—Karmila, I have to go find them —said Cornelia, barely able to stand as she tried to leave the house. An older woman was trying to stop her.
—Calm down, Cornelia. With that body, you won't get anywhere. Don't worry, I sent that idiot son of mine to watch over them while staying hidden —Karmila said quickly, holding her by the arm.
—Mom, we're back! —came a sudden shout as the house door opened and Cana called out excitedly.
Cornelia immediately turned to the entrance, anxious to see if her daughters were alright.
—Cana, Kara, how dare you…? —Her voice trailed off as she saw the person they had brought with them.
Gildarts was holding Cana in his arms, while Kara stood beside him.
—Hello, Cornelia. It's been a long time… —said Gildarts, guilt evident in his voice.
—Gildarts… —Cornelia whispered, staring in astonishment at the last person she ever expected to see in her home.
Suddenly, Cornelia fainted. Fortunately, Karmila was still holding onto her, preventing her from hitting the ground.
Gildarts set Cana down with her sister and quickly picked up Cornelia in his arms. He then carried her to the magic vehicle he had rented to bring the girls back. Without wasting time, Cana and Kara got in with him, and Gildarts drove straight to the guild… or, more precisely, to the forest behind the guild, where Porlyusica lived.
After some time waiting while Porlyusica examined Cornelia, Cana, worried, had fallen asleep on Kara's lap. After all, the journey had been exhausting and stressful for a child.
Then, the door to the room opened, and out came a woman with pink hair, wearing a large red cape, her characteristic grumpy expression in place.
—How is Cornelia? —Gildarts asked urgently, gripping Porlyusica's shoulders. Annoyed, she struck him to make him let go.
—She's safe for now. You arrived just in time —she replied, pretending to wipe off where Gildarts had touched her—. I've discovered her illness. It seems her body couldn't handle giving birth to two sources of such high mana, so she's suffering from something called "mana drain" —she explained, glancing at Kara and Cana—. If they're Gildarts' daughters, that makes sense.
Hearing that, Kara felt guilty.
—Does it have a cure? —she asked quickly.
—Yes, there's a treatment. But with it, she'll lose all her mana and won't be able to have children again —Porlyusica replied.
—That doesn't matter, as long as Cornelia is alright —Gildarts said without hesitation.
—Then you'll have to go find a plant called Moon's Awakening. In the meantime, I'll put her in a coma to prevent her body from further weakening —Porlyusica informed them, noticing the seriousness in Kara and Gildarts—. She'll stay here until then. You have one week. Now, get out of my sight… I hate humans —she finished, throwing them out of her house.
Cana woke up at that moment and rubbed her eyes.
—Is Mom okay? —she asked sleepily.
—Yes, she'll be fine. She just needs to rest —Gildarts quickly reassured her—. For now, you can stay at my house while I search for the plant.
He took them to his home, which was near the guild.
—If you get hungry, here's some money. You can also buy clothes or anything else you need —he said, leaving a huge bag full of bills, an exaggerated amount for two little girls.
After showing them where they could leave their things and sleep, he took them back to the guild, where he asked the master to look after them while he gathered information on the plant.
It didn't take him long to discover its location, as there had been an active S-rank mission for ten years with the objective of finding the plant. Without a second thought, he took the mission and bid farewell to his newly found daughters. But saving Cornelia was his top priority.
During the week, Cana frequently visited the guild, as the people there were very friendly and she enjoyed their company. Kara, on the other hand, spent all her time reading magic books.
When the last day of the week arrived, both of them waited outside Porlyusica's house, anxious for Gildarts' return, as they hadn't heard any news about him.
—I hope he gets here soon… I want to see Mom wake up —Cana said, staring intently at the path Gildarts was supposed to take.
—Tsk. I hope that nonsense about destiny being unchangeable isn't true… —Kara muttered worriedly, looking in the same direction.
Then, both of them widened their eyes in surprise as they saw someone running toward them at full speed.
As the person got closer, they realized it was Gildarts… and he was in terrible shape. He had several cuts on his chest, some of which were still bleeding.
—I made it… in time… —Gildarts said with difficulty, reaching Porlyusica's doorstep with the plants in his hands.
Upon seeing his daughters, he gave them a smile… and then collapsed, fainting from blood loss.
—Sigh… I guess he's not such a bad father… maybe —muttered Kara as she called Porlyusica and handed her the plants. Then, she began inspecting Gildarts' wounds to apply medicine.
The injuries didn't seem too deep, but the exhaustion on his face was evident. He had likely been pushing himself to the limit all week to find those plants.
Kara and Cana quickly applied medicine and bandaged him as best as they could. Cana even made him a pillow out of leaves to make him more comfortable.
—Having a dad is great, isn't it? —Cana said with a smile, looking at her sister.
—Maybe… —Kara responded, looking at her fondly as she patted her head.
After a while, Porlyusica came out of the room and informed them that Cornelia had woken up. Without wasting a second, Kara and Cana rushed inside, leaving Gildarts lying outside.
—Mom! —both girls shouted upon seeing their mother with her eyes open.
—Sigh… you two really are little devils —Cornelia said with a smile as she looked at her daughters.
Cana grinned and threw herself into her mother's arms, hugging her tightly, while Kara held her hand firmly.
—I'm sorry for worrying you. I'll be fine —Cornelia said gently—. Where is…? —she suddenly asked, remembering the person who had saved her life.
—He's lying at the entrance —Kara answered with complete nonchalance.
—Haha… I guess I owe him a lot too —Cornelia said with a soft smile.
—It's best for you to rest. In three days, you'll be able to go home. The treatment will last a few months —Porlyusica quickly explained.
—I… don't know how to repay you —Cornelia said, a little embarrassed.
—That idiot already paid me. You just need to follow the treatment —Porlyusica replied immediately. Then, she kicked the two girls out, as Cornelia was still too weak to receive visitors.
Just as they stepped outside, Gildarts woke up and shot to his feet.
—Is Cornelia okay? Did I make it in time? —he asked urgently, worry in his voice.
Porlyusica looked at him with irritation.
—She's fine. In three days, you can take her home. Now get lost… I hate humans —she said, slamming the door in his face.
Gildarts sighed in relief, knowing Cornelia would be alright.
—Did my girls miss their dad? —he asked enthusiastically, pulling Kara and Cana into a big hug.
—Ugh, let go! You stink! —Kara protested, trying to push him away.
—Hahaha! Your beard is prickly —Cana laughed.
Gildarts kept teasing them playfully as he took them back home. However, upon arriving, he realized the place was too small for his daughters.
—I'll have to buy a bigger house…
Without wasting time, during the three days Cornelia remained in Porlyusica's care, he took the girls to search for a new home. However, finding one wasn't easy. The moment sellers saw Gildarts, they rejected him outright. Having him as a neighbor could either raise… or drastically lower property values.
Fortunately, there was a house right in front of the guild, big enough for a family. Plus, the neighbors were Fairy Tail fans, so having Gildarts as a neighbor made them happy.
That's how Gildarts bought the house, giving Cana and Kara their own space. Both decorated their rooms to their liking, enjoying their new home.
When the three days passed, Gildarts went to pick up Cornelia.
—Thank you for all your help, Gildarts —Cornelia said, sitting in a wheelchair that he patiently pushed while Cana flitted around them. Kara, on the other hand, walked calmly by their side.
—Don't worry… I owe you so much that I don't know when I'll be able to repay it all —Gildarts responded, glancing at his daughters.
—----------------------------
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