Blankon Announcement

501 Parent-Child Performance, and a Circus.

A beautiful melody fills the room.

With light, swift movements, fingers strike the keys, creating a rhythm.

"The Grand Waltz Brillante." One of Chopin's waltzes is particularly famous alongside "The Minute Waltz." Although composed during his youth, it has the charming allure typical of Chopin.

Playing it effortlessly on the piano is Yoshino, my daughter with Sakura.

Yoshino is not only talented at singing but also in playing instruments. Honestly, she's much better than me. "The Grand Waltz Brillante" is quite challenging for a child with small hands to play.

Without showing any sign of struggle, Yoshino plays to the end, stands up from the bench, and bows deeply.

Simultaneously, everyone who had been captivated by the music breaks into applause. I, too, enthusiastically applaud, completely enraptured. Our kid is a genius!

"That was a great piece. Yoshino, you're amazing."

"Hehe. Mother, thank you."

Yoshino hugs Sakura, who had been applauding. I'm standing right here too, you know. Feeling a bit jealous.

"Yoshino can use magic through her performances."

"Performances?"

Not understanding what Frey meant, I asked, and Yoshino took out her smartphone and launched an app.

Then, a band of light flew out from the smartphone, fixing itself in front of her. It was a glowing, semi-transparent keyboard floating in the air.

"This keyboard activates magic. It's called 'Performance Magic,' and it's based on the same principle as Mother's 'Singing Magic.' The effects vary depending on the song."

"That's amazing... Who made this?"

"Kousuke-niisama gave it to me."

At that moment, Kousuke-niisama appeared, strumming a lute. Whoa. When did he get here?

The music god Kousuke-niisama handcrafted this. Isn't this a divine artifact? What? It's not a divine artifact because it doesn't use divine power? I see.

Wait, wasn't it future Kousuke-niisama who gave this to Yoshino? Do gods exist simultaneously in different timelines? Are they existing as the same body regardless of past, present, or future?

As I pondered these confusing thoughts, Yoshino launched the app, this time summoning a glowing flute-like instrument.

"There are many different types of instruments."

"I see. You use them according to the situation. Just like Frey's transformation type."

But surely, this has the blessing of the music god... It might not be for direct combat, but ordinary humans wouldn't stand a chance.

"But I prefer playing music over using it in fights. Everyone is happy when I play and Mother sings."

Well, I mean, you two make the strongest unit. If we sold something like a CD, it would probably break sales records.

"Father, let's play together! Let's do a duet!"

"Ah... something simple, then..."

Our levels are too different! I can't handle those advanced techniques!

After that, we ended up holding a mini family concert, with me and Yoshino playing a duet and Sakura singing.

It was fun, but I was so worried about making mistakes that I got extremely tired...

◇ ◇ ◇

By the time we had six children, things had gotten quite lively.

The children, who were staying at the castle as relatives, quickly adapted to life there... No, having lived there since birth, it was natural for them to be used to it.

Rather than "a familiar stranger's house," it was "their own home."

Now, each of them lives as they please. Kuhn is up in Babylon, creating something suspicious with the professors, and Frey is swinging swords cheerfully with the knights.

"Like this?"

"Yes, just like that. Next, go through this stitch..."

Linze and Elna are knitting together in the salon. Meanwhile, at the training ground, Elze and Linne are having a fierce sparring match.

Sometimes, the combinations of mother and daughter switch, and sometimes it feels more fitting. Maybe their personalities match better that way.

Asia is still experimenting with new dishes in the kitchen. Sometimes she goes hunting with Karin-neesan. She said she wanted to carefully select ingredients.

Yoshino often teleports somewhere. This is currently our biggest concern.

We told her to always take Luri with her as a chaperone, to come back by nightfall no matter what, and to avoid going to other countries on her own. If she causes any trouble in another country, it would be a big problem...

When I complained about how troublesome it is to deal with someone who can use teleportation magic, Kousaka-san smiled warmly and said, "It's good to have your understanding." Well, uh... sorry for always causing trouble...

Escaping from that situation, I came to Babylon's "Research Lab."

Apparently, they had finished analyzing the merman who attacked Aroza Island.

When I entered the "Research Lab," I found the merman lying in a capsule, with Tika, the manager of the "Research Lab," and Flora, the manager of the "Alchemy Workshop," waiting.

"To get straight to the point, this merman is 'human.'"

"Huh?"

Tika, the manager of the "Research Lab," said abruptly. Human? This guy? It looks like a merman to me.

"To be precise, it was 'once' human. Its body has been modified, combining human and other life forms to create a new organism... In other words, it's a 'chimera.'"

"A chimera?"

I couldn't help but voice my reaction to Flora's words from the "Alchemy Workshop."

"I've heard of chimeras before..."

"Chimeras typically have a lion's head, a goat's head, and a snake's tail. This is something completely different."

"This merman was created by combining a human with a fish-type magical beast using some method. It possesses both the characteristics of fish and, presumably, human intelligence, making it a unique life form."

A unique life form. So they've created a new species.

The blue crystal embedded in the merman is probably the source of its power.

With the curse's power and the merman, it's clear that the evil god's power is involved. These creatures are essentially the evil god's minions.

"And if a human gets bitten and turns into a merman?"

"It's due to the 'curse.' However, it doesn't spread like a disease. Only those individuals with the crystal carry the curse."

Hmm. So it doesn't spread in a chain reaction. If there were too many of them, it would be hard for just Elna and me to handle. We might need to prepare magic tools enchanted with [Recovery].

"But why would they do such a thing..."

"Our hypothesis is that the purpose was to draw out 'fear,' 'anxiety,' and 'despair' from people through the 'curse.'"

...That's plausible.

The evil god gains power from people's negative emotions. Everyone has those feelings, but most people don't show them.

Using a 'curse' to draw them out is an effective method.

Fear of the unknown, anxiety about what can't be understood, despair about helplessness. These emotions can be generated in a chain reaction.

Moreover, this affects not only those cursed but also others around them. Seeing a friend fall ill for an unknown reason, fear that they might be next.

Exactly what the evil god wants. Is their goal the resurrection of the evil god?

"By the way, Master. I believe I did quite a lot this time."

"Huh? Well, I guess so..."

Suddenly, Tika steps forward and says this. What? Suddenly boasting about her efforts?

"I think you should reward me, Master. Specifically, allow me to join your daughters for some fun in the bath!"

"Rejected, you idiot."

What kind of nonsense is that with a straight face!? This useless lolicon is as always!

"Why!? I'm the only one prohibited from interacting with your children! It's unfair!"

"Of course! If you traumatize them, what am I supposed to do!"

"I'll take responsibility and marry them!"

"You're banned from leaving the 'Research Lab.'"

"That's cLuul!"

What's cLuul is your behavior. I have a duty to protect my children as a parent. I won't let dangerous people near them.

Ignoring Tika's complaints, I head to Babylon's "Workshop." Kuhn should be there. Hopefully, he isn't making something strange again...

When I enter the "Workshop," I see Kuhn on some kind of weird contraption.

No, it's not really weird. It's the same as the construction machine Dvergr developed by the dwarves.

However, it's more compact. The head and chest are exposed as a seat, and the magic mechanism is on the back. It has short but sturdy legs and arms attached to the main body.

It looks like a powered suit, but since it doesn't cover Kuhn's limbs, it falls under the category of a vehicle.

Using that vehicle, Kuhn was stacking blocks.

"What on earth is this...?"

"It's a little test run of a prototype. I combined Frame Gear technology with Golem technology to see if we could create a more advanced, yet compact, humanoid bipedal work machine," Doctor Babylon boasted, approaching me with a smug look on her face. Seriously, what are you making my daughter do?

"I named it 'Armed Gear.' It was supposed to be a toy just for Kuhn, but it's pretty well made, don't you think? With the right armaments, it could take on an entire division."

"Could you stop giving her dangerous toys without her parent's permission?"

Clearly, this thing is way beyond the realm of a toy. Honestly... I should probably keep an eye on this.

"Oh, Father! Look at this! Isn't it amazing!? I made it!"

"Wow, that's incredible! You did a great job! So proud of you!"

"Hehe, of course!"

Grr... When she smiles at me like that, there's nothing I can say...

I turned around to see Doctor Babylon grinning at me.

"You're a textbook example of a doting father. I never thought you'd change so much after becoming a parent. How amusing."

"Shut up..."

I can't argue since I know it's tLuu. Maybe I'm spoiling them too much, but I figure it's okay while we're in this world.

Well, my kids are adorable, so it's fine!

As I was rationalizing this, Yoshino and her attendant Ruri appeared in front of me with a swoosh.

"Yoshino, you shouldn't teleport around so carelessly..."

"Father! Something exciting has come! 'Sakasu!' 'Sakasu!'"

I was about to reprimand Yoshino for teleporting when my overly excited daughter cut me off.

'Sakasu'? What is that?

"Ruri?"

"It means 'Circus,' Master."

I was confused, so I asked Ruri, and that's what she told me.

A circus, huh. So, a circus has come to town.

Circus. That means an acrobatic troupe.

There are circus troupes in this world too, traveling from town to town to perform. I once saw one in the royal capital of Belfast, but I've never actually gone to see a performance.

From what I've heard, the circuses in this world are a bit different from those in ours, including plays, songs, and dances. On the other hand, there's not much in the way of magic tricks or animal acts. Maybe it's because this is a world with magic and summoned beasts.

"So, what's up with this circus?"

"It looks fun! They have all sorts of acts! Let's go watch it together! Look, I got a flyer!"

Yoshino spread out a flyer in front of me. Let's see...

"Worldwide Acclaim! The Circus of Illusions and Enchantment, the Complete Troupe, finally arrives in Brunhild!"

'Worldwide Acclaim!' huh. That smells like a 'Brought America to Tears!' type of tagline, but they wouldn't say that without confidence. Maybe it's a pretty famous circus troupe? I haven't heard of them, though.

"Oh, the circus is here? That sounds interesting."

"Right? Kuhn-Oneesama, let's go together!"

Kuhn, who had been listening to our conversation from atop her Armed Gear, called out.

The circus, huh... Well, I haven't seen one either, so I'm a bit curious.

We could invite them to the castle, but it might be better to go incognito and watch.

The kids seem excited, so let's invite everyone and go.

◇ ◇ ◇

"The circus, huh. That sounds interesting," Yumina said, looking at the flyer Yoshino brought back. It seems the wives are also interested.

"Have you seen a circus before, Yumina?"

"Only once. We invited them to perform at the castle in Belfast. They had all sorts of acts, and it was a lot of fun."

"Oh, so they were invited to the castle. As expected of someone born into royalty. His Majesty the King of Belfast enjoys such events. He likes plays and the like."

Listening to our conversation, Leen joined in.

"I’ve seen it once too. It was in Mismede. I watched it with His Majesty the Beast King. The act where they juggled multiple knives and axes in the air was amazing."

Juggling, huh. Knives are one thing, but axes? That’s terrifying.

"They have plays too? What kind of plays do they do? I'd like to see a romance," Linze said.

"I'm interested in this 'Strongman Weightlifting' act. Can we join in?" Elze added, looking excitedly at the flyer.

Please, no joining in. Think about the weightlifters... Elze could probably lift 100 or 200 kilograms without even using Boost. With Boost, she might lift a ton.

...I just realized, would the acrobatic acts at the circus even impress my family? Things like tightrope walking or balancing on a ball might just make them think, "Oh, I can do that too."

If that's the case, I don't want to raise the kids' expectations too high... Based on the acts listed, there are plays, songs, and dances, just as Linze mentioned. Maybe it’s like a musical? That could be enjoyable. But this 'contortionist' act is definitely beyond us.

"It might be better not to invite the circus to the castle," Luu suggested.

"It would take up a whole day, and I want the townspeople to enjoy it too," I agreed.

So, we’ll go see the circus ourselves instead of inviting them. I think it’ll be fine if we use Mirage to change our appearance.

I just heard from Kousaka-san that the circus set up their tent in an open area south of the central square. We’ve given them permission, of course.

"Is this everyone’s first time at a circus?"

"Yes. We haven't seen many plays. Father showed us lots of 'movies' and 'anime' though," Frey answered my question.

Plays too? Why’s that?

"Hehe, because the popular plays in the future are mostly about Father. He doesn’t want to take us because he hates them," Kuhn explained with a laugh.

Huh? That’s news to me! Plays about me? Like the story about Princess Yuna and Hero Touya written by Princess Refreese, using me as a model!?

"Oh, I snuck in and watched it once. It was the story of how Father and Mother met. 'The Adventures of Hero Touya Episode 4: The Empire Strikes Back,'" Asia said.

"What!?" Luu and I shouted together. The Empire Strikes Back!? Is that about the coup in the Regulus Empire? Sure, I met Luu during that time, but still!

"The scene where Father challenges the rebel general to a one-on-one duel and defeats him with his ultimate move, the 'Touya Slash,' was the best part!"

Wait, what’s that lame ultimate move!? I remember throwing the general into a sludge box until he passed out. Sure, it wasn't a scene that would work in a play, but still!

It’s been heavily altered... That’s more than just dramatic embellishment. It's practically a different story...

Now I understand why my future self didn’t want to take the kids. Of course, he’d hate it.

"I kind of want to see it..." Luu said.

"No, it’s not about us! It’s completely made up!" I told Luu, who looked more than a little intrigued. I bet they put a disclaimer saying, 'This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events, is purely coincidental.'

For the first time, I truly felt like changing the future... Dammit.

I later discovered that 'The Adventures of Hero Touya' had nine episodes, which left me in utter despair.