Danmachi: Westward Cloud [Complete]

[Vol.4] Quest 321.5- Only Child & Mystery

A few days since they returned to Orario from Yamato.

Hakushika and Callisto’s room.

"Hmmm!!" Callisto was trying to push Haku’s bed out of the room.

"Calli, what are you doing?" Artemis said.

"Oh hi, Mom! I was just cleaning out my room!"

"By pushing out your brother's bed?"

"He’s not using it! Besides, it was his choice to stay in Yamato, so as the favorite child, I am now the default favorite! I want a bigger room."

"Put your brother's bed back, Calli; also, you know we don’t have favorite children."

"Well, I don’t see Haku around, so I am the favorite child!"

"Calli, don’t make me repeat myself."

"Fine! I’ll just find another room to move into!"

"You are not moving. Just put your brother's bed back. We have archery in an hour."

"That is another thing!" Callisto said it in a haughty tone. "I don’t wanna do archery!"

"… What?" Artemis raised an eyebrow.

"I wanna learn spearmanship like Dad!"

"Callisto Zephyr, what has gotten into you? Just because your brother remained in Yamato and pursued a school life doesn’t give you the right to act up!" Artemis said it firmly.

"Well, what you gonna do about it?"

"…" Callisto’s attitude remained Artemis, a lot like Nox's. "I swear you are just like her," she said under her breath. "Callisto, I am giving you a chance. Apologize for how you have been acting, and we will leave it at that."

"Trade offer. I get my own room, and it’s water under the bridge!" She smiled earnestly.

Five minutes later.

"Hic! Hic!" Callisto was crying with a sore bottom. "Stupid mom! Hm!" She was pushing Haku’s bed back.

Knock! Knock!

"Heeey~," Cirrus pops his head in. "So... I heard from Mom that you were, uh, acting up?"

"Dad, she hit me!" She turned to him, her eyes bawling.

"Uh, no, she spanked you for acting up."

"I just wanted a bigger room! My own room!"

"Well, you were pushing Haku’s bed out the door, soooo… yeah."

"Well, isn’t MaMa’s baby gonna have their own room?"

"MaMa? Oh, Malion! I see. But uh yes, they are, but that isn’t the problem. If you wanted your own room, you could and should have asked me or your mom."

"Well, I thought since Haku isn’t here, I thought what point is his bed being here taking up the space?"

"He is still your brother; you should at least ask him."

"…" Callisto turned her head and kept pushing the bed.

"Calli, your mom is upset."

"My mom is in Yamato with my brother."

Her voice had a tinge of bitterness.

"Artemis loves you just as much as Ai, even more so than you would think."

Callisto stopped what she was doing and thought on her fathers words. Between Ai and Artemis, Artemis was the one who showered her more then Ai. In a way she doesn't know she intuitively is more attached to Artemis.

"… Is she still mad?"

"A little. But it would make her feel better if you went to the archery range. You know, just so she knows you still love her."

"But Dad," She turned to meet his eyes. "I wanna learn how to use the spear like you!"

"Do you not like archery? You're really good at it?"

"It’s fine, it’s just... not fun. I pull the string, and I hit the target."

‘Guess Artemis' daughter would be gifted at archery.’

"And you wanna learn other things?"

"Yeah!"

"Well… I’ll talk with her, alright? But if you act the way you did with your mother, I will be the one to give you a punishment. Got it?"

"No, you wouldn't, Dad!" She said, confident in the validity of her words. "You are to soft on me!"

Cirrus stares at her for a second. He was not gonna just let Callisto act how she pleases just because Cirrus is a bit more softer on her then Artemis.

"Alright. We'll see." He leaves, closing the door behind him.

"…" Callisto herself had a moment of clarity. "Oh, fiddlesticks! Why am I so dumb!!" Callisto quickly went to get her dad. "Dad!! No wait, I’m sorry!"

She got her own room two weeks later but had to take archery lessons from Artemis, but she got her father to teach her how to use the spear.

Time flew by within the blink of an eye.

"Keep your form in a T-shape," Artemis instructs her daughter.

"I am; the poundage is making keeping my form hard; my fingers are starting to hurt," Callisto said, pulling a 15-pound bow from her usual 10-pound bow.

Normally, children could not draw that much weight from the bow, but because of Cirrus, both Haku and Calli were naturally physically strong and durable. Even their skin was a bit more resilient than average.

"Push through it. Pain is more mental than physical."

"My fingers say otherwise." Her fingers were turning even more red.

"If you can endure my lessons, then you can endure your fathers. You wanna impress him, don’t you?"

"Hm!"

Days went by.

"Slowly." Cirrus slowly thrusts a spear.

"Mmm…" Callisto does the same, imitating her father’s form using a wooden spear. "Dad, is there a reason for this?"

"Yes, to help build your muscles."

"Come on, Dad!" Callisto began to swing and thrust the spear. "I wanna do cool things like—Oop!" She swung, and it dug into the ground.

With the force with which she was swinging, she lost hold of the spear, falling in the process.

"The thing about the spear, Calli, is that it can be considered the perfect weapon. It has far more versatility than just about any weapon." He swung it down; it was an inch above a blade of grass. "You can swing it down like a sword." He then moved his hand to the neck of the spear and made a quick stab. "If the shaft is broken, you can use it as a dagger." He stepped forward, moved his hand down, and thrust again. "A staff. But most importantly, the best thing about a spear is its long range." He spun the spear into the air, spun himself, grabbed the spear, and threw it into the stone wall. "I am telling you this because, with a spear, you must take into consideration the surrounding space. A simple mistake can get you killed. What if you were fighting a monster and you did what happened just now?"

"I… would be dead."

"Exactly. So pick up your spear and build your foundation. (Sing)." It shoots back into Cirrus’ hand. "Now pick yourself up. It’s better to fall when you are still a child. Because if you fall when you're older, you’d be more embarrassed about it."

Callisto picks herself up and picks up her wooden spear.

"I’m ready!"

"Then slowly."

Days turned into weeks.

"Huff!! Huff!! Huff!!" Callisto breathes heavily and leans on her wooden spear.

"Do you need to rest?" Cirrus said, watching from the sidelines.

"I-I can keep going!" Callisto had a fire in her eyes. She stood up on her two feet and held her wooden spear tightly in her slightly bloody hands. "I’m ready, Mom!"

Artemis took three blunt arrows and fired each one consecutively.

Fsh!

Fsh!

Fsh!

The path to power was simple to Callisto. She saw it simply as just running with the spear, swinging and thrusting the spear until exhaustion took her.

Clack!

She blocks one arrow, but the other two got through.

Thud!

Thud!

"Gr!" Callisto grits her teeth as she pushes through the pain. "Come on, keep going." She softly muttered to herself.

"Find the center of gravity of the spear," Artemis said, taking out another three blunt arrows. "It is far different from the bow."

"Economize your movement," Cirrus said. "Then execute your intentions."

"I got it!!" Callisto shouted. "I'm ready!!"

Artemis draws her bow, notches her arrows.

"Fuu~" Callisto breathes out, calming herself and making herself focus.

Her mother then fires the arrows one after the other.

Fsh!

Fsh!

Fsh!

Callisto moves her hands and blocks one arrow.

Clack!

She moves back to give herself enough space to move and block the second, but she still steps back for the third.

Clack!

Clack!

And blocked it.

A brief moment of silence, Callisto's eyes glitter like emeralds with a radiant shimmer.

"Yes!! I did it!!" Callisto said proudly jumping up and down. "Can we get ice cream?"

"Well?" Cirrus looked to Artemis. "I say she earned it."

"Fine, but only one scope!"

But as weeks turned into months, so did the family of six turned into a family of seven.

Waiting outside in the waiting area were Cirrus, Artemis, Callisto, and the Hestia Familia.

"Alright," Naaza said. "You can go in now."

They all got up and went to the room.

When they got in, they saw Malion drenched in sweat with her child in hand.

Cirrus walks forward. He stands next to Malion as she looks up at him.

"Cirrus, say hello to your son, Auberon."

She gently holds him out, and Cirrus slowly picks him up.

"Auberon…"

Auberon slowly opens his eyes to show emeralds.

"…" he looked at Cirrus and lightly smiled.

Another precious memory, etched into his mind as a warmth filled his chest.

"Dad! Dad! Can I hold him!" Callisto said.

Cirrus turned to Malion.

"It’s fine." She nods.

Cirrus bends down and gently handed him to Callisto.

"Make sure you hold his head."

Callisto gently holds Auberon's head and body.

"Ooh." She was surprised by how light he was.

Everyone soon crowds around to see Auberon.

While they did that, Artemis came to Malion's side.

"Art," Malion said. "Is Ai on her way?"

"She is but uh…"

Out on sea onboard the Poseidon Familia’s ship during a storm.

"Grab the rope!!!" Lance shouted.

"Hard to starboard!!" Poseidon shouted. "Why is it every time Cirrus is on board a ship it always gets hit with a storm or trouble!! Now it passed on to his offspring!!"

"Hahaha!!" Ai laughed, helping out. "I guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree!"

"We got hit by three storms!? Three!!! The lad is more cursed than his old man!"

Back to Miach’s clinic.

"…She’s coming!" Artemis smiled.

"I see." Malion leans back.

"Get some sleep. I am sure you are exhausted."

"I will, but can you do me a favor?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"I want you to… see if you can ask… Ryuu Lion to come visit?"

"Can I ask why?"

"Lean in closer."

Artemis leans in close to her lips.

"I firmly believe she will be the next wife. So I wish to give her motivation to hurry and build her courage and act."

"That is some rather bold words."

"But they are not false bravado. I am sure you have seen the slight glances she makes toward our husband?"

"I have… and the choice is up to her."

"You are correct but know that even now, she has my blessing. She does not need to prove herself to me, especially when I learned of her actions towards Evilus. She has my full respect and blessing."

"Then if she can muster the courage, I will give it to her. Anything else?"

"Yes, if Hera comes, please… tell her… no." She closes her eyes and falls asleep.

While Malion sleeps, Artemis looks at Auberon and smiles.

‘This family has certainly gotten bigger… and yet there is still more room.’

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