Chapter 15: If There Are Two Moms, One Must Be Papa.
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 15: If There Are Two Moms, One Must Be Papa.
Ever since the existence of the Goddess was briefly mentioned, the chatter of these monsters—I wasn't sure whether to call them aunties or big sisters—stopped reaching my ears.
While I was lost in my own thoughts, we must have arrived at Hindel’s location, as the sound of something clashing began to ring out.
"Yong-hwan, look! Iris is learning the sword~!"
At the sensation of Mom’s hand lightly patting my back, I turned my head to see Iris hopping around with a wooden sword.
It might sound cute when described that way, but in reality, she was leaping back several meters in a single bound before lunging forward, spinning multiple times in mid-air, and bringing her sword down in a strike—a series of insane maneuvers performed in the blink of an eye.
"She’s pretty good."
"She learns from Hindel every now and then."
I could only let out a hollow laugh at the casual conversation between Alicia and Mom. This wasn't a level I could mess with just because I knew a few submission holds.
"Still, she’s a bit clumsy in places. I won't be bored during this trip~."
"You’re just going to be watching from the sidelines, so what do you mean you won't be bored, you cow bitch?"
Alicia slapped King Milk Cow’s breasts with her palms.
"I just find it fun watching you guys fret and worry that Iris might get hurt, you know?"
"Crazy bitch."
Morian let out a long sigh at Camel’s words, which revealed her repulsive personality despite her smiling face.
Right now, it didn't matter whose personality was better or who was planning to raise me just to devour me later.
"Um, excuse me... if I learn, can I do that too?"
I felt everyone’s eyes fall on me.
"Does it look cool~? But it might be a bit too rough for a boy."
King Milk Cow Camel asked with a squinty-eyed smile. Looking at her like this, she had an innocent and ditzy face, but the irony was that she had the nastiest temper of them all.
"The roughness isn't the problem; he’ll probably just burst into tears and say he can't do it halfway through."
I glared at the Pervert Vampire Sister, who was still spouting hateful remarks even after being slapped twice with a Frankfurt sausage. However, it seemed the effect had worn off, as she was now looking at me with a strange smile.
It felt like she needed a beating not every three days, but every three hours.
"Yong-hwan, do you want to try?"
"Yes! I really, really want to! I want to do it! Can't I do it if I work hard?"
I rarely threw tantrums at Mom, but I couldn't hold back this time.
"Well, you can do anything if you work hard. Male knights aren't common, but they do exist to some extent..."
Judging by how she trailed off, I could tell that "to some extent" meant an extremely small number.
"The kid says he wants to try, so isn't once okay? I'm curious myself. About that 'talent' Hindel mentioned?"
Morian began to provide covering fire. I felt like I should go and give her a hug sometime, even when I didn't need to bait her.
"Talent is important, but you can't ignore effort. Unless he's going to see it through to the end, anyway..."
"Wow, Alicia. You sounded exactly like Tiria just now!"
Camel interjected at Alicia’s words, and Alicia’s face contorted like a vengeful demon.
"Hey, you son of a male whore."
"...That’s a bit harsh."
Camel gave a small cough. Tiria seemed to refer to the Prosecutor Sister, and the reaction was intense.
"You Tiria-like bitch."
"Are you... trying to start a fight?"
Camel began to clench and unclench her fists with a smile.
"You started it."
Alicia seemed to have no intention of avoiding a fight, and Mother took a step back. Morian quickly stood beside me as if to protect me.
At times like this, it was time to actively use the fact that I was a child.
"P-Please don't fight... I-I was wrong... I won't say I'll learn the sword anymore..."
The vampire and the cow sister, who looked ready to throw punches at any moment, looked at me and let out long sighs. Seeing the atmosphere soften, it seemed I had stopped the fight.
"No, no, it’s just that the conversation got a bit heated. Right, Alicia?"
"This is just how we talk... So, you want to learn the sword?"
Being a kid really was effective. Or perhaps it was because of the intense gaze of my mother, who was glaring at the two of them as if she would kill them while holding me.
"If I learn... will you big sisters stop fighting?"
Camel stared at me blankly without saying a word. Her purple eyes were fixed on me. I felt like I was being overwhelmed by that motionless, silent gaze.
It was flooding in. No, it was rummaging through me. It felt like the 'me' reflected in those purple eyes was being dissected. Torn apart as if she wanted to know my true intentions.
It was dangerous. But there was nothing I could do. My teeth began to chatter involuntarily at the sensation pressing down on my entire body.
My legs felt like they were going to give out. At that moment, everything went dark.
"Camel, what do you think you're doing?"
No, I saw a white, slender hand. It was Mom’s hand.
"Camel, you just..."
"Yeah, I just did a little test too~! Since a boy was being cocky and saying he wanted to learn the sword, teehee... Well, I've become interested in seeing it once. Are you mad, Ame?"
"I think I'll be mad if you do it one more time."
Mother lowered her hand. Camel, whom I had been dismissing as just a King Milk Cow, was now smiling with her eyes closed, unlike before.
"How interesting~! I like it, okay. I'm in favor~! If there's no one to teach him, I'll do it~!"
As if that razor-sharp gaze from a moment ago was a lie, Camel began to look around at the others with soft, curved eyes, as if seeking their agreement.
"I'm going to teach him. You've got some nerve, after looking at the kid like that."
It seemed the Exhibitionist Snow Woman Sister, who had been constantly showing me favor, had placed a priority bid on me like a Thorium Ingot.
The fact that she would educate me while wearing what was essentially a slingshot string bikini was something I was incredibly grateful for.
"Wouldn't magic be better for a boy?"
"Don't you think Morian would be too soft? She'd probably just coddle him and fail to teach him properly."
"And you'd probably kick the kid even if he said he couldn't do it? You bitch with nothing but oversized tits."
Ignoring Alicia’s words completely, the crazy bitch and the exhibitionist began to argue.
"Hindel. Can you start the next lesson right away?"
Whether the sisters fought or not, Mother ignored them cleanly, as if she had already decided on the teacher.
Even though we were quite a distance away, I felt a gaze on me. A massive maw was opening. And it approached at a terrifying speed, chewing me up until not a trace remained.
"...That thing is a boy."
I finally managed to exhale the breath I had been holding. It felt like I had just seen an illusion. No, it was a murky hostility that I couldn't even fathom.
Whether Mother didn't feel it, or whether she simply expected me to be able to handle that much, she just lightly patted my back.
"Is it a no, even if I'm the one asking?"
"...If it's Ame's request, I'll do it."
"Thank you. I'm always indebted to you, Hindel."
When Mother laughed while covering her mouth, the red-haired monster named Hindel smiled with the exact same expression. It was a smile so beautiful it made me realize she was capable of such a look.
"I detest males, but since Ame is asking, I'll accept."
"Please go easier on him than when you first taught Iris. He's only five years old."
"...Five years old. Boys are different from girls. They're difficult to teach."
Red eyes stared at me. The massive monster's maw I had seen earlier was gone. She was just scanning me with her slit pupils. As if she were taking an appraisal.
"Then how about seeing his talent and slowly ramping it up?"
"...Am I allowed to hit him?"
"If it's for educational purposes. As long as nothing gets broken. If emotions get involved, I think I'll be disappointed in you, Hindel."
"...You always ask for difficult things."
Hindel let out a long sigh. If not for her hostile gaze toward me, she was beautiful enough that I might have fallen for her even as she sighed.
Iris’s wooden sword, which had been lying on the ground, flew up on its own and hovered in front of me. Looking around, everyone had moved quite a distance away to watch. It seemed there was no one to help me.
My legs began to tremble at the sight of those red eyes telling me to grab the wooden sword.
In times like this, there was only one thing to do.
"I'll be in your care, Hindel Papa!"
"...?"
"If you're Ame Mama's wife, aren't you Papa to me? So, Hindel Papa!"
Hindel looked at me as if she didn't understand, then her eyes widened.
"Papa!"
I saw her lips twitch.
"...Pick up the sword. I will teach you from the very beginning."
The monster sister’s hostility had clearly diminished, and I felt a bit better. My trembling legs began to steady.
"I will teach you how to hold the sword first. Like this..."
The long, large fingers that overlapped mine were hard. The surface felt like a lump of metal. Without another word, she slowly began to guide my grip.
With Hindel’s hand softly enveloping mine, I felt like I understood how to hold the sword.
"One hand is for direction, the other is for power. That is the start. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Papa!"
Hindel gave a bright smile.