Epilogue

Epilogue 1: Family

— A little past noon, 21st day, 12th month, 1,547th year, Continental Calendar —

“Whew... We finally made it back,” I said, relieved.

“When you see the castle, the exhaustion just melts away, doesn’t it?” Naden agreed, spinning her arms in circles after having returned to human form.

“You’re right, when you see the castle, it really does feel like we’ve come home,” Aisha put in.

“Hee hee! The castle really has become our home now, hasn’t it?” Juna smiled.

Yeah, they were right. We’d finally managed to make it home.

After having returned to Parnam alongside the reinforcements we’d sent to the Union of Eastern Nations, we’d gotten in Naden’s gondola and headed back to Parnam Castle ahead of the rest.

This wasn’t a war, so there would be no triumphant return parade, and the main force would likely just be disbanded outside the castle walls. That work was being left to Kaede, as Ludwin’s second-in-command.

Hakuya and Roroa came out of the castle to greet us.

“Your Majesty, hurry to Princess Liscia’s side,” Hakuya said without preamble.

“Ya better go quick!” Roroa added.

Those were the first things out of their mouths. It seemed they were in a hurry.

“Huh?! Did something happen to Liscia?!” I cried.

Hakuya nodded gravely. “I received word that she went into labor this morning.”

Labor...? She was giving birth?!

Roroa jabbed me in the chest. “The doctors, Hilde and Brad, are already with Big Sis Cia. We’ll be headin’ over there, too, once our work’s done, so get movin’, Darlin’!”

“Is that okay?” I fretted. “Should the king really be heading over there as soon as he gets back?”

Between the administrative work that had built up while I was away, along with dealing with the aftermath of having dispatched troops, there was surely a mountain of work to do. The bureaucrats must want me to return to my duties immediately.

But Hakuya just shrugged his shoulders. “You’re not going to be able to focus on your duties like this, anyway. If your lack of focus causes you to make a series of errors, that only results in more work in the end. Please, let us take care of things ourselves.”

“...Sorry. Thanks.”

I turned and spoke to my fiancées and little sister.

“You heard the man. Naden and I will be going to see Liscia. Aisha, Juna, sorry, but could you sort out the luggage in the gondola? I want you to come later.”

“Y-Yes, sire,” Aisha said.

“Understood.” Juna nodded.

“Roroa, I want you to come once your work is finished, too. Tomoe, show Ichiha and Yuriga to Hakuya’s place. If you want to come too, the three of you are welcome to join us later.”

“Gotcha,” said Roroa. “I’m countin’ on ya to take care of Big Sis Cia.”

“Okay, Big Brother,” Tomoe said obediently.

I straddled Naden’s back in her ryuu form. “Okay, Naden! Go as fast as you can, please.”

“Roger that! Don’t go fainting on me, okay?”

With that, Naden danced up into the air.

The ground sped away from us even more rapidly than normal. Normally, that would have really scared me, but in my haste to get where we were going, I didn’t have the presence of mind left to be scared.

Liscia... Liscia...

With me repeating her name in my head over and over, Naden and I headed straight for the former king Sir Albert’s domain, where Liscia was staying.

Having raced across the sky, Naden and I set down in front of Sir Albert’s manor.

As we did, I spotted the doctor Brad sitting at one of the tables on the veranda which could be seen from the gate. He was wearing a string-like thing diagonally over top of his white clothes.

I approached him, calling his name. “Brad?”

Brad noticed me. “Oh, it’s the king. That’s an interesting getup you’re wearing today.”

I realized I was still in my military uniform. We’d come here right after returning from the Union of Easter Nations, after all. There had been no time to get changed.

“I was in a rush... and, I mean, aren’t you wearing something kind of weird, too?”

“What choice do I have, the way things are here?”

Brad turned to show me his back, and there was a baby less than a year old strapped behind him. It turned out the string running diagonally across the front of his chest was for a baby sling.

When I approached and looked closer at the baby, it seemed to be sleeping. The wispy hair growing on the baby’s head matched Brad’s white hair, but on its forehead was the small, jewel-like third eye that was characteristic of the three-eyed race. Its puffy cheeks were adorable.

“Cute,” I said admiringly. “I’ve heard you have a kid. Is this your kid, Brad?”

“My daughter. Her name is Ludia.”

“Ludia, huh. You took the L and D sounds from the end of Hilde’s name, huh... Wait, I know Ludia’s cute and all, but now’s not the time for this!”

The adorable baby had momentarily distracted me from my original objective.

“I came flying when I heard Liscia had gone into labor, so what are you doing sitting around relaxing here?!”

“Fwah... Wahhhhhhhh!” Because of my shout, Ludia woke and burst out crying.

“Ah, sorry! D-Don’t cry,” I said anxiously.

“There, there... Could you not shout so loudly in front of Ludia?” Brad told me off while trying to soothe the daughter on his back. “Just having an adult they don’t know around is frightening enough for children.”

I feel like he’d been more prickly a long time ago, but now he was totally in dad mode.

The three of us worked together to get Ludia to settle down before I asked Brad the same question again.

“I’m sorry for shouting. But since it’s twins, wasn’t it looking like you were going to have to do a Caesarean section? If I find you, the head doctor, out here, obviously I’m going to be concerned.”

“So, about that... we ended up not doing one.”

“Huh?! Why didn—Mmph!”

“Souma! Quiet!” Naden covered my mouth and said that in a hushed voice. “You’ll make the baby cry again, you know?”

The three of us looked at Ludia’s face... Yeah, it looked like she was sleeping.

I moved Naden’s hand aside and took gasping breaths.

“...Sorry. But why?”

“At the mother’s request.”

“Liscia’s?”

“When I explained about the procedure, she refused. She said she didn’t want her stomach cut.”

According to Brad, she hadn’t wanted her abdomen... or rather her abdominal muscles... to be cut during the Caesarean section.

For Liscia, who partook in the martial arts, having her muscles cut meant she might not be able to stand on the battlefield the same way she had before. That was apparently why she had requested a natural delivery instead.

“Fortunately, the babies are not in a bad position,” Brad said. “In Hilde’s estimation, a natural birth should be possible.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. But she’ll be in pain for twice as long as an ordinary pregnancy. There are two of them, after all. Well, even with that explained, the mother requested a natural delivery, so that’s how it is... I don’t really understand her thinking, though, to be honest,” Brad said scratching his head.

I agreed, but Naden said, “I feel like I get it,” showing some degree of understanding. Maybe it was some sort of motherly pride us men couldn’t understand.

“Hilde’s attending to her closely now,” Brad said. “Obviously, if we determine she’s in danger, we’re prepared to switch over to the Caesarean. Are you all right with that, too, sire?”

“If that’s what Liscia’s decided.”

She had chosen not to have her muscles cut even if it meant being in pain for twice as long.

Was Liscia that eager to stand on the battlefield?

Brad told me I could talk to her about the details in person, so we headed inside the house.

The maids were moving about frantically. The scene reminded me of the palace just after I was entrusted with the throne.

I spotted a familiar maid and called out to her. “Carla!”

“Wah?! ...Oh, it’s you, Master. You’ve returned to the country.”

The dragonewt maid Carla turned around. She was wearing a maid dress with a skirt short enough that she wouldn’t be out of place working in a maid café, but instead of a silver platter, she held a metal basin that even a grown man would have struggled to carry.

“We just got back,” I said. “What’s the basin for?”

“To hold hot water for the babies’ first bath. I was told bigger was better, so I flew off and found the biggest one in this domain.”

“No, isn’t this kind of too big? It’s the size of one of those small vinyl pools for children, you know?”

It was large enough that you had to worry about the babies drowning. Someone was going to be holding them during it, though, so it was probably fine...

“Wait, before that, show me to where Liscia is, would you?”

“Understood. She is in the large room upstairs.”

Naden and I followed Carla upstairs. There was a door in the second floor corridor that was left wide open. We could see maids constantly coming in and out of the room. That had to be where Liscia was.

Approaching the room, I heard what sounded like a woman’s groaning.

I dashed forward. “Lisci—”

“Stay out of the room!” someone shouted.

I came to a halt.

The three-eyed doctor Hilde came out. Hilde had an irritable look on her face as she put a hand on her hip and glared at me.

“I heard, and looking at what you’re wearing, I can tell. You were just up fighting monsters in the Union of Eastern Nations, right? And you came straight here as soon as you got back. Am I wrong?”

“Y-Yeah...”

“In other words, you came without cleaning off the grime from your journey. Don’t bring that filthy body into the same room as a pregnant woman and her babies! Weren’t you supposed to understand hygiene?!”

“Urkh... Sorry.” Hilde was absolutely right in what she was saying, so I gave her an honest apology.

In modern society, where we had proper hygiene, fathers were allowed to be present for the birth, but here in this world where that was not the case, it was probably better to leave things to the doctors.

Not only that, I had been touching monster corpses in the Union of Eastern Nations. I had wiped myself afterward, obviously, but I hadn’t taken a thorough bath yet.

“Is that... Souma...?” Liscia croaked from within the room.

I couldn’t see her with Hilde blocking the way, but I could hear her voice.

“Yeah, it’s me! Can we talk? You’re not in too much pain?”

“Yeah... I’m feeling up to it for now...”

“Y-You are? Well, I’m right here!”

“It looks like you made it. How about you, Souma? You’re not hurt anywhere?”

“I came back in one piece! Aisha and Juna and Naden and Tomoe all came with me! Roroa was holding down the fort for us, but she seemed full of energy, too!”

“I see. Good. You... didn’t do anything reckless, right?”

“Liscia,” Naden called. “This is Naden. What Souma’s saying is the truth. He may have been a little reckless, but he’s not hurt, so don’t worry.”

I heard Liscia chuckling. “So you were being reckless again... Maybe we need to have a little heart-to-heart later? But from what Naden says, it sounds like you’re okay...” She paused. “Thank you... for protecting Souma.”

“No, I just did what any ryuu ought to!”

“Souma, just stay there and don’t worry,” Liscia managed. “I’ll make sure I give birth to healthy babies.”

“‘Don’t worry’? You know I can’t do that! I hear you refused the Caesarean section, you know?”

“So you heard,” Liscia replied a little awkwardly. “Listen, if they cut open my abdomen, I might not be able to fight like before. I don’t want that. I still want to be able to command the military and fight in your place.”

“Y-You’re still planning to go out on the battlefield now that you’re a mother?”

“Wouldn’t any mother want her kids to see how cool she is?”

My shoulders slumped. “You’re going to be one tough mom...”

Hilde made a shooing gesture with her hands and chased me off like a wild dog. “Now that you understand, take off that uniform and wash yourself. You leave the princess to me. I swear you’ll be able to see her and the kids later.”

“I’m counting on you...” I bowed my head to Hilde, then temporarily left the room.

While I was trudging down the stairs, Carla felt bad for me and raised her voice to say, “Y-You know, Liscia may not look it, but she’s pretty tough. You must be exhausted from your long journey, Master. I’ll get the bath ready now, so wash off the dirt from the campaign like Hilde said and get some rest, all right?”

“Wash the dirt off... huh.”

I should pour some hot water over my head... No, in this case, there was something that felt more appropriate, wasn’t there? I clapped my hands together as if I’d just come up with a brilliant idea.

“Okay. I’m going to perform mizugori.”

“Mizugori?” Naden looked confused.

I nodded. “It’s a traditional method of prayer from my world. You pour well water over your head repeatedly to wash away the grime, while offering Shinto and Buddhist prayers.”

“Well water? It’s the middle of winter! If you do that in this cold, it’s guaranteed to be unhealthy! Stop being stupid!”

“That’s perfect,” I said. “Liscia’s trying her best, too. I need to do that much, at least.”

“Just calm down already!” Every hair on Naden’s body rose.

Bzzzap!

“Gyah!”

I collapsed on the spot.

Looming over my immobile self with her arms crossed, Naden sighed. “Honestly... This is so unlike you that I can’t bear to watch. Calm down a little already. If you collapse because you’re being reckless, that will cause delays in your duties and make trouble for everyone at the castle, okay? That’s not something Liscia wants, either.”

“Uhhh... But I’m worried.”

“I understand, but is pouring cold water on yourself going to change anything? A little water isn’t going to let the gods do anything for you. My god is Lady Tiamat, and she generally doesn’t even interfere in the world below.”

“That remark wouldn’t go over well with the followers of Mother Dragon worship or Lunarian Orthodoxy.”

“Besides, isn’t your whole thing that you leave the things you can’t handle yourself to other people? You can’t give birth, so trust Liscia, who can, to handle it.”

Naden was so right that I couldn’t say a thing in return.

Naden was a nonsensical being that could transform into a ryuu, but Naden herself was a common-sense person capable of reasoned thought. Her lecture to me made sense.

“You’ve got it more together than I give you credit for,” I sighed.

“That’s right. I’m the only one around to scold you right now. Aisha loves you like a loyal dog, Juna is too indulgent, and Roroa is more likely to goad you into doing something than stop you. I feel like I’ve gotten a lot of practice at it while Liscia’s been away.”

“You make me sound like some sort of problem child,” I objected.

“If you don’t have the self-awareness to see it, that’s pretty bad. But you were starting to get out of hand, so I want Liscia to hurry up and get back on the job soon.”

Wow, that was harsh. But I was in agreement about wanting to see Liscia soon.

“Oh, my.” A gentle voice came down to me. “If you sleep there, you’ll catch a cold, son-in-law.”

I sat up because the numbness was starting to fade and saw Liscia’s mother, the former queen Elisha, looking at me with a soft smile.

“If you’re tired, why don’t you come rest in my room?”

I wiped myself down in a hot bath, which Carla and the others had prepared for me after Naden’s stopping me from performing mizugori, and then put on a spare change of clothes I had borrowed from Sir Albert.

When I was finished getting changed and met up with Naden, who had likewise just finished wiping herself off, she was wearing a frilly apron-dress that made her look ready to chase a rabbit to Wonderland. It really suited the petite Naden.

“I think you look cute in that outfit, but where’d it come from?” I asked.

“Elisha forced it on me.”

It seemed the outfit Naden was now wearing was one that had been Liscia’s when she was younger. However, given Liscia’s personality, she hadn’t been willing to wear it often, so Elisha had wanted to take this chance to get Naden to wear it.

Liscia in a frilly dress... No, I couldn’t imagine it.

Naden transformed her scales into clothing (though it was all-black clothing) when she turned into her human form, so she didn’t really need a change of clothes, but where was the harm, once in a while?

“You look good,” I said. “Why not try dressing up once in a while?”

“I’ll think about it,” Naden said curtly, turning her head away, but her long tail was restlessly wagging back and forth, so it looked like she wasn’t entirely against the idea.

While I was smiling wryly at watching Naden try to hide how she really felt, Carla came in.

“Master. Lady Elisha is waiting for you in the parlor. Tea has been prepared.”

Carla put her hands together in front of her and bowed.

I felt like her performance as a maid had improved. Now that I thought of it, before we’d set out for the Union of Eastern Nations, Liscia had mentioned Carla was learning to cook with her. Maybe she’d learned various other things, too.

Carla led us to the parlor.

“I see you’ve gotten changed,” Elisha said. She gestured for us to have a seat on the sofa. “Please, both of you, come this way.”

Naden and I sat down side-by-side, and Lady Elisha personally poured tea for us.

“This herbal tea will help calm your nerves. Please, drink it first.”

“Oh, sure,” I said. “Thank you.”

Watching her gentle smile, Naden and I both took a sip.

Oh... It was good. Quite relaxing, too.

While I was feeling at ease, Lady Elisha sat down across from us. “Has that helped you to calm down a little?”

“Yeah... Ah! Um, sorry.”

For a moment, I had seriously relaxed.

Looking at me, Lady Elisha chuckled. “It’s your first birth. I can understand why you’d be tense.”

“...I’m sorry. Liscia’s the one who’s really having a hard time, and I’ve been told I should leave this to her, but... I just can’t help but feel anxious...”

She chuckled. “Albert was the same when I was giving birth to Liscia.” Her eyes took on a nostalgic look.

Wait, huh?

“Now that you mention him, I don’t see Father anywhere,” I said. “Where is he?”

“Oh, I’ve shut him away.”

“...Come again?”

“Today he was even more distraught than you are, milling around restlessly, so I gave him a sleeping... I gave him some medicine to calm him down, and put him to bed.”

What a troublesome man, she seemed to say as she put her hand to her cheek and sighed.

Wait, no, no, no! Didn’t she just start to say “a sleeping drug”?!

“Did you drug—” I began.

“Hee hee. I’m sure he was so eager to see his first grandchild that he just couldn’t get to sleep last night.”

I was aghast.

Forgive me, Father. Some subjects are best left unbroached, so please just rest quietly for now.

I was speechless, but that was Liscia’s mother for you. Liscia’s tough mom routine may have been inherited from her. You could tell she’d held the right to the throne before relinquishing it to Sir Albert.

Then Lady Elisha smiled. “I’m worried, too, myself, of course. It’s really hard giving birth to a child. I can tell you that because I’ve experienced it myself.”

“Mother...”

“However, you’ve arranged the best environment possible. You’ve sent talented doctors, and built the best environment for giving birth in this country... No, in the entire world. My daughter is more blessed than anyone.”

I was speechless for a different reason.

...Oh, crap. That nearly brought me to tears.

Feeling uneasy about the high rate of infant mortality in this world, and out of consideration for Liscia and the rest of my new family, I had set out to reform the medical system.

When she came right out and praised me for it like that, I felt something catch in my chest. I don’t know, I was just so grateful... I couldn’t speak.

Naden slapped me on the back. “I’m sure you already know this, but Liscia’s strong. If you weren’t around, I’d almost want her to be my dragon knight. So... I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

“Ha ha...” I laughed weakly. “Is that supposed to be encouraging me? I’d be in a trouble if you two became dragon and knight on me. I want both you and Liscia to be my partners, you know.”

“I-It was just an example... you dummy.” Naden turned away, pouting.

I laughed and drank my tea. Then, exhaling, I finally settled down.

“...I feel pathetic,” I admitted. “Seeing how cowardly I am next to Liscia.”

“You’re a man. It’s only natural,” Elisha said. “There are times when fear lets you detect danger and protect you family. It’s a natural sense we all have as animals.”

“...Thank you.”

Thanks to her, I was feeling a little better.

Just as I was feeling relaxed, Carla barged into the room, hardly bothering to knock.

“Master! It’s started!”

We all raced to the hallway in front of Liscia’s room.

“Urkh...! Ahh...! Ahhhhh!”

From inside, we could hear the cries of agony. Just the sound had me beside myself with worry.

I knelt down, intertwining my hands in front of my forehead, and prayed that she would be safe.

To God, to Buddha, to Mother Dragon. Even to Lunaria and the gods of the minor religions.

Please keep Liscia and our children safe.

Naden put an arm around my neck and hugged me.

...

The time seemed to go ten times slower than usual. I don’t know exactly how much time had passed, but that was how it felt.

“Wah...”

I heard a tiny voice, not Liscia’s, coming from the room. It was not large, but not too small, either.

When I looked up, Hilde emerged from the room.

“It’s a boy. His cries are a little quiet, but his color is good, and I see no problems.”

Having announced that, Hilde immediately returned inside the room.

...They were born. Were they born?

No, that was just the first. There was one more.

Please, let it be born safely! And let Liscia be safe, too!

I waited, praying like that for a while, and...

“Wahhhhhhhhhhh!”

There was an inexpressibly loud cry.

Unlike the previous voice, this one was loudly broadcasting that it had been born.

Hilde came out again.

“The second child is a girl! Who’d have thought it? A quiet boy and a girl with too much energy. Wouldn’t you just know your children would turn out like that?”

Hilde gave me a teasing smile.

The sudden release from tension made my shoulders slacken.

I unclasped my hands, letting them slump to the floor.

A boy and a girl.

The twins had been born safely... Thank goodness.

“Wait, is Liscia all right?!” I exclaimed.

“Have no worries. The moment the second was born and I let her hold her, she fainted in relief.”

“F-Fainted...”

“She struggled a long time. She’s just sleeping out of exhaustion. When she wakes up, you give her the praise she deserves.”

“Of course... Of course I will...”

Overwhelmed by emotion, tears began flowing from my eyes.

? ? ?

Where... is this?

I was in an empty space filled with milky white fog.

Huh? What was I doing up until now?

Where’s Souma? Where did everyone go?

While I vaguely wondered those things, I suddenly noticed a humanoid figure in a place a little ways away.

Two of them, actually. The figures were apparently looking at me.

The faintly glowing figures gradually took form, becoming like diminutive old people.

Judging by their silhouettes, were they an old man and woman?

Even squinting I couldn’t make out their faces, but somehow... I felt like they were smiling. Smiling gently in my direction.

I felt as though I knew who they were.

Um, could it be, you’re...

The moment I tried to say it, the two figures went further away.

Then the figures turned to me and bowed their heads. Until they vanished out of sight.

It was as if they were entrusting me with something that was very precious to them...

That’s when I woke up.

Looking up, there was a familiar ceiling.

This was my room in Father’s manor.

My whole body felt heavy. And tired.

I felt like if I relaxed even a little, I would lose consciousness again.

“Whoa! What’s all this?!” a voice shouted.

This voice was... Roroa? I looked down and found Aisha, Juna, Roroa, Naden, and Souma all around the bed where I was lying.

“They’re so cute!” Roroa squealed. “Just look at her tiny little hands.”

She was making a big fuss over something wrapped in cotton.

“Roroa! M-Me! Let me hold her next,” Aisha fussed.

“Here, Big Sis Ai. The princess sure is full of energy, ain’t she? She cries loud, and she’s always flailin’ her arms.”

“Hee hee.” Juna giggled. “You could say the prince is tame in comparison. Even with all the excitement around him, he’s sleeping and doesn’t cry much. Here, Tomoe.”

“Wow, he’s so cute and pudgy!”

What’s everyone having so much fun with?

While my addled brain pondered that, it happened.

“Fweh... Wahhhhhhhhhhh!”

It was a wail loud enough to clear the mist from my head.

“Whoa, what’re ya doin’ there, Big Sis Ai?!” Roroa objected.

“I... I was just holding her! There, there, don’t be scared.”

“Sh-Should I turn into my ryuu form and make funny faces?”

“That’s guaranteed to backfire,” Juna said. “I’d recommend against it. Should I try singing?”

“Sh-Should I let her cuddle my fluffy tail?” Tomoe asked tremulously.

“Seriously, what are you all doing?” I asked in exasperation.

Everyone turned and looked at me in unison.

“Liscia, ya woke up!” Roroa squealed.

Everyone was speaking at me from different directions, and when I turned to my side, Souma was sitting on the bed and peering at my face.

Ohh, I was wondering why I couldn’t see him, but there he is.

“Wahhhhhhhhhhh!”

Hold on... There had been a baby crying for a while now...

Wait, huh? A baby?

...!

That finally woke me up.

“Souma, the babies?!” I shouted.

“They were both born safely. You really worked hard.” Souma gently stroked my cheek.

Oh... They’d both been born safely. I’d been so desperate that I didn’t remember what happened all that well, but... now that he mentioned it, I recalled Hilde let me hold something warm before I blacked out. That had probably been one of the children’s warmth.

Naden came carrying the twins, laying them at either side of my pillow.

When the crying girl was laid down next to me, she instantly stopped crying. The boy was doing as he pleased and sleeping.

Our children were swathed in white blankets. They had been born safely. Nothing could have made me happier.

“When I look at the children’s faces, I can feel that my priorities in life have been changed,” Souma said, looking at their faces. “When I met you and the others, I felt your lives meant as much to me as to my own. But these children are a level even above that. If the time comes, I feel like I’ve got to give my life for these kids.”

“I know how you feel, so much that it hurts, but that’s not something a king should say,” I told him. “The lives of every person in this country rest on your shoulders, you know?”

“I know. But the part of me that isn’t kingly genuinely feels that way.” Souma gently stroked my cheek with a smile. “That’s why we have to protect the kids no matter what, ‘Mom.’”

“...You’re right, ‘Dad.’”

When we said that and shared a laugh, Aisha, Roroa, Juna, and Naden joined in laughing, too.

“As your kochiji, I pledge to protect not just you, sire, but these children as well, with every fiber of my being,” Aisha said. “I know! When they grow up, can I teach them martial arts?”

“Sounds good,” Roroa grinned. “I’ll teach ’em accountin’, too.”

“Hee hee, I suppose I would teach them to sing, then?” Juna asked.

“Teaching them to fly... isn’t something I can do,” said Naden. “But if I let them ride on my back, maybe it’ll be good training for riding an aerial mount like a wyvern.”

Souma watched the other four get excited with a wry smile.

“Hey, now... Don’t put too much pressure on them, okay? If you cram too many skills in there, they’ll never master any of it.”

I giggled a bit. “You’re right. If they’ll just grow up healthy, that’s enough for me.” I gently stroked the children’s foreheads. “So, fellow moms, please look after these children. I will, too, of course, and when all of our children are born, we’ll raise them all together.”

They all gave me a firm nod.

“Of course, Lady Liscia,” said Aisha.

“Hee hee. Let’s raise them all to be healthy.”

“Darn straight,” Roroa agreed. “With the group we’ve got here, we ain’t gonna ever have domestic troubles.”

“Roger that!”

Hearing four reliable responses from the four of them, I said to Souma, “This family... let’s protect it, no matter what. And for that...”

“Yeah. I need to make this country stronger and firmer.”

Because this country was our house. I needed Souma to protect it, and to go on supporting Souma.

For the sake of these new lives, too.

Epilogue 2: Welcome Home

— 11:00 in the morning on the 1st day of the 2nd month, 1,548th year, Continental Calendar — Parnam Castle —

On this day, I was with my family in the courtyard: my fiancées of Aisha, Juna, Roroa, and Naden, along with my little sister Tomoe and her friends Ichiha and Yuriga.

It was a cold day, but the skies were clear.

We were just staring into the open blue sky.

Ahh, I couldn’t calm down! I was restless and on edge. Time seemed to be flying by so fast.

My feet seemed to be floating off the ground, and even when I came to a stop, my heels would lift up for no reason.

In my head, I wanted to be calm, but my body and heart weren’t listening.

“Oh, geez! Calm down a little, would you?!” Unable to watch me any longer, Naden complained. “You’ve been acting too restless all this time. If you’re a king, act more dignified.”

“Nadie’s right,” Roroa said, hugging Naden from behind. “They’ll come back, whether you’re actin’ impatient or not.”

“Hey, Roroa, don’t hug me.” Naden tried to pry the nuisance off of her, but it had no effect.

“It’s fine, it’s fine!” Roroa said, playing around by clinging to her.

They were right, but... Still, I was beside myself with worry, so what else could I do? After all, today...

“Your fiancée and children who were visiting family come back today, right? Why do you have to be so tense?” Yuriga said, sounding exasperated.

That was right. Today was the day Liscia and the children would be returning to the castle.

I couldn’t go to pick her up because of my duties as the king, but the royal family’s wyvern gondola had already been sent for her. I had received word she’d be arriving soon, so we’d all come to greet her.

Yuriga shrugged her shoulders in resignation. “Besides, I’ve never even met this Lady Liscia person.”

“Isn’t that all the more reason you should pay your respects?” Tomoe shot back. “You and Ichiha are going to live in this castle, so you have to say hello to Big Sister, okay?”

“I... I know that.” Yuriga turned her head to look away.

With a wry smile at their antics, Ichiha curiously asked, “She’s the daughter of the former royal couple, and was the princess of Elfrieden, right? What is she like?”

“A gallant and beautiful princess,” Tomoe said confidently. “She’s the big sister I look up to.”

“If you want gallant, my brother is more than a match for her,” Yuriga scoffed.

“Murgh... You’re always so competitive, Yuriga!” Tomoe glared.

Ichiha quickly got in between them. “N-Now, now, both of you calm down.”

These kids were the same as ever.

Aisha, who had the best vision of anyone here, pointed into the sky and said, “It looks like they’re here.”

Spinning around to search where Aisha was pointing, I could see a gondola drawn by four wyverns coming toward us.

There was an escort of wyvern cavalry alongside it, too.

The gondola slowly approached, and eventually set down in the courtyard.

Once an attendant opened the door, Liscia in her usual uniform and Carla in her regular maid dress stepped out, each carrying a baby.

“We’re home, Souma, everyone,” Liscia said to all of us with a smile.

Her slightly longer than shoulder-length hair blew in the wind and sparkled.

It was my dear children and a woman I loved. I couldn’t help but stare at this scene, which was like happiness made manifest.

Eventually I came back to my senses, and rushed over to their side along with my fiancées.

“Welcome home, Liscia,” I said. “Sorry I couldn’t go pick you up.”

“Welcome home, Lady Liscia,” Aisha smiled. “I was eagerly awaiting your return.”

“Hee hee, it looks like the babies are sleeping,” Juna giggled.

“Ya got that right,” Roroa grinned. “Which of them’s the boy, and which is the girl?”

“The one Liscia is holding is the girl, and the one Carla is holding is the boy,” said Naden. “I can sort of tell by their magic.”

All of us were speaking to Liscia at once.

“Geez,” she said with a troubled smile. “I’m happy for the welcome, but calm down, all of you.”

Carla walked over to me and handed over the baby she was holding. “I have returned, master. Please take the young prince.”

“Welcome home, Carla,” I said, reaching out for the boy. “Good work guarding Liscia and keeping her company. But... when you call him the young prince, it suddenly makes me feel old. I mean, it’s not wrong, though.”

Even as I said that, I took my child, and...

“Wah...? Ahhhh!”

He suddenly burst out crying. Huh?! What was this, out of nowhere?!

I panicked, and tried to calm him with a, “There, there,” but there was no sign he was going to stop crying.

Even when everyone joined in with a, “What’s the matter,” and a, “Peekaboo!” nothing helped.

We were at a loss for what to do.

“Let Carla hold him,” Liscia suggested with a wry smile.

When I handed him back to Carla like I was told, the boy immediately stopped crying. Then, just like that, he dozed off again.

With an incredible look of relaxation. Was he that much happier in Carla’s arms than his own father’s?

“It seems he likes it in Carla’s arms,” Liscia said. “Sometimes he won’t stop crying while I handle him, but when Carla does it, he will.”

“As a parent, I’m getting jealous of Carla...” I complained.

“Th-There isn’t anything I can do about it, you know?!” Carla, who was getting flack for something that wasn’t her fault, protested, but she couldn’t blame us.

Liscia walked over to the three kids who were a little ways away. “You must be Ichiha from the Duchy of Chima, and you must be Yuriga from Malmkhitan. I’ve heard about both of you from Souma. Welcome to the Kingdom of Friedonia.”

“N-Nice to meet you,” Ichiha said nervously. “I’m the youngest son of the House of Chima, Ichiha Chima.”

“I’m... Yuriga. It’s... a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

With Liscia suddenly talking to them, both the kids seemed a little tense.

With Ichiha, that was only to be expected, but wasn’t Yuriga being a little too tense? Her earlier bravado was gone entirely.

“What’s wrong, Yuriga?” Tomoe asked. “You’re all stiff.”

She seemed to find Yuriga’s reaction a mystery, too.

“Wh-What are you saying?” Yuriga shot back. “I am acting absolutely normal.”

“Are you?”

“Of course I am. You little squirt.”

“H-Hey, shtop thaaaat.”

Yuriga was stretching Tomoe’s cheeks again.

Seeing Yuriga like that, Liscia chuckled. “From what I’ve heard from Souma, you’re even more of a tomboy than that.”

“N-No, not at all...”

“They called me a tomboy princess, too, so I can relate,” Liscia said with a big smile. “It’s nice to meet you.”

Yuriga nodded quickly.

Oh, I got it. Because they were so similar, Yuriga might have gotten tense when she’d sensed the same sort of air she herself gave off.

It had felt like a bigger version of herself had shown up, the way you feel when an older cousin suddenly addresses you.

“Hey, Darlin’? I had a question,” Roroa said while pulling on the cheeks of the baby Carla was holding. “Do they have names already? I feel bad if you’re just gonna keep callin’ them ‘the boy’ and ‘the girl’ forever, ya know?”

“Hm? Ohh, I hadn’t told you yet. We did name them. Right, Liscia?”

“Yes. We decided Souma would name the boy, and I would name the girl.”

As Liscia, Carla and I stood in a line, we announced the children’s names to everyone.

First, the boy Carla was holding.

“This is Cian,” I said. “It seems like a lot of people use names that are close to their parents in this country, and he’s likely to rule this country as a blood relative of the Elfrieden royal family someday, so I gave him a name that established his link to Liscia.”

“Hee hee, Cian, is it? Well, that’s close to cyan, which means blue, so I can relate,” the blue-haired Juna said happily.

It seemed everyone liked the name, so... honestly, I was relieved.

Liscia showed the girl she was holding to everyone and said, “And for this girl’s name, I chose Kazuha.”

“Kazuha? Hey, you ended up choosin’ a name that sounds kinda like Tomoe or Kaede’s, huh?” Roroa asked.

“She’s right, it does have the same sort of sound as my name,” Tomoe said, giggling.

Yeah, but why did she choose that name? I wondered.

Liscia, with a soft smile, explained the origin of it.

“You know, because of a mistake early on, he ended up being called Souma, but Souma’s actual first name is Kazuya, right? When we’re married and he inherits the names of Amidonia and Elfrieden, he’ll be Souma A. Elfrieden, right?”

“Yeah,” I said. “That’s what we decided on, right.”

“I felt sad knowing the name Kazuya would just disappear like that, so I gave this girl the name Kazuha. I thought I’d leave some proof that the name Kazuya did once exist,” Liscia said with a smile.

She’d chosen the name Kazuha out of consideration for me? Oh, crap. I was getting misty eyes.

If I burst into tears here, it’d be lame, so I held it in as well as I could.

“Kazuha, you say?” Aisha asked. “I think that’s a cute name.”

“I think it’s great,” Naden agreed. “It feels like a name from Souma’s world.”

It was kind of them to say that.

In the end, I had given a boy a name like Liscia’s, and Liscia had given a girl a name like mine.

It might seem too simple, but... you could feel a definite bond there, so we liked it. Hopefully the kids would like their names, too.

And so, turning around and pointing to the castle for the twins, I said, “Cian, Kazuha, can you see it? This is your home starting today.”

“They’re both asleep, so of course they can’t,” Liscia teased me.

Everyone laughed.

As I scratched my head in embarrassment, Liscia walked over to stand beside me.

“I was away for a while, but I see the castle’s more lively than ever.”

“We’ve got more family, and you’re back now, too, Liscia,” I smiled.

“Hee hee. And there are going to be even more new members after this, right?”

“I’m happy to have more kids, but I think I’ve got enough fiancées,” I said.

“I don’t know about that. Knowing you, you might just go with the flow again, right?”

“I can’t... deny that.”

I had a record here, after all. Like with Roroa, or with Naden.

While we were talking about that, Liscia leaned her head onto my shoulder. “No matter what happens after this, I’m sure we can overcome it.”

“You’re right.” I nodded. “If everyone’s with us, we definitely can.”

We smiled together, listening to the happy voices of our companions.

The spring, which would mark two years after I had been given the crown, was almost upon us.