— Leon Anemoi Greyrat —
Looking down at the magic circle that Arumanfi had carved into the basement of our house in Sharia, I placed my hand on my chin as I examined the piece of work.
"So I just input some mana, and this will take me to the royal palace?" I asked the spirit standing beside me.
"Yes. It is quite simple to use," Arumanfi responded. "Even one as ignorant in summoning magic as you should find it rather straightforward."
That last comment was unneeded.
But still, I was able to ignore it.
"And is there anything I should be worried about? Like, if it breaks or something?" I clarified.
"Ridiculous," he said, scowling in offence. "This is a creation of Lord Perugius. Do you think that such a thing would be imperfect?"
I… guess that was a no.
"Alright… then, thank you," I said, inwardly sighing. "And give my thanks to Lord Perugius too."
And thankfully, we now had a good use for the secret room of the basement that had previously stored that autonomous doll.
Speaking of that… I wonder how Zanoba was doing.
"…Understood," Arumanfi said, disrupting my thoughts.
And with that, he disappeared with a flash of light, presumably returning to his master's side in the floating fortress.
Well, at least that was done with.
And with me having already greeted my family that had stayed behind while I went to Asura, now that I was back home, there was only one thing left to do.
A meeting with my father… the person I had seen as one, and my actual birth father… as they were both one and the same.
It had been a few weeks since I had officially gotten married to Ariel, and with the assurance that there were no parties going after my two ladies that I had left behind, as well as Orsted and Perugius staying in the capital as another form of protection, I finally had some time to address the issue at hand.
So, with the teleportation circle that would allow my family to travel to and from the palace as we wished finished, I then made my way out of the house, heading straight for my parents' place.
Paul… Father should be home, right?
Well, even if he wasn't, I would just have to wait until he returned.
The snow crunching underneath my boots, and the air clouding with each breath, it didn't take long for me to reach the house.
I hesitantly raised my hand to the cold, wooden door, my heart pounding a bit harder than it was before.
I… was nervous, yes.
To deny it would be idiotic.
I wasn't really nervous as to what Paul would do, but rather what I would… or what I should do.
But before I could bring myself to rap my knuckles against the door, it flung wide open to reveal my two sisters.
"Brother!"
"Big Brother!"
With both of them running forward simultaneously, I quickly brought my arms out to catch them as they crashed into me, the two holding onto my neck as they pressed their cheeks against mine.
"Hey you two… I'm back," I said, giving them a light squeeze as they both leaned back to look at me.
"Mhmm! Did everything go well?" Norn asked from my right with a smile.
"Of course," I said. "It's me, after all."
"Yeah… but what took you so long?" Aisha asked from my left, her eyebrows raised in question.
"I just… made things easier for Ariel, you could say," I responded, averting my gaze.
I don't think it would be best to tell her that I murdered most of the important nobles of the kingdom, even if she would soon learn of it when she met Ariel.
"Hmm…? Really…?" Aisha said skeptically.
So that wouldn't work… ah well, just deflect and move on.
"Ahem! Anyway, you two are getting heavy, so how about I let you down now," I said.
With those words, I got two kicks to the shin as punishment as I set them to the ground, which wasn't too far from their feet.
They… really were getting older, huh?
Taking another look at the two, I could definitely tell that the attractive features of all three of my parents were beginning to show as they neared closer and closer to adulthood.
Haa… I would have to be on the lookout for boys soon, wouldn't I?
Well, that was technically Paul's job, but they were much too cute to leave it solely to him.
At least I knew that Norn was strong enough to defend herself, and Aisha was smart enough to protect herself, but… I was still worried.
I'm their big brother, after all.
Yes… I really am their big brother…
Even though nothing has really changed, there is something different in knowing that I truly belonged in this family, at least if we were talking about bloodlines.
It made me feel oddly… happy.
Or maybe comforting was the right word… comforting to know that even while they viewed me as their brother, there was now no way for anyone to think otherwise.
But…
"Huh? Hey, son of mine! You're back!" Paul said, walking over to the front door. "I guess you messed up the royal palace if it took you so long, eh? Haha! Man, I would love to have seen those bastards' faces when your ass walked in!"
But… there was also some frustration.
No… not just some… there was quite a lot.
"Huh? Hey, what's with that face, Leon?" Paul asked, calming his wide smile.
I wonder what face I was showing…
"There's… something we should talk about… together," I said, looking past him into the hallway. "Are Mama and Lilia home?"
"Hmm? Uh, yeah… they're in the laundry room," he responded, his goofy expression having completely vanished at my serious tone.
With some mana flowing into my demon eye, I was able to confirm what he said.
"Then… could you bring them?" I asked, looking back to him. "It's about… our family… and more specifically, me."
— Leon Anemoi Asura —
"So you're actually the King of Asura… how ridiculous," Paul said, shaking his head. "But aside from that… it's good you made things safe for Ariel. Even if your methods were a bit… violent."
"Yes… they were…" Mama added with a frown.
Needless to say, she was not very happy when I told her that I had bathed the royal palace in blood, even if I tried to lessen the shock with some more… civilized wording.
Paul, on the other hand, didn't seem to care, and as for Lilia…
"That's my Leon," she said with a proud smile as our eyes met, her hand reaching over to lovingly pat my head.
Yeah… I guess even after so many years, she still had quite the grudge against the kingdom's higher ups.
"Yeah, she's safe, and once Aisha goes back, things will start getting under control," I said. "Speaking of that… where's my dearest little brother?"
I was talking about Alaric in this case, as I had already met up with Rudy this morning when he came to greet me and observe the teleportation circle be installed.
It seemed that Rudy had taken quite a liking to summoning magic ever since getting a few lessons from Perugius, and he had been researching a way to use a spell to summon his magic armour when he needed.
An interesting idea, and a useful one, but I had a feeling that his desire wasn't necessarily bred from function… but rather from style.
Well… that was just like Rudy, after all.
"Ah, he's up in bed right now," Mama answered, smiling happily. "He played with Clive all morning, so he ended up needing a big nap."
I see.
Well, he was three, after all, although it must feel quite novel to my parents, seeing as Rudy and I had both been starting our paths in magic at that age.
But it was fine, to have a normal, childish little brother. But again, like with my kids, I would have to be sure he didn't feel an inferiority compared to the two of us… odd kids.
Still, for the moment, his nap was probably good.
After all, I don't think he would understand nor care about the discussion taking place right now, and the one that was about to take place.
"Okay… then I suppose I should simply say it," I said, taking a breath as I leaned forward. "You know that Orsted knows quite a bit about the world, right?"
The three nodded their heads.
While they had never met him, Rudy and I had told them enough to know the basics of the man, including his oracle-like knowledge.
"Well… let's just say through some… interesting methods… Orsted knows who my father is," I said, feeling my emotions begin to rise.
No, calm down, Leon.
Getting all emotional wouldn't help anything right now.
My parents seemed a bit surprised at this.
"Really? Do you… know him?" Lilia pressed, her eyebrows furrowed.
You could say that, yes, considering he was in the room with us right now.
"That bastard, leaving a woman out on her own…" Paul hissed as he crossed his arms.
Uh… yes… he is quite a bastard… but I am talking about you, you know.
"Really? Who is it?" Mama asked.
And that… was the big question.
Closing my eyes, I took a breath before I slowly raised my head, looking directly into Paul's green eyes.
He blinked.
I continued staring.
He blinked again.
And still, I continued staring.
His eyes widened as he slowly pointed to himself, a hint of recognition beginning to form in his head.
I narrowed my eyes and nodded.
"W-What!? T-That… how!?" he suddenly shouted, standing to his feet.
"How else do you think, you bastard!?" I shouted back, meeting him as I stood up. "Y-You! You… are my real father…"
My words trailed off as I slowly sat back down into my chair, my anger giving way to a feeling of sadness.
What the hell was I even supposed to do?
Should I even care?
I had long learned that family was more than just about being connected to someone through blood, so what was even the point of revealing this… of arguing…
While I was ruminating to myself, both of my sisters came up to me, both snuggling against my sides, as if trying to give me some comfort.
It worked… kind of.
But still…
I slowly looked back up at Paul, who had taken a seat as well, massaging his forehead as he seemed to be lost in thought.
Was he trying to remember how he could have ended up creating me?
Well… even if he didn't… I couldn't blame him.
He would have been only sixteen when it happened, after all. Mama wasn't even part of their adventuring party yet at that point.
And that was the main reason I couldn't feel angry.
Just… despondent? Disappointed?
I didn't even know.
If he had taken responsibility and given my mother the family and stability she deserved… would he still be with Mama?
I doubt it.
Even if he was unfaithful, even in marriage, he was a man who would absolutely take responsibility, so I doubted that he would take the chance to start another family with another woman.
And if he didn't get with Mama… then Rudy wouldn't be born… nor would Aisha and Norn.
A world without them… could I really feel a sense of regret about that?
And then there were the many worlds Orsted had seen where, in nearly every one of them, Paul abandoned Alice.
In some ways, that made it worse, as there was no version of my father that treated Alice well, but on the other hand, things playing out like they did… it was some sort of fate, right?
Haa… it was just too tiring to be angry.
So I wasn't.
Wasn't angry, I mean.
Instead, just… sad.
Sad that I didn't even have the chance to wish things had changed, considering the consequences of what would happen if things had been different.
"I… love my family… our family… so it's not like I would want to change anything," I began, trying to sound out my thoughts to everyone else. "But… I still miss her. My Mom, I mean. She… she deserved better."
Yeah, that was one way to word it.
She deserved better than being abandoned and burdened with me.
"Oh, baby…" Mama said, slowly shuffling toward me.
"Leon…" Lilia said, joining her.
With four sets of arms wrapping around me, I felt a bit of that sadness disappear, melted away by their warmth and love.
It felt nice.
It felt comforting.
But… that wasn't exactly what I was looking for when I came here.
"Leon… son, I…" Paul stammered, struggling to find his words. "I… I'm sorry."
He then bowed his head.
Despite all his mistakes, it was an incredibly rare sight for the man to bow so deeply, so I knew that he was serious with this gesture.
"I… I was an idiot, and… well… like you said, I can't say I regret everything that happened in my life since then… but I'm still sorry… son," he said.
I stared at him for a moment before suddenly sighing, feeling the last of the residual anger leave my body.
He was definitely getting off too easy.
And shouldn't this be a more defining moment for our family?
But alas… that wasn't the case.
Even if I was actually his son, it didn't really change anything between us and our family.
And even if he made a bad mistake in the past… there was no way to change it, and even if I had the chance to… if I could go back and force fate to follow a different path… I couldn't say that I would take it.
No. In fact, despite how hard it would be, I wouldn't dare try to change things.
Haa… whatever.
I was too tired to care any longer.
Besides, I was back home after nearly two months of being away in another country, fighting for the kingdom's succession.
This was a time that should be a bit happier… even if the circumstances made it unable to be all great.
As Mama and Lilia turned their head's back to my father, I saw that the two of them were giving him harsh looks as he continued to hang his head in shame.
Well… even if I wasn't giving out any punishments… I guess the two of them had it covered.
But now that there were only my sisters at my side… I noticed that they were acting a little… odd.
I looked at them as the continued being attached to my sides, both of their faces constricted in matching pouts.
Why did they seem so upset?
Was it because our father was a bastard?
No, they had long since accepted that he was an ass in the past.
So… what was it?
"So… Big Brother… you're my real brother…?" Aisha slowly asked.
"Yes… that is the case," I answered, nodding my head.
The two of them visibly deflated.
"A-And… you're sure of this?" Norn asked.
"Uhh… yes… I'm pretty sure," I said.
Besides, between the swordsmanship and looks, there were too many similarities between my father and I to discount Orsted's words.
"I… see…" Aisha said despondently.
What? What was with them?
And why was Lilia giving them such an apologetic look?
I was about to ask more, but before I could, I sensed a presence at the door, and a moment later, said presence made itself known.
"L-Leon! You're here!" Rudy said after opening the door.
"Yes… and good timing, there's something you should know," I said.
He looked at the six of us in confusion before shaking his head.
"Never mind that! I… need your help," he said, hanging his head.
I raised my eyebrow in question.
"You… you have four wives now, right?" he hesitantly said, looking up at me as his eyes darted from side to side. "So… I think you're the best one to ask for advice…"
Uhh… what was going on?
The only thing that should be happening today is…
Oh.
It was then that I remembered that now was the time that the school year came to an end, and the previously sixth year students graduated from the University of Ranoa.
And this year… the graduating class included a certain pair of beastfolk princesses.
From the look on Rudy's face, the nature of his request for advice, and the memories of a certain promise between the three… I had a feeling I knew what trouble my brother was currently facing.
— Leon Anemoi Greyrat —
"So… you want to go over that again?" I asked Rudy, who was currently sitting across from me in my house's study.
"Yes… well… Lilia and Pursena… they graduated… and then right after, they decided to have a duel," he said.
I nodded my head as I took a slow sip of my tea.
"Pursena won… and Lilia lost… so it was decided that Pursena would go back to rule her tribe and fulfill her role as princess, while Linia would stay here and… marry me…" he continued, explaining the main problem of the situation.
So Linia would be all but abandoning her duties… well, at least Gustav seemed to have foreseen something like this happening and sent Minitona and Tersena here to study.
Thinking of the two beastfolk princesses that Rudy was having trouble over… well, maybe this was a good thing, all things considered.
Even if they ended up spending most of their free time with Eris, those two were much better candidates for a ruling position than their older sisters.
"So? Is there anything else?" I asked.
"Yes… I told Sara about it… and she… didn't take it well," he said, frowing.
Well, yes, I would have assumed so.
"I see… then, are you going to break the news to Linia?" I asked.
Rudy made an odd face.
"Well… you see… I kind of already accepted their proposal when we were travelling together, so it would be bad of me to go back on my word now…" he explained.
…Huh?
I… was initially going to be pissed at him for not rejecting the sudden proposal, but with such a reason holding him back, I couldn't find it in myself to be mad.
After all… a promise, even from long ago, wasn't something to be forgotten so easily.
"And… she's really sexy…" he added, a lustful smile forming on his lips.
…Never mind.
Give me back my trust, brother.
"Well, you'll have to just make a choice then," I said, shaking my head. "Even if she's not part of the Millis Church, not every girl is one for polyamory, Sara included. So you'll have to weigh your choices between the current family you have now, or the one with the 'sexy' Linia. I don't have to tell you which one is the right choice, do I?"
I… really didn't have to, right?
Rudy frowned at me.
"That's the thing… Sara isn't necessarily against me having another woman," he said.
…Excuse me?
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"It was a few years ago, after the two of us reunited… after we got back from the inn that night, Sara and I had a… talk," he explained. "Basically, seeing you with Eris and Sylphy, and already having heard about our father, she told me that she wouldn't mind me having another woman as long as I told her beforehand."
Hmm… I guess I could see that happening.
Sylphy had told me that one of the reasons she was able to accept everything so easily was because she had the experience of being with Mama, Lilia, and Paul after they settled things. And while Sara didn't necessarily have that experience growing up, being exposed to such a thing, and seeing that it didn't mean the women were miserable, could definitely open someone up to the idea more.
"Alright… and I assume you told her about Linia before doing anything with her, right?" I asked.
He nodded his head.
"Then… what's the problem?" I asked.
Rudy frowned a bit.
"Well… the main point of it all, is that Sara doesn't think Linia loves me… and thus, she doesn't want to have a family with her…" he explained.
Again, thinking of Sylphy, she had also demanded that I only be with other women that loved me and our family as well.
Not that I planned on having any more… but that wasn't the point right now.
Thinking back on my memories of the beastfolk girl, Sara certainly had a reason to be suspicious.
There were not many, if any, times I had thought of Linia looking at Rudy in a romantic light… rather, it was more just plain lust.
But oddly enough… sometimes, that girl's demeanour reminded me of Eris before she mellowed out a bit.
Of course, that really only spoke of her immaturity, to be compared to the child Eris… but also, that meant that she might very well have actual feelings for this brother of mine.
"And?" I asked. "Do you agree with Sara's judgment? And more than that… do you love Linia as well? Enough to have a family with her?"
It didn't take a genius to know that one of the main reasons that Linia wanted to be with Rudy was to have children, likely due to his strength.
She was a member of the beastfolk, after all.
But if the two wanted to have children together… well, I wouldn't want that to be a bad decision.
Rudy's eyes turned resolute as he flashed a smile.
"I do love her. And I know she loves me. While she might be a bit of a tsundere, with our time crossing the continent together all those years ago, I know that I reinforced the 'dere' side in her," he said, nodding to himself.
…I wasn't quite sure what nonsense he was talking about, especially with such a proud expression, but at least there seemed to be real feelings there.
"Then… isn't there only one thing left to do, idiotic brother of mine?" I said, getting up as Rudy frowned at me. "Go talk to them. Together. And talk to them seriously. I'll watch Lana for you while you do, but don't come back until everything is sorted out."
Communication was important, after all.
"W-Well, but… haa, fine," he said, eventually relenting to my words as he stood up. "This is the job of the man of the house, right?"
Exactly.
"And besides, if I want to ravish those two beauties, I should put in some work myself!" he proclaimed, giving me a proud smirk as he pressed his fist to his chest.
…While I loved him and was proud of him… this dear brother of mine really knew how to disappoint me at the most opportune moments.
Well… at least I'll be able to see my cute niece for a while.
— Rudeus Greyrat —
"S-Sara?" I said, giving her my best smile. "My beloved wife?"
The only thing I got in response was a pair of narrowed eyes as she continued rapping her finger against her arm.
Right… this wasn't going the greatest.
Well… I guess I should have expected this.
I mean, it's not like I would accept her wanting another husband, even if she had made a promise to them in the past.
I wasn't a fan of NTR, even if it made me a selfish hypocrite.
"Do you… hate this after all?" I asked.
"Of course I do!" she shouted, her tone harsh, as if she was scolding me.
Usually, I would end up feeling quite aroused by that tone, but right now… I couldn't find it in myself to be.
"I said you could have another wife if you couldn't handle yourself, but not just some random woman!" she shouted, pointing at me sternly. "I've seen your parents and your brother's families. I know they're all happy together. I can accept that! But! That only works because they love each other as family! Because they wouldn't want their home to be destroyed! They aren't just doing it on a whim!"
I lowered my head a bit at her volume.
She was really angry, huh?
I seemed to have messed this whole thing up.
Dammit, brother. 'Just have a talk together' my ass!
I didn't already have everything set like you did!
I slowly looked over to Linia, who had taken to covering her ears as she meekly looked a way.
An action that was so unlike her.
That proud, temperamental princess that I had come to love… she wasn't one to take words like that sitting still.
So… why?
Was she that affected by my wife's scolding tone?
But either way, for the sake of my hopefully future wife, and likely future bearer of my children, I should stand up for her.
"Sara… she… isn't taking this lightly… and neither am I," I said, looking back at her.
She raised her eyebrow at me.
"Is that so…" she said, having gone back to her normal volume, before she looked over to the woman beside me. "Then please tell me, Linia… do you really love my husband?"
Taking a breath, I then looked over to the woman in question, her cute cat ears twitching as she raised her head.
"O-Of course, nyan! I wouldn't get married to anyone, you know! Only Rudy is good enough for a woman like me!" she proclaimed, having stood up to make her point.
Well… I didn't mind hearing that at all.
Especially with how her breasts jiggled at her movement, the nipples pressing nicely against the fabric while her thighs-
No… you're getting way too far ahead of yourself, Rudy.
There was an order to things here, after all.
Even if she was incredibly sexy…
"Rudy," Sara snapped.
Whoops. It seems that my inner thoughts had somehow appeared on my face.
Seriously, my Sara was much too good at reading me.
Even Linia seemed to know something, judging by how she was sniffing the air while looking at me with a knowing smile.
"Haa… whatever, back to the point," Sara said, shaking her head. "So, Linia… you say you love Rudy, right? Then why… why do you love him?"
"W-Why…? Hmm…" Linia said, her expression turning contemplative as she rubbed her chin in thought.
Uh… not giving me a lot of confidence there, Linia.
"I guess… because he's strong!" she said, slamming her fist into her hand. "And not only that, but his brother and father are strong too! So that means that between us, we'll definitely have strong kids!"
Uh… I guess that wasn't the worst reason…
But that didn't seem to be the same for Sara, as her expression had turned back into a frown.
"Because he's 'strong', huh? Is that all? Then, does that mean if Leon or that Dragon God came and asked to take you to bed, you would leave and go with them?" Sara asked.
Linia's eyes widened in surprise.
Had… had she never thought of that before?
I don't know whether to take that as a compliment or not.
"W-Well… maybe if I hadn't met Rudy… then I wouldn't mind it," Linia slowly started to explain. "But! But… strength isn't the only reason I l-love him…"
As I looked over to Linia, I felt my body freeze at the sight.
Her cheeks were flushed red while her eyes darted to and fro, trying to avert from Sara and I's sight.
It was… incredibly different from the Linia that I knew… and incredibly cute.
Was this the famous gap moe?
I… I approved. Very much so.
And while I doubted Sara was as enraptured in the sight, she was mutually surprised nonetheless, at least from what her wide eyes were telling me.
"He… when we travelled together… he never looked down on me for being stupid," she said, clenching her fist. "When I didn't understand something, unlike my father who would only get angry, or my grandfather who would only be disappointed… he would explain it calmly until I understood, and if I didn't… he wouldn't hold it against me."
I felt a warmth blossom in my chest at her words.
Were these her true thoughts?
Were they really so… vulnerable and sweet?
Ha… now I really wanted to take her to bed.
Like, this instant.
"S-So yeah… I do love him… and even if he isn't the strongest, if there is one thing that I am, it's loyal!" Linia said, having regained her energy, her tail flicking upwards. "So… so, please let me have some babies with Rudy!"
That was… quite the way to finish off her declaration of love.
I looked over to Sara, only to see her eye twitching slightly.
But only slightly.
"So bold…" she mumbled, closing her eyes as she released a sigh. "Haa… fine."
She then turned to me with a frown.
"Rudy. You're doing double the chores for the next month, understood?" she said, poking my chest. "And don't forget that Lana is your priority, so don't forget that just because you have a new girl to have fun with. And don't even think for a second that I'm sharing a bed with the two of you, understood!?"
"Y-Yes ma'am!" I said, getting onto my knees.
D-Did this mean…?
"And Linia…" Sara said, turning to her as her expression calmed into a neutral one. "We'll have to discuss some things in private… especially about a schedule if we end up having one… but for now… welcome to the family, Linia."
And like that, our little family of three became one of four.
Though… I had a feeling that Zenith isn't going to be very happy about this development.
But at this point, with having two instead of four, I was only half as bad as Leon, so it should be fine… right?