Chapter 41 - Reconciliation

— Leon Greyrat —

Having forced the trio of Eris, Aisha, and Norn to head into the commercial district with Ruijerd acting as their guard… or rather, as their babysitter, I found myself sitting in the same bar as yesterday with a mug of juice in my hand, waiting for a certain someone to make their appearance.

While Eris and my sisters really didn't like the idea of leaving me to meet with Paul alone, thankfully, Ruijerd was able to take them away without too much of a fuss, trusting me to deal with it alone.

As I idly twirled some wind magic in my hand to pass the time, eventually, after less than an hour of waiting in relative silence, a familiar face appeared.

"L-Leon…"

I guess the girl who widened her eyes and left when she saw me told him, judging by how she was standing in the doorway now.

She was one of the girls I accused Paul of cheating with, right? I'd have to apologize. That wasn't fair to her.

…Unless it actually happened, of course. 

In that case, I would just leave the sad excuse of a father and a husband behind and cut all contact with him.

"How nice of you to come say hi, Paul," I said, turning to face him. "Cooled down a bit?"

I was slightly surprised by the sight of the man, though I was able to hide it well.

What before was the shoddy, sorry excuse of a man had changed completely. 

With a clean face, well-kept hair, and eyes that shined with determination and life, it seemed that Paul had used last night and this morning to think hard and clean himself up.

I would say it was completely unexpected, but… for better or worse, Paul was always the unpredictable type, able to change moods on a dime.

"Yeah… Leon, I'm… I'm sorry!" he said, dropping to his knees as he bowed his head.

Different from the drunken state I had seen yesterday when he had apologized, this time, I could feel the sincerity radiating off the man.

"For being a piece of shit… for taking my incompetence out on you… for blaming you… I'm sorry! For all of it!"

Watching the man continue with his apologies, I released a sigh before getting up.

"I get it, Paul. You messed up our fated meeting after such a long time apart. Not to mention being a total ass…" I said, looking down at him.

"...Yeah. You're right," he nodded. "I know I'm an ass…"

"Yeah, you were, so…" I opened my arms as Paul's green eyes stared up at me. "Come greet me properly this time… Dad."

His mouth gaped in surprise before suddenly scrunching up, forming an ugly face as tears began to pool in his eyes.

Getting to his feet, Paul took one leap to quickly reach me, wrapping his arms around me in a hug as his tears began to shed onto my shoulder.

Huh… we were basically the same height now…

"Leon… Leon! I'm sorry! I'm… I'm so proud of you! You… you kept your sisters safe! You kept yourself safe! I… I…!"

"It's alright, Dad." I patted his back as an itching heat began to form behind my eyes. "Seriously… crying on your son like this… such a worthless old man."

Ah… now I was crying too.

"Seriously…" I wrapped my arms around his body. "Y-You're such a piece of shit… Scum…"

Hearing my disparaging words, his grip around my torso tightened.

"I know," he chuckled, though his laughter was choked with tears.

"Honestly…" I nodded, gripping him tighter. "...I missed you. I miss our family."

"I know… I missed you too," he returned, bringing a hand up to pat my hair. "And we'll get them back… I promise."

Not trusting myself to talk without sobbing further, I lowered my face into his shoulder, hiding my embarrassingly tearful state from the world as my tears flowed forth.

And with my tears… it felt as if all my bottled-up anxiousness, sorrow, and fear were being washed away, soaked up by the musky shirt of my father, which still faintly smelled of alcohol.

"...You did well, Leon. Really well," my father continued, continuing to pat my back. "So you can leave the rest to your unreliable old man here."

"T-That's not very convincing," I said, chuckling through my tears.

And so, a day after our initial reunion, my father and I reunited once more. 

Much more amicably this time.

— Leon Greyrat —

"So… you really know where Zenith and Lilia are?" my father asked, taking a swig of his drink.

It was just water, thankfully. No need for a repeat of yesterday.

"Yeah, apparently in a labyrinth near the Maze City of Rapan… or did she say Dungeon City?" I wondered aloud, thinking back to Kishirika's words.

"Ah, that place?" my father frowned, rubbing his chin. "It goes by a bunch of names, Maze City, Labyrinth City… either way, Rapan is pretty far away, huh? Wait… did you say they were in a labyrinth?"

"Yep," I nodded. "Kishirika said there was some interference, which is only explained by high-level barriers or being in a labyrinth. So Lilia and Mama- or, Zenith, are-"

"Don't call her Zenith, Leon," my father said, looking at me with a remorseful grimace. "You know I didn't mean what I said, right? Call her Mama. That's what she is, and what she always will be."

"...I see. Thanks, Father," I said.

"Don't mention it, it was a shitty thing for me to say anyway," he waved me off. "Plus, I don't want to imagine the beating I'd get if you two met and you called her 'Zenith'."

"Heh. I can imagine," I said, smiling at the memories of Mama.

I… hope she's still okay.

"But you learned this a year after the teleportation, right?" my father said. "Then… why would she still be there, and in a labyrinth no less? Unless she was…"

"Forced to," I finished for him, both of our fists simultaneously clenching in anger at the very real possibility. "Mama is a good healer, so there's definitely a motive for a party to capture her. But as for Lilia…"

"Yeah, that one's weird," he said, massaging his chin in thought. "Not only is she useless in a labyrinth, but after a year, she would have gotten out of most problems. She's a cunning woman like that. And even if she couldn't get out of it, I would have at least received a letter by now…"

Yeah. There was that too.

"...Well, either way, I'll be finding that out soon after leaving Aisha and Norn with you," I said, taking a drink of my juice before I glared at the man in front of me. "As long as you actually didn't cheat on your wives, that is."

"Huh? No way, I haven't even looked at a woman since all that shit happened," he said, shaking his head. "And as for leaving your sisters here… we can't do that."

"Huh? Why?" I said, surprised. "Don't you have a whole organization here? What's the problem?"

"Well, first, I think my two cute daughters absolutely hate my guts right now," he chuckled.

That… was true. But there was no way for them to mend their bond if they stayed apart forever.

"And two… our little search and rescue squad is kind of hated around here. I wouldn't be able to guarantee their safety," he said. "Well… maybe Norn, if I went to the Latreias, but Aisha would still be shit out of luck."

They were hated? The hell? Why?

"Plus, what about that little lady you're with?" he said, turning to me with a smirk. "Don't think I didn't notice how she looks at you. You can't just abandon a girl like that. At least, I know a good man like you wouldn't."

I clicked my tongue in annoyance, "I'd just take her with me. She loves adventuring, after all."

"I don't think Philip and Hilda would appreciate that, though," my father said.

"Huh? Are they alive?" I asked, surprised.

"Yep, but I'll tell you about that later," he said, finishing his drink before he turned to look at me with a serious expression. "Leon. I don't want you to burn your entire life getting everyone back together. I want you and your sisters to have a good, normal life. Especially after all the shit you went through."

He then placed down a map, pointing to the Central Continent, up past the large mountain range to the north of the Asura Kingdom.

"After I tie up some loose ends here, I'll go to Begaritt. Meanwhile, I want you to take your sisters and go meet up with Rudy in the north. Right now, he should be looking for his mother as well near Sharia, so tell him that we found Zenith and Lilia and… start a life there. All of you, together."

Looking at his narrowed, serious eyes in surprise, I released a chuckle as I leaned back into my chair.

"...Look at you, acting all fatherly now," I said with a smirk.

"Well, I kind of messed up our first meeting, so I have a lot to make up for…" he said as he rubbed the back of his head. "...Still can't believe I messed it up so bad."

"Ha! We both know that's normal for you, Father, falling to your emotions and all," I shrugged. "But… sure. You can go to Begaritt… but I'll be joining you."

"Hah? Don't be ridiculous! Don't you want to take care of your sisters?" my father said, looking a little enraged.

"Yeah, but Ruijerd can escort them safely to the north. And Eris… well, she can choose what she wants to do," I said, shrugging.

"...No," my father said resolutely. "Listen, Leon. I'll admit you're stronger than me. Way stronger. But even if you're A-rank, I'm still a better adventurer."

I grimaced.

He was… correct.

I had no experience with labyrinths and dungeons, after all.

"Lots of people have travelled to Begaritt and lots have cleared labyrinths, but there's only one person I can entrust Aisha and Norn to," he said. "...You."

Ignoring the touching feeling of his trust, I stared back into his eyes before eventually relenting.

"...Fine. I'll take them to the north and drop them off with Rudy," I said. "But I'll be joining you once I do."

"...You stubborn brat," my father sighed. "Look, you'll probably be too late to be of any help by the time you arrive, and even then, I don't want you to waste your life. Start a family with Eris and take care of your sisters… you can start a family of your own, Leon."

I'll agree to disagree, but for now, I'd pretend to go along with him.

But there was something I was curious about…

"You mentioned Eris' parents were alive, right? Did Ghislaine keep them safe then?" I asked.

"Yeah," he sighed. "They went through a lot of shit. They got teleported to the strife zone, from what I heard, and with Ghislaine's might and Philip's brain, they ended up uniting one of the regions under one banner."

…Oh?

That's… quite surprising.

"...So they're doing quite well?" I asked.

"You could say that… Philip worked more as an advisor for one of the kings, so he didn't get any land for himself, though he did get enough influence to use as leverage against the Asura Kingdom," he explained.

"I see…"

Wait.

"Hold on, against the Asura Kingdom? What's up with that?" I asked.

"Listen, Leon," he sighed. "There's a reason I ran away from nobility. You'll have enemies no matter who you are, whether it be due to greed, honour, or some other dumb reason. And those enemies will use whatever they can to knock you down. And the whole region under your control getting caught in a teleportation disaster…"

"...They wanted to use that to fuck over the Boreas, didn't they?" I said, gritting my teeth in anger.

I knew the 'Displacement Incident' wasn't their fault, and their enemies knew that too, but it didn't stop them from using that to their advantage.

Such was the disgusting world of politics.

"Not how I'd put it, more like tried to kill them off," my father sighed. "But even if it's small compared to Asura, with Philip having the support of a country's king, they were able to get out of the situation alive. Last I'd heard, they were trying to rebuild the Fittoa region back to an acceptable level."

"Is that so…" I said, relieved. "And what about Sauros? Is he fine?"

"Ha! They tried to take him out, but Millis knows Ghislaine wouldn't let that happen. Luckily, Philip dealt with that before Ghislaine painted the Royal Palace in blood," he laughed.

"Good… that's good," I sighed.

I was glad for Eris. I should tell her the good news as soon as I finish things up here.

"Anyway… speaking of Fittoa and Eris… I bet having her act as a figurehead for the rebuilding region would be good," my father said, looking over to me. "And to do that, she'd need a competent husband…"

"Quit that line of thought, Father," I glared at him. "When I marry Eris, it won't be for political reasons. I'm only going to marry for love."

His lips spread wide as he looked at me with a smile. "'When' not 'if'?"

"...Obviously," I said, averting my eyes, slightly embarrassed.

Especially with our kisses last night… I didn't even know what to call us now, but it was definitely a romantic relationship.

"...I see. To think that dense kid from before would say something so assertive… You've grown, Leon," he smiled, resting his head on his hand as he looked at me fondly.

"Obviously I did," I pouted. "I wasn't sitting around, doing nothing for the past two years."

"Right, right, sorry," he chucked, though I could tell this 'sorry' was much less sincere by the teasing smile on his face.

"Anyway," I grumbled. "You said you had to tie up some loose ends here? What does that mean? And why is your search and rescue group hated here?"

"Ah… that… well…" 

My father then went on to explain what had happened.

Apparently, while his group had rescued most of the Fittoans that they knew of, the last ones they needed were currently being held in Millishion, mostly by a small collection of powerful nobles.

It was a common story that my father had come to expect.

With people being displaced in an instant, winding up in a new land without any knowledge, and often without any belongings of value teleported with them, many quickly fell into the claws of slavery, whether it be to bandits or nations.

And Millishion was no worse.

If I hadn't been holding Aisha and Norn, or even Eris, would they be in a similar situation?

The thought made me sick.

Just imagining them being held… used and abused by so-called 'nobles' made my blood boil and my mana fluctuate.

This fucking place… how disgusting.

So much for the Holy Country of Millis being a 'paragon of righteousness'.

What a fraudulent nation.

…It made me want to destroy it.

But I calmed my anger, instead deciding to channel those emotions to something more productive.

A plan.

"...Hey, Father… I think there are some people you would like to meet," I said. "You said you know where they are, right? You just don't have the manpower to rescue them?"

"Yeah, but… what are you thinking, Leon?" he asked, narrowing his eyes as he saw my controlled, concentrated wrath.

My lips spread out into a vicious snarl, one that caused my father to unconsciously reach for his sword at his side as I let my bloodlust leak into the surroundings.

"I'm thinking it's about time you see the 'Red Wolves' in action."

For a future that could have easily come to pass where my family was harmed, and the many families and lives that had been ruined already… I would have my vengeance.

— Leon Greyrat —

"-And that's the situation," my father said, finishing the same explanation of the enslaved Fittoans that he had told me.

"I see…" Ruijerd nodded. "I cannot imagine the pain that has been dealt to innocents through this… I will lend my assistance."

"Thank you, Ruijerd… and for keeping my children safe all this while as well," my father said, bowing deeply.

"Think nothing of it," Ruijerd smiled. "I am just glad that the two of you have reconciled and that you don't seem frightened of my appearance."

"Ah, I've seen some scarier faces than yours, so I don't mind," my father said before looking at Eris with a slight grimace. "Uh… and thanks to you too… for, you know…"

Instead of answering, Eris just narrowed her eyes before walking forward, and in a flash, her fist had extended to punch my father in his stomach, sending him flying into the wall.

"I don't care if you say 'thank you' now and that you've made up with Leon! I'm still pissed that you hurt him, and that will never change!" she snarled before her face fell into a sad frown. "He… he tried so hard… so why did you… why did you…"

"Eri, it's okay," I said, bringing her into a hug. "It's all fine now."

"But! That doesn't take away all that he did!" she said, looking up at me.

"It doesn't, but it's not like yesterday was all bad," I shrugged. "After all, because of yesterday, now I feel comfortable doing this."

I then leaned down and pressed my lips against hers, causing her to freeze as I continued our kiss.

Of course, this wasn't the time or place to be making out, so I separated from her after a few seconds.

"...Right?" I said with a smile.

She simply nodded back in response with a goofy smile on her face.

Well, at least she seemed happy now.

"Jeez, first I nearly get knocked out by a teenager, and then you two end up having a moment right in front of me. Just my luck, huh?" my father said, getting to his feet and dusting himself off. "But yeah… I deserved that… so… sorry, Eris. And thank you for taking care of Leon when I was being an ass."

"...Hmph!" Eris quickly turned away from his apology.

But with this, I don't think she would kill him anymore. That was good.

"Moving on, you said you know the slaves' locations, right?" I asked.

"Yeah," he nodded. "And from what we know, the ones in Millishion are the last of them. We've been putting it off because it's quite difficult, and while Millis allows slavery, they aren't allowed to kill them, so they're safer compared to many others."

"I see," I nodded. "And what about retaliation?"

"They'll try," my father shrugged. "As long as we're quick, I can ask some higher-up friends to protect us, but once we're done, I don't plan on staying here for long. That would only be inviting trouble."

"Got it," I said. "So… I assume there's no one else that could fight with us in your group. Is that correct?"

"Well, Vierra and Shierra could be useful, but I would rather them stay here and keep a handle on things… as well as watch Aisha and Norn," my father responded.

Aisha and Norn… while they were currently sleeping, I don't think they would mind spending some time with the other pair of sisters.

After all, while I hadn't talked much with them, I could tell that Shierra was quiet but sweet, and Vierra was a cheerful, good-natured girl.

They almost reminded me of Aisha and Norn's opposing personalities, though I would prefer if Vierra was a little more… clothed if they ended up watching them.

Either way, there was something more important about that possibility that I needed to know.

"...Are they strong enough to do that?" I asked seriously.

"Yep! And for better or worse, the nobles really hate my guts specifically, so that takes the heat off of everyone else," he said.

"But once they realize they're your daughters…" I narrowed my eyes. "Alright. Then let's do this quickly. Tomorrow, in one night, let's save them all. And if they want to respond by attacking my sweet sisters…" I rubbed my thumb over the red gem of my sheathed gifted spellsword. "We'll be here to destroy them."

My father just sighed as he looked at me with a mix of pride and bitterness.

"Did you get that anger from me?" he mumbled. "Anyway, are you sure we can get them in a night? These guys are serious, you know."

I simply shook my head.

"You've been dealing with things on your own for a while, and you've been doing a pretty good job. So how much do you think you could do with three more people at your level, if not, stronger?" I said.

"...Right. Forget I asked," my father sighed. "Well, if you're all ready, then I'll make sure to get everything organized by tomorrow."

Ruijerd, Eris, and I nodded in agreement.

"Good. Well… I'll leave you three alone now. Have a good night," my father said, grabbing his sword as he prepared to leave. "And Leon… once this is over… let's have a drink together."

"Gladly, Father," I nodded with a smile. "Though… didn't you swear off alcohol?"

"Grk! A-Ah, come on, that's a different case, right?" he said, a bit embarrassed.

"Whatever. See you tomorrow, Father."

"Yeah."

With him closing the door behind him, Eris immediately turned to me, grabbing my hand as I noticed a certain fire in her eyes.

Thinking about it… that fire had been there ever since she got over the shock of me kissing her a few moments earlier…

Before I could ponder further, she then began pulling me along to our room, leaving no room for refusal as she marched steadfastly.

"Wait. Eri? Eri!?"

Needless to say, that night I learned that Eris quite liked the feeling of kissing, and… I can't say I disagreed.