the loss of those two mbers. "I’m honestly feeling sad for him..."
"Yeah, but at least you’re the one who changes his life from despair when you stand with him." Alia held his chest. "I’m truly thankful for that, and I do hope I could at least give you sothing in return."
After their brief conversation, they finally arrived at Alia’s house. She knocked softly on the door, and soon after, her husband opened it for them.
"I’m back, hubby~!"
"Welco back, Alia... and this is..." Alia’s husband looked at Rex, and then the realization ca quick. "Oh! Y-you’re Rex Rexilion, the savior of my son!"
"Yes, sir."
Rex glanced at Alia’s husband, who appeared to be around the sa age as her and exuded the deanor of soone who had long embraced the priesthood, making it an integral part of his identity. He was dressed in the working robes typically worn by junior clerics at the Life-Affinity Temple, rather than the more formal ceremonial attire.
He looked like soone who had been up for a few hours doing sothing specific.
He thanked Rex in a straightforward way, like soone who was grateful for practical reasons instead of social ones. "I’m overjoyed that Apollo made a great friend like you!"
He used straightforward language to describe the actions Rex had taken, detailing them in the sequence they occurred and explaining their significance to a father who had returned ho to discover his son in a restricted area and his city in ruins.
"I know that the Goddess of Life is going to bless you for what you did to one of her apostles."
And again, Rex is trying not to laugh hearing that.
’Bless ...? Man, fuck that shit!’
’But wait a minute... he does know that Apollo is one of her apostles...’
’So, did they know that their son is soone from another world?’
"Thank you... honestly, one thanks is enough because I don’t want to get a lot of praises like that." Rex accepted the thanks like soone who was used to it, not brushing it off or acting humble about it. "I’m not the only one who saved Aethelgard, you know."
"But YOU are the one that saves my husband from a great punishnt Lady Valentina is going to give, so... I’m really grateful for that." He nodded.
"I’m going to talk more with Rex. You coming?" Alia asked her husband.
"Sorry, I can’t..." The husband said, "I need to be at the temple for morning instruction."
This was clearly true because he was acting like soone who was about to leave, not soone who was making up an excuse. "But I’m happy to have t you here, Rex Rexilion."
"Likewise."
He shook Rex’s hand and left.
"Oh well, my hubby is really busy with that stuff anyway." She giggled.
"Great fucking setup, this is..."
...
Alia took Rex inside. The house felt like a place where the residents had lived long enough for the arrangent of items to reflect their actual use rather than their intended purpose.
"Apollo is in the east room." Alia said, "He has been spending most of his ti there since the punishnt began."
"The ntal health specialist cos in the morning and evening; during the rest of the ti, he prefers to be left alone."
"So he really is in a tiout, huh?"
"Yeah, and it’s for the best." She looked at Rex in a way that wasn’t quite an apology.
"He is not the sa as he was before," she said. "Before you see him, I want to tell you this so you can change what you expect."
Rex nodded.
She took him to the east room and knocked. The wait for an answer was longer than what a busy person would have done.
"Apollo, it’s your mother," Alia said. "And Rex Rexilion is with to visit you."
’Clearly I didn’t... I only care for your mother.’ Rex added in his mind.
The pause lasted for a little while longer.
Apollo’s voice ca through the door and said, "I’m sorry, Mother... Rex..."
"For now... I’d rather be alone today." It sounded like sothing that had been said a lot lately and had beco a pattern.
"Just this once, Apollo, please."
"You said that you wanted to et the one who saved you."
"Thanks, Rex..." Apollo said, and that’s it.
’Poor guy... he’s really broken.’
User Comments
0 comments from readers