— Leon Greyrat —
"Uhh…" I said dumbly.
"What is it, darling?" Ariel asked, moving her hand to caress mine that was pressed against her stomach. "Is there perhaps something wrong with me?"
"N-No, not necessarily," I said, trying to find the right words.
Ariel appreciated conciseness, right?
So I suppose I should just say it.
It was just… this was kind of something important for me as well.
"Well… you're pregnant, Ariel," I said, looking up at her.
Her eyes widened slightly in surprise before she calmed her expression into an understanding smile.
"I see… that certainly makes sense, considering how much we have been doing it recently, and it explains why I have felt a bit nauseous lately," she said, sending me a smirk with lidded eyes. "And I had certainly been wanting it, no?"
Yes… she certainly had.
Aside from the erotic words that she would often shout in bed, asking me to 'fill her up' and 'make her a mother', she had also been ensuring I did exactly that by locking her legs around me and not having me cast a contraceptive spell afterwards.
I guess the princess wanted an heir.
"But… isn't this bad timing?" I said, worried. "We'll be aiming for the throne soon, right?"
Wouldn't a baby get in the way of that?
"Ah, but that makes this the best timing," she said, nodding her head confidently. "Not only do I now have proof of being fertile, a risk that would be quite disastrous for a female ruler, but by the time I graduate, I will have an heir that has survived infancy. An heir that I will quite obviously know is mine."
Yes… that was true.
While men were the ones usually in power among royalty and nobility, the best trait about a woman being in power would be knowing that their heir is actually their heir, considering she would be the one giving birth.
So with her having a child now, by the time the next ruler was chosen for the kingdom, Ariel already had the next line of royalty secured, increasing her legitimacy.
"Besides, aside from my increased standing for the throne, that isn't the only reason I have wanted a child," she said, her voice softening as she grabbed my chin, turning my head to look at her.
Her eyes were really pretty…
"After seeing the other three with their beautiful children, and how warmly you look at them… it is only obvious I would want to feel the same, no?" she said before kissing my lips. "But alas, it seems I won't have to worry about that anymore. So thank you, darling."
"Yeah… you're welcome," I said, smiling back.
The two of us shared a gentle moment, looking into each other's eyes as we rested on the bed, before Ariel then moved to get up.
"But with this, I will also have to speed up my plan, as it wouldn't be good for an heir to spend most of their lives outside the capital," she said, adjusting her hair in the mirror. "I was able to gain the support of the Fittoa region, luckily enough, but they won't choose sides for now as they need monetary support from the capital for their development, and will instead lie low until I make my move."
"But it's still good to have one great family's support, right? Even if it's only promised for the future…" I said, getting up as well.
"That is correct," she said, nodding. "But still… it is not enough. At least in front of the influence my brother is gathering inside the nation uncontested. At this point, while I have no doubt in taking the throne, I would be worried about the enemies I would have afterwards."
"Well, that's why you have me," I said, wrapping my arms around her from behind. "And as for those enemies… well, I can just take care of them before they become a problem."
"Hmm… for some reason, despite how stupid and childish that sounds, I can't help but feel aroused by those words," she said, tilting her head up to kiss my jaw. "But I suppose that overprotectiveness is the reason I fell for you in the first place."
"Is that really the reason?" I asked.
"One of them," she returned before separating from me. "Anyway, while there is no school today, that does not mean I can remain idle. We have our camp's meeting at lunch, so will you be joining?"
"Perhaps," I said. "I know that Eris can handle guarding you by herself, but I'm a bit worried of how she'll act around Luke."
"Ah, those two don't get along very well, do they?" Ariel said with a difficult smile.
Well, it was more like Eris not getting alone with Luke, but I suppose that didn't matter much.
And 'didn't get along'… that might be a bit of an understatement.
"Yeah. I don't want Roxy to handle all the kids at once, considering it's her day off, so I'll ask my parents if they're fine watching Ars and Anna, and I guess I can let Aria play at the orphanage…"
My voice trailed off as I looked out the window, watching as three figures made their way through the snow towards our house.
It was the eleventh month of the year, which meant it was quite cold, so it was rare to see someone wearing such light and revealing clothing outside.
Outside of Eris, there was only one person I could think of who dressed like that.
But if it was her… well, it had been nearly exactly three years, so I suppose it wasn't too surprising.
"Leon? Is there something wrong?" Ariel asked.
"No… it's just… it seems that we have company," I said, moving to head downstairs.
To think that today, not only would I discover that Ariel was bearing my child, but I would also be meeting Big Sis after so long… well, I always knew I was a lucky man.
And considering the other two, if they're who I was thinking of… well, Eris might be just as lucky as me.
— Leon Greyrat —
After a big happy meeting between Big Sis, Eris, her two friends and I, we then all sat down in the living room, with only Roxy absent, as she had decided to leave earlier to do some shopping.
I had expected for Ariel to take this time to announce her pregnancy, but apparently she wanted to keep it a private affair for now, which made sense, considering that she would be revealing an imminent state of vulnerability that her enemies might try to use against her.
Even if I knew that Ghislaine could be trusted, it wasn't something that should be talked about to anyone.
"You have quite a large family, not that it's completely surprising," Ghislaine said, smiling at me as she then looked at my family. "You are the son of Paul, after all."
"Please don't say that…" I said, rubbing my head.
I didn't want to get reminded of the fact that not only had I taken more than one wife, like my dear father, but I had actually taken four, making me worse than him in that regard.
And unlike before, where I held the moral high ground of having everyone agree to such a thing beforehand, with Ariel joining us, that was no longer the case.
Haa…
The pain in my ear from Mama's protests upon hearing the news of Ariel still feels fresh, even if the two got along.
"So… was your trip fulfilling?" I asked her.
"Mmm… you could say that," she said, her lips curling up into a soft smile. "While I still believe that my brother and father's feelings toward me are unimportant… it was still nice to reconcile."
"I see… well, I'm glad," I said.
I then looked over to the couch, where Eris was currently sitting with Ars on her lap while Minitona and Tersena were on either side of her, squishing close to their friend as the looked at her baby in wonder.
Apparently, Gustav did not trust his granddaughter too much, and considering what I knew of Linia, he wasn't necessarily mistaken.
So, knowing this, and with Ghislaine heading up here anyway, he asked her to take the younger set of beastfolk princesses to Ranoa in order to study and hopefully become smart women that will be able to take over their older sisters' positions should their idiocy become too much.
But I didn't really care about that.
I was just happy that Eris was able to reunite with her friends again.
Though… seeing the heated glances that she was sending them… and then to me… I had a feeling there was more going on inside her head than simply being glad at their reunion.
While no longer a noble, she was still a Boreas Greyrat at heart, and even I had to admit that the two's ears and tails were quite charming.
But still, that look was a bit scary.
It reminded me of how Ariel sometimes acted around Sylphy and I.
So perhaps, Eris would want to play with them in a… different way, but for now… I think she was just glad to see her friends again.
Or at least… I hope so.
"Anyway… those two are joining the dormitories in the university, right? But what are you going to do?" I asked Ghislaine.
"I… think I will stay with Philip, Hilda, and Julius, and ensure that he grows into a good swordsman," she said, looking down at her sword. "While they should be out of danger, it is the only thing I can do with my skills."
Ariel, who was holding Anna, turned to Ghislaine.
"Ah, but you are a Sword King, no? And even Leon has praised your skills," she said with a smile. "So I don't doubt that you can have many opportunities should you look for them."
"Hmm… I do enjoy fighting, but I still feel an obligation towards them, who saved my life and gave me purpose," Ghislaine said, shaking her head. "Besides, I have been travelling and training for nearly all of my life. It wouldn't be bad to settle down now that I am getting older."
"I suppose so…" Ariel said, humming thoughtfully.
She probably wanted to ask her if she would like to join her once she takes the throne of Asura, but I think Ghislaine had already made her choice.
"Well, if it's training my brother, I've already started on that," Eris said, passing Ars to Tersena as she stood up. "But more importantly! Ghislaine… I've gotten stronger!"
Ghislaine formed a warm smile as she nodded at her. "I can tell. Do you want a spar?"
"Obviously!" Eris huffed.
The two women weren't ones to wait around after such a challenge, so with Sylphy deciding to get started on lunch, and my two youngest children going down for their naps, I went outside to watch their duel with the two beastfolk princesses and my very own princess joining me.
With me clearing the ground with some fire magic, the two swordswomen took their stances on the opposite ends of the yard, their hands hovering over their hilts as they stared at each other.
"Hm? What are they doing, Dada?" Aria asked, tugging my collar.
"They're about to spar," I answered. "It's like training."
"Like when you and Mama Eri fight in the morning?" she asked.
"Yeah, that's right," I said, patting her head.
Though that was more of a way to increase our skills rather than see who was stronger, like what was happening here.
"Hmm… but the air seems a bit tenser than usual," Ariel added.
"Well, they're both Sword God practitioners, so their spars are usually finished after one move," I explained. "It's not like when Eri or Rudy and I practice, where even if we weren't training, it would still take a few exchanges. For these two, the battle is decided… in an instant."
I watched as the touki flared across both of their bodies, and casting a small sound barrier to block what was coming, the muffled crash of a sonic boom resounded through the air as they both leaped forward.
If it was the Eris after returning from the Sword Sanctum, perhaps this would end up as a draw, or at least closer to it.
But ever since birthing Ars… Eris had grown much stronger.
Not only did she now have a family to look to whenever she needed more determination, but while training with me, she had also picked up some tricks from the Water God and North God styles.
Her techniques were still purely the Sword God style, of course, but whether she was trying to copy me, or perhaps using some methods that the current Sword God used, she had begun to morph the fluidity of the Water God and the unpredictability of the North God into her strikes.
And the result of that?
Well…
"Grk!"
Compared to Ghislaine, Eris was now in her own league in terms of swordsmanship.
Passing Aria over to Ariel, I then went over to Big Sis, who had kneeled down as she held her side that was beginning to leak blood, while her sword was stuck into the ground, seemingly deflected by Eris during their exchange.
How impressive.
Pressing my hand against the gash that had been cut out of her side, I began to heal her as Ghislaine looked over at Eris with a satisfied smirk.
"You… you have grown incredibly strong, Eris," she said. "You should be proud."
"Hmph! It's obvious I would get stronger!" she said, casting her gaze over to the house. "After all… I have something important to protect now."
"Is that so… well, still, I congratulate you," Ghislaine said, calming her breaths back to normal. "I cannot give you a title, nor do I think you care, but at this moment… you should consider yourself a Sword Emperor."
Eris simply shrugged, appearing nonchalant to all of Ghislaine's praise, but if you looked closer, you could tell there was a smile tugging at the corner of her lips.
Ha… she really was adorable.
Perhaps I should tease her about this later tonight.
— Roxy Greyrat —
Lifting my head from my book, I looked over at Leon and Aria, who were both sitting in the living room with me, the lit fireplace bathing the room in a warm light despite the darkness past the windows.
"Dada! Can I have another cake?" Aria asked, looking up from her father's lap.
It seems that Leon had started doing some basic lessons in magic for her, consisting mostly of meditation, which was difficult for a child.
I would say that such endeavours would be useless until she could read, but considering it was Leon and his unique methods we were talking about, I decided to let him take the reins on her education.
It was cute to watch them, after all.
"A cake? Haven't you had one already?" he asked, looking down at her with a raised eyebrow.
Aria averted her eyes a bit. "Nope! Not one!"
A lie.
It was quite obvious to anyone who would care to witness it, but it seemed that my husband decided to pretend nothing was wrong and remain ignorant to his precious daughter's deceit.
"Really? Okay then, I'll get you another one," he said, Aria's eyes lighting up in happiness.
But before he got up, he paused, a flash of amusement flaring within his eyes.
Ah… so he did notice.
Playing pretend… he really enjoyed teasing his loved ones, didn't he?
"But you know, Aria… your ears turn red when you're lying," he said, his voice lowering as he whispered into his daughter's ear.
They didn't, but Aria didn't know that.
"Huh!?" she exclaimed, instantly covering her ears with her hands, causing Leon to break out in laughter.
"But alright, I guess I can't tell, so let me get you another one," he said, picking up Aria and placing her on the couch as he went over to the dining room.
My eyes following him as he departed, and I could easily tell that my lips were spread out into a grin at the previous display, as well as all the things beforehand.
Yes… I really loved watching them.
Perhaps it was selfish of me, but while I loved seeing Leon's gentleness with Ars and Anna, when he played with Aria, it filled me with a completely different level of happiness.
But that was fine.
After all, even if I doted on Aria a bit more than the other children that weren't from my womb, it would be fine if Ars and Anna had their respective birth mothers doting on them more in return.
And then Ariel's future kid…
Ah, well, either way… it was really nice, to watch them be together.
It also reminded me of memories of my own childhood.
Memories that were no longer so painful to look back on now that I had reunited with my parents.
Yes… that was a very good idea indeed.
I would have to thank Leon once again for taking me all the way there for something so small and… well, not inconsequential, but something with little importance compared to many of the things that my husband faced.
And speaking of that… I was slightly worried.
It happened after learning of the enemy known as the Man-God, or perhaps a little before it, but I had noticed that ever since then, he had been a bit… distant.
No. Distant wasn't the right word.
It was more… he tried very hard?
He tried very hard in terms of our relationship, that is.
No… that wasn't quite right either.
He had always put his best effort into loving me and the other three, but recently… it had been more desperate.
As if he had something to prove.
I didn't really understand, and at first, I had thought it had to do with the Man-God making things difficult, but now that I thought about it again… I wasn't sure.
I wanted to help him, but I knew more than most that helping without understanding anything could easily lead to disaster.
Of course, I had asked if something was wrong, but he easily waved off my concern.
If it was only that, I would have put it out of my mind.
He trusted me, after all, and when it came to emotional intelligence, he was honestly better than me in many ways, despite my age.
So I thought I could leave it to him.
But instead of it causing a realization within him, that sense of desperation only increased around me from then onward.
But, oddly enough… that desperation couldn't be found around Ariel.
Perhaps that was it?
He must be worried about getting her to the throne.
Or more accurately, he knows that afterwards, he will have to focus on Ariel more than the rest of us, both for the public optics and Ariel's safety, and wanted to ensure the three of us knew how much he loved us while he could.
It was a ridiculous notion.
I knew he loved me, and after spending forty years of my life without a hint of romance, it wasn't as if I would go crazy with loneliness as soon as he turned my attention away from me.
I didn't know any way to calm that feeling of desperation of his other than constant reassurances, which I had already been doing.
And besides… even I didn't enjoy seeing him like that, afraid that his love was not enough for me… I would be lying if I said I hated the extra attention.
Was it selfish?
Absolutely.
But… Leon was selfish too, so… it was fine, right?
At the very least, if that desperation became too much, I was always here to make him feel better, just as the three other women he's captured with his devilish charms would, I was sure.
So for now… I just needed to keep making sure he knew that he could always rely on me, just as I did for him.
"Now don't make a mess, Aria, okay? This isn't the dinner table," Leon said, walking back into the living room with my daughter's second helping of dessert.
"Okay!" Aria cheered.
"I have a feeling you didn't listen, though," Leon said, sighing as he looked over at me, our eyes meeting as I smiled at him. "Roxy? Is there… something wrong?"
"Hm? No… not at all," I said, shaking my head as I then leaned forward, resting my chin on my hand. "It's just… I love you, is all."
"Oh…" he muttered, his face gaining an adorable blush, a rare but very pleasant sight to see. "Well… I love you too."
Yes… he did.
He did indeed.