Another Decision

Hugo's words hung in the air, and Gaius couldn't believe he was being offered a chance at the academy. He leaned back slightly. 

"Who even are you? How could you offer me that?" Gaius asked skeptically, his arms crossed, eyes narrowing in disbelief.

"You'd think people would know me by now," Hugo replied with a casual shrug, glancing at Abell. He leaned back in his chair, taking another bite of his food. "Guess my branding's off."

Abell shot him a smirk. "Yeah, right. You'd think people would notice those freaky star-shaped pupils." He let out a light laugh, clearly amused.

Hugo rolled his eyes, but the corner of his mouth twitched upward. "One day I'll tell you why they're like this," he said, his voice laced with slight annoyance, though he couldn't fully hide his amusement. "Anyway, I'm Hugo Creed."

Gaius's eyes widened, his expression shifting from disbelief to recognition. He leaned forward, his voice more cautious now. "The Hugo Creed who took down the Nightmare-level Malignant in the southern region?"

"Yep, that's me," Hugo grinned, a playful glint in his eyes. "Surprised you know that. This one"—he tilted his head towards Abell, who had been observing with crossed arms—"didn't even know who I was."

Abell's reacted with a mixture of surprise and irritation flickering across his face.

Gaius his voice a bit sharper now., "You're basically the strongest Luminary in the country right now."

"Why are you here? And with him? Is he your son?" Gaius asked, his gaze flicking between the two with a raised brow.

Hugo chuckled. "Haha, no, nothing like that. Just a son of an old friend." He then focused his attention back on Gaius. "So, what do you say? Are you willing to leave your city and become a Luminary?"

Gaius paused, looking down for a moment as he considered the question. His hands were resting on the table. Finally, he looked up, locking eyes with Hugo, his expression steady. "I'll do it."

Abell's brows shot up in surprise. His posture stiffened as he leaned forward. "Just like that? No hesitation?"

Gaius gave a small, confident shrug. "I already know what I want. This opportunity gets me closer to it," he replied, his tone unwavering.

Hugo raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. "Oh really? What's your goal in becoming a Luminary?" His smile widened as he watched Gaius's expression remain calm.

Gaius didn't skip a beat. "I want to be wealthy and never have to work again," he said,

Hugo let out a low chuckle, nodding in approval. "Hm, interesting." He leaned back, folding his arms across his chest. "As long as you're motivated, it's fine."

Abell, his face contorting in slight disgust, muttered under his breath, "So you don't care about anything else besides money and taking time off? Tch, figures—you are a thief."

Gaius's eyes flicked to Abell, but he said nothing. His expression remained unfazed, though his jaw tightened slightly.

Abell, still clearly irritated, shot Hugo a glance. "Is it really okay to have someone like that as a Luminary?"

Hugo's face softened, and he let out a breath, his shoulders relaxing. "It's fine," he said with a shrug. "In this world, everyone has their own agenda." His eyes met Abell's. "This world's not black and white, Abell."

Hmph, whatever." Abell pouted, crossing his arms as he walked alongside Gaius.

"I may be the same age as you, but I'm not childish like you," Gaius said sternly, his gaze focused ahead.

"You wanna fight, thief?" Abell's voice was laced with irritation. "You've been annoying me since the moment we met."

"I have no interest in a pointless fight." Gaius closed his eyes, dismissing the confrontation with a shrug.

"Anyways, let's go back to your parents. I'm sure they'd want to hear the good news." Hugo interjected, trying to defuse the tension between the two.

The walk back to the stall was filled with silence, the awkwardness hanging thick in the air. Even Hugo didn't know how to handle the growing tension and figured it was best to let them sort it out on their own.

When they finally reached the stall, Gaius's mother was packing up the remaining goods, the night winding down as the festival came to an end. The lights of the marketplace flickered dimly, casting long shadows across the street. The once-bustling scene was slowing, the air now cooler as the festivities began to die down.

"Hello, sweetie, everything alright?" she asked with a warm smile, her voice still carrying the caring tone of a mother who had just finished a long day.

"Yes." Gaius responded quickly, his voice betraying none of the internal conflict he felt. "I'll be leaving in two days to head for the Luminary Academy."

"Wait, what!?" His mother's voice rose in shock. She dropped the cloth she was holding, her eyes wide with disbelief.

"Honey, Gaius says he's leaving in two days," she called out frantically to Camus. "I told you we should've raised him better—he absolutely hates us."

Camus, who had been leaning against the stall, puffed on his Lucient calmly, the soft glow lighting his face in the twilight. He raised an eyebrow at his wife's outburst. "What are you on about?"

"Stop smoking that thing around the kids, I've told you that." She yanked the Lucient from his hand, clearly frustrated, and threw a pointed look at Gaius.

"Apparently, he's leaving." She turned back to him, her face a mixture of confusion and concern.

"What's this about, Gaius?" Camus asked, setting the glowing Lucient down and taking a few steps toward him. His tone was less demanding, more curious, as he adjusted his posture and looked his son in the eye.

Gaius sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I had a conversation with Hugo, and… he offered me a chance to join the Luminary Academy. I've decided to take it."

His parents exchanged glances, each processing the weight of his words. The festival around them seemed to fade as the moment became more tense, the air hanging heavy with expectation.

Hugo introduced himself to the Gaius's parents and to his surprise they recognized him from the beginning.

So, you're sure about this, son?" Camus asked, his voice steady but with a hint of concern. "You really want to leave us? Your siblings will miss you."

"It's fine," Gaius replied, unfazed. "Millia, Gio, and Daren will understand. I won't get another chance like this."

Camus smirked, ruffling his son's hair. "Hm. Sometimes I wonder what kind of crazy son we raised, talking like an adult already. You're only fifteen."

Gaius shrugged. "Someone in this family has to be reasonable."

"Gia, call the rest of the kids," Camus said, his tone shifting to more authority. "They need to be aware of this."

"Okay, I'll go get them," Gia replied, turning to fetch the others.

Camus looked at Abell, a knowing smile tugging at his lips. "I knew you'd cause some kind of change in him. During that fight at the prison, Gaius actually seemed to be enjoying himself. So, I thank you for that."

Abell shot him a confused look. "I didn't do anything. Don't thank me," he replied, his tone sharp.

Camus shrugged. "Well, whatever you say."

A moment later, Gia returned with the three younger siblings. She explained the situation to them quickly.

"So big brother's leaving in two days?" Millia asked, eyes wide in surprise.

"He's going to become a Luminary! That's cool!" Gio chimed in excitedly.

"Nooo, he can't leave! Why, why, why?" Daren wailed, his tears streaming down his face.

Gia knelt down beside her children, her voice soft yet firm. "Listen, kids. Gaius has been taking care of all of us for a while now—taking odd jobs and doing whatever it took. Even though it hurts to see him go, I think letting him experience something bigger than this will be good for him." She held back her own tears as she spoke.

Camus crouched down next to them, flashing a grin. "Don't worry, kids. You still have me, the best chef in Hallion."

The three siblings ignored their father and rushed to Gaius, wrapping their arms around him in a tight hug.

"Damn kids, why do I even try?" Camus muttered, shaking his head in mock frustration.

Millia pulled away and looked up at Gaius with a hopeful expression. "You'll come back to visit, won't you?"

"When I have time, I'll come back." He replied.

Abell and Hugo watched as the scene unfolded.

"See? I think you misunderstood him," Hugo said to Abell.

Abell looked at Gaius and his siblings, thinking maybe there was more to him than he lets on.

Hugo turned to Gaius's family as they finished their conversation. "Alright, we're heading out now," he said with a slight smile. "We're going to catch the end-of-festival speech."

Gaius's mother looked up, a bit surprised. "Already? We have leftover food."

"We've had enough," Hugo said, shrugging. "Cedris and the other Benedicts will be there. We can miss out on that."

"Don't forget to come back and visit," Camus said.

Gaius remained silent.

"We'll be around to pick Gaius up in about 2 days." Hugo grinned, turning to Abell. "Ready?"

Abell nodded, eager to leave. "Finally let's go. This is getting too awkward for me."

With that, they made their way out of the stall, leaving Gaius's family behind as the crowd bustled around them.