This would be our second child.
And it happened right before we were set to depart.
In the past, this would have sent me into a spiral of worry.
But this was now the fourth time a child had come along when I was heading out on a long-term assignment.
The anxiety was no different from before, but I had more composure than I used to.
It was truly something to celebrate.
What should we name this one?
A boy this time, or a girl?
Lucy, you're going to have a little brother or sister!
You'll be a big sister again!
I ran around the garden filled with joy… but— "L-Lady Sylphie is… oh, what do we do!?"
Lillia was in a panic.
Normally the picture of composure, she was pale-faced and torn.
"I'm the only one who can look after Lady
The plan had been for Lillia to accompany us to Millis to look after Zenith, with the household duties left to Sylphie.
And now, right in the middle of that arrangement, came the pregnancy.
That was one way to look at it, but leaving a pregnant woman behind for months on end was still a cause for concern.
Lillia was torn.
Should she go with Zenith, or stay behind to watch over Sylphie?
Seeing Lillia flustered like this made me feel like I should be flustered too.
Maybe this wasn't the time for innocent celebration.
When I'd first decided to serve under
But thinking back, that had been predicated on having either
Could this time be a problem?
I fretted and fretted…
"Um, I'm fine, you know. It's my second time, Roxy and
She was right. This was Sylphie's second pregnancy. She probably knew what to do and what not to do.
There were plenty of people she could rely on. Roxy might not be around often, but having
Yeah, that was right.
During the first pregnancy, it had just been
Aisha had plenty of experience looking after pregnant women now, but back then she'd had none at all.
When I thought about it that way, the current situation was clearly better.
It wasn't like I'd be gone for a year.
So it would be fine.
"That's right, we'll manage! I'll protect what's mine!"
"I won't be around during the day, which is a worry, but there are always people nearby, so I don't think anything dangerous is likely to happen," Roxy and Eris echoed.
Still, the seeds of worry wouldn't stop sprouting.
Lillia glanced down at Lara, who was standing nearby clutching the hem of Roxy's robe, and said: "But now there are children too, and the burden has only grown. Anything could happen…"
Children really were unpredictable, that much was true.
Lucy and Lara were both active little ones. Neither would intentionally attack Sylphie with malice.
But what if Lucy accidentally let a spell fly during practice and hit Sylphie dead-on?
What if Lara, perched on Leo's back, tried to head outside, and Sylphie panicked and tumbled down the stairs?
…No, I knew that if we started listing every possible accident, there'd be no end to it.
Either way, children were bundles of trouble.
It was agonizing. And I had no one to blame for the pregnancy but myself.
"Given my race, I probably can't have any more," Sylphie had said.
And I'd replied, "We won't know unless we try," with no thought for family planning whatsoever.
No, I certainly hadn't intended to conceive out of mere play. I'd been yearning for a second child for a long time.
It had been five years since Lucy was born, so I'd taken Sylphie's words at face value and assumed it wasn't possible anymore. Lately I'd stopped worrying about it…
In any case, there was no use lamenting now.
The responsibility was mine.
During this difficult time of my wife's pregnancy, I wasn't there for her much at all.
It had been the same with all three of them.
And yet—why did a child always come along right when I was about to set off on a long journey?
Was it some kind of curse on my lineage?
There was, of course, the option of delaying our trip to Millis.
Push it back by about a year. Be there for Sylphie's delivery. Then set out fresh.
By that time, it might be Roxy's turn, then Eris's, and we'd be caught in an endless chain—but still.
Considering the travel time to Millis, even a year or two of delay probably wouldn't ruffle any feathers on their end.
Same logic as with
Which reminded me—there was Cliff too.
Elinalise had asked me to at least be present at the start.
Cliff would go regardless of whether we accompanied him. I was fairly sure of that.
But in the span of a year, he could end up in a situation from which there was no return.
Whether it was Sylphie or Cliff, it all came down to the unlikely but real possibility of something going wrong.
Neither had any immediate urgency.
But I had to choose.
Cliff or Sylphie.
Work, or love.
Thinking about the future, the best move was to quickly establish a mercenary company in Millis and support Cliff on his path to becoming the next High Priest.
That was what served my interests best.
But was that enough?
If Sylphie and our child were suffering in the shadows, what would any of it mean?
Why was I helping Orsted in the first place? Don't lose sight of what truly matters.
"…………"
Just as those thoughts settled over me— Zenith suddenly stirred.
"Wha—? Lady Zenith?"
She moved with an eerie, dreamlike fluidity—no preparatory motion at all—and seized Lillia's hand.
Her grip was surprisingly strong. Lillia stumbled as Zenith led her forward.
Zenith was heading toward Sylphie.
"Um… Zenith… san?"
Sylphie was bewildered.
Zenith placed Lillia's hand gently onto Sylphie's shoulder.
As if to say: Lillia, you watch over this one.
As if to say: I'll be fine on my own.
"L-Lady…!"
Lillia's eyes glistened.
The occasional flashes of iron will that Zenith displayed—everyone in the family had noticed that they surfaced most clearly when her children and grandchildren were involved.
Zenith would want Lillia to look after Sylphie and the baby rather than herself.
Everyone understood that.
"Understood."
Lillia wiped away her tears and looked Zenith in the eye, nodding. Her expression was free of all hesitation.
"Aisha!"
"Y-Yes!"
Aisha had been staring blankly. Lillia addressed her: "You will take my place and look after Lady Zenith, escorting her safely to the Ratoreia residence. I will not tolerate any mischief!"
"……………Yes!"
Aisha hesitated for a moment. In all honesty, she probably didn't want to set foot in the Ratoreia household again.
But having witnessed everything that had just unfolded, she wasn't bad enough to refuse.
"Lord
"…Understood. I'm sorry for the trouble."
If Lillia was going to be there, there was no cause for concern about Sylphie.
I was certain of that.
I could go to Millis and focus on my work without a shred of worry.
"Sylphie."
"…What is it, Rudy?"
But there was one thing I had to say.
Something important.
"I love you."
"Me too."
Sylphie stood and gently wrapped her arms around my back. I buried my face in her hair and held her, careful not to squeeze too hard.
"I'll think of a name for the baby."
"Okay. Tell me when you get back."
She smiled, cheeks flushing softly.
Normally, there would still be some unease lingering at this point.
But behind Sylphie stood Lillia—a second mother she could count on.
After that, I gave Roxy and Eris each a hug, and we set out.
--- We were on the move.
Myself, Aisha, Zenith, and Cliff.
Just the four of us.
I'd pruned our luggage down, but it still ended up bulky. The stone tablet for communication and the summoning scroll for my Dragon Gate armor took up considerable space.
Weight wasn't an issue, since I was still equipped with the Mk. II modified. But no matter how strong you were, you only had two hands and one back.
A person's size didn't change, and carrying anything bigger than yourself made you unwieldy—like hauling an armful of empty cardboard boxes.
With all that baggage, we met up with Cliff on the outskirts of the city.
When I explained that our numbers had been reduced, Cliff was surprised.
But upon hearing that Sylphie was pregnant, his face broke into a broad smile and he offered his congratulations.
"From my position, your circumstances are hardly something to praise… but Lady Millis teaches that 'the birth of new life, regardless of what form it takes, is a joyous thing.'"
"I appreciate you saying that."
"I'll pray to Lady Millis that your children and mine become good friends."
No matter how much of a scoundrel I was in the eyes of the Millis faith, the children were innocent.
Well, the kids born from me might end up being quite the lady-killers when they grew up…
And when that time came, Cliff would probably lecture me again.
Actually, I'd be the one who needed to lecture them, wouldn't I? Yeah.
"By the way, do you know anything about the Ratoreia family, Cliff?"
"The Ratoreia family, huh…"
Over the past month, I'd asked Norn, Aisha, and Lillia—who all seemed to have an inexplicable aversion to the place—various questions about Grandma Claire.
To sum up, she was "a stubborn and strict person."
Norn would turn her face away and say, "My only memories are of being scolded for not being good enough." Aisha sighed and said, "She chewed me out for letting Norn-onee take the lead." And Lillia answered, "She's someone who places the utmost importance on bloodline and doctrine."
In short, all three of them had stayed with that household during their time in Millis and had been grilled quite thoroughly about family lineage and marriage arrangements.
As for me, though, I wasn't particularly worried about Claire.
Sure, just hearing the advance reports was enough to make you nervous about meeting her…
But I knew someone else who fit the bill of "stubborn and strict."
He was no longer of this world, but— Sauros Boreas
Eris's grandfather.
That old man valued different things from Claire, but he was unwavering in his convictions. Treat him with proper respect, and he'd respond in kind.
Claire was human too.
Even if she valued bloodline, I did have Ratoreia and Greyrat blood running through my veins.
The "doctrine" part was a little scary, so it might be best to keep my polygamy under wraps.
In any case, I'd survived in Eris's family home, where loud outbursts and physical force reigned supreme.
If I assumed Claire was something like a female version of Sauros, I'd probably be fine.
My sisters wrote her off based on warped childhood memories, but there was a very real chance that upon meeting her, she'd turn out to be someone a bit stubborn but ultimately warm-hearted and decent.
Like
Either way, I had no intention of standing between a mother and her daughter's desire to reunite.
I'd keep gathering information, though.
"She's one of the leading figures in the anti-demon faction, from a prestigious family that's produced numerous elite Temple Knights."
"I see."
The Holy Knights of Millis.
Come to think of it, my aunt Therese had been one of them.
I wondered how she was doing.
"When I was at Millis, I was still too young to know much, but Norn told me it was a strict household."
Norn seemed to trust Cliff; during her time at the academy, she'd consulted him about all sorts of problems. In the course of those conversations, she'd apparently told him about how the Ratoreia family had branded her a "disappointment."
Constantly compared to Aisha. An illegitimate child who couldn't even measure up to a bastard.
In response, Cliff had told her, "There's no need to compare yourself to others. Always strive to surpass who you are today."
And as a result, Norn had become student council president.
She'd never say it outright, but Norn clearly respected Cliff.
It hadn't reached the realm of romantic feelings.
But if Elinalise hadn't been in the picture, the two of them might very well have ended up together.
Wait, though—if that happened, it would mean the anti-demon Ratoreia family joining forces with the pro-demon Grimoire family.
No, no, that was different.
My daughter was a Greyrat.
The factional politics of the Millis faith had nothing to do with it.
"As far as I'm concerned, I can only pray that you become part of the Ratoreia family and not end up as my enemy."
"As if I'd ever become your enemy, Cliff."
"I trust you, of course. But sometimes things happen that are beyond anyone's control…"
Cliff said this with a wry smile.
Thinking about it, the situation was indeed complicated.
The Ratoreia family—Temple Knights, anti-demon faction, and Cliff's enemies. Was it worth forging a connection with them?
Well, the blood tie was already there.
So I just had to conduct myself as Rudeus Greyrat of the Greyrat family in the magic city of Sharia. As Orsted's subordinate. As the "Dragon God's Right Arm." And as Cliff's friend.
"I won't actively go out of my way to help you, Cliff. But I won't turn against you, either. If I'm lying, you can have one of my daughters for Clive."
"Hmm, that might not be bad. An engagement between my son and your daughter… yeah, I can see it."
"Ah, wait, hold on. Deciding your children's marriages for them is probably not—"
"I know, I know. I'm joking. Come on, let's move."
Cliff gave a soft laugh and started walking.
That was totally a joke… right?
But Lucy and Lara were both adorable, after all.
They'd surely grow up to be beauties who resembled their mothers.
Clive would grow up around those beautiful sisters.
His first crush would probably be Lucy or something.
Clive was Elinalise's son, so there was a chance he'd confess early and they'd start dating right away.
If it were some unknown punk, I'd think twice, but he was Cliff's son.
If Clive truly wanted it and got down on his knees begging me, I wouldn't refuse to let them date.
Of course, you have no business calling me father-in-law, but— "Onee-chan, you're gonna get left behind!"
Aisha called out, pulling Zenith's hand, and I snapped back to reality.
"Right, sorry, sorry."
In any case, this was all talk about the distant future.
With that thought, we followed after Cliff.
--- We stopped by the office to say hello to Orsted.
Then we descended underground and stepped onto the teleportation circle.
The Millis-side circle had been set up during a previous visit to the area.
Deep in a forest not far from the Millis capital. In the basement of an abandoned mansion.
You might wonder why there was an abandoned mansion in the middle of a forest, but in this world, a village near a forest could be suddenly swallowed up by its encroaching growth.
This had been one such village.
Beneath a mansion gone to moss and ivy, a magic circle glowed faintly.
The mansion itself was unmanaged, but the trees supporting it kept it from collapsing entirely.
Occasionally, adventurers from a nearby town would wander in, but the room with the circle was connected by a hidden passage, and I'd left a treasure chest in the room where the passage's entrance was located.
Inside was a bunch of mediocre magic-infused items, but most intruders would be satisfied enough to leave with that.
From there, we traveled on foot.
Since we were bringing Zenith, who was essentially incapacitated, the going was slow.
There were no powerful monsters near Millis, but we'd need to take our pace.
Oh, right—speaking of monsters.
When Orsted and I had visited this forest to set up the circle, I'd encountered a certain creature for the first time.
Goblins.
Those green-skinned, half-human-sized things.
Lustful, aggressive, and among the weakest creatures in the world.
They lived in groups, occasionally capturing members of other species to mate with and impregnate.
You couldn't reason with them. They viewed humans as enemies and attacked on sight.
But honestly, I sometimes wondered whether goblins were really monsters or whether they should be classified as a demon race.
They lived in caves deep in the forest, leading extremely primitive lives.
Dwelling in pit houses. Sustaining themselves through communal hunting.
Their craftsmanship was crude, sure, but they used tools like clubs and stone knives.
And from the brief glimpse I'd caught, parent goblins displayed something resembling affection toward their young.
I felt they were no different from early humans—just misclassified as monsters due to their low intelligence.
If only they could understand language, things might have been different.
But this was the Millis continent.
In the Millis Holy Land, creatures like that were not recognized as sentient beings.
Perhaps the reason goblins attacked humans without hesitation was rooted in that long history of conflict.
There had certainly been a history of struggle between goblins and the Millis Holy Land that I knew nothing about.
Come to think of it, goblins were rather pitiable creatures.
If only their habitat had been on the Central Continent instead. Things might have been different. They might have been recognized not as full-blown monsters, but as the lowest tier of demon folk…
With those thoughts drifting through my mind, I dispatched the goblins that lunged at us along the way without breaking stride, and headed toward Millis.
That said, I wasn't running a goblin protection society.
They were pitiable, sure, but if they attacked me, I wouldn't hold back.
Once we cleared the forest, Millis was about seven days away.
We stopped at a village along the way and purchased a horse-drawn cart.
Calling it a cart was generous—it was little more than a rough freight wagon. But it beat walking.
And the stone tablet was heavy.
I drove the cart along the highway.
This country had more open plains than the
The Asura Kingdom was mostly golden wheat fields, reminiscent of the American Midwest.
Here, the landscape looked more like Alpine pastures.
Asura was gold and green.
Millis was blue and green.
Both had plenty of green, and that was what mattered. Abundant green was proof of prosperity.
The monster encounters along the way were slightly more frequent in Millis, but only marginally so.
Compared to the Demon Continent or the northern lands, this was a lukewarm bath of an environment.
--- And so, I arrived.
Millis Holy Land. The capital city of Millis.
A beautiful city surrounded by lush nature and seven towers.
The same city where I'd reunited with
Interlude — End