A few moments ago, right after Allen dashed forward and tightly embraced Lordius's body, the purple-haired youth seemed to revert to being a little child. He buried his face in his father's broad chest, letting his emotional defenses crumble completely.
His tears broke free, soaking the clothes of the black-haired man standing steadfast before him.
Lordius said nothing at first. The tall and authoritative man simply closed his eyes, returning his son's embrace with a very tight yet incredibly gentle hold. His hand rubbed Allen's back, channeling the absolute sense of security and warmth of a father that had long been lost to their separation.
After his son's sobs began to subside, Lordius slowly opened his eyes. He gazed at the top of Allen's head with a touched smile.
"You've grown so much, haven't you?" Lordius spoke to break the silence, his deep voice carrying a slightly husky tone from holding back his emotions. "Forgive me for having to leave you so soon, for not having the chance to watch you grow."
Hearing that sincere apology, Allen immediately loosened his embrace. He looked up, gazing at his father's face with eyes still wet with tears. The youth shook his head quickly.
"No, Father. You don't need to apologize to me in the slightest!" Allen replied, his voice trembling yet firm, with tears welling in his eyes. "In fact... I am the one who should be apologizing to you. I am sorry that I haven't had the chance to visit your grave to ask for your blessing in person before I married Kazien."
Hearing his son's honest and innocent confession, the sorrowful expression on Lordius's face was instantly replaced by a laugh.
"Hahaha!" Lordius laughed quite loudly, the free and warm laugh typical of a grand merchant that Allen had missed so dearly. The man cupped both of his son's cheeks, wiping the tears away with his thumbs. "To be honest, out of all the possible futures I ever imagined for you, I truly never expected that you would end up marrying a man. And what's even more surprising is that the man is none other than Kazien, your own cousin."
Lordius shifted his hands, stroking his son's purple hair very gently. His gaze radiated a boundless affection. "Seeing the way you talk about him... you love Kazien very much, don't you?"
"Of course I love him very much, Father!" Allen answered with bursting enthusiasm. There wasn't a shred of hesitation or intention to hide his feelings. His face flushed, yet his eyes radiated absolute conviction. "Kazien is the only man who could make me fall in love this deeply. Even though I myself am a man just like him, my feelings for him are the most real thing in the world!"
The black-haired man was slightly stunned. He was quite surprised to see the straightforward and bold reaction displayed by his son.
Besides your face which closely resembles your mother's, it turns out your stubbornness and firm resolve are exactly like hers as well. Lordius thought inwardly. A sweet sense of nostalgia for his wife once again warmed the depths of his soul.
"Father?" Allen called out softly, breaking Lordius's brief reverie.
"Yes, my son?"
Allen took a deep breath, collecting his emotions. "Thank you... thank you so much for ever being a part of my life." Allen said in a soft yet deeply meaningful voice. "Even though the time we spent together felt so brief, I am so happy that I had the chance to enjoy our moments together."
A sweet smile graced Allen's face as the memories of his past played back. He began to talk about his life during his childhood. He remembered perfectly how his father, despite being a very busy merchant, always tried to make time for him.
"Amidst all your busy work, you always made time to carry me on your shoulders when we took walks in the capital!" Allen reminisced with a cheerful tone, as if he had reverted to a little boy sitting high upon his father's shoulders.
However, that smile slowly faded, replaced by a more somber expression. "But... after you left, the world around me felt like it had collapsed, Father. I felt like I had lost half my soul. Since then, I never wanted to associate with anyone, I locked myself away, shutting myself off from the outside world."
Lordius stroked his son's arm with pity, deeply understanding how devastated his only child must have felt back then.
"But, Father! Everything instantly changed completely when Kazien came into my life!" Allen exclaimed, his enthusiasm returning, his eyes shining brightly as he recalled the moment he met his husband.
"Is that so?" Lordius replied with equal enthusiasm, prompting his son to share more. "How did that young man change you from a reclusive child into such an amazing youth?"
Allen chuckled softly. He began recounting the details of how Kazien arrived in the Capital to study at the academy. The purple-haired youth also spoke of the time when he acted cold, rejected him, and even threw baseless accusations at Kazien upon learning that he only liked boys with cute faces.
"And do you know what happened after I accused him? Mother was absolutely furious with me!" Allen said, his eyes widening slightly.
"Hahaha!" Lordius burst out laughing again upon hearing that part. "You got thoroughly scolded by your mother?"
"Yes, Father! She was terrifying!" Allen answered, laughing along as he recalled how fearsome his mother's aura was when she was angry. "To avoid her wrath from getting any worse, I had no choice but to swallow my pride and approach Kazien to apologize in person."
From there, it all began. The purple-haired youth shared how that apology surprisingly became the bridge that connected their hearts. He recounted the process of how he began to admire, and then slowly fall in love with Kazien as time went on and they spent more moments together.
Allen also described the nerve-wracking moment when he asked his mother for her blessing.
"At that time, I was truly so grateful because Mother gave me permission, and even gave her blessing for me to take Kazien as my fiancé." Allen said with a relieved smile.
"I thought that your strict mother would never allow it, Allen. Thank goodness..." Lordius replied, breathing a sigh of relief knowing his wife had made a wise decision for their son's happiness.
Not stopping there, Allen continued his story with fiery eyes. He talked about his life that was no longer confined within a bedroom, but had rather transformed into an adventurer's journey.
He spoke of their adventures on other continents, and the heroic moment when he, along with Kazien, Alvin, and Arken, saved Gaterland City.
"We defeated a horde of Earth Dragons attacking the city! And after that, the four of us were given the title of Hero by the Dwarves there." Allen recounted with immense pride.
The black-haired man listened to every detail of the story with incredible awe. His chest puffed out with pride. His son, who was once so fragile, had now not only become an amazing individual, but also a hero who had saved many lives.
The story continued on, flowing and bringing forth many precious moments, until finally, Allen concluded his tale with the details of his grand and incredibly joyous wedding day with Kazien.
Hearing the end of his son's long story, Lordius smiled very gently. He was truly amazed realizing just how completely his son's life had changed after his death.
Kazien... that young man has truly become the savior of my son's soul and mind. Lordius thought, an infinite gratitude flowing within his heart for his nephew. And my son also loves Kazien so, so much. At the very least, he has found his own true happiness, and seeing my son's happiness... that is more than enough for me to find peace in this realm.
After the euphoria of the story subsided, a rather heavy silence began to envelop them both. The reality of where they were currently struck Allen's mind once again.
"Father..." Allen called out softly, looking into his father's eyes. "We... we'll be parting soon and we will never be able to meet again after this, won't we?"
"Yes, you are right, Allen." Lordius replied gently, trying to provide comfort, even though he too felt the sting of their impending parting. "Why do you a—"
Before Lordius could even finish his sentence, Allen threw himself forward and hugged his father's body tightly. His tears, which had momentarily stopped while he was telling his story, now fell heavily once more, unable to be held back.
The reality of this absolute, forever separation felt like a knife slicing through the purple-haired youth's heart. As an immortal being, his soul would never be able to set foot in this realm of the dead again.
However, on the other hand, he was also very aware and accepted that his destiny now was to live out his eternal life in the mortal world with Kazien, Alvin, and Arken.
"Father..." Allen called out, his voice sobbing heavily against his father's chest, while both of his arms refused to loosen their embrace.
"Yes, my son? Speak, I am listening." Lordius whispered, stroking the back of Allen's head to soothe him.
"Even though our meeting here was so brief... and we will never be able to meet again after I return to our world..." Allen said in a heartbreakingly sad voice, "...I want you to know that I will always love you. You are the greatest and best father I could have ever had in the entire universe. Forever, even throughout my eternal life... I will always remember you and miss you."
Hearing such a sincere farewell from his own flesh and blood, Lordius's defenses also wavered. A single teardrop escaped the corner of his eye. The man held his son with all his might, as if wanting to fuse their souls together.
"You are truly my beloved son, Allen! My pride!" Lordius replied, his voice trembling violently.
Allen closed his eyes, drifting completely within Lordius's embrace. He rested his head, absorbing every bit of his father's warmth, a warmth he would never feel again once he returned to the mortal world where he belonged.
Even though his chest felt so tight from having to accept the bitter reality that this was the end of everything with his father, Allen accepted his circumstances with an open heart.
To him, being granted the opportunity by the Goddess to meet, hug, and speak heart-to-heart with his father again after being separated for so long, was the most precious moment.
Even though their meeting was for the last time and would never happen again in the future, Allen knew that the memory of his father's embrace would become one of his greatest sources of strength to welcome the future in his eternal life with Kazien.