— Leon Greyrat —
As we trotted along the road, going slow so that we didn't overwork the horses, I watched as Eris practiced her swordsmanship alongside the cart as I drove.
More specifically, I found my gaze trailing down her body and stopping at her rear, watching it with appreciation as she continued her movements.
As it stands, using Paul’s words, I was what you would call an ‘ass man’.
And Eris… well, she had a very good one.
So it was only natural I would admire the view laid out before me, especially since there wasn’t anything better to do.
I mean, I was still practicing my disturb magic while I drove, but everyone needed a break now and then.
Similarly to me, Eris had also grown more restless since the day we encountered Orsted, wanting to train whenever she could to increase her skills so that with our next encounter if that ever came to pass, she wouldn’t have to leave it all to me.
Of course, I supported her desire to get stronger and joined her in a spar whenever we could, but whenever I noticed the stress was getting a bit too much, I always calmed her down that night in bed.
After all, it was quite an enjoyable activity.
Enjoyable indeed…
No, I was starting to sound like Paul now!
But… was that so bad?
Haa…
Truly, now that we had started having sex quite regularly, the hormones that I had been suppressing had been unleashed in full force, causing my gaze to wander like it had just done now, and leaving me to regret some of my past actions, such as not accepting her offer to bathe together back in the Great Forest.
But I was surely making up for it with time.
Like last night, for instance.
“Brother?” Norn asked as she wrapped her arms around my neck from behind me.
“Yes, my dear sister?” I asked.
“What are those things on your neck?” she said with confusion. “They almost look like bite marks…”
I gave Eris a deadpan look, only to get a proud smile in response as she turned to look back at us.
Seriously, that girl… I told her not to do that.
Her play-bites and hickeys were not enough of a wound to be considered an ‘injury’, and thus couldn’t be fixed by healing magic and would remain.
Especially if I forgot about it during the afterglow, which I often did.
I told her exactly that last night, but instead of listening, all she did was say ‘I know’ with lidded eyes.
It was arousing, sure, but I didn’t want my sweet sisters to know that we were doing that during the night.
In fact, I didn’t want them to know about that stuff at all, at least until they reached their second birthday.
“They’re just signs of love, sister,” Aisha said.
“Signs of love?” Norn repeated, unsure.
“Yep!” Aisha nodded. “Don’t worry about it!”
“Okay…”
Haa… but alas, it was already too late for Aisha.
Who was it? Who told her about that stuff?
I just wanted to have a little chat.
Sighing, I turned my head to the right to look into the distance, watching the fields of rolling hills topped with grassland.
There was also a small dirt road branching off to the highway, and following it, I was met with the sight of what looked to be an abandoned village.
Wait… this place… it felt… familiar.
“...Eri. Let’s stop here for a second,” I said, guiding the carriage off the road to the side.
“Hah? What for?” she asked, stopping.
“I just… want to check something,” I said, unsure.
Was this really the place?
I remember Mama saying something about it being in the south of the kingdom, but to think I would run into it by chance…
“I’m going to that village over there,” I said, getting off the carriage.
“What? Why?” all three of the girls asked.
“Because…” I said, looking forlornly at the dilapidated buildings, many charred with the remnants of flames. “...I think… I think this is my birthplace.”
— Leon Greyrat —
This was it.
Having walked through the village, it didn’t take too long before I found a very familiar house, and I instantly knew that this was indeed the place.
But… was it always so small?
Well, I was a baby at the time, so it made sense.
It seemed that looters had gotten to it, as there were no useful belongings left, but I could tell that this was the house.
After all, I had spent my first year of life here, not to mention this being the place where I lost my first, and at the time, only family.
With the other three looking at the shack with curiosity, I made my way through the hole in the back wall, likely destroyed by time and weather.
Mama did say they buried her near here…
Oh! There it is!
Walking over to a large stone, I knelt down in front of it as I traced my finger across the faded markings.
‘Here Lies:
A Courageous Mother
A Respectable Woman’
Seeing the distinct handwriting of Ghislaine, Mama, and Paul, in that order, I felt my chest tighten as tears began to well up in my eyes.
“Leon?” Eris said, walking towards me as my sisters followed behind her. “...What’s this?”
“It’s… someone important,” I said, summoning some water to wash off the accumulated dirt on the gravestone.
“H-Hey mom… I’m back.”
Ah. The tears had escaped… how embarrassing.
As I hastily wiped my eyes, I felt Eris’ arms wrap around me from behind as Norn and Aisha came to my sides, both grabbing hold of my arm as they looked at the gravestone with conflicted expressions.
That made sense.
After all, ‘Mama’ to me was Zenith, while ‘Mom’ was Alice.
They were different in my mind, but to them, the words were interchangeable.
Kneeling there in silence, I felt Eris also move to my side, getting to her knees alongside my sisters as they offered a small Millis-style prayer.
Now… what do I say?
Should I-
“Thank you, Leon’s mom,” Eris said, interrupting my thoughts. “For bringing Leon into our lives.”
Widening my eyes, I looked over to see that she was still praying, keeping her eyes closed as she bowed her head in respect to the stone before her.
“Thank you, for making my brother!” Norn said, tears also beginning to pour down her eyes.
“Thank you…” Aisha nodded.
My breath shuddered as I also joined them, closing my eyes as I bowed to the gravestone of my birth mother before me.
“Mom… I’m sorry for not being strong enough to protect you. Even though I was a baby, I… still wish I could have saved you,” I said, forcing myself to not succumb to the lump forming in my throat. “But… I will make sure that never happens again.”
Opening my eyes, I extended my arms to pull my sisters and Eris close to me.
“How you sacrificed yourself for me… for your family… I will follow the example you so beautifully taught me,” I said resolutely. “I will keep my family safe, just like you did, and if my sword can reach them without leaving my family in danger, I will defend others too, so that other amazing women like you won’t die... I promise you this, Mom.”
Taking a deep breath to calm myself, I let my lips spread into a smile as I looked to my sides.
“These… are my sisters, Aisha and Norn. They’re very cute, and I’m sure you would love them,” I said, patting their heads. “And this… is Eris. The girl I love and my… partner… for life.”
Eris’ lips quirked up as she nestled into the crook of my neck.
I guess she liked the sound of that, huh?
Luckily, I did too.
“So, Mom… I do have to get going,” I said. “But I promise…
Ah, the tears were coming back… shit.
“W-When everything is settled, I’ll bring you back with me. To my home,” I said, nearly choking up. “You deserve a better gravestone. One that’s tended too lovingly and near your family.”
I then extended my finger, coating it in touki as I carved her name at the top while adding a line at the bottom to join Mama and Paul’s.
‘A Beautiful Example.’
If only she could be here… to see the man I grew up to become… it was painful.
But… I wouldn’t falter.
“But for now, just know… I love you. And I will never forget you,” I stated firmly.
And so, with my promises affirmed, and my love conveyed, I stood up.
But instead of getting up to join me as I expected, Eris simply shuffled to kneel in front of the grave, in the spot I had been not a moment before.
“I promise, I’ll keep your son happy,” she said, extending her finger like I had done. “And I will bear you many beautiful grandchildren. That, I promise.”
While I was slightly embarrassed at her words, the gratitude I felt overwhelmed any of the shame I could feel as I saw the words she carved under mine.
‘A Loving Memory’
To think she could be so poetic… I would have to thank her later.
“And I… I promise to get better!” Norn said, standing up. “I’ll get better to help Brother, and repay him for everything!”
She finished her words by wrapping her arms around the grave in a hug.
“And I… promise to keep him safe. In my own way,” Aisha said, standing up and stepping forward to pat her sister’s back. “We all will. As a family.”
My dear sisters… I was so proud.
Norn released the stone from her hug as she stood up, wiping the tears from her eyes as she walked over to me, raising her arms in a gesture that asked for a hug.
Happily granting her request, I picked her up and held her to my right side as I did the same to Aisha on my left, ignoring her cute yelp as I did so.
Right… this was a nice detour, but we had a home to get to.
So…
“Goodbye, Mom,” I said, walking back towards the road before I stopped, turning to look back one last time. “...I’ll see you later.”
And with that, we departed from my birthplace, with each of us bearing a promise made to a woman who only lived in my memories.
But, oddly enough, despite those promises that should have burdened me with the pressure to fulfill them, I could only feel lighter as we headed back towards the carriage.
— Norn Greyrat —
I swung down my sword, following the form Brother had drilled into me.
My breathing was calm, and my blade didn’t tremble, but my mind… it was chaotic.
All I could think of was Paul, my father, and Orsted, that terrifying man.
Thinking of how they both hurt my brother, both in different ways.
When we first arrived in Millishion, I was… happy.
Leaving the Great Forest, I was initially sad about leaving my first friends, but as we continued toward our next location, seeing how relaxed Brother was compared to the Demon Continent as well as the ease at which we travelled, I couldn’t help but feel that things were finally getting easier.
For me, for everyone, and most importantly, for my brother.
With everything becoming easier, I couldn’t help but think… that I wouldn’t be forcing my brother to make so many sacrifices anymore.
But then, I left with Big Sister Eris to look at the city, and as we got back to where we separated from Brother, I saw a man berating him.
I was confused at first.
Confused as to why the man was berating him, as well as why my brother was taking it, but I quickly understood.
That man, with his scruffy beard and stained clothes… that man was my father.
I didn’t have many memories of him, but Brother had been sure to remind us of him, our mothers, and my other brother during our travels so that when we got back together, we wouldn’t have forgotten our family that he had been trying so hard to reunite.
But at that moment, I didn’t see my father.
Instead, I saw an enemy.
An enemy that was hurting my brother in ways no monster could.
I was frozen at first, taking in the hurtful words as they were spat, but then, that man crossed the line, deciding to punch Brother before screaming at him some more, going so far as to make my brother’s constant calm crack.
And in that moment, the emotion that had been bubbling under the surface erupted in a white-hot rage, forcing me to get in between them as I held my wooden sword up to defend my dear brother.
I wondered… would that man hit me too?
I didn’t think so, but then again, I didn’t think he would be so mean to Brother after everything he did for us.
Was that what a father was supposed to be?
So mean? So judgemental? So… angry?
If so… I would prefer to only have Brother.
After all, we had survived with just us, and in fact, I was happy with just us, so why would I want to have a father who would only hurt my dearest person?
But then, a night passed, my brother forgave him, my father apologized, and things went on like that first meeting had never happened.
But I, to this day, still remember it clearly.
The pain on Brother’s face… it was a look I had never seen him wear before, nor did I want to see again.
How empty and sad he looked as he tucked me into bed that night, despite his efforts to hide it…
I still didn’t forgive my father, and I likely never would, but at least Brother seemed happier by the time we left, so I couldn’t complain.
After that, things got back to normal, save for Ruijerd leaving as soon as we arrived at the Central Continent.
That was sad, but I had always expected him to part from us eventually to find his people. Just not so… early.
And then, as we travelled further north… that man appeared.
And the most terrifying event in my life took place before my very eyes.
Even just thinking back to that day sent shivers down my spine.
Remembering the feeling of blood pouring out of Brother’s mouth, his eyes getting duller with each moment, how my healing magic did nothing in front of the gaping wound…
It made me sick. Sick with fear and anger.
But it wasn’t just me.
Aisha began practicing her magic more, as well as purchasing some books on geography and governance from some of our stops.
From what she told me, she wanted to help Brother in ways other than the combat strength he excelled at and do the things he couldn’t simply fight through.
And then there was Eris, who was using every possible moment to better her swordsmanship and be able to fight alongside Brother.
She was strong, and while not at my brother’s level, was still useful in a fight.
And finally, there was Brother himself, who had been working harder ever since that day, using every waking moment to either train his swordsmanship, magic, or that weird ‘disturb magic’ he mentioned.
Whether it was driving the carriage or keeping guard during the night, he was constantly working to better himself, despite already being so strong.
And then… there was me.
…I needed to get stronger.
I needed to help Brother and make things easier, no matter what, so that I would never have to experience something like that again, and so that Brother would never be burdened by me.
I wanted to be relied upon by him and be his strength.
Though… I needed to find something I could excel at.
After all, all I had was healing magic and the sword, both things that my brother was far ahead of me in.
But I trusted Brother’s words that I would find it eventually.
Truly, between my father, Orsted, and even myself, everyone just caused problems for him!
Huffing in agitation, I sheathed my sword before walking over to my brother, who was cooking soup over the fire for dinner.
Taking off my belt and placing my sword next to my bag, I quickly went over to sit on his lap, wrapping my arms around him in a hug which he gently reciprocated.
“Is something wrong, Norn?” he asked.
I shook my head.
“Ah, well, dinner’s almost ready, so it was good you stopped training,” he said. “Good job, by the way. While your swing strength is weak, that will grow with time, and you already have the form down, which is the most important thing. Your brother’s very proud of you.”
As he patted my head, I dug deeper into his torso, pressing my face against his shirt as his comforting scent washed over me. “Thanks, Brother.”
“Of course,” he nodded. “Ah, and we’re about halfway through Asura if you’re curious, so it should only be a month or two before we reach Fittoa, where we can rest for a few days.”
I nodded my head.
This feeling of comfort and safety… this warmth… this love… to think I almost lost this.
No, I would have lost this, if it wasn’t for the interference of that black-haired girl.
While I still didn’t like him, I did always keep my father’s words that he said on my birthday in my heart.
About the importance of a sword, strength, and… killing.
And after much thinking, there was one thing I was sure of.
With all my heart, I was sure that I wanted to kill Orsted.
I wanted to end the Dragon God with my own hands, and strike him down-
“Norn,” Brother said calmly, guiding my head up to look at his face. “...There’s no need to make that face, Norn. We’re all safe and happy, right?”
He then leaned down and planted a kiss on my forehead, causing a cascade of warm feelings to spread across my body.
“So let’s keep it that way, okay? There’s no need to be so angry,” he said, pulling me back into his embrace.
Curling my knees inward, I cuddled into his grasp as I watched the fire crackle out of the corner of my eye.
Yes… I wanted to get stronger… and I wanted to end the Dragon God… but first, I would savour these moments.
After all, I was the luckiest sister alive in the whole world.
— Leon Greyrat —
Finally, we had arrived.
After nearly two and a half long, arduous years… we were here.
Home.
The place where it all began… for the most part.
The journey to the Fittoa Region and our hometown was an easy one, with the only things stopping our movement being a few monsters needing to be killed along the way, a few bandits, and resolving a kidnapping in a town we passed by.
So, overall, not too much, considering we had gone across an entire nation.
Walking down the familiar dirt road, I looked at the many destroyed buildings, their materials teleported to who knows where along with their inhabitants.
It was so… empty.
So quiet.
So… desolate.
As the soil was relatively untouched, I knew this place would thrive once again, but… it would be a long time before that happened.
I felt my breath pick up in pace as I continued walking, looking at the surroundings that seemed so… off.
The clinic where Mama used to work.
The hill Sylphy, Rudy and I used to play at.
The tree where Roxy comforted me.
The road where I met my dear green-haired crush.
The forest we used to explore…
‘Leon! Look! I did it! I made a water ball!’
‘T-That tickles, Leon!’
‘Are you still afraid?’ ‘No, I’m… okay now.’
‘If you feel the same once you become an adult, then I’ll… I’ll accept.’
“Gah!” I clutched my chest in pain, feeling my body shudder from the memories.
Shaking my head and wiping my eyes, I continued up the hill, towards our house.
The house where I found my family, where I first felt the warmth of a home.
The place where I learned magic, where Paul taught me swordsmanship, where Rudy was born, where Aisha and Norn came into our lives, everything… everything happened here.
And now, that house was reduced to a pile of rubble, the stone foundation the only thing left of the original structure.
The torrent of emotion I had been holding back surged forth, forcing me to drop to my knees as I began to cry.
Mama’s initial joy.
‘It’s beautiful!’
My first meeting with Roxy.
‘I’m Roxy. It’s a pleasure to meet you.’
My first birthday.
‘Happy birthday, Leon!’
When our family grew from five to seven.
‘Hello, Norn, Aisha… I’m your big brother, Leon… You two are awfully cute, you know that?’
When Lilia finally accepted herself as part of the family.
‘Fufu! Of course, Leon… Goodnight.’
All those nights spent cuddled with Mama… all those times practicing magic with Rudy… the time spent idly entertaining my baby sisters…
All those moments… all those beautiful, important, overwhelmingly sentimental memories… they were all made here.
It was so… so… so damn painful!
I wanted to scream, I wanted to rage, I… I just wanted all back to normal.
“Mama…” I cried, desperately clutching my shirt. “I miss you…”
Why? Why did that have to happen?
I… missed my family.
“Leon,” Eris said softly, wrapping her arms around me from behind, pulling her close into a hug. “Shh… it’s okay.”
I could also feel my two sisters joining in from my side.
God… this was utterly pathetic.
I already knew it was going to be like this, and even if our house was fine, it wouldn’t change anything about our plans, so why… why did it hurt so much?
“Sorry,” I said, my voice muffled by Eris’ chest as her hands sifted through my hair.
“No, Leon… It’s okay to cry… at least, you can with me,” she said, tilting my head up to look at her. “We’re… partners, right?”
She sealed her sweet words with a kiss, letting me bathe in the lingering warmth and tender sensation before she separated and began stroking my hair once more.
“Besides, seeing you like this, it’s… oddly cute,” she said.
…That just made me more embarrassed, Eris.
“B-Brother,” Norn said, pulling at my sleeve.
Wiping my eyes, I looked over at her, as she was standing eye-level with my kneeling form.
“What is it, Norn?”
She looked at me for a moment in sadness before her eyes hardened in determination.
Placing her hand on my cheek, she spoke to me resolutely, “Brother… our family isn’t gone. We’re right here. And our home… that’s wherever our family is, right? So our home… is wherever we want it to be!”
She then pulled my head down into an embrace as Aisha joined in.
“And as for the memories… we can just make new ones, Big Brother! Just like we have been!” she said, smiling as she patted my head. “And either way, just because this place is gone… it doesn’t mean the memories have to be.”
Jeez… getting comforted by my five-year-old sisters… this really was pathetic, huh?
“Thanks, you two,” I said, freeing my arms to pull them closer to me. “You… you two really have grown.”
They really had.
More than I would like to in some aspects, but still… I was so, so proud.
Calming my breathing, I regained my composure before I stood up, breaking our collective embrace.
“Now! This isn’t our final stop, is it?” I said with a smile. “Let’s get back on the road to Roa. Though… we’ll probably have to spend the night camping.”
It was exactly as Norn and Aisha said.
My family was alive, and when we got back together, that would be our new home.
And when we did find our new home… we would create so many happy memories.
Enough to drown out the sadness of the time we lost and let our lives in Buena Village become pleasant, nostalgic times we look back upon with a smile.
And that concluded our short, albeit emotional, visit to our previous home, Buena Village.
And now, we could look toward the future… together.
— Leon Greyrat —
“We’re here…”
I felt like I had said that quite a bit over the past year, but nonetheless, my words were true.
Looking across the vaguely recognizable scenery, I took in the capital of the Fittoa Region, the city of Roa, in its new, current form.
The fortress that the settlement was known for was reduced to nothing but a ruin, and while the city walls had been replaced, it was much shorter than before.
From what I could see, it was mostly built with earth magic, moulding the previous brick foundation with a mix of dirt and stone.
Maybe it was Rudy?
He was pretty good at earth magic, though I don’t know if he could do something on such a large scale unless he had improved.
There was also quite a bit of farmland outside the walls, the greenery a stark difference from the barren dirt much of the Fittoa region, especially near the epicentre of the explosion of light, had been reduced to.
Near the centre of the city, I noticed another smaller wall surrounding what seemed to be a large cabin, while the city itself was littered with a large mix of houses, dirt huts, and tents being used for shelter.
Roa had been decimated, yes… but it was rebuilding.
Our first stop upon entering the city was to go to the guild, where we were met with a board filled with many quests.
Most of them were quests related to the rebuilding effort, such as magicians lending their aid, or guarding woodmen as they collected nearby lumber, but there was the odd regular monster subjugation here and there too.
That was good to see.
And then, looking to the opposite wall, there was the list of lost Fittoans.
A giant board consisting of multiple pages with an uncountable number of names written down.
Actually, there were two boards of names.
One for all of the known Fittoans, where you would cross them off once their fate was discovered, and another for those who had been found dead.
Of course, by seeing that someone was found but not written as dead, you could assume they were alive.
There were… not many names left to be found, which was a good thing, but seeing the enormous list of the dead… it was horrible.
Walking over to it, I traced my finger down the list.
All these people… written down like this, they were simply names, but they each had a life… a family…
How depressing.
How many children had died?
How many kids calling for their mother and father, only to be cut down by a monster or a bandit?
I… could understand now, why Paul was angry at me for not focusing more on finding others, even if it was misguided.
Having to see this… and seeing the results of it in person… I felt a bit bad for him.
But luckily, none of these-!
I stopped as my finger traced over two names I recognized.
Anne and Laws.
Sylphy’s parents.
…I would have to console her when we met again.
That… must be heartbreaking for her if she knew, and if not… then I would have to break the news.
Feeling a little more sombre, I went over to the list of the missing, crossing off the four of our names, as well as some of the hostages’ names that we rescued, at least those that I remembered.
Haa… and now, with that done, I suppose it was about time I met with my future in-laws, huh?
Meeting back up with Aisha, Norn, and Eris, who had gone to sell the carriage and horses, we then made our way towards the second wall, which I assumed was what was acting as the castle of this place and where I would find Philip, or at least someone who knew where I could.
“You! What business do we have here!”
However, before we could enter, we were stopped by a guard.
“We’re here to meet Philip Boreas Greyrat, the acting mayor of the city,” I said, gesturing to Eris at my side. “This is his daughter, Eris Boreas Greyrat.”
The man narrowed his eyes at me, glaring with intense hatred.
“Is this some sort of joke? Trying to pretend this adventurer is Sir Philip’s daughter?” he raised his pike overhead, readying to attack. “I should cut you down on the spot for such insolence!”
Wow… Philip seemed to have gained a lot of loyalty.
It must be because he was doing a good job with the restoration.
Still… it wasn’t like I would sit here and get skewered, even if it was in ‘good faith’ if you could call it that.
I could just knock him out and reveal ourselves to Philip in person.
But, as my hand went down to my sword, a voice made its appearance, instantly breaking the tension.
“You will do no such thing.”
The stern voice’s owner walked over, and my eyes widened in surprise.
“Leon… Young Miss… it’s been a while,” she said with a soft smile.
“Ghislaine!”
Eris leaped forward, quickly tackling the beastfolk woman in a hug.
“Ompf… I can tell you’ve gotten stronger, Young Miss,” Ghislaine said, patting Eris’ back as she looked at me. “And you as well Leon… After all, I came over here after sensing someone that made my fur raise.”
Was she telling me I was a threat?
That was… oddly comforting.
I guess my training has brought some results, huh?
“Well, you told me to always improve,” I went up and wrapped my arms around her, noticing that I was still a few inches smaller than the woman. “...We’re back, Big Sis.”
“Indeed you are,” she nodded, her tail flicking to wrap around us. “I’m glad you both survived. And your sisters as well.”
We unwrapped ourselves from our hug as Ghislaine looked over us with an approving smile.
“Though… why exactly did it take so long?” she asked, her smile dampening into a frown.
Not judgementally, of course, but simply out of curiosity.
“We were teleported to the north of the Demon Continent,” I answered.
Her visible eye widened.
“That… definitely explains it. How surprising… there must be quite the tale to accompany that adventure,” she said.
“Yep! But… we got through it,” Eris said, lacing her fingers with mine. “...T-Together.”
Ghislaine stared at the display with a knowing smile. “Yes… there must be quite a lot to explain indeed.”
Shaking her head fondly, she then turned around. “Follow me. While the Young Master might be busy, I’m sure he will love to hear the news in person. And there is much to explain to you as well.”
And so, passing the guard who had been reduced to stunned silence, we followed Ghislaine inside the makeshift castle while I pretended to not see how Aisha stuck her tongue out at the guardsman as she passed.
— Leon Greyrat —
As we trotted along the road, going slow so that we didn't overwork the horses, I watched as Eris practiced her swordsmanship alongside the cart as I drove.
More specifically, I found my gaze trailing down her body and stopping at her rear, watching it with appreciation as she continued her movements.
As it stands, using Paul’s words, I was what you would call an ‘ass man’.
And Eris… well, she had a very good one.
So it was only natural I would admire the view laid out before me, especially since there wasn’t anything better to do.
I mean, I was still practicing my disturb magic while I drove, but everyone needed a break now and then.
Similarly to me, Eris had also grown more restless since the day we encountered Orsted, wanting to train whenever she could to increase her skills so that with our next encounter if that ever came to pass, she wouldn’t have to leave it all to me.
Of course, I supported her desire to get stronger and joined her in a spar whenever we could, but whenever I noticed the stress was getting a bit too much, I always calmed her down that night in bed.
After all, it was quite an enjoyable activity.
Enjoyable indeed…
No, I was starting to sound like Paul now!
But… was that so bad?
Haa…
Truly, now that we had started having sex quite regularly, the hormones that I had been suppressing had been unleashed in full force, causing my gaze to wander like it had just done now, and leaving me to regret some of my past actions, such as not accepting her offer to bathe together back in the Great Forest.
But I was surely making up for it with time.
Like last night, for instance.
“Brother?” Norn asked as she wrapped her arms around my neck from behind me.
“Yes, my dear sister?” I asked.
“What are those things on your neck?” she said with confusion. “They almost look like bite marks…”
I gave Eris a deadpan look, only to get a proud smile in response as she turned to look back at us.
Seriously, that girl… I told her not to do that.
Her play-bites and hickeys were not enough of a wound to be considered an ‘injury’, and thus couldn’t be fixed by healing magic and would remain.
Especially if I forgot about it during the afterglow, which I often did.
I told her exactly that last night, but instead of listening, all she did was say ‘I know’ with lidded eyes.
It was arousing, sure, but I didn’t want my sweet sisters to know that we were doing that during the night.
In fact, I didn’t want them to know about that stuff at all, at least until they reached their second birthday.
“They’re just signs of love, sister,” Aisha said.
“Signs of love?” Norn repeated, unsure.
“Yep!” Aisha nodded. “Don’t worry about it!”
“Okay…”
Haa… but alas, it was already too late for Aisha.
Who was it? Who told her about that stuff?
I just wanted to have a little chat.
Sighing, I turned my head to the right to look into the distance, watching the fields of rolling hills topped with grassland.
There was also a small dirt road branching off to the highway, and following it, I was met with the sight of what looked to be an abandoned village.
Wait… this place… it felt… familiar.
“...Eri. Let’s stop here for a second,” I said, guiding the carriage off the road to the side.
“Hah? What for?” she asked, stopping.
“I just… want to check something,” I said, unsure.
Was this really the place?
I remember Mama saying something about it being in the south of the kingdom, but to think I would run into it by chance…
“I’m going to that village over there,” I said, getting off the carriage.
“What? Why?” all three of the girls asked.
“Because…” I said, looking forlornly at the dilapidated buildings, many charred with the remnants of flames. “...I think… I think this is my birthplace.”
— Leon Greyrat —
This was it.
Having walked through the village, it didn’t take too long before I found a very familiar house, and I instantly knew that this was indeed the place.
But… was it always so small?
Well, I was a baby at the time, so it made sense.
It seemed that looters had gotten to it, as there were no useful belongings left, but I could tell that this was the house.
After all, I had spent my first year of life here, not to mention this being the place where I lost my first, and at the time, only family.
With the other three looking at the shack with curiosity, I made my way through the hole in the back wall, likely destroyed by time and weather.
Mama did say they buried her near here…
Oh! There it is!
Walking over to a large stone, I knelt down in front of it as I traced my finger across the faded markings.
‘Here Lies:
A Courageous Mother
A Respectable Woman’
Seeing the distinct handwriting of Ghislaine, Mama, and Paul, in that order, I felt my chest tighten as tears began to well up in my eyes.
“Leon?” Eris said, walking towards me as my sisters followed behind her. “...What’s this?”
“It’s… someone important,” I said, summoning some water to wash off the accumulated dirt on the gravestone.
“H-Hey mom… I’m back.”
Ah. The tears had escaped… how embarrassing.
As I hastily wiped my eyes, I felt Eris’ arms wrap around me from behind as Norn and Aisha came to my sides, both grabbing hold of my arm as they looked at the gravestone with conflicted expressions.
That made sense.
After all, ‘Mama’ to me was Zenith, while ‘Mom’ was Alice.
They were different in my mind, but to them, the words were interchangeable.
Kneeling there in silence, I felt Eris also move to my side, getting to her knees alongside my sisters as they offered a small Millis-style prayer.
Now… what do I say?
Should I-
“Thank you, Leon’s mom,” Eris said, interrupting my thoughts. “For bringing Leon into our lives.”
Widening my eyes, I looked over to see that she was still praying, keeping her eyes closed as she bowed her head in respect to the stone before her.
“Thank you, for making my brother!” Norn said, tears also beginning to pour down her eyes.
“Thank you…” Aisha nodded.
My breath shuddered as I also joined them, closing my eyes as I bowed to the gravestone of my birth mother before me.
“Mom… I’m sorry for not being strong enough to protect you. Even though I was a baby, I… still wish I could have saved you,” I said, forcing myself to not succumb to the lump forming in my throat. “But… I will make sure that never happens again.”
Opening my eyes, I extended my arms to pull my sisters and Eris close to me.
“How you sacrificed yourself for me… for your family… I will follow the example you so beautifully taught me,” I said resolutely. “I will keep my family safe, just like you did, and if my sword can reach them without leaving my family in danger, I will defend others too, so that other amazing women like you won’t die... I promise you this, Mom.”
Taking a deep breath to calm myself, I let my lips spread into a smile as I looked to my sides.
“These… are my sisters, Aisha and Norn. They’re very cute, and I’m sure you would love them,” I said, patting their heads. “And this… is Eris. The girl I love and my… partner… for life.”
Eris’ lips quirked up as she nestled into the crook of my neck.
I guess she liked the sound of that, huh?
Luckily, I did too.
“So, Mom… I do have to get going,” I said. “But I promise…
Ah, the tears were coming back… shit.
“W-When everything is settled, I’ll bring you back with me. To my home,” I said, nearly choking up. “You deserve a better gravestone. One that’s tended too lovingly and near your family.”
I then extended my finger, coating it in touki as I carved her name at the top while adding a line at the bottom to join Mama and Paul’s.
‘A Beautiful Example.’
If only she could be here… to see the man I grew up to become… it was painful.
But… I wouldn’t falter.
“But for now, just know… I love you. And I will never forget you,” I stated firmly.
And so, with my promises affirmed, and my love conveyed, I stood up.
But instead of getting up to join me as I expected, Eris simply shuffled to kneel in front of the grave, in the spot I had been not a moment before.
“I promise, I’ll keep your son happy,” she said, extending her finger like I had done. “And I will bear you many beautiful grandchildren. That, I promise.”
While I was slightly embarrassed at her words, the gratitude I felt overwhelmed any of the shame I could feel as I saw the words she carved under mine.
‘A Loving Memory’
To think she could be so poetic… I would have to thank her later.
“And I… I promise to get better!” Norn said, standing up. “I’ll get better to help Brother, and repay him for everything!”
She finished her words by wrapping her arms around the grave in a hug.
“And I… promise to keep him safe. In my own way,” Aisha said, standing up and stepping forward to pat her sister’s back. “We all will. As a family.”
My dear sisters… I was so proud.
Norn released the stone from her hug as she stood up, wiping the tears from her eyes as she walked over to me, raising her arms in a gesture that asked for a hug.
Happily granting her request, I picked her up and held her to my right side as I did the same to Aisha on my left, ignoring her cute yelp as I did so.
Right… this was a nice detour, but we had a home to get to.
So…
“Goodbye, Mom,” I said, walking back towards the road before I stopped, turning to look back one last time. “...I’ll see you later.”
And with that, we departed from my birthplace, with each of us bearing a promise made to a woman who only lived in my memories.
But, oddly enough, despite those promises that should have burdened me with the pressure to fulfill them, I could only feel lighter as we headed back towards the carriage.
— Norn Greyrat —
I swung down my sword, following the form Brother had drilled into me.
My breathing was calm, and my blade didn’t tremble, but my mind… it was chaotic.
All I could think of was Paul, my father, and Orsted, that terrifying man.
Thinking of how they both hurt my brother, both in different ways.
When we first arrived in Millishion, I was… happy.
Leaving the Great Forest, I was initially sad about leaving my first friends, but as we continued toward our next location, seeing how relaxed Brother was compared to the Demon Continent as well as the ease at which we travelled, I couldn’t help but feel that things were finally getting easier.
For me, for everyone, and most importantly, for my brother.
With everything becoming easier, I couldn’t help but think… that I wouldn’t be forcing my brother to make so many sacrifices anymore.
But then, I left with Big Sister Eris to look at the city, and as we got back to where we separated from Brother, I saw a man berating him.
I was confused at first.
Confused as to why the man was berating him, as well as why my brother was taking it, but I quickly understood.
That man, with his scruffy beard and stained clothes… that man was my father.
I didn’t have many memories of him, but Brother had been sure to remind us of him, our mothers, and my other brother during our travels so that when we got back together, we wouldn’t have forgotten our family that he had been trying so hard to reunite.
But at that moment, I didn’t see my father.
Instead, I saw an enemy.
An enemy that was hurting my brother in ways no monster could.
I was frozen at first, taking in the hurtful words as they were spat, but then, that man crossed the line, deciding to punch Brother before screaming at him some more, going so far as to make my brother’s constant calm crack.
And in that moment, the emotion that had been bubbling under the surface erupted in a white-hot rage, forcing me to get in between them as I held my wooden sword up to defend my dear brother.
I wondered… would that man hit me too?
I didn’t think so, but then again, I didn’t think he would be so mean to Brother after everything he did for us.
Was that what a father was supposed to be?
So mean? So judgemental? So… angry?
If so… I would prefer to only have Brother.
After all, we had survived with just us, and in fact, I was happy with just us, so why would I want to have a father who would only hurt my dearest person?
But then, a night passed, my brother forgave him, my father apologized, and things went on like that first meeting had never happened.
But I, to this day, still remember it clearly.
The pain on Brother’s face… it was a look I had never seen him wear before, nor did I want to see again.
How empty and sad he looked as he tucked me into bed that night, despite his efforts to hide it…
I still didn’t forgive my father, and I likely never would, but at least Brother seemed happier by the time we left, so I couldn’t complain.
After that, things got back to normal, save for Ruijerd leaving as soon as we arrived at the Central Continent.
That was sad, but I had always expected him to part from us eventually to find his people. Just not so… early.
And then, as we travelled further north… that man appeared.
And the most terrifying event in my life took place before my very eyes.
Even just thinking back to that day sent shivers down my spine.
Remembering the feeling of blood pouring out of Brother’s mouth, his eyes getting duller with each moment, how my healing magic did nothing in front of the gaping wound…
It made me sick. Sick with fear and anger.
But it wasn’t just me.
Aisha began practicing her magic more, as well as purchasing some books on geography and governance from some of our stops.
From what she told me, she wanted to help Brother in ways other than the combat strength he excelled at and do the things he couldn’t simply fight through.
And then there was Eris, who was using every possible moment to better her swordsmanship and be able to fight alongside Brother.
She was strong, and while not at my brother’s level, was still useful in a fight.
And finally, there was Brother himself, who had been working harder ever since that day, using every waking moment to either train his swordsmanship, magic, or that weird ‘disturb magic’ he mentioned.
Whether it was driving the carriage or keeping guard during the night, he was constantly working to better himself, despite already being so strong.
And then… there was me.
…I needed to get stronger.
I needed to help Brother and make things easier, no matter what, so that I would never have to experience something like that again, and so that Brother would never be burdened by me.
I wanted to be relied upon by him and be his strength.
Though… I needed to find something I could excel at.
After all, all I had was healing magic and the sword, both things that my brother was far ahead of me in.
But I trusted Brother’s words that I would find it eventually.
Truly, between my father, Orsted, and even myself, everyone just caused problems for him!
Huffing in agitation, I sheathed my sword before walking over to my brother, who was cooking soup over the fire for dinner.
Taking off my belt and placing my sword next to my bag, I quickly went over to sit on his lap, wrapping my arms around him in a hug which he gently reciprocated.
“Is something wrong, Norn?” he asked.
I shook my head.
“Ah, well, dinner’s almost ready, so it was good you stopped training,” he said. “Good job, by the way. While your swing strength is weak, that will grow with time, and you already have the form down, which is the most important thing. Your brother’s very proud of you.”
As he patted my head, I dug deeper into his torso, pressing my face against his shirt as his comforting scent washed over me. “Thanks, Brother.”
“Of course,” he nodded. “Ah, and we’re about halfway through Asura if you’re curious, so it should only be a month or two before we reach Fittoa, where we can rest for a few days.”
I nodded my head.
This feeling of comfort and safety… this warmth… this love… to think I almost lost this.
No, I would have lost this, if it wasn’t for the interference of that black-haired girl.
While I still didn’t like him, I did always keep my father’s words that he said on my birthday in my heart.
About the importance of a sword, strength, and… killing.
And after much thinking, there was one thing I was sure of.
With all my heart, I was sure that I wanted to kill Orsted.
I wanted to end the Dragon God with my own hands, and strike him down-
“Norn,” Brother said calmly, guiding my head up to look at his face. “...There’s no need to make that face, Norn. We’re all safe and happy, right?”
He then leaned down and planted a kiss on my forehead, causing a cascade of warm feelings to spread across my body.
“So let’s keep it that way, okay? There’s no need to be so angry,” he said, pulling me back into his embrace.
Curling my knees inward, I cuddled into his grasp as I watched the fire crackle out of the corner of my eye.
Yes… I wanted to get stronger… and I wanted to end the Dragon God… but first, I would savour these moments.
After all, I was the luckiest sister alive in the whole world.
— Leon Greyrat —
Finally, we had arrived.
After nearly two and a half long, arduous years… we were here.
Home.
The place where it all began… for the most part.
The journey to the Fittoa Region and our hometown was an easy one, with the only things stopping our movement being a few monsters needing to be killed along the way, a few bandits, and resolving a kidnapping in a town we passed by.
So, overall, not too much, considering we had gone across an entire nation.
Walking down the familiar dirt road, I looked at the many destroyed buildings, their materials teleported to who knows where along with their inhabitants.
It was so… empty.
So quiet.
So… desolate.
As the soil was relatively untouched, I knew this place would thrive once again, but… it would be a long time before that happened.
I felt my breath pick up in pace as I continued walking, looking at the surroundings that seemed so… off.
The clinic where Mama used to work.
The hill Sylphy, Rudy and I used to play at.
The tree where Roxy comforted me.
The road where I met my dear green-haired crush.
The forest we used to explore…
‘Leon! Look! I did it! I made a water ball!’
‘T-That tickles, Leon!’
‘Are you still afraid?’ ‘No, I’m… okay now.’
‘If you feel the same once you become an adult, then I’ll… I’ll accept.’
“Gah!” I clutched my chest in pain, feeling my body shudder from the memories.
Shaking my head and wiping my eyes, I continued up the hill, towards our house.
The house where I found my family, where I first felt the warmth of a home.
The place where I learned magic, where Paul taught me swordsmanship, where Rudy was born, where Aisha and Norn came into our lives, everything… everything happened here.
And now, that house was reduced to a pile of rubble, the stone foundation the only thing left of the original structure.
The torrent of emotion I had been holding back surged forth, forcing me to drop to my knees as I began to cry.
Mama’s initial joy.
‘It’s beautiful!’
My first meeting with Roxy.
‘I’m Roxy. It’s a pleasure to meet you.’
My first birthday.
‘Happy birthday, Leon!’
When our family grew from five to seven.
‘Hello, Norn, Aisha… I’m your big brother, Leon… You two are awfully cute, you know that?’
When Lilia finally accepted herself as part of the family.
‘Fufu! Of course, Leon… Goodnight.’
All those nights spent cuddled with Mama… all those times practicing magic with Rudy… the time spent idly entertaining my baby sisters…
All those moments… all those beautiful, important, overwhelmingly sentimental memories… they were all made here.
It was so… so… so damn painful!
I wanted to scream, I wanted to rage, I… I just wanted all back to normal.
“Mama…” I cried, desperately clutching my shirt. “I miss you…”
Why? Why did that have to happen?
I… missed my family.
“Leon,” Eris said softly, wrapping her arms around me from behind, pulling her close into a hug. “Shh… it’s okay.”
I could also feel my two sisters joining in from my side.
God… this was utterly pathetic.
I already knew it was going to be like this, and even if our house was fine, it wouldn’t change anything about our plans, so why… why did it hurt so much?
“Sorry,” I said, my voice muffled by Eris’ chest as her hands sifted through my hair.
“No, Leon… It’s okay to cry… at least, you can with me,” she said, tilting my head up to look at her. “We’re… partners, right?”
She sealed her sweet words with a kiss, letting me bathe in the lingering warmth and tender sensation before she separated and began stroking my hair once more.
“Besides, seeing you like this, it’s… oddly cute,” she said.
…That just made me more embarrassed, Eris.
“B-Brother,” Norn said, pulling at my sleeve.
Wiping my eyes, I looked over at her, as she was standing eye-level with my kneeling form.
“What is it, Norn?”
She looked at me for a moment in sadness before her eyes hardened in determination.
Placing her hand on my cheek, she spoke to me resolutely, “Brother… our family isn’t gone. We’re right here. And our home… that’s wherever our family is, right? So our home… is wherever we want it to be!”
She then pulled my head down into an embrace as Aisha joined in.
“And as for the memories… we can just make new ones, Big Brother! Just like we have been!” she said, smiling as she patted my head. “And either way, just because this place is gone… it doesn’t mean the memories have to be.”
Jeez… getting comforted by my five-year-old sisters… this really was pathetic, huh?
“Thanks, you two,” I said, freeing my arms to pull them closer to me. “You… you two really have grown.”
They really had.
More than I would like to in some aspects, but still… I was so, so proud.
Calming my breathing, I regained my composure before I stood up, breaking our collective embrace.
“Now! This isn’t our final stop, is it?” I said with a smile. “Let’s get back on the road to Roa. Though… we’ll probably have to spend the night camping.”
It was exactly as Norn and Aisha said.
My family was alive, and when we got back together, that would be our new home.
And when we did find our new home… we would create so many happy memories.
Enough to drown out the sadness of the time we lost and let our lives in Buena Village become pleasant, nostalgic times we look back upon with a smile.
And that concluded our short, albeit emotional, visit to our previous home, Buena Village.
And now, we could look toward the future… together.
— Leon Greyrat —
“We’re here…”
I felt like I had said that quite a bit over the past year, but nonetheless, my words were true.
Looking across the vaguely recognizable scenery, I took in the capital of the Fittoa Region, the city of Roa, in its new, current form.
The fortress that the settlement was known for was reduced to nothing but a ruin, and while the city walls had been replaced, it was much shorter than before.
From what I could see, it was mostly built with earth magic, moulding the previous brick foundation with a mix of dirt and stone.
Maybe it was Rudy?
He was pretty good at earth magic, though I don’t know if he could do something on such a large scale unless he had improved.
There was also quite a bit of farmland outside the walls, the greenery a stark difference from the barren dirt much of the Fittoa region, especially near the epicentre of the explosion of light, had been reduced to.
Near the centre of the city, I noticed another smaller wall surrounding what seemed to be a large cabin, while the city itself was littered with a large mix of houses, dirt huts, and tents being used for shelter.
Roa had been decimated, yes… but it was rebuilding.
Our first stop upon entering the city was to go to the guild, where we were met with a board filled with many quests.
Most of them were quests related to the rebuilding effort, such as magicians lending their aid, or guarding woodmen as they collected nearby lumber, but there was the odd regular monster subjugation here and there too.
That was good to see.
And then, looking to the opposite wall, there was the list of lost Fittoans.
A giant board consisting of multiple pages with an uncountable number of names written down.
Actually, there were two boards of names.
One for all of the known Fittoans, where you would cross them off once their fate was discovered, and another for those who had been found dead.
Of course, by seeing that someone was found but not written as dead, you could assume they were alive.
There were… not many names left to be found, which was a good thing, but seeing the enormous list of the dead… it was horrible.
Walking over to it, I traced my finger down the list.
All these people… written down like this, they were simply names, but they each had a life… a family…
How depressing.
How many children had died?
How many kids calling for their mother and father, only to be cut down by a monster or a bandit?
I… could understand now, why Paul was angry at me for not focusing more on finding others, even if it was misguided.
Having to see this… and seeing the results of it in person… I felt a bit bad for him.
But luckily, none of these-!
I stopped as my finger traced over two names I recognized.
Anne and Laws.
Sylphy’s parents.
…I would have to console her when we met again.
That… must be heartbreaking for her if she knew, and if not… then I would have to break the news.
Feeling a little more sombre, I went over to the list of the missing, crossing off the four of our names, as well as some of the hostages’ names that we rescued, at least those that I remembered.
Haa… and now, with that done, I suppose it was about time I met with my future in-laws, huh?
Meeting back up with Aisha, Norn, and Eris, who had gone to sell the carriage and horses, we then made our way towards the second wall, which I assumed was what was acting as the castle of this place and where I would find Philip, or at least someone who knew where I could.
“You! What business do we have here!”
However, before we could enter, we were stopped by a guard.
“We’re here to meet Philip Boreas Greyrat, the acting mayor of the city,” I said, gesturing to Eris at my side. “This is his daughter, Eris Boreas Greyrat.”
The man narrowed his eyes at me, glaring with intense hatred.
“Is this some sort of joke? Trying to pretend this adventurer is Sir Philip’s daughter?” he raised his pike overhead, readying to attack. “I should cut you down on the spot for such insolence!”
Wow… Philip seemed to have gained a lot of loyalty.
It must be because he was doing a good job with the restoration.
Still… it wasn’t like I would sit here and get skewered, even if it was in ‘good faith’ if you could call it that.
I could just knock him out and reveal ourselves to Philip in person.
But, as my hand went down to my sword, a voice made its appearance, instantly breaking the tension.
“You will do no such thing.”
The stern voice’s owner walked over, and my eyes widened in surprise.
“Leon… Young Miss… it’s been a while,” she said with a soft smile.
“Ghislaine!”
Eris leaped forward, quickly tackling the beastfolk woman in a hug.
“Ompf… I can tell you’ve gotten stronger, Young Miss,” Ghislaine said, patting Eris’ back as she looked at me. “And you as well Leon… After all, I came over here after sensing someone that made my fur raise.”
Was she telling me I was a threat?
That was… oddly comforting.
I guess my training has brought some results, huh?
“Well, you told me to always improve,” I went up and wrapped my arms around her, noticing that I was still a few inches smaller than the woman. “...We’re back, Big Sis.”
“Indeed you are,” she nodded, her tail flicking to wrap around us. “I’m glad you both survived. And your sisters as well.”
We unwrapped ourselves from our hug as Ghislaine looked over us with an approving smile.
“Though… why exactly did it take so long?” she asked, her smile dampening into a frown.
Not judgementally, of course, but simply out of curiosity.
“We were teleported to the north of the Demon Continent,” I answered.
Her visible eye widened.
“That… definitely explains it. How surprising… there must be quite the tale to accompany that adventure,” she said.
“Yep! But… we got through it,” Eris said, lacing her fingers with mine. “...T-Together.”
Ghislaine stared at the display with a knowing smile. “Yes… there must be quite a lot to explain indeed.”
Shaking her head fondly, she then turned around. “Follow me. While the Young Master might be busy, I’m sure he will love to hear the news in person. And there is much to explain to you as well.”
And so, passing the guard who had been reduced to stunned silence, we followed Ghislaine inside the makeshift castle while I pretended to not see how Aisha stuck her tongue out at the guardsman as she passed.
