Chapter 358
Chapter 358
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 358
Chapter Title: Side Story 42. Family Guardian (1)
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"Eung? You want me to find out what my parents do?"
Ronan, who was mowing the lawn in the garden, raised an eyebrow.
Standing awkwardly beside him was his son Lanse.
"Yes. Specifically, to experience it together and submit a reflection essay."
"I should just teach him how to swing a sword instead of giving such useless assignments. There wasn't anything like that back in my day."
Ronan grumbled as he turned to Adeshan.
She was watering the flower beds, wearing a wide-brimmed straw hat.
Her porcelain-smooth white skin and perfectly preserved figure made it impossible to believe she was a married woman who had borne two children.
My wife is truly remarkable.
Adeshan wiped the sweat from her forehead with her sleeve and chuckled softly.
"You too. It was one of the freshman assignments, remember?"
"Oh, was it? Since I didn't have parents, they must not have told me. Wahahaha!"
"It was a pretty good assignment. I helped my father cut fabric, and it brought back old memories. Felt nice."
"I should pay a visit to your father sometime... Anyway, got it. But Lanse, why come to me instead of tagging along to Mom's workplace? Being an Imperial Army general is a job that commands respect anywhere."
Ronan shrugged.
He considered Adeshan's profession about fifty times more refined and impressive than his own.
His work had irregular hours and involved getting his hands dirty on-site.
Of course, the pay was quite generous.
"But my friends are curious about what Dad does too."
"Friends? You're the curious one. So my son thinks I'm just a jobless bum scratching my legs at home... This stings."
"Jo-jobless bum? I never thought that!"
Lanse, struck right on the mark, frantically waved his hands.
Three years after the Dalman kidnapping incident.
Now fourteen, Lanse took great interest in his father's work.
The misunderstanding of his father's incompetence had long been dispelled, but he still had no idea what Ronan actually did when he went out.
"Sigh... What a hassle. Can't I just write 'family guardian' and turn it in?"
"Dad, seriously, I'm not joking!"
"This kid's looking down on me. Do you know how important that job is?"
It wasn't entirely a lie that his friends were curious.
Sensen and Willumpf in particular hounded him endlessly about what the hero who saved the world did day-to-day. He couldn't very well say he swept leaves and mowed the lawn.
As Ronan openly showed his annoyance, the girl who had been watering alongside Adeshan approached him.
"Dad. Can't I come too?"
She was Ronan and Adeshan's daughter, Lanse's little sister.
Erin, who had entered Phileon just last month.
Her pure white hair, reminiscent of the Savior, sparkled in the summer sun.
Grabbing Ronan's pant leg, she tilted her head.
"Erin wants to know what Dad does too..."
"Oh dear, has our princess arrived?"
Ronan's lips curved up to his ears.
A stark contrast to how he treated Lanse.
He scooped up Erin, lifted her high overhead, set her down, and repeated, all while rubbing his cheek against her soft face.
"Ugh... Your beard tickles!"
"Alright, alright. If Erin's curious too, no helping it. Want to go observe with your brother?"
Erin nodded vigorously.
Only after some time did Ronan set his daughter down and tousle Lanse's hair.
"Alright, son. I'll let you know as soon as I get a job lined up, so wait for it. Might take one or two days, so tell Naviroje sis ahead of time."
"...It's vacation right now."
"Oh, right? No wonder you and Erin are both home. I thought it was truancy. Blood can't lie, but thankfully you take after your mom."
Lanse was dumbfounded watching Ronan guffaw.
He couldn't grasp where to even begin critiquing.
The absurd insensitivity?
Or calling the vice principal of the great Phileon Academy 'sis'?
Freed from Ronan's 'thorn hell'—a name the siblings themselves coined—Erin scampered over and hugged Lanse.
"Hehe, bro! I did good, right?"
"Yeah. You're the best."
She evoked the image of a cute flying squirrel full of charm.
Unlike Lanse, who was entering puberty, Erin still clung to her innocent childishness.
At least in Ronan and Adeshan's eyes.
Hanging from her brother's neck, Erin whispered softly.
"I knew it. Then I deserve a reward fitting the best outcome, right?"
"...What do you want?"
"Three imperial gold coins. Or three kisses on the cheek."
Lanse squeezed his eyes shut.
No student would carry gold coins around, leaving him with one real option.
"Erin. You're ten now. Can't it be just once?"
"If you're okay with me claiming a stomachache on observation day. By the way, it'll be so bad Mom and Dad won't leave my side."
Lanse sighed.
The kid seemed to grow sharper by the day.
Glancing around, he finally planted three quick kisses on her cheek.
Woodpecker-fast, no one noticed.
Erin beamed with her eyes.
"Hehe, sincerity's a bit lacking, but I'll let it slide specially."
"Be grateful... How long do you plan on riding my back?"
"Obviously, forever."
With that, Erin buried her face in Lanse's back.
Like her mother, she aimed for student council president at Phileon with a perfect lady persona, so she had to indulge in such affection during vacation when her brother was home.
"Oh, and Sechika sis too?"
"Haven't told her yet. Should I call?"
"No."
Instant reply.
Sechika, the eldest daughter of Asel and Marya.
Recalling yesterday's encounter, Erin furrowed her brow.
Unlike Lanse, who still hadn't shed his boyish look, Sechika was blossoming into a young lady.
Dressed lightly for the weather, she had run into Lanse—who was out on errands with Erin—and he couldn't meet her eyes straight.
'My mistake. Shouldn't have let her go on that school trip.'
His stuttering side-glances were pitifully obvious.
Erin tightened her embrace.
"Erin wants just the two of us to go."
Knock knock!
The knock echoed through the garden of the Karabel mansion.
The massive gate—large enough for Baren and Zaifa to pass without bowing—was dyed red in the sunset glow.
Soon, a reply came from beyond.
"Who is it?"
"Bald Slayer."
"Ah, Uncle Ronan?!"
The gate swung open immediately.
A girl with fiery red hair widened her eyes in greeting.
"Long time no see. Doing well?"
"Me? Same as always."
Sechika, the eldest of the Karabel quintuplets.
Ronan patted her head.
"Just a month apart, and you've grown again. How's the romance business with Lanse?"
"W-what are you talking about? Why would I with him...!"
"Not a thing? You two had such a good vibe together, thought you'd sealed the deal. Suit each other well too."
"S-suit each other... Hm."
Sechika's face flushed beet red.
Covering her involuntarily rising smile with her hand, she continued.
"Uncle Ronan looks even wilder and cooler today. So, what's the occasion?"
"Here to see your dad. Quiet around here—hope it's not just you home?"
"Ah, Mom took the siblings to Grandpa's. Dad's in the lab. Want me to call him?"
"No need for that. Here we go."
"Kyak!"
Ronan leaped straight up in response.
Startled by the sudden move, Sechika hunched her shoulders.
He landed soundlessly on the third-floor balcony.
"Wow."
Sechika marveled.
Incredible agility for someone out of the game.
After flashing her a V-sign, Ronan headed to the farthest room.
Asel's lab, a place he'd visited countless times.
Mana wafted thickly from the door crack—he was clearly mid-experiment.
Ronan eased the door open.
"Hey, Asel."
"It's ambiguous, but I think it's possible. Excluding this star alone, countless civilizations exist. So..."
Asel was in conversation with someone.
His serious tone made Ronan hold back from interrupting.
A translucent half-body of a familiar youth floated above Asel's desk.
The original archmage Rorhon.
Having heard Asel's explanation, he stroked his chin.
"Hmm. Not impossible... Then let's research that part more and share notes. Still no interest in the Tower Master seat?"
"You know how I am with people. Even worse at running things."
"True, I'd love to appoint you by force, but Earl Armalen wouldn't let me off. Till next time."
"Rest well."
The talk wrapped up soon after, seemingly in its final stages.
Asel undid his ponytail and sighed deeply.
His haggard face and eyes fixed on the night sky.
A rare expression for this infuriating genius—one he wore only against unsolvable puzzles.
Sneaking up silently, Ronan snapped his fingers by Asel's ear.
"Brat."
"Hieeek!!!"
Asel let out a bizarre yelp and jumped in place.
Like a cat doused in ice water.
Finally calming his thudding heart, he wiped away tears.
"Ro-Ronan?! When did you...!"
"Just got here. Your pea-sized heart's as jumpy as ever."
Ronan cackled.
The hidden side of the great mage unknown to the world.
A monster who shaped mountains with a flick and levitated palaces, but to Ronan, just his ditzy hometown pal.
He slung an arm around Asel's shoulders.
"What were you two chatting so intently about? Looked like old man Rorhon."
"Yeah. Well, something I've been researching lately..."
Asel trailed off.
Averting his gaze too—he clearly wanted to keep it secret.
Hm, intriguing, but oh well.
Shaking off his curiosity, Ronan changed the subject.
"Don't wanna say? Fine. Anyway, do you mix preservatives in your bread or what? You look unchanged since Phileon days."
"Ahaha, not quite that bad..."
"Not quite? Your face is paler than my daughter's."
"Uwaa. D-don't...!"
Ronan prodded Asel's cheeks with his fingers.
The springy give rivaled Erin's or Lanse's.
I'm not pure human, fine, but what's this guy's excuse?
Asel rebound his loose hair.
"W-well... Mages can control aging once they reach a certain realm. That's all."
"Right. Old man Rorhon did it too. Makes sense—you were at your physical peak then."
"Yeah. Prime condition. And if you don't time it right..."
"If not?"
"Th-then... the body can't hold up..."
Asel gave a wry smile at the family photo on the wall.
A somehow sorrowful expression.
The masterpiece of Diddikan's life: the camera's output.
In the large frame, a more mature Marya beamed while embracing her five children.
The meaning was plain.
"Damn it all, five not enough?"
"Ahaha, might hit six this year... You guys too?"
"Not that extreme, fuck... Told you. You'd end up living under those tits."
Ronan eyed Asel pityingly.
His offhand joke had come true, stirring some guilt.
No wonder the guy who ate well looked gaunt.
Gazing at the photo, Asel smiled again.
"Still happy, though. Haven't said why you're here."
"Ah. Got sidetracked. You had that thing planned with Orse in the south, right? Let me tag along."
"South? W-what about your regular territory?"
"Wrapped it up yesterday. Old river spirit was tenacious—probably from age. Chopped it up, though, so it'll be quiet for a bit."
Asel gaped at the nonchalant reply.
Ronan was always efficient, but this was next-level.
Dismantling a centuries-old river spirit like cake.
Scratching his head, Ronan continued.
"The bunny kids are curious about Dad's job. Phileon assigned them to figure out what pays the bills."
"Ah, so that's it...! Come to think, Sechika got the same assignment."
"Did she? Same age as Lanse, yeah. In that case..."
Ronan fell into thought.
Lately, watching Lanse and Erin evoked his own boyhood.
Perhaps because they were around the age he'd started adventuring from Nimburton?
Savoring the memories, he spoke up.
"...Hey. Asel."
"Yeah?"
"Since we're at it. Wanna reclaim the dignity of fatherhood together?"