Chapter 66: Responsibilities

Kael read the notification carefully. The system had given him another family quest, but unlike the previous tasks involving Noah, this one was about Sera and something she wanted for herself.

He glanced at her before returning his attention to the sketchbook.

’This is a good one,’ Kael thought.

The reward was substantial, but the task itself mattered more. He didn’t want Sera to feel that he was taking over her plans or deciding what was best for her. He wanted to help her get started while allowing her to make her own choices.

Kael dismissed the notification and turned toward her.

"Sera, have you looked into any design courses yet?" he asked.

"Not properly," Sera answered. "I saved a few websites, but I haven’t compared them."

"Why don’t we look at them together later?" Kael suggested. "We can check the course content, duration, and fees. You can decide which one interests you."

Sera smiled. "I’d like that."

===

A little later, Kael’s phone rang. He picked it up and noticed Marcus’s name on the screen.

"Speak of the devil," Kael murmured.

Sera glanced at him. "Is that Marcus?"

"Yes," Kael answered before accepting the call.

"Good morning, Instructor," Kael greeted him.

"Good morning, Kael," Marcus replied. "How’s the recovery going?"

"Not bad. My arm still hurts, but the medic said there were no serious injuries," Kael explained.

"Good. Are you following the instructions?" Marcus asked.

Kael glanced at Sera, who was watching him with a knowing smile.

"Yes, sir," Kael answered.

Marcus continued, "I wanted to discuss your next training schedule. After reviewing the report from the outbreak, I’ve decided that we need to adjust your programme."

Kael sat a little straighter.

"What changes are you making?" he asked.

"First, you’re not returning to physical training until your injuries have healed sufficiently," Marcus explained. "I don’t want you aggravating them. Once you’re cleared, we’ll begin with basic defensive movement and footwork."

Kael listened carefully.

"Your performance during the emergency showed that you have enough physical strength to deal with some low-grade monsters, but your technique is inconsistent," Marcus continued. "You rely too much on instinct."

"I noticed that during the fight," Kael admitted.

"Good. Then you understand why we’re changing the approach," Marcus said. "We’ll work on balance, positioning, blocking, and controlling your weapon. After that, we’ll move toward basic combat combinations."

"Understood," Kael replied.

Marcus paused before continuing.

"There’s also the matter of your assessment," he said.

Kael’s expression changed slightly. "What about it?"

"The Association has received Robert’s report, including the fact that you defeated three monsters during the emergency," Marcus explained. "Your performance has attracted some attention."

Kael remained quiet as he listened.

"I don’t want you getting the wrong idea," Marcus added. "Your official rank remains F. However, your physical ability is unusual, and I want to conduct another controlled assessment once you’ve recovered."

"All right," Kael replied.

"We’ll test your strength, speed, reaction time, and weapon handling separately," Marcus explained. "I also want to observe how you perform under controlled combat conditions."

Kael nodded even though Marcus couldn’t see him.

"When should I report?" Kael asked.

"I’ll send you the schedule after the medical team confirms you’re ready," Marcus answered. "Until then, rest. Don’t attempt to train on your own."

"I understand," Kael replied.

"Good. And Kael?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Don’t make me regret taking an interest in you," Marcus said.

Kael smiled faintly. "I’ll try not to."

"Trying isn’t enough. Put in the work," Marcus replied before ending the call.

Kael placed his phone on the table and leaned back against the sofa. Sera had been listening quietly, and she turned toward him as soon as the call ended.

"What did he say?" she asked.

"He wants to change my training plan," Kael explained. "I’ll focus on footwork, defense, and weapon control once I’ve recovered. He also wants to conduct another assessment."

"Does that mean they’re changing your rank?" Sera asked.

"Not yet. He made it clear that I’m still F-rank," Kael answered. "They just want to understand why my physical assessment was unusual."

Sera nodded. "That sounds reasonable."

"It does," Kael agreed. "I think I need to learn the basics properly before doing anything else."

"Then take your time," Sera advised. "There’s no need to rush."

Kael smiled at her. "That’s becoming everyone’s favourite advice."

"Maybe because you need to hear it," Sera replied.

===

By afternoon, Sera had returned to her sketchbook while Kael sat nearby with Noah. Their son had been awake for a while, and Kael was enjoying the opportunity to spend time with him without rushing to work or training.

He spoke softly to Noah, occasionally making silly sounds to get his attention.

"Look at your mother, little man," Kael said. "She’s working very hard."

Sera glanced up from her sketchbook. "Don’t distract him. He’s trying to listen."

Kael looked down at Noah. "You heard that? Your mother thinks you’re old enough to understand design."

Noah moved his hands, and Kael smiled.

"See? He’s interested," Kael said.

Sera laughed before returning to her sketch.

A few minutes later, Kael noticed that she had stopped drawing and was looking through the pages of her notebook.

"Something wrong?" he asked.

"I’m trying to decide which sketches to include in my portfolio," Sera explained.

"What’s making it difficult?" Kael asked.

"I like some of the older ones, but I know I can improve them," Sera replied. "I don’t want to include work that doesn’t represent what I can do now."

Kael considered her words for a moment.

"Then why not keep the old ones as part of your progress and create new versions?" he suggested.

Sera looked at him. "You mean redraw them?"

"Yes. You could use the original as a starting point and improve the layout, details, and presentation," Kael explained. "That way, you don’t have to throw away the work you’ve already done."

Sera thought about his suggestion before nodding.

"That’s actually a good idea," she said.

Kael smiled. "See? I’m useful even with one working arm."

"Don’t let that go to your head," Sera teased.

Kael laughed while Sera turned another page and began making notes about the designs she wanted to develop.

He watched her for a moment and felt glad that she had decided to pursue something for herself. For a long time, most of their conversations had revolved around Noah, the apartment, and his plans to become a hunter. It was good to see Sera thinking about her own future again.

He wanted their family to grow together. He didn’t want one person to spend their entire life supporting everyone else while forgetting the things they wanted for themselves.

That evening, they sat together at the dining table. Sera had prepared a simple dinner, while Kael helped by arranging the plates and bringing the drinks. He made sure not to use his injured arm too much.

After they finished eating, Sera brought out her notebook again.

"I found three courses that look interesting," she said as she showed him the pages she had saved.

Kael moved closer to look at the information. "Let’s see."

Sera explained the differences between the three courses, including their duration, fees, and what each one covered. The first focused more on interior decoration, the second offered a broader introduction to interior design, and the third included practical training with design software.

Kael listened while she explained which one appealed to her most.

"Which would you choose?" he asked.

Sera looked through the information again before answering.

"The second one, I think," she said. "It covers the fundamentals I want to learn, and it gives me enough room to build on my existing work."

"Then let’s look into that one properly," Kael suggested.

Sera smiled. "I don’t want to rush into paying for anything."

"We won’t," Kael assured her. "We’ll check all the details first, and you can make your decision."

She nodded. "Thank you, Kael."

He reached across the table and held her hand.

"I’m serious about this, Sera," Kael said. "I don’t want you to feel like your plans have to come after everyone else’s. You’re allowed to have things you want for yourself."

Sera looked at him for a moment before answering.

"I know," she said. "I’m just not used to having someone encourage me without trying to decide everything for me."

Kael gently squeezed her hand.

"Then I’ll keep doing my best to get it right," he promised.

Sera smiled and leaned forward to kiss his cheek.

"You’re doing fine," she told him.

A notification appeared before Kael’s eyes.

[Family Man System]

[Special Family Quest Completed: Support Your Partner’s Dream.]

[All objectives fulfilled.]

[Primary Reward Granted: $10,000.]

[Additional Reward Unlocked: Professional Design Course Sponsorship.]

[The sponsorship can cover eligible tuition and approved learning materials for a professional design course selected by your partner.]

Kael read the notification and smiled faintly. The reward was exactly what Sera needed. It would give her more freedom to choose a suitable course without putting unnecessary pressure on their household budget.

He dismissed the notification and returned his attention to Sera.

"Everything all right?" she asked when she noticed his expression.

"Yes," Kael replied. "I was just thinking about how much we managed to get done today."

Sera closed her notebook. "I didn’t expect to make this much progress either."

"Then tomorrow, we can continue," Kael suggested.

Sera nodded. "Tomorrow."

Kael stood carefully and picked up his glass with his uninjured hand. His arm still hurt, and he had several days of recovery ahead of him before returning to the Hunter Association. However, he hadn’t spent the day worrying about his rank or thinking about how to become stronger. He had helped Sera take a step toward something she had wanted for years.

As he looked at her sitting beside him with her sketchbook, Kael realized that being a hunter was only one part of his life. He wanted to become stronger so he could protect his family, but he also wanted to be someone Sera could depend on, someone who supported her ambitions and made room for her dreams.

For him, those responsibilities mattered just as much as anything he might accomplish at the Hunter Association.