Predeparture — Part 1
The ti we spent in Baachsburg flew by in a flash. We saw the sights, enjoyed the attractions, and even learned a thing or two while we were at it. In our downti, we ate all the things, relaxed in the hot springs, and slept all our fatigue away.
While the kids were off, for lack of a better term, being kids, the adults visited the various professors and heard many a story about Leila’s ridiculous childhood. She was rather embarrassed by the whole ordeal, but in my book, that was a win. More specifically, seeing her act all shy was the real win.
All in all, it was a wonderful vacation. We stayed much longer than we initially planned, and I had every intention of returning for round two, one day.
“You better co back! You definitely have to visit again!” said Emyu, who was trying her best not to tear up.
“We will! That’s a promise!” said Illuna.
“Weer friends now, so we have to play agen!” said Shii.
“I liked it here. It was fun,” said Enne. “We’ll be back again. I know it.”
The wraith girls spun around the young demon, as if to bid their farewells.
Off to the side, Leila and Eldegaria exchanged a quick look.
“Take all the ti you need, Leila. But make sure you look into your heart and figure out how it is you really feel. The emotional journey is certainly an educational exploration in its own right, and if you view it as such, I’m sure it will help sate the curiosity welling up within you.”
“I will, Professor. As one of your proud students, I’ll do my utmost to understand myself.”
“Then I’ll be expecting a report the next ti we see each other.”
I turned to Lefi after watching the two say their goodbyes.
“Alright, so I have a bit of business with the demon realm’s king. You guys are going to have to head ho without for now. I’ll catch up later,” I said. “Oh, and do check up on the pets for , once you’re back.”
“That, I shall,” said Lefi. “Just as I shall provide them with a luxurious al.”
“Sounds good. They deserve a pretty hefty reward, after we made them watch the house for so long.”
“I can’t wait to get back and give the pets lots of pets!” Illuna joined the conversation with a big smile.
“Everyone’s super fluffy! I love petting them,” said Shii.
“Orochi’s the best. He’s really smooth,” said Enne.
Emyu, who had been on the verge of breaking into tears, curiously tilted her head.
“You guys have pets?”
“Yup! We have a dog and a cat and a bird and a snake, and even a ball of water!”
“A ball of water….? That one doesn’t sound like it fits. But wow, you have a lot! Taking care of them all must be a chore.”
“It’s not hard at all. They’re all really smart and they can even feed themselves!”
“They’re all smurt! I think they’re smurter than !” said Shii.
The wraith girls nodded, as if to agree with the declaration.
Okay… look… you guys have a point, sure, but when you say it like that, it just sounds kinda sad. Let’s just… not, I thought, with a wry smile.
“Rir, the dog, is especially smart,” said Enne. “He knows exactly what we say. I think I’m going to teach him to play shogi.”
“Shogi? What’s that?”
“It’s a board ga. And it’s fun.”
“Wow, there sure are a lot of intelligent species out there. Your pets sound really interesting, so interesting that I almost want to try studying them.”
Overhearing the conversation led Leila to mutter under her breath.
“Emyu is going to be in for quite the surprise when she ets him.”
“Might those pets be the monsters that the demon lord controls? The ones that serve him as his kin? It certainly wouldn’t be incorrect to describe them as intelligent, but…” Eldegaria scrunched up her face.
Oh yeah, she did see them during the war, didn’t she?
“I think I should probably bud in,” I said. “At the very least, I need to tell her that he’s technically a wolf, and not a dog. You know, for the sake of his honour and whatnot.”
“If Rir was here, I’m sure he’d give you a sad look and tell you that you’re poking at the wrong part of the problem,” said Nell.
Lyuu laughed. “Now ain’t that the truth.”
“Indeed. It is tis like these that I must note his… misfortune.”
After making a few jokes and completely getting rid of the sad, soppy mood, the girls activated their warp crystals and returned to the dungeon.
***
After saying goodbye to Emyu and the professor, I took to the skies and headed for the capital. Man, it’s been a long ti since I’ve flown alone. I swear I’ve always had at least one person with for the longest ti now.
Not even Enne was present. For the first ti in a long ti, I was truly alone, so I took the rare mont to attend to so of my thoughts.
I started to contemplate.
About Lefi. About Leila. About the child. And about the future, as a whole.
Everything had changed in the blink of an eye. I was still processing it all. It almost didn’t feel real. And in spite of that, I knew that it was only just getting started. There were going to be even bigger changes down the line.
And I don’t just an us. I an… the world.
Though I couldn’t say for sure, I was suspecting that we were at a historical crossroads, a turning point that would forever remain in the books, sothing that future students would have to cram right before a test.
And I had every intention of supporting the changes to co. For my family’s sake.
Eldegaria’s words had left a deep impression.
She had a point, and an excellent one at that. I was the man of the house. I had to support my family.
I was going to have to prove my worth, regardless of whether said worth truly existed. I wasn’t exactly planning on suddenly getting all dignified and acting like soone else entirely, but at the very least, I was going to have to keep my feet planted firmly on the ground.
And like every other father out there, I was going to have to fake it until I finally made it. For my kids.
I had to be a man.
Maybe I should ask my guy friends, or at least the ones with kids, for advice. Hmmm… the first one that cos to mind is King Reiyd. Guess I’ll have to stop by his castle sooner or later.
I continued flying and thinking various thoughts until I finally saw Regighihegg on the horizon. I didn’t exactly have an appointnt, but decided to casually fly over to the castle anyway. Naturally, I was soon greeted by a soldier, who flew up to et .
“Halt! This area is a no-fly zo—Yuki?”
“Oh, Haloria! Long ti no see.”
I was greeted by a familiar face, naly one Haloria Laylott, a mber of Phynar’s secret service. I still rembered her because she was the only reason that he and I had ever t in the first place.
“It’s been a long ti,” she said, with a smile. “But it doesn’t feel very long. I’ve been hearing a lot about your various exploits.”
“Exploits? What exploits?”
“The ones from the Helldrakean War, of course. I was gathering information behind the scenes,” she explained. “Are you here to see His Majesty?”
“Yeah. I know I just stopped by, but sothing else ca up and I was hoping I could speak with him real quick. Would you mind ringing him up?”
“I’ll do just that. I’m sure he’ll be happy to see you.”
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