Danmaku, my skills refresh weekly.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t think it was him. After all, that child doesn’t have that name. But if we can’t find him no matter how hard we look, then I think it can only be him…” Kuku said with a bitter expression.

"Hey, what's going on? I don't remember you being pregnant. Who's the father of that child? Why don't I know anything about this?" Hera seemed to have stumbled upon some earth-shattering scoop.

Kuku gave a wry smile: "Do you remember three years ago, when I spent more than half a year applying for an assignment to investigate 'Leviathan'?"

"Was it at that time? You secretly... but why? Could it be the child's father?" Anger slowly crept onto Hera's face.

Kuku had a knowing look on his face: "My father is Maxim... but it wasn't him who abandoned me, it's just that I didn't tell him..."

"To keep it a secret, I even put the child under someone else's parents' names to raise... only occasionally, after the expedition, would I secretly go to see him..."

Kuku revealed the secret he had kept hidden deep in his heart.

"Damn Zeus...!" Hera's face was filled with anger as she glared at Kuku with a look of utter disappointment.

"I really didn't get the title wrong... Kuku. You kept such a big thing from me!" Hera angrily threw down her cane, shattering the gold cuckoo ornament on its tip.

The cuckoo, also known as the common cuckoo.

It's a vicious bird that likes to lay its eggs in other people's homes and have other birds raise its offspring.

Ironically, the cuckoo, which harms its own kind, is also a beneficial bird.

It also symbolizes a bountiful harvest from the fields, and is one of Hera's symbols...

Chapter 459 Memories Awakened Prematurely

Information about Ciel's mother, possibly from Hera's Familia, was quickly relayed to Alfia via a puppet.

“I never expected that Kuku-nee would actually…” Metluja was the most surprised.

You don't seem to have the right to say that...

Alfia thought to herself, "This child is being kept secret from everyone. If it weren't for the pregnancy, the truth would have come out eventually, and no one would have found out. Although everyone has noticed something, it hasn't gotten to that point yet."

“I never would have guessed that hero was this kind of person…” Alfia’s expression was strange.

Although she understood Kuku's behavior—given the delicate relationship between Zeus and Hera's kin, the current situation seemed quite normal—the hero didn't appear to be the kind of man who valued pure emotions.

As the saying goes, what the superiors do, the inferiors will follow. The chief god is like that, and the followers he recruits, not to mention the leader, also have some of Zeus's personality.

This is the main reason why Hera's Familia, while equally fascinated by the powerful Zeus's Familia, could not accept them.

The impression that the hero Maxim gave Alfia was more like that of a wanderer, with a sword and a jug of wine, indulging in sensual pleasures and unrestrained passion.

As the world's strongest man, he naturally has no shortage of women who admire him, and he seems to accept them all without engaging in deep conversations, nor has he ever been rumored to have children with any of them.

I initially thought it was just the cuckoo's own idea, but that conclusion was shattered by a single sentence from Charles.

“I also have an older sister who is three years older than me.” Charles’s expression remained unchanged.

Metluja asked curiously, "Based on the current conclusion, you're being fostered, right? How can you confirm that the older sister isn't your foster parents' daughter?"

“Because the dual fate has taken effect.” Charles’s words shattered Alfia’s understanding.

If the birth of Ciel was not an accident, then it means that Kuku and Maxim had premeditatedly conspired to exchange gifts.

They had been having an affair for six years, and the reason for hiding the child might not only be to hide it from Hera, but also because of a fit of pique with the hero.

Aunt Kuku, you're so bold!

Kuku looks to be 27 or 8 years old, but because adventurers age more slowly, he is actually in his thirties, making him an elder compared to Alfia at that time.

It's not surprising that he has a partner and children, but his partner and his way of treating his offspring are somewhat unacceptable.

"Should we tell Lady Hera about this?"

"I told you, the two clans will go to war."

For the sake of world peace, everyone chose to keep it a secret.

Alfia looked at Charles...

Ciel didn't show much emotion regarding the change in his background.

He just figured out why his adoptive parents treated him almost like a 'slave'.

According to the information from the puppet's side, Kuku hired a large number of ordinary people to take care of the Ciel siblings, which was similar to a daycare or childcare worker. After the Familia defeated the Black Dragon, the Zeus Hera Familia was successively driven out of the city by Freya and Loki, and this "salary" may have been interrupted.

Since nobody knew about Kuku's shady dealings, there wasn't even a single person willing to accept his offer.

Rather, those adoptive parents who were "paid to do things" also taught him how to be a supporter and raised him relatively gently until they died because of the "divine wine," which can be considered to have done their best.

Ciel felt a sense of relief...

However, Alfia lowered her eyelids: "In that case, if we want to ensure the current Sharl exists, then Kuku must die, right?"

“No need.” Charles remained calm. “Just proceed with the original plan. Continue searching for ‘Seele’ to obscure ‘my’ existence, and then have the ‘Puppet’ personally contact my past self.”

To Ciel, his so-called biological parents are just strangers. There's no need to change his current plans because of them; he can just let things take their course.

He values ​​emotions and bonds more than blood ties.

Alfia couldn't offer any advice to Charles given his indifferent attitude. After all, despite having paid the money, Kuku hadn't truly fulfilled her duties as a mother.

This is a debt owed by Hera's clan.

She and Metluth exchanged a glance, thinking of doing something in secret, but that was a matter for later.

at the moment……

"Let me talk to my past self first."

……

Orario, outside a house on Daedalus Street.

Ciel, controlling Metluth alone, found "himself" squatting at the front door, counting ants.

As Charles was pondering how to greet his past self who was only three years old, the gray-haired boy looked up, his eyes shifting from innocent to profound.

"Big sister, is there something you need?" After a brief hesitation, the gray-haired boy smiled warmly, squinted his eyes, and asked kindly.

Charles was very familiar with this situation.

That's a protective coloration he displays when he's in an 'unknown' state; he's 'playing' a child.

This is clearly not how a three-year-old should behave, so Charles came to the conclusion:

"Your memories have returned."

This answer was both unexpected and unsurprising.

The puppet itself possesses the "Your Name" which involves the vortex of chaos, so it's normal that it can resonate with Ciel's own "aptitude".

As for why Ciel doesn't have memories of this period, it might also be due to "Your Name".

However, when Ciel uttered those words through Metluth's mouth, his past self's pupils visibly contracted for a moment, and he chuckled awkwardly, "What are you saying?"

“There’s no need to pretend anymore. There are only the two of us here. I can tell you clearly that this is Orario, this body is named Metluja, and I am you from the future.”

In a single sentence, a wealth of information was revealed, and with his own abilities, Ciel quickly grasped his situation in just a few seconds.

"Oh dear, I just woke up and this is what happened. Hmm... or rather, did I wake up because of you?" The gray-haired boy's previous bewildered and fearful expression vanished, replaced by a helpless, deadpan look.

How can I verify what you're saying?

"Should I name the photos on my hard drive? For example, Vermouth... her favorites..."

"Alright, stop." The gray-haired boy reached out and interrupted Charles, rubbing his temples as he said, "I understand. So, what do you want from me, future you? Even if you were only three years old in the past, you couldn't do anything, right?"

Charles instructed, "This is just a precaution. I will tell you about some things that will happen in the future, and you need to follow my instructions and steer the plot in that direction."

Ciel knew that his ability to interfere with the 'past' was time-limited; at least, it might become ineffective after the 'death' event in Metluth's history.

This process might take a little over a year or two.

Eight months later, the final battle against the Black Dragon took place; a year later, Bell was born; and then the original body died.

After that, the power of "Your Name" will disappear.

In the past, the Charles's task was to preserve himself and act in accordance with the course of history.

Chapter 460 Keep it up, my past self

"That's how it is. At least during the Hera Familia's heyday, we will arrange for people to assist you and protect your safety. Your job is to cooperate with Metlujah and become the commander of this plan."

Ciel passes on the tasks of the past to his past self, while he needs to resonate with the past in the "present".

"You just want to find a working-class person, don't you?"

"Hehe. You guessed right."

"Hey, what are you talking about?" the gray-haired boy retorted, but eventually nodded in agreement.

At only three years old, even with the blessings he received, he was unable to take normal risks. In order to avoid being killed by the Dark Faction after the destruction of Zeus and Hera's Familia, he chose to accumulate his own resources in advance.

The two reached an agreement, and Ciel used the funds of the Hera Familia to purchase several magic swords, which he placed beside his past self for self-defense.

In his spare time, his past self was also secretly honing his martial arts skills, making his body more adaptable to fighting in this other world, and laying the foundation for the future.

Rewriting the past would take more than a year, so Xia Er cleverly found his past self to supervise the process, saving him time to become stronger.

At this point, the plan regarding the past is basically complete. Before the battle against the Black Dragon arrives, the focus remains on Metluja's upgrade. With Alphia around, Sharl has delegated this part of the work to Metluja herself.

On the Fels' side, their primary focus is on researching the Boots of Hermes, followed by the technology to replicate the Mirror of the Trickster, which was sent from the future to the past. This technology can mimic the two Familias of 'Despair,' thus enabling them to accomplish great deeds. However, its priority and difficulty far outweigh those of the Boots of Hermes.

Without the mysterious A's past, it might not have been so easy to complete.

As for Hera, she was furious that Zeus hadn't taken good care of his captain, but due to the critical time, she couldn't vent her anger and could only focus her energy on the Shard's plans.

Shortly after the expedition returned, they immediately set their sights on the hidden depths of the Thousand Cang Kalia Icefield, searching for the "Girl of the Dungeon" and the sword hilt.

at the moment……

“In another month, the school district should be heading back. The ‘Witch’s’ activities shouldn’t be limited to Orario. We should follow the school district and spread this title to the whole world.” Ciel pulled Alfia along, busying themselves with the “modern” plans.

“What do we need to do?” Alfia asked.

“Go to other kingdoms, participate in various upheavals, just like during the Great Rebellion.” Charles succinctly stated, “Reputation doesn’t matter; what matters is the fact that the ‘Witch’ lives.”

The past influences the future, and the future can also influence the past.

Only by synchronizing the past and present can Shire achieve his goal: to interfere with time.