Family

The next day, Paul and I practiced swordsmanship as usual.

This time, his face was expressionless, and he attacked me without holding back in the slightest.

How should I put it? Maybe he was a little angry?

"Father, are you angry?"

I parried his attacks, and when I really could not take it anymore, I spoke up.

Hearing my words, Paul stopped.

"I'm not angry at you."

"Then please don't attack me with such a blank face."

"I'm just... just angry at myself."

Paul sighed.

"Why, Father?"

"Rudy... you were right... No matter what, I should have taken responsibility. But at the time, my first thought was to run away. I'm disappointed in myself for that."

Indeed, an irresponsible man was the worst kind.

But if he could admit his mistake and grow from it, perhaps there was still hope for him.

"Do you look down on me? You're very mature, after all... and... I lost to you."

Had his son's excellence wounded his pride as a father?

If it were Mother, no matter how outstanding her son was, she would probably only feel proud... Was this the difference between fathers and mothers?

A father hoped to be surpassed by his son, yet did not want to be surpassed so soon.

"Father, I do look down on you."

"Urgh..." Paul looked like he was about to cry.

"But when you said you would take responsibility for Lilia, that was acceptable, so it canceled out my negative opinion of you."

"Is that so...?"

"Yes. And the reason I defeated you that day was because I set up traps in advance, and I was only able to win because you were distracted."

"Rudy... you really are a good son!!"

Paul put down the sword in his hand and came over to hug me.

He held me so tightly that I could barely breathe.

"Father... breathing..."

"Oh... oh."

Paul let go.

Just then, Sylphie appeared at the entrance to the yard.

She watched the interaction between Paul and me without making a sound.

Paul noticed her, then nudged me with his elbow.

"Ohhh~ Your good friend is here."

"Indeed. She only has me as a friend."

"What kind of way is that to put it? Aren't you the same, with only her as your one friend?"

"Hm? Father, I simply don't want to be friends with those idiots."

Paul seemed startled by my statement and looked like he wanted to correct me, but after thinking for a long while, he could not come up with any words to refute it, as though he too had remembered just how annoying the children in the village were.

Mm... Those unruly children in the village were just as hateful as the bratty kids from my previous life.

Sylphie was weak-willed, but very obedient.

She did whatever I told her to do. I did not dislike a friend like that.

However, this was somewhat unequal, and not quite like friendship. If anything, she was more like a follower.

"Hey... Rudy... Let me ask you something."

"Go ahead, Father."

"Do you know whether Sylphie is a boy or a girl?"

It seemed Paul also felt that Sylphie was too cute to look like a boy.

"Father, although Sylphie is very cute, she is definitely a boy."

"Uh... is that so...?"

"Yes. I will raise her into a proper man."

"I don't think she wants to become a man, though..."

"What do you mean?"

"Fine. You're all right as you are. Go play with her."

"Yes, Father."

And so, I took Sylphie back to that hill to practice magic.

My little sisters were born.

Honestly, I really admired Paul now.

He and Lilia had only done it that one time, yet somehow they had a child...

That was absurd, as ridiculous as winning the lottery.

And just like that, I had two little sisters.

Aisha Greyrat and Norn Greyrat.

Their birth made this household a bit chaotic and noisy.

"This is how it should be. Young Master Rudeus was far too quiet when he was little," Lilia said, rocking Aisha in her arms.

"Really? Really? Is this what's normal?"

Zenith held Norn and gently rocked her, but Norn kept crying, leaving her somewhat flustered.

Crying seemed to be contagious. As long as Norn cried, Aisha would start crying too.

Paul, meanwhile, looked left and right in bewilderment, at a loss as to what he could do.

As for me, I was at home teaching Sylphie how to read and write.

Looking at the lively scene, I said to Sylphie, "They'll probably call you big brother someday too."

"I think... probably not..."

"If my little sisters are that rude, I'll be sure to teach them properly."

"Uu... That's not the problem..."

"Hm? You don't want them to call you big brother?"

Sylphie blushed and buried her head in her writing practice, ignoring me.

Oh well. My little sisters would probably call her big sister. No matter how you looked at her, she didn't seem like a boy.

"Is there... anything I can do?"

Paul spoke, completely at a loss.

Zenith merely glanced at him.

"Dear, go into town and buy some ingredients. Lilia hasn't prepared tonight's ingredients yet."

"Huh...? I mean... with the children, do you need me to..."

"No need~ Hurry up and go."

Zenith smiled, but there was no trace of a smile in her eyes.

Paul shuddered all over and walked out of the house dejectedly.

"Madam Zenith... are you still angry with Master?" After Paul left the house, Lilia spoke softly.

"Don't call me Madam, and don't call him Master anymore. Since he's going to take responsibility for you, you can just call me sister."

Zenith smiled generously.

Lilia pressed her lips together.

"Madam... that wouldn't be right..."

"There's nothing wrong with it. Come on, let me hear you call me sister."

"Sister... Zenith..."

"Very good. Call me that in private. In front of the children and Paul, just call me Zenith. And don't call Paul Master either."

"Yes..."

I listened to the conversation between my two mothers.

It seemed Paul had successfully smoothed things over quite a bit. I wondered what method he used.

In any case, Paul had become the father of three children.

Do your best, Paul. Become a proper man!