"Hey, are you all right?"
The person that came into Calvin's vision was Ashlynn.
"Don't be too depressed that you got the Writer Class. It's not totally useless. Once you've ascended into Scribe, you will be able to create notary contracts which are basically the same as an oath made to the Goddess with just a lot more terms than the strict and inflexible oath. You are still a great addition to the team. What's more, with your prestige and the glory that a Golden Class has due to its rarity..."
"You are basically a walking source of funds for us!" Ashlynn commented.
James Branzuela who had done that long speech couldn't help but squeeze out a bitter smile, "Don't refer to him like that."
Ron Samuel chuckled.
Bruce also had a smile on his lips.
Calvin stared at the others and he felt warm in his heart. But he also felt that there was something wrong with this whole situation. Right now, he was seated in front of a table with the others gathered around him. Calvin glanced at the kitchen and he frowned when he saw the clean countertops and utensils.
"All right, the barbeque party will still commence. Bruce, pass on the knowledge of the Ways of the Cavaliers to Calvin tomorrow once we're done partying." James Branzuela said.
Bruce didn't say anything but he nodded his head in agreement to what James had said.
Ron Samuel also nodded in satisfaction towards the decision that everyone had reached.
"Calvin, I believe that you should return to your home for now. Your wife and daughter have been worried sick for you and I am pretty sure that they want nothing more than to see you at once." Ron Samuel declared.
Calvin furrowed his eyebrows.
This entire situation felt incredibly strange for him, yet he couldn't grasp nor understand what was wrong with the situation.
He stretched his hand out and dipped his finger into the coffee that was laid out in front of him.
"What are you doing, Calvin? Is that some kind of a ritual that you do before you taste the Captain's coffee? Are you trying to see if it's going to burn your finger off as if it's as lethal as it tastes?" Ashlynn laughed as she commented.
Ron Samuel glared at her and she didn't dare to say anything anymore.
James Branzuela also glared at Ashlynn, while Bruce who was about to let out a laugh, stiffened and sat there frozen.
'Vice-Captain James is still a diehard supporter and protector of the Captain... Ashlynn is still annoying as ever, while Bruce is still being smart and opportunistic... The coffee is still absurdly hot, the Captain probably boiled this for too long with purified water. There is clearly nothing wrong with this situation, yet what is this sense of heaviness in my chest?'
Calvin touched his chest pocket and he could feel his heart pounding like drums.
He lifted the coffee cup from the table and took a sip...
"It still tastes like boiled dirt..." He softly mumbled.
"Pffft!" Ashlynn couldn't hold it back anymore.
"Puchi~" Bruce also almost exploded into a burst of full-on laughter hearing the sudden insult.
James Branzuela furrowed his eyebrows, while Ron Samuel stared with visible confusion at Calvin.
"How does it taste like?" He asked.
'The captain's hearing is still...'
Calvin didn't answer.
He stood up and said to everyone.
"I'll be returning here tonight for the barbeque party. I've been missing Charlotte and Cecilia, so I'll be going first, Captain, Vice-Captain..." He turned around, closed the door silently and didn't even look behind him as he left.
Calvin soon arrived in front of the Malasakit Inn. But he didn't directly enter the inn as he made a U-Turn for the nearest wet market. When he returned, he had brought with him a few cans of ice cream and some chicken soup as well as a few servings of fried rice. He entered the inn and found it inexplicably empty.
There wasn't even a single soul in the reception.
Frowning, Calvin decided to ignore it as he made a beeline towards the room where both Cecilia and Charlotte were staying.
"Daddy!"
Before Calvin could even fully open the door, Cecilia had already rushed into his bosom.
"Cecilia!" Calvin broke out into a grin.
He carried the little girl and placed her onto his shoulder. Then, as he walked towards the kitchen where the clanging of utensils and kitchen apparatus were coming from. He was greeted by Charlotte who had a sweet smile on her face as she said.
"Welcome back... It's good to see that you are back again."
"Daddy, did you manage to secure the goods for the coffee shop? Mommy told me that you are going to bring me some cheesecake and berries when you return. Did you bring some for me?"
"Cheesecake and berries? What did your mommy tell you about where I went?"
"Huh? Mommy told me that you were with the sailors into the ocean!"
"And what do sailors do on the ocean?"
"Uhmm... get cheesecake and berries?"
"Pffft!" Calvin almost spat out a mouthful of saliva from what Cecilia had said.
Charlotte came running over embarrassed as she took her daughter from Calvin's shoulder and said, "I'm sorry, Calvin... Cecilia doesn't really know where fish comes from. She knows about lakes and rivers, but she has no idea that the ocean also has fishes living in it..." The crimson colour on her cheeks made her look incredibly tantalizing in the eyes.
'Damn, I have such a beautiful wife, yet I can't remember having touched her before... I must be the reincarnation of the buddha with this self-restraint of mine!' Calvin couldn't help but inwardly comment.
But when he noticed that Cecilia looked so confused. He explained, "Cheesecakes and berries do not come from the ocean, Cecilia. But don't worry, once your birthday comes. I'll be getting you a big cheesecake! It will be so big that you will get tired of eating it!" Calvin proudly declared and the young lass exploded into peals of laughter in excitement.
"Yaaay! Daddy will get me cheesecake and berries for my birthday! Can you do a pinky promise with me, daddy?"
"Yes, we will do a pinky promise!" Calvin stretched his hand out and the young lass sang.
"Pinky promise, pinky promise, violate this and you'll get stitches!"
"Pfft! What kind of a pinky promise song is that, Cecilia?" Calvin almost busted his guts once more.
"Eh? I heard this from Lea! She told me her father sang this to her when he promised that he will be getting her a doll for her birthday!"
"Ah, Lea... Is that your playmate from the Northern Borough!"
"Mhmm! She's my best friend!" Cecilia repeatedly nodded her head.
"All right, since you told me that your friend will be getting a doll for her birthday, then I will also give you a doll so that both of you can play with each other's doll!" Calvin smiled at the young lass.
"Yaaay! Daddy, you're the best!" Cecilia almost leapt out of Charlotte's grasp as she reached out for Calvin's neck.
Charlotte's smile sweetened even further as she chuckled and said, "Let me carry those bags for you to the kitchen. I've cooked some meal for the three of us. I'll go and tend to them now since I wouldn't want them to burn."
"Oh? You also cooked a portion for me?"
Charlotte suddenly stopped on her tracks.
She slightly turned her head to look at Calvin and smiled, "Even when you were gone, I've always cooked as if you were here with us."
Then, without even waiting for Calvin's reply. She walked over to the kitchen and continued her cooking.
Calvin placed Cecilia down onto the floor and said, "Go to your mommy for now. Daddy will change her clothes and join you two for dinner."
Cecilia nodded her head and obeyed without any fuss and she ran over to her mommy to brag about the promise that she made with her daddy.
It was at this moment that the sweat forming on Calvin's forehead since he came into this room finally fell down his cheeks.
'There is something wrong...'
'Why did I say that I'll buy Cecilia cheesecakes and berries for her birthday when I...'
'Don't even know when is her birthday...?'