Chapter 237 - A Day with the Daughters

In the months after Norn's wedding, my life settled back into its quiet rhythm.

Lara and Lucy were both seven now, by the way. They'd started school.

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Early morning.

I woke to the sound of Eris swinging her sword.

Winter had fully passed. Sunlight filtered through the curtains, and the air carried the easy warmth that only comes with early spring.

When I opened my eyes, Sylphiette and Roxy were still lying beside me.

These days I spent 3 days a week with my two pregnant wives, 2 days with Aisha and Eris, and the remaining 2 with the girls, since the wives still had their one day set aside for the ladies' gathering.

I slipped out of bed quietly, got dressed, and pushed open the door.

Sure enough, the courtyard was already occupied.

Eris was practicing with a wooden sword, her long red hair swaying with each movement. The moment she saw me come out, she stopped and smiled.

"Rudeus, good morning!"

"Morning, Eris."

"Come spar with me today!"

"Sparring?"

"Yes! Swinging at empty air is too boring."

"Ask Aisha for that. I'm no match for you."

"No way! I'll hold back — come on, Rudeus!"

She tossed the wooden sword to me before she'd even finished talking.

I caught it and sighed.

"Just so we're clear, I'm only here for light exercise."

"I know, I know! I won't hurt Rudeus!"

"...You say that at night sometimes too."

"But I really never hurt you!"

"What I mean is, don't use that kind of line. It makes me sound like some fragile little wife."

"Pretty much the same thing!"

The next second, she was already charging at me.

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Half an hour later, I leaned back against the courtyard bench with a cup of water. Eris sat beside me looking thoroughly satisfied.

"That felt good."

"Satisfied?"

"Completely!"

She laughed and leaned in, resting her head on my shoulder. I reached up and stroked her hair.

Not far away, the mansion's front gate swung open and several small figures came spilling out.

Lara Greyrat was first, backpack on, looking profoundly unenthusiastic.

"Good morning, Papa..."

"Good morning."

Lucy Greyrat followed behind her, neat and well-behaved as always.

"Papa, good morning."

"Good morning."

Then came Windsor.

Her long red hair was combed perfectly. Her school uniform didn't have a single wrinkle. She carried herself with that particular seriousness she always had.

The school uniforms, incidentally, were a regulation Nanahoshi had pushed through at the Magic University. I'd had my reservations, but Nanahoshi's argument was straightforward:

[Uniforms eliminate a large portion of school bullying.]

I thought about it. She had a point.

Windsor stopped in front of me, lowered her head slightly, and said, "Papa, good morning."

"Good morning, Windsor."

"Today I will get a perfect score in swordsmanship class."

"The exam hasn't happened yet."

"Just saying it in advance."

"......"

Very good.

That's my daughter.

Pursena was standing quietly beside her. Lately those two had been growing closer and closer, especially during school hours, where Pursena somehow managed to wait obediently the entire day for Windsor to finish.

"Good morning, Lord Rudeus."

"Good morning. Speaking of which, Pursena, you've been waiting at school for Windsor every day now. What do you do while you wait?"

Pursena opened her mouth, then said, "Nothing much, desu..."

Windsor glanced at her calmly.

"Pursena."

"Yes."

"Don't lie."

"I'm not lying, desu!"

"You spend the whole time eating at the school cafeteria. You also chat with the ladies who work there."

"How does Lady Windsor know that, desu?!"

Pursena immediately looked away.

I sighed.

--------

Breakfast was as lively as ever.

Aisha sat beside me, sipping tea while watching the children.

"Brother."

"Hm?"

"Windsor is becoming more and more like Sister Eris."

"Not like me?"

"In terms of personality... maybe like you?"

That was a gratifying thing to hear.

Roxy nodded gently. "Windsor is quiet, and very serious."

Sylphiette smiled. "Actually, she reminds me of Rudeus when he was little. Rudeus was already so mature at seven."

"Was I?"

"Mhm. That's why I already liked Rudeus back then."

Honestly.

Though in my case, I was reincarnated, that's why I was mature at seven. Windsor, I don't actually think of as particularly mature. She's just a little reserved. But reserved doesn't mean she doesn't feel things. She probably just doesn't know how to show them.

That much I understood.

Just then, a small figure sitting beside me raised her hand.

"Papa."

"Hm?"

"I have a question."

I looked down. Tina was staring up at me with her cheeks puffed out, completely serious.

"What's the question?"

"Why do all my big sisters have to go to school?"

"To learn things, and make friends."

"Then why don't I have to go?"

"Because Tina is still little."

"I'm already four years old! I'm practically an adult!"

"No, you've got a long way to go."

She immediately looked offended, then stood up on her chair and puffed out her chest.

"But I've already grown this tall."

"Hm. Very impressive."

"So can I go to school?"

"Not yet."

"Why?"

"If all my daughters go to school, what does Papa do? Is Tina really okay leaving Papa all alone?"

"Alright... Papa is so pitiful. I'll wait a little longer before I go."

Heh.

She's my daughter, alright. One small maneuver and she stays put.

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After breakfast, the three girls set off for school together.

Standing in the doorway: Windsor carefully adjusting her backpack, Lucy Greyrat checking through her textbooks, and Lara Greyrat draped across Daibyaku's back like she'd already given up on the day.

"School is so boring."

Lucy Greyrat glanced at her. "Didn't you say it was really fun yesterday?"

"That was yesterday."

"And today?"

"Today I don't want to go. The more I think about it, the more boring it is."

"Sister Lara."

"Hm?"

"Yesterday you also said you were going to rule the school."

Lara Greyrat blinked. Then her entire posture changed.

"Oh right! I almost forgot!"

She sat up straight on Daibyaku's back. "Daibyaku, let's go!"

Lucy Greyrat pressed a hand to her forehead.

Windsor let out a quiet sigh.

For seven- and eight-year-olds, they both looked extremely tired.

I turned to Aisha. "You're on guard duty again today?"

"Yes, Lord Rudeus. Going forward, I'll be assigned to the young ladies whenever they go to school. Ghislaine will handle security at the mansion."

"Good. Follow them."

"Yes!"

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After seeing them off, the house went quiet.

Well, not entirely quiet.

There was still one small presence left.

"Papa."

"Hm."

"Will you play with me today?"

"Of course."

"Yay!"

Tina launched herself at me and wrapped both arms around mine.

Four-year-olds really are the clingiest age.

And so the entire morning was hers. We read picture books together. Built blocks together. Wandered through the courtyard together.

By noon, Tina was sitting in my lap, already starting to drift.

"Papa."

"What is it?"

"When are my sisters coming home?"

"Evening."

"That's so slow."

"They have classes."

"Then I don't want to go to school."

"Why?"

"Because I won't be able to keep Papa company. Isn't Papa the type who hates being alone?"

I paused.

Then I laughed.

I reached down and ruffled her hair.

"Don't worry. Even after you start school, Papa can always come find you."

"Really? Then why doesn't Papa go find my sisters right now?"

"Because Tina is here."

"But if I go to school too, and Papa comes to find us there, wouldn't you get to see all of us at once?"

Hoh. My daughter is sharper than she lets on.

I pinched her cheek. "The thing is, at school Papa can only watch. No chatting. No holding Tina like this. Understand?"

"Oh! I get it now!"

Tina nodded, satisfied.

--------

After lunch, Tina went down for her nap.

I left the mansion and headed to the Magic University.

After the wedding, Norn had moved to the Asura Kingdom. Ruijerd was still handling guard duty there, but between the teleportation arrays and the fact that Ariel's side had been quiet lately, he was finishing early every day.

Arriving at the university, I got stopped every few steps.

"Lord Rudeus, your daughters were absolutely adorable today as well."

"Lord Rudeus, about Miss Lara, she..."

"Lord Rudeus, any chance you'd ever be in the mood to come teach a class?"

I declined each one as politely as I could and kept moving toward the research building.

The familiar door. I pushed it open.

Nanahoshi was inside.

The desk buried under papers. Her hair thrown back in a careless knot. She looked like she hadn't slept properly in days.

"Yo."

She didn't look up. "You came."

"Another all-nighter?"

"No."

"Really?"

"Only stayed up until three."

"That's an all-nighter."

"I told you before — this body of mine doesn't need sleep."

"You don't look great. You'd feel better if you actually rested."

Nanahoshi rolled her eyes and tossed a document across the desk.

"Look at this."

"New results? A potion?"

"Something like that."

I flipped through it. Couldn't understand a single page.

I set it down.

"Great. Still completely incomprehensible, same as always."

"Then why did you look at it?"

"Being polite."

The corner of Nanahoshi's mouth twitched.

"In plain terms — there's been some progress."

"Nice."

After that it was mostly just talking. Experiments. Magic. Things that had been happening lately. Eventually the conversation drifted to Norn.

Nanahoshi asked, "How is she doing?"

"Happy. Very happy."

"I could tell."

"You've seen her recently?"

"We met privately last month."

"And?"

"Her whole being was practically glowing." A small pause. "Hm..."

I laughed at that. It was a good description.

It wasn't until school dismissal drew near that I finally stood to leave.

"Heading out."

"Picking up your daughters?"

"Yeah."

"The model father."

"I've always been."

Nanahoshi waved a hand. "Get out of here."

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A good number of parents were already gathered outside the Magic University's affiliated school when I arrived. I found a spot among them and waited.

The gates opened. Students poured out.

Lara Greyrat spotted me first.

"Papa!"

She came running with Daibyaku, hit me at full speed, and hung off me.

"Today I defeated the magic teacher."

"...Why were you defeating the teacher?"

"Because she said magical talent is fixed from birth. But that's not what Papa taught me, so I told her she was wrong."

"And then?"

"And then she said, 'Even for Lord Rudeus's daughter, that ironclad rule doesn't change.'"

"......"

"So I challenged her. I told her I'd been training since I was small, cast a Saint-level spell right there, and she completely surrendered!"

"...Well. Good work."

"I knew Papa wouldn't be mad! See, Lucy — what did I say?"

Lara Greyrat turned to give Lucy Greyrat a triumphant look. Lucy Greyrat walked over, looking resigned.

"Papa, the teacher said Sister Lara needs to be placed under special observation."

"You've had a hard day."

"Tell me about it."

Last out was Windsor.

She came through the school gate at her own unhurried pace. When she saw me, something in her expression went quietly soft.

"Papa."

"How was today?"

"Not bad."

"The swordsmanship exam?"

"Perfect score."

"Nicely done."

Under the setting sun, I walked home with all three of them.

Lara Greyrat chattered nonstop from Daibyaku's back. Lucy Greyrat offered the occasional dry comment. Windsor walked in silence, and in the quiet moments she reached over and pinched Pursena's tail.

Back at the mansion, Tina would be waiting for us.

This kind of day.

This is probably what I love most about my life right now.

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