Mushoku Tensei — Chapter 127 - Growing Up — The Conversation

[To Rudeus Greyrat

It's been over two years since I left~ The adventures have been wonderful, but I won't go into the details here.

Tell my sisters-in-law, Father, Mother, and Sister Norn that I'm doing well. Mm~

No need to write back.

Love you all, Aisha Greyrat]

Haah...

Again with this. Aside from the addressee line, no mention of me whatsoever.

Did I do something to upset Aisha? Is she sulking...

She could at least use a teleportation circle to come back and visit. This little sister of mine, really...

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"What are you doing?"

Nanahoshi looked me up and down as I held Windsor.

"Brought my daughter to see you. Not welcome?"

"Heh. Of course not. Hand her over."

"Why the disgusted look?"

"How old is Windsor now?"

"Two years and seven months."

"Whoa."

Nanahoshi reached out and took Windsor from me.

Honestly, Nanahoshi is so frail that I genuinely wondered whether she could hold Windsor without dropping her.

My worry was unnecessary.

"Windsor, this is Auntie Nanahoshi," I prompted.

Windsor lifted her head and looked at Nanahoshi.

She didn't call her auntie, though. After one look, she quietly lowered her head again.

I gave an awkward laugh.

"Windsor... is a bit shy around people."

"Well, if someone I'd just met picked me up without warning, I probably wouldn't dare say anything either."

Nanahoshi moved to hand Windsor back to me. But the moment she shifted, Windsor buried her face into Nanahoshi's chest.

Nanahoshi froze. Then a smile broke across her face.

"Windsor just doesn't want to talk. It's not that she's afraid of me."

"Yeah, yeah..."

I replied half-heartedly.

Windsor is truly a girl who knows how to win over women's hearts.

My wives, my mother... even my friends, they all adore her to an almost unreasonable degree.

Not that men don't love her too. Paul and I both do, deeply.

I just refuse to admit that Windsor is going to be very popular with men when she's older.

"Auntie..."

"Ehh~"

Nearly three years old, and Windsor already speaks clearly.

She'd learned to walk too, of course. I just prefer carrying her.

Windsor stared at Nanahoshi, and only after a long, quiet moment did she murmur a single sentence.

"Auntie... is so pretty."

Nanahoshi went still. Like she'd been shot. She didn't say a word.

I reached over and patted her. She snapped back.

"Too... too cute... How can a guy like you have a daughter this cute?"

"What do you mean, 'a guy like me'?"

I wanted to push back on that, but Nanahoshi had already stopped paying attention to me.

She carried Windsor over to her experiment table, pulled open a drawer, and produced a necklace.

She dangled it in front of Windsor's eyes.

"Windsor, is this pretty?"

Windsor nodded.

Nanahoshi smiled and swapped the chain for a child-sized one, then settled it around Windsor's neck.

Looks like she'd had it prepared all along.

"Auntie is giving you this necklace."

Windsor looked down at the gemstone set in the center, silent.

I walked over and crouched beside them.

"Windsor, what did I teach you?"

"...Thank you, Auntie!"

"You're welcome~"

Nanahoshi smiled warmly as she stroked Windsor's head. When she turned to look at me, that smile pulled back considerably.

Blatant favoritism...

"So. The other two — they're both almost two now, right? Where are they?"

"Lara and Lucy got taken out to play by my wives and mother."

"Then why is Windsor with you?"

"You know what she did? She grabbed the hem of my clothes and said, 'I want to stay with Daddy. Being by myself is lonely.'"

"After that, how could I not bring her? My Windsor is without question the most wonderful daughter in the entire world!"

Nanahoshi broke out in goosebumps the moment I did the impression.

"True enough. The prejudice against green hair in the Ranoa Kingdom is almost completely gone thanks to you — especially around this university. Sylphiette doesn't need to wear her hood when she goes out anymore, right?"

"Yeah. I'm genuinely grateful for everything Ariel and Ruijerd did. And thank you for the necklace, it's a magic tool, isn't it?"

"It's nothing. Orsted gave it to me a while back. I have no use for it."

"There's no way something he gave is useless. I won't refuse, then. Thank you."

"Mm. Anything else?"

"Actually, yes."

I took out a map.

Nanahoshi glanced at it and frowned.

"The Demon Continent?"

"Right. The marked spot is Roxy's hometown. Once the kids are a little older, I'm thinking of going there alone to meet her parents. Bring them back to see their granddaughter."

"You really don't mind the trouble."

"So — is there a teleportation circle near the area?"

"Let me look."

Nanahoshi handed Windsor back to me and moved to her experiment desk.

She searched through the teleportation circle section for a while.

I occupied myself playing with Windsor. Half an hour drifted past.

"Rudeus. This one."

She slapped a map down on the table.

"Oh! Thanks."

"Bring Lara and Lucy next time."

"If you want to see them that badly, you can come to my house."

"I'll pass."

"Anyway. Thanks."

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That afternoon, I carried Windsor through the marketplace, drifting from stall to stall.

Windsor has a cool, quiet personality. I've mentioned this more than once.

But that's exactly why, when the softness breaks through, those rare, unguarded moments, it hits this old father right in the chest every time.

"Windsor."

"What is it...? Daddy."

"Anything you want?"

She stared at some corner of the market from inside my arms, like she was turning something over in her head.

Then she tucked her face into my chest.

"I want to sleep..."

"Then sleep."

I shifted my hold so she'd be comfortable.

But Windsor didn't close her eyes. She looked straight up at me.

"I want to go home... and sleep with Daddy."

Oh my.

Good heavens.

Where does my daughter even learn these things.

If Windsor ever gets married someday, I'm absolutely not going to be able to hold myself together. I'll cry. There's no question.

"Alright. Let's go home!"

➤ Next: Lara and the Sacred Beast