3rd chapter : home .

After crossing the gate unexpectedly, Marco somehow returned home safely and took Sophie with him. On his way he showed her around the city and went home for lunch.

“I’m back, Arthur are you here?”.

Marco said as he saw two shoes that didn't belong to Arthur or him. Marco sighed as he felt furious feelings coming from behind, he looked around.

“welcome home you little!!!!”.

A young lady appeared trying to hit him. Suddenly the young lady sees Sophie and calms down from Sophie’s cuteness.

"Little!! little!! How cute!!!”, She held Sophie and hugged her many times, forgetting completely about Marco. Arthur got out of his room wearing a set of headphones completely ignoring the young lady's reaction or the sudden little girl that his brother brought with him.

“Welcome back, did you bring something to eat? I’m really hungry!!”, Arthur snorted with a bit of a laugh at his brother.

The reply seemed vigilant to Marco as if Arthur didn’t notice his disappearance for six months. Right after a small words, Arthur calmly turned to the little girl with a calm smile.

“Welcome home”.

Arthur spoke with a calm voice as he got Closer to Sophie and patted her head. The smile reassured Sophie as she smiled back happily hugging him with everything she got.

“Hana! let her go now, she’s not a toy” Marco addressed the young lady Hana as he didn’t see that Sophie was with Arthur.

Hana pouted at Marco's scolding. Thus Hana put down Sophie and played with her, she prepared lunch for them. While Marco was taking a bath Hana had already prepared everything. Moments after Marco came to the kitchen, Hana noticed that Marco’s hair was long.

“Hey, what are you gonna do about your hair?”, she asked curiously.

“Well I’m not planning to cut it anytime soon, I feel much more comfortable like this, I guess”.

His answer was expected at some point, Hana smiled after seeing him finish quickly to prepare his room for Sophie.

A week passed after Marco’s returning home. In that week Marco worked hard to pass his exams in high school. He bought for Sophie a lot of things and prepared for her one of the two empty rooms inside the house. He got used to sensing the euro in the world and around him in his daily life. One day, while buying the groceries for dinner, he took the long way home and passed by the beach. He looked aside to see a fancy blue stall as it was a restaurant. Marco noticed that its name was ‘Red Mermaid’, he instantly remembered Alba’s words to search about this place. Marco was about to enter as he felt a strong pressure coming from the inside. He felt frustrated and even his body moved on instinct, making a run away for it.

Marco reached home and sat down in the kitchen. He had a deep thought, not even noticing that Hana and Sophie were flicking his forehead.

“What now !?! ”, He yelled.

Marco was a little flustered because he spaced out. After seeing him in that state Sophie went to her room because she felt sleepy and Hana was about to leave.

“Not rare to see you spacing out or getting all alone, though we’re friends, we can talk at any time you want”, she talked not intending to start a conversation.

“It’s not that important, otherwise, I’d rather have some rest, see you tomorrow ” Marco's reply was quick.

“ Heeeh? As I said, we are friends, we can talk anytime you want, anyway bye bye !!”.

The next day, Marco decided to go to the Red mermaid restaurant. As soon as he arrived he felt that the pressure was quite less than yesterday. Marco was about to go inside as a girl around his age opened the door for him.

“Welcome, please follow me dear customer, though we haven't opened yet”. The young girl grabbed him by the arm and pulled him inside.

“My name is Carla, Carla Fullblack, and for you to join us You gotta prove yourself”.

Carla was grabbing Marco tightly and heading downstairs, Marco noticed that she was fragile yet somehow strong enough to drag him. When they reached the basement, she clicked a switch and the two of them fell inside a gate. Marco didn’t catch anything from what she was doing, he tried to ask but couldn’t because she started talking first.

“Well, you wanna join the guild red mermaid, then this is a test and those are our training grounds, lucky for you”, Carla was standing a little far from him.

If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

Marco sighed as he responded tranquilly “did she really think that I can hear here from that place, I Can’t hear a damn thing!!”.

Marco shouted his last words and Carla got mad. She sighed then pulled out a white mask. Despite him saying that he couldn’t hear her, she kept talking to herself. Marco felt the euro in the area rising up as Carla made the mask transform into a giant shield. He whistled and stood amazed while letting his guard down. Carla took a breath, and in a second she reached Marco attacking him with that shield. Marco didn’t see that attack coming but had a little amount of time to dodge as he took a step and bent his body to the back then he jumped away. Carla took him by surprise again and attacked him from the other side therefore Marco again avoided her attack by jumping in the air and holding onto the top of the shield, he got back on his feet after pushing himself up. Marco inhaled and exhaled at every time he dodged Carla's attack, and after some time he made it look like a tempo that Carla thought she got the hang of it, in her last attack she doubled her speed and attacked Marco. in the moment she was about to attack, Marco turned to the other side hiding that he was warping the wind around his arm. The two of them were about to clash at each other, and suddenly an arrow shot stopped them as it destroyed the land beneath them.

“Come again, thanks for passing by !!”.

Carla finished her work with a cherished smile. two seconds after that she sighed and took a deep breath.

“ Sheesh and here’s a long day of work that ended, back to our business”, Carla said as she looked to Marco who had to help them the whole day after that small battle.

Marco saw a lot while he was working, inspecting his first opponent Carla, he saw that she had purple eyes with a warm skin color and a slender long black hair tied slightly at the back, her bangs were long enough to be pushed to the back leaving a small strand going from her front to the back of her right cheek. Marco zoned out the moment they finished the work as few words brought him back.

“Carla don’t be rough , after all you’re really in a bad condition”.

A man slapped Carla’s head as she looked back, “ Xavier senpai !!” she yelled. The man named Xavier looked at her and sighed.

“But man, you were fighting someone who doesn’t have a serment, yet he was pretty good, right Marco kun !!” Xavier approached Marco and patted his shoulder.

Xavier Ales, a black haired guy with dark blue eyes, around 23years old, has whitish yet warm skin with three hairs down from his front while he pulls all his hair to the back, his personality is rather amusing despite him looking like a playboy all the time, it's just a backfired reaction to him taking care of himself well.

“Marco san!! could you please come here!!”, a woman called for Marco while he was talking to Xavier and Carla.

“And for you two, Alex is coming soon. I don't wanna hear her yawning, please prepare something for her”. The woman named Alice said as she led Marco to a room. Marco kept calm despite the weird situation he’s in.

While walking upstairs he observed Alice, a girl with yellowish hair and fading green eyes, Alice ties her hair to the back in a ponytail shape leaving small bangs on the front, her body was well built for a woman her age having enough muscles to be called an athlete. He looked around a lot then as they arrived there, he saw a man standing in front of the door waiting for him.

“Now now, enter, and close the door behind you”, the man waved his hand to Marco slowly.

“well I never thought you would do that !! seriously what are you thinking !!”.

Alex, the woman who Alice said is coming, was scolding Carla. Xavier and Alice were laughing a little at Carla who was upset and couldn’t do a thing but looking down for embarrassment. The four of them were talking as they heard Marco roaring. Carla shivered and felt frustrated as she rushed along with everyone to Emilis’ office. Emilis, the guy from upstairs is the guild master and the one with the scary pressure.

“Sorry!! sorry!! I won’t do that again!!! huh ?!!”, Carla flustered for nothing as she saw Marco shaking hands with Emilis.

Emilis smiled at her “Nice timing !! Carla I decided your punishment, from now on, Marco is your partner, make sure you teach him about everything you know”.

He kept smiling and looked at both of them. Marco and Carla didn’t accept the decision of Emilis, therefore Marco thought about it a little and replied instantaneously.

“Ok, I don’t mind, one thing, Carla I would like to come to my house and live there?”.

“Huh?!??? haaaa!!!! Do you understand what you are talking about ???!!!” Carla was flustered over what Marco said.

“Well, Carla, prepare your bags!! I guess you have a new house to stay in”, Emilis and Xavier said at one time, teasing Carla.

Carla pouted and got mad a little because of Xavier and Emilis teasing her. One hour later, Marco and Carla went to his house which is now her home too.

“Hey are you sure about that?”, she asked out of the blue.

Marco looked at her with a calm expression and answered “Well, I’m sure of it, since we are partners now I guess this is better and I have another reason” He opened the door “I’m home!!!”. As Marco shouted, Sophie rushed and hugged him. At that moment Carla saw Marco’s smile for the first time, she was amazed to the point where she didn’t want to complain.

“That's my second reason, Sophie and Arthur, be sure to be friendly with Carla, she’s our new family member!!!” Marco's words left a good impression on Carla's reaction to what she saw.

As Marco smiled at her, he patted Sophie’s head. After that Marco showed her the house and quickly prepared the last room for her.

“Well I guess with time you gonna make it more comfortable for you, sorry for the sudden request”, Marco apologized and went to his room. Carla looked at him when he left for her room and sighed.

“I guess I made some false assumptions, I should apologize after”, Carla spoke to herself as she thought Marco had some bad things on his mind about having her as a partner which clearly turned 180° to the other way. Just seeing Sophie and Arthur rushing to Marco's arms was enough of a reason for Carla to accept living inside the house.

Despite all that talk with herself , she ended up not sleeping because she hasn't slept at any other place other than her own room.

“Ugh, I guess I was flustered enough to think that I could get adapted to this new bed quickly” She calmly stood from the bed in the middle of the night.

Leaving her room silently so she won't make a noise, Carla went to the bathroom then passed by the living room, as she looked aside, she saw Marco still awake with a bunch of ingredients on the table, she didn't saw the same smile as earlier and just saw an empty expressionless face yet somehow the calm and efficient pace of work was enough for her to realize that Marco was doing his best for his own siblings. That scene just gave her the strength to get adapted quickly and sleep peacefully after that.

……………………………………………………………...