Aftermath (5)
“Daddy!! Daddy! Daddy! Daddy! Daddy! Get up!!”
My body, deep in sleep, was forcibly roused by the kids' whining.
Three daughters, two sons. The two youngest girls were twins, so they were easy to mix up.
For starters, these cute kids' brown skin...
“!?”
Where the hell was this?
I opened my eyes on a floor covered with a soft mat and looked around.
“Daddy! Daddy! Big sis Suu says she's up and wants breakfast!”
Only then did I remember passing out at Suu's house from exhaustion and booze.
Thinking back, it felt just like grinding late-night quests.
When I said I was heading to Suu's place, turns out it was outside the outer walls.
Couldn't exactly demand they open the gates just to send one drunkard home, so I asked Suu how she usually got around.
She told me to ask the shadowkin folks.
Heading to the shadowkin district where they lived, Hidiya came flying over to greet me.
Hidiya showed me the secret passage that only some shadowkin used and strictly guarded—the castle's backdoor, basically. She said it'd be open to me anytime.
When I got to Suu's house, this little rascal introduced me to her siblings as “Daddy's here!”
The kids swarmed me one by one, all excited. I got tired carrying the drunkard around, and with the booze hitting me too, I was like, Fuck it~ and crashed.
No bed, but the thick mat on the floor made it comfy enough.
As soon as I lay down, I conked out nestled with the kids like a mother dog with her pups. It was nice and warm.
There was booze breath right by my head, but I was too lazy to shove it away.
Thus ended my chain quest.
Quest reward: the kids' laughter and...
“Let's eat!”
Suu and her second brother had made breakfast themselves.
Soup packed with well-mixed meat and veggies, plus grain flour baked like crackers or bread. Not bad.
“Woooow!! Breakfast is the best today!”
“Woooow!! Breakfast has meat today!”
“If Daddy's here, can we eat like this every day? Huh? Can we?”
“Mia! Mifi! Misha! Be quiet while eating. Don't spill while talking.”
The third kid, Michi, was the drill sergeant.
Anyway, Suu was a wild one, but she seemed good at housework.
House was clean, and she was up early making breakfast.
Cooking through a hangover takes serious responsibility and mental fortitude.
Whenever you go on a company retreat or orientation trip, you gotta remember who makes breakfast on day two.
Second kid was her brother—pretty delicate-looking. His name was Sai, but she said to call him Sua for short.
By our world's standards, where male privilege runs deep, Suu and Sua felt like their personalities got swapped. Sua even ate all dainty-like.
Suu and Sua were just a year or two apart, but the other four had bigger age gaps. Their hair was white? No, blonde? Somewhere in between.
“Kirgil Daddy, suddenly petting the kids' hair.
They're cute, right? Makes you wanna raise 'em?”
“Nah, just noticed it's different from yours.”
“Me and Sua's mom are different from their mom. Hehe...”
Seemed like she got along fine with her stepmom, judging by how she doted on the kids.
But that laugh felt forced.
From Suu's perspective, she'd lost her mom twice over.
Still, I couldn't just step up as their real dad on a whim.
I had my own goals and people waiting for me.
“Sua, you got anything going on?”
“Gonna go pick herbs or spring fruits in the mountains.”
“Then come with me and Suu later. Might have some work at the cathedral.”
Self-reliance beats handouts any day.
Teach a man to fish, right?
Sua seemed quiet and well-mannered—perfect fit for the cathedral.
Whether it sticks or not, we'd poke around and see.
After breakfast, while Suu and Sua cleaned up, I was playing with the four little ones.
Or rather, when three or more nieces/nephews gang up, the uncle gets dragged into games whether he likes it or not!
No matter the world, kids play with shrieks and giggles. Just watching was chaotic.
Tiny one-room house, maybe 4-5 pyeong, but they always found space to romp.
By the time drill sergeant Michi climbed my back, scaled to my head, and thumped my chest like King Kong, my brain was pure chaos.
I fended her off by grabbing the twins in each hand. ...Or so I thought, till the fourth one climbed aboard.
Why koala mode on my head?
Suddenly wearing a kid as a hat, parading around the room.
Don't just cling to me—go tease Suu over there, stripping shamelessly into her adventurer outfit or whatever.
Oh right. Gotta keep sharp stuff away for now.
Suu's dagger was as sharp as my hunting knife.
Kids are careless no matter the world!
After playing till I was wiped that morning, the four rugrats finally switched to nap mode like dead batteries.
Once I tidied the disaster zone, Suu, Sua, and I could finally head out.
“Haa haa... Feels like I just slayed a dragon.
But why's there a crowd in front of the house?”
Suu's place was on the far edge of the outer-wall village.
The kind of spot that'd take winter winds straight on.
And now shadowkin folks were gathered there.
Ah, probably because of me.
Lately, my popularity was skyrocketing against my will or tastes. Hope this burdensome fame fades quick.
They weren't hostile—just curious or grateful—so no big issue.
Suu asked nicely like greeting neighbors, Sua flatly asked them to move, and they parted right away.
On the way, a shadowkin kid spotted me.
“That uncle's the hero Kirgil? Looks like the guy next door.”
That cracked up not just Suu but everyone around.
Probably commiserating over how the hotshot hero they expected turned out disappointingly ordinary.
Kids' eyes are pure, huh.
I just gave an awkward wave. Boom—instant “next-door uncle hero” image locked in with the shadowkin.
Familiar vibe achieved.
But... kinda pathetic. Would've preferred a cool epithet.
The cathedral had Tomi, Kerry, Rada, Piterio, Lirisa, the helmetless knight, Hidiya, and others connected to me.
I'd been dodging the Kalderan parish chief since the day before yesterday, but not without a plan.
Figured he wanted records on me, so I dragged some folks I'd met yesterday to the cathedral.
Even documentaries use third-party testimonies besides the subject's.
Not running—gathering witnesses. That excuse holds.
Liard the general showing up was a surprise, though. Meant he was keeping close tabs.
Anyway, the chief thanked me for cooperating.
Kinda embarrassing.
Whatever, if he's happy.
“Kirgil, who's that shadowkin boy with you?”
While looking for the cathedral's head priest or manager type,
Ashushikara paused her consult with a priest and glanced our way.
“Ashu... ahem. Saintess.
He's Suu's brother, Sai. Quiet, well-behaved kid—thought he might help with odd jobs here.”
“Odd jobs? This shadowkin child carries light within. He needs blessings, not mops.”
“Huh, you see that at a glance?”
“Kirgil, you still don't grasp why they call me saintess. I spotted you at first sight too.”
Her beaming smile carried a hint of pressure.
No priests around, and I'd bet she'd gone “Oh my~” otherwise.
She was miffed about my daily evasions.
“Maybe 'cause I've rarely seen shadowkin up close.
This kid could spread word of the miracle far and wide.”
Sua as the first shadowkin Kalderan priest?
Ashushikara, craving reform, wouldn't miss this shot.
Chief was thrilled at the news.
Started off seeming strict, but now he'd embrace anything I said—and all shadowkin.
Heard zealots can seem dutiful and responsible to their circle if you flip perspectives. Seeing the chief, it clicked.
His nature hadn't changed—I'd just given his faith a spark for change.
Was this the reform Ashushikara wanted?
“When you say it, I can't just sit idle. Telling the lightless to seek light is pointless.
You're following well.”
Right now, Ashushikara had registered Sua and dragged me to the guild under “finding more light” pretext. Total skiving excuse.
Suu got handed off to the chief too.
She'd ditched her full priest robes the second we entered, back to that short-skirt miko-like getup.
Ditched cloak and barbari-coat for shameless? Nah, cute transformation.
What is this, isekai magical girl?
“I see light, I see duty...
...or so you say, but honestly, I got nothing.
Without the saintess title, folks'd call your talk bluff.”
“...I won't deny it. I experienced it young.
Heard the servants whispering I was mad.”
“Thought so at first, but not anymore.”
“Hee hee hee, no need for flattery. Too bright a light just dazzles.”
“Looks like a sly fox to me.”
“Sly foxy... hee hee hee. This uncle.”
She laughs showing tendons when pissed.
Anyway, adventurers—guys eyeing prey, girls too—kept glancing at our table.
Famous hero and Kalderan saintess together? Natural spotlight.
Dawn recruitment hour, we'd have interviews stacked.
“Crowd like this, and no one else with light or duty but me...
Wait!? You found someone already!?”
Ashushikara strode to a newbie adventurer.
“You there! I see bright light from you.
At the Kalderan cathedral, your light could—”
She's hyping “bright light” to a bald adventurer.
That's cruel!!
“Sorry, she's exhausted lately—out of it. Heading out to rest.
Really sorry.”
“Huh!? What!? Kirgil, what're you doing!? Rude!! Let go!! Let go!”
Stop!! Please! He's not glowing—he's shiny-headed!!
You lack tact sometimes!! Bald guys have rights! Right to silence!
I scooped Ashushikara and bolted the guild before the bald guy's rage blew.
Like that, for about a week.
Showing face at gatherings and spots hiked my fame steady in the castle.
Cathedral's zealous records even coined “The Next-Door Uncle Hero Kirgil Who Casually Bags Trolls”—what a mouthful.
Festival over.
Now, inside or out, tons recognized and cheered me.
Liard flashed a meaningful mustache-twitch smile passing by.
VIPs need military escorts anywhere.
But Liard could now confidently refuse.
In this vibe, treating hero Kirgil as foe? No way.
Orio couldn't sneak off with Katona's head for secret talks.
Atmosphere ripe—runt's ambitions about to snap.
...I thought, till one early morning.
Four knights in unfamiliar tunics on horseback escorted a carriage from the count's castle, slipping out.
Heard at the guild that afternoon from Suu.
“Damn, played. Runt got the drop, but bold move.”
Runt Orio had ditched Liard's troops, grabbed escort from another castle's forces, and fled like a bat outta hell.