The Author's POV

Chapter 287: Before The Journey [3]

"Ren, where have you been…I thought…I thought…"

Staring at my mother who was choking on her words, I felt a slight pang in my heart. Scooting over to her side and caressing her back, I reassured her that everything was alright.

"I know, but don't worry. Everything is over, I'm here."

"Sniff, sniff,…Okay."

Nodding her head weakly, my mother eventually calmed down. After a while, wiping the tears in the corner of her eyes, she asked.

"Ren, what are you going to do now? Now that you're back, will you go back to the Academy?"

With a smile on my face, I shook my head.

"No, ill be going away on a trip."

"A trip?" Taken aback by my response, my mother lifted her head and asked. "How long will it take? Will you be back by the end of the weekend?"

Closing my eyes, I once again shook my head.

"…no, I'll be going for a bit longer than that."

"Longer? A week?"

Pursing my lips, and staring at my mother in the eyes, I responded.

"…A couple of years."

"What!?"

My mother suddenly stood up in shock.

With her eyes wide open, she shouted. "You just came back and you're already leaving? What do you think you're doing?! Don't you care about how we feel?"

'It's because I care about you that I have to go.'

I inwardly muttered to myself, but never actually said those words out loud.

I didn't want to let my parents know about the chip and the bounty on my head. If they heard about it, I wouldn't even want to imagine how they'd react.

Therefore, lowering my head and clenching my fists, I resolutely replied.

"Mom, Dad, although I know I have been gone for the past eight months, I really wish you let me go. I need to go on this trip."

I needed to become stronger.

This trip was the key to achieving that. Throughout my whole life in this new world, I realized how flawed this world I created was. Everything in this world revolved around backing and power, and without it, you were nothing.

I understood this clearly. Even then, I couldn't stand that.

Never again did I want to feel so helpless. Never again did I was to go through a similar situation as before.

This was why this trip was necessary.

I needed to change myself, and become more ruthless and decisive. I still laked a lot of experience, and my mind was still too immature for this world.

If I truly wanted to survive in this world, and defeat the demon king, this was the only path I could take.

"No, Ren, I cant le-"

Despite my words, my mother still shook her head. However, right before she was about to disagree, my father put his hand on her shoulder and said.

"Let him."

"Ronald!" My mother looked at my father in shock. "Are you really going to let him go like this? Right after he only just came back to us?"

Looking back at my mom, Ronald shook his head and pointed at me. "Just look at him. He's already made up his mind. There is no changing his decision."

"But."

"Just leave him be. He's already an adult, we can't do anything about his decision"

Lifting my head up, I gratefully looked at my dad.

"Thank you"

"Mhm, but I hope you promise me one thing…"

"Tell me."

With a calm smile on my face, my dad said.

"I hope you stay safe and don't put yourself into too much danger. We already lost you once, we can't afford to lose you again. Promise me that you won't get hurt again."

"…Ah."

Those words.

They reminded me of an old promise I made. One that I couldn't keep.

Lowering my head, I softly replied.

"…I-I, I will try."

Staring at me for a couple of seconds, a calm smile appeared n my father's face as he said.

"That's good enough…"

Once my father's words faded away, a gloomy atmosphere shrouded the room. Uncomfortable with this atmosphere, trying to lighten it up, I decided to switch topics.

"By the way, where is Nola? Is she in Pre-school?"

"Nola? She's in preschool, she should be out in about an hour."

My mother replied.

"An hour?"

Checking his watch, my father suggested.

"Mhm, if you have time, do you want to go pick her up?"

"Can I?"

My eyes lit up.

I really missed Nola.

Checking her schedule, my mother replied.

"Yeah, Amanda is too busy today, so it was supposed to be my turn to pick her up. But since you're here, why don't you go pick her up?"

"Yes, that soun—"

Abruptly stopping myself mid-sentence, I looked at my mother in shock.

"…wait, hold on, did you just say Amanda?"

Did I perhaps mishear? Or was it a different Amanda?

"Ah that's right, you still don't know."

My mother's eyes suddenly lit up.

It was then that my mother started speaking about how she met Amanda, and how helpful she had been. From how she would always pick Nola up whenever they were busy, to how she would drop by at their house from time to time to play and eat dinner with them.

Listening to my mom excitedly talk about Amanda, millions of questions emerged in my mind. In the end, I could voice of them out, as a weird feeling rushed over me.

It was a hard one to describe.

…but it wasn't an unpleasant one.

Disrupting me out of my thoughts was once again my mother as she suddenly asked.

"Say Ren, why haven't you ever told me that you knew such a beautiful girl?"

"…ehm, mom?"

Looking at my mom and staring at me with shining in her eyes, I scooted a bit further away from her. The pressure that she was exuding was a bit frightening at the moment.

Leaning over, she asked.

"Are you really only just classmates?"

"…Yeah."

I awkwardly replied.

Though I interacted with Amanda from time to time, I don't ever recall our relationship being anything more than that of friends.

"Really?"

My mother squinted her eyes and gave me a skeptical look.

"Yeah, there's nothing going on between us. I think she just likes Nola."

No one could withstand Nola's charm, especially Amanda who liked cute things. This was probably why.

"Hmm, if you say so."

Though skeptical, my mom no longer asked any questions about my relationship with Amanda.

Then, for the next hour or so, I caught up with my parents.

Although my parents did try to ask me multiple times where I had been during these past eight months, I promptly dodged those questions. After a while, they both got the hint and stopped asking.

After that, we chatted about many different things, and through this conversation, my mind, for a very long time, finally relaxed.

At exactly, 4:30 P.M, covering her mouth with her hand, my mother pushed my back.

"Oh dear, I think it's almost time for Nola to finish Preschool, you better hurry now."

"Now? Okay."

Standing up from the sofa, I turned around and embraced both of my parents one last time before leaving the room. Before I left, I made sure to look at my parents one more time.

Once again, I resolved myself to become stronger.

Stronger for my sake and their sake.

*

5 P.M.

Standing in front of a large building, I muttered.

"This should be the place."

Though I had only been here once, I was sure that this was the location of Nola's preschool. Besides me, I could see a lot of parents similarly waiting for their children to go out.

Staring at the building in front of me, I could see cute pictures and paintings hanging outside the windows of the building.

Whilst waiting for Nola to go out, I carefully touched my face. Currently, I was wearing a skin mask. For obvious reasons, I couldn't just go meet Nola with my face. Although most people may have forgotten who I was, there was a chance that someone could've recognized me. After all, I did appear on national television.

I couldn't let this happen, as that would put my family in a lot of danger. Thus, I could only do this in a roundabout way.

—Riiing!

Before long, I could hear the faint sound of a bell ringing in the distance signaling the end of the of Preschool. Following the bell, the doors of the pre-school swung open, and children ran out to their parents.

"huuu."

Staring at the children that were happily running towards their parents, taking a deep breath, and fixing my clothes I moved towards the entrance of the kindergarten. Approaching the care lady, who was an older lady that seemed to be in her sixties, with a kind smile on my face I spoke up.

"Excuse me, I'm here to pick up Nola Dover. I'm sure you guys have already been informed about my arrival?"

Prior to arriving here, I had my parents inform them of my arrival. If they didn't do that, the Preschool would've never allowed me to see Nola.

Lowering her head slightly, the care lady stepped aside and entered the building.

"Mhm, ah, yes, I've been informed about you. Please come in."

"Thank you."

Lowering my head as well, I followed the care lady into the building.

Entering the building, we soon arrived before a small classroom where multiple children could be seen playing amongst themselves.

Scanning the room, I soon spotted Nola in the distance.

"Ah…"

The moment I spotted Nola, my heart started to hurt as only a small inaudible sound escaped from my mouth.

Sitting in the corner of the room, I could see Nola playing with a toy car by herself. Her small little figure playing with the toy car by herself made the corner of my ears involuntarily redden as I had to forcefully bite the corner of my lips in order to remain composed.

"Nola, someone is here to pick you up!"

The care lady called out.

At the care lady's words, Nola slowly turned her head. Once she turned her head and saw me, a trace of disappointment flashed across the little girl's eyes as she stood up and walked in my direction.

Though Nola was disappointed that her parents were not here, she didn't show it on her face as she greeted me politely with a small blow.

"Nice to meet you Uncle, my name is Nola."

Squatting down towards Nolas eyes level, I said.

"Nola? What a beautiful name, It's nice to meet you, my name is Kevin Voss, and I'm here to pick you up"

"Uncle Kevin?"

Nola muttered, resulting in the smile on my face deepening.

"That's right, I will bring you to your parents now."

"Um."

Grabbing Nola by the hand, and thanking the care lady, I soon walked her towards a black car.

Opening the door of the car, I helped Nola put on her seatbelt before closing the door and entering the front side of the car.

Once I sat in the car, putting both of my hands on the wheel of the car, I checked the rearview mirror.

"Uncle Kevin, how cwome mom and dad cannot come?"

Nola suddenly asked.

Smiling, I replied.

"Because they are busy with work. Fortunately, I was not."

"Are you strong?"

"Strong? I'm very strong, stupid too."

"Uncle is stupid?"

"Yes. Unfortunately, anyone with my name is stupid."

"Oh."

Nola nodded her head in understanding.

Laughing on the inside, I decided to stop tarnishing Kevin's name. Removing the mask off of my face, with a smile on my face, I turned around and faced Nola. With my regular voice, I asked.

"So tell me, Nola, would you rather go home or grab some candies with me?"

"Candies."

Hearing my regular voice, Nola subconsciously responded. Then, looking up in confusion, her eyes met mine.

"B-b…bwaddar?"

"Mhm."

—Pita! —Pita!

The sound of tears falling towards the bottom of the car suddenly echoed out loud as Nola's eyes became extremely watery. Then, taking off her seatbelt, Nola jumped towards my arms and cried.

"Bwuddar! Waaaa, waaaa"

Embracing Nola in my arms, I could feel her tears dampen my clothes, but I didn't care.

Caressing her by the head, holding back my tears I muttered.

"Nola, brother is back. So tell me if you want to go buy candies. Brother will buy it for you."

End of volume [2] Part - 4/5

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