Chapter 228 - Hot Spring, Night

The night deepened.

Snow still fell quietly outside.

Through the inn's paper windows, the whole mountain looked draped in soft white, like the world had been muffled.

The wind chimes hanging under the eaves swayed in the night breeze now and then, sending out a clean, bright ring.

Inside, the hall was warm enough to feel like another world entirely.

Charcoal crackled in the brazier.

The air held the mingled scent of hot tea, old wood, and the lazy warmth drifting in from the hot springs.

.

Two mahjong tables sat in the center of the hall.

On one side: Orsted, Nanahoshi, Cliff, and Ariel.

On the other side: me and my wives.

Or more precisely.

Me, getting absolutely swarmed by my entire family.

"Pon~"

Aisha slapped down her tile with a grin.

Then she leaned her whole body against my shoulder.

"Brother~ I feel like I've totally got the hang of this now~"

"You just played a three-of-bamboo as an eight-of-bamboo."

"Don't sweat the small stuff~"

"The small stuff is everything in mahjong."

"Then teach me again, Brother~"

"You're practically draped over me. Were you actually learning at all?"

"This is the learning posture~"

"No, it isn't..."

Beside me, Sylphiette laughed softly.

"Aisha really has been so clingy with Rudeus these past two days."

"Because Brother is so warm~"

I spoke up.

"Just warm?"

"More than that."

She leaned close to my ear.

"Also very impressive~" she murmured.

"...Don't do that."

Aisha put on her most innocent expression and went quiet, still leaning comfortably against my shoulder.

On the other side of the table, Eris was staring at her tiles like they'd personally offended her.

The concentration on her face was the same look she wore when squaring off against a Sword God Style master.

"Rudeus! Why can't I pon this one?"

"Because someone else has to discard it first."

"Then why don't you discard it?"

"Because I'm not stupid."

"..."

Eris furrowed her brow.

Then she slowly looked over at me.

"Rudeus."

"Hm?"

"Please discard it~ I'm begging you!"

Well.

Since it's Eris asking...

I was just about to play the tile she needed when Aisha pressed down on my hand.

"Eris, big sis~ no begging like that."

"Aisha!"

"Didn't we agree on this earlier?"

"Hmph! Fine, Aisha, you play it. I can't figure this game out!"

"Alright, alright~"

And so Aisha swapped in for Eris.

Roxy smiled.

"Eris has given up on thinking, it seems."

In Roxy's arms sat tonight's biggest troublemaker.

Lara Greyrat.

"Mom, am I about to win?"

"Hm~ you're already in tenpai."

"Heh heh, hahahaha!"

Lara swung her little feet happily.

Then she snapped a tile down onto the table.

Heh... let Dad give you a lesson, my dear daughter.

Mahjong is precisely about that final tile you desperately want and can never seem to draw.

I spoke.

"Tsumo."

I turned over my hand. Calm.

The whole table went silent for one second.

Lara Greyrat froze.

Then she puffed out her cheeks.

"Dad!"

"Lara. The table is a battlefield."

"Hehe~ Dad, if you're going to play it that way..."

Lara picked up her teacup and took a slow, deliberate sip. The gesture was pure Orsted.

She was sitting in Roxy's arms, and she still managed to look like a seasoned veteran.

Roxy stroked her head gently.

"Does Lara have a plan?"

"Of course! I will crush Dad until he's completely destroyed! I will definitely win next time! I'm betting everything I have!"

Where did she even pick up lines like that...

The next second, Lara narrowed her eyes at me, as if something had just occurred to her.

"Dad."

"Hm?"

"Did you just trick me into playing that tile on purpose?"

"No."

"Dad answered too fast. Very suspicious!"

"Lara's overthinking it."

"I don't believe you~"

Just then, Lucy, who'd been quietly watching the game from the side, spoke up.

"Um... Dad."

"What is it?"

"I think big sis Lara might already be getting a little addicted to gambling..."

Lara immediately protested.

"Lucy! Mahjong is not gambling!"

"But you already started saying things like 'I'm betting everything I have'..."

"That doesn't count!"

At the other table, Nanahoshi heard the whole thing and couldn't hold back.

"Hahaha! Lara definitely has a talent for gambling."

"Don't say it like it's a compliment..."

I pressed my hand to my forehead and sighed.

Sigh... if Lara grew up and actually got into gambling...

Well. Probably not, right?

She can see the future. Even if she did gamble...

Alright, it's still better if she didn't gamble at all.

While I was quietly worrying about my daughter's future, Tina came trotting over with a cup of warm milk.

She stood beside the mahjong table and watched seriously for a moment.

Then she spoke.

"Dad."

"Hm?"

"In this game, does the loudest person tend to win?"

"Why would you think that?"

"Because every time Mama Summer is about to win, her voice gets a little louder."

Aisha's smile froze solid.

The corner of her mouth twitched.

"Tina observes so carefully."

"Because Mama Summer keeps going 'hehehe' like an idiot. When she's about to win, the smile is different."

"Tina—"

Aisha lunged and scooped her up.

And immediately began rubbing her cheek against Tina's with complete abandon.

"How could you betray Mama Summer!"

"Because Mama Summer is so noisy!"

"Waaah! Brother! My daughter despises me!"

"...You brought that on yourself."

Tina had already been thoroughly squished into a ball.

.

The other mahjong table had a completely different atmosphere.

"Riichi."

"Pon."

"Kan."

Tiles clicked and clattered in a steady rhythm.

Nanahoshi had fully entered the zone.

She was squinting hard at Orsted, the look on her face exactly like someone trying to crack a world-class unsolved problem.

"Orsted."

"Hm."

"You really can't read minds? Or are you using some kind of special magic? You know a lot of magic, after all."

"I'm not that bored."

"Then why did you win again?"

"Luck."

"I don't believe you."

Nanahoshi slapped her tiles down.

Thoroughly fed up.

Orsted's expression didn't flicker. He simply collected his chips in silence.

Cliff was stroking his chin with the look of a man conducting a calm and thorough analysis.

A shame he hadn't won a single round.

"Hmm... still very challenging."

Ariel laughed elegantly.

"Lord Orsted really is remarkably skilled at this sort of game."

The corner of Cliff's mouth twitched.

"Skilled doesn't quite cover it at this point, does it?"

Just then, a bright, airy laugh floated over.

"Aiyaya~ Cliff lost again~"

Elinalise had finally arrived, Clape in tow.

She'd clearly just stepped out of the hot springs. Her golden hair hung smooth over her shoulders, and her earrings swayed gently as she moved.

Clape walked carefully behind her, holding a small plate of snacks with both hands. Very serious about it.

"Mom, don't suddenly lean over like that," he said. "You'll mess up Dad's game."

"What does it matter~"

Elinalise smiled and wrapped her arms around Cliff's shoulders from behind. She even leaned close to his ear for good measure.

Cliff went slightly red.

"Lize, everyone is watching."

"Eh~ and you're still shy after all this time?"

"That's not the point. It's just, in front of everyone..."

"Hehe~ Cliff is definitely shy."

Nanahoshi watched the whole exchange.

And pressed her fingers to her temple.

"Why are all you married couples somehow more unbearable than the last."

Elinalise looked over with a teasing smile.

"Is Miss Nanahoshi jealous~?"

"Hah? Me, jealous of you people?"

"So fierce~"

Clape, meanwhile, had already started studying the tiles in earnest. Still in his mother's arms, clearly working through something in his head.

Then he spoke.

"Dad."

"Hm?"

"I think you should discard this one."

Cliff looked down.

He went still.

"...That's actually right."

"Oh?"

Nanahoshi's attention sharpened immediately.

"Clape, you understand mahjong?"

"Not really, but I can tell Dad's in a dangerous spot right now. I looked at the rules earlier."

"..."

Cliff was quiet for a moment.

Then he slowly brought his hand to his forehead.

"Why is even my own son more naturally talented than me..."

Elinalise patted his shoulder right away.

"It's fine! Cliff just needs to keep working hard~"

"That is not comforting at all..."

.

By the window, Windsor was quietly wiping down her wooden sword.

She seemed to prefer watching the snow over mahjong.

Edward sat beside her, working hard to find something to say.

"Sister Windsor."

"Hm?"

"You're definitely going to become really strong, aren't you?"

"Maybe."

"Then can you teach me swordsmanship someday?"

Windsor thought it over seriously.

Then she nodded.

"Sure."

Edward's eyes lit up instantly.

"Really?!"

"Hm."

"Then it's a promise!"

"It's a promise."

I quietly took a sip of tea and frowned.

...That kid is way too happy about this.

But would it be undignified to say something now?

Would Windsor think her father was being annoying?

Tsk...

On the other side of the room, Ariel was watching all of it with elegant amusement. She even smiled to herself.

Windsor noticed none of it.

She just watched the snow outside.

"The snow is beautiful," she said.

Edward nodded right away.

"Hm! I think so too, Sister Windsor."

And then the two of them sat together watching the snow.

.

Nearby, Julie was helping Zanoba stack a mahjong tower.

That's right.

Not a snowman.

A mahjong tower.

"Master! Look!"

Zanoba's face was alight with excitement.

In front of him stood an absurd, towering structure built entirely from mahjong tiles.

"How are you even stacking them that high..."

"This is my progress!"

"I have no idea what that means."

Julie offered a solemn addendum.

"Lord Zanoba's hands have become very steady."

"...Ah. That's what it meant."

The next second, Eris walked past and clipped the corner of the table.

CRASH!

The entire tower collapsed at once.

Zanoba and Julie both went rigid.

Eris frowned.

"Ah..."

Then she straightened up.

"I'm sorry!"

Zanoba immediately started waving his hands in a panic.

"No, no, no! Master's wife Eris has nothing to apologize for! The destruction of a structure is itself a part of the art!"

"I see!"

Eris accepted this completely.

Sylphiette smiled.

"Eris, that was just Zanoba's way of being kind."

Julie nodded with great gravity.

"Lord Zanoba was making it up."

Zanoba replied with a perfectly straight face.

"Julie. I was being serious."

"Would you all just pick one!" Eris snapped.

At the other table, Nanahoshi heard the whole thing and burst out laughing.

"Hahahaha! What is wrong with you people!"

I looked around the hall.

Friends.

Children.

Wives.

All of their voices tangled together into one warm, impossible noise.

"I won—!"

Lara Greyrat suddenly slapped her hand down again.

This time she jumped straight out of Roxy's arms.

Hands on hips. Beaming.

"Dad! I won!"

I looked down at her tiles.

Two seconds of silence.

"...A pure flush?"

"Hehe~"

"Lara really only just learned this game?"

"Because I'm a genius~"

She stood up straight with her hands on her hips and her chest puffed out, every inch the victorious champion.

Roxy gently guided her back into her arms.

"Lara~ no standing on the chair."

"Got it!"

Then Lara narrowed her eyes at me, a sly grin spreading across her face.

"The winner gets to make a request. Right!"

"...What does Lara want?"

"Tonight, Dad can't only sleep holding the Moms. I want in too."

Tina's hand shot up immediately.

"Me too!"

Lucy hesitated for a moment.

"...I, I want to as well," she said quietly.

Windsor considered it for two seconds.

"Then I'll join too."

I looked at my four daughters, who had somehow assembled a unified front in about ten seconds flat.

I smiled.

"What kind of punishment is this? This is a reward."

Aisha's voice went just slightly sour.

"Brother~ you haven't thought about your wives at all~ For us, that's a punishment, you know?"

Roxy took a sip of tea.

"Rudeus is just like this. Sigh... I suppose daughters really do rank higher in his heart than his wives."

Sylphiette laughed and added her voice to it.

"Rudeus hasn't belonged only to us for a long time now. Sigh~"

Eris crossed her arms.

"Is that so? Rudeus?"

I sighed and turned to Lara Greyrat.

"Lara, look. See what you've done to the Moms."

Lara huffed.

"Fine~ Then I'll reluctantly allow the Moms to sleep with Dad too~"

All four of my wives spoke at once.

"Thank you, Lara~"

And Nanahoshi, leaning back in her chair with her tea, laughed softly to herself.

"Not bad. The wildly popular Lord Rudeus~"

"Stop teasing me..."

The charcoal fire still burned.

Outside the window, the snowy night lay quiet.

The children's laughter.

The low hum of friends talking.

The click and clatter of mahjong tiles.

The warm, quiet presence of my wives all around me.

All of it woven together.

Making the whole night feel like something rare.

Moments like these always made you think it without meaning to.

If only this could last just a little longer.

That would be nice.

➤ Next: Norn's Small Romance, Part One