Chapter 33
This is a fictional story by realTensai
"Do you feel ready now?"
"Yes."
Alvis had just finished eating Lia's home-cooked meal. It was with tasting her food that Alvis once again realized that god truly had blessed him with a perfect wife. Like medicine, it helped Alvis to recover. He still had to be careful while moving his body, yet his wounds didn't hurt much. If he could open his system, his health bar would probably be halfway full. However, Alvis' system was updating, which meant he couldn't access it.
They were still at Lia's place, and now it was time for them to speak. Alvis knew what Lia wanted to know the most. She had asked him whilst they were fighting too, though Alvis convinced her to worry about that later. And that later had come now.
"So, you want to know why I can use mana even though I'm a human?"
"Yes."
Alvis exhaled, knowing there was no other way now. His heart pounded, and he searched for the best way to put it. Lia was his wife now, so she had all the right to know the truth. Besides, she was an empath, so lying to her wouldn't even work. Yet Alvis' gut feeling told him he couldn't tell her everything. Normally, Alvis wasn't someone who would listen to his gut feeling, but since awakening his system, it had been surprisingly accurate. He somehow knew it wouldn't end well if he told her about it. That was why he wouldn't tell her about his system and only about his mana core.
"You know about my mana illness, don't you?"
"—Y-Yes, our entire class knows about it."
Lia hesitated before answering, which made Alvis wonder what was wrong. He would just continue, though.
"It's incurable because humans don't have mana cores. However, somehow a mana core formed within me, so now I can control my mana."
"So…" Lia said nervously looking at Alvis. "Does that mean you won't die?"
Only with him hearing that did Alvis realize what she had been worried about.
"Yes, I won't leave your side."
Lia thrust herself at him, embracing him with tears in her eyes. Her genuine happiness showed Alvis he had found a person who cared for him more than he cared for himself. A smile was all he could muster up after being confronted with so much love. Lia didn't know Alvis would survive his illness, yet she still chose to accept his proposal. Once again, her braveness overwhelmed him.
"Ohh, I'm sorry!" Lia said before stepping away. "You are still injured, so I shouldn't just embrace you like that."
Seeing her pointy ears glow red, Alvis started laughing. This only added more to her embarrassment, and she started pouting.
They casually conversed after that, but it didn't take long for Lia to switch to a more serious topic.
"Alvis." She started, her emerald eyes locked on him. "There is something important I have to tell you about the Organization."
"No—, please don't tell me the boss has a second stage."
"Ehm, I'm not sure if I get what you mean, but I think you are on the right track."
Alvis' gamer language slipped through, though Lia didn't pay it more attention. She continued, still serious.
"The Assassin Organization we destroyed was actually just a branch from an even larger organization. So it might not be over yet…"
"You mean we have to face the main one, too?"
"I'm not sure," Lia stated, her head hanging down a bit. "Maybe they will attack us because we destroyed a branch. This would be the worst-case scenario."
The thought of them being hunted down by even more assassins let a shiver run down Alvis' spine, yet he tried to play the strong one before Lia. She already was worried enough, so Alvis couldn't be wavering too.
"Don't worry, Lia," Alvis said, putting his hand on her head. "Together, we will overcome everything!"
It was with his confident smile that the tension in Lia's face vanished. Her lips curled up too, a sign of her trust in her man.
——
Alvis' clothes were drowned in his sweat. His heart pounded even more than when he faced off with the boss of the Assassin Organization. He wouldn't have thought his body would react so extremely. Deep breaths in and out were the only reason he was still somewhat calm. However, what bothered him the most was that his nervousness didn't even make sense. In the end, they were his parents, so he shouldn't even worry. If one should be nervous, it should be Lia.
And as soon as Alvis looked over at her, he saw her trembling with a wry smile on her face. She stared into nothingness as she tried to stay composed. She held her own hands, trying to hide how they shook. It was a rare sight seeing her like that,
"W-What is wrong Lia? There is no reason to be afraid."
"S-Stop joking. I can sense that even you are nervous."
Ah, damn empath!
"I think we should both calm down. After all, they are my parents."
"But what if they are against our marriage?"
"They won't."
"Then why are you nervous?"
"I would like to know that myself!"
Standing before Alvis' door, both of them hesitated and couldn't enter. They had planned to tell his parents about how they wanted to marry, though right now they were too afraid to step into the house. In the end, the fear of them objecting was greater than their courage to enter. Alvis knew his parents wouldn't be against it, yet the nervousness wouldn't leave him. The what-ifs kept holding them back.
Though with the door opening before them, their time of consideration was over.
"Oh, Alvis, perfect timing. Can you go buy some salad from the shop? I need it for—"
His mother abruptly came to a halt upon noticing Lia next to Alvis. It took her a few seconds to process it, and Alvis wanted to shorten it.
"Mom, this is—"
"Darling! Alvis brought a girl home! It's finally happening!"
——
"Well, who would have thought such a beautiful girl would want to marry Alvis?"
"It feels like a dream, doesn't it?"
"Hey, wait, why do I get the feeling the two of you were sure that our bloodline would end with me??"
"Hihi, your parents are funny, Alvis."
"You shouldn't be laughing at that!"
They were in the living room conversing in a lighthearted mood, making Alvis wonder why he had ever worried. Telling his parents about how he and Lia wanted to marry was nerve-wracking, yet their reaction was as chilled as it could possibly be.
They had nothing against their marriage and even encouraged it. One would think they would have a few concerns because of their young age, yet this didn't seem to be a problem for them. The two of them got married at a young age too, so they had nothing against Alvis doing that. Besides, Alvis was already 17 and would turn 18 in a few months, which would officially make him an adult. His parents wouldn't interfere in his decisions now.
However, this all may have been different if the girl he chose wasn't Lia. After his parents had talked to her a bit, they soon realized Lia was seemingly perfect in every aspect. They would have to be morons to reject their marriage. For them, it was a wonder that a girl like her was interested in Alvis.
"Lia, what about your parents?" Alvis' father asked, oblivious to her family situation. "Do they agree to the marriage, too?"
Alvis' face tensed up as soon as he heard his father opening this topic. They didn't know her parents were dead, so for them to ask was only normal, yet Alvis' stomach hurt thinking about how Lia may feel. He turned his head to the side to look at Lia, who had yet to answer. Her smile grew weaker and her down-turned eyes displayed the melancholy within her. However, Alvis saw how she took a breath in and out before raising her head with conviction in her eyes.
"My parents passed away when I was a kid."
"——"
Her statement was met with silence. Alvis' mother held her mouth in surprise and his father furrowed his eyebrows, realizing his insensitive question. Lia looked at them as if she felt sorry about them worrying.
"Y-You don't have to worry," Lia said with a fake smile on her face, trying to reassure them. She waved her hands before herself as if she wanted to wipe away all their concerns. "I already am—"
"Lia!"
Alvis' mother embraced Lia, stopping her from talking any further. Her sudden embracement made Lia widen her eyes. Like a mother who tried to calm down her daughter, Alvis' mom gently caressed her.
"Dear, we are sorry about what happened to your parents. And I know that this may sound sheepish now, but… from now on you are a part of our family. I know we can't replace your parents, but we will care for you as if you were our own daughter. So please… let us be your family."
His mother's genuine speech left Lia at a loss for words. Alvis smiled softly, knowing his mother couldn't have said it better. The one thing Lia craved was a family. That was why she spent so much time staying in the Organization even whilst knowing how bad they were. She just didn't have anyone besides the boss. After her parents and her entire village died, the boss was the one who cared for her. She knew he was just using her, yet deep down, he became her only family. But now she was able to leave this 'family' behind. By overcoming her fear of loneliness, she destroyed the evil organization. But that also meant she was alone again. However, with Alvis marrying her and his parents taking her into the family, she wasn't alone. Finally, after all these years in the Organization, did Lia find a place where she belonged. A genuine family.
A variety of emotions were displayed in Lia's emerald eyes. With trembling lips and knitted eyebrows, she glanced over at Alvis. When she then saw his warm smile, tears started flowing down her cheeks. However, at the same time, a smile formed on her face.
"T-Thank you! — Thank you for letting me be your family!"