I'll do what I can do to Freedom

Linggis slowly opened his eyes, pain spreading throughout his entire body. He tried to sit up, even though his head was still pounding heavily and he was bleeding quite a bit. As his consciousness fully returned, he raised both hands in frustration and shouted, "Absolute cinema! Who attacked me this time?!"

Arcelia approached him, looking at Linggis with an awkward expression. "My grandmother."

Linggis immediately froze, staring at Arcelia in disbelief. Then, despite his weakened state, he burst into laughter. "Your grandmother?! What kind of family is this?! I've already been attacked by your mother, your sister, your brother, your cousin, and now your grandmother too?! Am I meeting your grandfather next?!"

Arcelia turned her face away, feeling embarrassed. "Yeah, I know it's a bit much, but… well, my grandmother is a little overprotective."

Linggis was still laughing, clutching his ribs in pain. "Overprotective? That spell just now nearly took my head off, Arcelia! If this keeps up, I might seriously consider retiring from my retirement!"

At that moment, Arcelia's mother, Mireille, and Elira approached Linggis. Mireille, with her stern gaze, crossed her arms in front of her chest. "You shouldn't be here. Your aura is filled with darkness, and you look far more dangerous than my children realize."

Linggis looked at Mireille, still a bit annoyed but trying to keep his tone neutral. "Oh, I'm sorry, Ma'am. I'm just a retired Hunter trying to live peacefully. I have no idea why everyone in your family sees me like I'm the final boss in their RPG."

Elira stepped forward, attempting to ease the tension. "Aunt, Grandmother, please listen. Linggis may seem suspicious, but he has actually been helpful. He offered to train Arcelia to become the best player in her favorite game. Doesn't that show his good intentions?"

Mireille raised an eyebrow at Elira. "Training in a game? And you think that's enough to prove he's not dangerous? His energy says otherwise, Elira."

Linggis raised his hand, still sitting on the ground. "Hey, I can explain that. This energy isn't because I'm evil or anything. It's just… well, a long and grim history involving monsters, wars, and bad decisions in my youth. Not my fault the side effects look scary."

Nyra, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke up. "Grandmother, maybe we should give him a chance. He already surrendered in the duel, and he's never shown any intent to harm us."

Mireille let out a deep sigh, looking at Linggis with suspicion. "I still don't fully trust him. But fine, I will keep a close watch. If he does anything suspicious, I won't hesitate to act again."

Linggis chuckled lightly, then looked at Mireille. "Sure, Ma'am. But can we at least make a deal? If I don't cause any trouble, I'd like to not be attacked by your family every five minutes."

Mireille simply gave him a cold stare before turning away, but Arcelia glanced at Linggis and gave him a small smile. "Thanks for being patient, Linggis. I know this is tough."

Linggis scoffed. "Patient? Not really. I'm just not crazy enough to fight your entire family at once. But I am serious about retirement, you know."

The conversation continued with Elira explaining more about their family, the origins of their magic, and how they had always been wary of dark energy. Meanwhile, Linggis shared his past as a Hunter, detailing how he had faced monsters and great threats—experiences that ultimately left him with the dark energy that now caused him to be misunderstood.

The discussion went on for a long time, filled with arguments, Linggis' sarcastic laughter, and Arcelia's efforts to mediate between both sides. In the end, despite the lingering tension, the family slowly started to accept that Linggis wasn't an immediate threat—at least for now.