To be honest, she had expected to see a throne or even a couple of chairs that sat above the rest, she was expecting to have to sit in a lower chair or even a stool.

Instead what she found was...closer to what she expected to see in a war room, a circular table with ergonomic chairs arranged in stations at the table. Each chair with a holopad and a stylus at the side, if she was seeing things right then the table itself was a smart screen that was just showing the image of a table at the moment.

There were other seats at the corners and against the walls, each with its own station and holo tablet. Elizabeth was wondering if someone would mind if she took a seat in one of the most hidden corners...

"Oh, welcome back Rosy. We thought you wouldn't make it when the School sent that missive...I was speaking with your Mother about sending one of the maids to get you actually..." The man that spoke was... well she intellectually knew that Rossie was adopted, and as such she shouldn't expect to find a pink-haired man.

And yet... This man was just that, pink short hair and wearing a suit with a pink necktie on a white shirt. He wasn't particularly buff nor sported as much muscle as her own Papa, but he seemed to be well built.

"Why yes, we had Margareth ready to go when our [Spy] reported that you had teleported away from the Station." Rossie's mother on the other hand, she hadn't done her hair again, she was dressed in a comfortable dress, one of those that were supposed to be comfortable for a pregnant woman. Her hair had the roots brown in color while only half her hair was still pink.

It looked nice on her, to be honest.

"I did notice one of your [Spies] roaming around us, but we didn't plan to teleport away in that manner, so I wasn't able to report it. I apologize, Mother, Father." Rossie said with no hint of actual feelings in her tone.

This was closer to a monotone tone than anything. Her parents didn't seem to mind it that much and instead turned towards Rena and her.

"And you will not present your friends to us?" Asked her parent, with a smile, "Well, let us start the greetings. I'm Albert Singh, you may know me as Councilor Singh."

After his presentation he motioned to his wife, who in turn said, "And I'm Rosy's Mother, you may know me as Lizbeth Singh." And that was about it.

Well, at least only one of Rossie's parent was important. She could deal with it if only one was important, she had dealt with Councilor's before! Granted, most of those times they were kind uncles gifting her toys... And this time she was going to ask for their daughter's hand...

Easy...

"Greetings esteemed Councilor." THERE SHE DIDN'T BITE HER TONGUE! "I'm Elizabeth Starbright, Mage in Training and I share a room with your daughter at the MPI."

EASY!

"Watanabe Rena, Hero In Training." Rena only said as much.

"Oh, so humble! See love, I told you she was a humble one!" Rossie's father said with a smile as he turned to his wife who eyed her critically.

"There is humbleness and there is this... There is no reason to be so humble Elizabeth, you should promote yourself more. " Rossie's Mother said as such as she wrote something in the holopad in front of her.

She couldn't see what it was...But maybe...

"[Mistress...We aren't in Kansas anymore...]" Came the report to her mind when she was about to ask what Rossie's mother wrote, "[To be precise it seems some kind of isolation barrier was deployed...From the outside, we can't get contact the outside using normal means. We still have the connection granted to us by your Shadow Haven, so should you need extraction it is still possible.]"

...What?

"[...Please keep contact to a minimum, that woman seems to be able to perceive us. Even with the dimensional barrier separating us.]" And after that Aura shut out the contact.

"Elizabeth Starbright, formerly known as Elizabeth Ashcroft...And then formerly known as Elizabeth Starbright...Again." Rossie's Mother said as her profile showed in the station in front of her, then another one...And another one.

The first was the one she had currently at the MPI, then the one she had seen that stated she was an orphan, and finally the one she had as a citizen of Avalon.

"...How?" Elizabeth asked as she read the last one, she hadn't seen it in quite some time, but everything was there...Well, mostly everything, it didn't outright state who her parents were, not their identities as a top hero and top magical girl. "Who are you?"

For her part, Rossie's mother just smiled and answered "I had another name before marrying. I think you have heard of my family, your student council president is my niece you see...." And as if to make it more obvious, she [felt] the mana slam into her defenses and peel one at the time.

Her whole body seemed to want to convulse and react as the feeling only became worse with time, but she withstood it thanks to her [Shadow Puppeteer] skill which gave her control over her body. It helped that most of the shadows in this place seemed to be displaced across multiple different planes.

"Hoh...It's even more interesting in person, you do have excellent InfoSec, even if they pale in front of a [Galaxidae]." The woman's eyes were now shining like an emerald.

"MOTHER!" And it was only Rossie's scream that brought her back from the momentary reverie that seemed to have gotten into her.

"[Appraisal]" Elizabeth intoned as she felt the [Skill] take form in her [Soulscape] and then travel all the way to her eyes.

"tut-tut, not here darling." Rossie's Mother said as her eyes flashed once more in purple light, "You need to get better toys, that one is like...initial InfoSec stuff."

Notice: Skill activation negated. Higher order InfoSec Skill used.

"That should be enough for now Love, you are making our guests feel uncomfortable, think of the baby." Rossie's father said, right...That woman was pregnant. "I'm the baby by the way."

...What?

"What?" Rena said at the side with her red sword in hand.

" *sigh* What do you want Mother? You claimed that your previous house was of no relevance, that is why you never let me go with you while visiting my grandparents." Rossie said with a glare that no daughter should ever use against their parents.

At least she ignored the dumb joke the councilor had made.

"Nothing much, we just want to make sure you are aware of who are the people you are hanging around with. To be honest our original concern wasn't with Elizabeth but with that girl." Rossie's mother pointed at Rena, "And to the kid he was hanging around with...Not that we have that problem anymore..."

They had a problem with Rena? And Akira? Wasn't Akira somehow able to act as he wished?

"Of course, a Mother would have problems if some rapist with [Mind Manipulation] skills was at large, sadly my reach within the Galaxidae isn't what it was before. And those cultists wouldn't let me warn you girls about it." Rossie's mother said as she wrote something else on her station and a new screen showed up.

This time it was Akira's whole information, and it included new things she hadn't been aware of. Mostly new titles with new descriptions...

Status

Name: Suzuki Akira

Title: [Runaway]

Passive Titles:

[The one who ran away]

[Disgraced Hero]

Level: 30

Health: 5%

If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

Mana: 0%

Stamina: 3%

Age: Body 17

Soul: Decaying

Strength: 56

Constitution: 56

Agility: 5

Dexterity: 5

Intelligence: 5

Wisdom: 5

Charisma: 5

Job: [Student]

Job Skills[9]:

General Skills (9)

Title Skills: (0)

This...Had she seen this? She didn't think about [Appraise] Akira at the moment, she was too busy trying to kill the thing. How had they gotten this? Actually... Hadn't most left the arena by this point? Then...how?

And if that wasn't enough of a bombshell, the next to be displayed were the descriptions of Akira's titles.

The One who ran away:

You were granted more power than any other mortal, you were granted prestige, fame, knowledge, and talent. Armies were at your beck and call, countries would be your god-granted gift. Kings would bow down to you, princesses would seek your favor. All so that the divine goal that YOU accepted to do would be fulfilled.

Any sin you made would be forgiven, any crime pardoned, for gods are generous with their envoys. And yet…You ran away, the fight was too hard, the enemy too powerful, the reason matters not. You didn’t fulfill your end of the bargain, worse. You tried to take those god given [Gifts] with you as you ran away. What are gods to you? What do you think those that govern over the [World] and [Souls] are?

Curse you, may your travels be full of misery, may your soul be damned to hell.

[Soul is unstable, Unique Skills are trying to return to their home.]

[Impossible to earn new blessings from other deities, Soul has been branded as heretic.]

[Impossible to acquire high rarity jobs.]

[Impossible to break past level 50.]

[Proficiency towards the current world’s LAWS is diminished.]

[So long the Soul is exposed to the eyes of a god, all these curses will stay in place.]

Disgraced Hero:

A Hero’s job is easy, most of the time just being a beacon of hope and striving to make the world a better place is enough. Help those in need and strike down those that are evil. Other times, a Hero must be a general and lead an army against a great evil. Maybe become a [Hero King] and help make the country that summoned you a better place.

Perhaps travel the world and strike down as many [Demon Lords] as they show? A [Hero] is a very loose job with more loose demands, most won’t care what a [Hero] does in their free time. Does he have a harem? It’s his right. He owns [Slaves] probably they live better and eat better than nobles or kings.

The common peasant won’t care nor will judge a [Hero], for they know that when all that matters is their safety they can always count on their [Hero].

You weren’t anything of those, your [Sins] got exposed, you were defeated in combat, and when an existence that you shouldn’t mess with came…You didn’t ask for forgiveness, you didn’t [KNEEL]. Your pride was too much, and so you were [DISGRACED]. Heed the lesson hero and the next time someone comes with the evidence of your [SINS], pray that they are more forgiving than you deserve.

[Charisma is locked at the lowest possible setting.]

[Status points per level locked at the lowest possible setting.]

[Job Rarity set at the lowest possible setting.]

[You may fight to recover your honor, or you may attempt to sink deeper into depravity. So long you EARN whatever path you wish to follow.]

[Know this, even in disgrace, even at the deepest pit of hell, we will always welcome the birth of a new DEMON LORD.]

Runaway:

You are on the run, what more do you expect? Do you want a nice bonus? Do you want neat skills? Yeah, well, next time don’t try to rape the FRICKING DAUGHTER OF THE GOD THAT RULES OVER THE POWER SYSTEM OF THE WORLD YOU ARE IN

Thank whatever karma you farmed in a previous life and the fact that neither [Framework] nor [Odyssey] can descend or you would be a bug squashed against the planet.

[No, you will not get the skills you usually would get with this title]

[Neither the proficiencies that go here.]

[And definitely not the status bonus that goes here.]

[If you are somehow alive when those two gods can descend again in a couple years…Well, I hope you are a better man by then. I doubt it, but good luck. You will need it.]

[And for clarity reasons, this world has three entities that you could pray to.]

[Two are the parents of the girl you tried to mind f#ck, and the third is the closest thing to a family member to the god you screwed when you ran away. So no, no deity on this plane will ever help you.]

....Well... That was awkward...

"So you see, we got very interested in you after our spies got that. Not every day we see allegations about a [Human] in one of these. So we dug into you and what a surprise, the daughter of Jack and Catherine." Rossie's mother carried on, this time the screen shifted to pictures of her...

Pictures of her younger, at a party. In the mall, the day she graduated from school...Pictures that [Should not exist] anymore.

"And it became more and more interesting because no one seemed to remember you. Besides very key people around, my niece Eva for example. She knew of you as a [Prospective Hero] but didn't know more than that." Rossie's Mother was dangerous.

Not because she would be her in-law and as such a bitter enemy, not. This woman knew too much. How did she know this much? Wasn't the [World] erasing most of her information?

But she didn't seem to be hostile, it was...more of a warning? She got the impression that it was a warning, her [Instincts] told her as much. Even if Rena seemed to be ready to pounce on the woman at her command. And Rossie was distracted by the pictures as she was saving them to her cell phone. Rossie? Help? Your mother is bullying me!

"So? What do you want from me?" Elizabeth asked, unsure of what was the end game here. "Do you want me to confirm that my Papa is Jack Brighton? That my Mother is Catherine Starlight?"

"No no, we just want to ask you a question." Rossie's father spoke, but the man didn't turn his attention to her information, he even went as far as to dismiss Akira's status as something worthless (IT was worthless though). "What do you want of our Daughter, we are aware that she...Is special."

What did she want of Rossie?

That was Easy, she wanted to tumble her into a bed and do many MANY things with her under the sheet covers, maybe in the shower...And the kitchen...And honestly, this table seemed a good place to do it too.

But that wasn't what he was asking...Elizabeth hoped at least.

"I want her to be happy." Elizabeth answered as such, turning to look at Rossie who blushed as she hid her phone (Even though she was still sending the pictures to her e-mail) "I want those that I love to be happy. I have no intention to pay any attention to divine decrees or to listen to [Fate]. I have no need for their blessing nor their gifts. I just want those I love to be cared for and live a healthy life."

Was it hypocritical of her to say she didn't want blessings? She was blessed, by her parents who had ascended to godhood, by her past life as a demi-god. She was probably among the top percent just because of the things that people had gifted her across her life.

Even so, if giving those away was enough to get those under her care a happy life... Elizabeth wouldn't hesitate to strip herself of those [blessings].

"That should be good enough I guess..." Rossie's Mother said as she snapped her fingers and then as if a curtain was lifted the world expanded once more. She was suddenly aware of where her shadow dragons were in the palace, each of them outside this room, all of them near one employee. Waiting. "Sorry for the scare, but we needed to be sure you wouldn't hurt our daughter like the one that hurt her before."

"Now on to more merry business, you girls are on vacations. What are your plans for these months?" Rossie's father asked in a merry tune.

What were their plans?

"I will do whatever Eli-Eli wants," Rossie said first as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. And for some reason, her Mother nodded at her.

"I will meditate and train my body, if you can point me towards the nearest gym or dojo I would be grateful for it. At least till Elizabeth decides to leave this place." Rena on the other hand, at least had some degree of plans ready!

Even if it sounded more like she would do those things while they were here mostly because she had planned to stay here!

"And you Elizabeth?" Rossie's Father asked her.

What were her plans? Well, that was obvious. And while she thought of a way to say them a Maid brought her a glass with some clear liquid, probably water. Same with Rossie and Rena.

Taking a sip from the glass she found that instead of water, it seemed to be carbonated soda instead, a nice touch to get her brain working. So her plans... She wanted to ask for Rossie's hand, that was one. But would they mind? They seemed to be very open-minded and they had taken a proactive effort to investigate those they found suspicious.

"I want to achieve a few things, first I want to stabilize what I earned this year," Elizabeth said with measured words.

"Your earnings from the fight Akira I'm guessing...Ten levels and proficiency in whatever skills you have seems like a good start. I would suggest you try to evolve your [Appraisal] into a better one." Rossie's Mother said.

How much could she actually see into her [Status]?

"I also want to ask a question...I don't know if you are aware...of my relationship with Rossie." Elizabeth said as she tried with all her might to not cower at the eyes of Rossie's mother who seemed to peel at her, searching for a weak spot.

She hadn't felt like this since that one time she met her grandmother, the old hag had a way to stare into your [Soul] like the best of them.

"...we are aware that Rosy seems to have imprinted on you." Rossie's mother said turning her eyes to Rossie, "While not optimal, we can work with that. So long she gives us a Singh she can do whatever she wants."

...what?

"You already have an heir in my sister inside you. She is healthy enough, my [Magic] will make sure she is born, even if I need to claw her soul out of [Hell] she will make it to this world." Rossie stated evenly while turning her eyes towards Lizbeth.

"Of course, but you are still a Singh. If you are going to marry into the Starbrights then we need to have at least one of your daughters to be part of the family." Was the answer Rossie's mother gave.

"She could have a son. In which case he would have some degree of claim to the family assets." Rossie's father said at the side.

"Impossible, women only carry the X chromosome, so the baby from two girls will always be a girl." Rossie's mother added on the side, "I checked, it isn't common but there is precedence of two [Magical Girls] having daughters, and they always are female unless they tamper with the baby using magic."

"Excuse me, but then...?" Elizabeth raised her hand getting the attention of the people in the room, "You don't mind?"

"That you want to screw my daughter? That you want to get into her panties? That you want to go wild with her under the sheets?" Rossie's mother had a very interesting vocabulary, "No, were you an orphan. A true one and not what the [World] is pretending you are. Then we may had a problem...Or we would have engineered you cheating on Rosy so she broke with you. But as it is...Why would I have a problem with the [Daughter of the gods] being my daughter-in-law?"

"That is a very cold way to see it," Elizabeth said at that, so they didn't mind it because she had backing? "Then since you seem to have all the cards. What are the [Galixadea]? What do you know?"

"We are...The [Keepers of knowledge], the ones that were born on this planet. Just like how the [Saintsworths] were born into their world. Unlike them, however, we took a different approach." Rossie's mother said as the screens flicked, instead of showing Akira's information or her profile it moved to the names of different [Heroes]. Those that stood at the apex of power, then those that moved the world forward, scientists, politicians, religious leaders, influencers, social figures...Everyone that had a stake with the populace. "We stay close to those that are important in the development of civilization. We help them, we nurture them but we never make a proactive effort, we don't try to be the movers of the world. Instead, we are those that stay at the back making sure their [Story] is told."

Among those that showed in the projector were her parents too, at the top of the image there was even a video of her [Mother] moments before she was engulfed in shadows...How she became a cocoon, then how said cocoon burst into light as a star shot to the sky.

Her Ascension. The birth of [Odyssey] the Goddess of Magic...and god knows how many [Domains] she had grabbed.

At the side, another video showed the last moments of her Father as a human as his body burst with mana and he too turned from mortal to [God].

The Apotheosis of Jack Brighton [The American Crusader]. The birth of [Framework] The God of...

"What is [Framework] god of? I have heard people speak of him as a god of family, of strength, of stability...but what is his [Domain]?" Elizabeth asked if she could probably find out if she visited one of his churches, but she hadn't gotten the skill to talk to her parents yet.

"Now that is one interesting topic, one that I didn't think the [Daughter] of said god would ask..." Rossie's mother mused for a few seconds, "We aren't quite sure. Catherine is easy, your Mother is bird-brained so she took the [Domains] of [Magic] and [Exploration] that or [Space]."

Elizabeth wasn't quite sure why she thought as if she could hear her mother scream into a pillow in the distance.

"Don't worry too much, by my analysis your mother can't smite nor descend here, perhaps if we were near her church or one of her apostles, but as it is... She can't touch me, and wouldn't do it anyway. She knows it too." Rossie's mother smirked, her eyes seemed full of evil intent, so that is how people saw her lovely Rossie huh? " Your father on the other hand is harder, the man was always a mystery. Never flaunted his strength more than needed...I personally think he has the domain of [Strength] and [Evolution]. Some say he has [Family], but we aren't sure, and unlike your ditsy mother he hasn't taken an [Apostle] that we can study. So if you find out do tell us, I can give you about a terabyte of Rosy's childhood pictures with some videos in exchange."

"DEAL!" Elizabeth said without thinking, "I mean... Sure, I will ask Papa later. Can't make any promises."

"...I will give you half the hard drive as forward payment." Rossie's mother said while bringing a holo table from her pocket.

It didn't last long before a shadow darted from under the table and enveloped the holopad and sent it straight to her [Shadow Haven] where it would be safe.

"...Give me a week, and I will either get the [Oracle] skill or make Papa get an apostle," Elizabeth said, she recentered herself. She may have gotten a little excited at the prospect of fawning over photos of Rossie.