Chapter 70 - Returning Home

— Leon Greyrat —

It had been a month since we left Rapan and successfully rescued my mothers, as well as the beginning of our consequent journey back to Sharia.

Of course, with such a big group, and not to mention the addition of a cart, our pace was much slower compared to when Rudy, Sara, and I crossed the desert.

Like this, we would probably reach Sharia in another two months.

But overall, aside from taking a little longer, it had been a very smooth journey.

After all, Geese was a fantastic cook, so the food was good, and with such a big group, the guard shifts were extremely short and easy.

Plus… with such a successful labyrinth clear, without any deaths and a lot of loot gained, spirits were extremely high. Especially me and my father.

Honestly, the only problem we had was when Lina was unable to find a man to satiate her curse, and that would only get worse during the final stretch towards the teleportation ruin.

For now, she was able to relieve it by bedding passing travellers and going 'man-hunting' whenever we stopped by an oasis, but once we passed the last bastion of civilization and went into the desert, she would have to keep a clear mind.

I would just say she should be with Geese, but she said she didn't want to bed her party members anymore… even though she didn't seem to mind being with Paul back when I was a baby…

But anyway, if she has to, she would rather give in than die, but would try to keep herself in control.

But I was curious… how exactly did her curse work?

The most obvious would be ingesting male fluids, and if that was so, I wouldn't mind… well… donating it.

It would be awkward as hell, sure, but better than the alternative of her dying or caving into her desires when she didn't want to.

Plus, I now had a wonderful blue-haired woman to help me out.

"Mmmgh~"

Hearing a soft groan from my left, I looked down at Roxy, who was currently cuddled against my side, wrapped in the thin bedsheets we were sharing with her hair messily sprawled out over my chest.

I really loved that dishevelled look on her.

It was so different from how she usually looked, all prim and proper, so it was nice to see such a unique side to her that only I was exposed to.

And thinking about the act that had made her like that…

Well, if I didn't have morning wood before, I definitely had it now.

"Mm? Leon… Mornin'," Roxy said, rubbing her tired eyes as she slowly sat up.

"Morning," I said, planting a kiss on her nose.

She smiled a bit, looking up at me with upturned eyes before suddenly flinching, her lips curling into a frown a moment later.

"You… you went a bit hard last night," she mumbled.

"I can't help that a Succubus attacked," I shrugged.

"But you could have detoxified yourself," she said, looking at me with a raised eyebrow.

Guilty as charged…

Indeed, as she had said, our party was attacked by a Succubus last night.

While I wasn't on guard duty, I was quickly awoken by the familiar feeling of arousal, and after killing it and detoxifying my father and Geese from the Succubus' effects, I decided to let Rudy and I… erm… enjoy the experience.

After all, the effect of a Succubus was essentially a heavy aphrodisiac, and while I didn't need one to indulge in the beautiful woman that was Roxy Migurdia… it did make me quite active.

But from how I left her shaking as we fell asleep, well…

"Then, did you hate it?" I asked, my hand going down to heal the soreness in her hips.

She pouted in response. "You… utterly defiled me. Like a beast."

Yeah, she definitely liked it.

"You didn't answer my question," I said, pulling her closer.

"You mean man," she said, kissing my cheek before she rested her head on my chest again. "I… suppose it was enjoyable, to see you in such a state, all over me… And at least I now know that with such boundless lust, I won't have to worry about being set aside for the other two."

"That wouldn't have happened anyway," I reassured her. "You're my first love, after all."

Snuggling against me, I felt Roxy nod as she responded, "Yeah… I suppose I am. And I know that you need the mature touch of a mature lady."

I smirked, deciding to tease her. "You didn't really sound like a 'mature lady' last night."

Huffing, Roxy quickly detached from me before stuffing a pillow in my face.

"Quiet. You're being a bad boy," she chided, slipping off the sheets.

Damn… I don't know if it was on purpose, but she really made me feel something when she called me a 'bad boy'.

Maybe I really did need her as a mature, older lady.

As she began to get dressed, I also did the same, generating and splashing some water in my face as I then began to roll up the bedroll.

For our group, we had been relying on Rudy for shelter, as with his powerful earth magic and limitless mana, he was able to make a strong, large, and sturdy structure each night, which each room being separated with a tent.

Of course, this meant that noises were very easily transmitted across the shelter, but with my skill in barrier magic and new fascination with sound magic, I was able to make a spell to block off our tent during the night.

Oh, and Rudy's too.

Privacy was really important, after all, and I did not need a repeat of the thing that didn't happen on our way to Rapan.

As Roxy slipped on her robe, covering the marks I had given her last night on her smooth skin, she then stood up, only to groan as she hunched over, her hand racing to her mouth.

"Hey, are you okay?" I asked, rubbing her back and alleviating her nausea with magic.

"Y-Yeah… just- Hurp!"

She then proceeded to vomit.

That… did not seem like she was okay.

I was quite concerned.

Roxy had been feeling nauseous lately, and while I had been constantly relieving her symptoms, and making sure she wasn't poisoned, her condition wasn't getting any better.

Rudy had assumed it was a form of heatstroke, but even with me keeping her cool on my lap for the whole day yesterday and a makeshift tent protecting her from the sun… she was still this bad.

"Feeling better?" I asked, using earth magic to bury the small mess she made.

"Y-Yeah…" she said, leaning against me as I rested her against my lap. "Just… no more kisses until breakfast."

"Just not on the mouth, right?" I said, kissing her ear as I placed my hands over her chest and back.

Hmm… maybe I should check her again?

I had already checked for all poisons, and I didn't find any diseases, but if it was getting so bad that she was throwing up, then there must be something wrong, right?

Could it be a stomach bug?

Dehydration?

Was I… going too hard during the night?

What could-

It was then that I felt it, my mana reacting as my hand rested over her stomach.

It wasn't a disease, nor a complication.

Well, I suppose you could call it a complication, but rather than something bad, it was…

"A baby…" I said breathlessly.

"I'm pregnant?" Roxy said, a little shocked, but not as much as I would expect. "I did miss my period this month, but to think it was like that…"

I barely registered her words as I pulled her closer.

A baby… Roxy was pregnant with a child… our child…

That… in there… was my child… 

I was going to be a father…

Setting Roxy against the pile of sheets, I lowered my head to rest against her belly as my mind continued to swim in disarray.

My baby… I was going to have a child, just like I had dreamed of…

My cheeks were hurting from how wide I was smiling.

This… I was so damn happy!

Feeling Roxy's hand rake through my hair, I turned to look up at her, only to see that her expression was one of extreme relief and happiness.

"I'm glad," she said, smiling softly. "Since it's known to be difficult to bear children from different races, I was worried I wouldn't be able to… but then again, with how often we've been doing it, I suppose it was inevitable."

"Mmm… thank you," I said, nuzzling closer against her stomach.

"No, it's… my pleasure," Roxy said, continuing to play with my hair. "I'm… anxious, but… excited."

A child… Roxy and I's child… it was certain to be cute, and sure to be beautiful.

After all, it was half of Roxy, and a quarter of Mom, so it was already destined to be 75% beautiful, and the other 25% would be left to be whatever the kid wanted to be.

And I knew that they would be amazing.

Because this child… it was mine.

Mine and Roxy's.

"Hey, you guys alright in there?"

Hearing the voice of my father, I opened my mouth to respond, only to notice that my words were caught in my mouth from emotion.

"We're decent, Paul," Roxy said.

With my eyes blurred with unshed tears, I watched as the tent entrance opened, revealing Mama, my father, and Lilia all looking at the two of us with concern.

"R-Roxy? Leon? Is there something wrong?" Mama said, coming closer to us as my father pushed Lilia inside.

"Nothing's wrong, Zenith," Roxy replied calmly, a wide smile spreading across her face. "It just seems like our family will be growing a bit earlier than we thought."

The three tilted their heads in surprise before Lilia quickly nodded with a wide smile.

"Congratulations, you two," she said softly. "I am sure it will be beautiful."

Always quick on the uptake, she was.

It was then that the other two understood what was going on, with my father widening his eyes as he recoiled in shock.

"G-Grandfather?" he mumbled. "M-Me? A grandfather?"

Why yes, that is usually how this goes.

Mama, on the other hand, pressed her hand to her mouth as her eyes shined with happiness, hopping on her feet a few times before she raced over to us for a hug.

"Uuu~! I'm gonna get a grandbaby!" she cheered, squeezing us both as tight as she could.

I felt the tears threaten to break out in happiness.

Indeed, just as I had promised, Mama would finally get a grandbaby of her own, and both her and Lilia would be there to see them.

As the days passed by after their rescue, just as we had hoped, both Mama and Lilia's conditions had improved to the point where they were now back to normal, for the most part.

They still slept a bit longer than usual, and as evidenced by the wooden wheelchair my father was pushing, Lilia could no longer walk, and Mama was sad she couldn't knit anymore with her loss of motor skills, but… they were both back.

It was then that Rudy and Sara made their appearance, Sara's hair still messy from the night before, as they both looked in to see what was going on.

"Mother? Leon? Master? Is there… something going on?" Rudy asked.

"Nothing, kid," my father said, placing his hand on his shoulder. "Just… get ready to be an uncle."

Rudy and Sara's eyes widened, both looking at Roxy and me in surprise, before Sara nodded, coming over to join our little group hug.

"You two seem happy," she said. "I'm glad."

"Thanks, Little Sis," I said.

"…I'll let that go for now," she said.

With Mama and Sara letting us go, I then got up before placing Roxy on my lap, letting my hand caress her hair as I gently held her body.

"I… don't want you working from now on," I said. "And I'll be taking your guard shifts. No questions asked."

She nodded. "Well… I won't refuse. It's not like I can do much in front of you and Rudy's magic."

As Rudy and Sara went out, presumably to inform the rest of the group of Roxy's condition, I rested my chin on Roxy's head as I gently grabbed her hand.

"Is something wrong, sweetie?" Mama said, crouching down next to me as she kissed my head. "I'm sure you remember how nervous your father was when Rudy was coming, so it's only natural to feel scared."

"No." I shook my head. "It's just… everything seems like it's coming to an end. It feels like my dream is coming true."

With Roxy looking up at me in curiosity, I planted a kiss on her forehead before continuing.

"I have my family, I have a child, and I have my wives," I said, my finger caressing Roxy's ring. "So now… all we need is a home, and everything will be back to how it should be."

My father nodded his head, scratching his stubble with a smirk. "Yeah… I'm happy to settle down, too. With the past four years and with my old adventuring days, I think I've seen enough of the world for a lifetime."

Mama then leaned against my back, releasing a sigh of satisfaction.

"And I can't wait to see Norn and Aisha after so long," she said happily. "Even if it's only felt like a month to me."

"Indeed, Leon's stories can only tell us so much, after all," Lilia added, revealing a gentle smile. "I wonder how they've grown."

My father, meanwhile, only anxiously nodded his head.

"Y-Yeah… that'll be something," he said, his voice revealing his worry.

Ah… right.

"Don't worry, Father," I said, looking at him. "Keep your head up. You're a better man now, so all you need to do is show them."

He looked at me in surprise before breaking out into a smile.

"Yeah… you're damn right," he nodded to himself.

While Lilia and Mama raised an eyebrow in question, they opted not to ask what that was about.

Good.

No need to ruin the mood with Paul's past stupidity.

"I'm also a bit worried," Roxy said, fidgeting with her long hair in my grasp. "I know you talked to them beforehand, but… will Sylphy accept me? And what about your sisters?"

"My sisters will love you," I said. "And Sylphy will as well. She's a very sweet and accepting girl… even if she turned into a little devil."

Roxy tilted her head in confusion.

"A little devil? What do you mean?" she asked.

Right… well, there was a lot of evidence, especially with the words she spoke the night before I left, and the actions afterwards, but I didn't really want to explain all of that.

But after experiencing the Succubus' effects twice now, I realized I had felt something like it before.

"Well… I originally wanted to wait until she was an adult to… cement our relationship," I said, watching as Roxy flushed a bit at my words and Paul smirked pridefully. "But the night before I left, she cornered me with what I now assume was an aphrodisiac and… advanced our relationship."

The four others didn't respond for a moment in shock before my father broke the silence.

"Damn…" he said in an appreciative tone. "Didn't know the girl had it in her."

"Truly? To think that that shy, innocent girl would be so bold…" Mama said, surprised.

"Well… I did notice some boldness from the girl, even when she was just discovering her feelings," Lilia said. "That must have only been enhanced with their time apart and her life at the royal palace."

Yeah… and it didn't help that she had the influence of a certain princess still with her right now.

Shit… I knew from my experience with Eris that while I was always curious about such things, after sharing our first time together, my desires exploded to the point where the only thing that held me back was the thought of my sisters being nearby.

And even then… we sometimes did it silently to relieve ourselves.

So to think that my sweet fairy, who was horny before, had experienced her first time with me, only for us to be separated right after…

When we return, it would have been approximately six months apart, so… just how pent-up will she be?

The thought was both as intensely arousing as it was scary.

Anyway, with two months of our journey still left to go, it was decided that Roxy would be resting in the cart with Lilia or on the other armadillo-like monster with me so that she wouldn't overexert herself.

Meanwhile, I would now have something to preoccupy my mind during our travels other than exchanging stories with the rest of the group.

After all, I had some baby names to think of.

— Leon Greyrat —

Just as predicted, after two more months of wandering the desert, we had finally arrived in Sharia.

As we were closing in on the tenth month of the year, it was quite cold out, but luckily, Rudy and I had the foresight to leave extra winter clothes for my family in the ruin.

Unfortunately, that meant that we didn't have any for the unexpected additions of the other members of the group, and because of that, I had given my coat to Roxy to keep her nice and cozy while I kept my body warm with magic.

Needless to say, she looked very cute in the oversized robe, especially since her hands couldn't reach outside the sleeves.

But I had a feeling she would get upset if I told her that, so I restricted myself to simply enjoying the sight.

Either way, while the change in temperature was a shock, to me who had been dealing with the desert heat for so long, I embraced the cold with a smile while giving my gifted cap to Mama.

"Thank you, Leon," Roxy said, cuddling against my side as we made our way through the forest. "I had forgotten how cold the winter months are up here."

Was she talking about my coat?

"Of course, Roxy," I said, planting a kiss on her forehead.

Since discovering her pregnancy, we had calmed down our nightly activities as to not mess with the baby. Especially since there might be complications already with a half-human, half-demon child.

But still, we had our needs, and our mouths were still available, so suffice it to say… the journey was still filled with increasingly pleasurable nights. And with each experience, I was able to learn a bit more of what Roxy liked, and Roxy slowly learned as well.

If I had to describe it, she was the analytical type, always aiming to improve and asking Lina for advice.

It was an incredibly endearing trait that I found both cute and… physically stimulating.

But speaking of such sexual desires…

"Are you okay, Lina?" I asked, looking back at the carriage.

"Don't talk to me… please…" she said in response, covering herself with a blanket.

While Lina had endured throughout the desert trek, she was in bad shape, and desperately needed a man.

Luckily, my idea worked to stave off her needs and extend her time, but it wasn't able to completely alleviate her curse.

There must be something special about the act of sex itself, then.

I was curious about how that all worked, but I really didn't want to think about it any further since it was extremely awkward and… well, gross.

Much like Rudy and Sara's night on the way to Rapan, it was decided that nothing had happened.

But… even if nothing happened, that still didn't stop Lina from teasing Roxy about how she was 'jealous' of what she got every night.

I really wish Lina wouldn't do that.

Actually, I really wish Lina wouldn't do a lot of things.

"Mmh~!" Lina sensually moaned as the carriage went over a root, jolting her sensitive body.

Like… that.

…She really needed a man.

— Leon Greyrat —

Luckily, we were able to reach the city proper by midday, so there was no need to scramble for an inn right away upon our arrival.

With Geese, Talhand, Vierra, Shierra, and Sara all going to sell what they could from the remaining loot, save for a few of the Hydra scales that Rudy wanted to keep, and also get our group a place to stay for the week, the rest of us went straight to the university to see my sisters and Sylphy.

Lina, of course, was not part of either group, as she headed directly to the taverns to find a man.

Actually, from what I knew of her, she was probably hoping to find multiple.

Anyway, while only Rudy was technically a student, with his status as a special student, and my own status as someone really fucking strong, we were able to get into the school without any issues.

With one of the teachers kindly letting us use a room for our grand reunion, I then went up to the student council room to find Ariel.

I would have originally taken everyone with me, but I wasn't quite sure if Sylphy was meant to be revealed as Ariel's aide, or if she was still maintaining her Fitz persona, so I decided to play it safe.

After all, while I did find the Fitz thing a bit annoying, I was now able to see some benefits since it separated Sylphy from the political stuff, and by extension, our family as well.

And speaking of Ariel… I was surprised.

While she had mentioned that she hoped to gain a position in the student council for the next school year, which had started a month ago, I was not expecting for her to take the position of student council president without a full school year under her belt.

She really was quite something, huh?

I wasn't all too familiar with the importance of the position, but I knew that it was a major milestone in her path to the throne, as she would not only gain vast connections within the school, but also enable her to contact other important figures in the country.

Considering that I would probably need to defend her and Sylphy as they attempted to take the throne… well, at least it seemed that I would be helping someone worth the effort.

As I went up to the large wooden door, I knocked a few times before the familiar bell-like voice resounded from inside.

"Come in."

And so, I did. Opening the door to reveal Ariel sitting behind a desk with Sylphy and Luke by her side… as well as Aisha sitting next to the princess…

What was that about?

I guess Sylphy was taking watching over her seriously?

If so, I was glad.

"I've returned," I said, smiling as Aisha and Sylphy both widened their eyes.

"Leon!"

"Big Brother!"

They both darted towards me, not taking a second of pause as they both leaped into my arms.

"You're back!" Sylphy said, nuzzling against my chest.

"That I am," I nodded.

"Did everything work out?" Aisha asked, looking up at me.

Ah, she had grown… well, she was eight now, so that was only natural.

"Yep. We got everyone back safe and sound, and I even got Roxy," I said, leaning down to plant a kiss on both of their foreheads. "So now… we can start that big family, Sylphy."

Separating from the two, Sylphy tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear as she looked up at me.

She seemed a bit surprised when I told her about Roxy, but fine with it.

"I'm glad," she said, as she wrapped her arms around my neck, pulling me into a deep kiss as she gently nibbled on my lower lip.

Damn… I missed this.

But I don't think this was really the time to do such things.

Sylphy… your princess is looking at us weirdly, so let's do this somewhere privately, please…

Separating from me, her tongue licked across her lip as she looked up at me, her cheeks flushed as she hesitantly continued, "But, umm… can we continue our relationship… where we left off?"

Haa…

Well, I had already expected this, and from how she was lightly grinding her crotch against my leg, I don't think she would take no for an answer.

Plus, with Roxy out of commission, I don't think I would be able to hold back either. Especially against a girl as cute and charming as Sylphy, who had also awakened her erotic side.

"Yeah, that's… fine," I said. "I'm… excited too."

Seeing her break out into a wide, happy smile alleviated much of the uncertainty I was feeling.

As I thought, a happy Sylphy was the best Sylphy.

Though the flustered one was a close second…

"I am relieved to see that everything has worked out," Ariel said. "I assume you wish to see your other sister?"

"Yes, please," I answered.

"All right then. Luke, can you please go fetch Norn? I believe she should be in her swordsmanship class at the moment," she said.

"Right away," he bowed before departing, giving me a slight nod of approval as he passed.

That was oddly… civil of him.

I guess he got over Eris, huh?

Well, considering his tendencies, I assume that he was able to get over his unreciprocated love with the many maidens of the school that were available to him.

Such a womanizer… he truly was the nephew of Paul.

Still holding Sylphy in my arms, I then looked down at Aisha again.

Hmm… while I was glad for them looking after her, the more I thought about it, the weirder it seemed…

"Ariel, Sylphy… I do have to ask… why is Aisha here?" I said. "Shouldn't she have classes right now?"

I felt Sylphy shift in my grasp as Ariel took a deep breath.

"Well, you see… Aisha here is very talented, especially in regard to management and navigating interpersonal relations," she said, looking back into my eyes. "So… she has become my aide."

I took a moment to process the information before I released my bloodlust, the air turning oppressive as I unleashed my anger.

"She is what?" I snarled at the princess.

I trusted her.

I trusted her to keep my damn family away from her political schemes, but she couldn't even wait half a year before breaking it.

And Sylphy…

I looked down at her, my eyebrows furrowing in disappointment.

"…Why?" I asked, my tone soft with disappointment.

Why did she betray me?

I know that Ariel was important to her, as was her goal, but I thought that with my assistance, Sylphy would keep my family out of it.

And she of all people should know how disgusting and dangerous that world of nobility is.

Didn't she care for Aisha too?

So… why?

Sylphy's eyes turned down as her ears drooped in sadness, her hands squeezing my side as she hesitated to separate from me.

I didn't like seeing her like this, especially after we had been apart for so long, but this… this was-

"Big Brother, it's fine!" Aisha said, grabbing my arm. "I wanted to do this!"

Reigning in my anger, the pressure that had descended on the room lifted as I looked down at Aisha in confusion.

"Why?" I asked. "Don't you know how dangerous and stupid politics are? And now you joined a princess wanting to retake her country…"

"It's because they're dangerous and stupid!" she said, shaking her head. "I know you're strong, and I can never help you with those things, but I can help you with this! I'm smart, and I'm good at it! I can help our family with this stuff and protect us!"

I let go of Sylphy, her hand reaching to keep hold of me as I kneeled in front of Aisha.

"Aisha… you know that I would rather us not be involved, right?" I asked.

"But didn't you say you were being involved anyway?" she said, crossing her arms. "You said you were going to help the princess once you got back, right?"

Well, she got me there.

But still, that was me, a King-ranked swordsman, not Aisha, the barely Advanced-rank magician who had no combat experience save for some hunting.

"I'm still worried, Aisha," I said softly.

"You're always worried!" she pouted.

Rude.

"It's fine, Big Brother. If you're worried about me getting in danger, then you can just protect me, right?" she said, hugging me again as she rested her cheek against mine. "And besides… Ariel is nice. Doing something important… it feels good."

Sighing, I took in her words for a moment before looking over to Ariel, seeing that she was wearing a difficult expression, one that was a mix of apologetic and thankful.

Dammit… Aisha was right in that I could protect her… but it still rubbed me the wrong way.

Politics were really fucking annoying, after all.

Revolting too.

"If that's what you want… then I guess it's fine," I said.

"Thanks, Big Brother!" she said, ending our hug as she kissed my cheek.

"Yeah, yeah, but be careful, alright?" I said, poking her nose. "I'll support your decision, so… don't make me regret it, okay?"

"Got it!" she said, smiling. "Pleasure to work with you, Big Brother!"

Cheeky brat…

Shaking my head, I stood back up, wrapping an arm around the anxious Sylphy as I looked back at Ariel.

"As my lovely sister said, I'll soon be working for you, either as a guard or a paper pusher, I don't really care," I said, looking into her eyes. "But just know that Sylphy and Aisha will be my priority for my protection, no matter if it's wrong of me to do as a guard or not. And while I will protect you as well, if the situation turns bad… I'll take them and run."

Ariel nodded as she responded, "Of course. I expected that much anyway."

She then reverted to an apologetic smile, which, to my surprise, didn't seem to have any falsehood laced within.

"I… do want to make it clear that I did not accept Aisha as my aide for her connection to you, but rather due to her abilities. In fact, I was actually against it at first, but she insisted," she said, putting her hand on her chest. "I promise that I value her skills and her life, and I promise to not let Aisha or Sylphy be harmed or put in danger… Or at least, I will try to the best of my abilities."

Hmm… I guess I could accept that.

And I knew her words about valuing Aisha's skills and not her connections were true. After all, my sister was a little genius.

And while this was a little troublesome, they were both safe and happy…

So perhaps… like I had done before… I could trust this troublesome princess.

"Thank you," I said.

I just hope that trust wouldn't be misplaced… nor cause too many problems.

I think I've had enough conflict for a while.