They considered sending Sevaris straight away to the Kobold Tunnel, but Bonnie suggested that he could drop by the store to bring back some things before doing that. After all, they had the gift cards, and going back with some food or other things that weren't available in Boothudurn would make the King very happy.

Despite having to do several things that took a lot of time today, it was still only 6 P.M. They had more than enough time to continue catching up during the evening, and Silah was very curious about how this purchase thing worked. It was one thing to hear about it, another to see it in action.

"You guys buy water? Or is that just for the bottle? And what's the difference between the pink one and the green one?" Silah pointed to a rack with a few bottles of water.

"The price is for both the water and the bottle, and they don't have any real difference. They are just made by different companies. Like if they were bread from different bakeries," Hera explained.

"Ok, and how about those? Why are they locked behind glass?" Silah pointed to the fridge.

"They are not locked. They are there to keep their cold temperature. Come here," Hera walked over and opened the fridge door.

"This is amazing! Do you guys have that many mana cores?" Silah gasped.

"Well, yeah, but I don't think this is a mana core. It is probably just electricity. Remember that I explained to you how that works?"

"Kind of, it's like mana, but it isn't, right?"

"More or less, if you want, we can ask Bonnie to explain a bit better later. She knows more about all this than I do," Hera scratched the back of her head. She realized how much she took for granted in her world. She didn't know how to explain about half of what Silah wanted to know.

They bought some clothes, toiletries, and enough candy to make a bear have a sugar crash. Hera and Blue were dreaming about those kinds of junk food. Not that they couldn't eat sweets in Boothudurn, but there was something special about a bag of gummy bears. Helena also bought some things, including some skincare products. It seemed that now that she had 'found' Hera and Blue, the mage was ready to start treating herself better once more. Or at least, she got annoyed with all the jabs at her appearance.

Hera also splurged a bit and got a bottle of wine and even a tablet for Silah. It wouldn't have all the functions that a guild one would have, but it would be more than enough for her to read books and start to watch videos. It was a good thing that the store in the Kobold Field had a wide variety of items, and now, after building the hotel, the small shop also made some upgrades. Money wasn't an issue since all the gold she accumulated in Boothudurn was already in her bank account. The amount she currently had was insane. Hera never imagined that her savings would have that many numbers at once. In total, she was getting close to 500 thousand gold. This was thanks to the hundreds, if not thousands, of dungeon runs. If she sold the materials she got, the number should easily double if not triple, but that wasn't a problem. Having this much money meant she could give a comfortable life to her grandma and her dad.

Sevaris got some food and candy, mainly snacks and sweets, and some beer, sodas, and wine. He did ask Hera about getting a tablet. However, without an internet connection, a tablet wouldn't be much more than a large paperweight. Not to mention that they would need to learn how to use it properly. Even so, he was more than pleased with everything he managed to get. The packagings were all so colorful and fun to look at when comparing with what the dwarves had.

After getting everything they wanted, the group went to their temporary residence after dropping Sevaris off in the Kobold Tunnel entrance. He promised to let the King and everyone know about the ambassador, and Hera would go back to Boothudurn to accompany whoever came along. Then, they all went to the hotel. Just as Kara explained, it was a modest place, but very comfortable and completely furnished. There was even a large television in the living room. It was just a shame that the building didn't have an elevator. Hera couldn't wait to see Silah's reaction to one. However, it wasn't like there was an end to the things that the dwarf was surprised by. From tap water to fitted bed sheets. Almost everything that Silah saw made her gasp in awe.

For Helena, Bonnie, and Alex, it was hard to understand all that excitement, but Hera and Blue knew exactly where Silah came from and how technologically advanced her city was. For a civilization that had yet to go through an industrial revolution, seeing the modern world was baffling. As everyone was getting set up, Eridan sent a text letting Hera know that Triss was back home, and they were free to talk.

"Guys, I'll be on the balcony for a while, ok? I'm going to talk to my family," Hera said.

"Sure, let us know if you need anything," Helena replied.

Before going outside, Hera pulled Silah to the side, "So this might take a while. I'm probably going to explain everything that happened to my dad and my grandma."

"Don't worry. I understand. I'll stay with Blue and your friends. There are a lot of things I still want to know about this place," Silah replied.

"Actually, I wanted to know if you want to meet them. It would be through a video. I mean through my tablet. Kind of like those moving pictures you saw back in the guild. Or that series that I showed you, but this one will show what they are doing right now. That's one of its functions."

"You can talk to people in other rooms? And even see them?" Silah gasped.

"Yeah, when your room has internet, you can talk to your family at any moment, as long as both of you have a connection."

"That's amazing!" Silah smiled and looked back at the tablet, but after a moment, her expression darkened, "Will I meet your mother too? I'm not sure I can be polite with her."

"Oh, no. Don't worry. This is just my grandma and my dad. Stella won't be around."

"Then I'm in!" Silah almost jumped with excitement. Even for the dwarves, introducing your partner to your parents was a big deal. Hera honestly had wanted to do that for a while, but it wasn't like she had a way to contact her grandma from Boothudurn.

"Great! I'll talk to them a bit, and I'll call you soon, ok? But feel free to do whatever while you're waiting. Maybe a TV show could help to give you some ideas how things work here," Hera gave Silah a peck on her cheek before heading to the balcony.

After taking a deep breath, she pressed the call button on Eridan's contact.

"Hey, goldilocks. Can you prove to my mother that I'm not going senile before her?" Eridan's eyes were red and puffy. It seemed like he had cried a lot before the call. By his side, Grandma Triss was staring at the tablet with an angry expression that broke down the second the screen changed, and the blonde explorer who she helped raised appeared with a big smile on her face.

"I'm not sure I can, dad. You always lose your keys and keep forgetting important dates. I think those are signs of old age," Hera chuckled, "But I'm still alive, grandma, that part is not just in his head."

"Hera…" Triss's hands were shaking, and tears streamed down her face, "How? I mean, they told us you died in an earthquake."

"Well… that's a very long story, so just sit down, grab some tea, or popcorn, or marshmallows. Man, I miss marshmallows," Hera sighed.

"Aren't you back? Can't you buy some?" Eridan asked.

"I can, actually. Let me check one thing while you two get some tea, water, and maybe some snacks. We are going to be talking for a while, and I don't want to hear no as an answer," Hera huffed, before going back inside to search for marshmallows. She didn't get a bag, but luckily, Blue got two. Using her hide, she sneaked to the kitchen and rescued one of said bags from the pantry before rushing back to the balcony. Alex and Bonnie just watched as Hera tried to be stealthy, but the explorer quickly got caught. Even so, they didn't say anything. It was so good to have those types of shenanigans going around again.

Hera talked to Eridan and Grandma Triss for a couple of hours, explaining most of what happened but leaving out some of the more gruesome details of her story. They didn't need to know that she was almost swallowed whole or how close the lava got to burning her alive. There was a barrage of questions about how this new civilization was, and if they treated her well and all that type of stuff. Hera held back on some of that information that felt a bit too sensitive, like how the dwarves ended up in that room and how their society was created because of a fire.

Then it was Hera's turn to ask about things. Grandma Triss was having a lot of fun doing several classes in the senior center. From dancing lessons to painting and pottery, there was even a small group of elderly trying their hand at video games. They were hosting tournaments and everything. Eridan was spending more time alone, which he said he enjoyed, but Hera could tell it was just a front. He chalked it off to being about work and how he had to focus on the production of new furniture now that they were getting a lot of new orders again. However, there was another big difference that seemed to be the true reason for that. Hera's apparent death ended up being a big thing for the city. When the guild started releasing more information about the MAZE, Hera getting a silver card so fast became a point of pride for the small town. Many people looked for Kingsley's woodwork to have something made by the father of the 'fastest silver cardholder,' but news of her death traveled even faster, and soon those new orders were more out of pity than anything else. But it wasn't all doom and gloom. Stella went to a few local TV shows and even started to be called to speak at graduations and other small events as a pseudo-celebrity. Because of that, she was barely staying home, and Eridan ended up staying in his shop, not to be in an empty house.

Just by hearing how Stella was doing, Hera already knew that this would end up badly. There wasn't a single cell in her body that doubted that her mother would, somehow, make her the villain for not dying. As a quick change of subject, Hera called Silah over so they could meet her new girlfriend.

"Grandma, dad, this is Silah. She's a crafter from Boothudurn, and we are dating," Hera changed the angle and her position so both of them could be in the frame.

"Hello… ermm… It's a pleasure to meet you?" Silah said, unsure where she should look at.

"Hello, Silah, right? Thank you for taking care of my daughter. I know she can be a handful at times," Eridan smiled.

Silah jumped at the sight. She still wasn't used to talking on a video call, "No. Don't worry. She helped me so much and, she's amazing!"

"I'm glad I'm not the only one who sees that," Eridan nodded.

"Grandma? Is everything ok?" Hera asked since Triss had an odd expression on her face.

"Yeah, yeah. It's just. I finally figured out your type," Triss said.

"What?"

"The first boy you ever liked was that transfer kid from California. The one who loved surfing. Then, there was the girl who wanted to give you scuba lessons and the boy who was always in the pool. You like tans," Triss explained.

"What? No, I…." Hera stopped for a moment and started to think. She always thought that she didn't have a type, but now, hearing it out loud, it fitted. Most people she dated were the type to stay outdoors for a long time, and their skin tended to be darker. It wasn't like she couldn't find other people attractive, but yeah, Triss wasn't wrong.

"Did you start dating me because I was the only tan person there?" Silah turned to Hera.

"What? No! Of course not. I asked you out because you are amazing, pretty, and caring. I never realized that tan thing until grandma said it," Hera turned to the tablet, "Did you have to tell me that in front of her?"

"What? I thought you would know your own type. Don't blame me if you don't pay attention," Triss scoffed with a smile.

"For the record, I'm not complaining. I got you, so whatever made you fall in love with me, I'm taking it. Even if you don't know the reason," Silah shrugged.

"I like this one," Triss said with a big smile.

They talked for a few more minutes before Grandma Triss started to get tired. Despite being early for Hera and Silah, for an old woman, it was way past her bedtime. After saying their goodbyes, Hera and Silah walked back inside. Everyone was sitting around in the living room laughing, with a bunch of food all over the place. Apparently, they had started their party, and Hera sure as hell wouldn't be left out of it. Not after all this time.