Seated at the small but cozy table by the entrance of the house, Ronald glanced around, avoiding looking at Beatrice, who was rubbing her forehead, clearly furious.
Luke had to return to his work, while Angela went to the kitchen to prepare something warm, leaving the two of them alone.
After a long silence, Beatrice finally spoke.
"Give me one good reason not to kill you right now."
"Yes, Betty, I'm happy to see you too," Ronald replied, his voice casual.
Seeing how easily he responded, Beatrice grew even more furious.
"Oh, really? So happy to see me that you forgot to mention you didn't die over forty years ago?!"
Seeing how angry she was, Ronald lowered his head and apologized quietly.
"I'm sorry."
"You... what exactly happened to you?" Beatrice asked, though she decided not to push further, expecting at least some explanation.
"As you know, after joining the Duke's army, I moved to his territory, where I lived with the other soldiers, going through training and missions," Ronald began, and Beatrice nodded, as she already knew this part.
"Life was pretty monotonous but satisfying. Thanks to the resources there, I could get stronger quickly. But then came the event that devastated both our western and northern territories, the monster invasion from Dragon Peaks Mountain."
"I know, even those of us far from the border felt its effects. That was the last time we heard from you," Beatrice said, with a hint of resentment.
"...Hmph." Pretending not to hear her words, Ronald cleared his throat and continued.
"Anyway, I don't know what the rumors said, but seeing thousands of monsters charging isn't a pleasant experience. Only the gods know how many fractures there were."
At the mention of fractures, Ronald's tone turned serious.
Fractures were a natural phenomenon where, when mana stagnated in one place for too long, it created a rift to a hostile, unknown land from which monsters emerged. The only way to close a fracture was to kill the monster leading the group.
"The monster eradication campaign lasted almost a year, and let's just say that by the end, I realized life in the army wasn't for me, so I faked my death and ran away."
He said the last part much faster, but Beatrice couldn't miss it. She stared at him in disbelief, pale.
"You... deserted?!"
"I prefer to call it early retirement."
At his joke, Beatrice had a strong urge to throw the plate in front of her at him, but she stopped herself because of the child Ronald was holding.
"Jokes aside, the campaign was practically over, so my disappearance didn't cause any changes," Ronald explained.
"But I still don't understand why."
Ronald sighed, understanding Beatrice's confusion. He had been part of the Duke's army and had even accomplished remarkable feats. He could have aspired to become a knight, but—
"I didn't feel alive."
Ronald looked up at the ceiling, as though trying to remember what he had felt back then.
"I was getting stronger, and my influence was growing, but it wasn't what I wanted. I wanted freedom, to keep climbing higher, but in the army, it was impossible. Given my talents, I couldn't just leave. I could have limited myself and made others lose interest in me, but I couldn't stand wasting time. In the end, it was the only option."
"Haaah... I almost forgot about your stubbornness." Beatrice sighed, massaging the bridge of her nose.
"After that, I wandered around the continent for a while, then decided to explore the lands of the New World, and here I am."
Beatrice's eyes widened in surprise. The New World was a continent that had been discovered about fifty years ago, but then her expression grew sad.
"You could have let us know something. All the time I spent waiting... never mind, it's all in the past."
Ronald tried to say something, but eventually closed his mouth as Beatrice simply shook her head, focusing instead on the child in his arms, who had likely woken up from the noise.
"The child, is he your son? Or no, is he your grandson?"
"Nothing like that. He's something I was entrusted with, and I foolishly swore to take care of him."
Ronald's words were harsh, but from what little Beatrice had seen, it seemed like he was genuinely trying to make the child comfortable.
"Sorry for the delay, and be careful, it's hot."
Finally, Angela came out of the kitchen, bringing hot tea and something to eat, which she placed on the table before kneeling next to Ronald, bringing herself to the child's eye level.
"He's so adorable, and look at those beautiful eyes! By the way, what's his name?"
"Kael. That's what his parents told me."
"They..."
Ronald simply shook his head, and both women understood.
"I see, it must have been tough for you to take care of a child alone," Angela said, smiling warmly at the child.
"You can bet on it. These little creatures only do three things continuously: eat, poop, and sleep."
Angela burst out laughing, while Beatrice had to struggle not to spit out the tea she was drinking.
"How much I would've paid to see that scene."
Ronald shot Beatrice a glare when Angela made a suggestion.
"Do you want me to take care of him?"
At the suggestion, both of them looked at her strangely.
"I remind you that you already have a daughter," Beatrice pointed out, but Angela shrugged.
"I have enough energy to take care of one more child."
Ronald listened to the proposal but soon shook his head.
"Besides the fact that accepting your offer would make me seem like an opportunist, as I said before, I swore to take care of him."
Beatrice seemed surprised, remembering the kind of personality Ronald had, while Angela nodded in satisfaction.
"You just earned a lot of evaluation points from me, but you can't deny that you need a hand."
Ronald had no way to refute it. The months he had spent taking care of Kael hadn't been easy, especially while traveling. Moreover, he had no parental skills whatsoever, so more often than not, he didn't even know what he was doing. At the same time, though, he didn't feel right burdening the young girl.
"I don't know..."
"Just accept it, Ronald. As she said, this girl has more than enough energy. I still remember how she never stayed still for a single moment when she was little."
"Mom!"
Watching the two joke around, Ronald smiled in resignation and slightly tilted his head.
"I'll be relying on you, then."
"No problem! Besides, I can't wait to take care of this little one."
Angela gently touched the baby's nose, making him giggle innocently and warming the atmosphere.
"By the way, I haven't seen your... father yet. I think it would be appropriate to introduce myself."
At first, Ronald had intended to say "husband" when addressing Beatrice, but it felt odd, so he settled on "father" while speaking to Angela. Not that it made much of a difference, but it put him more at ease.
What he hadn't expected, however, was the sudden shift in atmosphere, now heavy with sadness and melancholy.
"Unfortunately, Mr. Ronald, that won't be possible. My father is no longer with us; he has returned to the embrace of the gods," Angela said softly.
"...My condolences," Ronald quickly replied, blaming himself for bringing up the subject.
"When Angela was still a child, a fracture appeared near the village. Fortunately, at the time, Baron Romulus was patrolling his lands and managed to eliminate the threat, but there were many casualties, my husband among them."
Beatrice's voice was filled with bitterness, but for Ronald, the matter was different.
"That's impossible. The geography of this region prevents mana from stagnating. How did a fracture form?"
"Honestly, I don't know. Since then, monster attacks have become more frequent, which is also why we sought proper support from the Baron."
Hearing Beatrice's explanation, Ronald immediately understood the reason behind the emblem on the guards' and Luke's armor.
"That kind of support must come at a high price."
"Taxes have increased significantly, but so have the benefits. Soldiers frequently patrol the area, and a small academy has been built to train the younger generation. Those who show potential can work under the Baron's emblem, Luke is a good example," Angela explained.
"Put like that, it doesn't sound too bad."
After exchanging a few more words, it was time for Ronald to leave, so the two women accompanied him to the entrance.
"Thanks again for everything."
"It's nothing. We're here if you need anything, especially now that we're neighbors," Angela said with a smile.
"Hmm... Betty, if you don't mind me asking, who was your husband?"
Even though he knew it was a sensitive topic, Ronald couldn't suppress his curiosity.
Beatrice raised an eyebrow but answered nonetheless. "Tomas."
"Wait... Tomas the crybaby? That Tomas?" Ronald asked, dumbfounded.
"Why? Is there a problem? Unlike someone I know, he didn't fake his death."
At the sharp remark, all Ronald could do was smile bitterly.
"Hah, fair enough. I should get going now. Good night."
After saying his goodbyes, Ronald headed toward his old home, leaving the mother and daughter to watch him walk away.
"He seems much more interesting than you described," Angela said cheerfully.
"He's just an idiot."
Beatrice huffed, while Angela smirked mischievously.
"Maybe, but it's been a long time since I've seen you smile this much."
Realizing her lips were curved upward, Beatrice covered her mouth, then playfully kicked her daughter's rear as punishment for embarrassing her, eliciting a pained yelp from Angela.