Chapter 317

“Ugh—it’s been a while.”
At the top of the hill, Ronan stretched. Fluffy clouds roamed the blue sky like a flock of sheep. He looked down and saw the familiar sight of Nimburton.
“Nothing’s changed, which is good.
It had been half a year since I’d been home. The smell of grass on the breeze was familiar. Ronan turned and braced himself against the oak tree that grew on the hill.
“I’ve been too busy to call, how have you been?”
A small headstone lay beneath the giant tree that had shaded Nimburton for centuries. The name, inscribed in the Imperial language, had been carved by Ronan himself. With careful motions, he brushed away the dust and leaves from the stone.
“Huh? Dad.”
I didn’t hear back. No wonder. A savior. No, Cain had been dead for two years now. Setting down his backpack, Ronan sat down beside the headstone.
“So how’s the view here, do you like it?”
Ronan asked. When the war with Nebula Clazier was over, he built Cain’s tomb here in Nimburton. It was the same spot where he watched the sunset with his family in the lamplight.
“It’s a nice town, for sure. I failed to educate my brother, but I did manage to get a decent house, I’ll admit.”
Ronan nodded, his gaze shifting down the hill. The Emperor offered to let him rest his body in the same place where all the greats of the past were buried, but Ronan refused.
The lush greenery and the river that meandered through the village hadn’t changed since Ronan was a snot-nosed dog. He cursed as he felt his ass suddenly become damp.
“Oh crap. I forgot I’m in uniform.”
The grass was wet from the morning’s frost, which had melted. Adeshan’s school uniform pants, which he had ironed to perfection, were now soaking through. Ronan sighed heavily.
“Eh–I don’t need to wear it anymore anyway, I won’t get in trouble.”
Ronan eventually decided to stay put. He could take it out again if he wanted to try something different with Adeshan, but that would have to wait for another time. As he stroked the headstone, he spoke.
“Well, nothing else, I graduated today, co-salutatorian with Schlieffen.”
Rummaging through his backpack, Ronan pulled out a diploma. The fine paper was decorated with a gold border that symbolized the head of the martial arts department.
“That motherfucker was dirty, and I don’t know if it was the power of love or what, but I was about to lose.”
Ronan chuckled as he recalled his graduation duel with Schlieffen. In the short time they had crossed swords, Schlieffen had grown so strong that it would be rude to compare them.
‘Crazy. No matter how much you want to impress your sister, there are limits. You’ve turned the entire Phileon into a whirlwind.’
It was a crazy matchup, to say the least. Ronan even activated an Auror for the first time since the war.
It took every mage in the academy to stop their attacks from escaping into the stands. They threw everything they had at each other, and only then were they called a draw due to timeouts. Ronan muttered in frustration.
“I guarantee you, he’ll beat Jaifa within a year. They don’t call it the Continental Sword for nothing. Well, that’s the first order of business, and then—let’s see.”
Ronan rummaged around in his ragged backpack and pulled out a flask. An egg-sized lump fell out and landed on the floor, but he didn’t notice. He said.
“Come to think of it, I don’t think we’ve ever had a drink together, so let’s have one.”
It was a jug of alchemical soak that Jaifa had given him not long ago. Unscrewing the lid, Ronan poured about half of the contents onto the tombstone.
I could have traded it for four or five pennies, but I didn’t care. Ronan took a long gulp of his drink and wiped the corner of his mouth with his sleeve.
“Kaha, it tastes good, doesn’t it? It’s like nothing else.”
His esophagus felt like it was on fire, but that was the charm. Ronan sipped his drink and looked around at Nimburton.
The landscape itself hadn’t changed, but I noticed that the number of people walking around was much higher. If you listened closely, you could hear them chattering excitedly.
“My God, three heroes from such an ordinary town. Is there a dragon buried in the ground?”
“This is Lady Irene’s own potato patch, I hear, and I wonder when I can try her stew. She doesn’t take reservations.”
“Oh, I wonder if there are any potatoes left? If so, I’ll just sneak one—.”
“Arthur, I hear this place is protected by Asel’s magic, and the moment you set foot in it, your whole body will freeze.”
Most of them had come to see the home of Ronan, Iriel, and Arcel. The three had already become world-saving heroes, celebrities known across the continent. Ronan smirked as he watched the scene unfold.
“They say there’s something to see. What a bunch of clueless people.”
The house Ronan had once lived in was now crowded with tourists, as if it were the birthplace of a hero. He took another sip of his drink and leaned back against the tombstone.
The wind was gusting and the sheep in the sky were moving pretty fast. Now that I was sober, I felt like I could speak. After a long moment of silence, Ronan spoke.
“You know, I became a father myself.”
Shoot- The wind rustled the leaves. It was a month ago now that Adeshan realized she was pregnant.
“Well, technically, you’ll have to wait a little longer, but—well, whatever.”
I couldn’t remember exactly how long the baby was in my belly. He could still see Adeshan bouncing with joy. Ronan took out a cigarette and put it to his mouth.
“Damn, I knew we were going to have kids, but I didn’t think it would be this soon. We’ll have to get married before we get any more bellies, and I don’t want to get into any weird shit with Adeshan–oh, don’t get me wrong, I love him. I’m not doing this out of necessity, I love him dearly.”
Ronan blew out a puff of white smoke. In fact, the days after moving in with Adeshan were the happiest of his life.
“Anyway, at this rate, I’m going to get married before my sister does, can you believe it, this drunken, barracks-pissing asshole is going to be a married man—So, speaking of which, I have a question for you.”
Starting a family was something I could never have imagined in my first life. Ronan said, draining the last of his drink.
“Do you think I’ll be a good father?”
Once again, no answer came. Cain was dead, and rightly so. No amount of talking to him as if he were alive would change that fact.
Ronan smiled bitterly in the silence that followed. He had resented him at times, but in retrospect, Cain had been a good father. In their brief time together, he had left Ronan with memories that could never be replaced.
The thought of what might have been if he’d had a little more time creeps up on him. For a moment, Ronan’s eyes glazed over.
“Eat, damn it.”
Ronan shifted his gaze to the sky and blinked. He couldn’t afford to be embarrassed in front of the man who’d met the most spectacular end of all. He remained still for a moment longer, then rose to his feet.
“—Well, I’d better get going, Adeshan’s waiting for me.”
Ronan stuffed the empty bottle into his backpack. After clearing the grass around him, he walked down the hill.
“Maybe next time I’ll bring my grandkids.”
Ronan waved his hand without turning his head. He didn’t notice the sphere that fell from his backpack until the last second. He was on his way down the hill. Not far away, he heard a familiar voice.
“Ah, Ronan!”
“Huh?”
Ronan turned his head. Adeshan was coming up the hill. His waist-length black hair flowed like a paintbrush dipped in ink.
“You said you’d be down in a minute, why are you up here, you’re heavy.”
Ronan frowned. I told him I’d be gone for a while and he could have a cup of cocoa in the tea room.
Striding over, he removed his own coat and draped it over Adeshan’s shoulders. She smirked as he opened the collar.
“Oh no, he’s fine for now. Ronan is overprotective anyway.”
“You should be careful though. What if you fall?”
“But I wanted to show my baby his dad’s hometown. You wanted to see it too, didn’t you?”
Adeshan patted her lower belly and laughed. She’d always been a fan of form-fitting clothes, but ever since she’d had the baby, she’d always worn something more casual.
‘This is my mother.
Ronan was silently impressed. What a generous gesture, and we’re not even full yet.
Pondering something, Ronan pulled a cigarette out of his inside pocket, grabbed both ends with both hands, and snapped it. Adeshan raised an eyebrow in surprise at the cheerful sound.
“Go, why all of a sudden?”
“It’s not good for you and the kid, and I need to quit.”
Ronan said. Adeshan smiled in return. The two walked arm in arm into town.
“I didn’t think we’d be the first to get married. I thought Schlieffen and Irene would be faster.”
“He’s a long way off, and we don’t even live in the same house yet.”
“Woohoo, but we’re not officially engaged.”
Adeshan tugged harder on her arm. Iriel and Schlieffen’s relationship was one of the best things to gossip about, not just between them, but throughout the Empire. Ronan chuckled, remembering the faces of his friends.
“It’s more likely Asel. Marja’s no ordinary girl, and to think she’s being squeezed by those enormous tits every day—”
Ronan’s mouth dropped open. He felt a creepy stare right next to him, and when he glanced to the side, he saw Adeshan glaring at him with his axe eyes.
“—Yes, sorry. Boobs. Boobs, not boobs.”
“Yeah. Of course.”
Adeshan’s eyes softened at Ronan’s hasty correction. She’d momentarily forgotten her promise to refrain from using profanity in front of the child. Glancing down at her own chest, she pouted and muttered, “I’m sorry.
“I hope you don’t mean to imply that I’m not good enough, or something like that. I may not be as good as Nabiroze or Marja, but I’m pretty good—.”
“No, ma’am. If it’s too big, it’ll overwhelm him.”
“Okay. That’s a pretty good answer.”
Adeshan giggled. They reached the river’s edge. Trout swam in schools beneath the water, the same color as the sky. They were just about to climb into the raft.
“You know. Ronan.”
“Huh?”
“Will I ever be a good mom?”
Ronan turned his head. Adeshan’s eyes were fixed on the river, his worry evident.
She had commanded hundreds of thousands of Allied soldiers and saved the world together, but motherhood was something else. Ronan’s eyes widened at the intensity of the vision.
“Aha, this is what it feels like.
It was the same question he’d asked himself a moment ago. After a moment of silence, Ronan smirked. Unlike his father, he was alive and able to answer that question.
“Sure. Of course.”
Ronan took Adeshan’s hand. His anxious expression eased. As they climbed into the raft together, he spoke.
“We’ll be good parents, maybe.”