Chapter 238 - New Members

A few more months passed, and Roxy and Sylphie gave birth.

The two births were two weeks apart.

The family's fifth daughter: Lily Greyrat.

Honestly, like Lara, the name is a little casual and a little cute. Roxy came up with it.

The family's sixth son: Sieghart Greyrat.

That one wasn't from Sylphie or me. It was Nanahoshi's idea.

"Sieg" comes from a story she read back on Earth, The Dragon-Slaying Hero Siegfried. "Hart" comes from the first-generation naming convention in Ranoa.

I'm happy with it. He's a boy; a name that cool will make him proud. When he's older and learns what it means, I think he'll feel the weight of it in a good way.

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The person most excited about Sieg and Lily's arrival was, without question, Tina.

Until now she'd been the youngest. That was over. She spent every waking hour hovering around her new little brother and sister.

"Sieg, it's your big sister!"

"Lily, it's your big sister!"

Every day, the moment her older sisters left for school, Tina would station herself in front of the two of them and work very hard at getting them to say the word sister.

They were less than two weeks old. It was probably a bit much to ask.

Sylphie was resting in one bed. Roxy was in another.

Sylphie ran her fingers through Sieg's hair, the corner of her mouth lifting.

"Even though his hair is green, I'm not worried at all anymore."

Roxy smiled back.

"Green hair is a good thing in this world now. Lots of people are going to love him~"

Sylphie laughed. Then she lifted her head and looked at me.

"Rudy."

"Hmm?"

"Love you."

"I love you too."

I walked over, kissed her, and rested a hand on Sieg's head.

Hmm. As the only boy among the children, I had been turning something over in my mind, whether I should give him more focused training. A dedicated push.

But he's two weeks old. And honestly, wouldn't that make me a hypocrite?

I'd always told my daughters they could do whatever they wanted. The moment a son arrived, I was already loading expectations onto him before he could hold his own head up.

No. I'm sticking to the same approach. If Sieg finds something he loves, I'll back him completely. If he doesn't want to do anything at all, that's fine too.

Yeah. That's fine.

While I was lost in thought, Roxy tugged at me from her bed.

"Rudy~ What about me?"

I crossed over immediately and sat down beside her.

"Sorry. I was thinking."

I kissed her, then pressed my forehead gently against hers and looked down at Lily.

She looked a lot like Lara had at this age. But somehow... calmer. Lara had been trying to crawl in every direction by the time she was three weeks old. Lily, at two weeks, was perfectly content to just exist.

Roxy felt the pressure of my forehead and laughed, nudging me away.

"Rudy, what are you doing?"

"Looking at our adorable daughter."

"I hope she doesn't turn out like Lara..."

"Before Lara was born, I seem to remember Roxy hoping she'd be at least a little mischievous."

"A little. Not... this. Once I've had some rest, I'm going to the academy and getting things sorted. My colleagues have been writing me letters. They're asking me to rein her in a little... honestly..." She sighed.

"You can't put it all on Lara. The teachers there genuinely aren't at her level. She walks into class like it's a day off."

"Rudy~ Back when my skills weren't as good as yours, did that mean you could just stop respecting me entirely?"

"...Sorry, Teacher Roxy. Lara's behavior is a problem. I'll sit down and talk to her tonight."

"Honestly. You two are more and more alike every day."

Tina had been swaying back and forth beside us the whole time, waiting.

I smiled and scooped her up.

The moment Tina came into view, Lily's face broke into a smile.

Hm. All those hours Tina had spent hovering over the crib were paying off.

--------

After the two births, Cliff wasted no time with his gifts.

Nothing expensive, just a sword and a magic tool.

Both were rough-made, plain things. But Cliff had made them himself. He'd even forged the sword with his own hands, which made them mean something.

In his own words: "For the birth of a boy, a sword is, of course, necessary."

The sword was for Sieg. The magic tool was for Lily.

Then there was Ariel. She was something else entirely.

She made a nationwide announcement about the births and personally publicized that Sieg had green hair. After the announcement concluded, she arranged for 1,000 selected citizens of the Asura Kingdom to write their blessings on a single golden canvas, then had it transported here via teleportation circle.

What can I say. That's Ariel. She turns every occasion into an opportunity to build goodwill with her people. The Asura Kingdom was already the most powerful among the human nations. Now, apparently, it also ranks first in happiness, surpassing even the Holy Country of Milis.

--------

At noon, Aisha sent the maids out to handle errands and came herself with Eris to look after Roxy.

I volunteered to help. Nanahoshi's lab doesn't need me there every single day.

What happened instead: my wives sat me down at the bedside and left me there.

"Brother~ Just sit."

"I'm experienced with this. Back when Winster, Lara, and the others—"

"I know, but Brother, the best thing you can do is sit right there and keep Roxy-nee and Sylphie-nee company!"

"...Alright."

So I sat there holding Tina and watched my wives take care of everything.

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In the afternoon, the mothers arrived with Paul.

They'd been coming by regularly since the births.

Paul clapped me on the shoulder.

"Ha! Finally a boy, huh."

Zenith immediately reached up and pinched his face.

"Dear. What exactly is that supposed to mean?"

"Uh... well, having a boy to carry the name forward, isn't that—"

"Dear~ If any of our granddaughters were in this room right now, I would hit you."

"But it's true."

"What's true? A granddaughter and a grandson are exactly the same!"

Paul went quiet. Zenith moved on without missing a beat, pulling out the little clothes she'd bought and starting to dress Lily and Sieg.

Lilia stepped over to my side and spoke quietly.

"Even though Zenith-nee said that — we really are all especially happy that you have a son."

She paused, and something in her expression shifted. She added quickly,

"Not that we care any less about Lily's birth. We're happy about both of them. Grandsons and granddaughters both, we care about all of them deeply."

"I know, Mama Lilia. You don't need to explain."

"Good. As long as you know."

She moved over to join Zenith. The mothers and my wives gathered together, trying little outfits on Sieg and Lily, comparing and swapping and laughing quietly.

When Tina wandered in, she was immediately conscripted as a third fitting model.

--------

Evening came, and Paul and the mothers still hadn't left.

Once all the kids were home, everyone sat down for dinner together.

Sieg ended up in Winster's arms, being fed milk. Given that it was Winster, nobody had the slightest concern.

Lily ended up in Lara's arms.

More precisely, suspended in midair above Lara's lap, held aloft by Gravity Magic.

Tina watched from the side with visible panic, waving both hands.

"Lara-nee, Lily is going to be uncomfortable!"

"No she won't. Look how much she's smiling. She's definitely going to be a magic genius just like me."

"Lara-nee!"

"Okay, okay, fine. Is Tina jealous?"

"I am not!"

Lara's grin turned wicked. She lifted Tina into the air too.

"Lara-nee, you're so mean!"

"Then does Tina want to learn this magic? Master it, and you can hold your little brother and sister like this whenever you want."

Tina's answer was immediate.

"I want to!"

"Good, good~"

Lucy exhaled, turned back to her plate, and continued eating without once looking over at the chaos.

The house was louder than it used to be.

➤ Next: Two Years