Volume 5, Chapter 5: Envisioning the Future

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At the Schariac residence, Xia Chen did not face much hostility. Several of Ana's uncles, aunts, and relatives met him, expressing their general satisfaction.

That night, they slept in Ana's room despite Louis mentioning there were plenty of empty rooms available. However, Ana insisted on them staying together.

In frustration, Louis eventually tossed a balloon at Xia Chen, clearly upset about his daughter being 'snatched' by this young man. One could say that only Louis's strong heart prevented him from succumbing to anger-induced shock.

But now Ana was an S-class Valkyrie, making it impossible for him to discipline her as before.

The only consolation for Louis was that Xia Chen was also an S-rank warrior, not diminishing Ana's status. Although he knew deep down, Ana likely never cared about such societal expectations.

As for her father's gesture with the 'balloon', Ana merely shot him a glare, her cheeks flushing pink.

That night, both Ana and Xia Chen had peaceful dreams.

The next morning, they lingered in bed, reluctant to get up. Ana traced circles on Xia Chen's chest, softly asking, "Xia Chen, you promised you wouldn't leave me, right?"

"That's right."

Concerned, Xia Chen asked, "What's wrong? Did I do something to make you feel insecure?"

"I'm genuinely afraid one day you might just leave." A hint of worry crept into Ana's voice. "I don't care; now that you've assured me you won't go, you better keep your word."

"Of course, my word stands."

Gazing at Ana, Xia Chen couldn't help but feel a twinge of unease within himself.

He could foresee his departure as well—analyzing the 'pheromones' to understand them, then erasing the Mark of End from Earth while he himself crosses over to the Sea of Quanta.

This might indeed be a viable strategy to defeat Finality.

Although fleeing is often frowned upon, it can still be effective.

If there were a way to confront and overcome Finality directly, nobody would willingly resort to such methods. Yet for Ana's sake, he had to make certain choices.

However, it was still too early.

These thoughts were merely speculations; bluntly put, their success was uncertain.

"Alright, time to get up."

Xia Chen suppressed his emotions and said, "Otherwise, your father's face will turn green again with envy."

"Hmph, don't worry about him," Ana replied, but nonetheless, she got out of bed.

Her porcelain-like skin stirred another impulse within Xia Chen. With great effort, he managed to resist and reluctantly climbed off the bed.

By the time Xia Chen emerged, breakfast was already prepared.

Louis, engrossed in reading the newspaper, noticed Xia Chen descending the stairs with Ana and couldn't help but let out a cold snort. He felt that restraining himself from physically confronting Xia Chen demonstrated remarkable self-control.

What further irked Louis was seeing Ana personally heat up Xia Chen's breakfast. As a father, he couldn't bear watching his little daughter dote on someone else.

Louis tried hard to suppress his discomfort.

Xia Chen wanted to engage in conversation with Louis to ease the awkwardness but realized helplessly that his social skills were lacking. No matter what topic he chose, it could easily lead to an uncomfortable silence.

So, he decided it was best to remain quiet.

Seeing this, Louis grew even more displeased with his future son-in-law. Other prospective sons-in-law would strive to win over their future fathers-in-law, yet Xia Chen showed no such inclination.

As Ana hummed cheerfully while preparing breakfast for Xia Chen, Louis noticed her radiant happiness and decided not to dwell on his grievances. After all, his primary concern was ensuring Xia Chen treated Ana well.

With this thought, Louis cleared his throat and asked Xia Chen, "Since we don't know where your parents are, perhaps we should find some time for both families to meet."

This indicated his willingness to let go of past tensions.

Xia Chen smiled wryly and replied, "Apologies, but I don't have any parents in this world. Ana is my only family."

Louis frowned slightly but didn't press further.

In Schicksal, it was not uncommon for Valkyries to lack both parents intact. Most Valkyries were survivors of Honkai disasters, often with less fortunate outcomes for their families.

Xia Chen refrained from revealing his origin from another world to Louis and instead used this vague explanation to avoid any questions.

"It's my oversight," Louis said, looking at Xia Chen. "I've reviewed your records; achieving such accomplishments within less than a year since joining Schicksal is impressive. With that in mind, I have no reservations about entrusting my daughter to you. Please bring Ana back here frequently, as this will always be your home."

This marked the father's acceptance.

"Of course," Xia Chen promised. "We'll visit often."

Louis returned to reading his newspaper without saying more.

The meal wasn't awkward, allowing Xia Chen to breathe a sigh of relief and inadvertently eat a bit more than usual.

Fortunately, he had a good appetite, making it easy to digest the extra food.

Afterward, Ana took him around for a stroll to aid digestion. Along the way, they spotted Jake diligently practicing combat techniques.

"Is it necessary for such young children to learn these skills?" Xia Chen seemed surprised.

"Regardless of gender, every member of the House of Schariac must study combat techniques. Even if confronted with Honkai, they need basic self-defense capabilities—it's a fundamental requirement," Ana explained matter-of-factly. "Not everyone has talents like you."

Xia Chen couldn't help but chuckle and rubbed his nose sheepishly.

His simulated abilities indeed undermined others' hard work.

Ana continued, "In the future, let's have our own child too. We can raise them within the family. Although my father can sometimes be temperamental, he is very patient with kids."

"Isn't that quite premature?"

Xia Chen felt caught between laughter and tears.

After all, Ana was only 17 years old at present.

"That's why I said 'in the future,' not right now. Besides, even if you agreed, I wouldn't be ready yet." Ana emphasized that her career had just begun, making it impossible for her to consider starting a family immediately.

As they walked hand in hand, she suddenly spoke up, "Xia Chen."

"Hmm?"

"Let's get married when I turn twenty, okay?" she suggested. "In the future, we'll have two children - a boy and a girl. Then, resign from Schicksal and live a normal life together."

"All right," Xia Chen agreed.

"You're just saying that to humor me; Schicksal won't let you retire." Ana pouted, expressing her dissatisfaction once more.

"Don't worry, if it comes down to it, I'll simply skip work." Xia Chen winked. "I've never been overly virtuous anyway. Giving up my job for you isn't much of a sacrifice."

"I love hearing that! Hehe, getting quite good at sweet talk now, aren't you?"

With a playful hum, Ana remarked, "It'd be wonderful if Honkai didn't exist."

"Yes, indeed."

Xia Chen held Ana's hand tightly.

The only matter he couldn't guarantee was anything related to Honkai.

"Xia Chen."

"Hmm?"

"We will get married, right?"

"Certainly."

"That's good. No backing out later."

Ana leaned against his chest, fully trusting this man.