Orbis Online
9. The Hansilva Family

“Your hand is healed, Rudeus?”

“Yes, thanks to the help of the father. Thank you for helping me.”

“Do not thank me, it is I who should thank you for saving my son.”

Deus simply smiled and then sat down on the chair in front of the black-haired middle-aged man with a hint of white hair named Rezel Hansilva. Currently Deus and Rezel are in the place where they first met, the 13th floor at the Grand Hotel Skrimata—the most luxurious hotel in the city. They met because there was something Rezel wanted to talk about.

Deus' right hand was completely healed, but he was advised not to do excessive activities with his right hand. It could have injured his hand again.

However, Deus seemed awkward to deal with this situation. Rezel was not alone, but rather there was a beautiful woman with long blonde hair carrying a small child who looked three years old sitting to her right, then there was a long straight black haired girl who was also no less beautiful than the woman who was holding the little boy. The girl sat to the left of Rezel.

“Rudeus, my wife and daughter would like to thank me directly for saving Thea, my sweet youngest daughter.”

Rezel lifted the seemingly female child into her lap. The boy looks very happy and calls Rezel using the appellation ‘papa papa’ with his carefree. Rezel raised her daughter up high while slightly making a funny mimic so her youngest daughter—Thea—laughs loosely.

Seeing this family harmony before him, Deus felt a little envious and nostalgic. Deus had lost his parents in a terrible incident about 8 years ago—where he was 11 years old.

At that time, Deus, his father, mother, and his only sister were walking to a mall. The family who looked very harmonious decided to go buy some clothes and household appliances to spend their day off. But, who would have thought that everything that was expected to be alright turned into a terrible calamity?

Just at lunchtime, there appeared a group of armed terrorists who suddenly hijacked the entire building and took all the mall's attendants hostage. The hijacking and hostage-taking lasted up to two days and one night. Seeing the number of armed terrorists and hostages quite a lot, the local security forces did not take high-risk actions that endanger hundreds of—even thousands of visitors who became hostages.

The terrorist group not only hijacked the building and took thousands of people hostage, but also robbed various valuables and objects in the mall. Rather than terrorists, they were more like armed robber groups. Unfortunately, the group is indeed famous as a terrorist group since two years ago that often makes a tantrum in Indonesia.

In a rescue operation carried out by local security forces, dozens of hostages fell as fatalities—including both Deus' parents. As a child, it would have been natural for Deus to scream hysterically in the event, but inversely from a child his age, he tried to stay calm and swallow all the feelings he felt at that time.

Due to the security forces' surreptitious rescue operation, when it was discovered the terrorists started shooting several hostages. As a result, Deus' parents became his victims. Unable to accept that, Deus took a chance in narrow-mindedness.

When the terrorists guarding the hostage circle where he is held with his sister off guard, he takes a masking tape secretly and strangles the terrorist one that he must have done secretly as well. The young Deus took the knife and gun that was on the terrorist he managed to disable (fainted) as a weapon.

As most of the terrorist personnel opened fire on the security forces at the entrance, Deus seized this opportunity and paralysed all the terrorists he could use tape to silence the sound, knives that could damage firearms, and then he killed them, and a gun that keeps terrorists from shooting. However, not until six people he was caught by other terrorists.

Just in time, local security personnel managed to enter the mall through the underground lane available under the mall building. Eventually, the security forces managed to subdue all the terrorist hijackers and hostage the mall building with dozens of fatalities. Deus was spared no injuries, he got two shots on his left shoulder and right hand.

After the incident, their uncle—adik of Deus' father and his sister— took custody of them and took care of them like a son himself. Shortly thereafter, Deus received a ‘hero’ award charter from the local authorities for his actions in helping to subdue the terrorists—though he got a loud scolding from his uncle.

Unfortunately, no one remembers his actions other than him, his uncle, and his own little sister because they were consumed by time. His charter is still on display in his room at his uncle's house, so when Haris or his college friends come to his apartment they do not know the charter. Forgotten Hero, the name given by his younger sister to Deus.

“U.. deus... Rudeus?”

“Uh!? Ah, yes?”

“You daydreaming what?”

“A-ah, no, no nothing.”

Deus shook his head to reassure Rezel while smiling wryly. The woman and the girl who came with him were also worried to see the sad look Deus showed just a moment ago. Especially the black-haired girl sitting to the left of the Rezel.

“Didn't I explain it? My wife and daughter would like to thank you in person. Did you notice Rena to the point of not hearing my words?”

“B-not like that, I didn't notice your daughter.”

“Really? You've been looking at her ever since, making her ashamed. Look how red his cheeks are right now.”

“A-father!”

Attempting to tease Deus and his own daughter, Rezel sparks a few jokes that can make others misunderstand. The girl who seemed to be named Rena could only lower her face flushed with embarrassment, while Deus only smiled wryly.

“Darling, don't tease Rena and Rudeus, just tease me.”

“Sure, my beloved angel.”

Deus who saw the obvious intimacy of a married couple in this public place immediately pushed his chair slightly away with his flat gaze. He did not expect that Rezel Hansilva who is very respected and admired by many people can be as brave as this to spread his affection with his wife. For a moment, he felt the disgust of this couple.

“Mother, father, didn't you guys promise not to do that in public?”

Hearing the voice coming from Rena, the couple realized and immediately ended their intimacy which turned out to invite the attention of some people in the place.

“Ah, really? Sorry then. Forgive us too, Rudeus.”

“Y-ya.”

Deus can only say it. Rezel's wife fixed her sitting position and turned her gaze to Deus.

“Rudeus, thank you for saving Althea, I'm so grateful you were nearby back then.”

“Not a problem, after all my body is moving on its own.”

“Wah, moving alone? Isn't that like the heroine in the cartoons you often watch, Rena?”

“M-mama!”

In a moment, Deus was confused by the flow of this conversation. He did not understand the hero character in the cartoon Rezel's wife talked about, then Rena who suddenly changed the call on her mother from ‘ibu’ to ‘mama’. That's kind of confusing.

“Sorry Brother Rudeus, my mother is indeed the one who often teases others.”

‘Indeed who is flirting and who is being teased? Aren't you the one who got seduced? Why apologize to me?’

Deus again smiled wryly affirming the words of Rena. At first he thought the family before him was a harmonious family, it turned out to be quite a lot of small quarrels in jokes and disagreements between them. Well, that's why this family became a harmonious family.

The four of them continued their conversation by telling some funny stories and events that followed laughter. Especially when Deus recounts when he who lacked the money to buy the sword he wanted and was chased by the Wild Boar got to town in Orbis Online. They were all laughing out loud, especially Rena.