Chapter 17 - Birth

—-- Leon Greyrat —--

As time passed, the leaves changed from vibrant green to a myriad of red, yellow and orange, and a cool, crisp air replaced the previous summer warmth.

It was fall.

And that meant that it was nearing the expected time for my new siblings' births.

Which was why we were currently on a carriage, making our way to my home in Buena Village.

"Why can't you stay with us, Ghislaine? Aren't you meant to be my swordsmanship instructor?" Eris whines.

Ghislaine, on the other hand, simply shakes her head, "I was only tasked with guarding you to and from Buena Village. Besides, I will be guarding Master Sauros when he makes his yearly report of the harvest to the capital next week, so I would have been gone for some time anyway."

Eris huffs, "Then how am I supposed to train?"

"You have Leon there with you. And while Paul, Leon's father, is a terrible instructor, he is a wonderful sparring partner. His fighting style is unique, as it uses all three styles seamlessly. Be sure to learn from that experience," she lectures.

"Hmph. Fine, I guess," Eris pouts before turning to me, "Leon! Tell me about your family!" 

"Well, there's my brother, Rudeus, who's two years younger than me. Before I left home, we were equal in terms of magical skill, but I had the upper hand in swordsmanship," I say.

She raises her eyebrow at this, "Really? As good at magic as you?"

I nod my head, "Yes. Well… except for healing and detoxification. That's why I'm heading back, after all. To make sure nothing goes wrong with the births."

Well, I wouldn't say Rudeus was worse , per se. But rather he couldn't cast those schools of magic chantlessly, while I could. By having chantless magic, I was also able to weave the mana to my bidding, allowing for freer control of what got healed and when.

"But aren't there people meant for that?" she asks.

"Midwives, yes. But they are not necessarily doctors. So if there are any health problems, I would be able to step in and make sure everyone is safe," I say.

"Hmm… okay. And? What about your parents?" she asks.

"There's my father, Paul. He is… well, how would you explain him, Big Sis?" I say, turning to Ghislaine.

"A womanizing scum with a tendency to get too far ahead of himself. Though, he is a good man at heart… and in bed."

There was no need for that last part, Big Sis…

"...He sounds dumb!" Eris exclaims.

"He is dumb. And he's married to my Mama, Zenith. She's a healer, and is also the nicest woman in the world," I say.

Eris gestures to my neck, "And she's the one who gave you that scarf?"

I shake my head, "No. That was Lilia. She used to be the family maid but then got pregnant after Paul fooled around and became his wife. She's part of the family now though, and I think of her as a second mother. So don't treat her disrespectfully."

Eris nodded her head in acceptance, knowing that I was issuing a serious warning.

"And lastly, there's Sylphy. She's not part of my family, but she is my only friend. But we spent so much time together that we might as well have been family," I say.

"Hmm. So she's like a sister?" she asks.

"No… just a close friend. She also has green hair," Eris' eyes widen, "and it's beautiful. If you bully her for it, I'll be very mad."

Eris frowns, "Fine."

She went quiet after that, opting to watch the passing scenery as we neared our destination.

"Alright! Here we are!" the stagecoach says.

"Thank you. Ghislaine, are you going to come visit?" I ask.

She shakes her head, "I will need to leave as soon as possible to reach Roa by nightfall, so I will have to refuse. Young Miss," she says, crouching down to tussle Eris' hair. "Please do be safe. And trust in Leon. While he is your tutor, he is also your guard, so you can trust him."

"I-I know that already!" Eris huffs.

"Good. Then I don't need to explain further."

Ghislaine then passes me a couple of bags, one for each of Eris and I's things. Though the Young Miss' was much larger… and heavier.

"I will be off now," Ghislaine says. "Take care, you two. I will see you in a month."

And with that, she got back in the carriage before setting off into the distance.

"Right. Then I guess I'll lead you to my home. Follow me," I say.

With Eris nodding her head, we then make our way up the dirt road, with the Young Miss looking curiously at the fields and houses we passed.

"By the way, Eris. There won't be any stuffy noble customs that you hate while we're there, but that means you won't be treated with respect as much as you are in the manor. Make sure to not lash out about that, okay?" I say.

"Of course I won't! They're your family, so I'll let their disrespect slide!" she huffs.

"Thanks, Eris. I appreciate it," I say. "Anyway, you can treat this as a vacation for the most part, but we'll still have some lessons."

Her lips curl into a frown.

"Don't make that face," I chide. "It won't be as much as usual, and even when we do them, we can work in a group with my brother and Sylphy if you want. You'll have fun. I promise."

"Hmph! Fine," she pouts.

With that, we made our way over a few hills before finding ourselves in front of the house. Just as pretty as I remember, though the garden definitely needed some trimming.

That's to be expected though, since both Mama and Lilia were pregnant, and Paul didn't seem like the type to handle gardening.

From Eris' expression, it seemed that it was good enough to be acceptable, even though it wasn't as grand and gaudy as the manor.

Well, that's one potential problem stricken down.

Knocking on the door a few times, I then open it, "Hey guys! I'm home-! Oof!"

Only to be smothered by Mama with a gigantic hug, "Ooh! I've missed you so much, Leon!"

"I've missed you too, Mama," I say, although it was muffled by her chest.

"Ah, right. Come inside first," she says, closing the door behind us.

Looking at Mama, it was obvious that she was quite far along in her pregnancy, as her belly was bulging out much like it was right before Rudy was born.

She then turns to Eris with a kind smile, "And this must be Eris, right? Oh, would you prefer 'Miss'?"

"N-No… just Eris is fine," Eris stammers.

Why was she acting so nervous?

"Ah. Alright then. It's nice to meet you, Eris. Leon told us about you in his letters. Hmm… he was right to call you cute," Mama says.

"Mama!?" I exclaim.

"C-Cute?!" Eris does as well.

Mama's face then turns into her 'scary grin' before Lilia steps into the room.

"Zenith. Stop teasing your son and our guest as soon as they arrive."

Lilia also had a bulging belly, and she was also wearing a casual brown dress rather than her usual maid costume.

Judging from her usual hairband still placed on her head, I was guessing this change in outfit to be due to her maid uniform no longer fitting rather than her position as a wife.

"Leon. It's good to have you back," she says, opening her arms for a hug.

Accepting her offer, I place the two bags on the floor before walking over and embracing her.

Lilia wraps her arms around me before turning to Eris, who is still stammering over Mama's previous words.

"Miss Eris. While I may not be as up to par with my usual abilities due to my condition, please don't hesitate to ask me of anything," she says.

"H-Huh!? O-Okay."

Shaking my head, I then raise my hand before bopping Lilia's nose.

"Don't speak nonsense. I'll be doing all the household chores until you're completely recovered from having my new sibling. No objections," I say sternly.

She widens her eyes before her face deflates into a loving smile, "Right. I forgot how protective you were. Anyway, dinner is in the cauldron, so how about you tell us about your time since the last letter until it's ready?"

"Sure," I say, unwrapping my arms from her torso. "When is Rudy and Father coming back?"

"Oh!" Mama exclaims. "Paul's out doing a report on the harvest, and as for Rudy, he should be coming back right around…"

"Mother! We're back!"

"...now."

With perfect timing, Rudy enters the front door, interrupting Mama's words.

"What's with-? Brother!"

Rudding up to me, Rudy then gives me a quick hug before I'm wrapped in another smaller set of arms.

"Leon! You're back!"

Looking down at the watery eyes, I brush a strand of green hair off her face, "I told you I would. Did you think I would lie?"

Her eyes widen as her cheeks quickly turn a blushing red before hastily letting go of me, "N-No! I'm just… happy you're back, is all..."

For some reason, Eris' face turns from slight curiosity to a small grimace.

"Anyway, this is Eris Boreas Greyrat," I say, introducing the girl, "my current pupil. She'll be staying here with us until we leave after Lilia gives birth and is safe."

"Hmph!" she huffs in response.

Haa… at least say hello, Eris. I thought she was actually in quite a good mood when we came here, but I guess she really didn't like the fact that Ghislaine was leaving.

Well, hopefully, once they knew each other a bit more, they would all get along.

…Hopefully.

"This is Rudeus, or Rudy, my brother. And this is Sylphy, my friend I told you about. I'll take your things up to your room, so just… make yourself at home, alright Eris?" I say.

Getting a nod from the girl, I then take the bags up to the rooms and lay out all the contents on the bed, making sure Eris' clothes are organized and folded. After all, she wouldn't have a maid to get them ready for her like back home.

I was quite happy to see that she brought along the puppy plush I got her as well.

Not wanting to leave Eris alone, I quickly make my way back downstairs, only to see Eris and Sylphy locked in a staring match. 

Now… this wasn't out of character for Eris to do, but I didn't expect Sylphy to return her glare. Especially with such intensity. Where did that shyness go?

Rudy was also confused, but for some reason, both Lilia and Mama were looking on in amusement.

What was with this situation?

Before I could comment, Eris suddenly released a small snort before walking over and hugging my arm.

"Say Leon… how about we do some magic practice?" she asks.

…What the hell was she going on about?

"L-Leon!" Sylphy says, stiffly walking toward me before latching onto my other arm. "I-I learned Intermediate healing magic, but I'm still having some trouble! C-Can you help me?"

Okay… now I was really confused.

I know Sylphy had missed me quite a bit and had turned six a few days ago, but she had never been so… confrontational.

Ah, but then again, she hadn't had any people to be confrontational with.

Paul then chooses that moment to enter the house.

"Hey! I noticed a carriage leaving-" he cuts himself off as he notices the situation. "Oho? What's this?" he says, eyes shining with amusement. 

"Haha! Welcome home, Leon. It seems you really are my son, huh?" he laughs.

Haa… this was going to be annoying, wasn't it?

—-- Information on the Six-Faced World —--

Zenith Greyrat

Zenith is a beautiful woman with blonde hair, blue eyes, large breasts, and a voluptuous figure. 

She has a very warm and loving personality, but can also be strict at times when necessary. While she is a follower of the morals of the Milis Church, she also values the happiness of her family even more so.

Zenith was born in the Holy Country of Milis as the second daughter to the prominent noble family of Latreia before she ran away from home to become an adventurer, she later became a healer for the Fangs of the Black Wolf, where she reached the S rank.

She is a Beginner-ranked magician in fire and water magic and Intermediate-ranked in healing and detoxification magic.

—-- Leon Greyrat —--

It had been a week since returning to Buena Village with Eris, and to my happiness, my pupil had really taken to the casual lifestyle away from the manor.

Since she didn't enjoy getting pampered by the maids too much at her home, and all the stuffy noble practices such as needing to be dressed up every day, Eris didn't mind the change in scenery. If anything, she enjoyed it.

But I could tell some things irked her. Such as how there weren't any lanterns at night, how she didn't have a personal bathroom, and most notably…

"Haha! You're like an angry dog! But for your bite to have any power, you have to actually hit me~"

"Grr! Shut! Up!"

…Paul, my father.

As expected, their personalities clashed. And that was without Paul's relentless teasing. Playful or not, he really knew how to get under the girl's skin.

According to Eris, my father was the 'most annoying man' she had ever met, and I couldn't help but agree.

But at the end of the day, she also respected the man for his skills, much like she did with Ghislaine and myself.

Begrudgingly, of course.

Every morning came with a new challenge issued at the breakfast table and a one-sided spar followed soon after. 

While Paul only played around with her, both I and Eris were grateful for that, as she wouldn't learn too much from getting knocked out in one strike.

"Go Eris! You can beat Mister Paul!" Sylphy cheers.

"Knock him dead! He deserves it, after all!" As does Rudy.

The three had become fast friends, though Eris often found Rudy annoying. I chalked that up to him being smarter than her despite being two years younger.

But oddly enough, even though Sylphy was the same, instead of Eris finding her annoying, the two became close extremely fast.

Considering they were the only other girl their age they knew, it made sense that they felt a bond. But it was a bit surprising as their personalities were nearly the complete opposite.

But while they didn't fight, they did have these… moments. Tense moments where they would stare each other down as if they were having a competition, and all these moments happened with me in the middle.

I suppose I should have expected this.

Sylphy probably wanted to monopolize me a bit, since I had been gone so long and would only be here for a month, and as for Eris, not only was her pride of not wanting to 'lose' making things difficult, but she probably wanted me, the only person on her 'side', with her while she was here.

I just needed to make sure I split my attention evenly, and luckily, since the four of us children spent most of the time together, that wasn't too much of an issue.

"Rrraaah!"

With a final roar, Eris leaps forward with her sword raised, but with a smooth application of the Water God style, Paul sends her tumbling to the ground.

"Hehe. Nice try- Whoa!"

Paul barely dodges the wooden sword that's thrown at his face.

Not wanting her to get into a fistfight, I walk up to Eris, putting an end to the match.

"Nice try. That final North God sword throw was nice. Just be sure to throw it so the blade hits him instead of the hilt. I can teach you that later," I say, extending my hand to the girl.

"Hmph. Thanks," she says, letting me pull her up.

"Do you need some healing?" I ask.

"Just take your turn. I'll ask Sylphy to do it," she answers.

As she goes to stand with the rest of the family, I pick up the wooden sword Eris dropped before turning to face Paul, who is wearing his usual wide and confident smile.

"Well? Gonna try again? While you're definitely stronger, you still can't beat good old experience," he teases.

While his words were annoying, they were also the truth.

Paul's talent allowed him to easily pick up the sword and then allowed him to merge all three styles with no disciplined training.

But that would only make him a pretty good swordsman. Someone who could barely fight on par with a Sword Saint.

No. What made him so strong was his experience from years of adventuring, honing his blade in the labyrinths and dungeons of the world.

No matter how many errors were smoothed out from Ghislaine's instructions, I still wouldn't be able to beat his experience that easily.

But… I was close.

I noticed with the first few spars that we had, that while my Sword God techniques and basic swordsmanship had improved leaps and bounds, my Water God and North God abilities had remained stagnant.

So after a few days of sparring while focusing on those schools, as well as some nighttime training, I was ready.

"Keep talking like that, Father. It'll only make it more embarrassing when you lose," I say with a smirk.

"Ooh! Some tough words there! Let's see if you can back them up!"

With that as the signal, he rushed forward, the wind sweeping his hair back as his sword blurred toward my face.

He was fast. That was for sure.

But not nearly as fast as Ghislaine.

Gripping my sword, I leap forward with a swift leap, letting the Touki flow through my body and into my blade as it whips through the air.

But a clash of strikes wouldn't solve anything.

So, using the North God's adaptability, I let my Longsword of Silence transform into the Water God's countering technique, sliding up Paul's sword before leading it to the side.

Twisting my hips along with the path of my sword, I turn around to launch a devastating strike toward his unprotected chest.

Clack!

But while Paul couldn't block with his sword's blade, he managed to move his hilt in the way of my attack.

Those damn insane instincts…

Leaping back, Paul looks down at his sword with widened eyes before they narrow in seriousness as he looks back at me.

"I guess you figured something out since yesterday, huh?" he asks.

"You could say that," I say. "Make sure to take this seriously."

We then both jump forward.

Our blades exchange a flurry of strikes. Some with the speed and power of the Sword God, and some with the gentle flow of the Water God. But a cacophony of clashing wood resounded throughout the yard nonetheless.

As our violent duet continued, I was able to notice some parts of my swordsmanship that could be improved.

By turning my blade ever so slightly, it cut through the air a step faster.

My steps that would pound against the ground, turning up grass and dirt, became more subtle and controlled. A graceful footwork that allowed me to race across the ground without giving away my next move.

And I could feel it. Touki was flowing through every movement like the smooth yet rapid flow of a stream compared to before when it was like the choppy, uncontrolled waves of the open ocean.

Was this some kind of enlightenment?

It felt… amazing.

I unleash my sword in a downward strike, with Paul's blade ripping through the air horizontally to meet it.

But that was a feint.

Loosening my grip, I let our swords clash as I dip my body close to the ground, letting Paul's sword pass overhead, pushing down my blade as it easily overpowered my lightly-held sword.

Regaining my grip, I then twist my body before landing a strike on his open side, Touki flowing through my blade to give the strike more power, but not sharpness.

I didn't want to kill my father, after all. 

That would have to wait until he cheated on Mama and Lilia.

"Oomph!"

He's launched back. And with me quickly getting to my feet, I placed my sword against his neck before he could recover.

"It's- Haa- my win," I say through laboured breaths.

Damn, I was sweaty.

Generating some water to wash off my face and hair, I then return my gaze to the man.

Paul's surprised face quickly turns sour, before twisting into a resigned pout.

"Yeah. You did. Nice… job," he says through gritted teeth.

He must have been pretty upset to have lost to his eight-year-old kid. A little ashamed too, as he should be.

But he'd bounce back. 

Mama told me he was always conceited until he almost lost, or needed to be saved, and then he would train until his confidence was healed and his abilities heightened.

Turning to the family, I reveal a wide smile while raising my sword, as everyone bursts into cheers.

"Amazing Leon!" Sylphy exclaims.

"Nice job, brother!" Rudy nod.

"Hmph! How does it feel getting beat by your own son, Paul? Haha!" Eris laughs.

Even Mama and Lilia were wearing wide smiles.

"Well done, Leon. I am sure once he's done sulking he'll congratulate you."

"That's my boy! And Paul! You have your patrol to do, so get up!"

Turning back, I watch as Paul's pout deepens, "No one said I was cool when I won. Even my wives abandoned me…"

…I was going to cheer him up, but maybe he deserves to be a bit depressed.

I mean, how shameful can you be?

Mama turns to him with a smirk, "What? Are you that upset you finally lost? I told you your overconfidence would come back to bite you one of these days- Huh?"

She's interrupted as a trail of liquid drips down her leg.

What? She didn't… have an accident, right?

No, that was-

"Husband. Get up and go get the midwife immediately. Zenith, let's head inside. Leon, come assist your mother," Lilia commands, taking control of the situation.

It seemed it was time for me to greet my new siblings.

—-- Leon Greyrat —--

I was now a big brother to two baby sisters.

Yes, two.

I don't want to recount the details, as it was pretty gross, but shortly after Mama's birth, Lilia's child decided it was time to enter the world as well.

I guess she didn't want to fall behind her sister, huh?

Mama's birth was a bit troublesome. A breech birth, as Lilia and the midwife called it. Which was when the baby's head wasn't the first thing leaving the birth canal.

So, due to my healing magic and small but strong hands, I had to help guide my new sibling safely into the world.

While it was stressful, my efforts proved fruitful, as a healthy baby girl spat out the amniotic fluid before letting out her first cries.

I… did not want to experience something like that again. Ever. Again.

With everyone celebrating the new life, Lilia then went into labour.

While we were surprised, there were no complications. And with the midwife now playing her part, and Rudy providing a constant supply of warm water, a second baby girl entered this world.

In both births, Paul was useless. Being relegated to moral support and acting as a hand to squeeze. But knowing how hard Mama squeezes… and how pale his hand got… well, I didn't envy him.

Eris and Sylphy, however, while not being in the room since we didn't want to overcrowd, did bring us fresh blankets and towels, so I'd be sure to thank and praise the two for their help later.

But yes, both girls were born healthy, and I got to witness the beautiful faces of new parents once again, but this time, I joined in as well.

They were just so… so small! So cute! So wonderful!

I promised yet again to be the best brother one could ask for and make sure they would grow up happy. 

Norn and Aisha were their names. With Norn being Mama's girl, and Aisha being Lilia's.

Not that it mattered though.

With both of the cuties sleeping soundly in their bassinettes, and Mama and Lilia resting on the bed after having Rudy, Sylphy, and I heal their soreness, I decided to reveal my gift to my new sisters.

"Mama… Lilia… I got something for the two," I say, holding the two stuffed animals behind my back.

Eris turns toward me with interest, "Is it 'that'?"

I nod, "Yes, it is."

Everyone else just looks at me confused before I pull them out, revealing a brown bunny in my left hand, and a blue owl in my right.

Both of the mothers' eyes widen in surprise.

"I just thought… you know… since I had the money-"

"It's wonderful, sweetie! Here, can I see them?" Mama says.

Handing the bunny over to Mama, and the owl over to Lilia, I'm about to go back to the door, I'm pulled into both of their embrace.

"It's a very nice present, Leon. Here, let's give it to them. Does it matter who gets which?" Mama asks.

I shake my head no.

"Well? Do you want to give it to them?" Lilia asks.

Growing a small smile, I crawl over to the bassinet, where the two babies are wrapped snugly in a bundle of blankets.

Hesitantly, I take the two stuffies, laying the bunny next to Norn, and the owl next to Aisha.

"Hehe. They're almost as big as them!" Sylphy says, looking at the two from over my shoulder.

Indeed. It almost looked like there were four newborns cuddled together. As I wanted their new toys to last for a while, I didn't care if the stuffed animals were a little big. They would grow into them anyway.

Eris pops her head over my other shoulder, looking at the two with veiled interest before muttering, "Hmm… babies are pretty small, huh?"

We watch the two sleeping babies in silence for a few moments before Mama speaks up.

"But Leon… didn't that cost quite a bit? Even we didn't get anything like that for Rudy…"

I shake my head, "Don't worry about it. It… wasn't that much."

That was a lie. And seeing how Lilia gave me a knowing smirk, it wasn't a very good one.

But if it made my sisters happy… well, the price truly wasn't that much.

"You're already a siscon, huh?" Rudy says from behind, "I can't believe you've already given them a present when all you've done is ruined Roxy's panties for me."

He shakes his head in a joking manner but quickly realizes the awkward silence in the air, and consequently, his slip of the tongue.

"...Rudy? What exactly are you talking about?" Mama asks.

"Rudy…" Sylphy says dissapointedly.

"Hmph! I had a feeling you were like that!" Eris huffs.

Lilia, meanwhile, only sends him a sad smile, "Sorry, Rudeus. I won't be able to save you this time."

Brother… you're a bit stupid, huh?

That must be the Paul in him.

Speaking of… where was the man?

Getting to my feet, I then look out the window, only to see Paul swinging his sword in the yard.

Oh… I guess Mama was right about him training after getting embarrassed.

Well… good for him, I guess.

But shouldn't you be with your family right now?