Chapter 304
Translator: crow
Chapter Title: 10 Years Later (5)
“Hey, these pizzas are all different sizes.”
“S-Sorry…!!”
The two men bowed their heads deeply and hurriedly sliced the pizzas.
Then, they carefully cut pieces and served them to my kids.
“You’re always just bluffing, so you can’t even do this one thing right.”
“We’ll reflect on it… We’ll reflect…”
The kids munched happily on their pizza slices.
Liri and Lion were too busy savoring the taste, while Ian gave a light nod to the wrongdoers before biting into his piece.
Helena, looking like she belonged to a different genre altogether, elegantly cut hers into bite-sized portions with a fork and knife.
She even transferred some to Marie’s plate with a gentle touch.
As expected of the eldest daughter, taking good care of her three-years-younger sister.
“By the way, you guys are new faces I haven’t seen around Norton. Where are you from?”
“We’re from Rastium…”
Rastium, huh.
Remnants from that gambling den I smashed up before?
“Daddy, eat some too!”
“Yeah, thanks… Marie.”
Our seventh daughter, Helena, popped a slice she’d cut into my mouth.
Chewing on the pineapple pizza, I shot back at the guys.
“You’re not from that underground gambling joint near the arena, are you?”
“Huh…? How did you know?”
No wonder I sensed a bit of mana—they’re former gladiators.
Having pieced it together, I grinned and said,
“Well, I’m the one who wrecked the place. Weren’t you there? If you’d known, you never would’ve tried this on me.”
“Oh… I see. We were just low-level grunts back then, so we only got word that the operation shut down…”
The one who seemed like the boss trembled as he sliced the pizza.
“You’re not running this scam solo, right? Where’s your boss?”
“W-Well…”
They glanced at each other, clearly hesitant to spill.
Just then, Mago returned with another pizza pie, her eyes flashing like a menacing witch.
“No need to say if it’s hard. Magic already knows the answer.”
Maybe they’d heard the rumors about sorcerers being scary.
The scammers shuddered at Mago’s shadow.
“Bail, before we hand them to the knights for custody, mind if I run a few experiments?”
“Can you keep it painless? Remember how much trouble you caused turning the neighborhood bullies into frogs as a kid?”
Frogs.
The thought of ending up like that turned their faces pale.
“It’s fine, it’s fine. That was ages ago. And even if you turn into frogs, I’ll take good care of you, won’t I?”
Blue mana flickered menacingly in the black eyes of the Sorcerers’ Association Chair.
With her apron on, she rested her hands on her hips.
“Eek…!!”
“Please, anything but that…!! We’ll talk!!”
We glanced at the two men, who were practically slamming their heads into the floor, and shared a smirk.
Then, out of their sight, we lightly bumped fists.
“Daddy and Mommy look like thugs.”
“Your dad’s always been a famous thug, sweetie.”
Marie’s honest mutter drew a chuckle from Richard at the next table, who chimed in.
He was munching on the crusts his daughter Lina had left behind.
“Truth is, one of the Rastium crews that scattered set up shop in Norton… We work for them.”
Of all places to flee to with nowhere else to go, they picked my hometown.
Probably because Norton’s more laid-back than other capital regions.
“So there’s a cartload of scammers like you at that office?”
“Y-Yeah… Probably about ten in total.”
At the mention of ten, I glanced at Richard.
I said to our proud Radiant Knight Order Captain,
“You heard that? Go squash ’em.”
“That’s your jurisdiction. We handle the west.”
Richard played it cool, probably prioritizing his daddy-daughter time.
Fair enough—no reason for out-of-area knights to get dispatched here.
“Fine, then you go take them down, honey.”
“Me?”
I asked with a troubled look.
If I were alone, sure, but I’ve got five kids with me…
“I’ll watch the kids. Go get some fresh air while you’re at it.”
Mago smiled at the children, and the precocious bunch nodded in unison.
The thought of a solo outing after so long felt oddly exciting.
But.
Bouncing out with an “Awesome, thanks!!” would make me look lame.
I needed to project some responsible family-man vibes.
“With Iriina’s Verdant Knights around, do I really need to steal their thunder? Better to let the juniors have it.”
I scratched the back of my head, sounding apologetic.
Then, for the finale, I hit her with soulful eyes.
“Besides, how could I leave you alone with all the kids? Feels too bad…”
Mago stared at my wistful expression.
Then, figuring I was being a sly fox, she grabbed my cheeks and stretched them out.
“You’ve got a rep for slacking off lately. Hiding away so long you can’t even spot small fry like this!!”
“Ow… It’s been ten years, of course…”
She looked up at me with those jet-black cat-like eyes.
Pouting, she added,
“Why not rack up some achievements and hold your head high in front of the Marshal and Her Majesty Lea?”
“Sigh… You’re right.”
True, I’d spent years secretly hopping between imperial palaces like a fox den, hiding from my father-in-law.
Even now, he’d chase me with a cane at the sight of me.
Over seventy and still spry as ever.
Rumor has it he’s training for a marathon just to catch and thrash me before he goes…
“Alright, but you sure it’s okay leaving the kids while I go alone?”
“No way it’s okay. Even I’d struggle watching five by myself.”
Mago let out a sigh.
But she soon looked up with a sly glint in her eye.
“So when you get back, give me a reward too.”
“A reward…? Want me to grab some crapes on the way?”
I asked with an innocently clueless face, and Mago slowly pressed against me.
She gazed up with the sultry eyes of a female black cat.
“Marie’s been saying she wants a little sibling lately.”
“…?”
‘Huh?’
“The other brothers and sisters all have siblings, but not her—she’s sad about it, Bail.”
At thirty-something, Mago was no longer just a petite girl.
Leggings hugging her voluptuous thighs, apron accentuating her mature figure.
It was quite the tease.
And understandably so.
We’d been spending plenty of nights together with my wives, comforting each other.
A woman only grows more beautiful the more she’s loved.
“Ahem… Alright, I’ll head out!!”
Mago watched me bolt with a subtle smile.
Standing with hands behind her back, she took a deep breath, content with her life.
“Sigh… Same as ever, such a kid.”
The pizza shop owner glanced over.
He smiled warmly at the cute kids waving goodbye to their dad through the window.
“Daddy, since you’re going out, take your time and rest up!”
“I’ll let Mommy know.”
The kids cheering their dad on as he dashed off felt strangely heartwarming.
“Alright, pizza’s done—who wants milkshakes for dessert?”
Mago asked in a gentle, kindergarten-teacher voice.
The empire’s future stars shouted in unison.
「Me—!!」
“Oh, I’ll have strawberry cream biscuits with black tea.”
Helena placed her own order.
Lina at the next table jumped in too.
“Me too.”
“Lina, we should head out. Dessert at the knight order HQ, okay?”
“No, Captain. Since you’re here, let me treat you.”
Richard looked troubled at Mago’s kind smile.
“Pardon…? No, I can’t take free desserts after all this.”
“Of course it’s not free.”
The witch whipped up desserts in a flash and set them on the knight captain’s table.
With sharp eyes and a chilling smile, she said,
“You went quiet on us since it’s not your jurisdiction—least you can do is watch the kids, right?”
“…!!”
Richard realized he’d been had in an instant.
As he peeked out the window in a panic.
I gave him a thumbs-up and backed away.
“Be right back!! Uncle Richard’ll play with you!!”
The kids replied to my shout in perfect sync.
The roar made Richard’s bangs flop limply.
「Yeah!!」
“Bail, you little… no, you fox bastard!!”
Richard’s daughter sidled up to Ian’s seat—the boy who’d just helped her win a trophy.
She offered to share her dessert.
Ian, who resembled a silver wolf, flashed an awkward smile.
Watching it all unfold, Richard was utterly exasperated.
“Who’s he get that from, charming my daughter already…!!”
「―――――」
I left the pizza shop, dragging the two scammers toward downtown.
Their hideout was in a dingy alley.
The sign read: 「We Recover Your Unpaid Debts.」 in menacing letters.
But I just tsked at it with disdain.
“Hey, ‘unpaid debts’ my ass. You’re just fleecing people’s pocket change.”
“I didn’t make the sign…!!”
I shoved their backs, making them go in first.
The pushed guys turned back with troubled faces.
“W-Wait, you’re going in right now?”
“Even if you run here in Norton, it’s still my turf.”
Richard probably contacted the Verdant Knights separately.
But for scum like this, you need swift action.
If these captives don’t check in, their bosses will come sniffing soon.
They scattered fast when the Rastium den got raided—quick bastards.
So, strike before reinforcements arrive.
“B-But don’t you need a pretext…? They’ll smell something off if you just barge in.”
The older scammer whined.
I couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
“What a riot. Why are you worrying about me?”
“…”
To humor his absurdity, I pulled a pair of glasses from my pocket.
Then, dramatically smashed them against the wall, cracking one lens.
“There, happy now?”
I put on the damaged glasses and asked, but he still looked dumbfounded.
He got it only after we entered the office and I spoke first.
―――――.
I flung open the office door and strode in with the scammers.
A cocky guy lounging in a chair, feet on the boss’s desk, caught my eye.
“What’s up, Gunter? Thought you were closing a big deal—why so late?”
“Boss, about that… We hit a snag on the job…!!”
The boss dropped his feet at his nervous underling’s vibe.
“A snag? What kind?”
He shoved his hands in his pockets and stood, slicking back his black hair from his forehead, brow furrowed.
“…”
Gunter cautiously stepped aside.
Then…
My cracked-glasses look appeared in the gladiator-packed den of intimidation.
“Who’s this nerd?”
The boss sauntered over casually.
That’s when.
“Ow— it hurts…!!”
I dramatically flopped onto the office sofa, yelling.
“This guy bumped into me and broke my glasses!!”
Silence blanketed the room at my shout.
“What do we do!! Do you know how much these cost?!”
They were speechless, tasting their own scam medicine.
The baffled boss stared at me.
“Who the hell’s this…? How much were the glasses?”
I lifted the glasses slightly onto my forehead.
Grinning slyly like a fox, I said,
“About 30,000 gold?”
30,000 gold.
Glasses worth the whole building—the boss’s under-eye twitched.
“What’s with the faces?”
I clutched my neck, sitting up a bit.
Glaring pitifully at them, I hardened my gaze.
“It’s your favorite trick.”
Blue mana flared menacingly around my fist.
As the gladiators jumped up, a smile tugged at my lips.
Looking forward to flexing a bit after so long.