Chapter 7: A Bitter Meal.

As he examined the barrier more closely, Arlo couldn't help but wonder about its true strength. The book had mentioned that the barrier's power was directly proportional to the amount of magic power supplied to it, and as long as it remained active, it would continue to draw from his reserves.

[MP: 81 -> 80%]

Despite this, Arlo noticed that his magic power had only decreased by a single percent upon activating the barrier, and it seemed to stabilize after a minute of maintaining it.

"With this, I'll be able to stay safe when I return to the other world to test out stronger spells and explore!" he exclaimed, a sense of excitement building within him. 

However, a slight frown crossed his face as he added, "But the barrier does stand out... If only it were see-through. Well, I guess that's too much to ask for-"

Suddenly, the barrier vanished, cutting Arlo's words short. "Huh? Did I dispel it?" he wondered aloud, stretching out his hand to investigate. 

To his surprise, his finger made contact with the barrier, revealing that it was still present, but had merely become transparent.

"Amazing! Now I can walk around with the barrier active without drawing attention to myself! It's perfect!" Arlo exclaimed, his joy overflowing. 

He held the book tightly against his chest, rubbing it affectionately against his cheeks. "I'm so glad I found you. I can't believe I ever doubted you."

As Arlo held the book up, gazing at it with a smile, he realized just how long it had been since his once-hollow eyes had been filled with such genuine happiness. Without even realizing it, his arms began to tremble, and tears welled up in his eyes as he continued to stare at the book.

"With you by my side, I know I can change," Arlo whispered, clutching the book tightly to his chest. "Even a weak F-Rank hunter like me will be able to conquer a high-ranked labyrinth gate on my own."

"I won't be a disappointment anymore... My life will finally have meaning." As he spoke, tears streamed down his face, but he quickly wiped them away, determination burning in his eyes.

Glancing at the clock, which now read 8:46 PM, Arlo's thoughts were interrupted by a sudden realization.

'They're still not home? Maybe I should call-' His musings were cut short by the sound of the front door opening downstairs.

"Ah, they're back,"

Arlo quickly made his way out of his room, eager to greet his family after what felt like an eternity. It had been far too long since he had felt such a strong desire to see them.

However, as he reached the top of the staircase, Arlo froze, a wave of guilt crashing over him. Memories of how he had been living flooded his mind—the countless days spent shut away in his room, avoiding interaction with his loved ones at all costs.

He couldn't even recall the last time they had shared a meal together as a family, and yet, here he was, ready to act as if none of it had ever happened.

'What am I doing?' Arlo thought, placing his palm against his face as he turned back towards his room. 'I have no right... They'd probably be annoyed just looking at me.'

As Arlo began to retreat, a voice called out to him from the bottom of the staircase, stopping him in his tracks. "Huh? Arlo, you're out of your room today?"

His heart sank as he slowly turned to face the source of the voice. There, standing at the foot of the stairs, was a stunning girl with shoulder-length blonde hair and vibrant, ocean-blue eyes.

Her casual clothes were dampened by the rain, but it did nothing to diminish her beauty.

Arlo instantly recognized the girl; there was no way he wouldn't—it was his one and only sister, Serena.

"Yeah..." Arlo responded from the top of the staircase, his eyes averting his sister's gaze. 

"That's a relief," she said, a hint of guilt in her voice. "I'm sorry for eating your food earlier today. Have you had anything to eat?"

"I'm starving since I just got back from work, so I was going to cook something. If you're hungry, we can eat together..."

Arlo glanced back at his sister, noticing the nervous and worried expression on her face. She probably expected him to reject her offer, as he had done so many times before.

"I already ate..." he began, watching as a saddened smile appeared on her face, her head lowering in disappointment. "But I'm still hungry... so if you don't mind..."

Instantly, her expression shifted to one of pure joy as she looked back up at him, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "A-Alright, I'll call you over when the food is ready!" she exclaimed before rushing off to the kitchen.

Arlo remained at the top of the staircase, scratching his cheek in surprise at her enthusiastic reaction.

About half an hour later, Arlo was called to the dining table, where plates and food were already set out. The dish Serena had chosen to make was spaghetti bolognese with tomato sauce and meatballs.

Unlike the plain cup noodles he had just had, the food on the table seemed to sparkle invitingly.

Arlo quickly took his seat alongside Serena and, after taking a bite, unintentionally blurted out, "It's good..."

Serena, who had been silently glancing at him throughout the meal, broke into a flustered smile upon hearing his compliment. "I've been practicing," she stated, her voice filled with pride.

Pleased by her reaction, Arlo continued to eat with his gaze lowered, his posture a little stiff but nonetheless enjoying the moment they shared together.

"It's been a while since we last ate together, hasn't it?" Serena asked, her voice tinged with a hint of nostalgia.

"Yeah, speaking of which, where's Sylvia?" Arlo inquired.

"Mum? She's still at work," 

"At this hour?" Arlo's eyebrows furrowed in concern.

"Yeah, she got another job. She works one in the evening and one at night. I'm thinking of getting another one too," 

Arlo's confusion grew. "But why? Shouldn't her first job be enough to cover the bills?"

Serena's smile turned somber as she elaborated, "It was, but recently the bills have been getting higher due to all the damage caused by the monsters. Habitation zones are shrinking, and for people like us who aren't hunters, we have to put in a lot more hours just to earn enough to survive."

Upon hearing this, Arlo clenched his fist, his head lowering in shame. The food he was chewing suddenly tasted bitter.