It was morning birds chirped in the root tree, Hina was in the kitchen preparing breakfast, Lina was cleaning the dining table, while Free,Okoto and Philip were outside meditating and Hinata and Elina were staring at the three.
"Elina call the three, breakfast is ready!" Hina voice rang from the kitchen.
"Yes!" Elina answered, she went close to the three. "Dad! Brother! Uncle! Breakfast is ready" she said, the three open their eye and stretch their arms.
"That was really refreshing!" Philip yelled, he jumped from his place and landed an inch away from the door.
"Hey wait for me!" Okoto shouted, he jumped too and landed right infront of Philip. "Let's go!" both run inside like children coming home after playing, meanwhile Free was still sitting in the place he was meditating, still and unmoving. Hinata went to him and gave a light kick in his back.
"Brother wake up!" she yelled, Free then smiled not a genuine but a trouble one.
"My body...is...stiff" he said , a single tear rolled down his cheeks, Hinata then gave a slap in his back. "Help me move" he muttered, Hinata's vein poped she gave a hard kick in his back and Free fall flat on the grass. "Not that hard".
After sometimes... Free and everyone were on the dining table eating quietly untill.
"Free" Hina called, she look up from her food her face gave a mischevious grin.
"Wha-what?" Free said, he was hesitant knowing what was gonna come.
"How far have you gotten with Sylvia" she asked, Free was silent for a moment then he look at her straight in the eye.
"Define 'far'" he asked, Philip food almost came out of his mouth, Hinata laughs at the hilarious question while Hina and Lina looked dissapointed.
"What was that answer...." Hina pinch the bridge of her nose then she fixed her position. "I'm asking how is your relationship with Sylvia, it's almost three months now have you already done it...y'know" she said, Philip and Okoto almost choked while Hinata and Elina were confused, Lina was calmly eating unbothered by the question.
"About that. We have been going on dates almost every day, nothing much" he said, taking a bite from his bread while Hina face was getting more dissapointed every second.
"I think you need education about relationships" she said, Free looked at her then sighs. His trauma was kicking again his mind flashed his relationships with his wife in his first life, worse than being bitten by a snake 10 times in a row.
' I ain't having more educations about couple' he vowed to himself with full determination. "You should stop asking about my love life, mom. It's feels weird" Free said, Hina slammed her hands in the table.
"I should, you don't know how to treat a girl, you blab about spells all day, talk about your adventurer earning, complaints about training, atleast think what Sylvia wants!!! I want a daughter–in–law and grandchildrens very badly!!!" she shouted, Okoto and Philip finally lost it and choked on their food, Free was as red as a tomato, Lina was just nodding while Hinata and Elina were deep in thought.
"D-dear you should calm down.....before you make us die from choking" Philip tried to calm Hina down but she glare at him and Philip quietly sat down.
"bigsis Sylvia will be our sister..." Hinata muttered.
"We will have new siblings..." Elina added, both imagine a new sibling happily playing with them.
"Brother you should get married already!!!" both shouted, Lina looked up from her tea.
"See even Hinata and Elina agreed" Hina said, she gave both girls a pat and looked at Free again. "You should just propose already".
Free came back to his senses, he quickly stands up. "B-but i am still fourteen, i'm still young" he said.
"The younger the better, also you are going to turn fifteen after three days" Hina gave a thumbs up, Okoto and Philip just left the dining room, they took their sword and left to hunting, Free was all alone. "Look Free you need to just propose to her like the way you confessed" she adviced.
"I need to go" Free said, he exit the dining table and and took his skyboard from behind the door in living room and left the place without wearing his adventurer coat.
"Hey come back!" Hina yelled but Free was already far away to the other side of the village, she sighs and sat down again on her chair. "He really doesn't know romance" she muttered.
"Even Okoto and Philip can have a better romance" she said,completing her breakfast.
"Yea-what! Are you referring to man to man or woman and man romance!" she asked, Lina looked back and gave a nod. "Stop messing with my mind!" she yelled.
Outside Free was flying in the sky, the cold morning breeze brush with his dark shiny hair, itwas very chilling. "it's very chilling" he muttered, he looked down at the village there weren't many villagers outside in morning during cold season, he flew all around the village and then float above Sylvia's house, waiting for her to come out from her house.
On the other hand Philip was at the village entrance with Okoto they were eating dried meat, Philip sighs and looked at the village houses. "Love life is really hard for someone who is a magic nerd" he muttered.
"You're saying it like he isn't your son but a friend" Okoto said with a grin as he take another bite on the dried meat.
Philip looked at him then he thought for a moment. "You're not wrong" Philip said, Okoto look at him with a confused face. "Free is still young yet i sometimes saw something deeper in his eyes, like he isn't just genius and wise but also older" Philip said, then he took out a white paper from his pocket it was rolled up with something inside, a cigarette.
"Isn't that a paper used in smoking, you never tell me you start to smoke" he said, but Philip shook his head.
"This isn't mine" he said, Okoto was confused again, he thought for a moment and his eye went wide.
"Don't tell me it's Hina's" Okoto said, he looked proud of himself and Philip falls on the ground from dissapointment.
"It's not Hina's, it's Free's smoke" he said.
"Wait you're telling me your son is smoking and you didn't ask why?" Okoto said, he scratch his chin with a thoughtful face, then he look at the cigarette in Philip's hand. "How many does he smoke a day?" he asked.
"He doesn't do it often, just once in two or three days, he always smoke at night when no one is awake" Philip replied, he put back the cigarette in his pocket, and sat on the fence of the village.
"That's weird he isn't addicted, does he drink or not" Okoto asked again.
"No" Philip answered with a flat tone, Okoto was now more intrigued. "He doesn't touch those, he says they don't smell good" Philip said. "As if he know what taste better" he muttered.
Meanwhile at Free side, everyone were already awake, stores were open, vendors and adventurers were loud. Sylvia face was red while Free was complaining about the morning chaos his mom did.
"Your mom really doesn't know how to hold back" she said, her face was red.
"Yeah, she really yelled that out loud. I would be embarrassed" Free said, with a slight nod, just then some boys their age passed by they look at Free and Free just gave then a glare they quickly look away.
"You should stop glaring at anyone that stare at you" Sylvia said while looking at the boys.
"I'm just tired, ever since they knew i was dating you they just glare at me so i glared back" he sighs.
"Fair" she giggles. "L-let's go now" she said, her face was red, her pointy ears were down and red she reach for Free's hand and Free gave a smile and they went on a date. Again.
Meanwhile in the dungeon 5 miles away from the village, it's core glowed red, the dungeon starts to rumble, adventurers inside turns pale. "Run!" One yelled and his party starts to run outside.
"What is happening?" one newbie asked.
"The dungeon is rumbling, it mean only one thing" the older adventurers gulped hard. "A stampede is coming soon".
To be continued....
Next chapter preview:
In the next chapter!. The approaching stampede, Free's interrupted date, Philip party reform, noble threats and the secreat emperor.
Announcements: Vol.1 is about to end in a few more Chapters so thank you for reading all the way to chapter 27.
Thank you for reading