Chapter 198: Laveua
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 198: Laveua
To be honest, it felt like it had been a very long time since I’d had a moment like this. That feeling only grew stronger as I looked at the tears welling up in her eyes.
She hugged me tightly, rubbing her face against me without restraint, reminding me of how Mev used to be. Mev must have seen herself in Laveua's actions too, because her face flushed slightly. I stroked Laveua’s head.
After burrowing deeper into my embrace, Laveua suddenly lifted her head and began chattering about one thing after another.
“Three days ago, we played the card game, and I beat Nicole with the Daddy card!”
“Is that so.”
It seemed she meant she had used the Legendary Blood Dagger card. The card game's popularity, which had waned for a bit, was enjoying a renaissance thanks to a recent expansion pack. I'd heard the new expansion was titled Strength, Wisdom, and Honor, and that it had become even more fun with the addition of the Great Tribe Leader cards.
I glanced at Mev, who was desperately avoiding my gaze. It seemed she wanted to maintain an image of a dignified mother in front of Laveua, so she was hiding the fact that she played the card game too.
Tucked away somewhere, she probably still had the killer Abar Deck she'd learned from Kim Yoora. I was sure I remembered seeing her pack it.
“Mommy, you should try it! It's really fun.”
“Uh… yes…”
She wasn’t lying, but she was trying with all her might to hide her expression.
“You’d like it, Mommy.”
“Mommy used to play it a long time ago.”
She still plays.
“Really?”
“Y-Yes…”
In fact, aside from Kim Yoora, I don't think I'd ever seen her lose to anyone in the clan.
I smiled as I watched Mev and Laveua. Seeing the two of them talk so passionately about the card game truly made it feel like we were a family.
Besides that, she told me all sorts of stories about what had happened while I was away from the clan, though she conveniently left out the trouble I already knew she'd caused. Most of her stories were about her heroic feats in games, things that happened with Nicole, the magic she learned from Jung Hayeon, or her time with the other goblin mothers. Still, because we had been apart for so long, the stories were endless.
Frankly, listening to these stories wasn't bothersome at all; it was incredibly enjoyable.
I felt like I finally understood why parents on Earth would watch videos of their children's school plays over and over again.
Honestly, the emotional impact of her first steps or her first words wasn't that great, because her growth was frighteningly fast. Watching her start talking and crawling in the blink of an eye really drove home the difference between Green Skins and humans. As I was lost in thought, Laveua, who had been using all her limbs to tell her story, suddenly reached her hands out toward Mev and me.
“Oh! Mommy, Daddy! Look at this! I have something to show you. It's something I just learned!”
“Alright.”
I was a little confused by her suddenly extending her hands, but I figured my first duty was to watch my daughter’s little trick.
It was then.
“Hiyah!”
“…?!”
“…?!”
“Huh…”
It was a situation that couldn't be anything but baffling. Mine and Mev's positions had been switched seamlessly. My jaw dropped, and Mev stared at her daughter, her own mouth wide open. Seeing our reactions, Laveua looked a little flustered.
“Huh?”
A Unique Ability.
I had roughly expected her to inherit something from me, but I never imagined it would be a unique ability of this caliber. I never dreamed she would be able to switch people's positions, not just weapons. She was only a year old; it was utterly astonishing. I looked at Laveua and slowly opened my mouth.
“Since when?”
“Um! The day before yesterday, I think…”
Unbelievable. I had never even heard of a unique ability like this. Its applications were practically limitless. You could swap an enemy with an ally, or an ally with another ally. It was a bit absurd, but I was overjoyed. If we were on Earth, she'd be featured on some TV special for gifted or genius children.
Mev seemed incredibly surprised as well.
“Laveua, can you show Mommy one more time?”
Seeing how interested we were, Laveua seemed to get excited too. Her smile stretched from ear to ear. Once again, Laveua extended her arms, and mine and Mev’s positions were swapped back. It seemed there was a range limit since her magic wasn't sufficient yet. Still, her reserves of magic seemed quite generous.
“One more time!”
This time, I shrouded my body in magic. Mev did the same. Laveua's hand trembled with effort, but this time, our positions didn't change. Unlike Weapon Switch, it could be resisted.
“Mev, let’s lower our magic a little.”
“Okay, Captain.”
“Hnnnnngh!”
Laveua kept her hands stretched toward us. Since her race was High Fairy, she seemed to have a decent reserve of magic, even at her young age. As expected, when Mev and I slightly reduced the magic cloaking our bodies, we felt that strange sensation again as our positions began to switch.
So it was an ability that could be resisted, but it could also break through that resistance depending on how much magic was poured into it.
In other words, assuming she has enough magic, she doesn't have to worry about the same kind of penalties my ability has. My ability was extremely useful, but it had the clear penalty of not being able to affect weapons that have bonded with their owners. Assuming she had enough magic, this ability could be considered completely penalty-free.
“Can you tell me what the ability is?”
“Okay!”
Laveua slowly began to speak, reciting what the God of the Battlefield had told her about her ability.
[Position Switch]
[You can swap the positions of two desired targets. If your magic is overwhelmingly superior to the target's, it cannot be resisted. You can also increase or decrease the defense or magic resistance of the swapped targets.]
It even had a secondary effect, just like the critical hit judgment of my Weapon Switch. Mev’s expression was one of pure shock as she listened to the explanation. It was a perfect unique ability. Laveua seemed to have a talent for magic; if she grew up to become a high-level magician, she could achieve astonishing results. Jung Hayeon and the other shamans had mentioned Laveua’s talent early on.
If you launched a spell and then swapped the target's position, it would be a guaranteed hit. Factoring in the ability to lower magic resistance, I thought she could become an opponent no one would ever want to face.
I was amazed that such a child could have been born. Come to think of it, I'd never heard about Mev's unique ability. I thought it might be related. After all, children usually inherit a lot from their parents. I stroked my chin for a moment before turning to Mev.
“Mev.”
“Y-Yes?”
“What’s your ability?”
“Huh?!”
Her expression was one of extreme shock. I had assumed it was something related to spirits, since she could summon them, but it seemed I was mistaken.
I could feel her gaze wavering. It's a cliché, but it was like an earthquake was happening in her pupils.
“Quickly.”
When I pressed her lightly, Mev slowly brought her lips to my ear.
“W-Well… it’s…”
Her face was bright red, and for some reason, she kept glancing around nervously. Her whispering like she was telling a secret only made me more curious. The answer that finally came from Mev’s lips surprised me more than I could have imagined.
[The Decisive Shot]
[Dramatically increases the probability of conception. Passes on a strong bloodline to the offspring.]
What is this.
That one phrase probably best represented my feelings. I was stunned, but in a completely different way than before. My earlier surprise was about the ability itself; this time, it was sheer absurdity. Many clan members had come to me after awakening their unique abilities.
Some of them had pretty decent ones. Since Mev was so smart and clever, I had just assumed she would have handled it well on her own, but I never dreamed she would have awakened an ability like this.
“Since when?”
“W-Well… was it three years ago…”
It had even been a long time. I recalled Mev raising her leg with a triumphant smile back then, and I finally understood why she had looked so victorious.
“Hah…”
I once again stroked Laveua’s head and lifted her up. Whatever the reason, the result was that Laveua had inherited a very strong bloodline from both Mev and me. I felt a little like I'd been tricked, but seeing Laveua's smiling face made that feeling melt away. I was a little worried she might have inherited the personality of my old self, Kim Taesung, but Laveua is exceptionally bright. I figured she must have inherited that part from Mev.
Mev, for her part, looked relieved. But I now felt that I had to be extremely careful from now on. Laveua didn't see it, but Mev was subtly reaching a hand toward me, so I just shook my head at her. It was my way of saying it was a no-go until we figured out a foolproof plan.
Mev's expression immediately turned crestfallen. The truth was, we had been together a few times since then, but Mev herself had likely held back, knowing how busy the clan was.
More importantly, she knew she wasn't ready to raise another child yet. Right now, Laveua alone was a handful. If there was one more… it was hard to imagine.
In other words, Mev could achieve her dream whenever she wanted. Laveua must have sensed the subtle atmosphere between Mev and me, because she started whining to get my attention back.
“Daddyyy, am I amazing?”
“Yes. Our Laveua is truly amazing.”
I lifted her high into the air, making her fly like an airplane, and she giggled with delight. Then, Laveua slowly began to speak again. Unlike before, her expression was a little serious.
“Does this mean I can go far away with you too, Daddy?”
So this was what had been bothering her the most.
“Let’s go together when you’re a little older, Laveua. Or how about we go on a little picnic outside tomorrow?”
“No, not like that… I want to go outside like Yoora.”
The way she glanced at me as she spoke told me she already sensed the answer was no, but she seemed determined to try throwing a tantrum anyway. But Kim Yoora and Laveua were in completely different situations. It went without saying that I had no intention of taking a child like Laveua on an expedition.
“Let’s go together when a little more time has passed.”
I spoke soothingly, but of course, I knew it wouldn't work. Tears began to well up in Laveua’s eyes.
“Daddy, you always take only Yoora… I want to go with you too…”
She puffed out her cheeks as she spoke, and it broke my heart, but what couldn't be, couldn't be. I felt like this was the first time I had ever seen Laveua act this way. Mev must have felt the same, as she subtly began to pull Laveua away from me.
Naturally, Laveua started to struggle, and I opened my mouth to speak to her.