Hero of Harmony (Continued)

Chapter 344: Daughter & Mother

After pacifying my friends for now, I attempted to shoo Alex away, as I wanted to have some girl time with my friends, though I should've known better. Alex may have been able to notice my hints, but my friends? If he noticed, he downright ignored them. With fake innocence, Fas, Naolia, and Kale insisted that Alex stay, prompting him to sit beside me as they asked him questions while munching on his delicious snacks. 'Seriously, why can he cook so well?' It was a bit confusing how a man could be so, well, perfect, but I wasn't complaining, especially not when said man would be my future husband.

"So, sir Alex, Chloe has told us much about you, it's just... we never could've imagined the person she talked about looked so handsome." Said Fas with a faint smile as she took a sip from her cup while ogling Alex's body, causing me to roll my eyes; she was even more forthright than I was. I could never say such things to a man I'd just met. "Hehe, that compliment means quite a lot when it's coming from a beautiful woman such as yourself." Said Alex with a soft chuckle and a charming smile that made the ever-so-brazen Fas blush slightly, a sight that I quite enjoyed. "Though, if you find me to be handsome, I wonder how you'd react to seeing Vanimo." Alex spoke just loud enough for me to hear, and I, too, was interested in seeing their reactions, but that could be saved for later.

"You're a B-rank Adventurer, right, sir Alex?" "Yep, I've been one for six years." "What is it like being an Adventurer, sir Alex?" Naolia asked curiously as she, Fas, and Kale gazed at Alex, who awkwardly smiled, while I quietly listened. "Ah, well, don't tell me you three are interested in being an Adventurer?" "Of course not!" "My Mother would ground me." "I'd be kicked out of the house." "I'd experience both." My words caused Alex to chuckle as he knew I was speaking nothing but the truth; if Mother discovered I wished to be an Adventurer... 'Ugh, the thoughts scare me.' Shaking my head, I tossed a deviled egg into my mouth and let its delicious taste wash away my thoughts.

"In that case, being an Adventurer is quite fun, honestly; you get to meet new people, experience new things, get into a bunch of mischief, and most of all, it's lucrative." Alex remarked with a faint smile as he listed several pros of being an adventurer, not once mentioning cons, and his words seemed to have tricked Fas, Kale, and Naolia. "Eh, that does sound fun." "Not to mention, you also get stronger." "I'd also like to experience what a dungeon is like; I'm really curious what monsters look like." Hearing how innocent my friends sounded, I couldn't help but grab my head and sigh, though I couldn't blame them, as I once had similar thoughts.

A few years ago, I told Alex I wanted to experience a dungeon, he surprisingly took me, no questions asked, though despite only going a mere three floors deep, it was one of the worst and terrifying things I could've ever done; staring into the eyes of viscous monsters that wanted nothing more than to rip you to shreds while ignoring the other monsters that had been killed by Alex had left a deep and lasting impression within me. 'Worst of all, when I returned home after being traumatized, I got grounded!' Grumbling under my breath, I ate two more deviled eggs, calming me down.

"I understand your curiosity, but I highly advise against it; the life of an Adventurer, even more so a dungeon, is not for you three. If I can help it, I'd like to prevent three needless deaths, or a fate worse." It was rare for Alex to speak with such seriousness, and whenever he did, it was like there was an invisible power that forced you to listen; even I subconsciously took note of his every word. 'It's quite hot.' "O-Oh, o-okay." "W-We were just joking. Well, I-I was at least." "Yes, I apologize for my words."

Watching Naolia, Fas, and Kale apologetically lower their heads, Alex promptly smiled, causing that invisible force to vanish while he stood up. "No need to apologize, you three were just ignorant... The life of an Adventurer is fun, but it's just as dangerous, if not even more so." "Now don't let me further intervene; have fun and enjoy the snacks." Smiling, Alex uplifted the atmosphere before promptly vanishing, something I was pretty used to.