Leon Greyrat: The Second Son – Mushoku Tensei OC

Chapter 119 – The Greyrat Family

— Leon Anemoi Greyrat —

Leaning back into the sofa, I cast a glance over to the five kids who had all fallen asleep in front of the fireplace, their bodies splayed out over the new, and extremely comfortable, fur rug from a monster of the northern territories.

I guess that was a good purchase.

Even if it was to be destroyed tomorrow, just giving me this incredibly adorable sight was enough to pay it back tenfold.

I just hoped my wonderful wives would return from their night out with Rudy’s women in order to see it.

Smiling softly, I shook my head as I returned to my diary, taking my newly-acquired pen in hand.

It was quite the handy invention, where the ink would automatically refill for constant writing, but that was just what you would expect from Shizuka.

‘K427, Third Month.

We are nearing the end of winter, and with it, our family has been blessed once again.

Eris was pregnant. 

It had taken a long time, considering how she didn’t completely halt her training like when she had Ars, but she was incredibly happy about it.

I was as well, of course… even if the prospect of becoming a father of six at 22 was a bit daunting… but either way, her pregnancy had brought about another problem.

Laplace.

Or rather, the plan to defeat him.

I had promised to let her fight with me, and I was fairly certain she could hold her own, but I was having doubts about wanting to risk her safety. 

And now with her new condition… I definitely didn’t want her joining us.

From what I could tell, she still hasn’t realized how I feel about it yet, so I suppose I would need to bring it up soon… though I’m certain that she won’t like it, nor take it well.

But knowing how happy she was at having another child, maybe she would be able to put aside her wish to fight alongside me so that she doesn’t strain herself… or perhaps I would need to wait until she had birthed the newest member of the family, even if I didn’t want to.’

Yeah… that was something I would need to get in order soon, since the promised time for the fight was in around two months.

“U-Ugh… cold…” Anna mumbled as she cuddled closer to Aria.

Chuckling under my breath, I grabbed a blanket that was draped over the back of the couch before tossing it over to them, completely covering the cold Anna as she released a pleased hum from under the fabric.

Well, with that settled…

‘The kids were also growing older, with the younger ones beginning to show some of their personality. 

Emilia, surprisingly, seemed to be the lazy type, where instead of playing tag with the other kids, she would prefer getting out first and spectating, cheering on her sisters and brother when she could… or just laying down.

Roana, on the other hand, while liking to play around with the others, was a bit on the quieter side. It was an enjoyable respite compared to the chaos that was Aria and Ars, but it was also a bit concerning at first.

After all, it wasn’t exactly normal for a child to tell you that they were hungry with a pout instead of a cry.

But still, like always, we adapted and got through it, and while she might be quiet, she was still a happy, healthy, and playful kid all the same.

And also… she was able to use the Migurd’s telepathy.

This was confirmed by Aria, and after closely observing the two of them when they used it, I was able to see the mana in the air being transferred.

It was nice for the two to have that connection, but I was a bit afraid of the trouble they might get into with such a useful tool that could even evade my senses if I wasn’t concentrating.

But thankfully, according to Aria, Roana was just as quiet with telepathy as she was normally, so she wasn’t giving my oldest a headache with internal screaming.

But on the opposite end… well, I just hope that the Migurd’s telepathy was able to be turned off… for Roana’s sake.

Perhaps her quiet side would change when she started to learn how to speak, or maybe she was simply like that with the telepathy influencing her quiet side a bit, but either way, only time would tell.

And then… Ars.

He was the same happy, active, and excited kid as before, with a more developed body letting him get into all the trouble he could want.

There was just one issue…

For some inexplicable reason, he had taken to the enjoyment of running around naked.

Did it matter if it was before bath time or bedtime?

No, he would do it whenever he wanted.

He would do it before dinner, after dinner, before playing, while playing, when he was hungry, when he wasn’t hungry… he simply loved to spontaneously take off his clothes and run around, happily laughing as he tried to evade his mothers and I as we tried to catch him.

Really, what a troublesome kid.

But I guess that wasn’t the worst trait for him to have… as long as he grew out of it, that is.

I didn’t want him picking up too much of Paul’s blood, after all.

Now, as for the older two, Aria and Anna, not much had really changed with them.

Aria was getting better at magic, having already learned how to cast most basic magic without a chant, and with a skill that could rival most Beginner-rank magicians.

At this rate, she would be even better than Sylphy, and maybe even reach her uncle’s level if she continued training hard.

And then for Anna, well, she really had taken to the sword.

She liked magic too, but just to the level of being a tool, kind of like me.

While she wouldn’t talk to me as much, according to Sylphy, she really liked how I trained, and enjoyed how I weaved swordsmanship and magic into a single fighting style.

I knew she liked watching me train, but it was heartwarming to hear it… kind of.

I would still prefer if she enjoyed my hugs as much as Aria did, but I was able to look past that.

Ironically, although she was the coldest to me of my children, she may have the strongest connection in terms of abilities.

Anyway, with her ambition set aflame with a love of swordsmanship, we have started doing some light sparring with her, both Eris and I taking turns to get her started.

Gently, of course.

I didn’t want her generally dismissive attitude towards me to turn to hate, after all.

Not to mention how scary Eris could be when she was seriously training someone… I still feel bad for abandoning my brother-in-law Julian like that.

Well, aside from that, the rest of the family was doing good as well.

Aisha was truly taking the reins of the kingdom as Ariel’s assistant, Paul had distinguished himself as one of the strongest knights of the Kingdom of Ranoa, Mama had founded her own clinic with Lilia as her helper… and most importantly, Norn had graduated.

Having graduated as the student council president, she was a very highly-sought after prospect for any employer, especially if you considered her familial connections.

But that could wait for the future.

After all, she was only thirteen, and currently, she was more interested in using her new plethora of free time to start writing seriously, as she had already submitted a book to the library detailing our travels throughout the Demon Continent.

And also… well, I suppose she was taking the time to foster deeper relationships, particularly with Nico, the brother of Carla, the orphanage caretaker I had hired so long ago.

Hmm… I truly wonder if they would soon be a couple, considering how she was getting to that age now where one would start thinking of relationships.

Luckily, with Nico, I won’t have to scare him too much as I had already trained him up to an Intermediate Water God swordsman, so he knew what I was capable of.

And even then, Norn was more than capable of putting him in his place since she was an Advanced-rank swordswoman, specializing in the Sword God.

But yes… times were changing, and the next time I write such a large entry in this diary, I will probably have finished up with Laplace.

So, if you’re reading this, my dear family… I love you all very much, as I’m sure you’ve already read from the earlier pages, and I will continue to love you in the future.’

Yeah, that was good.

Placing down my pen, and leaving my diary open for the pages to dry, I then looked over at the little pile before me, all of them having manoeuvred to get under the blanket.

Hm… that looked awfully comfortable.

And it was getting to the point where the whole family couldn’t sleep in one bed…

Yeah, I think it was time for me to get some of my energy back.

Thinking such, I made my over before sliding under, gently lifting Emilia and Aria to have them rest on me instead.

Yeah… perfect.

— Aria Greyrat —

My name is Aria Greyrat, the first daughter of the household, and the main student of Dada’s magic lessons, and as such, I had a big responsibility!

Dada and Mama always told me how proud of me they were, giving me warm happy feelings, and always told me how they could always trust me to look after my little siblings as the oldest of the family.

I was the big sister! 

The one that would help the family when Dada and my Mamas couldn’t!

So when I noticed that the grown-ups were acting weird, there was only one thing I could do!

Sneaking time!

This was a technique I had practised more and more, such as whenever I wanted candy at night or whenever I wanted to scare one of my parents.

There was even a time when I saw Dada and Mama playing after bedtime in their room!

When they scolded me for doing the same thing!

How dumb!

I was even going to give them a piece of my mind, but before I could, Mama Ariel picked me up to stop me, telling me to ‘let them have their fun.’ with a weird smile on her face.

It was after bedtime! What didn’t she understand!?

But… that was beside the point.

While I got caught most of the time, I was det- deter… I really wanted to not get caught this time!

And I had even gotten some help!

“Aria… what are we doing again?” Anna asked from my side.

“Shh… just follow my lead,” I said, quieting my dear sister.

Silly Anna… the most important part of being sneaky was being quiet!

But it was a big sister’s duty to guide their siblings!

And so, with that set, we began to crawl through the house, keeping low as I sneaked into the kitchen with Anna trailing behind me.

“So? Are we doing it?” Mama Eri said.

“Of course! It’s her first one, so it deserves this much preparation,” Dada replied.

“Yeah, but… as you said, it’s her first one, right? Should we really do it like this for her first one?” Mama Sylphy said.

“It’s because it’s her first time that we should do this. After all, there won’t be another chance as good as this,” Dada said.

“Mmm… I suppose it can be fun, but I think she would be more than happy with a regular one,” Mama said.

“Oh, come on. Let him have his fun. You know he’s been waiting for this, right?” Mama Ariel added.

“Haa… fine. But don’t take it too far,” Mama said.

“I won’t…” Dada said.

Wait… what were they talking about?

I… I heard that Dada was going to fight a bad guy soon, but was it happening already?

Was he… about to leave?

Already?

I felt some tears begin to trace down my cheeks at the thought.

Sniff!

“Huh? Did you hear something?” Dada said.

Darn it!

I stopped being sneaky!

Darn tears!

“For the living room!” I whispered as I dragged Anna with my hand, crawling as fast as I could.

Crossing the hallway into the dining room, and again into the living room, I pulled us behind the chair in the far corner to hide from anyone that decided to chase after us.

“Aria… you know that Papa is a master swordsman, right? He definitely noticed you,” Anna added.

Silly girl, didn’t she know?

“Hmph! It’s always the student who surpasses the teacher!” I said with a wide smile.

She simply narrowed her eyes at me.

Seriously, did she not trust me at all?

In that case, I definitely needed to show her what a strong and dependable big sister I was!

And that started with this!

Slightly peeking my head around the chair, I looked over the room, noticing that while all the candles had somehow gone out, no one was around.

Hmm… ah! They must have been blown out by my speed!

Yes, that was the only answer!

But since the coast was clear… I guess we could continue our investigation.

“Onward!” I whispered, getting back to my feet.

“Ugh… fine,” Anna said, joining me.

Good!

Gently stepping past the chair and towards the centre of the room, I stopped as I noticed how quiet it was.

“Uh… Aria?” Anna said, confused.

“I know…” I said, squeezing her hand for comfort.

It was also dark.

So dark that I couldn’t even see past the door… that wasn’t normal, right?

This almost reminded me of that spell Dada showed me that took away all the light in an area.

But why would he do that?

Did something-?

““Surprise!””

In an instant, light returned to the room, with the fireplace and candles burning in a bright warm flame as my parents appeared in front of me, with my other siblings held in their Mama’s hands.

I, of course, could only muster one reaction.

“Kyaa!” I screamed, flailing backwards, only to be caught by Anna.

“Sorry, Aria… but were you surprised?” she said with a teasing smile.

This little sister! She tricked me!

My dignity will never recover!

“Happy birthday, Aria,” Dada said, walking over to pick me up. “You’re five now, so we have to hold a celebration!”

There was something like that… but it wasn’t meant to be a surprise party!

This… this was all Dada’s fault!

Grr…

“Oh? What’s with that pout? Are you that angry?” he said, beginning to flick my lip up and down, causing me to make a silly sound.

Do not laugh, Aria… do not laugh or smile. That would just be playing into his hands!

“Ah~ see? I told you it was a bad idea,” Mama said, holding Roana as she came over to brush the hair out of my forehead. “Aria, don’t be too mad at your father. He just wanted to make the family’s first birthday memorable… even if it was a dumb idea.”

“Hey!” Dada exclaimed.

Seeing their silly exchange, I couldn’t help but form a small smile on my lips.

Ah!

No!

No smiling! Aria was angry!

“And there’s the pout again… oh dear, it seems like you’ve really messed up this time, darling,” Mama Ariel said teasingly to Dada.

“Honestly… and you even recruited Anna for your little game,” Mama Sylphy added, shaking her head in disappointment.

So she already knew it all!

How… how could he!?

I sent an angry glare over to Dada, watching as he sighed.

“Fine, fine, I get it. Not a good idea, my bad,” he said, shaking his head. “So, my dear Aria, what should I do to earn your forgiveness?”

Oh?

Hmm… yes, that might work.

“Present,” I mumbled.

“A present? But that was supposed to be for after dinner and cake… but I guess we can do one of them now,” he said, putting me back down.

My eyes widened at the mention of cake.

Oh… this was going to be a great birthday!

Dada then walked over to the nearby cabinet, unlocking the bottom drawer as he then pulled out a paper-wrapped box.

Kneeling in front of me, Dada gently passed it to me.

“Usually, this is meant to be given once you cast a beginner magic… but that custom doesn’t really apply for this house,” he said as I unwrapped the gift, revealing a box. “So just consider this a present to help you with magic, and also to show you how proud I am.”

It was pretty, like the one that Mama used for her few pieces of jewellery, with a weird blue metal engraved over the dark wood.

Was… was this it?

It was pretty, yes, but…

No, I… guess that this is fine, but it felt a little…

“Open it, Aria.”

Oh!

So there was more!

Quickly finding the latch on the side, I gently opened the box, revealing a beautiful… stick?

“Dada… what’s this?” I asked, tilting my head in confusion.

“It’s a wand, sweetie. A tool to help you with your magic, although you don’t really need it,” he replied.

“A wand… is it like the one you sometimes use, Mama Sylphy?” I asked her, my eyes wide in wonder.

“Yes… although mine is more for sentimental value,” she said, sending a smile over to Dada. “This one should be a bit better. Your father really tried hard to get you the best one. Even I think it’s a little too much for a five-year-old…”

“It’s alright. We’ve been over safety a bunch, so I can trust her,” Dada said. “I… I think.”

Wow… a magic wand.

A real magic wand!

Gently taking it into my hand, I ran my finger down the polished white wood, going all the way to the tip, where a large, beautiful purple stone was enclosed in a band of white metal, glowing slightly, almost like a star.

It was definitely pretty. 

Good job Dada!

But more importantly… the magic… the little specs of mana I could feel in my body and around me… they were so much bigger!

Well… not exactly bigger, but… they felt stronger, and I felt like I could take them and use them whenever I wanted.

How… how cool!

“Thank you, Dada!” I said, jumping into his arms with a wide smile on my face.

“Of course… you’ll get more presents later from your mothers, so be content with this for now,” he said, squeezing me back. “We can try it out later, okay? It amplifies your magic quite a lot, so you have to be careful to know your limits.”

“Okay…” I said, nodding my head. “I loveeee you, Dada!”

I loved him so much!

But at the same time… because of that, I was really worried about how he was leaving soon.

I know he’s left to do important stuff before, but this time felt… different.

It was a little scary.

But I knew he would come back.

He was Dada, after all. The strongest and awesomest in the whole world!

“Yeah… I love you too, sweetie,” he said back.

This was definitely, without a doubt, the best birthday ever!

…Even though this was my only one so far.

— Leon Anemoi Greyrat —

Nearly a month had passed since Aria’s fifth birthday, and with it, came the coming of the fifth month of the year K427… which meant that it was time to end Laplace, just as I had promised to Ruijerd.

While there was technically no rush, there was the issue of the North God getting annoyed with waiting too long, and more importantly… Eris was pregnant.

Some would say that her being out of commission was a reason to delay the fight, but for me, it was the opposite.

After all, it was a legitimate reason for her to not come… and despite my promises, I really didn’t want her to join, and that thought had only been growing over time.

She was still a swordswoman that I respected, and she was strong enough to match up to Ruijerd at the moment, but I still didn’t want to risk anything, especially after Orsted had explicitly warned me that she might not survive the fight if she joined.

Of course, that meant that Ruijerd was at risk, but that was different.

After all, he had a large stake in this fight, both for personal revenge, and a chance to have his name and the name of the Superd lauded throughout the lands for their deeds in vanquishing Laplace, hopefully earning the trust of most humans, at the very least.

And also, no matter how much I appreciated our friendship… he was not my wife, nor the mother of my children.

But… that really didn’t fix the current situation, did it?

“What!? The hell are you talking about!? Of course I’m coming!” Eris said, poking my chest with a snarl.

“Eri… you’re pregnant. We both know you can’t,” I said, gently touching her belly.

Now that she was entering her second trimester, it had swelled enough to show a visible bump, something that I found incredibly attractive even if Eris called it ‘annoying’.

I wonder… would this be another daughter, or would Ars finally be getting a brother?

Either way, I was excited.

As for the names… well, I’ll leave that up to her.

It was the least I could do, considering that I had broken my promise.

“T-That… that doesn’t matter! I’ll go with you regardless!” she shouted.

“And risk the baby?” I asked, causing her to pause. “You know how long and how hard it was… do you really want to risk it now?”

She gritted her teeth, her face flaring in indignation as she tried to form a response.

“But… you can’t just…”

“Eris,” Ruijerd said, cutting off her angered mumbles. “Stay with your child and your family.”

“Ruijerd… stay out of this,” she said, sending a glare his way. “You… you can’t know how I feel about this, being told to stay home all safe And cozy while Leon fights against the damned Demon God.”

“No… but I can understand your frustration completely,” he said, shaking his head. “Tell me… why are we fighting Laplace?”

Eris paused.

“I have only heard a bit, so I can’t call myself completely informed, but Leon has decided to defeat Laplace in order to protect your family, correct?” Ruijerd continued. “Then, do you not think that having someone at home is an equally important duty?”

Eris flinched before gritting her teeth again.

“Yeah, I get that! But that’s what I’ve been doing this whole time, while this guy goes and does a bunch of dangerous stuff!” she said, poking my chest.

That hurts, Eris.

Please be gentler.

“Then, if that is the case, can you not trust him once again?” Ruijerd said, causing Eris to stop once more. “While I have not been in Leon’s position, I can understand his feelings completely. And as things are now, rather than help him, you being present would increase his chances of dying.”

Even I widened my eyes at this.

That… was a bit harsh there, Ruijerd.

“Leon… is that true?” Eris said, turning to look at me with narrowed eyes.

Shit… you’ve put me in quite the position, Ruijerd.

Well… it’s not like I could lie very well in front of her anyway.

“Normally, that wouldn’t be the case, since I consider us equals on the battlefield. But since I’d also be protecting our child…” I said, my words trailing off as the unspoken answer hung in the air.

The answer being that I would absolutely sacrifice myself for her.

And honestly, even without the baby, I would probably do the same… so forgive me for the small lie, Eri.

Silence reigned between the group for a few moments before Eris’ fist shot out, striking me right in the stomach and causing me to let out a sharp breath of air.

“Fine. I get it. I’ll stay back like always,” she said, pouting a little.

First, ouch, but deserved.

And second… while that face was cute, I didn’t want her wallowing in self-pity the whole time I was gone.

I better give her something to look forward to.

“Look, Eri, this is only because you’re pregnant and that this is the Demon God we’re facing,” I said, reaching out to brush my hand against her cheek. “After this, we’ll likely need to face the apostles of the Man-God before taking his head, and maybe even the Millis Church. I assure you that I’ll need you for both of those things.”

Her eyes perked up.

Got her.

“Really? You promise?” she asked.

“Promise… for real this time,” I said, nodding my head.

She mulled over it with a silent glare for a few moments before releasing a sigh, as if releasing all of her anger into the air.

“Got it. But you better come back, understand?” she said, grabbing my collar. “If you don’t, I’ll definitely hate you.”

“I got it,” I said, giving her a short peck on the lips. “I will definitely come back. After all, I wouldn’t dare miss any of my children’s births.”

She gave me one last scathing look before she suddenly grabbed the back of my head, pulling me into a kiss, only letting me go a minute later.

Well, with that… exciting send off, I then turned to the rest of my family.

“Well… it’s time,” I said, giving them a small smile. “Just as I promised to Eri, I’ll be back before you know it. The only thing you guys should be worried about is how annoying the fame of me slaying the Demon God will be.”

“Right… I should have expected this when I fell for you,” Roxy said, walking up to me. “You do some crazy things, you know?”

“Yeah, but it’s all for us,” I said, giving her a kiss before looking down at the bundle in her arms. “Are you gonna say goodbye to me too, Roana?”

The little girl in question simply extended her arm, reaching out to squeeze my nose in response.

Well, I suppose that was all I could ask for.

Next, was Sylphy.

“I can take care of the home, Leon, and I’ll make sure Eris doesn’t do anything crazy,” she said, wrapping her arms around me in a hug. “So… come back, okay? And when you do… I have also been wishing for a second child as well.”

“I see… well, if there wasn’t an incentive before, then there definitely was one now,” I said, kissing her forehead as I traced my finger down her hair.

She stared at me with dazed eyes for a moment before pushing me away, but not before giving me a small peck on the lips.

Right, best not to get too excited here when I was about to leave.

And then, there was Ariel.

“Darling,” she said, placing her finger under my chin with one hand as she held Emilia with the other. “I can trust you know what you’re doing and how much you can handle. I won’t say anything more than that. So, when the battle is over, and you’re tired and spent… I’ll be here for you to rest your head.”

“Uh… okay,” I said, feeling my cheeks heat up a bit.

That was quite… passionate, and comforting too.

I guess that was the power the words of a queen could have when used against the one she loved.

“Mou! Ariel, that’s cheating!” Sylphy said to the side with a cute pout.

In fact, both Roxy and Eris looked a bit peeved at her display as well.

“Ah, apologies, girls. It was simply what I felt needed to be said,” Ariel said before she looked at me again. “But alas, like them, I will also ask you to come back to me.”

“Yeah… I promise,” I said, leaning in for a chaste kiss before I did the same to Emilia’s forehead. “And you don’t make too much trouble, alright?”

“Un!” she replied.

“Good girl,” I said with a smile.

And lastly… were these three troublemakers.

With Aria wearing her usual dress with her wand strapped to her waist, Anna doing the same but with her wooden sword, and then Ars standing behind the two with a wide smile.

They really were a bunch of cute kids.

Crouching down in front of them, I pulled all three of them in for a group hug before resting my hands on Aria and Anna’s heads.

“You three as well, don’t make things difficult for your mothers,” I said, to which they all nodded.

“Aria, keep practicing your magic,” I added, giving her a kiss on the head.

“I will!” she replied happily.

“And Anna, keep training your swordsmanship. Mama Eri can help you, but you can ask Grandpa Paul as well,” I said to her, giving her a kiss on her head as well.

“Got it…” she replied, squeezing me a bit tighter. “And… be safe, Papa…”

Hngh!

Gah, she really was adorable.

“You don’t have to worry about that,” I said before turning to my only son. “And Ars… well, I think you’ll be fine. Just be good, okay?”

“Got it, Dad!” he said, smiling wide.

Yep, as cheerful as ever.

Giving each of them a kiss on the head one last time, I then let go of them as I stood up, taking in the sight of the beautiful family I had lucked out on getting.

“I love you all, and I’ll be back in a month or two,” I said, smiling at them.

“Those are dangerous words, Leon,” Roxy said with a small frown that soon morphed into a smirk. “But then again, you’ve never cared for tempting fate like that.”

“Exactly,” I said.

With the exchange with my family done, I then turned to the other group that were saying their final goodbyes.

“Rudy, just… don’t be an idiot,” Sara said, narrowing her eyes at him.

“I’m not even doing anything dangerous. I’ll be fine,” Rudy said, hugging her tight. “It will be a quick adventure, and then I’ll be back with you three, just as always.”

“Tsk. You better… And Leon,” Sara said, looking over to me. “Make sure he comes back, got it?”

“Of course,” I replied.

He was my little brother, so I was planning on doing that anyway.

Besides, as Rudy had said, he was essentially the key to the seal, and afterwards would stay by Orsted until the battle was over.

After all, even with the magic armour, his fighting style was a very bad matchup for the one sometimes called the ‘Magic God’.

“Hehe, I know Rudy won’t take long getting back,” Linia said, placing her arms on Sara and Rudy’s shoulders with a mischievous smirk. “After all, he only recently got a taste of what three girls at once can be like~”

“L-Linia!” Shizuka shouted, running over to clasp her mouth closed with her hand. “T-That… what is wrong with you!?”

…Well, I didn’t need to know that, but congratulations, brother.

Letting the four get their… argument over with, I then turned to the last five who had come to see us off, that being our parents and three other siblings.

“Well… I think you got hounded enough by your wives, so I’ll let you be,” Paul said, giving me a nod. “I wish I could go with you… but I’m getting a bit old, so I wouldn’t want to slow you down.”

…Sure. It was definitely because of your age that you couldn’t fight Laplace.

“Leon, you’re going to the Demon Continent again, right?” Mama said, to which I nodded. “Then don’t pick up another woman, got it? And don’t let your brother do it either.”

“Mama… come on,” I said, my smile straining as I tried to keep it up.

I was not that unfaithful… and nor was Rudy… I think.

Lilia, on the other hand, simply gave me a smile, as did Alaric.

No words needed to be said for me to know how they felt.

And then, there was Aisha and Norn, both of them having grown old enough to begin showing signs of maturity that I did not want to distinctly point out.

“Have fun, Big Brother. But not too much fun, alright?” Aisha said, running up to give me a hug.

“I won’t,” I replied.

“Brother… the person you’re fighting is strong, right?” Norn said, also walking up to me.

“Very strong,” I said seriously. “But our group is pretty good too.”

“Right… well, I just want to say, that even if you lose, don’t forget that you can just run away,” she said, giving me a smile. “Surviving is much more important. To me and everyone here.”

“Right… I’ll keep that in mind,” I said, kissing the top of her head.

Running away, huh?

I guess that was always an option… but I didn’t plan on losing here.

I had prepared for way too long, after all.

And with that, the last of goodbyes had been said.

Ruijerd, Rudy, and I then made our way inside my house, down to the teleportation circle in the basement that would take us to the floating fortress.

“And the rest of the group… where are they?” Ruijerd asked.

“They’re at the floating fortress already, so we best not keep them waiting,” I said, stepping into the circle as the other two follow suit. “Then… let’s hope this doesn’t take too long.”

Because while I had prepared for over two years to face the Demon God, I had much more important things in my life to focus on.

So let’s make this quick.

With Rudy’s mana flooding into the magic circle, my vision blurred as I felt the familiar weightlessness of teleportation magic.

Now… let’s meet the others, shall we?