Enkidu regained his smile quickly while at home.
Was it thanks to me or Johanna? No.
It is because we have the supreme cutie, the dignity of the household, our youngest.
“Brother~ This maiden wishes to eat sweet strawberries.”
“Strawberries, right? Okay... I‘ll bring them right away!”
Her name is Wakamo. As you can see, she is the daughter born between Tamamo and me.
Enkidu truly cherishes his much younger sister.
“Come to think of it, strawberries don‘t sound that great. Instead of strawberries... hmm. What would be good?”
“I‘ll bring everything out from the fridge! Just wait a moment.”
“Yes~. This maiden will be waiting anxiously only for you, Brother!”
It might look like she‘s treating him like a servant... and actually, that‘s correct.
Seeing him abandon a basket full of strawberries, which he had already hulled, without a shred of regret just to return to the kitchen for new fruit at Wakamo‘s single word...
He is my son, but I am truly worried.
Enkidu felt burdened by people around him always trying to take care of him, so he ended up feeling attracted to those who demanded things from him instead.
I noticed this a month after Wakamo was born.
It happened when Enkidu came home from school and held Wakamo.
-Dad. I think Wakamo is asking for something.
-Isn‘t it formula? It is feeding time.
-She is... demanding it from me, right?
-I suppose? She wants you to do it for her...?
-From me... Hehe.
It is a pitiful situation.
But I am in no position to lecture Enkidu.
“Father! I missed you!”
“Yes, yes! Wakamo. I missed you too!”
I am no different from Enkidu.
When she kneads my face with those small, fern-like hands, how can that not be cute?
“Father, give me a kiss (bbo-bbo)!”
“Okay, okay!”
“Khehehet! That tickles!”
She looks exactly like Mizukume, but unlike that time when she was forced to be mature due to family circumstances, she acts with all the greed and charm appropriate for her age. How can that not be cute?
If you think otherwise, you have no human heart. You aren‘t human.
Leaving Enkidu, who was busy chopping away in the kitchen, I played excitedly with Wakamo.
They say girls hit puberty early and distance themselves from their dads, but I don‘t know how relieved I am that our kind Wakamo doesn‘t have that.
It‘s good that she gets happy over small pranks, but the problem is that she sometimes plays dangerous pranks.
“Father. Can‘t you give me a kiss on the lips too?”
Like this.
As expected of Tamamo‘s daughter, she sometimes glares at me with dangerous eyes.
Right now, it‘s less dangerous because Gilgamesh and Johanna are meeting separately, but if all the wives were gathered and she played a prank like this, it would be dangerous.
Mostly for my night life.
“Lips? The lips are a bit...”
“Okaaay...”
Talk about a chore to deflect this properly.
“It can‘t be helped. Hmph. I miss Mom.”
When dangerous pranks don‘t work, Wakamo becomes unreasonable.
Like saying she misses the mom she hasn‘t looked for in a month, or suddenly saying she caught a cold.
She tells lies like that, but even knowing they are lies, I have no choice but to fall for them.
“Wooow...”
“Who made our daughter so sad? Hmm?”
“Hiiing...!”
Tears well up and drop down her pale skin. Even putting aside that she is our daughter, it is violent.
How many men‘s wallets will she empty when she becomes an adult? I fear for her in a different direction than Enkidu.
“Wakamo! I didn‘t know what fruit you‘d like, so I brought them all. In order: apple, kiwi, pear, mango, persimmon, pineapple...”
“Wow! Brother is the best! I love you!”
“Hehehe... This is nothing!”
Perfect timing, Son.
I handed Wakamo over to Enkidu, who arrived just in time, and slipped away.
Wakamo naturally rested her chin on Enkidu‘s shoulder and ate the fruit he offered on a fork, bite by bite.
“Is it delicious?”
“Yeah!”
The eldest who is seen very rarely. The sensitive second. The timid third. And the cute fourth.
You could say they are children with strong personalities—perhaps too strong.
Leaving the living room, I headed to the second-floor balcony.
As I climbed the stairs, the fragrant scent of coffee settled in. Johanna and Gilgamesh, sitting under a small parasol, welcomed me.
“Do you want a cup too? It‘s beans Draco sent; they‘re really delicious!”
“Not bad. It is a decent level to enjoy in a light setting like this.”
“If Gilgamesh says that much, should I try a cup too?”
At this point, I cannot avoid talking about Draco.
To do that, I have to explain what we did right after Incarnation.
Fuyuki‘s Grail was tainted with malignancy, and even after granting my wish, that malignancy did not disappear.
The Beast called Malignancy. If you remember that my purpose for coming to Fuyuki was to eliminate the Beast, then in truth, our job could be seen as unfinished.
The Beast was on the verge of hatching, and all the Servants who could stop it had become magical energy for the Grail.
Since they had incarnated as humans, I couldn‘t expect overwhelming power from Morgan or Gilgamesh either.
It was obvious that if a battle broke out, Fuyuki would turn into a sea of fire.
That was when Draco stepped up.
As another Beast herself, she absorbed all the malignancy of the Beast of Fuyuki.
How was that possible?
I don‘t know.
Morgan, Gilgamesh, and Draco whispered among themselves and took care of it.
I am not a magus, so I didn‘t try to hear the detailed explanation, nor did they explain it.
However, separate from the simplicity of the disposal method, there were aftereffects. Draco‘s physical age became fixed.
At least until she processes all the malignancy piled up by the Fuyuki Grail.
To solve this, Draco is traveling around the world.
Did she say she is spreading malice? She is spreading it in small portions so as not to cause negative effects, lowering the malignancy level.
Because of that, the time Draco spends at home is absurdly short. It‘s probably similar to our youngest, Wakamo.
It could be called a quite tragic story, but not really.
“Look at this. Draco sent another photo. She says it‘s the Amazon this time.”
“Amazon? She was in India last week.”
“She said she got on a plane right after sending it. She sent this photo from the plane coming to Japan too.”
Draco is enjoying her current life quite a bit.
While traveling the world for treatment, she got a taste for travel.
She visits various landmarks and uses her physical strength to go in and out of all sorts of rugged terrains.
Rugged terrains are places with few human footsteps. There is a lot of Mystery in such places.
Places rich in Mystery have many high-value magical materials.
Sending those home was one of Draco‘s hobbies.
“Look at this. She says the in-flight meal was terribly tasteless.”
“Since it is Babylonia Airlines, isn't she criticizing it out of spite?”
“See that. Marduk says the same thing. That woman is just being unreasonable.”
“Honestly, I didn‘t think it was that ta— Ouch!”
Draco‘s treatment is almost finished. It‘s safe to say she‘s fully cured.
Once Maria graduates, we decided to go on a world trip all together.
I know Draco is preparing very hard, and Morgan and Gilgamesh are planning it together too.
It is a fascinating thing in many ways.
To think the Emperor who sat upon the Empire has now become a traveler wandering the world.
Time is...
As I stared wordlessly out the window, Johanna and Gilgamesh poked me.
No time to get sentimental.
“Why are you making such a wistful face?”
“...Because all of this feels like a dream right now.”
“I am here. Wakamo and Enkidu are the same. Those who are far away are also within your heart.”
“Right. I was just saying.”
It was too much hardship to call it a miracle.
It was just staying by their side to call it effort.
“What should we call this...”
Enkidu came up bringing Wakamo. Wakamo had eaten so much fruit that her mouth was messy.
“Oh my, where are the tissues?”
“I‘ll wipe it, Small Mother.”
“Enkidu, you rest. You‘ve worked hard enough.”
Johanna took Wakamo and wiped her mouth. Wakamo stayed quiet without showing any sign of dislike.
To be precise, she seems sleepy. They say beauties sleep a lot; I can‘t even predict how much cuter she will become.
Why did Wakamo come up? The reason could be found in the fork held in Wakamo‘s hand.
“Dad, eat some fruit too...”
“Oh my~ You came up to give some to Dad? How admirable!”
One slice of kiwi! I cannot miss the fruit Wakamo is giving me.
As I ate it in one bite, Wakamo smiled broadly, seeming satisfied.
Me, Johanna, and Enkidu all ended up smiling like fools with relaxed expressions.
Having achieved her goal, Wakamo soon made a drowsy sound and dropped her head. Johanna supported Wakamo‘s head and went down to the first floor.
“I‘ll go put her to sleep~.”
“Okay.”
Enkidu, finding it awkward to stay next to Gilgamesh, bowed lightly and followed Johanna downstairs.
In an instant, only Gilgamesh and I were left on the terrace.
“Sit.”
“Shall I?”
I sat in Johanna‘s empty seat. The chair was still warm.
Facing Gilgamesh, her alluring crimson eyes seemed to pierce through me.
Years ago, it was uncomfortable, but now, I only think that her eyes are beautiful.
“Have you gotten used to it?”
“Well. I‘m not sure.”
“Why?”
The atmosphere seems deliberately relaxed, but I can tell.
Gilgamesh is worrying about me right now.
Though her tone is terrible.
“My body is too healthy, it‘s strange. Around this time, it should be time to die...”
“Shh.”
Gilgamesh placed her finger on my lips.
“Do not speak of death so easily.”
“...You‘re right. Sorry.”
“It seems this is the one thing you do not get used to. What a troublesome husband.”
“It‘s because the more peaceful it is, the stranger I feel.”
You sound like a warmonger. Gilgamesh said that and laughed.
The coffee was bitter.
I don‘t know if they are good beans. I preferred something sweet.
“Plants sprout their first shoots when they have taken root. Have you ever seen a plant that blooms flowers first?”
“Somewhere in the world maybe... but no.”
“That is how it is. Since you did not know how to live by taking root, this current life must feel even newer. Have you ever assumed you would harvest fruit?”
“I haven‘t.”
Children were too undeserved for me. I thought they were so precious I wouldn‘t be able to handle them.
Now, that child who felt so small and precious is graduating school and soon becoming an adult.
Rather than happy, it feels strange.
“Adapt. And feel it. No qualifications are needed to enjoy happiness.”
“What a famous quote. As expected of King Gilgamesh.”
“You speak like a newly hired secretary. Just like Siduri.”
After that, we chatted about work. The words of the Chairman leading the massive conglomerate Babylonia weren‘t anything grand.
It was just talking about the kids, and talking about our old age.
The sun set, and a breeze started to blow, so we decided to end the session.
To Gilgamesh, who was organizing the chairs and about to go in first, I spoke.
“It‘s not grand enough to call it effort, but I don‘t think I did it half-heartedly enough to dismiss it as coincidence.”
“Who disparaged my husband‘s efforts? I shall go and punish them. Speak.”
“No. It‘s not something someone said, it‘s just what I thought.”
Meeting Tamamo, meeting Tonelico (Morgan), meeting Johanna, meeting Gilgamesh, and meeting Draco.
“Meeting you all... was Fate. That‘s what I think.”
“Fate, is it? That has quite a nice ring to it.”
Gilgamesh wore a satisfied smile.
I felt the same.
“So? Why do you intend to skip the styling for tomorrow?”
“Even so, where is the need to prepare for 12 hours...?!”
“Father~ Not a chance. Let‘s start with the outfit first~!”