NOVEL NEXT Chap 174: The Warmth She Brings.
Point of View: Sers
It feels a bit lonely not having any of my brothers around. I've always had at least one of them by my side whenever I came back home. Maki's gone—I don't know for how long—and even though Ritmo should be arriving soon, "soon" can mean anything when it comes to him. He's always been so enigmatic.
"You're lucky to have me around." Ivad says that in her teasing tone while cooking. And honestly, she's right. I like an active life, and she's loud and full of energy—that's one of the reasons I fell in love with her.
I walk up behind my girlfriend and hug her from behind. "You're right, I'm really lucky to have you here." She flinches a little when I kiss her cheek, then starts laughing to hide her nervousness. Ivad always laughs when she's nervous or blushing.
"But you know, it's totally different having your girlfriend's company than your brother's." She nods softly—she's the middle sibling like me. "Maki's a very particular case. Sometimes it feels like I'm talking to someone my age, other times older, and once in a while, he plays with Glia like a little kid." Thinking about my little brother, who just left, makes me feel nostalgic.
"By the way, we haven't really talked about your impressions. What do you think of your new home? Do you like my family?" Yesterday we were too tired and fell asleep as soon as we got here. This morning, we toured the town so she could get used to the place and see the important spots, and later we went to say goodbye to Maki.
She takes a moment to think, pressing her finger against her lips. "I love it!" she shouts suddenly. "I'm so happy to call this our home. Talar is such a beautiful and lively town, and from what I've seen, I already like it." I'm relieved to hear that—I feel the same way. It feels good to call this place our home.
"Your family is wonderful and kind. They treated me as if I were already part of them. Your grandmother is very wise and always tries to give me advice when we talk. Your mother is the kind of noble woman I aspire to be—strong, refined, and intelligent. And your father is really funny; he's like an older version of you." Her eyes sparkle as she speaks about my family, and my heart beats faster seeing the excitement in every word and gesture.
"They're exactly how you described them, maybe even better. Your family and this territory are far greater than you made them sound. I'm truly grateful to life for letting me meet you, Sers." She gives me a kiss before turning back to serve a light meal before we head out later.
"I'm glad. At first, I was a bit nervous to introduce you to them, but that worry's gone now after hearing you say that." I take a spoonful of the hot stew—it tastes amazing. My parents wanted to send us a chef, but I refused since Ivad loves cooking. In the end, only a housekeeper comes by at certain hours when we're busy. "What do you think about Maki? Do you see a future for him?" She takes a sip of juice before answering.
"You definitely understated what you told me years ago. Your brother's playing in an entirely different league now—he's stronger than both of us together. No, stronger than our entire group." Her words take me by surprise. I know Maki's strength, but maybe I haven't been grasping the full extent of it.
"He just reached the Sapphire rank, yet he already carries the presence and pressure of someone with decades of experience. The rumors about him didn't just spread through the marquisate—now the whole empire and neighboring kingdoms know his name after his victory in the tournament against the kingdom of Merno's star. And that was when he was still at the Emerald rank. Now, he can already be considered a pseudo powerhouse." I chew in silence as I think about that.
Maki is famous everywhere now. If he keeps achieving great things, his name will echo across the world. Calling him a pseudo powerhouse used to sound exaggerated to me—until I heard Ivad's explanation. Powerhouses are Ruby ranks. Territories measure their strength and prosperity by how many Rubies they have.
Diamond and Obsidian ranks are rare across the continent, so it's not fair to judge power based on them. It's true that one of them could destroy a town or wreak havoc on a city, but they usually avoid doing so since others of equal power would retaliate. There's no point in dying senselessly.
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A pseudo powerhouse… Maki's been a Sapphire for less than a week, and he's already comparable to a Ruby. That's something extraordinary. He's definitely playing life differently. The only problem is that the nail that sticks out always gets hammered down. Maki will have to be cautious and keep growing stronger little by little. With the marquis' support and our grandmother being an Obsidian rank, only a fool or a madman would dare touch him.
"Do you have any thoughts about his future? He could be a good godfather for our first child." Ivad lowers her gaze, staring at her meal. The topic of children always makes her blush. She does want to be a mother, and I'd love to be the father of her children. We haven't been together that long, but we've known each other for years, and we've talked about this often.
"About Maki? It's hard to say, but at the very least, he'll take this territory to the next level. And if he fulfills his potential, his actions could shake the entire world." She says that seriously, and I agree. "And yes… he'd make a good godfather. I've seen how he plays with Glia and how he treats your house's workers. He'd definitely be a great uncle and godfather when we have our first child." I don't know when that will be, but it's only a matter of time.
After eating, we relax on the couch in our living room. We need to enjoy these moments of calm before heading to Puntsal to discuss the dungeon Maki entered after becoming a Sapphire.
Every dungeon that's about to advance in grade starts allowing entry to people one rank higher. The monsters inside begin to change gradually, creating a mix between the previous and new grades—in this case, grades two and three. That's excellent news for our territory: a new dungeon with grade-three monsters is always a blessing.
We must carefully inspect the safe zone that appeared shortly before Maki's entry. In most cases, that happens when the dungeon is evolving. It creates those safety areas as a lifeline for adventurers still within the old grade's limits.
Ivad and I will go clear out part of the dungeon and observe the changes. If we can find the core or the final boss, even better. My parents asked me to go, and having a Sapphire rank sitting idle isn't productive anyway. When Ivad heard, she immediately decided to join me. She loves fighting and doesn't want to leave me alone now that I'm missing an arm. For me, it's the perfect opportunity to train and practice the new spell I've been working on.
It's rare to find a dungeon of a lower grade that still lets you in—it means I can train safely without overexerting myself. A win-win for everyone. I glance at where my arm used to be, then at Ivad, who's making little sounds as she falls asleep. I'd give up any part of my body again if it meant saving her life.
I set the hourglass to wake us up in an hour and a half. I'll take a nap with her too. Today's just for scouting the surroundings; no need to spend too much time inside. Starting tomorrow, the real work begins. We should make the most of these quiet moments together while we can.
Once we wake up and get ready, we head to Puntsal. After finishing our work, we'll stop by Mancor so she can see both towns in one day. Just a quick visit to learn the routes and where our family's house is in each village.
When we arrive at the dungeon, it's just as we expected—no problems entering. Everything seems stable for now. Some dungeons spiral out of control while evolving, causing monster stampedes or collapsing entirely. From what we've observed and what we learned in school, this one seems like a normal transition—just a standard grade increase.
We check the safe zone that's been marked and painted, then move on to hunt some monsters nearby. The rats don't pose any trouble—we can play around with them easily. They're perfect practice targets for refining the spell I'm trying to master.
We don't go too deep inside, only far enough to check for noticeable changes in mana or the environment. So far, we haven't found anything strange, nor have we encountered grade-three monsters, though some of the grade-two ones seem close to advancing.
After a few hours of practice, we decide to head back. We have to write a report for the dungeon management department and send copies to my grandmother, Patt, and my parents. Every time I see that strange machine that copies a sheet perfectly, I'm amazed. It's an invention that saved countless hours of handwriting identical reports.
Later, we have dinner at the best restaurant, walking through the main streets. I show Ivad where our family houses are in each town before we finally head back home to rest. Tomorrow, we'll return to the dungeon to continue investigating. It's unfortunate for the Emerald ranks who want to enter, but we can't allow excessive hunting right now.
Now lying in bed beside my girlfriend after a relaxing shower, I think about how quickly this world is changing—and how lucky I am to be on the fortunate side of it. Maki has contributed so much to that. I check the time and realize my younger brother should've already reached his new destination.
"What will your first impression of that city be, Maki?" I whisper softly since Ivad is already drifting off. Everyone says Skyblue River City is a paradise. "Take care of my little brother on his new adventure." All I can do now is wish him the best of luck in that jungle of stone and magic.