After Adam and Cecilia made their bet, the mood did not die down between the mother and son pair. The two of them knew very well that the other one was only acting as they did because they cared for each other.
Adam had a better understanding of the supernatural world now and knew how any moment was precious to them. Life was too short for them to just stay mad at each other for stupid reasons.
This was why, the two of them turned to a random bar and drank like there was no tomorrow.
Adam knew that he had sworn to never drink again but it was a hard promise to keep in this situation.
So he drank and drank. Drank because he was happy. Drank because of the unknown future ahead of him. Drank to hide all his worries even for a single night.
"Mom. You know, I kinda got married inside a dream."
Adam shared his story with his mother. Be it the dream that Asmodeus created to trap him or the one he shared with the poor girl as a last gift of solace to her before her death.
"Tell me… How can you still be smiling after all those years?"
He nursed a drink as he asked absentmindedly. Now that he was relaxed and had enough alcohol in his system to loosen all the hinges of his psyche, the thoughts he had put a lid on were starting to spill out.
He may have appeared nonchalant, but the things he witnessed, the actions he took, and the result of that day…
All of them still weighed down heavily on his mind and psyche and unlike Natasha or Sae, Adam did not have a week to digest all of the happenings of Pacific Park.
"How does this even become easier?"
"It doesn't, my son. It just doesn't…"
Cecilia's mouth formed a weak and wane smile as she ruffled his hair with his hands, trying to cheer him up, "It never gets easier for anyone. You just learn how to deal with the pain in a more efficient way. Learn how to put on a better mask to hide them in the deepest corners of your mind. Nothing ever becomes easier, son."
Adam looked down bitterly— a sight leaking out of his face. He understood her words. He had to learn how to deal with the pain of his body when dying already. The pain never went away… He just knew how to contain it better and to cope with it by thinking of other important things ahead.
Sadly, unlike the temporary wounds on his body, the wounds that affected his mind were harder to take care of and lasted much much longer than that.
"This is truly a sad thing, you know, Mom?"
"It is, right?"
Cecilia took another swing of her drink and chugged down the whole glass in one go. She had seen many things and did many bad things as well. But it never became easier. In fact, she did not wish for it to become easier for her…
Because… Once you lost that fear, that respect, that feeling of pain and sadness. Once you became jaded and could look calmly at all the atrocities of the world, you just stopped being human and lost any and all traces of humanity left inside of you. She didn't want that. Neither for her nor her son.
She looked at Adam…
"You should really learn new conversation skills. You are too much of a buzz kill."
"Haha… Sorry, I guess I am really a mood killer."
The heavy mood vanished between them and the two continued to joke around with each other.
"Speaking of, about your first dream… If I remember well, Asmodeus's dreams aren't just illusions but the reflection of your deepest desires, right?"
She grinned a little. "It seems like my boy has quite the appetite, doesn't he? So, not even Shuri can flee from your evil claws now, huh?"
Adam coughed violently and looked at his drink with a renewed determination to never drink again in the entirety of his life.
In the end, he sighed, "I… I don't really know, Mom…"
"Hey, I don't mind that… Shuri is quite the sexy lady, man… Like damn. Have you seen those breasts of hers!? God damn!"
Cecilia giggled as she made the motion of a round ball with her hands.
"I imagine for a teenager it must have been hard being around a bombshell like her."
Adam simply groaned and wished to burrow a hole deep in the ground.
"Please stop."
"Nah. This is way more interesting than any gloomy talk. This reminds me. Are you going out with Sae? Your last relationship was in high school, right?"
"Yeah. We broke up because she was a little… Let's say a little too clingy."
Adam dodged the question by only answering partially. Saying that his ex had been clingy was an understatement. A very very big understatement.
Leaving hadn't been easy, but being with her was becoming dangerous. For both of them. He shook his head and leaked out a tired sigh.
"As for Sae… Well, we have a complicated relationship."
"Heh… My son is a casanova. Well. Honestly, I have no advice for you on that matter. While I had a few experiences myself, it generally didn't end well."
"Say, Mom… You don't want to get married?"
'—And have a child on your own.'
Adam did not finish that sentence. He knew very well that it would only hurt her. But this was something that had always been at the back of his mind.
Cecilia was a very attractive woman. Surely, somewhere out in the vast world, there was someone who would love her for who she was.
"Well… Did I say you were a mood killer?"
"And you avoid important topics like your life depends on it."
"You mean like how you are avoiding talking about how you have the hots for my friend?"
"Mom…"
"Alright, alright. Geez, you are no fun."
She chuckled but thought seriously, "Well, it isn't like I haven't tried you know. I was also young like you."
Cecilia was very independent and free-spirited. Furthermore, she was too powerful. All the boyfriends she had eventually broke up with her or she simply left because it was clearly not working for them.
"Not many people can have a relationship with someone who can theoretically crush their skull with one hand if she doesn't control her power."
Her longest relationship lasted a year. Sadly, he died during a mission. Not that Adam needed to know about that. She had no intention to make the situation even more gloomy than it was.
'Adam seriously needs some new hobbies.'
She realized that his thoughts seemed to always enter a dark place lately. Not that she could blame him for that.
The physiological test might be more useful than she initially thought.
"Well, let's talk about it later, okay?"
He raised his hand in surrender, "Don't blame me later if you become an old hag with a house filled with cats."
"Heh. Why cats? Dogs are more interesting. In fact, I even had a battle wolf in the past. You should have seen her. She was magnificent."
She also died to protect her during her fight against Surtr in London.
Adam did not miss the way the light in her eyes dimmed slightly at the mention of her pet…
"Battle pet?"
"Indeed. I wasn't really a team player you know. Only moved with Mei sometimes. So I had to decide to settle for one of the most loyal partners one could have."
"So the reason you were called mad hound…"
"Hehe. I embraced the wildness in me."
She drank a little before grinning at Adam, "Though you also have a wolf on your own. Albeit a different kind it seems."
"Natasha is just a friend."
"Indeed, I guess I also won the Nobel Prize for Peace."
The sarcasm in her voice was dripping, causing Adam to look aside as he gathered his thoughts and have a better understanding of his emotions.
It may seem weird for him to talk like this with her. But for Adam, Cecilia was a mother, a friend, and even a father. She was practically everything to him and she filled those roles perfectly throughout the years and never left him emotionally wanting.
"Well… I do think there is something between us."
He wasn't blind. Since the fight against those mercenaries, Natasha had been giving him clear signs. Those signs had been all but confirmed when they were in the park, just before everything went to hell.
"But?" Cecilia prompted him with an encouraging smile.
"But...I don't know If I want to pursue it. It's really complicated."
Adam was having a headache. The reason he accepted his relationship with Sae was that he made it clear she would not be the only one in his life. He couldn't exactly be exclusive and be a Gigolo at the same time now, could he?
But he doubted that Natasha was as open-minded as Sae. Adam did not wish to let his sexual desires and life choices destroy his relationship with a few dear people.
"As for Shuri. Yeah, perhaps I am kinda interested in her. But she is already married."
"Married, huh…"
Cecilia looked down. "Well, I don't know how long it will last. Seems like her relationship with her husband is pretty wonky."
Adam frowned slightly at those words, "What do you mean?"
She shrugged and hid a grimace, "I think she discovered he is cheating on her."
"What!?"
Adam was surprised by the sudden revelation. He had met her husband a few times and he seemed like a good man. It seemed like the adage about how one should never judge a book by its cover had once again been proved true.
He was doubly surprised when the Book of Genesis opened and started to float in front of him.
Startled, Adam looked up and his mouth opened wide at the sight of what was written in the Quest section of the book.
"Adam? What happened?"
His actions were quite conspicuous and with the way he looked at the air, Cecilia knew that he must be reading something in that Book of his.
When Adam finished reading, he looked down and massaged his brows. His headache had just gotten worse; a whole lot worse.
"I just received an ordeal."
"Oh? What is it this time?"
He gave her a bitter look while remembering what he had just read.
『 3rd Ordeal: Love — The Beginning and The End of All Emotions
Description: Have Shuri break off her shackles and decide to give up on her cheating husband
Reward: 1 free pass to the Bronze section of the library 』
———
(AN: So it begins. The quest many have been waiting for. Haha.
What is your opinion guys on a random hook-up for Adam in the story? I know this is a story about Gigolo but I am still curious. Basically hooks up outside of work like if Adam goes to a bar. Just to be clear, random moments with girls outside of work or harem won't be as detailed. Most likely only one chapter or even only half.)
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