Seele Also Wants to Help Papa Elias

For the children at House of the Hearth, their favorite thing was listening to Elias sing. After every dinner, the girls would gather around him to cleanse their ears with his music.

After all, it had only been two months since he arrived in this world.

No matter how capable Elias was, it wasn't possible to build House of the Hearth into something grand in such a short time. So during the day, the girls' entertainment mostly consisted of playing in the snow outside.

But one day, after hearing Elias casually humming out of boredom, Rozaliya clung to him immediately.

That chatterbox spread the word in under a minute—everyone in House of the Hearth soon knew their beloved father had a heavenly singing voice.

And so, a small musical gathering began to take place every evening after dinner.

"Since you're the only one listening tonight, Seele, I'll sing something just for you."

"Really? Thank you so much, Papa Elias!"

"No big deal. Let me think… a song Seele might like... Hmm, how about 'Deep Sea Girl'? I haven't sung this one for the others yet."

Seele's eyes sparkled with delight. She even felt that having a nightmare tonight was worth it if it meant she got to hear a new song from Papa Elias.

Elias motioned for her to sit beside him, and then his fingers began to dance across the piano keys—playing a well-known song from his previous life's Vocaloid collection.

"Sinking into a sea of sorrow, I don't even want to open my eyes Will I just keep falling endlessly? In the end, no one will be able to find me

Where should I go? What should I do? Suddenly, a beam of light shot in Though it seemed within reach, It was swept away by waves and lost again

What was that exactly? So warm and radiant fleeting glimpses I can't forget Who is it that's telling lies?

Deep sea girl, still sinking, Sealing herself away in the darkness Deep sea girl, yet still curious, Because she found someone who captured her heart

In this world with no day or night, Why is the long night so restless? Spread your wings and fly freely, You who swim with such grace

Here descends the light!

...

Deep sea girl, hand in hand, Singing blessings of snow from the sea Deep sea girl, wants to know more, Because she's found the one she's fallen for

Leap from the sea, And soar into the skies~"

Elias made a few slight adjustments to the song.

After all, the original melody was too intense—not suitable as a lullaby to comfort a girl. So he softened the high notes using a piano arrangement.

He turned "Deep Sea Girl" into a lullaby.

And judging by the gentle breathing from Seele, now resting against his shoulder, the results were clear—

Elias smiled.

"Alright, now you'll sleep peacefully. Sweet dreams, Seele."

He gently picked her up and carried her to the girls' bedroom. Though House of the Hearth hadn't been around for long, it was well-equipped.

Every child had a bed, a desk and chair, a mirror, and a wardrobe. Elias also regularly bought them little gifts like Houmu plushies, letting them decorate their rooms to their liking.

Especially the room next to Seele's—it had been left empty on purpose.

He was saving it for a certain duck.

...The Next Morning...

"Waaah, Seele actually slept in today!"

"Did Rozaliya rub off on her?"

"Nonsense! Rozaliya doesn't sleep in at all!"

"That's because Liliya shook you awake."

As the well-behaved girl of House of the Hearth who rarely caused trouble for Elias, it was unusual for Seele to sleep in. Now, her blushing face was surrounded by a group of surprised companions.

She thought to herself—she couldn't help it. After hearing Papa Elias sing "Deep Sea Girl" last night, she had slept so well that she ended up oversleeping.

And she even had a beautiful dream.

"Hm? Seele, you look really happy. Did something good happen?"

"N-No, not really... I was just thinking... being adopted by Papa Elias was the best thing ever."

"Hehe, you're totally right. If it weren't for Papa Elias, we'd all be gone by now," someone chimed in.

Every child in House of the Hearth had lost their parents to the Honkai—some were killed by Honkai Beasts, others corrupted into zombies by Honkai energy.

If Elias hadn't found and adopted them, this group of helpless girls would've likely frozen or starved to death in the icy wilderness of Siberia.

Crackle~ Crackle~

The fire in House of the Hearth's fireplace never went out.

Though it seemed like the children kept it going by tossing in firewood now and then, the truth was, it was a flame ignited by Elias' Herrscher of Fire powers—a fire he wished would always keep them warm.

"Yeah... I'm also someone Papa Elias picked up and saved," Seele recalled.

That day, when she and her family went out, they were suddenly attacked by a white monster. To let their daughter escape, Seele's parents bravely distracted the Honkai Beast.

But a girl who had just lost her parents, even if she survived the attack, couldn't last long. Seele couldn't even fend for herself. In the end, even her remaining possessions were taken by greedy relatives.

It was when she lay alone in the snow, on the verge of falling into an eternal sleep... that Elias found her.

He healed her wounds with his powers, warmed her body with flame, and comforted her soul with a hug.

The moment he lifted her from the snow, Seele felt like she had been reborn.

Later, Elias gave those relatives a proper beating, took back the inheritance that rightfully belonged to her, and adopted her into House of the Hearth. It sounded amazing—but in House of the Hearth, stories like this weren't rare.

Many of the girls had similar experiences.

"Oh right, where's Papa Elias? Did he go to work again?"

"Yeah, he said there were more of those white monsters appearing nearby. He had to go hunt them."

"I see... If only Seele could help Papa Elias too..."

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