The Hero's Bloodline (4)
Honestly, at first, I thought the king of Arcadia must've eaten something bad. No matter how little claim to the throne he had, sending a prince as a son-in-law? A prince's political value goes without saying. And yet, they were sending their third prince to be the Hero's son-in-law? At that point, I was dying to know what the king of Arcadia was thinking.
Maybe... he was aiming to strengthen his royal line through blood ties with the Hero? Yeah, that had to be it. Why else send a prince our way?
But that thought vanished when...
"P-Pleased to meet you... No, wait... We've met before, but this is our first proper introduction... So, um, pleased to meet you..."
Seeing the prince's face turn beet red in front of the Hero's daughter, unable to even make eye contact, blew all my theories out of the water.
"Ah! Wait! You're the one I met back when we visited Arcadia!"
"Y-Yes... To think you'd remember me after just one day."
"You left quite an impression, in all sorts of ways!"
Before Arcadia went to war with its neighbor country, the Hero's daughter had wanted to meet up with the Beast God she'd adventured with. We'd all traveled together in Arcadia for a few days back then... Hmm. Could it be that the kids hit it off while the adults were talking?
This was... an unexpected connection.
"That was fun! While the grown-ups chatted away, we kids had a blast!"
"Yeah. It was."
A childhood bond from a short trip, rekindled now. Or maybe that's why this young man volunteered to be our son-in-law? I didn't know the details, but the terms were great. No reason for me to object.
The Hero's wife seemed taken with the prince's handsome looks, her smile never fading. The Hero, though? He clearly wasn't thrilled about his daughter's new fiancé, furrowing his brow and grumbling about "leeches," "all looks no substance," and whatever else came to mind.
Until his wife smacked his back, anyway.
Well, the Hero was a total daughter-con. He'd react the same no matter who she brought home. Even if it was the king himself, he'd complain.
"A prince, of all people, coming as a son-in-law? Sis, even you must find this hard to swallow, right?"
"Who knows. Human connections are mysterious things—maybe it was just fate."
"Fate my foot! More believable that scheming fox of a king sent him to get his hands on the Hero's bloodline!"
"Didn't you used to like that king? What's with the sudden change?"
"That was then, this is now! Positions change, so do opinions!"
Positions... the position of a father with a lovely daughter, huh. I got it, just a little... but still. For her sake, he'd have to let her go. Stubbornness like this would just make her hate him.
I let out a small sigh watching the Hero.
And not long after...
"Daddy, I hate you!!!"
My prediction hit the mark.
"Why do you keep picking on him? Over nothing!"
"No... sweetie..."
"I don't care! I hate you!!! I'm gonna be your niece instead!!!"
She clung to me, the Hero's daughter wailing like a child—though she was nearly in her twenties. Was she playing it up? To shake him?
"I'm not a kid anymore! I'm at that age where I'm a bit late for marriage! Why do you hate him? Give me a reason I can accept!"
"Th-That's..."
The Hero couldn't come up with one. Of course not—he was just being stubborn.
I sighed softly at his distress and stepped in. I could've watched longer, but I didn't want to see their father-daughter bond shatter over petty pride.
So.
"That's enough."
"Auntie!"
"Sis!!"
I'd been quietly observing, but now I wedged myself between them.
"Won't you forgive this fool?"
"Sis!"
"Quiet, you idiot. Did you think you'd get away with your nonsense? You should've considered she might end up hating you."
"B-But..."
"Quiet! You did nothing right, so shut up and behave!!"
No matter how cute your daughter is, you can't keep her forever! She has her own life—didn't you realize that? Idiot! You absolute idiot!!!
With his wife away on errands, I'd smack some sense into him myself!!!
"Ow, that hurts! Sis!!"
"Spankings are too light for a thick-headed moron like you!!!"
His once-toned muscles from his prime were gone, leaving only flab, but I laid into his back relentlessly.
"You weren't this frustrating back in the day! How'd you turn out like this? Do you think I raised you this way?!"
"Ow! It hurts! Sis!!! Stop!! Please stop!!"
"You're so infuriating! One more!"
Only when his back was red with clear handprints did I feel satisfied.
"There, I've beaten some sense into you. Now calm down."
I tossed the battered Hero onto the bed and turned to his daughter.
"Auntie..."
"That fool... he treasures you so much he couldn't bear to let go. He overlooked that your life is yours alone... so forgive him this once."
At my words, she glanced at the sprawled-out Hero, sighed deeply, and nodded.
"If you say so, Auntie... I won't hate my idiot dad anymore."
"Good. That's enough. And..."
I smiled at the Hero's daughter, now a beautiful young woman.
"Congratulations on your marriage."
The wedding of the Hero's daughter and Arcadia's third prince was small, just close family and friends. Maybe a dozen or so people. Villagers from the Hero's home and direct royals from Arcadia.
The newlyweds went through their share of ups and downs but lived happily enough. They even had kids right away.
Seeing grandkids before he turned seventy mellowed the Hero's hostility toward his son-in-law dramatically.
And fortunately—or predictably—the Hero's grandson was... ordinary, unlike his mother. No early birth, no trace of my mana in his body. Just a normal human.
Well, I'd sealed my mana anyway, so it was to be expected. I checked just in case, and sure enough, the sealed mana in his body was a bit less than in the Hero's daughter... but how many generations until it fully faded? Unknown.
"As long as he's healthy, that's plenty, right?"
"True enough."
I chuckled softly, watching the Hero lift his grandson high for peekaboo. The sharp edge from our adventuring days was gone; now he was just a sappy grandpa.
"Hm? What's up, Sis?"
"Nothing."
Just marveling at how much people could change.
I gazed silently at the Hero, his life force waning. About ten years left? Eighty was long for this era, yet it felt so short.
"Hero."
"Yes?"
"Was your life... worthwhile?"
He smiled faintly at my question.
"What's with the sudden deep question?"
"Just curious."
"Out of the blue, as always."
Cradling his grandson, he stroked the boy's head gently.
"I don't know what makes a life 'worthwhile'... but one thing's for sure."
"One thing?"
"Yeah. I'm satisfied with mine."
His voice steady, he continued.
"An orphan with nothing pulled the Hero's sword by chance and got to adventure across the world, making a name for himself."
Plus a foxy wife, bunny-like kids, and this little bunny grandson, he added with a breath.
"If I hadn't drawn that sword... my life would've been worse, no doubt. Best case, a pilgrim for the Life Temple."
A pilgrim's life—wandering the world, preaching life. No easy path.
"So yeah, I'm satisfied. It was a great life."
A great life... Good. I could relax a bit, then.
"Well, death isn't the end, anyway."
"Huh?"
"Nothing."
"That sounded pretty important! Sis?!"
And so, I lived quietly with the aging Hero.
Until one day, a man appeared in our village.