Chapter 26
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: Nice to Meet You...
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"N-Nice... to meet you..."
The little girls woke up about two hours later.
"Lulu, Arin. We're moving house today."
"Moving, nya?"
"Moving, you say?"
"The kind Dr. Knows-It-All who helps Daddy out with everything found us a big house. I heard it's huge—you can run around all you want!"
"A big house, nya! Lulu believes it, nya!!!"
"Does that mean we can play in the water as much as we want too!?"
"Uh... probably?"
"Heehee! Arin's excited too!"
"Yeah... good for you..."
...I should be happy seeing them so thrilled.
But somehow, a bittersweet smile crept onto my face.
'Living crammed in this tiny studio with three of us really was too much...'
I'd been fooling myself all this time, pretending there was no choice.
We'd shared a studio so small it felt cramped even for me alone.
And we'd slept squeezed together on a bed barely big enough for one.
Thinking back, I'd done so little as a dad.
Forcing discomfort on my girls made my heart ache.
'I've gotta do better from now on...'
I'd made Lulu and Arin on a whim to climb the tower.
But in just a few short days, they'd become irreplaceable family.
I'd created them with my hands and brought them to life with my heart—I couldn't deny that.
As their creator and father, I had to take responsibility.
I needed to become the cool adult who'd protect them.
"Daddy, nya! Let's pack lots of meat, nya!"
"We can buy more meat fresh, so no need to pack it... Should we just eat it all?"
"Gasp, nya!? We can really eat all this meat!?"
"Gasp! Can I really eat this mountain of steak too?"
"Of course. Eat it all if you want."
So to protect days like this peaceful one,
I needed to meet Dr. Knows-It-All soon and start climbing the tower.
####
"Ugh... Daddy, nya... Lulu can't move, nya..."
"Daddy... Arin ate too much and her belly's all puffed up..."
"You should've left some... We can buy more meat. Why'd you force yourselves like that?"
"Lulu's sleepy, nya..."
"Arin's sleepy too..."
"I'll carry you, so take a nap."
In the end, the two gluttonous little girls dozed off contentedly in my arms after stuffing themselves.
I hopped straight into the taxi app-summoned cab and headed to the address Dr. Knows-It-All had sent.
"Well, well. Is today that Halloween thing? Tiger and shark costumes! You dressed 'em up real cute!"
"Ahaha... Yeah, my girls are pretty adorable, huh."
They weren't costumes, but it was a harmless misunderstanding.
Sweating through the cabbie's one-sided chatter for about an hour,
we finally arrived at the address.
Dr., we're here. Where are you?
Head a bit further in. See the main road?
Yeah, I see it.
Follow that road straight.
You'll see an alley with guardian totems.
Go down that alley and you'll spot me.
Just as Dr. Knows-It-All described in chat, I walked along the main road for a good while.
Soon, I spotted the eerie guardian totems and headed into the alley.
The narrow lane we entered.
Squish-!
"?"
For a split second, it felt like I'd crossed some kind of barrier—what was that?
Then I spotted a woman leaning against a wall in the distance and hurried over, thinking it must be the doctor.
As I got closer, her figure came into view...
"Ah."
Right.
Come to think of it, I'd never once talked to a woman.
Especially not one that pretty.
"Uh. Ah. Uh. Eh."
My mouth went dry, my tongue frozen like a frog staring down a snake.
Looked like I'd hit a wall before even starting.
How was I supposed to handle this...?
'...No, snap out of it, Iroon...!'
Hadn't I just vowed an hour ago to be an awesome dad?
If I wanted to be a cool dad,
I needed communication skills to chat smoothly even with pretty women.
'Watch me, Lulu... Arin...!!!'
*Snore, nya...*
*Snuff, snuff...*
Drawing strength from my sleeping girls, I steeled myself and strode toward the doctor.
"?"
She noticed me and turned.
Our eyes met—hers like brilliant yellow gems.
And in that moment.
*Gasp-!!!*
I took a deep breath and...
"N-Nice... to meet you... Doctor...! I'm Iroon...!!!"
...My voice deflated a bit, and I stammered like crazy.
But hey, first time talking to a woman in my life—success!
'I did it...! Daddy did it...! Lulu! Arin! Your dad pulled it off!'
I was mentally setting off fireworks over my life's first woman convo (sorta).
But then...
You made it? Big guy like a mountain, but such a tiny voice?
Anyway. Nice to meet you, Jobbie.
"Uh...?"
Not her voice like I'd expected.
Instead, presumed notification windows from her popped up before my eyes.
I let out a weird noise and panicked.
####
After seeing her notifications...
'Ah! So that's how girls talk these days?'
'They say tech advances so fast nowadays—it's true!'
I was lost in those silly thoughts, panicking,
Oh, freaked out by the notifications?
Sorry. Forgot to mention it upfront.
Seeing me frozen like a broken machine, she sent more messages explaining.
My trait makes speaking tricky.
Bear with the text chats.
"If... you're unwell, I could make a potion..."
Appreciate it, but I'm not hurt.
Just know my words affect those around me.
"Ah... Got it... Understood..."
So that's it. Not injured—good.
Relieved, but now I wondered:
How did she send those windows? What trait affects surroundings when speaking?
Curiosity about her only grew.
Those in your arms are homunculi, right?
"Ah, yep. My daughters. Cat one's Lulu. Shark girl's Arin. Or Ivory Arin."
Hmm~ Definitely cute. I get why you call 'em daughters.
Ah! She gets it!
"Right? So cute, right? To know how adorable my girls are, we'd have to go back to when we first met and..."
Yeah, yeah. Save that for later. First, lemme show you your new place.
"Huh? Oh, right. Yep... Lead the way..."
Follow me. Your house is deeper in.
I was about to rev up my daddy brag engine,
but followed her to our new home as planned.
Soon, we reached a hanok with elegant tiled roofs.
This is your new place.
Belonged to a late herbalist friend who loved hanoks, so he built it like this.
Big yard, garden plot too—perfect for growing herbs. Whaddya think?
"Uh... You want me to live here...?"
Hm? Don't like it?
No, not "don't like"—this was over the top...
I'd figured "next door" meant an apartment unit or something.
But this palace-like hanok? And she hands it over like, "Live here"?
Do I look that unflappable?
If you hate it, I'll give you another.
"No... It's not that... Huh? Another house?"
All buildings around here are mine. Most are empty anyway.
"...All the buildings around here?"
Yeah. Mages get stronger in their territory—others do it too.
Buy up land, build workshops, layer spells to make a base.
Not many on my scale, though. Anyway.
"Ah..."
Mages... must be a job for the super rich...?
So, still hate it?
"N-No! I love it! It's just... Do I really deserve a place this nice...?"
It's empty anyway. Live here if you like it.
"Then... um... how much is rent...?"
?
"?"
You really have no tact...? Figures, you're Jobbie alright...
"Huh?"
Do I look poor enough to charge rent? Just live here.
Keep that gratitude and help me out someday.
"!!!"
What!? Giving me this awesome house for free!!!
Even hiding me and making a new identity—no strings attached!?!
"Doctor, are you a goddess of mercy descended from the heavens for me...?"
What kinda weeb delusion is that, Jobbie Jobbie...?
"B-But...! Otherwise, this makes no sense! A pretty, capable woman giving me a house and help? Not human trafficking, just pure kindness? No way...? Gotta be a goddess or it doesn't add up...???"
Ahem. Typical Jobbie—your compliments are something else...
"...Your mouth's twitching like you kinda like it..."
Shut it and get inside before I swap you to the worst one.
"Yes, ma'am."
Doctor... talks tough,
but she looked secretly pleased.
Guess my praise hit the mark.
Compliments really do make whales dance.