Chapter 97: Chapter 93 - Caring
Although I had managed to pay off my parents' debt to my uncle at that time, I knew that was just one of the many problems my family faced. I had no idea how things had fallen apart during the years I'd been away, and now that I was back, it was my responsibility to fix it.
When Clara and I arrived home, the front door creaked open, revealing the modest interior I knew so well.
"Are you back already?" My mother asked from the kitchen, her face lighting up as she saw Clara smiling and running toward her.
"He paid our debt with Uncle Ricardo, Mom!" Clara exclaimed without hesitation as she threw herself into her arms.
My mother's smile faltered for a second before her eyes locked on me.
"Leonard, did you...?" She paused, not needing to finish the question.
"Yes, Mom." I said calmly as I took off my coat and hung it on the hook by the door. "I've already taken care of it."
My mother looked at me for a long time. I knew she was worried about my finances, because 50,000 credits was a lot.
Clara went to her room for lunch, leaving us alone.
"Son, I... your father and I never wanted you to feel obligated to pay this. We know how hard you've worked to get where you are. Your father and I can handle these things. After all, we're the ones who brought you into this world."
I approached her and put a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it lightly. "Precisely, because you're my parents. I can't just live my life in Republic City selfishly. It's time for you to rest and leave things to me."
"You don't have to do anything, Leonard. Just the fact that you're here is enough."
But I knew it wasn't. Deep down, the one who owed the most in this place was me, who owed an unpayable debt to my parents for all the sacrifices they had made to give me the opportunity to study at Wushia Academy. It was my turn to make sure that they would have a more peaceful life from now on.
The next day, I woke up early, determined to start fulfilling the promise I had made to myself. Clara was still asleep, and the house was in a peaceful silence. I grabbed my tablet and began organizing the family finances I had accumulated over the past few years as an explorer.
First, I paid off all outstanding debts. Not only the one for Wushia Academy but also the others my parents had accumulated over the years, including the multiple bank loans and also my father's medical bills, which he had suffered in an accident a few months ago and never mentioned, and the household expenses, all of which were in arrears. Each of these debts was paid off with a simple touch of the screen.
But I didn't want to stop there. I had much more in mind.
I called a real estate agent in Republic City and explained the type of apartment I was looking for from my parents. A spacious, modern place in a quiet neighborhood with all the amenities they deserved. There was no more room for them to live in the decaying Awaniko neighborhood. In a few days, everything would be ready and they could move into a new home where they wouldn't have to worry about anything.
I then made some additional transfers. I opened a savings account in Clara's name so that when the time came, she would have enough money to study wherever she wanted. Although it was a symbolic gesture, it represented something greater: the freedom she would have to choose her own path, without the financial restrictions our parents faced.
Later that morning, I sat at the kitchen table with my mother and father and explained what I had done.
The look of surprise on their faces was slowly replaced by a mixture of gratitude, and tears began to flow freely from their eyes.
"You didn't have to do that much, son." My father said in a husky voice. "But we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We just wanted you to be okay."
"I'm fine. Now you will be too. Don't worry about the debts or the house. It's all taken care of. And when you're ready, we can move to Republic City. I've got it all planned. You can retire and concentrate on raising Clara."
My mother, always the emotional one, put her hand to her mouth to hold back the tears. "Leo... We always knew you'd go far, but we never imagined you'd do so much for us."
I felt a pang in my chest when I heard those words. I would have done anything for them. They were my family, my foundation. However, I understood this lack of hope, after all, I had only reached the Explorer System. At that moment, I wanted to tell them everything that had happened to me, but it was better not to, so as not to worry them too much.
So in a few days, we all moved into a large apartment in the best part of Republic City without any complications. The apartment was exactly what I wanted for my parents and Clara.
When my mom and dad walked through the door for the first time, their amazed looks were all I needed to know that I had made the right decision.
Clara immediately ran into the living room, enchanted by the open, airy space, and began mentally planning where to put her books and stuffed animal collection.
My father, more reserved, just leaned against the front wall with a discreet smile on his face, happily watching the women in his family. He looked at me for a moment, and in the silence I knew he was deeply grateful, even without saying a word.
"Leo, what you've done for us... It's all so... perfect." My mom said.
"You deserve it. I want you to rest. This is the home where you can finally feel safe and comfortable."
She nodded, but I knew the worry still hung over her. "Son, what about you? You've done so much already... But what do you want for yourself?"
I smiled slightly and shook my head. "I still have some plans, Mom. But right now it's time to focus on you."
We spent the rest of the day getting the house organized. Even though everything was already in place, Clara insisted on rearranging her room three times until it was perfect in her mind. My parents explored every corner of the apartment, admiring the little details.
That evening, we ate dinner together at the large dining room table facing the huge armored glass window that showed all the beauty of the desert in the distance.
The food was simple, but what really mattered was the company.
We laughed about old stories, relived memories, and for a moment I almost allowed myself to forget everything. Almost.
But as the hours passed and the sound of Clara's laughter echoed through the apartment, a part of me knew I would soon have to leave. I had completed an important personal mission by making sure my family was safe, but there was more I wanted to do while traveling through the other universes.
The next morning I awoke early. I went to my parents' bedroom, where they were still asleep. Clara was curled up in the blankets between them, even though she had her own room and was almost eleven. I looked at her for a moment and felt a tightness in my chest. Even though I wanted to go to the next universe, it was always hard to say goodbye.
I approached my parents' bed, knelt down beside them, and gently touched my mother's arm. Her eyes slowly opened, still heavy with sleep.
"Leonard?"
"I have to go, Mom. Another investigation." I smiled at her, trying to reassure her.
She nodded slowly, already knowing I wouldn't be staying long. "You'll come back, won't you?" my mother asked.
"I will, but it may take a while. You'll be fine here, and I've left a good reserve for you at the bank. Take care."
My mother smiled. "We'll be fine, Leo. Just... take care, please."
I got up and looked at Clara, who was still sleeping, before I left. I felt a warmth in my heart seeing her so peaceful, knowing she was safe.
But I didn't leave the building we were in. It wasn't necessary. I just walked to the fire escape, which was rarely used because of all the elevators.
"It's time for the next mission..." I muttered to myself and used <Crack>, which made a golden feather appear in the palm of my right hand. "I already miss Rias, Akeno, Asia and the others, but first I need to get stronger. To do that, I should go to a quieter world where it's easy to hunt monsters and evolve... Danmachi would be a great option, considering I could climb the tower and level up, but there are gods and very powerful monsters there. I'd better go later. A medieval world would also be better, with an adventuring system and such, but one where any idiot can do jobs without any problems," I whispered, smiling slightly as I came up with an idea.
Then I wrote a sentence in golden letters in the air.
"KonoSuba... I believe that's the universal name."
When I moved the golden feather away from the floating letters in the air, the letters turned into golden particles, which then turned into a portal.
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