Chapter 19: Chapter 16: After the meeting with the Goddess.

Echoes of Fire and Shadows

Chapter 16: After the meeting with the Goddess.

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“Dammit! I swear that I’m going to give her a piece of my mind next time I see her! I might even punch her a little! How dare she toss me out after not talking for so long!” My auntie raised her fist into the air as she stated her desire for retribution...

“If fighting near temples assures you eternal damnation, then what happens when you threaten violence against a god outside their temple…?” I asked myself that question while listening to the rant of my auntie.

It has been a short while since my meeting with Lia ended abruptly. 

When I opened my eyes, I found myself right in front of the mossy doors of the crumbling old temple. My Auntie was right in front of me, her clothes were completely drenched and she had a strange smile on her face…

It was clear that she was not happy at all with what happened to her...

I spoke to her for a bit and it turns out that I have been gone for at least three hours… But not only that, it also turns out that it was raining heavily the entire time while I was gone… 

The fact that it is still raining did not help me in my attempts to calm her down...

So, my auntie has been waiting for me under the rain for the last three hours while insulting Lia for tossing her out of the temple…

Me? I’m underneath the roof that covers the door, so I’m fine... For now, at least.

“Fuck! I swear that I will... - Achoo…!” My aunt suddenly sneezed. She was still standing under the downpour…

“Auntie, you’re really going to catch a cold… Let’s go home...” I looked at her with worry.

Considering how long she has been standing there under the heavy rain, it would be strange if she didn’t catch a cold… However, I’m worried that she might get pneumonia or something else if she gets any worse…

Obviously, I’m not a doctor and I cannot be certain that diseases or viruses are the same or that they work the same way they do on Earth, but I won’t take any chances.

“I’m fine! Can’t you see it? This is nothing compared to…- Achoo!” She ended up sneezing again. 

She was not fine… She already had a runny nose and everything…

“See? Just come here for a minute…” I stepped into the rain and pulled her by the arm into my shelter. She didn’t resist my efforts and allowed herself to be pulled beneath the outside roof of the old temple.

I couldn’t help but smile feebly due to how easy it was despite the stubbornness she was showing me before.

“Sheesh…” I looked at her with a teasing smile while jokingly shaking my head with disapproval. I also reached out for her forehead with my right hand. “Oh…” My playful expression immediately turned into one of concern as soon as I realized how hot she was…

She had an incredibly high fever, she was literally burning… Even without a thermometer, I could tell that her fever was around or even above 40º...

“What? I told you I’m fine! Don’t worry about me! Just you worry about what I’m going to do to Lia for being a bad friend! Seriously… Not talking to me for almost five years and then sending me away all of a sudden...” Auntie was still going with her angry rant.

“Auntie, let’s go back home. You need to rest.” I was now incredibly worried about her.

“Achoo!” She sneezed very loudly… “As I said before, I’m fine! You’re such a worrywart!” She tried to play down her fever...

…

Yeah, I can’t simply let her stay like this.

As soon as I made up my mind, I walked towards her and crouched right by her side. My hands were firmly placed on her back and legs.

“Oi! What are you doing!?” She looked at me with a surprised expression.

I quickly stood up, grabbing her and easily holding her in my arms. A feat that was only possible due to my training with my Dad, my strength being raised thanks to my previous Level Up, and my Aunt’s small frame.

“Isn’t it obvious? I’m taking you home.” I replied.

Even with the difference in size between us, I could carry her without any kind of trouble.

“Has anyone ever taught you that you cannot simply grab a lady like that and carry them like a princess? There are several steps before that!” Despite her words and her scolding tone, she wasn’t struggling to get me to put her down. In fact, she even wrapped both of her hands around my neck.

“Would it help if I promised to take you out for dinner later?” I couldn’t help but try to tease her a bit.

“That would be a start.” She nodded as if pleased with my suggestion. “Jeez…” She then looked at me with amusement.

I smiled at her as soon as I noticed her amused expression.

“Just hold on tight until we get back home, Auntie.” I tried to reassure her that she was in good hands.

“I’ll do just that then…” She nodded again before resting her head against my shoulder.

After a few seconds, I could hear her breathing softly… She had fallen asleep unexpectedly quickly.

Carrying the small woman in my arms invoked a feeling of nostalgia within me, instantly bringing back some old memories from my previous life.

“Even if I’m in a different world, some things will not change huh…” I smiled wistfully as I remembered my teenage years on Earth.

Back on Earth, I used to take care of my sisters when they were sick and my parents had to work. I remember that I carried both of them in the exact same way I’m carrying Tiria and the two always refused to let go of me…

“You’ll be better in no time, Auntie.” I spoke with confidence to my unconscious Aunt before looking forward. “Now then… I guess I should find something to protect us from the rain…” I looked at the road in front of me with a troubled expression.

It was still raining heavily…

“If only we had an umbrella… Oh.” As soon as I muttered those words, an idea came to my mind.

My idea was to use the spell called [Barrier], the spell that my Mom had used when the twins had shown me their magic. 

Although nobody ever taught me how to use it, it doesn’t really seem that complicated to master.

“Let’s see… If I recall correctly, a thin yellow wall of mana should appear in front of me if  I do things correctly.” I closed my eyes in order to remember as many details as I could about the spell.

Just imagine a wall of pure mana above your head… A wall that protects you from any danger no matter where you are.

Mana was quickly traveling and leaving my body in order to turn what I had imagined into reality.

As soon as I opened my eyes and looked above me, there it was, a [Barrier] in its full glory.

A thick blue wall made out of pure mana was hovering above the two of us. The [Barrier] seemed just as large as the wooden doors behind us.

"That was easier than I thought… But why is it a different color than the one my mom used?" I muttered while looking with awe at my creation. "I wonder if I can change its shape at will…" Another idea I wanted to test came to my mind while looking at the impressive [Barrier].

A sphere, a cube, a hexagon, a cylinder, a cone… The [Barrier] adopted any shape I desired. Its size was also altered every time it changed its shape.

"Interesting… Now, will it move if I order it to do so?" I muttered while looking at the now conical [Barrier].

And just as I was expecting, with the mere thought of it, the [Barrier] moved into the position I had designated. The [Barrier] was only slightly outside of the exterior roof of the temple, completely deflecting the downpour that clashes against the exposed part of the protective magic.

"Okay then. We now have an umbrella." I smiled due to the convenience of this magic. "However, I do wonder if I will have to make a conscious effort to keep it moving while I walk, or will it follow me if I order it to do so? Well… There's only one way to find out." I stepped underneath the protective magic and wished for the best.

I then started walking forward, hoping that the barrier would follow me after giving the order… Which it did… As soon as I took a step, the protective spell immediately followed.

"Seriously… I wish we had things like this back on Earth… It would have saved me a lot of trouble every time my sisters took my umbrella without telling me…" I looked at the rain clashing with my [Barrier] with a deep feeling of nostalgia taking over my heart.

I couldn't help but think about those who I left behind…

How much time has passed since my death? Were those I loved able to move on from that? What is currently happening in their lives?

Were my sisters able to get into the college they wanted? Was Chris finally able to decide what he wanted to do in life?

Was Claire able to find someone else…?

I had many questions that would probably not get an answer… As much as some of those questions pained me, I wished nothing but happiness to the people I care so much about...

At that moment, I looked at the mossy doors of the old abandoned temple behind me and then the small woman currently napping in my little arms…

I then remembered my conversation with Lia…

"There’s no point in lamenting myself right now. I can only go forward now while wishing them the best from here. I will give my absolute best for our sake, Lia." I smiled from ear to ear.

With renewed vigor, I walked away from the temple carrying my aunt while my spell shielded us from the heavy rain.

---

“Phew… Looks like we made it, Auntie.” I looked at the sleeping woman in my arms with relief.

I was able to carry her all the way back home without putting much effort thanks to my training or getting drenched due to my new convenient spell.

However, a lot of people were giving me weird looks on the way back home… I don’t know if it is because of the [Barrier] or because I was carrying my Aunt without any kind of struggle.

I don’t really care to be honest. I was and still am worried about Auntie… That’s why I tried to return home as quickly as possible.

I think it took me at least five minutes to reach the front door of my Aunt’s house.

“I hope Mom is at home… Otherwise, I will have to handle Auntie's care alone.” I gulped while looking at the front door, praying that my mother would be waiting inside.

I immediately pushed the wooden door and went into the house. As soon as I came inside, the wonderful smell of a meal being cooked immediately invaded my nostrils…

That smell was a sign that my prayers had been answered.

Without wasting any time, I went straight to the kitchen. Just as I had expected, my Mom was there.

She was peeling and cutting vegetables and then putting them into a large pot. She was making soup.

It was the perfect meal for my sick Auntie.

"Mom, we are back." I announced our arrival to her. "I think I might need your help with something…" I said awkwardly.

She turned her head around and smiled the moment she saw me. But, her smile quickly turned into a frown when she saw my unconscious aunt resting in my arms…

She stopped everything that she was doing and walked towards the two of us with a very serious expression.

"I thought I had nothing to worry about since you two were together, but I guess I should have been worried about her…" My Mom was not amused. She immediately placed her hand on my Aunt's forehead. "That's quite the fever she has… What happened to her? Are you also feeling sick?" She asked while looking at me with a lot of concern.

"I'm fine, Mom. Don't worry about me." I shook my head. "As for what happened to Auntie… Well… It is a bit of a long story… In short, she decided to wait for me under the heavy rain for the last three hours…" I smiled bitterly.

"Sigh… No wonder she has such a fever…" My mother muttered. "You can tell me the story while we take off those drenched clothes from her and give her a warm bath." She patted my head.

My mom then looked back at the pot that contained the soup she was making, and as soon as she did that, the flames that were heating the pot were extinguished.

"Let's go before your helpless Auntie gets any worse, okay?" My mom smiled and winked at me before she started walking towards the bathroom.

"Yeah." I couldn't help but look at my sleeping Aunt whose breathing was getting a bit rough.

I quickly followed my mother in order not to delay my aunt's treatment...

Just as I was reaching the door of the bathroom, I noticed something strange had happened to my Auntie.

"Mom… Is it normal in this world for ears to suddenly get larger and pointier?" I asked my mother while looking at my aunt with a dumbfounded expression.

Auntie's ears now looked exactly like those of the elves I was used to seeing in many movies and video games…

My mother simply looked at the two of us and smiled while I was still very much dumbfounded about what I had just discovered.

"Don't worry. Those are her real ears." My mother explained with an amused expression on her face.

"Then does that mean that Auntie is an…-" I was interrupted before I could finish my sentence.

"She's a Half-Elf. She might seem like a pure Elf due to how long her ears are, but I can assure you that she's actually a Half-Elf since I have met her parents before." My mother nodded to herself.

I'm currently holding a genuine Half-Elf… Wow… If Claire was here, she would surely squeal like a little girl due to the excitement.

"Was she using a spell to hide her ears? Why was she even doing that? They look so amazing!" I couldn't hide my excitement. My inner nerd was extremely overjoyed due to this fantastic discovery...

Of course, since Claire got me into fantasy stuff, this was also something really amazing to witness.

"Well…" My mother walked towards me while smiling awkwardly.

She then stopped, crouched in front of me, and placed her right hand on my Aunt's forehead.

"I'm not really sure. She has never told me why she hides them, but she has told me that she only shows her real ears to those she cares about or those she trusts." My mother caressed her cheek.

"Then isn't it kind of bad that I have seen them without her consent?" The realization killed a bit of my enthusiasm.

"Nonsense! She was probably already thinking of showing you her ears! She really cares about you, you know? So I don't think she will particularly mind that you have seen them like this." My mother smiled as she took Auntie from my arms into her own.

My mom then carried my unconscious Auntie towards the bathtub. She then gently sat Auntie on the bathtub.

"We'll hear what she has to say about it when she wakes up." My mom winked at me while she was folding her sleeves and preparing herself to nurse Auntie back to health. "So? Would you mind helping me take her drenched clothes off?" My mother beckoned me to come closer and help her.

"Yeah, let me help you with that." I immediately nodded before quickly getting closer to my mother and our patient.

"Okay then, I'll hold her while you take off her clothes." My mother grabbed my Auntie and moved her into a more suitable position for me to take off her drenched blue coat.

Just as she had told me, I started taking the heavy coat out of my Auntie's shoulders.

"So? Are you planning on telling me what happened or should I take a guess?" My mom asked with a curious tone.

My hands stopped moving completely the moment my brain had processed her words…

I received an incredible amount of information from Lia...

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The fact that this body actually belongs to me, the fact that I was actually suffering amnesia all along due to Lia wanting to protect me and the information I had about Melius, and the truth about Melius' imprisonment and the place where he's currently sealed… And let's not forget the faces of my biological parents from this world…

"It's a bit of a long story…" I said awkwardly. 

I was putting my all into thinking about how I should explain the things I learned in my meeting with Lia…

"I'm all ears~." She looked at me and then grinned.

Hmm… 

I guess I should start with that huh…

"Mom, Auntie, and I went to meet someone. An old friend you could say…" I couldn't help but wonder what kind of reaction she would have to my revelation. "We met with the Goddess of Knowledge, Lady Lia." I made sure to mention Lia in an appropriate manner.

"I see… So you were able to accomplish one of the objectives that Lord Melius gave you…" My mother closed her eyes and fell deep into thought for a moment. "Did she tell you what you needed to do to release Lord Melius or does she have anything planned to release him herself?" My mom then asked with an inquisitive tone.

"She said I was still too young and weak to even try to release him or to get my revenge… She said that we will act when I get older." I quickly shook my head in denial.

"See? You need to listen to me and the wise Lady Lia! We both know what is best for you!" My mother looked particularly overjoyed for some reason.

"How could I go against the advice of the most intelligent people I know?" I smiled at her.

I have thirteen years to become strong enough to be able to carry out my mission. I must live this second life of mine to the fullest as well as training as hard as I can for the sake of my objectives.

"You would be a fool if you didn't~." My mother seemed happy that I had complimented her. "Then? What else did she tell you?" She asked while smiling from ear to ear.

"She showed me a lot of things… How the Gods were born, the place where Melius was sealed as well as the faces of my own parents, the name of my mother and my own origin." I started to recall bits of my conversation with Lia. "It actually turns out that I did, in fact, have amnesia. So this body was actually mine from the beginning." I admitted with an awkward expression.

That does, however, raise another question… Why do I have the title of [Transmigrator (?)]? I don't think Lia ever explained that part…

I'll have to ask her about it later.

"Oh…" My mother suddenly stopped smiling and looked at me with a surprised expression. 

She looked so surprised that for a moment I thought that she was about to let go of Aunty.

"I see… So you remember your real parents now…" My Mom suddenly started looking to the ground with disappointment and sadness.

I was caught off guard by her sad expression… I couldn't bear to look at that sad expression...

"I guess you must want to go back to them… I understand… With Tiria's help and the Adventurer's Guild resources, we can get you back home in no time…" She genuinely seemed like she was about to cry...

Ah, so she is worried about that…

"Mom, I never said anything about leaving. Of course, I obviously want to see them again, but that won't be possible for a while... Lady Lia and my parents sent me away from our homeland to this forest in order to be found by Fred and be protected by him and his family." I tried to reassure her.

"Did Lady Lia seriously do that? Why would your parents send you away?" My mother suddenly looked at me with a somewhat curious expression. There was still a bit of sadness in her voice.

While she was still looking at me with those blue eyes of hers, I was conflicted…

Should I tell her about me being the next in line to become the Demon King?

I mean, I obviously trust her. She's my Mom after all. But there's this deep lingering feeling that it might be a bad idea considering what I read with the twins about Bass, the original Demon King…

You'll never know how people might react to this kind of news…

(It will be fine. Just tell her.) A familiar melodic and cold voice spoke to me in my mind.

That voice belonged to Lia…

(Lia…? Are you sure I should…-) I couldn't even finish my sentence.

(Julius, it will be better in the long run if you're completely honest with her and your new family. I'm certain that they will still cherish you regardless of your origin and birthright. Now, stop wasting precious time and comfort your second mother.) She spoke with clear annoyance in her voice. 

Lia's words were still very reassuring despite her annoyed tone.

"Mom, would you believe me if I told you I am technically a prince?" I felt a bit awkward referring to myself as royalty.

(Saying 'technically' is unnecessary. You're an actual prince.) Lia added with a deadpan tone.

I ignored the Goddess and focused on my mother who looked at me with a dumbfounded expression. Just before she could start asking any questions, I stopped her in order to reveal the truth about myself.

"Three weeks ago, on the day of my seventh birthday, I was apparently kidnapped by a group of rebels. I was rescued by my mother, the current Demon Queen." As soon as I mentioned her a flashback from the memory Lia gave me back came to my mind. "Due to that incident and many other dangerous events back in my homeland, Lady Lia and my parents sent me away from home in order to protect me from danger." Despite Lia reassuring me before, I couldn't help but feel nervous about telling my Mom everything.

"Wait a minute… Did you just say: Demon Queen?" My mom looked extremely shocked. She was mouth agape.

I just nodded feebly while scratching the back of my head just like my Dad would do… This was becoming a bad habit of mine…

(I didn't mess up, didn't I…?) I asked Lia.

(Not at all. Shock is to be expected. For the inhabitants of Hresviae, Demons are particularly terrifying beings. The ruler of the Demon race even more so.) Lia spoke as if this situation was extremely common… (Then? What are you waiting for? Finish the job and comfort her properly.) Lia seemed oddly impatient, even more so than when we were reunited a while ago. 

I wonder if something happened to Lia after our meeting ended...

"But your Status says that you're a human, just like me…" My Mom still seemed completely shocked about what I had just revealed to her.

I didn't waste any time and moved closer to her… I quickly wrapped my arms around her and hugged her as tightly as I could.

"The fact that I now remember my parents and my homeland does not mean that I want to leave you or that I will stop considering you my family. To me, all of you are my family just as much as my biological parents are." I made sure to not let go of her while I was telling her my honest feelings. "Even when the day where I have to leave our home arrives and we are separated by thousands of kilometers, you will always be my mother and Fred will always be my father." I couldn't help but smile while hugging her.

Those were my honest feelings. Those feelings also apply to my biological parents… As of now, I only have a few memories about them, but they are still my parents who I want to see again when the time comes.

"Julius… Are you sure you won't suddenly leave us in the middle of the night…?" My mother whispered those words in a very low volume that I was barely able to hear.

"Of course, I'm not going to do that." I whispered in her ear. "I don't want to leave my wonderful parents and my lovely sisters." I smiled at her again.

A dangerous crusade awaits me in the future. Just as Lia said before, I should do my best to live a very fulfilling life while I can.

That means that I should not refrain from telling people what I really feel about them. It is more than possible that I might end up dying again. 

With that very real possibility in mind, I want to live without any kind of regrets in this new life of mine.

"Thank you…" My mom then suddenly let go of Auntie, who ended up with her back painfully crashing against the bathtub… 

"Ouch…" Auntie reacted, but surprisingly, she didn't wake up...

My mom immediately hugged me just as tightly as I was hugging her.

"Thank you for coming into our lives… I love you, my son. Please always make sure to remember that." My mother lovingly kissed my forehead and then smiled from ear to ear. She was ecstatic.

"I'm the one who should thank you for saving mine and taking care of me" I smiled awkwardly. "I love you too, Mom."

Despite my awkward expression, I was feeling extremely happy as well.

It felt extremely cathartic to be able to be completely honest with my Mom.

(Hehehe! Another job well done by the Goddess! Give me a high five!) Now Thiasis was the one speaking in my mind…

(You didn't do anything…) Lia retorted. (Go back to work. That [Barrier] won't maintain itself.) Lia spoke with a cold tone to her other half.

(But that's so boring! You promised that I would be the one watching over him!) Thiasis complained.

(Ummmm… What are you talking about?) I asked. (In fact didn't you say that our time together had come to an end for now? Our next reunion was really way sooner than I thought…) I asked another question while thinking of our previous meeting.

(That's an easy question! The logical part of me suggested that one of us should watch over you 24/7 in order to prevent any god or mortal from reading your mind or your memories!) Thiasis explained very enthusiastically.

(Indeed. That would be the reason why we are here right now.) Lia seemed pleased with Thiasis explanation.

Oh… That's pretty great actually! 

Considering that I don't have any idea about how to counter something like that, I think this is a great solution.

As expected of the Goddess of Knowledge!

(See? I told you he would be happy about it!) Thiasis was overjoyed.

(We will also be doing the same with Lilia and the others, that way our plans will be protected.) Lia ignored Thiasis. (We still have our limits, so try not to tell too many people about your origin.) Lia spoke to me with what seemed to be a teasing tone...

Oh! So this power also affects my loved ones! How convenient!

(I shall take my leave for now. If you need to ask anything, don't hesitate to call me through Thiasis.) Lia seemed in a hurry to leave.

(How rude! I'm not a phone! I'm half the Goddess of Knowledge! I can answer all the questions he might have!) Thiasis sounded a bit pissed off.

(I doubt that.) Lia immediately retorted. (I'll be going home for now then.)

With that Lia's presence disappeared, leaving only Thiasis'.

(That little brat…) Thiasis was now genuinely pissed off with her other half.

I simply decided to ignore their antics and changed the topic...

(So, I can just talk to you whenever I want? Why didn't you do it this way instead of making Auntie take me to that temple?) I asked Thiasis in an attempt to calm her down.

(Oh? Yep! We can talk like this whenever we want! Just don't start talking to me out loud or people will think that you're crazy. Hehehe~!) Thiasis giggled.

Yeah… That would be bad…

(And to answer your other question, I just wanted to see you and tell you everything face to face, you know?) Thiasis spoke to me with a serious tone.

(I see… Well, I'm glad to have you keeping me company.) I said happily to the goddess.

(Cruxy, we are closer than that! You don't need to thank me for every little thing!) Thiasis suddenly called me by a nickname.

Cruxy? That's a bit…

(By the way, are you planning on nursing Tiria? Because at this rate, her fever is really gonna get worse.) Thiasis then reminded me of something very important that I had forgotten about.

My bad… I’ll apologize to her for forgetting about her existence...

"Mom… Umm…" I tried to separate myself from my mother, but...

"C'mon! Let me hug you just a little bit longer!" My mom was not letting me go… She was hugging me really tightly…

"Mom, what about Auntie…? Her fever is going to get worse…" I said while looking at my poor Aunt who was lying in the bathtub, still wearing her drenched clothes.

"Ah, I forgot about her." My mom said nonchalantly.

Oi… At least show that you care a bit more about her…

My mom finally let go of me and moved closer to my aunt.

"Don't worry too much about her, though. With just a bit of healing magic, a warm bath, some warm soup, and a few hours of sleep, she will be as good as new." My mom smiled at me as she grabbed Auntie and raised her upper body. "Now, let's begin shall we?" My mom winked at me.

I simply nodded in agreement as I got closer to the two of them. With the help of my mother, I was able to take the drenched blue coat off my Auntie.

I immediately threw it to the corner before moving on to take off the rest of her wet clothing.

Before I could even continue, my mother suddenly placed her hand on my shoulder.

"Julius, I think you'll have to leave the room for a bit… I'll call you when I need some help." My Mom sounded less than thrilled for some reason.

"Huh? Is something the matter? Did I do something wrong?" I asked while mentally reviewing my previous actions.

"You didn't do anything wrong! It is just that your Auntie is in a bit of an embarrassing situation… Because of that, I'll handle this situation, so just wait for me outside, okay?" My mom patted my back and lightly pushed me towards the door.

"If you say so…" I listened to her without any further complaints.

"Please close the door. This won't take too long." My mom said happily.

(I wonder what she was talking about…) I thought as I closed the door.

(Your auntie was not wearing any underwear. So your mom prevented a very embarrassing situation for the two of you~.) Thiasis sounded extremely amused.

Oh… That does sound like a really embarrassing situation… Thank goodness that my mom realized that as soon as she did…

(Thiasis, while we are waiting, can you tell me more about the things we used to do together when I was living with you and my parents?) I asked the goddess in my head.

(I thought you would never ask! There's a lot we can talk about! Hehehe! I don't even know where I should start~!) Thiasis seemed overjoyed that I had asked about our past.

I then spent half an hour listening to Thiasis talking about the past with increasing excitement while I waited for my mother and my sick aunt to come out of the bathroom.

---

Chapter 16: After the meeting with the Goddess.

END

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