16 16.

Irene just came out of the meeting room, Zeref told her about Acnologia being in the wasteland of death. But it didn't matter to her as she immediately cast an enchantment and flew towards the direction where she smelled the faint trace of my scent. Julia and Heine were about to great Irene when they both saw Irene flying off into a distance.

"Do you think something's bothering Mistress Irene? It seems like she's in a rush?" Juliet asked

"What are you on about Juliet? Mistress Irene must've set out on an important mission by his majesty and needed to leave urgently." said Heine

"Hm....? Without bringing us?" Juliet asked

"Now that I think about it... Let's not talk about it, let's just ask her when she comes back. She's one of the strongest spriggan after all." Heine said as Juliet brushed it off immediately and got back to her goofy state.

When Irene reached the borders, she is surprised to see that the trail of the scent leads to the wasteland of death.

As a Spriggan, she knows more about the wasteland of death. Although the Wolf King is the rumored strongest in there, wouldn't it be easily conquered by any empire or kingdom out there? Heck, a cripple even managed to be in a stalemate against the Wolf King.

There are certain reasons why no one, I mean no one ever bothered to visit that place. Firstly, the land is too barren. Even if they managed to conquer the wasteland of death, no one would live in a land where you cannot farm or plant anything other than the native plants in there which is mostly toxic.

Second, The wasteland of death is home to many species that acts as a group. There are rumors when a Kingdom tried to take the wasteland of death for itself, they sent 50,000 soldiers in there, and only one managed to return alive to spread the word that in crisis, all of the species in there band together to defeat their adversaries. No one believed the survivor and they treat him as insane and was executed because of deserting the army.

And lastly, only few knows that the Wolf King is not really the strongest creature in the wasteland of death. The 4 Strongest creatures are slumbering deep underground and it is believed that one of them was disturbed and woke up when 50,000 soldiers marched towards the wasteland.

Even she does not dare to stroll around in that place, but she gritted her teeth and followed the trail that leads her deeper into the WoD. My scent is the last clue she had to finding me and our daughter. She is not scared at Acnologia finding her as she developed a concealing enchantment that Acnologia wouldn't be able to follow her scent as long as she had the enchantment on.

She continued following the trail of the scent that gets stronger, the deeper she traversed the WoD. The scent lead her to a pretty big house as she used her magical power and scanned the decent house where the scent is really strong... meaning... she is at the end of the trail.

She can smell his scent but she wondered why she can't find any presence in the vicinity, like something is blocking her scanner and protecting those residing in the place.

She concluded that there are two reasons why she can't track any presence inside. Either someone well-versed in magic and a strong one at that is protecting the house or there is a concealment artifact blocking any scanning magic placed inside the house.

She gritted her teeth as she flew down and the moment she got closer, she saw three silhouette of childrens playing in what seems to her as a bunch rare contraptions as she never saw anything like those before. The only thing she knows in that bundle of contraptions are the slide, and the swing.

When she dropped down, she immediately felt a hostile glare looking at her but with a mix of confusion as she saw Irene as Erza, but bigger.

Pitou had a hard time to decide whether she is hostile or not as she summoned Terpsichora and turned wary at the newcomer. With her immense sight, smell, and sense. She have sensed an entity flying down to where they are so she flared her massive En in an irregular shape mixed with killing intent to deter the newcomer but was confused to see another version of Erza that's why she didn't attack immediately. She was about to pounce on her but she saw me holding a sword but stopped when I saw the bigger Erza making her curiosity rise.

'Why is there a big Erza?' She thought as she saw me looking at her and I shook my head to clear that she is not hostile. Kagura also seemed confused as to why there are two Erza's appearing in front of her as she keeps looking back and forth between the two copies of each other.

Erza's body trembled as she remembered what I used to say whenever she asks about her mother.

'She is just like a carbon copy of you.'

Though she didn't know what carbon is, she knows the word copy. So when she saw someone that looked like her, she trembled greatly in shock as she can't believe to see her mother. It is totally unexpected.

Irene slowly walked towards me and stopped in front of me to determine whether I am really Noctis, and when she confirmed it. She immediately planted a passionate kiss of reunion to me.

As for me, my feelings for her is kind of vague, since I'm really not the one she fell for but my predecessor but my heart clenched when she kissed me. Something buried deep down beneath me emerged. The thing is, when I merged with my predecessor, it is not only the memories are implanted, but also the feelings of my predecessor which is kind of weird.

'Let nature take its course.' I thought

That's why when I finished merging with my dead predecessor, where I could just leave Erza to fend for herself and make a name for my own, I didn't. I let the feelings merge with me as well to better fit this world, and one of the things that immediately crossed my mind is to take care of Erza. It is like my predecessor's final wish to me which I accepted as gratitude for the new life.

And now seeing the mother of my child, I don't know what to say but just let it happen naturally.

In my previous life, everything about me is average and even I have my own ambitions but it seems like I am destined to never achieve those. When I arrived in this world, the same feeling of ambition rose up but then I realized.

'Wouldn't it be just a hassle? Why does it feel like if I did reach the top, it would only lead to a dull life? Plus I am a cripple, I can't even use magic. My only asset is my strong body. Would that be enough?' I thought as I continued.

'Why not just live the way I wanted to, but this time, with my now daughter, Erza.'

And as the years passed, living with Erza, is tiring but fulfilling job for me. Although my nemesis, the cloth diapers, is hard to deal with. I seemed to be fine with living like this. Maybe living with my daughter like this isn't bad at all.

We separated after a long passionate kiss onlt to hear Erza shouting mother as she finally picked herself up and ran towards us and hugged us both.

My heart is at peace seeing the 'big sister' of the trio tear down her matured personality and ran at us like a kid that she is.

"I mish *sniff* you mother. I'm glad you're *sniff* here now. Don't leave ush *sniff* anymore. Pleash?" She said while crying as she held Irene's body, never intending to let it go.

The mighty Spriggan known as the Scarlet despair finally broke down as she picked up Erza with tears flowing down her cheek.

Kagura seeing this, felt envious as she missed her family as well. Noticing this I motioned for her and Pitou to join us as Kagura ran towards me and I held Pitou and Kagura in my arms.

"Don't cry Erza, Mother's not going to leave anymore, okay?" She said to Erza that hugged her neck tightly.

Irene turned to me with a questioning gaze, as she finally noticed the two other children in my arms.

Seeing this, Erza let go of Irene as she told her about her sisters.

"Mother, the one on father's right arm is Kagura, she became my sister after we escaped the village when father said someone attacked our hometown. And on the left is Pitou, she is picked up by father when he is building our new home." She exclaimed proudly but her snot from crying ruined her image as we all laughed at her and she immediately became embarrassed and buried herself in her mother's embrace.