CHAPTER 7

Hirayon woke up when he felt something strange. It was a comforting sensation as something warm enveloped his body. When he opened his eyes, unfamiliar silver-blue eyes were gazing at him softly.

The man uttered something, but Hirayon was still disoriented from sleep and didn't understand his words. He only felt wary as he was greeted by an unfamiliar man.

"How are you feeling?" the man spoke once again and asked.

Hirayon didn't answer and just stared at Hanan. When he looked away to avoid the man's eyes, he saw other people in the room. He was looking at them with alert eyes when he suddenly recognized Daram.

Seeing the man reminded him of what had happened before he lost consciousness. He remembers seeing glowing brown eyes before losing control of his body. After that, his mouth moved on its own and answered Daram's questions against his will. Then he felt extreme pain in his head when he finally regained control.

Hirayon glowered at Daram. His large round eyes were sharply looking at the chief of the Earth Clan.

"I see the resemblance now," Daram said, noticing how similar Hanan and Hirayon's eyes are now that they are side by side.

"You look mad. I had no choice," Daram added.

"What did you do to mama?" Hirayon asked as he remembered what Daram was asking about last time. They were looking for her mother.

"We found her," Daram stated and stepped to approach the bed but stopped when he saw the evident anger in the child's eyes.

'Really similar,' Daram thought and stepped back instead.

When Hanan saw his son's eyes, he gripped Hirayon's hand slightly to get his attention. "Calm down. We will explain it to you. But first, how are you feeling?"

Hirayon looked at Hanan, who was still holding his hand. He tried to pull it, but the man didn't let him. When Hirayon looked at him weirdly, Hanan only replied with a soft smile that scared the other people in the room.

They do understand that Hanan was clearly happy knowing he had a son, but his change of character made them feel creeped out. They never thought that he would react differently at Hirayon as Hanan wasn't expressive to Marin as well when they were together.

"I'm okay," Hirayon answered and stopped trying to get his hand. He could feel that Hanan was strong and could easily crush his hand, but his hold was gentle.

"That's good to hear. Are you hungry? You were asleep for two days."

"I'm not hungry."

"Still, it would be better to at least have some soup. You look so thin, are you eating well? Three meals a day?" Hanan asked continuously.

Hirayon watched Hanan with strange eyes. 'He was asking more questions than Elira and Dr. Beca did.'

"Chief, you're scaring him," Zeno interfered and went beside Hanan.

"Maybe you should introduce yourself first. We should approach him slowly," he whispered to his chief. Zeno was sure the child was not used to meeting people as he had lived most of his life in the forest. It must be pretty uncomfortable meeting other people. What more of an unfamiliar man claiming to be his father.

Hanan listened to his suggestion and faced his son, "Hello, Hirayon. I am Hanan, and I'm your father.

Hirayon's eyes widened in surprise. 'Who?'

Zeno helplessly closed his eyes and prayed to the deities to bless the leader of the Water Clan. "Chief, that doesn't sound right either. Allow me to help," he said, taking matters into his hand to spare the child from further shock just talking to Hanan.

Zeno stepped forward and gave the child a small smile. "It is nice to meet you, Hirayon. My name is Zeno, and I am the secretary of the Water Clan's chief. Are you familiar with clans?"

Hirayon reluctantly removed his eyes from Hanan and nodded at Zeno's question, "I am."

"Really? Where did you learn about it?" Zeno asked enthusiastically. He was trying to imitate the teachers at the kindergarten in their territory.

"In the books, Elira brought," Hirayon answered as his eyes went to the side table where there were still a few children's story books.

"That's great! So do you know about Chiefs?" Zeno pried with clasped hands.

Hirayon nodded, "Leaders of clans."

Zeno's eyes brightened, "That's right! You're so intelligent. So the chief of the Water Clan here and your mother knew each other before. They were partners, and because of their love, they had you. That is why your mother is Marin and your father is Chief Hanan. Do you get it?" Zeno explained slowly.

He carefully observed Hirayon's reaction. He hoped that even though he was not used to dealing with kids, he could still explain it to Hirayon in a way that kids would understand.

"He is a parent like Mama?"

"Yes! That makes him your Papa or Dad."

"Dad..." Hirayon repeated in a mumble while staring at the hand that Hanan was still holding. He has a father like the children he had read about in the story books. When he read those, he didn't feel sad because he had no father, but he somehow felt happy for having one now.

When Zeno heard Hirayon's mumble, he beamed a wide smile. Although the child still looked awkward with the chief, he was glad he didn't resist Hanan.

The same goes for the father himself. Hanan felt ecstatic when he heard Hirayon utter the word, Dad. His warm gaze toward Hirayon became more devoted. He wanted to hear the child call him again but didn't want to make him more uncomfortable.

"How about having some soup?" Hanan initiated. He wants to get closer to Hirayon to break his walls.

'He is my father...'

Hirayon didn't know if he should believe what Zeno had said, but he also thought there was no reason for them to lie to him. Still, they're strangers, so he decided to observe and escape if they tried to make him speak again against his will.

When Hirayon warily looked at Hanan but nodded, the latter felt relief. "What kind of soup do you want?"

"I don't think you have choices here. I think there is only one soup," Daram intervened, which Favian confirmed.

"Is your territory having financial problems?" Hanan asked, pissing off Daram once again.

"This is a Health Facility, not a restaurant," Daram snarked.

Hanan stared at his friend, "We have a menu in our Health Facilities-"

"Favian, get them a damn soup. Then inform the Health Facility to make a restaurant here."

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Favian helplessly nodded at his vexed competitive chief. 'More work for me, I guess.'

Favian approached Hirayon and introduced himself. "Hi Hirayon, I am Favian, Chief Daram's secretary. What would you like for soup?"

Hirayon thought and recalled a soup that Elira had brought him the first time he woke up in the room. He forgot to ask Elira what it was, so he just described the taste he remembered, "The one that tastes like milk and has mushrooms."

"A mushroom soup, alright. Do you want some bread with it?" Favian asked while trying to suppress his smile.

He noticed the child was highly wary of them and would think for a long time before answering, but he responded immediately when asked about the food. He mentally took note of Hirayon's behavior and reminded himself to share it with the chief of the Water Clan.

'No matter what age, the way to man's heart is through his stomach.'

When Hirayon nodded, Favian noted it before asking the group what they wanted. It was nearing lunch, and it was time for them to take a short break after all the trekking and fighting with monsters they had done.

"While waiting, I will explain things," Daram said after Favian left the room to ask the knights what they wanted and order it.

"I can do it," Hanan suggested. He wants to take every opportunity to talk to his son so they would get closer.

"No, I better do it. You suck at explaining."

"I explained to you about National Treasure earlier," Hanan pointed out.

Daram scowled, "Yeah, and you pissed me off. Let me do it. I feel guilty about your son."

"...son," Hanan trailed off, and a small smile appeared on his expressionless face.

"You're scaring me," Daram said, still not used to Hanan's character change after learning he is Hirayon's father.

He ignored his friend and looked seriously at the child, "Hirayon. I had to do that to you last time because we need to find your mother. Do you know? Your mother stole something before, and because of that, we are searching for her."

"She stole? What did she steal?" Hirayon asked, clearly surprised hearing her quiet mother steal something.

"It is a National Treasure. So everyone is mad for what she did," Daram stated, choosing his words not to scare the child.

"Did you find her and the treasure?" Hirayon asked with clear doubt. He doesn't believe that her mother would do something terrible.

"We found your mother but not the treasure."

"Are you sure mama took it? You didn't find it in the hut," he reasoned, making Hanan notice his intelligence at a young age.

"We are sure that she did it. Think about it, why would your mother stay in the forest brimming with monsters if she wasn't hiding?" Daram pointed out. He could understand why the child would be doubtful, especially since he had been with her all his life. But he needs to make Hirayon understand that Marin is a criminal. This won't be the last time her mother will be called by that, so it's better to make him realize now.

"She is already dead, so we can't question why she stole it, but we still need to find the treasure. So Hirayon, did you know anything about the National Treasure?" Daram took the chance and asked.

Hirayon looked down, "I don't know."

"What would your mother usually do?" Daram asked again. He is trying to get as much information as he can. Unlike Hanan, who was previously Marin's lover but lost contact with for years, he will be questioned as Marin secretly resided in his territory. He needs to have something worthy to report so the Oddity Administration so that he won't suspect him of hiding a wanted person.

"She would hunt monsters," Hirayon answered, remembering her mother's hobby of killing monsters and collecting Aura Cores.

"Other than that?"

"Nothing."

Daram grumbled at the lack of information and remembered Hanan's speculation that Marin died from a disease. "When did she get sick? Do you know her disease?"

"I- I don't know," Hirayon said, bowing his head, preventing anyone from seeing his reaction. Of all of them, he was the one who wanted to know her disease the most.

At that moment, Favian requested Daram to open the door for him to enter the room. When he got inside, he prepared the food on the empty table and gave Hirayon his share of soup and bread.

"So she didn't even tell you. Such a mysterious woman till the end. Any ideas, Hanan?" Daram said, giving up on getting information from the child.

"None," Hanan said plainly while helping Hirayon arrange his food.

"What a couple you guys were. I just hope Hirayon wouldn't be like you guys and keep things to himself always."

Hanan looked at Hirayon, who was already eating, and contemplated what Daram said. As a child, he grew up with uptight and busy parents. He had no one to talk to about his feelings, and as an initially quiet child, he became a person who kept to himself.

As for Marin, she was an orphan who experienced physical abuse. So she grew up distanced from other people.

Although Hanan had no problems with his personality, he would prefer Hirayon to speak up about his thoughts and feelings. He didn't want his son to experience the feeling of having no one to speak to, especially now that the parent who took care of him was dead.

"Hirayon, tell me always if you want something or if you are upset, sad, happy, or whatever. Don't keep to yourself. I am here to listen always," Hanan said seriously to Hirayon, who looked at him with confused eyes.

Daram and Zeno saw Hanan in a different light. They never knew that Hanan would be a good father. Because of his nonchalant and uninterested personality, they thought he would treat his child casually and just a little better than others. But people really change when they become a parent. For the expressionless chief to say that it is clear that he genuinely cares for Hirayon.

"You'll be a good father," Daram commented, voicing Zeno's thoughts.

"I hope I will be," Hanan hoped. He didn't want to become a cold father like the parents he had.

"You will. If you need help or advice, just call me. I am an experienced father, after all," Daram boasted.

Hanan stared at his friend momentarily, "Can I call your wife instead?"

Favian stilled with a piece of bread in his mouth. He had a foreboding on Hanan's question.

"What? Why?" Daram asked.

When Favian realized where the conversation was going, he vigorously shook his head. Forgetting to remove the bread from his mouth, he looked weird at Hanan and Zeno.

"Nothing," Hanan said when he realized what Favian was doing and brought his attention back to Hirayon.

"No, say something. Why would you call my wife?" Daram insisted. He felt that Hanan was insinuating that his wife was better at child care.

Favian crossed his arms for an X. He was trying to stop another fight from happening, as he was already tired of catering to his fickle leader.

Instead of answering, Hanan avoided Daram and focused on Hirayon.

When Daram noticed that, he got agitated, "Are you saying I'm not a good father, huh?"

"I did not say that," Hanan said without looking at his short-tempered friend.

"That's what you're hinting at," Daram insisted, making Favian sigh in defeat. He was questioning his decision to apply as the chief's secretary. 'I should consider applying to another position,' he thought.

"I wasn't."

"No, that was it. I'm correct, right?"

"Chief! Madam is calling," Favian happily announced when he noticed the call.

"What? Answer it," Daram hurried, forgetting about his irritation. Favian answered the call and made it possible for everyone to see.

"Hone-"

"Why can't I contact you? Did you know what your child did?!" A woman with light-brown hair and auburn eyes yelled. Aside from her voice, her hands on her hips and her brows in one line clearly indicated that she was upset.

"Huh?" Daram uttered, startled at his wife.

"He punched someone!" the woman yelled so angrily that even Hirayon got scared.

"He fought? Did he win?" Daram asked without thought. When he saw Favian's nervous look, he realized he had messed up.

"Did he win?! That's your question?! The kid was sent to Emergency!"

"Nola, calm down, don't get mad—"

"How am I supposed to calm down when I have a muscle brain for a husband?! I told you not to teach him how to fight!" Nola yelled so furiously that her whole face was red. She was so enraged that his son almost became a killer because of his muscle-brained husband.

"It is for self-defense..."

"Really? Self-defense?! He punched first! Was that self-defense?!"

Daram avoided her wife's gaze, clearly guilty. "Well, I told him not to punch someone thoughtlessly..."

"Ahuh! You're lying now, huh?! Your son said you told him to strike first!"

Daram opened his mouth to say something but didn't know what to say. He didn't know that he would be caught red-handed. He looked at Favian for help, but his tired secretary only stared longingly at the food. After working with Daram for years, he knew what would happen next when his chief caused trouble.

"Where are you?! Get your ass here right now!"

"B-but I can't. My schedule is full. Ask Favian!"

When Favian met Nola's angry eyes, he said goodbye to his first meal and thought, 'I should write my resignation letter.'

R E H I L I Y A