Chapter 40 - Love and Family

— Eris Boreas Greyrat —

"Leon? Are you-"

"I'm fine, Eri," he said, turning back to me with a smile. "Just… wondering what our plans should be."

I frowned at his words.

I wasn't amazing at the emotional things, or how people were feeling.

Things like emotions… they were complicated and stupid, and I couldn't overcome those problems by cutting them down with a sword, which made them even stupider.

But I could tell… Leon wasn't fine.

When he put Aisha and Norn to bed, the usual carefree smile filled with love, while still there, was tense and forced. 

His eyes seemed to always be staring ahead, looking at nothing, and he released a sigh every few moments as he sat still on the bed.

It was very… unlike him.

I hated it.

I hated seeing him like this, all sad and despondent.

He was meant to be happier, especially after meeting his family for the first time, but instead, he was reduced to being quiet and withdrawn like now.

And it's all because of that damn bastard!

I always thought that Paul was an annoying piece of shit, pushing his responsibility onto Leon and taking him away from me, but to think he'd say such terrible things after being apart for two years!

And after all the things Leon did… what Leon sacrificed… It was bullshit!

As soon as Leon gets better, I was going to cut that bastard down!

But… there was something more important to do first. Leon needed to get better.

Ruijerd had stopped by, and noticing Leon's state, told me that helping him get back to his usual self was a 'woman's job'.

My job.

So… how would I do that?

Suddenly, memories from the past came into my head. More specifically, the words of my mother.

'Eris,' she had said. 'Men are simple creatures. You praise them, and they become happy. You undress, and they become happy. You take them to bed, and they become happy… but most of all, especially with men shouldering so much stress like your father, what's important is that you give them comfort. Tell them you will support them when they need it. And for clever men like your father and Leon… those words mean much more when they are truthful.'

…I wanted to help him.

I wanted to be by Leon's side, with all of my heart.

And Mother said Leon was clever, so… Please notice my sincerity!

"L-Leon," I said, tucking my hair behind my ear as I sat down next to him.

J-Jeez! This was so embarrassing! 

It made that annoying feeling bubble up to the surface of my mind.

But… this wasn't about me. This was about making Leon feel better and showing him my true feelings.

"I-I… know that meeting wasn't what you wanted it to be like," I said, placing my hand on his cheek and turning him to face me, but my words trailed off as I stared at him.

Wow… I never really noticed before, but Leon's eyes were really… nice. 

They were always comforting, but seeing the shimmering brown, as well as the slight purple tint his magic eye had, it was the first time I noticed that they were… pretty.

But! More importantly!

"B-But… I… I-I'll always be here for you…"

His eyes widened slightly as I stared into him.

But aside from that… that annoying feeling… it was pulling me closer. 

Closer to him. Closer to his face. Closer to his lips…

W-Well… Leon did say he loved me, right? S-So this… This is only natural!

And so, leaning forward, I pressed my lips against his.

…Soft.

That was the first thing I could notice as a tingly sensation shot down my spine.

Opening my eyes, I saw that Leon's eyes were also open in surprise before he gently closed them and placed his hand on the back of my head, pulling me closer to him.

W-Why did that feel so good?

Wait… what else did Mother say that night about men?

'Now, as for how to make a man yours, you have to undress. Slowly, to show off all your curves. Let his eyes wander before-'

Nope!

Like hell I could do that!

We exchanged a few more kisses before Leon separated from me.

Opening my eyes, I looked into his, noticing a certain gentleness that I had never seen before as he stared at me.

It felt… good.

This all felt good.

I… I wanted more.

So, closing my eyes, I felt his hand move from the back of my head to my cheek as he leaned forward, once again capturing my lips.

Lost in the sensations, I couldn't help but think about my life before the teleportation incident.

I… had always wondered.

Did my parents love me?

I know they sometimes did, but it was hard to believe that they truly loved me.

After all, despite me being there, Mother was still always sad about my brothers leaving, and Father, while showing flashes of affection, was more often than not disappointed in me for being a failure of a noble lady.

So… did they love me?

Did they still love me?

Did they… ever love me?

Well… either way, it didn't matter. 

Because… I feel incredibly loved right now.

And I didn't need anything else.

— Leon Greyrat —

Well, shit.

I completely gave in. 

So much for waiting for relationship stuff until everyone was together again.

But then again… can anyone blame me?

I was feeling pretty shitty after my argument with Paul, and then she came over, acting so cute and saying such sweet things…

The battle was lost before it even started.

And now, after exchanging kisses until my lips became numb for who knows how long, I found myself resting on Eris' lap, my head turned to her stomach as she brushed her hand gently through my hair.

"…Where'd you get this idea, Eri?" I asked.

"T-This is what you do for Norn when she has a nightmare, right? So…" Eris answered.

"Is that so?" I said with a smile.

How cute.

…Maybe our relationship changing isn't the worst thing in the world.

"Y-Yeah, now stop talking! It tickles!" she said, her hand lightly gripping my ear. "Actually, stop breathing too!"

I felt some déjà vu at those words.

"That's awfully harsh, Eri," I murmured with a smirk as I enjoyed the pleasant softness of her lap. "You know… a normal boy my age would do something lewd in a position like this."

Her hand halted its progress through my hair.

"…You can do whatever you want with me, Leon."

"…I see," I nodded, closing my eyes.

Right… I guess Eris has awakened her more… sensual side.

I would have to be careful.

And more importantly…

"Eri… I love you," I said.

I felt her legs flinch, and turning my head to look up at her face, I could see her cheeks were now glowing red.

"But… I love two others too. Roxy and Sylphy. At least… I'm pretty sure I do," I said. "So… I can't promise to be only yours."

I didn't want to say these things, especially after what she had done for me, but… I needed her to know now so that she wasn't hurt even more later on.

Perhaps it was hypocritical of me when I disparaged Paul for laying a hand on Lilia, but considering I was ensuring she knew before we got far enough to have a child… I didn't think it was that bad.

Something told me Mama would still be disappointed, though.

Sorry, Mama. You can berate me after I come to save you.

Eris frowned down at me, her hand trailing to my ear to pull on it again.

Ouch. That hurts a bit, Eri.

"I already knew that," she said, clicking her tongue. "And stop talking about other women while you're on my lap. It's annoying."

"Right… that was a bit rude… sorry," I said. "Can I do something in exchange?"

She looked down at me for a moment before looking away. "…Praise me."

Hmm…

My lips unconsciously curled up at her demure adorableness as I pondered how to answer her.

"...First, you're strong," I said. "Strong in swordsmanship, of course, but I'm talking about your strength of will and constant drive to improve. It's… admirable, and something I respect."

Appealing to her core trait seemed to be a good starting point as her lips curled upward.

"You're also caring. Some might not see past your brashness, but I can," I said. "You work hard to get stronger, not only for yourself, but also for those you care about. I also love your shyness. It's endearing, and makes me feel good when I'm one of the few people who can see that side of you."

Her cheeks gained even more colour as I continued.

"And of course, you're very pretty. Beautiful, cute, charming… all the words I could use wouldn't be enough," I said with a smile. "So yeah… that's my sincere praise. Do you want anything else?"

Eris turned away from me, hiding her face from me with her shirt.

"…L-Love me more…"

Raising my hand to her cheek, I brushed my thumb gently across her face.

"Sorry Eri… but that's impossible."

She widened her eyes before suddenly grabbing the bottom of her shirt and using it to cover my face.

"S-Shut up! …Dummy."

While she said that, looking up through her shirt, I could see her lips were spread wide in a large, wobbly smile.

Meeting her eyes, she tried to form a pout, though it was unsuccessful. 

"…You're annoying me."

Seeing the love in her eyes as she stared down at me, I couldn't help but smile softly as I felt the burdens of everything lift from my metaphorical shoulders, allowing me to close my eyes and let the fatigue of a long day take me. 

Hopefully… tomorrow will be a better day.

— Leon Greyrat —

Finishing the last of my morning stretches, I was interrupted by my two sisters making their awakened state known, both sitting up in their shared bed as they stared at me with slight pouts.

"Good morning, you two," I said. "Did you sleep okay?"

Norn's pout deepened. "…You weren't with us, Brother."

"Ah, is this what this is about?" I sighed, shaking my head.

Last night was the first time I had slept away from the two in… well, nearly two years. 

I had been doing so ever since Ruijerd joined us, save for when we got separated after arriving at the Millis Continent and some quests during our journey across the Demon Continent.

But I didn't rent a place with two beds for no reason. 

After all, now that we had met Paul, I would be leaving soon, so they needed to learn to be away from me, and this was only the first step.

Though… I doubted they would want to be with Paul right now if yesterday was any indication. 

That would be a separate issue.

Plus, aside from the logical reasons, it was awfully cute seeing the two snuggle up to each other.

Such a lucky brother, I am.

"That's not it, but…" Aisha said, looking at me with a slight smile. "You seem better, Big Brother."

"Yeah, some stuff happened," I shrugged, looking over to the sleeping form of Eris, her hair sprawled over the pillow as she curled herself into a ball.

I… should get her something to thank her, right?

She was talking about needing new boots, so that might be good.

"I see," Aisha nodded before her smile suddenly turned strained, a hesitant look on her face.

Turning to look at each other, both Norn and Aisha nodded in tandem before looking back at me, faces stern with determination.

"Brother… yesterday, what did Father mean?" Norn asked.

I raised my eyebrow in confusion.

"When he said you 'don't see Zenith as your mother'… what did that mean?" Aisha asked.

Ahh… so we were finally having this conversation, huh?

My shoulders drooped.

It was awfully silly of me, but… I had kept the fact that I was adopted from them all this time.

After all, while the two relied on me, I relied on their innocence and love just as much. 

So if they had suddenly stopped looking at me as their brother… I wouldn't be able to handle it.

But I couldn't hide it forever, huh? I should be lucky it lasted until the end of this journey.

"Well… you see, you two… I'm not exactly your brother. At least not by blood," I said, taking a deep breath to calm my emotions.

I then went on to explain how I had been picked up as a kid, and that I wasn't Mama's child, nor Paul's… at least from what we knew.

"So yes… I was adopted," I said, finishing my story. "But believe me, you two, I love you more than anything. I was the first ones to hold you, and… the happiness I felt at those moments… it was immeasurable. You two… you mean more to me than I can describe, so make no mistake, I… definitely see you as my cute little sisters… as my family."

Kneeling in front of them and holding their hands, I stared at their legs, unable to look up at their faces.

What would they look like?

Would they feel betrayed?

Lied to?

Would they… reject me?

Heh… at least them going to Paul would be easier that way-

"I don't care!" Aisha suddenly said, using her other hand to lift my face to meet hers. "You're my Big Brother, and nothing's going to change that! And if there's a difference in family, I'd much rather be yours than that man's!"

Feeling my heart race in happiness, I looked over to Norn, who was wearing a similar expression of determination as her sister.

"You've… done everything for me, for as long as I can remember," Norn said. "Holding me when I'm sad… keeping me safe from monsters… teaching me about the world… If that isn't a brother, then I don't want one!"

The relief I felt was indescribable, and before I knew it, I had wrapped my arms around the two of them, pulling them into a tight hug.

"…Thank you, you two…" I whispered, using water magic to gather the tears that had gathered in my eyes and fling them away.

There was no need for crying, was there?

No, there was not. Even if they were happy tears.

"Now!" I returned to kneeling on the floor, looking at Aisha with a smile. "While I appreciate that a lot, Aisha, you shouldn't say you don't want to be your father's family. And don't call him 'that man'."

She looked at me with a mix of confusion and anger.

"B-But Big Brother! He said such mean things-"

"I know," I interrupted him. "I'm not asking you to forgive him, either of you two, but I can't have you disowning him as your father."

Seeing the defiance in both of their eyes, I could only sigh.

Is this the curse of being too doting? Did I make them overprotective?

Ah, well, it feels nice, so I won't call it a mistake. I just needed to fix up this messy family dynamic.

"Look, you two," I said seriously. "Paul- Our father… he's been trying his best. He made a whole group and led them to search for people who got lost in the teleportation, and most importantly, to search for you."

Tapping their chests to emphasize my point, I continued, "Unlike us, he was all alone. Constantly scared and worried about you two, as well as your mothers."

Letting my words sink in, I was glad to see a flash of understanding cross their eyes.

But a moment later, the anger returned to Aisha's gaze as she clenched her tiny fist.

"Then why!? If he was so worried, why was he so mean to you when you fixed everything!?" she asked. "Why… when he knew you were safe… did he just yell at you…?"

"That's just our stupid father, Aisha," I said, taking her into a hug and pulling Norn in as well. "He gets jealous easily when he's shown up, and he can't stand being the one needing to be saved."

"…He sounds stupid," Norn mumbled into my shoulder.

"And he is," I nodded with a smile, looking up to the ceiling. "…But he's our stupid father, you know. No matter what, we're still family, so if you can't forgive him yet, that's fine, but don't cast him away just for that. After all, I've already forgiven him… somewhat."

Aisha looked up at me, her green eyes shimmering in confusion. "'Somewhat'?"

"Well, he still needs to apologize, and I think I deserve to give him a few smacks," I said. "But… remember what I always say? About what's most important?"

"Getting better at fighting!" Aisha said proudly.

"Not that, you cheeky brat," I said, playfully pinching her side, causing her to giggle. "Why do I constantly try to get stronger?"

Norn answered this time, her fist clenching my shirt. "To protect us… and our family…"

"Because~?" I said.

"...Because family is most important," Aisha sighed, coming down from her bout of laughter.

"That's my girls," I said, smiling as I patted their heads. "Now, I think I've neglected your hair for long enough. Do you both want it long still?"

Getting two nods, I then went over to my bag to get a pair of scissors before getting to work.

Such is the life of a responsible older brother.

— Paul Greyrat —

To put it bluntly, right now I felt like shit.

A giant, steaming pile of shit.

And looking at my reflection in the mirror, I looked like shit too.

"Haa… you just had to fuck it up, didn't you, Paul," I sighed, looking out the window to the lit-up town. "...Zenith and Lilia would be pretty disappointed, wouldn't they."

No, they would be more than simply 'disappointed'. They would probably beat the shit out of me, if not just leave me outright on the spot.

After all, they nearly did so for less, back then in Buena Village when I hit Leon for no reason and questioned his love for Zenith as a mother… which would be the first of two times now.

God dammit, that's… just like Dad, ain't it?

Despite despising him with all my heart when I left… well, like father like son, I guess.

But no… while the last time I got angry with Leon was bad, this time was much worse. 

After all, he had told me himself how hard he had it. And yet I… and even in front of Norn and Aisha…

After two whole years… 

I couldn't help but think back to that horrible day of the famed 'Displacement Incident'. 

It was a normal day of clearing out monsters in the forest, before suddenly, a bright light crested the horizon, quickly engulfing me, and a moment later, I found myself in some barren plain, far away from home.

Luckily, I remembered the place, as it was my old stomping ground back when I had just left my noble house. 

Back before my bratty younger self laid claim to Lilia's first time. 

The south of the Asura Kingdom.

I was confused, of course, but fine. 

After all, I always kept my sword, adventurer's card, and a gold coin on me, so I was able to make do.

What I wasn't prepared for, however, was learning that my entire family had been teleported as well, and no one knew where anyone was.

I immediately gathered anyone I could and set forth to the surroundings, quickly clearing out some bandit camps I had heard about in rumours and rescuing as many Fittoans as I could.

But despite that, none of them were my family.

Then, there was all that shit with Sauros and Philip, with both of them fighting their own battles and unable to provide much help before I decided to head to Millishion to create a centralized location for our little ragtag group and also to hopefully make use of Zenith's old family.

They hated my guts, which I had expected, but they had enough empathy to give me some support… though I had a feeling that empathy only went to finding Zenith, Rudy, and Norn. 

They wouldn't care about a mistress and an adopted child.

And that was a year ago.

It was hell at first, and I was incredibly worried about not covering enough ground, especially to the north of the Asura Kingdom. 

But then, I ran into my son.

Apparently, the brat had been caught in the Great Forest, and after getting his bearings, he decided to escort a couple of beastfolk princesses to the Ranoa University of Magic all the way up north in Sharia… or at least most of the way there.

That part wasn't really important, but through my meeting with him, I got two invaluable gifts.

First, he said he would start searching for everyone in the north, covering what I couldn't.

He was strong and capable, so I knew I could trust him. 

After all, if a Saint-tier water mage who could cast magic without a chant and had a seemingly infinite amount of mana couldn't do anything, then Millis knows my sorry ass wouldn't change a thing.

But, more importantly, he told me exactly how they were teleported.

Whether it was a stroke of luck or his usual genius, Leon had trapped everyone on that hill that day in groups held tight together, covered by earth magic, including him and his two little sisters.

And I, having known about teleportation traps from my adventuring days, instantly knew what that meant.

He was with them.

Norn and Aisha, the two I had been tearing my hair out over, were safe.

There was no question in my mind. 

Leon was a force of nature, one who would very likely become one of the Seven Great Powers someday, and despite that, the only thing he cared more about than strength were his two little sisters.

So they were safe. That, I was sure of.

But to think they would be sent to the harshest land of all… the Demon Continent… and after waiting so long, feeling that faint hope fade with every passing day as I pounded booze down my gullet… I lost to my childish emotions.

"God, I really am a piece of shit…" I mumbled to the ground.

"Yep! You sure were back there, Captain."

Hearing a familiar voice, I turned to see my two most trusted companions.

"Vierra… Shierra…" I said. "…Sorry you had to see me like that… and had to hear what Leon said…"

"I-It's fine, Captain…" Shierra waved away my apology.

"Yeah. I mean, dressing like this, what he said is one of the gentler things I've heard," Vierra said.

"Yeah… but still…"

The two sisters had been one of the first ones I had saved after forming our group before promptly joining it. Both were working as adventurers in the Fittoa region before the Displacement Incident, causing them to get caught by some… unscrupulous folk.

After being used as a bandit's sex toy, Shierra had developed an intense fear of men, so I was worried about how should react to Leon's words, but it seemed like she was fine.

And Vierra… yeah, I can see why Leon thought I was being unfaithful.

After all, her usual outfit consisted of bikini armour that covered only the essentials, leaving nothing to the imagination.

While I had been too focused on Zenith and Lilia to have my eyes wander, her looks, bountiful chest, and lack of clothing led to many gazes being sent her way, which is exactly what she wanted.

After all, with so many girls having similar horror stories to her sister and herself, it was better for her to take away all the attention from any lust-driven men.

She was really strong, like that. 

Much stronger than me, who cursed out my son for some twisted feeling of jealousy and inferiority.

And whenever I was out of commission due to the bottle, she was always the one that brought the group together.

Haa… And I've been leaving everything up to her lately… truly, what a piece of shit I am.

"Here, Captain," Vierra said, handing me a drink.

"No, I… I shouldn't. Not right now," I refused, pushing it away.

"It's water, Captain…"

"...Oh. Then, thanks," I said, taking the mug.

I downed the drink, washing away the faint taste of booze that still lingered in my mouth as the two sisters sat down on the nearby chairs.

"Captain… You've been fighting to find your family all this time," Vierra said. "You're not going to end it here, are you? You should go back and talk with them."

"Heh," I chuckled, leaning my head against the wall. "Yeah, I don't think Leon wants to talk with me right now. Aisha and Norn either."

Remembering the fierce anger Norn showed as she stood between me and her brother, as well as the silent fury Aisha showed as she stood with an ice lance at the ready, a slight shiver went down my spine.

Yeah… they loved Leon before they ended up being protected by him for two straight years through thick and thin. So for me to insult him like such an ass… I really screwed things up, huh?

And then there was the way Norn held her sword, strong and firm in a Sword God Style stance, as well as the magic Aisha had cast… Leon probably taught them that too, huh?

And they've grown… all three of them… I missed all of that, and as soon as I got the chance to see them again, I pissed it away with my stubborn jealousy.

"Dammit," I cursed, quickly raising my arms to wipe my eyes.

"That may be so…" Vierra continued. "But they're your family, right? So you don't have a choice. You have to meet them again, even if you have to beg to do so."

She accentuated her point by pulling her sister close, letting the shorter girl rest her head on her shoulder just as I've seen them do so many times.

"...Unless you want to end things like this, that is…" she mumbled.

"No! I don't want that, dammit!" I shouted, slamming my fist onto the bed.

Vierra simply smiled back at me as she stroked Sierra's head. "Then go talk to them, Captain. You said you were angry that your son didn't run to your wives, right? But from what I heard, he was protecting your daughters. And doing a pretty good job, at that."

I felt my eye twitch.

"Look, I know I'm a piece of shit, but he still could've gone. He's an Advanced tier magician in everything but barrier magic and a damn Saint in the Water God and Sword God styles," I said. "Paired with that Ruijerd guy he mentioned… and even Eris is at my level now… they definitely could've dealt with it. Even with Norn and Aisha."

"Maybe," Vierra shrugged. "But… is that all you want? Your kids to just survive? That Leon seemed pretty proud about them having fun."

"He did, didn't he," I spat, feeling my annoyance spike once again.

"Right… But are you sure he was happy about that for him? For the selfish reason of having it easy?" she questioned. "...Or do you think he was happy because his sisters didn't spend two years of their lives absolutely miserable?"

I stood still at that, my eyes widening in shock.

"...I can see you're thinking about it, Captain, so we'll get out of your hair," Vierra said, standing up with her sister. "But just remember… they came back. They survived such a hellish land like the Demon Continent and came back. And even after all that… they can still smile."

As she closed the door behind her, I finally let the tears I had been holding back flow forth as I buried my head in my knees.

Imagining Leon with the blank face and jaded expression of a hardened veteran, and the sight of Norn and Aisha listlessly following behind him, eyes glassy from seeing things no child should, I felt my knees buckle as I fell to the ground.

"N-No… I… don't want that…"

Swallowing down the vomit that was threatening to come forth, I slowly got back to my feet, staring at the reflection in front of me in the window.

Seeing the state I had been reduced to, I could only think… 

What an ugly mug…

This guy is a father? I feel sorry for whoever got cursed with such a deadbeat.

Truly, they must have some shitty luck.

That was all I could see. And that was what Leon and my two dear daughters saw.

But… this wasn't me.

I could be better.

A better person, a better father… I just needed to put some damn effort in!

"...I'll meet them tomorrow…" I said before frowning, bringing my hand up to massage my scratchy chin. "But… I should probably shave first…"

And no more alcohol. 

Millis knows I've had enough over the past few months to last me a lifetime.

"I'll say it again tomorrow… and after that as much as you need… but I'm sorry, Leon," I whispered to myself as I slapped my cheeks.

I messed up.

I acted like an idiot.

But now… it was time to be a man and face my mistake, and most importantly, fix it.

And to make it right… I would do whatever it takes.

Family is worth that much, right? 

Even a worthless man like me knew that much.