Chapter 207 - Beloved Demigod

"Are we clear?"

Kazehaya Gin asked as soon as the cars left the Cedar Palace gates and did a retour towards the forest part. There was vast woodland outside the gates that was still part of the Homura House's properties. It was near where the bridge Emi met Gin for the first time was located.

"Not yet, Young Master," Fuji answered from his seat in front.

They were traversing the main road to the Cedar Palace still when Gin asked. But, as soon as they entered the forest area, Fuji alerted him.

"We're here Young Master," he said. "The water casters had also put up the barrier. We're invisible to outsiders now."

Kazehaya Gin nodded. "Hear that Aello-chi? It's time to shine," he whispered to the elemental in his heart.

As soon as he did, a huge scarlet harpy appeared in front of the two vehicles which stopped carrying both the Young Masters. Looking totally docile, Aello took each of the cars in her claws, almost gently as if she totally cared about the well-being of the people inside.  

"Go," Gin ordered, and the harpy let out a squawk as she spread her wings wide and proceeded to fly.

This was their version of Hakone express.

It would normally take time to go to Hakone – ninety minutes by train and longer by car. But with Aello flying them there, it would only take around ten minutes.

Gin whistled as he shifted in his seat. Without a care, he reached out for the door and opened it casually as if he was still on land. He stepped out of the car and jumped on the roof to close the door properly.

Aello bowed her head and looked at Gin. Her beak opened up and turned up on the side as if to give him a smile, and the wind caster gave her a confused smile in return. Since that time Czernobog appeared before them, the harpy had been very cooperative and even nice to everyone.

No one, of course, could believe that this subservience was real.

It was just not in the harpy's nature to be gentle with anyone even their masters. However, Gin had to admit that ever since he started using Aello, he felt something weird. If it was any other elemental, he wouldn't have a hard time believing it, but he could say that Aello was even very happy to serve him.

What more? He couldn't feel any changes in his mentality. If ever he even felt better since Aello started coming out. It was as if he had a puppy that lacked exercise and had been unhappy for a while, and when he started taking him out he became more and more stable. It was what he was feeling right now.

Which was also strange.

Other harpy casters – at least the ones that had been recorded almost deteriorated immediately as soon as they started using their harpy's powers.

This was why Ryuu didn't want to do this at first. But Gin wanted to test it out. So far, he still felt nothing. In fact, he felt great. Aello even followed him well.

Gin signaled to Ryuu who was inside the other car, and the Koutaishidenka nodded as he vanished from the window, and the door to the other car opened. The wind caster planned to jump inside, but before he did, Aello shifted so he could just simply walk towards the other car.

Huh ?

Gin looked at Aello whose eyes were still on him. "Er… Thanks, Aello-chi," he told the harpy which opened her beak and let out a happy squawk.

Gin got in the car with a perplexed look.

"What's wrong?" the Koutaishidenka asked as soon as Gin seated himself next to him.  

Gin shook his head. "If I didn't know any better, I think Aello has a crush on me," he said which made Ryuu look at him like he was mad.

"I know, I know," Gin countered immediately, accepting the fact that he's only imagining things.

He was not Stribog, and Aello would never be loyal to him. It was that simple.

"Oh I forgot to ask – does Ara know about me now?" Gin asked Ryuu.

"Ah," Ryuu muttered as he hit his head, his face horrified.

It was something that never really happened before, and so he was totally amused.  

"I take it that she doesn't?"

"I was planning to tell her before we left," Ryuu said, his voice ringing with remorse.

Gin knew he was speaking the truth. The Koutaishidenka wanted to tell Ara about him to avoid a huge misunderstanding. After all, he's a harpy caster. For other demigods, that's bad news.

"Well, I just hope I won't be caught by Ara-chan and get beaten up so bad by mistake."

It was not unheard of that demigods kill harpies and their caster by sight. If Ara saw Aeollo and mistook her as a random harpy, Gin would have a fight in his hands.

"She can't."

"What do you mean?" Gin was confused.

"Even if Ara sees Aello, there's nothing she can do. She's not strong enough to deal with you," Ryuu said confidently – too confidently that piqued the wind caster's interest.

"How would you know? You'd never seen her fight."

"I know because Ara is Alencica," Ryuu said with a finality that made Gin understand.

Oh.

"How did you know? Did your memories come back?"

Gin still had no idea that Ryuu could remember. This was news to him. He studied the younger man's face.

"Some – at least my memory of who she was."

Gin knew his history of course. Alencica was Kresnik's beloved wife. She was a child between Perun and a human girl – the most beloved demigod in all the worlds combined.

"Well, that's good then," Gin commented.

At least even at the event that Ara would see Aello, she wouldn't enter fight mode immediately. She was after all only strong physically. She had no other powers.

This kind of explained why she was chosen as Ryuu's fated one by the prophecy as well. It was because she was his wife from the beginning.

"By the way," Ryuu began and Gin turned to him. "The curse about the fated ones? I don't think it's quite like what we thought it was…"