Chapter 50: Go back to your home!
Vergil took a deep breath as he lifted Sapphire effortlessly, despite her being incredibly heavy. Seriously, she weighed over six hundred kilograms! He looked over at Katharina and Roxanne, who were sitting and watching the training with curious and amused expressions.
"I'm going to head home for a moment, I think the 'Grumpy Old Lady' is probably dying to kill me," he said, adjusting Sapphire on his back as he continued his set of push-ups.
Katharina chuckled and covered her laugh with her hands. "Last time was really funny... pfff... you barely made it out of that conversation alive," she commented with a mischievous gleam in her eyes, remembering the chaos that happened the last time Vergil brought them home and got caught.
"That's true," Roxanne added, her mouth full of brownie. "Meeting you while playing a game was hilarious! Fufufu... I've never even used a computer, and she still believed it! Fufufufu," she laughed, enjoying the moment while Sapphire rolled her eyes.
"Can you two just shut up?" Sapphire said in a bored tone, crossing her arms on Vergil's back.
"Old hag," Katharina said. "Antique," Roxanne added before...
"OWWW!!!" Once again, the two of them hit their heads on the ground, though thankfully from a shorter height this time.
"Respect is important," Sapphire said. "Are you really going back home? I don't see the point. You need to at least stay weak," Sapphire said.
"Weak? I thought—" "You're still a fly. You need to reach a level below a lesser demon," she said seriously. Well, her standards were gigantic...
Vergil just huffed, not interested in arguing. "She's my mother, not a dragon," he said sarcastically, but deep down, he knew that his mother, Felicia, was known for her strong personality and short temper.
The idea of facing her wrath after being gone for almost a week... again, and on top of that after the conversation about having three wives — which she definitely didn't fully approve of — already made his stomach churn a bit.
"Good luck, husband," Katharina said with a wink. "You'll need it."
Roxanne made an exaggerated blessing gesture, as if sending him off to war. "May the gods have mercy on your soul."
"OWWW!!" She cried out in pain after remembering... "You're still a demon, you airhead," Katharina said, flicking her forehead.
'Fufufu,' Vergil could only laugh internally as he continued doing his push-ups with Sapphire on top of him.
...
Vergil parted ways with the girls and headed home, well, at least he tried. The small, simple, and cozy house was exactly as he remembered it. The front yard had well-tended flowers, and the wooden fence was spotless. He hesitated for a moment before opening the gate, already bracing himself for what was to come.
"The grumpy one is tending the flowers... how strange," Vergil murmured before entering the house...
Barely had he set foot on the porch when the door slammed open, revealing Felicia with her arms crossed and a furious look.
"Oh yes, you finally decided to show up, huh?" Felicia started without preamble, her voice a mix of relief and anger. "An entire week without a word, Vergil! A WHOLE WEEK! And you have the nerve to show up with that smug face?"
MVLeMpYr-unofficial-chapter
Vergil raised his hands defensively. "I believe I'm an adult now..."
"Adult? ADULT?" Felicia marched up to him, poking her finger into his chest. "I've told you a thousand times that no matter how grown up you think you are, you can't just disappear! And those... those 'wives' of yours? Where are they?
Don't tell me you were with them instead of COMING BACK TO YOUR OWN HOME!"
Vergil knew there was no escape.
He tried to ease the tension with a smile, but that only made his mother narrow her eyes even more.
"Mom, it's not their fault. I was handling some important things..."
"Important things? What could be more important than your only family? And I haven't even started talking about the fact that you have THREE wives! Seriously, Vergil, I raised you to be a decent man, and you show up with three women and think that's normal?"
Vergil scratched the back of his head, unsure of what to say. He knew his mother had a good heart, but he also knew she was brutally honest and fierce when she thought something was wrong.
"Look, Mom... I know it's complicated. But... this is how things are now. They're important to me," he said, trying to at least sound firm.
Felicia rolled her eyes dramatically. "Three, Vergil. THREE! What do you think you are, a king? You can barely handle one, let alone three! And on top of that, you barely show up at home!"
Vergil knew this was a losing battle, so he just sighed. "I know, Mom. I'll try to do better, okay? I just... wanted to stop by, see you, and let you know I'm doing fine."
Felicia observed him for a moment, her eyes sharp like an eagle's, but then she sighed and uncrossed her arms, relaxing a bit. "Ah, I know... I just worry, you know that. And with these... choices of yours... well, it's hard not to freak out a little."
She stepped back, looking him up and down, assessing. "You look terrible. Are you eating properly? Sleeping?"
"I'm training a lot..." he replied, but her sharp gaze made him quickly change his tone. "But yes, I'm eating and sleeping, I swear."
"Training?" she questioned.
"Yeah, I need to get stronger. My body is... bad, according to that crazy woman..." The last part he mumbled, or rather spoke so softly that she didn't hear.
Felicia sighed again, this time with a bit of affection in her eyes. "Just don't give me another scare like that. Now come in, I'll make you something to eat before you pass out at the door."
Felicia was at the kitchen counter, stirring some pots and preparing the ingredients for lunch.
She chopped the vegetables with precision and speed, revealing her impressive knife skills, which were almost frightening to Vergil. While she worked, the silence in the kitchen was only broken by the sound of the knife hitting the cutting board and the gentle bubbling of the water in the pot.
Vergil sat at the kitchen table, watching his mother with a slight discomfort on his face. He knew he had to talk to her about something delicate, but her reactions were always unpredictable. She seemed relaxed, maybe even happy to have him there, which made the moment either ideal... or much more dangerous.
"You look like you're cooking for an army, Mom," he said, trying to lighten the tension with a casual comment.
Felicia scoffed, not taking her eyes off the knife and cutting board. "You disappeared for a week. The least I can do is make sure you eat something decent. Who knows, maybe that way I won't lose you for another week."
Vergil laughed nervously. "Yeah, yeah... I deserved that."
He stayed quiet for a few moments, watching her as she moved through the kitchen with impressive efficiency. The smell of spices and fresh food filled the air, giving him a sense of comfort. However, he knew he had to get the difficult topic out of the way.
"So... Mom, there's something I need to tell you," he began, choosing his words carefully.
Felicia paused for a brief second but didn't turn around. "If this is about another wife or you getting into something that'll give me more headaches, maybe it's better if you save it for later." She lifted the knife still in hand, "One wrong move and you'll end up as sushi," she added, her blue eyes almost trembling with nerves.
"No, no... nothing like that," he quickly said, raising his hands as if to defend himself from an imminent attack. "Actually, it's about... college."
Felicia finally turned around, looking directly at him with her eyebrows raised, which meant she was already in full investigative mom mode. "What about college, Vergil? You're doing well, right? I know your schedule is a mess, but at least you're keeping your grades up... right?"
He shifted uncomfortably in his chair, staring at the table for a moment before meeting her inquisitive gaze. "I... was thinking about dropping out."
The silence that followed was so heavy it seemed to fill the entire kitchen.
Felicia stopped stirring the pot and crossed her arms, leaning against the counter while fixing him with a sharp look.
"How about you repeat what you just said, son?" Her voice was controlled, but Vergil could hear the undercurrent of shock and frustration beginning to form as she raised the knife and closed her eyes with a chilling smile.
He took a deep breath, knowing he needed to explain himself before she exploded. "Mom, listen... things are complicated. I just... don't know if college makes sense right now. Plus, it's not like I even chose it because I loved it...
It just feels pointless in the context of my life. I have much better opportunities."
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<Author's Note>
Hey, remember to use your Golden Tickets and Power Stones to help the work reach new heights!