Chapter 137: Meeting the Parents (Not Really, Many Attendees)

Rohan didn’t even have time to properly check his Achievements or calculate his Quest Rewards.

Immediately after the phone call ended, various people began to gather in front of the Orion Academy Dormitory.

Rohan gave Ichinose, whose clothes were torn at her sleeves and sides, an outer garment to cover herself with.

He then stepped out of the Dormitory.

As soon as he came out, he saw familiar faces.

“Oh, Oppa? Are you okay···?”

“Rohan··· your wounds···.”

Shion and Clara rushed towards Rohan with teary faces as soon as they saw him.

When Rohan lifted his blood-soaked and torn clothes to show that he was uninjured,

They were relieved and jumped into his arms.

Ichinose glanced at the two embracing Rohan without hesitation and moved with heavy steps.

“Father··· Mother···.”

Ichinose faced her parents, who had come all the way to Academy City despite their busy schedules.

Her father, Ichinose Jun, placed his hand on his daughter’s head with a calm expression.

“It’s good that you’re safe.”

With a single word, the worry that lingered on Aeng-ae Nose‘s face retreated, and her expression brightened.

His wife and mother, Ichinose Momo, knowing that this blunt and clumsy expression was her husband’s best effort, stood a step behind and watched with a warm smile.

“Waaah! Nose!!!”

Noa cried out in worry and rushed towards her.

Unusually, Ichinose didn’t avoid Noa‘s hug.

In that situation, Juyeon had no place to casually join.

Mixed among the Peacekeepers, she breathed out a sigh filled with complex emotions, but simply smiled as she looked at the two Cadets who had returned safely.

The Peacekeepers were in the same situation.

Now wasn’t the time to ask them to accompany them to the Public Security Bureau for investigation.

And so.

When Noa released Ichinose from her tight embrace,

Momo, who had been waiting her turn, approached with graceful steps and gently embraced her daughter.

Ichinose also closed her eyes and comfortably nestled into her mother’s arms.

“Yui. Is your body alright?”

“My injuries··· they disappeared when I returned. I’m sorry for worrying you when you’re so busy···.”

“Don’t say that. It’s not Yui‘s fault.”

Judging solely by the remaining traces on her clothes, Ichinose had minor injuries. Rohan had serious injuries that were life-threatening from blood loss alone.

Still, it’s natural for parents to be most worried about their own flesh and blood.

Momo didn’t feel any sense of mystery at Ichinose’s words that she had been inside for a few days.

Her heart just ached, and she met the gaze of her daughter, who was clinging to her like a child.

“My daughter’s face has become half its size from all the hardship she’s endured···?”

Momo blinked as she checked her daughter’s soft face here and there.

‘It hasn’t become half its size?’

Although there were some dirty spots, her skin was smooth and glossy, as if she had eaten something good, indicating she had been doing well.

Perhaps it meant that she had been doing well in Academy City.

“Mother?”

Ichinose looked at her mother questioningly as she stopped caressing her cheek.

Only then did Momo come to her senses and continue the conversation.

“Did anything happen inside?”

“···Yes.”

Ichinose averted her gaze and slightly lowered her head.

Momo only found it strange, the short flicker in her eyes before she affirmed.

From the perspective of a parent who boasts of knowing her daughter well, and whose senses have become transcendentally developed, it’s natural to be suspicious at this point.

It wasn’t the feeling of trying to hide a bad experience or a negative secret.

Her daughter was the type who couldn’t hide such things at all.

‘Did something happen to Yui?’

Her parents’ gaze naturally turned to Rohan, the other Survivor.

Two beautiful girls of unknown identity were clinging to him, and at some point, Noa had joined them and was conversing.

The male Cadet was surprisingly dependable.

“What’s the relationship between Yui and that Cadet? Mom is curious.”

“M, Mother··· that is···.”

Ichinose couldn’t hide her embarrassment as her mother’s attention turned to Rohan.

Of course, it wasn’t her first time introducing a friend to her parents.

Noa goes without saying, as their parents are close and have often stayed at each other’s homes, making her practically a daughter by another name.

During her time at school in the Three Kingdoms Union, she had introduced several friends to her parents when they came for school events.

The problem was that this was the first time introducing a male friend.

It was also Ichinose’s first time having romantic feelings for someone of the opposite sex.

Furthermore, her parents were also aware that she and Rohan had met alone in the evening during the tracking of the Monolith missing persons.

‘T, This is··· the situation is···.’

The thought of her parents meeting such a man felt like a pre-marriage meeting.

Some might call it an overstatement, but the girl, with a field of flowers blooming in her mind, could only picture such a scenario.

“He’s the friend who helped me during the Practical Exam···.”

“Hmm~”

Not only Momo, but Ichinose Jun, who was standing a step away, also listened attentively.

So, this male Cadet was the friend who had helped Ichinose greatly during the Practical Exam and gifted her the Fire Core Spiritual Medicine.

Knowing the situation on the uninhabited island from Juyeon, it was clear that Rohan was connected to their daughter.

“I’d like to introduce Rohan… Would that be alright…?”

Ichinose, her face flushed, mustered her courage and revealed her inner thoughts.

The surprised couple looked at each other simultaneously.

““···.””

Their daughter’s first display of budding affection.

Ichinose Jun’s expression remained close to impassive, but his wife could perceive the intense change within him.

The father’s heart is complex, seeing his daughter’s new side.

Momo simply curved her lips upward.

It felt like just yesterday she was toddling, and now her daughter had grown so much.

‘I wonder who she takes after in this regard.’

Her daughter had learned to love something other than her Sword. Just seeing this made Momo feel it was the right decision to send her to Academy City.

Her proud smile wouldn’t cease.

Momo looked at Rohan once more.

Juyeon had joined the group at some point.

Looking at them, only one thing bothered her.

‘There seem to be many women too close to him… but they don’t seem to be lovers either?’

Could he be from Tigrova, a place known for its polygamous tendencies?

Even though her daughter would certainly have reservations about that, the fact that she volunteered to introduce him amplified Momo’s anticipation.

Following Shion and Clara, Noa approached and exchanged greetings.

After the reunion with Noa, who regained her energy at the return of her friend, Juyeon finally arrived.

Contrary to her flamboyant appearance, Juyeon breathed a sigh of relief at Rohan’s unharmed state.

She praised his safe return without asking anything.

Officially, Rohan was the first person to survive the Monolith twice.

While enjoying the everyday pleasure of conversation with Juyeon joining the group,

Ichinose, accompanied by her mother, hesitantly approached Rohan and his company.

Unfortunately, Ichinose Jun was absent.

The restless heart of a father with a daughter had yet to regain composure and was watching from afar.

“···Rohan.”

She called softly.

Rohan, not missing Ichinose’s voice, shifted his gaze.

“Hello. I’m Yui’s mother.”

A woman with a bright smile waved one hand gently. She wore an outfit reminiscent of a kimono.

It wasn’t particularly unusual attire.

Originally, the Three Kingdoms Union in Abyss City was a setting that blended and mixed elements of Korean, Chinese, and Japanese cultures.

“Hello! I’m Rohan!”

Rohan bowed his head, his voice resounding.

Showing proper etiquette and respect to a friend’s parents was the default, wasn’t it?

“Cadet Rohan is full of energy, which is good. Are you alright?”

“I’m fine now that I’m back! Please, speak comfortably!”

Momo, with a gentle expression, took a step closer to Rohan.

Although he asked her to speak comfortably, Momo also felt more comfortable using honorifics.

“I’m curious about how our daughter is doing at the Academy. Could you tell me?”

Rohan wanted to add a playful remark to his reply.

However, knowing Aeng-ae Nose’s personality and how much he owed her, he decided to save such jokes for another time.

Since it was their first meeting, praising her child should take precedence.

“Ichinose is kind and has good relationships with others. I, especially, have received a lot of help from her with my studies… Seeing her diligent and unwavering efforts, especially her early morning training, motivates me.”

“Are you saying you see our Yui as a potential bride?”

“Huh?”

Startled by the unexpected remark, Rohan let out a dumbfounded sound and asked back.

Aeng-ae Nose hurriedly wedged herself between them and pulled her mother’s arm.

“M-Mother…!”

“I’m just kidding~ Was I being a bit too mischievous?”

As Ichinose frantically tried to stop her, Momo curved her lips upward.

She had obtained the information she wanted.

The moment she made that remark, she confirmed that the Twin Tail girl and the Elf girl’s gazes and atmosphere instantly changed.

She roughly grasped their relationships.

She could only apologize to Juyeon, who was caught in the middle, speechless and embarrassed.

“First, we need to change clothes, shower… and then, shall we all go out for a delicious meal? What do you want to eat, Noa? Auntie will buy it for you.”

Despite her beautiful appearance, which clearly made her look like an older sister, Momo referred to herself as “Auntie” as she asked.

Noa jumped up and down.

“I want meat!”

Momo gently stroked Noa’s head and nodded.

Then, she addressed the other women around them.

“Please, everyone, join us. I’d like to express my gratitude to Cadet Rohan, so I’d really appreciate it if you could come.”

Momo unilaterally decided on the future plans with her chatter.

Before her daughter, flustered, could open her mouth to say something, Momo turned around.

“Wouldn’t it be proper to fill our stomachs before the investigation? It’s not like he committed a crime.”

““···.””

“That would be alright, wouldn’t it?”

As Ichinose Momo asked with a smile,

The Peacekeepers nodded their heads vigorously.