Danmachi: Westward Cloud [Complete]

[Vol.4] Quest 361- Reunion

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

"Land in sight!" said a crew member.

"Aye! Aye!!"

Clatter!

Clatter!

Onboard the ship Triton, the Poseidon Familia makes it to Melen. On board are several noteworthy individuals, one of whom is Lance, along with his daughter and a few Amazoness. Riding along were Haku and Mairu.

"…You didn’t have to come," Haku said, looking at the passing sea.

Mairu, who was next to him, glanced at him.

"I just wanted to make sure you were alright, that’s all. After all your—"

"It doesn’t have to do with my dad telling you to watch over me, does it?"

"Half of it, yes."

"And the other?"

"You're my friend, and I just want to make sure you’re alright. Now get ready, Lord Poseidon said. We will be docking soon enough."

Once they docked, Haku and Mairu were the first ones to get off.

"Take care, kid; I’ll see ya there." Said Poseidon.

"We’ll meet up back in Orario!" said Gal, waving them goodbye.

"Farewell for now, Hakushika and Mairu," Lance said.

"Hm, goodbye." Haku bows, as does Mairu.

They walked through the city and into some carriages, heading for Orario.

When they arrive at the Southern Gate, Haku informs them of who he is. Haku noticed the look in their eyes when he informed them. A look of sympathy and sadness. The guard let him and Mairu through without making a scene.

‘Maybe he just didn’t want people to look at me…’

Finding his home wasn’t all that difficult, as how could someone miss the second-largest tower in the city?

Walking through the streets of the entertainment district brought forth a sense of nostalgia and dissonance—the feeling that the city had made it a bit foreign to him from how it usually is.

"Wow! This place is amazing!! Did you really leave this city to live in Fuyukusa?" Mairu said, looking at the vibrancy of the district.

"I did. I found Fuyukusa closer to what I wanted, which was to have fun with kids who didn’t really know who I am and would treat me equally."

"Does this city not have kids?"

"It does, but in this city, me being the son of two prestigious adventurers, I have a target on my back. A vast majority now are children of a sun goddess by the name of Quetzalcoatl, whose Familia is primarily responsible for educating a vast majority of children. Once they graduate from school, they are given recommendations for whatever they wish to pursue, be it adventuring, farming, medicine, fishing, and so on. It was because of them that School District has gotten significantly fewer applications for enrollment."

"Whoa, that sounds similar to what’s back home."

"Well, that was the prototype for this district, in a sense. I asked Mom about it once, and she said Dad made it this way so anyone could pursue their childhood dreams, and should they fail as adults, they could always have a backup to feed and clothe themselves. It was also why he disliked School District: They were too pretentious, but their hearts were in a good place for finding talented individuals and sending them to Orario."

"Humu! Humu! I see." She zoned out partway through while looking and taking in the scenery.

They walked to the center, Haku’s home, and the Moonlight Tower.

"Well! Well!"

"Huh? Who said that?" Mairu said, looking around.

"Bree," Haku said, looking up at his Familia’s home front gate.

"Hup!" Jumping down was Bree. "It has been a long time, Haku. Your footsteps have gotten more refined."

"You haven’t changed at all, Bree. Is your name still Watcher?"

"768 steps. You were dragging your feet a bit. Does that answer your question?"

"You could have just said yes."

"Well, I wanted to impress your cute little friend here." She looks at Mairu.

"H-hello! My name is Date Mairu! It’s a pleasure to meet you, miss…"

"My name is Bree, just Bree. You two can go on in. I’ll inform them of your arrival."

"Thanks."

They go in, and Mairu is once again amazed by the sights of the garden and the three towers.

"Uwaah!"

They entered the first tower, where they saw Artemis coming down.

"Who is that goddess?" Mairu whispers.

"That’s Lady Artemis, Dad’s first wife."

"!!" Upon hearing this, Mairu quickly straightens up.

"Haku, you look in good health," Artemis said, coming up to him.

"Hello Mom, where is my actual mom? I thought she would be here?"

"She at your grandmothers... She is still processing it, or at least trying."

"What does that mean?"

"It’s complicated. Metis…" She said it under her breath.

"Oh… Well, you are taking it well."

"More or less. I am past the crying, but the pain remains. Loss is something I have experienced many times. I have seen many die in my time in Gekai, many of which were my children. I would be lying if it got easier."

"I understand." He said it with a calm, cool expression and tone of voice. "We all have our ways to mourn."

"Yes, we do..." She stroked his hair once. "You have your father’s hair…" She looks at him with watery eyes. "Ahem!" She composed herself. "But before you leave, please talk with your younger sisters and brother, please?"

"I… well um." His deposition waned as he made nervous gestures.

"He would love to!" Mairu said in his place. "Hello, my name is Date Mairu. It’s an honor to meet you, Lady Artemis!" She gave a graceful bow.

She took a look at her and Haku. She couldn’t help but smile a bit.

"It would seem the color of your hair isn’t the only thing you have in common. Come."

Haku found that comparison unneeded, but let it go as she was going through the motions and keeping up appearances.

"Oh, by the way, are me and Callisto actually not twins?" Haku asked.

"Oh, that's a no. You are nine days older than Callisto."

"Hm!" Haku lightly smiled. "I always knew I was the oldest!"

Going up the tower, Haku could see that everyone was in a solemn mood, with everyone wearing black. Haku’s attire didn’t necessarily stand out, but the gold engravings made him feel uncomfortable. Mairu, on the other hand, was a very plain black.

Given how Ai was in Fuyukusa, she dealt with the matters over there, and given their presence in Orario, Cirrus was also too busy to visit either with paperwork or the dungeon expeditions.

Artemis then led them to one of his sibling's rooms.

She knocked on the door of the youngest.

"Alise, it’s me, Artemis. Your older brother is here."

Haku could hear the fast footsteps approaching the door. Artemis took a few steps back as the door slammed open.

"Haku!"

It has been a minute since he saw her.

"H-hey Alise, Haku bent down a bit. "How are you holding up?"

Haku noticed her cheeks glistened a bit.

‘Her cheeks are still wet. Did she clean herself up before opening the door?’

Alise looked up at him with great observation.

"Hmm. Yeah, you really look like Fom."

"Why wouldn’t I?" Haku said, confused.

"Well, when I look at you and Callisto, you have more of Fom’s features than Callisto."

"Callisto got Ai’s nasty headbutt habit," Artemis added. "Cirrus was not happy about that." She said it under her breath. "Alise, why don’t you take him to see Auberon next?" Artemis said with a grin.

"!!" Haku quickly looked at Artemis. "I thought you would—"

"I still have stuff to finish up, so I can’t be your guide." Artemis takes her leave, leaving Haku and Mairu with Alise.

"…Well, I guess you’re our guide now," Mairu said to Alise.

Alise looks at her and Haku.

"…Are you two together?"

"!!" they blushed, and at the same time, they said. "No! We're just friends!"

Walking a bit up the tower, they make it to Auberon’s room.

"Hey! Hey! Auby! Haku is here!" Alise said this while knocking on the door.

Haku didn’t hear quick footsteps, just soft steps like those of a cat. When the door opened, Mairu was taken aback by Auberon’s appearance.

Of all of Cirrus’s kids, Auberon was the one to inherit his late father’s androgynous beauty of his youth.

He had hair as silky and black as his mother's that reached to his shoulders, kept in a ponytail, and bronze skin paired with his emerald eyes, which at the moment were gloomy. His cheeks were stained from crying, along with sprinkles of pain. In fact, when he opened the room, they could smell the paint.

"O-oh… Hello." He walks out. "You've grown taller since the sleepover, Haku." He nods slowly.

"Yeah… um. Are you okay?"

"It’s alright." He said, downtrodden with bags under his eyes from not sleeping. "Yamato is a faraway place; I am happy you could come back so quickly."

Haku wanted to come visit during breaks, but much like his father is with work, the school took up a good chunk of Haku’s time, and he didn’t want to spend it traveling to Orario just to leave a day later.

"No, I should have put in the effort." Haku nods. "It’s good to know you are holding up fine."

"It’s fine Dad would always..." He looks down. "I'm… I’m sorry, but could we talk later? I… I’m not really in the mood to talk."

"I…I understand—!"

Mairu pushed Haku towards Auberon, and this surprised the two. Haku unintentionally hugged Auberon.

"Come on, hug your two! Your family!" Alise said.

The two looked at one another and hugged properly.

"It’s nice that you're back, Haku," Auberon said.

"Yeah… sorry, it couldn’t be on better days."

"Yes…"

They both loosened their arms and stepped back.

"If you need to talk or anything, I’m all ears, okay?" Haku said it lightly, smiling.

"!" Auberon’s eyes widened and grew lighter.

'He has the same smile as Dad and Fom.'

Haku's resemblance brought Auberon’s spirit a bit higher.

"I’ll…keep that in mind." Auberon also gave a light smile that reminded Haku and Alise of their father.

"Are you almost finished with your painting, Auby?" Alise asked.

"Somewhat… um, it was nice to talk to you, Haku. Excuse me." He nods and heads back in, closing the door behind him.

"Sorry, he’s well... you know, still going through the motions," Alise said.

"What about you?" Mairu asked. "How are you holding up?" she said with a worried look.

"…I already cried enough for today. Dad wouldn’t want me to be worried," Alise said with teary eyes.

They could see how hard she was trying to hold back the tears.

"Lead on Alise. Which room did Calli take for herself?" Haku said.

Going up the tower once more, Haku noticed the locked room was unlocked.

"Hey, who unlocked that door?" he asked Alise.

"Oh, that one... Calli opened it up. Apparently, it’s our auntie’s room."

"Aunty? Who?"

"It’ll be easier when we get to Calli."

They continued up the tower, climbing two floors before they reached the top of Callisto’s room. Arriving at her door, Alise knocked.

"Calli!! Haku is here!"

"The door is open!" She shouted from the other side.

Alise opened the door, and before them was Callisto, looking out the window.

Seeing it in person only confirmed it for Haku. Callisto was a genuine child of a god. The only key difference between the aura she has and divinity is that she doesn’t feel truly divine. Along with her blue hair, she looked like Artemis's daughter.

"Well… you changed," Haku said, walking in. "To be honest, I think the white hair and fox ears suit you better."

Callisto turned to him.

"Is that really what you want to say to me?" She raised an eyebrow.

"No… I wanted to ask you if you are still my little sister?"

A smirk grew slightly on her face.

"What makes you think I changed? Just because I’m a Demigod doesn’t change the fact that we're blood, Haku." She gets up from the windowsill. "The only thing that has changed is my height and hair color since we last met."

She walked up to him; her height surpassed him, with only his fox ears making him taller.

"Hm, well, don’t worry. I will protect you as your older brother!"

On his face, Callisto could see a stern level of confidence.

"Hah! What can a level 1 do to protect me? You know I’m already about to level up again! You’re looking at a soon-to-be level 4!"

"You never know. I could catch up to you really easily."

"Heh~ so you’re going to stay in the city, huh?" She glanced at Mairu, who jolted up from her glance.

"Gulp!"

Mairu could feel Callisto’s eyes on her. She could feel how sharp and quick they were.

"You? Are you my brother’s girlfriend or something?"

"N-not at all, miss!" she said, a bit embarrassed.

"Hmm…." She looks back at Haku, who also has a red face. "Well, if you have no more questions, then you can leave me alone." She walked back to where she was sitting.

"I have only one more, the locked room." Calli stopped in her tracks. "Alise said you knew of the locked room?"

Calli looked back at him and then at Alise.

"Our aunty is with your mom right now. She got tired of staying here, so she went back to Dad’s old home with Fom. You know Aunty Lenoa’s shop?"

"…Alright, I’ll see you later. Come on, Mairu, we are leaving." Haku then took his leave.

"W-wait! Haku!" Mairu followed him. "It was nice to meet you both!" she says before leaving.

A few seconds passed, and Alise remained in Callisto’s room.

"…Alise." Calli looked at her little sister. She put her arms out. "You don’t have to put on a brave face."

"I don’t know what you’re talking about," Alise said lightly, smiling.

Callisto walked up to her and knelt.

"Alise, I know you are still in pain."

"… I should be asking you that." Alise met her sister's gaze. "Now that Haku is here, do you still wanna keep the act up as the older sibling?"

A serious look flickered in Alise’s emerald eyes.

"… You're kind of scary, Alise."

"But am I wrong?"

"… I've already processed my emotions, Alise. I have cried, and I," She holds her hand out and makes a fist. "Have raged." She clenched her fist tightly. "I am fine."

"I can see there is something you are not addressing." Alise walked back to the door. "There is no way you, Calli, have fully gotten over Dad’s death."

Callisto simply stands back up and turns away.

"Close the door, please."

"… I’m sorry if I overstepped. I don’t want you to still be in pain, Calli."

Alise closes the door and leaves.

"… How can I fully let go of him if I or Mom don’t know if he is really gone?"