Danmachi: Westward Cloud [Complete]

[Vol.4] Quest 362- Aunty Nox

Walking rather quickly, Haku heads to the west section of the city, with Mairu right behind him.

When he arrived, he tried to open the door, but it was locked.

Knock!

Knock!

"Grandma Lenoa! It’s me!" Haku shouted.

"Is this really the place? Is it really hidden? How does anyone find it?" Mairu said, looking around.

"I heard that, you brat!" The door opened to Lenoa with her cane. "And you!" Lenoa then grabbed Haku by his fox ear. "Come here!" and pulled him in.

"Ow! Ow! Ow! Why are you pulling my ear!"

"For not getting here faster!!" She pulled him to the stairs. "Did you know how damn lonely she is!! Not having her husband or son!!" She then pulled him up while walking up the stairs. "Callisto is spending time with her real mom and the other two as well!! So go up to her and hug her, dammit!!!"

"Okay! Okay! I’m going!"

"Good. She is in that room." She lets go and points at the room two doors down. "I’ll be downstairs. You, rude girl, come along."

"Y-yes ma’am!"

As Mairu goes downstairs with Lenoa, Haku stands in front of the door, where his mother is behind.

"Um… Knock! Knock! Mom?"

Clack!

The door opened for him to see his mother.

He could see her eyes were a bit red, and her hair, despite how short it was, was a bit disheveled. She even got thinner.

Ai's eyes widen when she sees her son.

"Haku!!!" She grabbed him immediately, hugging him and stroking his hair.

"H-hey mom! Um, it’s a little—Gah!?" She hugged him even tighter.

Despite how thin she had gotten, she was still a level 8 adventurer.

"I missed you so much!!" She combed his hair while giving him kisses.

"Agh! Stop! Mom!" Haku is showered with love.

"Hey!! Nox!!" She dragged him into the room.

Upon entering the room, Haku could smell his father’s scent mixed with his mother’s and another foreign one.

On the bed, there was a small lump under the covers.

"Nox! Nox!! Look! Our son!!"

There was some movement under the sheet that popped out an owl, white as snow, with small black stars sprinkled on.

"Um… Mom, that’s just an owl." Haku looks at Nox as a simple bird. He was taken by how beautiful it was, as much as it looked odd with the black stars dotting it. "It’s housebroken, right?"

Nox tilts her head, popping her neck, before transforming.

Flash!!

"!?"

A bright light filled the room, and as the light dimmed, Haku saw Nox in her human form.

"Hm~ you sound a little too much like your mom," Nox said, gazing at him with her topaz eyes.

"!?" Her beauty immediately ensnared Haku.

"Aww, he even has your blushing face, Ai!" She smirks.

"N-No, I don’t!!" He said, calming himself. "S-so are you like Aunty Circe?"

"I am. I am Nox, Grand—Agh! Gotta stop saying that. Ahem!" She cleared her throat and straightened her posture. "I am the Aspect of the White Night. Your aunt, your father's best friend, and contracted Aspect."

She gave off a light glow, giving her a sense of grandeur.

"I am Kyūjouno Hakushika. I, um, don’t really have a title or anything."

"Well, let me have a good look at you." Nox got up and looked at Haku. Nox could see he had a good amount of his parent's features. "I am sure when you grow into a man, you will be a natural heartthrob."

"Uhh…" Haku’s eyes darted around.

"Look, he has the way his Dad looks around when he’s nervous!" Ai commented.

"Hm! Hm! Very! It’s too bad he has these fox ears and purple eyes."

"Hey! They are just perfect for my baby boy!" Ai holds him tightly.

"Gak! You're holding me too tight!" Haku shouted.

"Fufu. He even has your strained face." Nox added. "So tell me, Haku. What are you good at? What do you like?"

"Oh, um." Ai loosened her grip on Haku. "Well, I am good with the sword, and I am just naming stuff, not in any preferred order, but I like autumn, spring, tofu, tonkatsu, and the colors black, blue, and purple."

"Hm. Not good with the spear, huh?"

"He takes after me in more parts than he does Cirrus," Ai added.

"I could see." She looked into his eyes. "He has your eyes, yet all the others have Cirrus’. Why is that?"

"Punnett Square."

"Hm… Haku. How do you feel about that?"

"I feel nothing special about it. Should I?" He responded.

"No, I just think his eyes would fit you better."

"Don’t mind her," Ai said. "She just has a bias towards your father."

The three of them would speak some more until Circe returned.

"Ooh! You're back!" said Circe by the door.

"Circe, you're back from the store," Ai said.

"I am, and Haku, you're finally here!" She walked up to him.

"I'm still amazed you grew up after I bit the dust."

"Hm! Hm! Now I’m almost as big as you, Nox!"

"Sure, but I’m still fuller in the right areas."

"Say what you want. I am confident in my appeal!"

"Hah! Who would want to be with an anvil?"

"What!?"

While Circe and Nox begin to argue, Ai takes Haku away.

"Let’s get something to eat."

"Oh, um, Mairu came with me."

"Oh—"

"Mom, she is not my girlfriend! She is just a friend who happens to be a girl!"

"Fufu. Whatever you say!"

With the two of them gone, Nox and Circe had some time alone.

"So what was it you wanted to talk about?" Nox said, walking to the window.

Circe closed the door.

"It’s about Cirrus’ will. I am sure you know of the one you and him made long ago."

"I do. What of it?"

"Well, there have been some changes to it. Especially about me, Hecton, and Fafnir."

"Oh? Do you guys get a cut of Cirrus's stuff? You're gonna go travel or something?"

"Nonsense. It’s about who we go to."

"Go to?"

"Yes. I am bound to Cirrus’ blood, ergo his descendants."

Nox saw Ai and Haku, with Mairu walking away.

"So you have four masters now?"

She turned back to Circe.

"I have not signed my contract with any of them, Nox. I, Hecton, and Fafnir decided who we will serve."

"You don’t want freedom? You never wanted to make a contract in the first place."

"I know, but I enjoyed my time. Albeit, I just stayed behind in this home making potions with Lenoa while you went out with him in battle."

"We all have our strengths; Cirrus knew that, and he appreciated you for that. Besides, he was happy you stayed with Lenoa."

"Hm." Circe nodded.

"So… Have you decided who you wanna make a contract with?"

"I am. All of us, even you."

Nox's lips lightly frowned.

"… So I get stuck with the spoiled demigod child of Cirrus’ second love? Who’d you pick?"

"The one from whom my skills and gifts would benefit the most."

"That narrows it down to three."

While Haku is with his mother and close family, Metis, Fels, Fafnir, and Hecton are working in the shadows.

All around the city, they laid down several engravings.

"Is this enough, Lady Metis?" said Hecton.

"Hmm…" Metis looked at the work that they did. "Lovely! Thank you, Hecton!"

"Lady Metis, I have completed the foundations," Fels said.

"Excellent! Now to connect it to his tomb. We can work it in while it’s still being built."

"It will be hard." Said Fafnir. "Those craftsmen are very diligent to just mix stuff in."

"No matter. I will be the one to do it, so keep an eye out."

"Then it is a good thing I gave you the Invisibility Cloak," Fels said.

"Then let’s go. The faster we finish it, the faster we can relax. I really would like to spend my time enjoying my time here."

"Right!"

They move to the Adventure’s Graveyard under the cover of night.