Free Web NovelChapter 83: _Family Vacation!
"SSS-Rank?" Devon repeated after the broadcast ended, brushing his fingers through his hair. "That’s... that should be impossible. Right? That would make it the third one this world has ever seen since the Emergence."
He pulled out his phone, completely trailing away from the argument he and Ambrose were about to have a few seconds ago.
"... Come on, come on... There should be some actual news about the SS-Ranks on that harbour." He murmured, pacing toward the kitchen.
Ambrose just stood there.
Watching.
Eyes flicking to the TV screen and Orion’s big eyes staring at them. The boy was probably oblivious to just how terrifying this whole thing was.
There was a Cataclysm Level Rift... and there was an Extinction Level Rift. Extinction as in—each time a Rift of this level appeared, the world was so close to being wiped out.
Whole cities were wiped out and turned into uninhabitable dead zones. Landscapes were scarred permanently. Powerful Espers above S Rank died. These were just a few of the terrible things that happened during a Rift event of this magnitude.
And now, reports were suggesting that this Echo Rift might be drawing close to the power of one.
Suddenly, Ambrose felt so... tiny. Small in the grand scheme of things.
He stood there with his existential dread, each breath heavier than the last. Meanwhile, Devon hurried past Ambrose, phone glued to his ear.
They exchanged a quiet glance, the Esper’s golden eyes a signal that they weren’t done with their earlier conversation.
"Daddy?" Orion finally caught on with the tension. "Is something bad going to happen?"
Ambrose blinked, forgetting for a moment that he was supposed to be the kid’s emotional support. He rushed to him, sitting on the sofa and placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Not really, buddy. It’s just... powerful people like your papa are going to be more..." he paused, thinking of the right word. "... Alert moving forward. They could be called up to help contain the Echo Rift again before it turns into something too serious."
He hoped all those words weren’t too big to be dropped on a six-year-old at once. Fortunately, Orion seemed to catch them all.
"What about you?" He asked.
"What about... what?"
"Aren’t you powerful too?" Orion questioned seriously, squinting. Then, he pulled closer and whispered. "You got stronger. Didn’t you?"
Ambrose’s heart hung in his throat.
He looked over at Devon, watching how he dialled whatever number he was calling again. Probably his grandfather. Whatever it was, he fortunately didn’t hear what the little rascal said.
"Orion," Ambrose angled his head at the boy again. "What are you... What are you talking about?"
However, the kid no longer had his attention on him, holding the remote and switching the channel to some cartoon show. He beamed innocently like he didn’t just make his dad question reality for a second.
Before Ambrose could push the question, Devon let out a relieved exhale.
"S–Sir?" He spluttered, his other hand rubbing his face. "Grandfather. It’s... It’s really you. You’re okay—"
"Boy, of course I’m okay," Magnus’ tone was flat as usual, although tinged with a hint of exhaustion now. "What are you doing calling me while I’m in the middle of handling a Cataclysm anomaly?"
Devon’s pacing halted, the relief and excitement washing away. Replaced by something he should’ve gotten used to by now.
"I..." he tried explaining himself, struggling with words. "I just got worried. The news talked about the Rift advancing in power and Hunter Gabriel placing a spatial lock on it. I was wondering—"
"Times like this are unkind to ’wondering’, son." Magnus’ voice didn’t even have a crack to betray emotion. Just the cold words of a hardened war general. "Anyway, it’s good you called—I’m away from Norfolk."
Devon sauntered to a sofa, leaning against it with about the same enthusiasm as a kid who never gets Christmas presents. "Really?"
"Yes," Magnus responded. "The International Hunters Council has called an emergency meeting to be held at the Aegis Council Chamber. In eleven hours."
Ambrose observed the train wreck of a conversation drag on. He couldn’t pick up on some things Magnus said, but he heard enough to feel sorry for Devon.
The man had been so happy hearing from his grandfather. Only to be shunned as the old man doubled down into full business mode.
’More and more I don’t blame him for being so cold when we first met,’ he thought to himself, his mouth twisting.
"Eleven hours?" Devon repeated. "That should be around five or six AM tomorrow."
"Eleven AM or twelve PM at the Council headquarters," Magnus added. "You can catch a flight there with our private jet. I’m already there as we speak thanks to Gabriel’s spatial manipulation."
"Very well. I’ll do just that." A beat of silence. "Is there anything else? Something I should tell the others in the Guild?"
"No." The Guild master intoned. "Get Alisha and Bruce to tag along with you. The others should be able to organise things while we’re gone."
Devon was so close to saying something... but before the words could come out, Magnus hung up.
A hollow silence fell in the living room.
He held his phone suspended beside his ear, unsure of whether he should drop it or send a text. The man didn’t even ask about Leo. His own great-grandson who almost died going berserk.
His fists slowly balled beside him, heat searing in his fingers. Just when his phone was about to melt, a hand caught his wrist, calming him instantly.
"Hey," Ambrose muttered, helping the S-Rank lower his hand. "I... heard most of that."
Devon didn’t know when his mouth curved in a half-smile. He shot a look at Orion before answering. "Yeah. I have to leave. Like right now."
Ambrose nodded. "Well, I—"
"If you’re going to say anything about following me," the Esper cut in knowingly, "the answer is no. High Rank Hunters are going to be in attendance. A-Ranks would probably be the least."
He hesitated, scanning Orion’s oblivious face from this distance. "We keep leaving the boy back during missions and events," he murmured. "You need to stay here with him. And—"
"He can come with us then." Ambrose grabbed Devon’s hands before he could pull away. "Come on, Devon. Think about it. I was part of the S-Rank dungeon raid that created the Echo Rift in the first place."
Devon shook his head. "But you’re still—"
"Rank might not matter as much as you think here, Devon," Those words came with so much confidence. "I’ll be by your side all through. Orion will be in a hotel suite or wherever they’d accommodate us."
The control on the Esper’s face faltered. His head tilted. "Us?"
Ambrose halted, mouth thinning.
"Are you guys talking about a vacation?" Orion chirped from the sofa, already hopping to them. "Where are we going?"
Devon’s eyes widened but before he could stop the party train, Ambrose wrapped an arm around his shoulders, all while grinning at Orion.
"Yep, kiddo." The Guide winked. "Your papa and I are going to Europe. And you’ll be coming with us."
Excitement exploded in Orion’s eyes like fireworks. "Yay!" He ran to his parents, his little arms wrapping around both of them. "I can’t wait! Are we going to see Cinderella in Europe?"
Ambrose held back a laugh. "It’s surely going to be magical," he ruffled his blonde hair, shoulders relaxing when he giggled.
Devon’s jaw tightened with silent protest.
Yet when his eyes met those grateful golden orbs... he couldn’t argue. Or protest.
All he could do was silently agree with the new development. He, Ambrose and Orion were going to an international Hunters conference.
Together.
Devon didn’t say it out loud. But something about this decision... felt like a mistake.
