Chapter 4 – New Home

Chapter 4 – New Home

— Leon —

“Well... this is where we part. If you guys ever need anything, just come find me. I’ll do my best to help you out,” Paul said, a hint of guilt in his voice.

No, not a hint. There was quite a bit of guilt there.

Lina, who had been giving Paul the cold shoulder for the past week, released a long sigh.

“Right. Just... take care of Leon and Zenny. Leon especially deserves to finally have a good place to call home,” Lina said.

“And take care of the new kid too, got it? If Zenny comes running back to me crying because you cheated or were a bad father, I’ll race back here to make you regret it,” she said with a glare.

“H-Haha! Yeah, I get it, I get it,” Paul returned.

Looking at the slightly gloomy group, I couldn’t help but feel my mouth twist into a frown.

The Fangs of the Black Wolf was a party of misfits, and as much as a rash, womanizing man Paul was, he was the binding glue that brought them all together, both in combat and in regular interactions.

So, with him retiring into fatherhood, the obvious result was the dissolution of the party.

While most parties wouldn’t be that effected if they were disbanded, these guys were a bit different.

As a band of outcasts, this party was the only place they had felt welcomed.

It was the only place that felt like home.

This was also why Lina was pissed at the guy, as his constant sex drive was what led us to this point, and also why Paul was rightfully feeling guilty.

But it seemed that she could accept the situation since Zenith was happy, and since I would be living a somewhat normal life, safe from the dangers and erratic lifestyle of adventurers.

I then made my way over to Ghislaine, who was also in a downcast mood, at least judging by her drooping ears, before I gestured with my arms for her to pick me up.

Smiling at me, she granted my request, and I immediately wrapped my arms around her neck.

“Are you sure you can’t stay with us, Big Sis?” I asked, trying not to release the dam of tears I was holding back.

While I definitely felt comfortable being with Mama and could endure being with Paul, I was saddened that I would be leaving this little family of mine.

They were the people I had been with for most of my life, after all.

“Sorry, Leon. I’m going to the Sword Sanctum after this to hone my strength. Hopefully, by the next time we see each other, I will be a Sword King,” she said, gently patting my head.

Right. These people also had their own lives.

I couldn’t hold them back because of my selfishness, no matter how much I wanted to.

“But... we’ll see each other again, right?” I asked.

“Of course,” she nodded. “So get bigger and stronger, and make sure to take care of your sibling and those two. You know that Paul isn’t very smart.”

“Hey!” Paul shouted in indignation.

Giggling at her insult, I sniffled back the snot that had built up in my nose.

“I will... but, I’ll miss you, Big Sis.”

“I as well... here, take this.”

She then took off the wooden ring she kept on her finger before handing it to me.

It was covered in scratches, showing its age and use, and reflected a slight greenish tint under the sunlight.

“This is a talisman that is passed down in my clan. They say it protects the wearer from bad wolves at night, but to me, it’s simply a keepsake,” she explained.

Taking the ring, I took a glance at it before returning my gaze to her eye.

“Are you sure, Big Sis? It’s... it’s special to you, isn’t it?” I asked.

“That is why I want you to have it. Wear it,” she insisted.

“Umm... it, doesn’t fit though.”

“...Oh.”

I nearly burst into another round of giggles from her frozen expression.

“Hehe, don’t worry! I’ll keep it as a necklace until I’m big enough to wear it. I’ll keep it safe, I promise,” I said as I narrowed my eyes, trying to convey my sincerity.

But she only smiled in response, as if my sincerity was only cute to her.

“Good boy,” she said, patting my head.

Letting me down, I then walked over to Lina, who picked me up without asking and smothered me into her chest.

“Uuu~ Little Leon! I’m gonna miss you! Make sure to keep Paul in line, okay? And make sure Zenny is taking care of herself-”

With her giving me a lecture that could contend with one that Mama would give Paul, she eventually wrapped up our talk by setting me down, giving me a wet kiss on the cheek as she got ready to leave.

And, not a few minutes later, with Geese and Talhand saying their farewell, the remains of the now-disbanded Fangs of the Black Wolf departed, leaving me and my new family alone outside the walls of Roa, the fortress city of the Fittoa Region of the Asura Kingdom.

While it was not my first time seeing a walled city, as many cities near monster-infested places had ample defences, this was the first time I had been to Roa.

I didn’t understand the family dynamic that was going on too well, but from what I could pick up, Paul’s old family was of the Greyrats, specifically, the Notos branch.

And this place here was ruled by the Boreas line of the same family.

The two family lines likely held bad blood, if my knowledge of medieval families was correct, so this ‘cousin’ of Paul’s probably hated his guts.

But then again, perhaps the fact that Paul discarded his Notos name gave him merit instead.

“Alright... I’ll deal with Philip alone. After all, he’s got quite the slick tongue. You two just stay behind, okay?” Paul said.

“If you say so... h-husband,” Mama replied.

Ugh... now I’ll have to deal with these two as newlyweds.

Alone.

Ghislaine... Lina... come back, please. I’m begging you.

Walking through the large gate of the ginormous walls, I couldn’t help but gasp as the city itself comes into view.

The mix of brown wood, grey stone, and white plaster created an appealing contrast as we walked past the stalls and shops that lined the cobblestone streets.

As you approached the city centre, the larger and richer the buildings became, and at the very centre of the city was a large castle, its towers piercing the cityscape.

And that very castle was where we were headed.

Quite high class... I sure hope Paul isn’t in over his head.

As we passed through the castle gate, it appeared that Paul had the foresight to notify them ahead of time, as we were admitted by the guards without any trouble.

Walking through the courtyard, I couldn’t help but marvel at the various plants and flowers that adorned the flowerbeds, as well as the towering walls of the surrounding castle.

Wow... nobles were loaded, huh?

And there were even stained-glass windows!

Following the beastfolk maid, we eventually found ourselves in a lobby-like room, with a pair of fancy couches and various decors lining the walls.

Thinking about it now, nearly every maid I had seen so far in this castle has been of the beast race.

I suppose these guys had a type, huh?

My thoughts are interrupted as a man enters through the door, his steps calm and practised, holding a certain elegance to them.

“Ah! Welcome, Paul Notos Greyrat. This must be the Zenith and Leon you mentioned in your letter,” he said, his eyes narrowing with his smile.

“U-Umm... th-thank you,” she stuttered out with a red face before quickly she quickly ran out of the room.

Huh... what a weird kid.

Turning back to Mama, I noticed that she’s wearing a large grin, one of intense amusement and a little bit of pride.

“Fufufu... how adorable~”

...For some reason, that smile made me a little uneasy.

— Information on the Six-Faced World —

Fittoa Region

A fiefdom in the northeastern part of the Kingdom of Asura of the Central Continent, the Fittoa Region is a vast agricultural area with many forests and primarily rural village settlements.

Under the crown of the Kingdom of Asura, the Fittoa Region is governed by the Boreas Greyrat family, with Sauros Boreas Greyrat as the current liege lord of the region.

Citadel of Roa: It is the largest city in the entire Fittoa Region and is the centre of trade, commerce, and administrative matters in the area. An ancient city with a noble history, four hundred years ago, it stood as the last defence during the war against the Demon race but is now seen as nothing more than a backwater city of adventurers in the capital city of Asura. Philip Boreas Greyrat is the current mayor of the city.

Buena Village: A small, peaceful hamlet that specializes in farming. There are nearby forests that are infested with monsters that often need to be subdued.

— Leon Greyrat —

The wind swept through my hair as I rested my chin on my arm, watching the rolling hills and the odd house pass by, while the stench of farmland and manure permeated my nose.

We were currently making our way to our new house, which had been given to Paul as he was the new knight of Buena Village, a small hamlet which had been having problems with monsters the past few years, hence why such an unassuming village needed a knight as strong as Paul stationed there.

“After we move everything in, I’ll be heading to meet the villagers to get a better read on the situation. Do you mind cleaning it up while I’m gone?” Paul asked.

“Asking a pregnant woman to clean your house... quite shameless, Father,” I said with a smirk.

“S-Shut up! I said I’ll post the housekeeper job tomorrow!” he explained hastily.

“Leon, don’t bully him. I’m still feeling fine, so I want to be the one to settle in our new home. A task that includes cleaning! Besides, you’ll be there for me, right?” she said.

“Of course, Mama,” I answered with a huff.

“Good boy!” she said cheerfully, patting my head.

Mama then turned to Paul, “But, honey... I’m a bit worried we don’t have enough things. And there will probably be some stuff we can’t buy from the village, like tableware and candles.”

“It’s fine. We have enough rations to survive for a week, and I’ll get anything we’re missing when I post the job tomorrow in Roa. So just leave it to your dependable husband here!” he said confidently.

Just before we had left for the village, Mama and Paul... my new father, I suppose... got formally married by the resident Millis priest in Roa, exchanging their vows in a small ceremony with the rising sun as their background.

Of course, I was the only guest.

I only hoped the man would keep his promises, or I would go running to Lina.

Maybe I would even beat him up myself if I got strong enough.

“Well, here we are,” Paul said abruptly, stopping the cart in front of the gate of a large house.

It was...

“It’s beautiful!” Mama finished for me.

Indeed.

With the wooden beams crisscrossing the white plaster walls, wooden shingles lining the roof, and crown glass windows seemingly for every room, it was a very nice house.

And that wasn’t even mentioning the beautiful walled garden that surrounded the home, giving ample room for training, as well as any other general activities I wanted.

And I knew that Mama liked plants, so she could even have her own garden.

A beautiful home and a wonderful garden.

And that paired with the scenery...

“Know what? You did good, father,” I said, patting the man on the back before I hopped off the cart.

Taking in a deep breath of the fresh air, I raised my arms overhead to stretch out the stiffness of my body before heading towards the front door.

As there was no need for any locks on the door, I was able to enter without any trouble.

It would be a pretty stupid decision to rob the house of someone who was not only your lord, but also the strongest person in the area, after all.

Inside the house, it was just as I had expected.

A nice big fireplace in the centre of the main room for heating and cooking, straw beds with fur blankets, tables and chairs set up near the kitchen, and a bathroom, which amounted to nothing but a hole in the ground.

In most houses, this hole would be quite useless, and only stink up the place with... waste, so most people would prefer an outhouse.

But with the existence of magic, you could just burn it with an elementary fire spell, and wash what was left with a water spell.

Luckily, Mama knew both magics, so we’d be able to use the bathroom properly.

The whole place was also pretty dusty, which made sense as this place had been abandoned for the past year.

I guess Mama and I would have some work to do.

Eventually, with our modest amount of belongings moved in, Mama and I started cleaning up the house.

We also took the time to plan out how we would set up the house while checking for any mould, pests, and repairs that needed fixing.

Fortunately, save for a few creaky doors, there weren’t any issues.

“Hey! I’m back!”

Putting down the washcloth, I looked over to Paul, who was carrying a basket of what seemed to be sandwiches.

“Looking good, guys! Guess what? The villagers even gave us some food to welcome us! Hehe, my natural charisma is truly terrifying sometimes,” he said smugly.

...Are you sure they weren’t just buttering you up?

You’re their boss now, after all.

“Really? That’s awfully nice of them. Villagers are often a little unsettled when a new lord is stationed, but I guess this is pretty far from the capital, so they’re probably more laid back. Anyway, did you find anything interesting?” Mama asked, resting the broom against the wall.

“Yep! I found out that there’s a clinic here, but all they have is a herbalist. A perfect place for you, right? And... Leon too, I guess,” he said with a shrug.

“We are not letting a one-year-old work, Paul,” Mama said with a glare that soon transformed into a smile. “But... a clinic, huh? I’ve always wanted to work in one after adventuring.”

Paul placed down the sandwiches before walking up to wrap his arms around Mama, resting his head on her shoulder as he smiled.

“It almost seems like fate, eh?” he said. “Anyway, I also talked to the guy who had been defending the village for the past year. Nice dude. Laws... I think his name is. His wife’s also pregnant, so maybe Leon and the Little Man will have a new friend.”

“‘Little Man’? It’s definitely a girl,” Mama replied with a huff.

“Nah, my gut’s telling me I’m getting a son.”

“We already have one, Paul.”

“Ah, right... well, either way, we can always try for another after this one, right?” he said, wiggling his eyebrows. “Hehe. Come here.”

“H-Honey! Not in front of Leon! Mmm~”

...I’m going to my room.

Seeing that the two were getting quite into it, I might just practice my magic until I passed out.

I preferred that over having to endure the sound of them christening our new home with their activities.

Jeez... even when Mama was pregnant, that womanizer couldn’t contain his lust.

Wasn’t it supposed to be a bad omen to do that when a woman was bearing a child?