"Mn…"
That one acknowledgement, simple as it was, was enough to set his heart aflutter. How could he not be happy. He was so happy his cheeks were burning. This was his family. It was small, but it was his. And he loved them with every fibre of his being.
"...I'm back."
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|DxD|- Chapter 86- A Pain In The Rear
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A family of four was whole again. The smell of meat pervaded the air and a once empty chair welcomed its owner back. There was nothing more fulfilling for Shuri than seeing her little blonde once more.
[Perhaps not so little anymore.]
Igor had grown very, very tall, perhaps as tall as her husband. His unruly hair was restrained by a rough ponytail, and his table manners were certainly worthy of his wild nature. As strong as his energy was, her son in all but blood seemingly forgot how to handle a fork and knife.
"Fufufu~."
She could ignore his table manners, but his chair certainly couldn't hold him anymore. He'd grown too heavy for it.
"Let me go grab you another chair, Igor."
"It's fine, aunty."
Igor brushed Akeno's hair. The little girl hadn't let him go once or said a single word. She'd cried herself to sleep and his shirt was wet with her tears. That was all he needed to know how much she missed him.
"Oh. So when Igor needs a new chair, you notice immediately. But I've been needing a new chair for years now. You never said anything, Shuri."
Baraquiel complained, but how could Shuri not know he was joking?
"Husband. You can buy a chair."
She replied blankly, but Baraquiel was not reconciled.
"So can he? Did you hear that rumble in his voice? He's showing off how much of a man he is."
"That doesn't mean anything, husband."
Shuri pouted, and Baraquiel responded nonchalantly.
"It does, Shuri."
He forked a piece of sausage into his mouth and swallowed.
"Look at him. That's a working man of marriageable age."
"Hmph. That still doesn't change anything. Igor is a child of this house and we are the adults. As far as I'm concerned, he's eighteen at best."
"Hehehe."
Baraquiel chuckled and met Igor with a somewhat devious gaze.
"You hear that, boy? Your aunty here is demoting a fine young man like you into a teenager. Do you have anything to say? You want to tell her your age?"
"..."
Igor's mouth twitched in helplessness. He just arrived.
"Don't ruin me, old man. If aunty says I'm eighteen, I'm eighteen."
"Good."
Shuri felt very proud and continued.
"Because I want to get you a passport and a driver's licence. You can't keep walking around like an illegal immigrant."
"?"
Igor wore a smile that wasn't quite a smile. He was more confused than anything because…what?
"Aunty. Why would I need those things?"
What was the law to the current him? In the world of the mundane, he could go wherever he pleased. No law enforcement could ever force him to comply and any regulations could be skipped with one call to Cleria or a threat to the correct person.
"I know you don't need those things, Igor…"
She began seriously.
"...but I want you to have them. Maybe one day you'll want a house. Get married. And didn't you want to open a shop one day?"
Shuri questioned with a raised eyebrow. She knew she hit the mark from Igor's silence. He'd never hidden his dream. Beyond the blood and power, he desired a normal life, to be a simple mechanic in honour of his father.
"I know you're very powerful now, Igor, but you can't live as a ghost."
She looked at him kindly and her voice softened.
"You have to come down from the sky eventually. And if you want to live a proper life, you have to exist."
Her hand stretched out and interlocked with his.
"You can't be a weapon forever. No one can. And I don't want you to be."
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|DxD|
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Igor stepped out onto the porch and the sun bathed him in its rays. Ahead, a monkey saw him and scurried back into the woods, leaving tiny footprints in the snow.
Akeno had him in her hold, unyielding even in her sleep. Igor was deep in thought, for Shuri's words had struck him deep. He believed he'd grown, yet she showed just how young he was with a few words.
"A weapon, huh…"
He muttered beneath his breath. He'd forgotten this little dream of his over the years in the chamber. He was far too consumed with training at the time, too concerned with reaching High-Class. This dream was to honour the man who could carry him on his wide shoulders, unconcerned with the smell of oil on his overalls. It was only an illusion, but he'd wanted to bring that to reality for his children one day.
"Heh."
Igor chuckled. He had another thing he had to thank Shuri for.
"You've grown very much, Igor. I can feel the deep power in you."
The steady sound of boots on wood came from behind. Baraquiel approached and Igor stepped aside. He walked past and went to the chairs on the porch.
"High-Class is something most can never achieve because of its difficulty. I even bet Shuri you'd come back as a Mid-Class."
Baraquiel pulled a chair and gestured for Igor to come over.
"Sit down. I want to hear how you did it."
Igor wryly smiled. It seemed both Shuri and Baraquiel were giving him little room for refusal today. He could accept the ID, but speaking of his experience was an embarrassing subject for him. Still, he pulled a chair and sat down carefully so as to not awake Akeno.
"Well…"
Igor leaned back on the chair and admired the snow falling. It fell on the ground and stacked endlessly, just like his efforts in the chamber.
"I'll begin by saying this, old man."
He chuckled helplessly as he shook his head. He had been humbled greatly.
"High-Class, is a pain in the rear."
Chapter 86
END