Chapter 75: Surprising Reunion(Unedited)
"Hi, sorry that I'm late guys. Gud found on the way here a field full of rare spice plants and I couldn't possibly give up on that."
Nex entered the Adventure Guild with an apologetic smile, but that didn't stop Louis from bursting at him.
"Damn your spices! If we would have been late because of you, then I swear I would have tied you and throw you to a field full of poisonous plants!"
"But I'm not late am I?" Nex smiled and before Louis managed to respond, Eddie called to the former excitedly.
"Big Bro your gear is so cool! How many Bosses did you hunt to get all this?"
"I didn't hunt a large number, but all of those that I hunted were powerful, so you can say I got a lot of good things, " Nex chuckled and patted the kid.
Expect the boots and one of the rings, all of the other gear Nex got changed. He wore what seems to be a dark-colored mix between a ranger and warrior clothes with metal-like scales at the shoulders, elbows, and knees. Along with that, he had a short red dagger that emanated a blazing feeling strapped to his right thigh, a golden-azure katana at the left of his hip and a pair of blue gloves that although they seemed more like gauntlets they didn't give the impression that they will impair the dexterity of the wearer at all. In addition, the brown belt, the red and purple rings, the two earrings that managed to look cool although they weren't the same, and most importantly the golden-azure necklace, all of those accessories kept giving off a powerful feeling as if they proudly exhibit their might.
When combining all of those things and putting it on someone with charming appearance such as Nex, instead of creating an awkward mix of colors and styles, a very badass image was formed that made most of the girls in the guild, Jane and Elise among them, to blush and stare with a slightly blank look.
On the other hand, when Louis, Joseph, and Frank saw the katana and necklace, their expression changed and stared at Nex as if he was a monster.
"Oh, that?" Nex sensed their gaze and shook his head, "I just had some luck and found a halfwit Impure Elemental. Compared to those I will soon be up against it probably doesn't mean much."
"*Sigh*As long as it gives us a better chance," Louis sighed before noticing the time and quickly called urgently, "Anyway we need to go right now! I heard that there is a special VIP and If we are late to then this is our doom!"
At those words, Frank quickly signaled to the guild staff and they opened a portal using a gate they constructed ahead, he then gave a bracelet to Louis, Joseph, and Nex's group while explaining to the latter, "Since it will be foolish to gather most of the important and powerful people in the kingdom in a single area, we make most of the major gatherings at a small artificial realm while giving everyone a bracelet such as this one that allows them to communicate with the outside world and teleport them back there at a moment notice."
"Quite convenient," Nex nodded and equipped the bracelet, although he was already at the limit of six accessories he could still use it since this item didn't have the properties and bonuses of one.
"Big Brother," he suddenly felt a small hand pulling his clothes lightly, lowering his head he saw Roland staring at him with a smile, "Good luck!"
"Thanks," Nex smiled and rubbed the head of the kid. Because there is a good chance that his identity gets discovered if he would go there, Roland couldn't come with them and had to stay even though he was Louis's disciple.
"Now let's go win a tournament!" he called and entered the portal.
♦♦♦
At the next moment, Nex found himself in a large plaza that was in front of a giant colosseum with peoples appearing everywhere in the plaza in groups.
"So I guess there is probably an event or something before everything starts huh?" Nex asked Louis and Joseph while the rest stared everywhere curiously.
"I think it's because of the special guest," Joseph answered with a smile, "Or else we would have gone directly inside the colosseum."
"I see," Nex said and stared around while raising an eyebrow as he saw those who would probably participate in the tournament when he suddenly felt a certain presence. And in an instant, he turned toward that presence direction and ran there while pulling his dagger and activating its and the ring's skill.
Nicolas, who was in the middle of instructing his group, suddenly felt an ominous feeling at his back and when he turned around he saw a certain silver-haired man slash a green blade of flames at him.
"I finally found you! you bastard!"
"Hmph!" although he was quite shocked to see Nex here, he still snorted and waved his hand to form a barrier that blasted the blade along with its wielder backward, "It is far too early for you to land a hit on me!"
"I didn't mean to hit you," Nex smirked and stood up.
"Hmm?" Nicolas suddenly felt something strange in his mana along with a terrible smell that entered his nose and he saw that the barrier he put up was burning in the ugly green flame that even burned his connection to it, but instead of burning anything aside from a minuscule amount of mana it did nothing aside from giving off a horrible smell!
"What kind of flame is that!?" Nicolas called in distress up realizing that even after he put out the flame the smell still stayed.
"The one that will leave a smell for the next few days!" Nex answered with a bright smile.
"Damn you!" Nicolas fumed, "What the hell a jinx like you is doing here!?"
"Haha!" a laugh was suddenly heard and Louis came to the scene with a grin, "I had a hunch since this bastard came from your area, but to think you actually messed with him! You sure are unlucky Nicolas!"
"Louis you old dog!" Nicolas gritted his teeth at the fellow Saint. Now that he was here he couldn't get back at Nex without causing a scene, "Didn't you locked yourself up in your little dojo? Why are you here with this fool!?"
"For the same reason you are here for!"
"What!?" Nicolas became shocked, that damn jinx was participating!? But before he managed to answer a voice suddenly echoed throughout the plaza.
[Welcome everyone to the First Awakening Tournament!]
[But before we start, let's all welcome our special guest who wanted to bless us with her presence!]
And at those words, a gate of light appeared in a balcony that extended out of the colosseum and a small figure stepped out while still shinning in light.
"Hmmm?" Nex the icon of the inventory suddenly began to blink and he curiously took out the now-shining small token he received some time ago.
[Her Ladyship Iris!]
The face of the more experienced people here, with Louis and Nickolas among them, changed upon seeing the adorable little elf girl and they immediately straightened themselves in anxiety, too afraid to do anything out of place while a single thought passed in their head.
Of all people, why it had to be her!?
Seeing that everyone in the plaza were silent, Iris was about to open her mouth when suddenly a yell could be heard loud and clear.
"Iris!" Nex yelled while cupping his hands over his mouth before waving his hands with a smile, "I'm over here!"
Everyone who knew Iris identity felt their blood turn cold while Louis and Joseph's faces drained of color and they were about to pin Nex down and beat him up before begging for forgiveness when something they never imagined of happening occurred.
When Iris first heard Nex's voice, she froze and stared at the waving Nex blankly, before her face turned into one big smile and she called back.
"Daddy!"
"..."(Everyone)
"Huh?"(Those who didn't know Nex)
"Huh!?"(Louis, Joseph, and Nicolas)
"What!?"(Nex's group)
"Maple help me reach him!" Iris called and jumped off the balcony before a small fairy grabbed her back and extended her wings before beginning to fly while holding the girl.
"Iris missed you so much, Daddy!" Iris told Maple to let go of her and began to fall from mid-air toward Nex.
"Iris!" Nex called in surprise and quickly jumped to the air to catch the falling child into his embrace.
"That was a very dangerous thing to do!" Nex berated the little girl without hiding the smile on his face.
"I don't care!" Iris pulled out her tongue and giggled while hugging Nex tightly with the little fairy landing on his hair and joyfully cuddling with it, "I knew that Daddy will catch me no matter what!"
"Well aren't you a spoiled one?" Nex smiled and pinched the little elf's nose, "How do you think I need to punish you?"
"I am not allowed to go away from you from now on!" Iris gave a sneaky smile and rubbed her head against Nex chest, "I'll feel reaaaally bad because of that!"
"Is that so?" Nex chuckled and kept holding her. He wasn't completely sure why, probably because she appeared so similar to "her", but he couldn't help but become more and more fond of this little girl to the point that she now feels like a very dear person to him.
"Nex~" a voice was suddenly heard behind, one that as much as it was beautiful, it also caused him to shiver for a moment.
"Could you tell me what it is all about?~" when he turned around he saw Celes smiling brightly without seeming that happy while Jane stood behind her with a somewhat similar expression, "I don't remember you having played this game long enough have a daughter right?"
"Y-You're wrong Celes!" Nex quickly replied while even stuttering a little, but as he opened his mouth to explain he suddenly stared at the happy child in his embrace and sighed before he sent a mental message to the group using Soul Force.
'[It's because this child is coming from the Celestial Moon Clan. That clan has a similar soul structure to mine, and since this child had the ability to sense souls, she is thinking of me as her father who she never met. I had a little adventure with her when I was still in the beginner village and that's how we got to know each other.]'
"I see-" Celes observed Iris with a complex expression who she now could properly examine and was about to answer to him, but before she could finish her words the latter already opened her little mouth.
"It's not that I "think" Daddy!" Iris twisted her cute nose and hugged Nex's neck as if she was declaring that he belongs to her, "Iris sure that you are my Daddy! Even if you say no, Iris still sure at that no matter what!"
"You heard that?" Nex gave an awkward smile while being slightly surprised on the inside, her talent when it comes to sensing souls in a close range must be freakish to be able to listen to his hidden mental message like that, 'With just that she probably is one of the best magic and soul arts talent I ever saw, not to mention Maple that boost up many more talents along with Spirit affinity to a freakish degree!'
"How about you meet my friends?" Nex asked in order to appease Iris pouting before smiling as he saw he got her attention.
"She is Celes. And that's Jane. That one is Elise, she is my disciple. And this is Eddie, he is about two years older than you-"
But before Nex finished, Iris already jumped down from his hands and walked to Celes who she stared at since the introduction. They then stared at each other for a few moments, Celes with a strange face and Iris with a discerning one.
"Big Sister you're so pretty!" Iris suddenly exclaimed before asking with a suspicious face, "And you also have Daddy's smell all over your soul… are you perhaps my second Mommy?"
"..." Celes continued to stare at Iris for another moment before sighing and smiling brightly at her, "That's right! I am your second Mommy! And let me tell you another thing."
She then caught the hand of the surprised Jane who stood behind her and dragged her forward.
"She is your third Mommy!"
"Hey! Celes!" Jane called in surprise to the golden-haired woman, but before she could open her mouth further an adorable small figure stood in front of her and examined her.
"Nice to meet you Third Mommy!" Iris beamed cuteness directly Jane before calling in wonder, "Wow! Your soul is so beautiful! I can see why Daddy loves you!"
Being innately weak against cute things, Jane couldn't stand a moment before the charming little elf that smiled at her like a holy angel.
"You're the one that is beautiful Iris!" heart-eyed Jane immediately crouched and hugged the girl, "Nex must have used the luck of ten lifetimes to get a daughter as good as you!"
While Jane cuddled with Iris, Nex gave a slightly sad smile to Celes who stared at him with a similar expression. Iris's appearance reminded them of a very precious someone that was no longer with them.
After Iris got out of Jane's embrace, Nex continued his introductions and showed her the last two people that came with him. Louis and Joseph.
And when Iris turned to the two, not only them but all of the higher-ups that came to the tournament went down on one knee or bowed respectfully.
"It's an honor to see you! Royal Prophetess!"
"En," Iris nodded in approval, "At ease."
"Err…" Nex smiled awkwardly as he saw the tense expression that still stayed on the face of the NPCs here and turned to Iris who received all of this with a very calm gaze.
"Iris…"
"Yes Daddy!" Iris turned around and beamed at him instantly.
"You didn't tell me you were a big shot around here," Nex said wryly as he saw the instant change in attitude that the little elf did.
"Is it bad Daddy?" Iris's little face turned teary and she quickly asked.
"No! No!" Nex immediately shook his head and even found himself crouching in front of the kid and soothing her without noticing, "I was just surprised that's all! After all, I wasn't aware that Iris is so amazing!"
"Hehe," Iris's face changed again back to a bright smile and she hugged Nex while giggling in joy, "I knew that Daddy is the best! Other people immediately get scared or act strange the moment they learn of it!"
"O-oh? is that so?"
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
matanman
matanman *Sigh* Life seems to be against me writing chapters at a decent pace.
Because of certain events at work, I'm now obligated to learn in my free time programming which takes the majority of my writing time.
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