Walking up to the small manor surrounded by a fairly tall wall, Ai knocked on the home’s gate.

"Whoa. It's pretty big." Cirrus said.

"Hm..." Ai looked at her home a bit nervously.

"Nervous?" Cirrus noticed her looking off.

"N-no! I'm fine! I just... haven't been in here in years."

Cirrus holds her hand tightly.

"I'm here. Nothing to be worried about."

The warmth of Cirrus' hand did calm Ai down.

"Hm!" She held his hand tightly as well. "Thank you, Cirrus."

'Stop flirting and going.' Nox said, wanting to get inside already.

Ai walks up the front gate and knocks on it.

Knock! Knock!

After a bit, a servant slowly opened the door.

"Oh my! Lady Ai! You’re here!" said the woman. "Lord Akeru!! Lady Aomi!!! Your daughter is back!!!" The lady said, running.

"Come in!" said Ai as she walked in first.

They walked onto the property and towards the front door of the home.

 

Opening the front door and walking in, Ai took off her shoes, as did Cirrus, as they walked through the family home. Ai wanted to show him around first.

"Very charming… and warm."

Nox got out and landed on his head.

‘Finally! Nice and warmth!’

They continued to walk when two older Renards came out. The father had red eyes and the mother had blue. They shared the same hair color.

Cirrus could see some familial resemblance.

"Ai!! You have returned!!" said her father running up to her.

"Dad!!!" Ai said, running to him.

They hugged each other warmly as the mother looked at Cirrus. Her sharp blue eyes glared at Cirrus, but it was nothing compared to Hera’s. Cirrus could tell why they had five kids; she was a cool beauty that gave off elegance.

'I can see where Ai gets her sharp eyes from.'

"Ai, sweetie." She said coming up to her daughter. "Who is this person?"

"Oh?" She said, composing herself. "This is Cirrus!" She walks up to Cirrus. "He’s my boyfriend!" She wrapped her arms with his.

"Hi." Cirrus gave a slight nod and a smile.

"Guh!" exclaimed the father, as if a sword had pierced his chest. "T-this can't be..."

"…Come, we shall discuss over tea, and make sure that owl of yours doesn’t defecate in the house." She and her husband then take their leave, going into a room.

The husband glared at Cirrus, but Cirrus gave him a small smile.

‘Can I punch her in her face!!!’

"Calm down, Nox." said Cirrus.

"I’m sorry about my mother. She umm…She can be a little cold to people she doesn't know much about! Don’t worry, I’m sure she’ll warm up to you soon."

Ai and Cirrus enter the room to find them sitting down across a table with the servants bringing them tea.

"Sit, I'd like to know who my daughter chose to guh!!" he exclaimed. refusing to say the words.

They sat down, and their conversation began.

"So what is your name?" asked the mother.

"Isn’t it more appropriate for the hosts to introduce themselves first?"

"Hm…" the mother looked at Cirrus and a small smirk appeared. "My name is Shirakusa Aomi, and this is my husband, Akeru. We are the village chiefs who have lived here for generations. What of you?"

‘She wants to sound grand huh? Fine.’

"My name is Cirrus Zephyr, son of the Empress and known as the Uncrowned Emperor. I have fought against the armies of evil who seek to return the world back to the Age of Heroes along with your daughter, the Flashing Saint."

"Yup! We have fought against them for about 2 whole years!"

"…And what were you doing before then?" asked Akeru.

Ai's parents look to Cirrus with securitizing eyes to see if he more than enough for their daughter. But hearing that he was the son of a empress they were already intrigued.

"Who me or your daughter? Because I have been fighting against them since I was 7. Except for the four years on the island." He mumbled that last part.

"And I got involved when I was 10."

"Seven. Such a young age." He said sadden a bit. "You said you were the son of an Empress? Did no one stop you or—"

"That is only her name given to her by the gods. As far as I know, she was not of royalty. She was the strongest human in the world as a level 9 until she died fighting the Black Dragon."

"!!" Their faces slightly flinched.

Cirrus was of warrior blood, and not just any warrior blood but of the strongest warrior there was. Even in the boonies of Fuyukusa they have heard of the Level 9 warrior who perished. Sadly this was still the boonies and added onto that the semi-isolationist country of Yamato, information on the outside world was not on the list of important things to get.

"I see… so you are of valiant warrior blood then, how very promising. " She said nodding. "But did the gods give you that name of Uncrowned Emperor because of your mother?"

"No, they gave it to me since I’m the strongest human in the world at level 8."

"!!!"

Cirrus could see the shock on Akeru’s face and the smirk that grew into a smile on Aomi’s face. Aomi was sold on Cirrus. Not only was he of impressive linage but also lived up to it. Added with how he acts and his personality and she couldn't be more proud of her daughter for being his lover who would not only treat her well but keep her safe.

"W-where did you first meet our daughter?" asked Akeru.

"When we were seven. I had just turned in my stuff from the dungeon and I saw her looking confused and lost like a cute puppy, so I came up to her and helped her get back home. From there, we would meet every now and again, and eventually, we got together, or well, more accurately, we started to get closer from then on when she came to get me after being stranded on an island for four years fighting a highly dangerous monster sealed from the age of heroes."

"He even fought a monster the size of two mountains!" said Ai. "Did you see it? It was shown to every god through a divine window!"

"There are no gods in the area, so we would need to ask, but…you have an impressive record, but I must know." For the first time since he met Akeru, an air of authority radiated off of him. "What do you love about my daughter?"

He had figured this would stump him.

'Come on! Come on! You can't be perfect!'

If he couldn't come up with at least 10 things, he would reject him right there on the spot.

"…Well, to be honest, there are far too many to list off, like her smile, her eyes, the way she brushes back her hair when she’s cooking, her embarrassed look, her swordsmanship, cuteness, laugh, her scent, her gentle yet rough fingers, her thighs, tail, midriff, her breasts, her sleeping face, her hair in the morning, the way she walks, the way she talks, her smile, oh did I already say that? They’re really too much to keep track of!" He said with a gentle smile filled with unabashed confidence.

"Cirrus!!" Ai shouted in embarrassment. "Come on!! Not in front of my parents!!" She grabbed his shoulder.

"What!? He fucking asked! Oh, and also her embarrassed face! Look at it!" He holds her face. "How can you not want to keep prodding when these red cheeks get—Gah!?"

She punched him in the side to get him to stop.

"HMM!!" Ai was embarrassed and angry.

"I… I felt I heard something I shouldn’t have? Maybe even a few I just sort of browned out." Akeru said, flabbergasted by the answers Cirrus gave.

"It seems you found yourself a reliant man," Aomi said, already sold three more times over. "One who will take care of you no matter what. I’m quite proud of you for nabbing this fine man." She said with an even bigger smile.

"Thanks, mother!" Ai exclaimed happily." But what of Ayaka?"

"What of her?" She said, with some distaste. "She left this family for that weasel of man; honestly, how did we raise such a spoiled child." Aomi said, rubbing the bridge of her nose.

"She is um…doing well. We haven’t heard from her since she left. Your siblings heard she had her 3rd child. " Said Akeru.

"Was it Ayumu?" asked Ai.

"It was actually Akio; he had been hearing word rumors about the Ebisu Familia," said Aomi. "Honestly, it’s like that girl wants to get back on our good graces now after so long now that things have started to come up."

"This could be because of Ai," said Cirrus. "She is a level 6 after all."

"Hmmm…most likely," said Aomi. "Even though we just recently got word from Kushida of your level, Ai but…she didn’t mention your level." She looked at Cirrus.

"I asked her not to. I wanted to give a more impressive introduction." said Cirrus.

"Well um…it was impressive. How about we show you to your—"

"I'll do it," said Aomi. "Could you set up dinner, dear?"

"…Sure I'll—"

"Mind if I help?" said Cirrus. "I'd like to get to know you a bit better."

He made a surprised expression before making a smile.

"Sure thing! Come on, we have to get started!"

 

Leading Ai to her room, she opens it to find not much has changed.

"Waaah!! It’s just like when I left!" Ai went around her room looking at it.

"We kept it just the way you left it."

"Thank you, mother!!"

"Yes well, I'll be sure to get you another futon for your lover. I hope you aren’t too loud at night."

"Thanks, we—!!!" Ai froze dead in place. She felt her heart drop as fast as when she started to date Cirrus and had that discussion with Astraea and Artemis.

"I have good ears and nose, Ai. His words and the new scent you have are of a mature woman. So tell me." She leaned in closer. "How was it? Given how impressive he is he must also satisfy you?"

"W-why does everyone wanna know!? It’s my—"

"Was he the first one to act? Or was it—ah it was you." She smirked. "Hm. Just like me."

"C-can we stop talking about this!! It’s so awkward! You are my mom! You should not be this brazen with your young daughter!"

"Don't worry about." She waved it off. "Now that had sex what's there to be embarrassed about?"

"That's what Kushida said to!"

"Well we have enough time before dinner, so…" She grabs Ai’s shoulders and sits her down. "Tell me, as a daughter to a mother, woman to woman! Samurai to samurai!"

Clack~

The door opened.

"Oh?" Said Nox, walking in as well. "Are you finally going to tell me the details as well?"

"Ai who is this… beautiful woman?" Aomi said, taken a bit back from Nox’s appearance, not noticing that Nox barged into her home.

Nox’s silver eyes sharpened on Aomi, and a smug smile grew on her face.

"Oh? You already met me?" Nox turned back into an owl and landed on the futon.

"T-the owl!?"

"Um mother this is Nox, she is Cirrus’s I guess retainer? That is the best way to describe her. She has been with him since he was 8."

Nox turns back into her human form and smiles.

"I guess that would be the easiest way to explain it, it's nice to talk with you miss Aomi. My name is Nox. I am loyal even in death and reincarnation to my master, Cirrus Zephyr, and to his beloved." She said, giving an elegant bow, her grand beauty made it appear as though a goddess was submitting to them. "So shall we begin this girl's talk?"

"…Oh I like her." Aomi made a grin.

"…Fuck." Ai said softly.

 

Kitchen.

"So…how was life in Orario?" asked Akeru.

"Hmm…a bit hectic considering it was going through a change, a rather violent one at that."

"So it was a war then, huh? It seems there’s nowhere in the world that war isn’t around."

"I’m sure when we return it’ll be different. We did leave when we essentially crushed their main forces, so only fragments remain."

"Cirrus even fragments can still cut you. I know that far too well."

"…That I know that the people there can handle it. They are very clever and brave, two things that do not go together but make for a very dangerous combination."

"Hahaha! Yes, that is true. I knew many great men, but they never did share both qualities…tell me, which are you? Clever or brave?"

"I like to think I am clever, but I’m afraid I am simply brave with a good head on my shoulder that makes stupid ideas."

"Well, not so stupid, seeing as you are still alive."

"True or could it be fate?"

"Well, what is fate if not dumb luck given a fancy name?"

"Well...Hm? I guess you are not wrong."