Chapter 449

My heart sank. Adrian’s sister didn’t look happy.
A shaky voice escaped my lips like a patient diagnosed with a terminal illness.
“What do you mean it wasn’t easy–did someone die, and if so, get this son of a bitch out of my face now.”
“Uh, no. There were no casualties, but all ten of my escorts suffered injuries, great and small, and it was only after I stepped in that I was able to subdue them to the point where we could talk.”
It was almost like a cannibalistic manhunt, and she found her target in a punishment unit stationed in the western part of the continent. Resistance was fierce, but a note from Ronan (black hair, the bigger the better) convinced her to bring him in.
Adrian’s shivering face brightened again.
“You are indeed the Ronan of this world,” he said, “and I am in awe of your strength, having never learned anything.”
“Woohoo—glad you’re okay, thank you so much.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. At this time of year, I was at my worst. I didn’t think I’d go so far as to kill, but it was a miracle that I didn’t get crippled.
“Then where are you keeping him, in the dungeon?”
“Of course not, we’ve been giving you the best treatment since we brought you here two days ago. You’re in the parlor right now, and Asher is here to keep an eye on you and make sure nothing untoward happens.”
“The Asel guy? That’s not going to be easy.”
“He was such a resource. He was scared, but I couldn’t talk him out of it because he’s from my hometown, and he was like, “Woohoo, he’s a good kid.””
Adrian smiled. I smiled, too, at his unexpected bravado. Despite my worries, he seemed to be doing well. Of course, I’m sure he’s having a hard time.
Just before heading to the parlor, Cain politely thanked me.
“Thank you for your hard work and kindness. Have a good evening.”
“—You’re welcome. I’ve heard that you’re Ronan’s father, is that true?”
“Yes. Why is that?”
“Hoo hoo, I thought we looked a lot alike. I’ll see you at dinner later, Mr. Cain.”
Adrian smirked. The bewitchment in his tone was unnerving.
As we walked down the hall, I poked Cain in the side.
“Hey. Are you thinking about getting remarried or something?”
“What are you talking about, I was just following basic etiquette.”
“The patriarch didn’t seem to like you very much.”
“It is impossible, but even if it were true, I am sorry to hear it, for it is my rule not to touch widows. My heart belongs to only one person, Kasha, for all eternity.”
Kasha was her mom’s name. The look in her eyes was so sincere, I didn’t know what else to say.
Honestly, I didn’t like this Jizo. Maybe it’s because I take after my father that I was able to keep my cool in the face of Mother Fire’s embrace and fend off Sister Nabiroze’s kisses.
Cain said.
“By the way, I’d appreciate it if you’d refrain from calling me an asshole, it makes me a dog.”
“Oh, I forgot about that. I’m sorry.”
“That’s okay. You can conditionally turn into a dog when you drink, so you’re not entirely wrong. Come to think of it, I haven’t had a drink with my kids in years.”
Cain muttered. Looks like I have a new target.
We were walking along, chatting, and before we knew it, we were in the drawing room. The car had just opened the luxurious doors and was about to enter.
“Please, please stop, Ronan, the Lord will not stand for it!”
Asel’s urgent voice rang out from beyond the door.
The hand that was about to turn the ring froze.
The answer came back with a chuckle.
“Do it or don’t do it. I warned you clearly, if you don’t have customers in an hour, I’m going to shit all over this nice desk. How much time has passed since I got here?”
“Well, is that–an hour and a half?”
“Very well, then my question is, does Acalusia not understand the importance of time commitments? Is the thirty minutes of the nobleman Asel as precious as gold, and the thirty minutes of the unworthy commoner Ronan to be ignored?”
“Well, I really don’t know what to say—but we’re doing our best, so please—hiyaak! What do you think you’re doing?!”
“Asher. You’re thirty minutes late and you have to clean up human feces, after all you’ve been through.”
I heard the sound of unzipping my pants.
Cain and I looked at each other almost simultaneously.
“Oh, no, no, no, stop!”
“Kahaha, despair, howl in helplessness!”
There was a roar of laughter. Asel was almost crying now.
It was hard to listen anymore.
“What kind of crazy asshole is doing in someone else’s house?”
With a bang, I slammed the door and stormed into the parlor.
I saw a man hunched over a desk and Asel tapping his foot. The man’s face, unsurprisingly, looked very much like mine.
Our eyes met, and he narrowed his brow.
“Huh? What are you guys?”
“Wow, you’re back, Ronan! Awww!”
Asel ran up crying and hid behind me.
The man’s ass was already halfway there. He wasn’t just threatening, he meant it.
That’s when it became clear that the thundering beetle was me, Ronan-3, from this parallel world.
Taking a deep breath, Cain smiled at him.
“Good to see you. Ronan.”
“What’s with the pretense of friendliness?”
“——were you talking to me?”
“Then who do you think he was talking to, poof, hair on end—maybe one of your parents had sex with a goat?”
Ronan3 snarled. Cain froze. The outburst of verbal abuse did not muffle Pia.
Cain, who hadn’t moved in a long time, muttered something incoherent.
“——, so that’s really my son.”
Cain’s eyes were shaking like a coachman who had accidentally run over and killed a child. I had a vague idea of what he was feeling, but he wasn’t doing much better.
I tapped Cain on the shoulder.
“What did you expect when you abandoned him as an infant, and you even cursed him.”
“Yeah—you’re right, it’s my fault—clearly my fault—but—.”
Cain dragged his tail. Ronan3’s ass was still up his ass.
Cain narrowed his eyes, unable to find the right words to say to his son.
“—I’m sorry, but I need a cigarette.”
“Here.”
I handed him the pipe from my inside pocket. Skillfully lighting it, Cain exhaled white smoke with a sigh. It was such a deep sigh that I wondered if his soul was escaping.
Ronan3’s eyes widened.
“Nimmy, you’re burning a cigarette in my face, what the fuck, didn’t you hear me?”
“Shut up and wait. You’re a foul-mouthed monkey who can’t even cover his shit.”
“What’s the big deal, let’s give it a shot?”
Ronan3 laughed hysterically. Flesh began to poke through my tattered shirt. Asel, who had been using my body for cover, stiffened his shoulders.
“Hee hee—!”
In an instant, living creatures filled the parlor. His fists clenched in the absence of a sword, he looked ready to pounce at any moment. I thought Ronan 2 from the last world was bad, but this was a beast.
“Should I stun him first?
At this rate, the conversation was going to end in blood before it even started.
Of course, if a fight started, I was confident that I could take the initiative, but hitting a child in front of a parent is a bit of a conscience killer, no matter how old you are.
After scratching my head, I relented.
“Bitter—forget it. You’re not a child.”
“You coward. Your balls must have shrunk in the face of a crisis.”
“Fuck that, I don’t need any of that, and I’m the one who called you here. Did you get the message?”
“Direct Message?”
“The one with the girlie stuff on it, Private Ronan, who actually likes your sister.”
“How did you do that—? Wait, if you did!”
Ronan3’s face hardened. It seemed to finally sink in.
I shook my head slowly.
“Yes. I am you from the parallel world.”
“What the hell–no, really?”
“Didn’t you hear this dwarf call your name earlier? If you don’t believe me, come closer and see.”
I approached Ronan3 with all my might. His life was short and long. He was as immobile as a man in chains.
Ronan3, who had been studying my face closely, laughed in disbelief.
“——really me.”
“I told you so. You’re surprisingly easy to believe.”
“Because it’s not for me to know.”
“I guess so.”
“This is ridiculous. I thought the military was pulling a fast one to force you out of the service—.”
Ronan3 slumped down on the couch. He sounded like a man possessed by a ghost. Still, he was quicker to accept the situation than Ronan 2.
Suddenly, he raised an eyebrow and looked back at Cain.
“Wait a minute. If this is a parallel world, you can’t be—!”
“Yeah. Ronan.”
Cain nodded. His face wore a gentle smile again, as if the shock of the chlorine had worn off. Cain approached cautiously and stood before him.
“I am your father. We were separated when you were too young to remember. There was no way to tell you, but I missed you with every fiber of my being.”
“Father–really?”
Ronan2 stood up, his voice even more frozen than when he had spoken to me, and with good reason. Suddenly summoned to a nobleman’s mansion, he was confronted by his parallel world self and a father he didn’t remember.
Cain put his hands on each of his son’s shoulders.
“Yes, Ronan. I am your father.”
“My father—.”
The rich man and the poor man stood facing each other for a long time. There was a warmth between them that could only come from family. With a big smile on their faces, they watched the reunion.
“You son of a bitch.”
Ronan3’s face contorted.
“Huh?”
Before Cain could say anything. Ronan3, fists clenched, slapped him across the face.
Cain’s head snapped back with a loud thud.
“Ugh—!”
Cain’s lip burst open, blood splattering. Asel clamped his hands over his mouth. My hand rested on the hilt of my sword in an unexpected turn of events.
“Dude, what do you think you’re doing—”
“Hold on. I’m fine, Ronan.”
Cain, shaken, raised his hand in protest. The half-extracted blade stopped in place. Luckily, the follow-up blow didn’t land.
Ronan3, who alternated between shaking fists and glaring at his father, growled through clenched teeth.
“You showed up now for something good. Do you realize how much my sister suffered because of you?”
“I’m sorry. I don’t know what to say.”
“Fuck, why did you just come now—.”
I could feel the desperation in his slurred words. At this point, I couldn’t interrupt. I was just an interloper from a parallel world, and they were the ones who were truly rich.
Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, Cain embraced his son.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
“——.”
Ronan3 stood there, saying nothing. Cain remained in that position for a long time. He looked back at me and opened his mouth.
“Son of another world. Let’s go to the nimbus.”
“—To your hometown?”
“Yeah. I need to see Iril, and–I was thinking of stopping by in the first place. And most of all…”
Cain paused for a moment, then nodded.
“I… have a lot of things I want to teach you.”