Level Up Legacy

1328  Small Black Box n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Arthur and Oren sparred afterward with just their fists. Although Oren had the stats of an Astra-ranker in terms of mana, his other stats were still that of a deme. Arthur admonished him for being rash in his breakthroughs, but Oren said he had no choice since his mana affinity made his mana essence evolve constantly. After sparring for a while, it became obvious that Arthur had better control of his body. Oren had rushed to farm stats without integrating them into his fighting style. Arthur had to fight a lot in the Red Tower with his suppressed stats, giving him better control of his body. Diana and Selena drank hot chocolate with marshmallows on the side, which their private chef had delivered. Having lived her entire life in another world, sugar and sweets were never things Diana had encountered. After arriving on Earth and tasting them, she developed a bit of a sweet tooth. A call interrupted their sparring session when Selena received word that the jet was ready to take them to their destination. Oren and Arthur ended their training as it was time to pack. Kody volunteered to gift Arthur some regular clothes, which was a sweet gesture from the man. Arthur and Diana were getting ready to leave the clan when Benjamin arrived, yawning. His hair was messy, and he acted like a teenager whose sleep had been interrupted. "Are you leaving?" asked Benjamin. "There is something I want to give you before you go. Follow me." Diana was confused, but Arthur still followed after his grandfather. The man took him back to his bedroom, where his belongings were still thrown on the couch. Clothes were scattered everywhere, leaving Arthur no place to stand. "I'll just wait here," said Arthur, suppressing his laughter. Benjamin didn't answer as he rummaged through his bag until he pulled out a small item before realizing that Arthur was still outside. "I wanted to give this to Seref, but he left and got married without telling me," Benjamin said as he handed Arthur a small black box. "This vacation is for this purpose, right? You want to seal the deal." "Seal the deal?" muttered Arthur as he received the small box and opened it. Inside was a small silver ring with a blue gem. It took him a few seconds to understand what it was, and Arthur was speechless. "How did you know?" he asked with a helpless smile. "I saw how you look at Diana. The injury she sustained made you realize your undying love for her," said Benjamin with a grin. "This ring belonged to your grandmother before she died. It would have a better use than to sit and collect dust." "I hope she doesn't notice it like you did," said Arthur, looking at the ring. "I wanted to surprise her. It still feels weird to call her my girlfriend because she is so much more than that." "I know, kiddo. I know. Diana doesn't seem to understand the difference, either, so she is bound to be caught off guard. Women love a grand romantic gesture," said Benjamin with a grin. "You better have something planned." "Just an idea," said Arthur as he closed the box. "Thank you, Grandpa. I wish Mom were here to get to know her, but I know that she would be happy, too." "I'm sure of it, too," said Benjamin as he patted his back. "Take good care of her." Arthur nodded while staring at the small box. Although it was old, it was clean and without a single dent. The ring itself seemed to have been crafted minutes earlier, signifying how much Benjamin took care of it. His earlier act of rummaging for the ring didn't escape Arthur's notice. Because the ring had been with him all the time. "Do you miss her?" asked Arthur, and his grandfather was silent. As he looked at him, he saw him smiling. "Every damn second," said Benjamin with misty eyes. "Your grandmother was not an expressive woman, but she was the warmest snow a man can be fortunate to have. Diana reminds me of her, and I know that you have found the person meant for you." "I think so, too, Grandpa," said Arthur with a smile. "I planned on buying any ring I could find, but this is perfect. However, I feel like I cannot accept it. This is the last memento of her, right? I can't take it." "You idiot," said his grandfather as he ruffled his hair, messing it up. "You and your brothers are living mementos of her. Just being able to see you happy with the people you love… makes me glad that I'm still alive." Arthur didn't know what to say, so he decided to show his grandfather some rare affection. Benjamin was surprised when Arthur hugged him, but returned it soon after. He whispered into his grandson's ear, "Take care, kiddo." "I will, Gramps," said Arthur before they broke their embrace, and he left. Benjamin returned to his room, and Arthur knew that giving him the ring was a difficult decision for his grandfather. Arthur had to hide the ring because his legacy was not working at the moment. He found Diana struggling to close her bag, and he crouched beside her before closing it. "It feels like Earth has more challenges than one can imagine," she said, sweat covering her face. "I think I brought too many clothes." "That's always a struggle to decide," said Arthur with a smile. "I just realized that the only vacation I ever had was with my parents when I was nine. I can't claim to be an expert on the subject." "What was it like?" asked Diana as she turned toward him. "You never told me about your family. I almost didn't recognize Oren as your brother. You two look nothing alike." "Oren was almost more adorable than I was," said Arthur with a smile. "My mom called me Wolfie when I was a kid. She said my eyes always looked angry, and I rarely laughed as a child. Oren was the exact opposite. My parents doted on him, and I was jealous." "I would love to see pictures of you as a child," said Diana with a warm smile as she flipped over and looked at him. Arthur was lying on the ground with his back on the bag. "I don't know if our house still exists after what happened in Kera," said Arthur with a sudden realization. "I just realized that my entire childhood has disappeared." "I want to visit Kera after the vacation, or even during it," said Diana as she perked up. "Let me see where you lived and how you lived. I can even beat up the people who wronged you." "That sounds nice. I want to see what's happening in Kera as well," Arthur told her as he smiled. "We can put that on the itinerary." "Iti…nerary?" muttered Diana with confusion. The word was foreign to her since the Yalveran language in Freda did not have such a word. "A plan to follow on a vacation or a journey," explained Arthur. "I can teach you the language in our free time." "Oh, are you going to be my teacher?" she asked with a smirk as she leaned forward and her body pressed against his. "That sounds very… exciting." Arthur grinned as the two leaned forward to kiss, and their lips pressed against each other. After a few kisses here and there, Diana cuddled closer to him. "Tell me more about your childhood. Did you misbehave?" "I was definitely more active than Oren," said Arthur while scratching his nose. "I remember causing a small fire in our backyard once. My father reprimanded me for being so inconsiderate. Another time, I made Oren snatch snacks from the kitchen, and he ended up falling from the chair and hurting his forehead. Mom said that I was his older brother and should be the one protecting him." "You two have a strong relationship," said Diana with a smile. "I heard from Selena that you had a fight with him before each of you parted ways. Maybe you should talk about that before we leave?" "I think I should," said Arthur with a nod. "It's time for us to leave. We've kept the jet waiting long enough," said Arthur as he rose. "I can carry your luggage, so how about you go and wear something less conspicuous?" Diana agreed since she was wearing black robes that Nyx had given her while she recovered. Her wounds had healed now, and only a scar remained. According to her, she sustained the wound because of a woman she respected. Oren was waiting for them outside, ready to escort them away. Nyx and Alaric also came to see them off, while Selena was with her father in the camp. Benjamin decided not to see them off for some reason, according to Oren. Arthur understood that the old man must be emotional after what happened between them.