Arlo's eyes fluttered open as he slowly emerged from his slumber. Unlike the previous morning, when he had been jolted awake by the blaring of his alarm, this time he was greeted by a peaceful silence. As he shifted his position on the bed, his gaze drifted to the alarm clock on his bedside table.

The digital display read 8:09 AM. After staring at the clock for a moment, Arlo let out a yawn before turning to face the ceiling.

"8 am, huh... Normally, a shut-in like me with nothing to do would've just gone back to sleep... but now..." Arlo's voice trailed off as he slowly sat up, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. "I have a lot to do..."

Ignoring the clutter that filled his room, Arlo made his way to his desk, clad only in his underwear. As he reached the desk, his attention was drawn to the Wyvern's Core, which shimmered with a bright light atop the surface. His gaze then fell upon his phone.

"Let's see if Argus has said anything..." Arlo mumbled as he picked up his phone and checked his messages. "Oh, looks like Argus texted me." He tapped the notification and opened the message.

[Hey, check to make sure you received the transfer. It includes what we made from clearing the Labyrinth and exchanging the evo energy crystals. Btw, we still have our compensation, which will arrive after they confirm the report that I wrote. I barely got any sleep because I was writing it T-T]

"Haha... sounds rough. Sorry for leaving it all to you..." Arlo chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his head. "But I wonder how much we received."

With his curiosity piqued, Arlo quickly opened his banking app to check for any new deposits. As he scanned the screen, his eyes widened, and his body began to tremble.

"E-E-E-E-Eleven thousand..." He stammered in disbelief, staring at the balance displayed on his phone.

[Overall Balance: £11,243]

[Payment received: £11,240 from Hunter's Association.]

"T-This was split between five, meaning... If I had cleared that Labyrinth on my own, I would've gotten over fifty thousand pounds..." Arlo muttered, his eyes narrowing as he continued to gaze at the scree.

The screen seemed to glow brighter than usual, but it came as no surprise to Arlo. He had never seen such a substantial amount of money in his bank account before.

"I-I knew it wouldn't be a small sum, but this... this is far more than I expected... C-C-Rank Labyrinths are incredible..." Arlo muttered to himself, his voice filled with awe.

He quickly composed a formal response to Argus's message, apologizing for leaving everything in his hands and expressing his gratitude for handling the situation. He also confirmed that he had received the payment as expected.

After sending the text, Arlo joyfully hopped towards his room's exit, his phone in one hand and his grimoire in the other. As he opened the door, he was greeted by an empty hallway.

Typically, he would find a tray of food waiting for him, but today, there was nothing.

'Right, they know I never leave my room around this time, so they bring the food a little later to keep it from getting cold,' Arlo thought to himself, a joyful smile playing on his lips.

The sudden influx of money had truly lifted his spirits, and it had been a while since he'd felt such elation. Humming happily, Arlo made his way to the bathroom to get ready for the day. After a quick shower, he brushed his teeth and got dressed before descending the stairs.

As he approached the kitchen, he overheard voices engaged in conversation.

"I'm telling you, he seemed different. I don't think Arlo's going to hole himself up in his room anymore. He even complimented my cooking!"

"Is that so? It would be nice if he could join us for breakfast then... but he's probably still asleep by now..."

Arlo recognized one voice as Serena's, and the other belonged to Sylvia.

Standing just outside the kitchen entrance, Arlo suddenly felt a wave of nervousness wash over him. All the excitement and joy he had experienced moments ago seemed to evaporate as he stared at the kitchen door handle.

Taking a deep breath to steel his resolve, Arlo grasped the handle and pushed the door open.

As Arlo stepped into the kitchen, he was greeted by the sight of two figures standing behind the kitchen counter, engrossed in preparing breakfast.

On the left stood a stunning girl with shoulder-length blonde hair that seemed to shimmer in the morning light. Her vibrant blue eyes sparkled with warmth and enthusiasm as she skillfully whipped up an omelette, her apron tied securely around her waist. This was Serena, Arlo's adopted sister.

However, Arlo's gaze was drawn to the lady beside her. She possessed a sleek, blonde bob cut that perfectly framed her face, with bangs that fell just above her eyebrows. Her eyes, a mesmerizing shade of blue, held a depth of wisdom and kindness.

Despite being in her early 40s, she exuded a youthful radiance that made her appear to be in her early 20s. This was none other than Sylvia, Arlo's adoptive mother, looking impeccable in her neat black business suit.

Sylvia and Serena shared a striking resemblance, as they were biologically related, unlike Arlo.

"Oh my, Arlo..." Sylvia gasped, her eyes widening as they met his.

"G-Good morning..." Arlo responded shyly, averting his gaze.

A warm smile spread across Sylvia's face as she replied, "Good morning, did you sleep well?"

Arlo nodded in response. "Yeah, what about you?"

"Of course, I had a good night's rest!" She answered cheerfully.

However, as Arlo glanced back at her, he noticed the faint dark circles beneath her eyes.

'That's a lie. She's still clearly tired,' he thought to himself as he made his way to the kitchen table.

To his surprise, the table was already set with three plates. He wondered if they had anticipated his arrival or if they always prepared an extra place setting in case he decided to join them.

"Hey, Arlo. Where's my good morning?" Serena asked, her cheeks puffed out in a playful pout. "So you say good morning to mum but not your dear sister? I see how it is..." She added, fixing him with a mock-stern gaze.

"Oh, sorry. Good morning Serena, did you sleep well?" Arlo quickly replied, offering her an apologetic smile.

Serena's face instantly lit up with a bright smile. "Yeah, I slept great. We're almost done with breakfast, so just sit tight and wait, alright?"

"Alright.” Arlo responded as he went over and sat down.

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

-

Approximately ten minutes later, the table was beautifully arranged, and the family was enjoying their breakfast together. The meal was simple yet satisfying, consisting of scrambled eggs, sausages, toast, and a side of rice with tomato soup.

As Arlo ate in silence, he couldn't help but notice the two girls gazing at him while they also enjoyed their food.

"Um... It's a bit difficult to eat with you two staring at me like that," Arlo mumbled between bites of his toast.

"Oh, was I? I didn't realize," Sylvia responded, her smile never wavering as she continued to watch him.

"Ahem." Serena cleared her throat, attempting to make her own staring less obvious.

Despite Arlo's comment, the two carried on with their meal, their eyes still fixed on him, their good mood unwavering. Arlo chose to ignore their behavior, as he himself was feeling the happiest he had probably ever felt in his life, despite his efforts to conceal it.

'It would be wonderful if our mornings could always be like this...' Arlo thought to himself, the corners of his mouth lifting into a contented smile.

However, as if to shatter his blissful moment, the sound of Sylvia's phone ringing pierced the air. The ringtone emanated from her pocket, and after gesturing for the others to be quiet, she answered the call.

"Hello? Understood, I'm on my way," Sylvia responded before ending the call.

Placing her phone back in her pocket, her cheeks puffed out in a pout similar to Serena's earlier expression.

"Work called, I have to go..." She muttered, slowly rising from her seat and taking her plates to the sink. "Just when I was finally spending more time with Arlo, too..." She added, a dejected look clouding her features.

Arlo and Serena watched in silence as Sylvia bid them farewell and hurried towards the entrance, her movements slightly rushed as if she were running late.

Just as she was about to leave the house, Arlo called out to her, stopping her in her tracks.

"Serena, you're working two jobs, right?" Arlo asked.

"Yes, that's correct," She responded, glancing back at him from the entrance. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, I’m fine. I just came because I wanted to tell you to quit one of your jobs," Arlo said, his voice firm and resolute.

"Are you worried about me?" Sylvia asked, with a surprised look..

"Obviously," Arlo responded without hesitation.

Upon hearing his words, Sylvia's expression lit up with a joyful smile. "Hearing that makes me really happy, but don't worry. It's not that bad. You know how they say working helps you stay young? I actually enjoy-"

"Then just work one job. Quit the other one," Arlo insisted, cutting her off.

"...You know I can't do that. We have bills and-"

"I'll pay for it all. Right now."

"What?"

Arlo held up his phone, displaying his bank balance.

"I said consider it paid for. Just tell me the amount, and I'll transfer it to you. If this isn't enough, I can easily make more. Since you're in a rush, you can hurry over to work and tell them that you quit. But I want this to be the last time I see you working two jobs when it's obviously too much for you to handle. Understood?"

Despite seeing the substantial amount of money on his phone, Sylvia's reaction was far from elated.

"Where did you get that money...?" She asked, filled with concern.

"...I can't tell you," Arlo responded, averting his gaze. “But it wasn’t anything illegal so you don’t have to-”

"Arlo... please, tell me," Sylvia persisted, her voice gentle yet firm.

Arlo contemplated his response for a few seconds before giving in, realizing that she would likely see through any lie he could come up with.

"I cleared a labyrinth. I've started working as a hunter again... But I'm earning a lot more than before, so money won't be a problem for us anymore."

Arlo knew that Sylvia wouldn't be thrilled to hear about his return to hunting, but he hoped that seeing the amount he had earned would help soften the blow. However, he couldn't have been more wrong; it didn't help at all.

In that moment, a serious expression overtook Sylvia's face as she fixed him with an intense stare, her eyes searching his for answers.

"Why...? Why did you choose to become a hunter again? Even though it hurt you so much in the past...?" Sylvia asked, her head lowered in shame. "It's my fault, isn't it? I've been doing a poor job of taking care of you two..." She muttered, her voice barely above a whisper.

'She's upset... It seems telling her was a bad idea after all.' Arlo thought to himself.

"C-Come on, you don't have to be so mad... I get that you're worried, but can't you try to be a little happier? I'm doing this for you, for us... That's why-"

Arlo's voice trailed off as he noticed tears beginning to drip onto the ground where Sylvia stood.

"Do you think it makes me happy to know that you're going out and risking your life again?" She asked, her voice trembling with emotion. "Working two jobs is hard, I hate it... But I still prefer that a million times over knowing that I could lose you any day... I... I don't want to lose you too!"

Arlo was left speechless, her words shaking him to his core and causing his heart to ache. He knew she was worried, that she was against his decision, but it was the first time he had ever seen her cry because of it.

She had always tried to maintain a strong front, never allowing her vulnerability to show. That’s why he didn’t know how to react..

"Sylvia..." He called out to her.

But in that moment, she quickly turned around and ran for the door, rushing out before slamming it behind her.

Arlo stood there silently for a few moments, his gaze falling upon his phone and the money displayed on the screen. In a surge of anger, he raised his phone into the air, tempted to throw it to the ground, but stopped himself mid-way.

"Ha..." He sighed, exhaling deeply to calm himself before making his way over to the staircase.

As he ascended the stairs, he noticed Serena standing by the kitchen door, with a sorrowful expression resting her face. It was clear that she had overheard their conversation.

"Serena, the same goes for you. Instead of working, you should focus on your studies. Quit your part-time job. I'll be sending you an allowance from now on," Arlo said, his voice low and somber as he made his way up the stairs.

"...Arlo, wait." Serena called out to him.

He paused at the top of the staircase, turning to face her, waiting to hear what she had to say.

"Don't be mad at her... She's just worried about you," She said, her eyes meeting his.

"I'm not mad at her..." Arlo responded, a saddened smile playing on his lips as he looked down at Serena from his vantage point. “I'm mad at myself.”

Without waiting for her response, Arlo turned and made his way back to his room.

"I'll be heading out. Even if you knock on my door, I probably won't be here, so don't get scared if you can't find me," he said before entering the room and closing the door behind him.

Once inside, Arlo grabbed the grimoire from his desk and leaned against the wall, slowly sliding down until he was seated on the floor.

"Fuck..." He cursed, his gaze drifting around the room, taking in the chaotic state which it was in.

The longer he stared at the mess, the more his mood soured, a heavy weight settling in his chest.

"...I'm going to head back to the other world to cool off… but before that..."

'System, open the mail,' he commanded silently.

In response to his words, a screen materialized before him, its soft glow illuminating his face.

[Mail.]

[You have leveled up!]

[You have earned a level-up point.]

[Would you like to exchange your level-up point for rewards?] (Y/N)

-

[You've completed the 'Unique Quest: Clear The C-Rank Labyrinth'!]

[Completion rewards have been sent.]

[Would you like to receive them?] (Y/N)

-

[You've completed the ‘Emergency Quest: Wyvern Slayer!]

[Completion rewards have been sent.]

[Would you like to receive them?] (Y/N)

Arlo stared at the screens, his expression bitter and devoid of the excitement that would normally accompany the sight of his rewards.

'System, I want to receive all the rewards at once,' he thought.

In response to this, a blinding light flashed from the screen, transforming into several glowing cards that hovered in the air before him.