Chapter 245: Soloman's Acceptance
Bolland and Erin sat at a table inside the sect's main building laboratory observing the white cocoon made of condensed liquid flames. The two of them had been freely coming back to this place for the past few days thanks to a special medallion given to them by Erica. As they studied the cocoon they could not help being in awe at Erica's ability to tread on this great cultivation path using one of the Soloman clan's ancestral methods.
The two suddenly heard a door open as they both turned toward the small figure who stepped out of one of the chamber rooms with an exhausted expression.
"Mom and Dad, you're back. Good to see you both as always." Erica smiled as she approached her parents.
"Oh dear Eri, every time I see you in this form I get flashbacks of your early childhood. You were sweet and energetic." Erin said with a graceful smile.
"Geez Mom." Erica replied a bit awkwardly before her face shifted into a tired and slightly downcast expression. "Putting that aside, I'm finally finished with this particular assignment. I just hope that everything goes well in the end..."
Erin became silent as her gaze shifted toward the small chamber room while she secretly sighed.
"I believe that everything will be fine dear. You are after all a gifted genius of our Soloman clan." Bolland declared with his usual stern expression before it softened slightly. "More than that you are our precious daughter, far more capable than we were at your age."
Erica smiled sweetly at her father's praise. "Thank you for that Dad. I truly appreciate your encouraging words."
Bolland's stern face softened even more as a rare smile appeared on his lips. He and Erin suddenly looked at each other. Erin gave him an encouraging look as he sighed before turning back to Erica, who now had a questioning expression.
"Ahem. My dear daughter, there is something that I have been thinking about lately..." Bolland began before pausing as if choosing his words.
"Yes Dad? What is it?" Erica asked with a hint of wariness.
"It is nothing too big per se, or well, maybe it is? Bah! Anyways, it is about you, us, and the Soloman clan." Bolland said, pausing again while fumbling for words.
Erica's slight wariness instantly spiked. Compared to her real adult body, this small child clone could not hide her expressions at all.
"No dear, no need to be so alarmed. Just hear me out for a moment." Bolland raised a hand in an attempt to calm her.
Unfortunately the gesture only made her expression grow even more tired and somber. "Is that so... Alright Dad, let us get this out of the way as always…"
Erin and Bolland looked at her with pitiable expressions that tugged at their hearts. Bolland even began to quietly panic, especially seeing this younger Erica making such expressions.
"No Eri, do not misunderstand! Your father has never been good with words! He used to be a complete cultivation freak with a lone-wolf personality before we became engaged and later married. He got it from his father, who even now is a recluse of the Soloman clan after mother-in-law passed years ago. Look at him. Can you not tell he is fumbling even now?" Erin said while pointing at Bolland with pity.
"My wife, to say such things..." Bolland muttered in disbelief even with his stern face.
Erica's mood eased slightly as something clicked in her mind, and she smiled. "You are right Mom. Haha alright Dad, I will hear you out. What were you trying to say?"
Bolland looked at her wary expression, took a deep breath, sighed, and then spoke with clear determination. "I have decided that in our unique case, our branch of the Soloman clan, including our close relatives and servants, should make it our business to drop some of our clan's narrow-minded ideals. We would like to officially welcome Sect Master Solman into our family by extension as our future son-in-law, and also welcome Vice Sect Master Hucklebare and Arch Guardian Crimsonroot as daughter-in-laws."
Silence sat heavily in the air as Erica stood frozen in shock. Even Erin was slightly surprised by how clearly he stated it.
"W-Wait wait wait! Hahahaha Dad I did not hear that correctly. Is there illusion magic here Mom? Dad is not a magician so it could only be you. Are you both trying to prank me? Wow you really got me with this one! I must be tired!" Erica babbled as confusion, denial, hope, and disbelief rapidly cycled across her face.
Bolland and Erin watched her move like someone whose internal circuits misfired as their smiles wavered between wry and bitter.
Bolland sighed, walked to the tiny Erica, and calmly picked her up.
"D-Dad! What are you doing?! You cannot just do this! I am not a child anymore!" Erica blushed as she struggled lightly.
"I was not joking earlier, and your mother did not cast any spell. I will say it again. We will no longer live so narrowly with our clan's outdated ideals. Your loved ones will now be officially treated as our in-laws." Bolland declared with a small smile.
Erica went silent again as everything felt unreal. This was something she believed she would only ever dream of.
"D-Dad are you serious?"
"Yes I am serious."
"Are you really really serious?"
"Most definitely my dear daughter. Really really serious."
"You and Mom will really accept El Onyem, Big Sister Chrissy, and Big Sister Shay?"
"Yes. Yes, we will accept them all. In the end, putting aside the benefits of having such excellent in-laws, I just want to see my daughter happy. As for the Sect Master, we owe his branch of the family greatly, especially since he was the only survivor..."
Erica's clone burst into tears made of flame droplets, several of which landed on Bolland. He felt the searing pain but bore it without flinching. Erin wrapped her arms around them both as Erica's clone began to wail with overwhelming happiness. Her parents had granted her the second most important wish of her life. Her first was to marry Elton and bear his children.
Within the white flaming cocoon, the real Erica had partially transformed into flames as her cultivation breakthrough continued. Her eyes remained closed, her breath steady, and at the corners of her eyes faint tears slowly rolled down her cheeks.
…
On a certain warfront with a platoon of Soloman clan experts, John Soloman launched a destructive punch with his fist covered in white flaming ki toward a demonic cultivator. The punch exploded through the creature's arm and blasted into its chest. John narrowed his gaze at a wave of demonic beasts rushing forward as the Soloman clan experts unleashed various attacks.
With a high leap, John soared through the air with fire igniting beneath his feet. He shot forward like a falling star, appearing above two demonic beasts before striking out. Two white balls of burning corrosive ki smashed into both beasts, annihilating them instantly. The others around him looked amazed as he continued to mow down every creature in his path.
He squeezed his fist, his grim expression deepening as his mind drifted elsewhere. He thought about a certain beautiful one who was once expected to be betrothed to him due to discussions from their childhood. He gritted his teeth.
"My Erica... Damnit I cannot accept this!" John roared as he continued slaughtering everything before him.
Further back, elders of his branch—including his father, mother, and grandfather—watched him with dark expressions.
"I think it is time we did something about this injustice toward our John..." an older middle-aged man said with a frown.