Father-Daughter Crafting Team (4)
"Dad's arms. It's been so long."
Evril nuzzled her head against my chest, spoiling herself rotten. The way she looked up while pressing those puffy cheeks into me was pure poison for the heart.
"Is an elf this cute even allowed to exist?"
For a second I thought I'd spilled my inner monologue out loud. I hadn't. A male elf had pulled out a camera and was snapping photos like the most shameless doting relative alive.
"Evril. Look over here?"
"Okay!"
Evril threw up an adorable peace sign. The male elf staggered as if he might collapse on the spot, hammering the shutter for all he was worth.
"Ebrote oppa. I told you to restrain yourself outside! It's embarrassing!"
"...You're not sharing the photos?"
Good grief. Even while getting beaten, the elf radiated the full authority of an eldest brother — the kind who freely manhandled little sisters who dared defy him.
Threatening someone with photos of one of the cutest half-elves in the world. Ebrote was a wise elf, every bit as sharp as his high level suggested.
"Dad..."
Evni — likewise one of the cutest half-elves in existence — tugged insistently at my pant leg. Her gaze and Evril's crossed with theatrical intensity.
"You..."
"Hmph! Evril is the little sister, so she gets to act spoiled with Dad! Evni is the big sister, so you stay right there!"
Kugung.
Something inside Evni seemed to crumble. Her pupils trembled like a tiny boat caught in a storm.
"Brother-in-law. Is this child Evni?"
"Cute, right?"
"That's stating the obvious! Aah... I'm so glad I took the level-down. Niece. Want Uncle to take your picture?"
"..."
Still reeling, Evni couldn't manage a single reaction. The way she stood there with her mouth hanging open was devastatingly cute.
Click. Click.
Ebrote poured his whole soul into photographing Evni. He looked happier than a man who'd just heard a doomed world had been saved.
"When I heard our youngest got pregnant without even marrying first, I was worried — but to think she'd give birth to two nieces this adorable. They look just like her when she was little. Evrande. Remember? When you were small I used to carry you on my back and—"
"Ah, seriously! Stop!!"
Evrande, her long ears flushed crimson all the way to the tips, pounded on Ebrote's back.
"I really can't live with how embarrassing Big Brother is!"
"Right! Everyone's staring! Think about our feelings for once!"
The two little sisters beat their older brother without mercy. Even while taking the hits, Ebrote refused to abandon his photography.
With Evni and Evril settled in either arm, I looked over at Dohoyo.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Lady Dohoyo sure has it rough."
"Less than your master."
What was that supposed to mean? Sophia was living her happiest days in the Newbie League thanks to me.
Without me, she'd still be a goddess surviving on hundred-won bread!
"Human friend. Just what in the..."
Apparently worried that I'd been gone too long, Masunwarp came out.
He looked from the two half-elves in my arms, to the two little sisters thrashing their older brother, to the elf still taking photos while getting thoroughly pulverized.
"...Am I overworked? Your daughter looks like two."
"I actually have four. Lan-lan-i inside over there is the first. Evni here is the second. Evril is the third. Lulu is the fourth."
"Ah."
Masunwarp clutched his head in pure confusion.
"What? There are two more nieces this cute? Where!"
"Ah, oppa! Come on! Seriously, come on!!"
We were in the middle of work, so we couldn't spare too much time. We agreed to meet Dohoyo's group again after we clocked out.
Sophia announced she was going to hang out with her friend and left the workshop. Cheonsol wanted to stay, but I shoved her out after them.
Last time I'd checked, she'd become friends with Evrande. Minions needed to play with their friends too.
I tried to send all the kids as well, but Evni stayed by my side. The moment she said she wanted a little more time with Dad, Ebrote shed rivers of emotional tears.
"Amazing friend! Help me out over here!"
"Envious friend! Let's forge some swords together!"
"Envious bastard..."
Being dragged every which way, I flinched hard when a voice thick with envy and jealousy cut through.
Masunwarp kept his gaze locked on me even while carving a staff. Crafting without looking. He was putting on a masterclass in why dwarves were the artisan race.
"Three women gave you kids? And the Vampir's pretty, the elves are pretty too."
"Doesn't Lord Masunwarp hate elves?"
Thwack!
Kim Dwarf, who'd chimed in while passing by, took a knuckle to the skull. The tactless dwarf pouted and scurried off.
"The one called Lulu was a bit unique, but she was cute too. Who's her mom?"
"A Death Knight named Cha-cha."
"...Death Knight?"
Not just Masunwarp — the other dwarves sent looks of pure incomprehension.
The master craftsman, who'd been hammering away, kept flinching until he finally shoved the heated metal aside. The dwarf working with him screamed.
The master craftsman didn't care. He came straight for me.
"Lulu's mom is a Death Knight?"
"Yes."
"She had a kid before becoming a Death Knight and then di— um. Uh... is that how it went?"
"Ah. I see. Then it makes sense."
"Human friend must have loved Cha-cha a great deal."
"But why didn't she come with you?"
"Shh! You can't poke at painful memories! You ask while giving beer and meat!"
I could see exactly what novel the dwarves were writing in their heads. My tragic love with Cha-cha. Separation by death. Some other god reviving her and putting her to work as a minion.
"No. I met her after she became a Death Knight."
"Then the woman called Cha-cha is actually—"
"Whatever you're imagining, it's all wrong. Cha-cha didn't have a daughter either. We met after she became a Death Knight. And she gave birth to Lulu."
The master craftsman tried to put a hand on my shoulder. Failed due to the height difference. He dragged a chair over from the side.
Tap. Tap.
"You don't have to lie to us."
"No...!"
Had this dwarf spent his whole life being deceived? Why wouldn't he believe a word people said?
"Evni. Explain to these suspicious dwarves a bit."
"Mm..."
Evni started explaining.
"Dad and... Cha-cha... Mom...? Aunt...? Stepmom...?"
"Just Mom. Cheonsol is Evni's mom too, right?"
"Right...! Cha-cha... Mom... Death... Knight..."
"Kyaaaah!"
Kim Dwarf rolled across the floor. Surprisingly, no one scolded him.
Bang!
"Kyaaaaaaah!!"
So I did. Kim Dwarf, who'd somehow grown about two centimeters taller, shouted,
"Lord Yohan! I believe your words!"
"Evni explained really well, didn't she?"
"Yes!! The kid's a genius!!!"
Our Evni was a genius. That was exactly why she helped with Dad's work so well.
"Kim Dwarf. Well done. Honestly I was about to die of frustration."
"Good thing the kid is cute."
The dwarves were whispering among themselves. Too short to catch everything, but I definitely picked up the word "cute."
With genius cutie Evni's performance, we'd finally convinced the dwarves. I was about to get back to work when the master craftsman blocked my path.
"Poor human craftsman friend. Clock out and go rest. You need to spend time with the kids."
"Right. The daughter worked hard too — let her rest."
"Evni. Take this and go buy something tasty. It's allowance from Dwarf Uncle, so don't give it to Dad. Got it?"
"Yes..."
Evni, who'd received allowance from dwarves of every gender, came up to me and held out her hands. Both palms were overflowing with divine coins.
"Dad..."
"You're going to give the allowance to Dad? No. It's money our daughter earned through work, so you should use it yourself."
"Dwarf... uncles..."
Tears of pure emotion welled up in me.
"The dwarf uncles gave allowance because they like Evni, so Evni wants to give allowance to Dad because she likes him?"
"How the hell does he understand that?"
"That's how you marry three women?"
"Indeed..."
Without taking the divine coins, I stroked Evni's head. She squeezed her eyes shut and savored the touch.
"Dad likes Evni so much he should give allowance too. Master Craftsman! My daily wage, please!"
"Sure."
After depositing divine coins into my account, the master craftsman pulled a few coins from his pocket. Sharp instincts, befitting the one in charge of the workshop.
"This is allowance from Dad. Use this to go buy something tasty, and get something for your little sisters too. Let's save the allowance from the uncles, okay?"
"Mm..."
Good Evni, who always listened to Dad, tucked the coins into her pocket. I watched her blankly, overwhelmed by the cuteness, and remembered my first meeting with Ebrote.
"Want a piggyback ride?"
"Mm...!"
"Come here. Master Craftsman! We're clocking out!"
"Tomorrow... no. Come again next time!"
"Yessir!"
The moment we reunited with the group, Lan-lan-i and Lulu came running.
"Mad Demon! Save me!"
Dad. Please stop Uncle.
What. What happened? What had Ebrote done?
Just in case, I checked the kids. Lan-lan-i was holding a triple-scoop ice cream cone in one hand and a waffle in the other, skewer sauce smeared across her cheeks.
The skull Lulu always carried around was stuffed full of candy and chocolate.
"Uncle's trying to make Lan-lan-i's belly explode!"
I'm starting to hate sweet snacks.
Not content with snacks in both of the girls' hands, Ebrote looked thoroughly flustered — food piled even on top of a house-sized bear, an eagle, and a tiger.
"No, brother-in-law, I wasn't trying to torment the kids. I just liked watching them eat so well that I treated them a bit, but it seems I overdid it. Sorry."
Why hadn't anyone else stopped him? Evrande and Cheonsol both avoided my gaze at the same time.
"I apologize. They were simply too adorable, so this lady could not bring herself to stop him."
"Mad Demon would understand if he saw this too, right?"
Evrande manipulated a screen as if offering an excuse. Lan-lan-i eating chicken skewers. Lulu scooping cake. Evril drinking a beverage with a leaf floating on top.
Every single one of them was devastatingly cute.
"Send it to me too."
"Mad Demon?"
Dad?
The kids looked at me with betrayal glistening in their eyes. Evril, who'd approached at some point, grunted as she climbed up my leg.
When I lifted her, she was heavier than before. She'd really packed it away in that short time.
"Don't worry. Dad will tell Uncle to stop giving snacks."
"Sorry, brother-in-law."
Sorry, my foot, big brother. Those photos were excellent.
When I winked at him secretly, out of the kids' sight, Ebrote's whole face lit up. Such an easy-to-read elf.