Chapter 85
Chapter 85
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 85
Chapter Title: The Crodain Family (2)
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Gerard Crodain.
The head of a great family possessing vast territory and formidable military might.
His cool, sharp eyes left a strong impression.
Though over forty, he looked young for his age.
The resemblance to Jace was uncanny, a testament to their shared blood.
*Hmm, so that’s what I’ll look like in the future?*
If I were to age like that, I’d be more than satisfied.
Above all else, I was pleased by his full head of hair.
I wouldn't have to worry about things like hair loss. Truly, this body's genes were excellent.
“I think I’ve awakened to a new preference!”
“So that’s Jace’s father… He’s so handsome.”
“This certainly broadens our options. If the opportunity arises, a challenge might be in order…”
The girls were collectively losing their minds.
They placed their hands on their chests, as if their hearts were pounding.
“…”
What in the world was this turn of events?
They’ve abandoned me for the charms of a middle-aged man!
Don’t you know you’ll make me sad if you act like that?
Just then, Ceria subtly linked her arm with mine.
*See? You have me. Ignore them.*
She seemed to say, giving me a gentle smile with her eyes.
Her warmth calmed my heart.
It made me realize something anew. My fiancée really was the best.
Ceria glanced over at the other girls.
She shook her head as if to say they were hopeless.
*You fools.*
*Don’t you realize this is what Jace will naturally look like when he’s older?*
Why was even her smug attitude so endearing?
In any case, I had to deal with Gerard first.
He was the type who rarely showed his emotions.
He maintained a stoic expression, as if the bond between father and son was secondary.
“I heard you became the Hero.”
“Yes. That is correct.”
“Then present the proof.”
It wasn’t a matter of suspicion.
He meant for me to display the qualities of an heir in front of everyone.
If he wanted a show, I’d give him one.
The Holy Sword was summoned at my will.
The sacred relic of the goddess, radiating a brilliant light.
As if moved by its power, everyone around us let out gasps of admiration.
“Truly magnificent…”
“I feel as if I can sense the goddess’s grace.”
“I never thought I’d see the Hero in person…”
“And to think that Hero is our young master…”
They spoke as if it were the family's greatest honor.
They were lost in elation, as if things couldn’t possibly get any better.
Seeing the retainers so genuinely happy made my shoulders swell with pride.
Well, the Family Head’s reaction was more important than theirs.
Gerard’s stern demeanor remained, but I caught the subtle twitch of his lips.
He looked proud, after all.
He seemed to be barely restraining the urge to boast about how outstanding his eldest son was.
I couldn’t be certain, but a parent’s heart is the same everywhere.
Still, with many eyes on him, he lowered his voice, befitting the head of a great house.
“It is a fine thing to be chosen as the Hero… but are you prepared?”
“Of course.”
“Good. I will trust you, as I always have.”
I let out an internal sigh of relief.
It was a bit different from what I’d expected, but all in all, things were proceeding smoothly.
He was trusting me completely, just as he would have the original Jace…
My worries that an unexpected situation might arise proved to be unfounded.
*Hmm, this makes me feel a little guilty.*
Though the shell was the same, the person inside was completely different.
It wasn't my fault, but I couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt.
Well, what could I do? I just had to try my best.
I would repay that trust by elevating the family's prestige.
Come to think of it, I already had.
Possessing the Hero of this era meant their golden age was set to continue.
“Rest with your companions and recover from your journey. I will have a banquet prepared.”
“Yes, Father.”
It seemed he was planning to throw a grand feast for his son’s long-awaited return.
This was the situation Aruru had been hoping for most. At this point, I wondered if she was just born with a blessing for food.
We were guided by the butler.
After being assigned our rooms, a series of preparations began, from washing up to getting dressed.
Maids skilled in hospitality took charge of the girls.
The beastkin fox and the elf girl each shared their impressions of the devoted service.
“Wow! Is this the life of the upper class? This is totally awesome!”
“I expected something like this, but I didn’t think it would be so thorough.”
In contrast, the princess’s reaction was perfectly natural.
Being waited on by court ladies must have been a daily occurrence for her.
Even after so many years, her body seemed to remember.
A short while later, a woman who exuded grace came to see us.
The lady of the Crodain Family… in other words, this body’s mother.
She had a youthful appearance, looking as if she were in her early thirties.
Martina displayed the dignity of a noble lady for all to see.
“It is good to see you, Mother. Have you been well…”
“Nothing much, aside from your father throwing a tantrum in a fit of anger.”
“…”
Hector’s words suddenly came to mind.
A part of the mansion had been destroyed, and the garden had been turned into a wreck, was it?
He was a man so rational he seemed cold.
But even he couldn’t tolerate the troublemaking Jace had committed.
It was a good thing I became the Hero; if things had gone wrong, it could have been quite dangerous.
“Anyway… I’m glad to see you look healthy.”
*I was so worried.* Her sincerity was palpable.
He must have been a son she could be proud of anywhere, so how could she not have been?
Well, in the end, I had returned strong enough to become the Hero.
She gave me a warm smile, as if proud of me for overcoming my hardships.
“May I give you a hug?”
“—??”
Before I could even react, she pulled me into an embrace.
*Aah, I’m trapped in the arms of a woman I’ve just met!*
*My beautiful boy.*
*I’m just thankful you’ve returned in one piece.*
She seemed to be patting my back with that sentiment.
Apart from the feeling that I was about to lose my mind, my body was honest.
The warm, nostalgic embrace of a mother…
The desire to be a good son welled up inside me.
After the hug, Martina looked over the girls around me.
“A beastkin, and an elf… all of them are such cute and beautiful young ladies. So, which one have you chosen?”
“Pardon?”
“Hurry and introduce me to your new lover. Surely it can’t be all of them…”
“—!!”
“—!!”
“—!!”
Oh, dear lady!
There’s a limit to jumping to conclusions, and you’ve gone way too far!
Was it a son’s destiny to endure his mother’s meddling?
At her sudden outburst, Aruru, Esterize, and Ilensia’s eyes gleamed.
They were visibly excited, as if they’d realized something and discovered a glimmer of hope.
*Maybe there’s a chance?*
*Instead of aiming for Jace directly, perhaps winning over his mother would be a better method?*
To catch the general, you must first shoot his horse.
The meaning was a little different, but they seemed to have grasped a similar principle.
I was simply flustered, but Ceria’s state was beyond that.
She froze, her pupils trembling, as if to declare she’d received a great shock.
*Ah, betrayed by the one I trusted most!*
*I worked so hard to be accepted as a daughter-in-law!*
The girl looked at me as if pleading her case.
She seemed to be begging me to correct my future mother-in-law’s misunderstanding.
Well, there was no need for me to step in.
Martina seemed to have already realized something was amiss.
*Hmm? Is that not it?*
*My son is so handsome, it wouldn’t be strange for him to have many lovers.*
She pondered for a moment, then asked with her eyes.
*My son, did your mother get ahead of herself?*
“Yes, a little…”
“…”
Her look of embarrassment quickly vanished.
Her composure, unshaken despite her faux pas, showed her experience.
Martina naturally embraced Ceria.
She whispered her thanks for taking good care of her son all this time.
“Forget what I just said. It’s because I feel like you’re my own daughter.”
“—!!”
Ceria’s eyes welled up at the words that she was already considered family.
Although it seemed the hierarchy (?) had been neatly sorted out, the meddling of a mother who loved her son continued.
“Hmm, still, I can’t help but be greedy for one more…”
“…”
Ceria’s eyes welled up for a different reason.
After lifting her future daughter-in-law’s spirits only to let them drop, she looked at the girls again.
“This mother of yours has taken a liking to that child.”
“—??”
Bypassing the other girls, Aruru was chosen.
It was obvious she had fallen head over heels for the fox beastkin’s charms.
*Wait a minute… they’re different races, aren’t they?*
Despite my bewilderment, she just shrugged her shoulders as if to say, *what does that matter?*
“When she’s that cute, does it really matter?”
“…”
I couldn’t tell how much of it was genuine.
Well, it was clear she was eager to pet Aruru.
As if responding to her, our little cutie wagged her tail.
*A chance to get on Jace’s mother’s good side!*
*I can’t pass this up. I have to score a ton of points now!*
As if to prove it, she offered her head toward Martina.
It was a charm that was bound to work on anyone, regardless of gender.
And so, the lady of the house experienced the ultimate form of healing.
“You are Jace’s companions, correct? I hope you will all continue to get along.”
She led the conversation with a benevolent smile.
Her sociability kept the atmosphere light and pleasant.
She was truly the epitome of a noble lady.
“Miss Aruru.”
“Yes!”
“The banquet should be ready by now. Let us go.”
“I’ve been waiting to hear those words!”
It was as if she was treating our little cutie like her own late-born child.
Although her future mother-in-law’s attention had been stolen, Ceria didn’t despair.
It was a situation comparable to an unavoidable natural disaster.
How could one possibly stand against the world’s cutest fox beastkin?
The girl simply clung to me to soothe her disappointment.
Soon, the banquet began.
As expected, it was a grand affair befitting the prestige of a great family.
Not only was there a magnificent feast, but there was also music playing softly in the background.
It wasn't excessively extravagant, but it lacked for nothing.
*Nom, nom, nom.*
Our little cutie was truly unstoppable.
Like a fish in water, she performed a continuous magic trick of making food disappear.
The lord and lady of the house barely touched their food.
Martina seemed full just from watching Aruru.
Gerard simply watched us with a calm, sunken gaze.
Among us, he observed the princess most carefully.
It seemed he was concerned, as she too had been chosen by the Holy Sword.
The meal proceeded in a quiet atmosphere.
Just as Aruru muttered, “Ugh, I can’t eat another bite…,” the Head of the Crodain Family looked at me and spoke nonchalantly.
“It seems you’ve finished eating. Let us have a talk.”
“…”
I had a feeling.
This was where the real business would begin. I had to be on my guard.
Nothing would probably happen, but one could never be too sure.
For now, it was difficult to guess Gerard's true intentions.
He was a character who didn't appear in the main story.
I only had a few tangled encounters with the Crodain Family's knights who participated in the war.
Still, he was a great figure always mentioned when discussing the continent's powerhouses.
Though I had struggled and grown stronger in my own way, I was likely no match for him yet.
Above all, since he was this body’s father, I had no choice but to be wary of him.
Perhaps, with a powerful person’s extrasensory perception, he had already noticed the change in his son.
“Madam, please look after our guests for a while.”
An uncomfortable situation where we would be face to face, just the two of us.
I followed Gerard into his private study, which also served as his office.
*Thump, thump…*
As I stood there, tense, he suddenly spoke.
“It’s only been about two years, but you’ve changed a lot. It’s as if you’re a different person.”
“—!!”
For a moment, I thought my heart had dropped into my stomach.
Was it impossible to fool the eyes of family?
No, I’d gotten past his mother just fine.
I had to play it off for now.
Even if he was suspicious, all he had was a hunch…
“—!!”
He suddenly gripped my shoulders tightly.
His grasp was as firm as his intense gaze.
Was he about to interrogate me with, *‘Who are you?’*
It might have just been my imagination, but the atmosphere was ripe for it!
“Let me give you a hug.”
“—??”
Following Martina, Gerard also went in for a hug.
There was no softness, but a sense of steadfastness filled my chest.
*Ah, so this is the charm of a middle-aged man…*
I instantly understood why he had captured the girls’ hearts.
“…”
In the end, it seemed I had been making a fuss all by myself.
But what did it matter, so long as the worst-case scenario had been avoided?
In a most heartwarming atmosphere, the conversation between father and son began.