525 – Meeting the Grandparents, and a Date

"Wa-wait a minute, Touya-dono. I don't understand what you're saying. Yumina’s son? Our grandson?"

Well, that’s the expected reaction. His Majesty the King of Belfast and Queen Yuel were wide-eyed in shock at Belfast Castle. Sleeping peacefully in Queen Yuel's arms was Prince Yamato, Yumina’s younger brother.

"Let’s call it a space-time magic accident. He was swept from the future into our era. Ah, but don’t worry—he should be able to return to the future in a few months without issue."

"No, that's not really the problem here..."

I get how they feel. It’s not easy to accept it when someone suddenly shows up claiming to be your grandson from the future.

"I thought I’d gotten used to Touya-dono’s eccentric behavior to some extent, but this one’s a whole new level..."

His Majesty muttered in disbelief. Hey now, that’s a bit of an underhanded jab. And this time, it’s really not my fault.

"This is our first meeting in this time. My name is Mochizuki Kuon. It pleases me greatly to see you both well, ojiisama, obaasama."

"O-oh… Well, thank you for your politeness…"

As Kuon bowed his head in greeting, the King found himself instinctively bowing back. Ah, same reaction as when I first met him. Something about Kuon just makes you do that.

"For his age, he’s remarkably well-mannered."

"Fufun, right? Isn’t he just the best? My Kuon is such a good boy! A prince among princes!"

Yumina, standing proudly beside Kuon, beamed with smug satisfaction. She’s turned into quite the doting parent… not that I blame her.

Kuon is smart, polite, has Yumina’s good looks, and a great personality to boot. You’d want to ask, “What kind of fairy tale prince is this?” But well, he is a prince, so fair enough. …Hmph. Maybe I’ve become a doting parent, too.

When I mentioned to Their Majesties that the other wives’ children had also come, they were even more surprised. I also told them that Kuon had already greeted Emperor Regulus and the former King of Lestia.

"Are all your other children daughters, Touya-dono?"

"Yes. Kuon is my only son."

Upon hearing that, His Majesty leaned forward on the sofa, eyes sparkling.

"Then that means this child will be the next Duke of Brunhild! Excellent! Well done, Yumina!"

"Yes! I did it!"

For some reason, the two of them were chatting merrily together. I guess in royal circles, producing an heir really is a big deal.

While gently rocking the sleeping Prince Yamato, Queen Yuel asked Kuon,

"So, Prince Kuon is Yamato’s nephew, then?"

"Oobaasama, please just call me Kuon. Yes, Yamato-denka is my ojiue. He used to play with me a lot when I was little."

“When you were little,” huh? You’re still pretty little, though you are bigger than Prince Yamato in front of us.

From what Kuon says, it sounds like Prince Yamato and Edward-kun from Duke Ortlinde's household often played with our children.

Thanks to Yakumo’s ability to use [Gate] and Yoshino’s [Teleport], they apparently popped into Belfast Castle whenever they liked. I deeply apologize…

As I was apologizing to the future King and Queen of Belfast, Queen Yuel leaned closer to Kuon.

"So—what kind of boy has Yamato become? Is he doing well as the next heir to Belfast’s throne!? Please, tell me in detail!"

"U-uh, yes. Uncle Yamato is gifted in both the literary and martial arts, has a strong sense of justice, and always puts the people first. Father has said he’ll certainly become a great king."

"Oh my! Oh my, how wonderful!"

"Ooooh! That’s my boy!"

“Fuaaah…”

Beaming at Kuon’s words, Their Majesties looked lovingly at the sleeping Prince Yamato. Seems I’ve given their son a stamp of approval from the future. It’s kind of awkward for me, though.

I doubt Kuon would just flatter him like that, so it’s probably true. Sounds like the future of Belfast is in good hands.

After that, Their Majesties asked Kuon all kinds of questions, though there were plenty he couldn't answer and had to dodge. Being sharp, Kuon probably won’t spill anything Tokie Oobaasama told him to keep secret. He’s not likely to slip up like Alice either. A bit of a shame, really.

Once the greetings were over and we returned to Brunhild, Kuon was promptly kidnapped by Alice. She said she wanted to go play with him in town.

Yumina tried to tag along, but Lin talked her down, saying, “A date with the boy’s mom tagging along? That’s hell.” With a slightly stiff smile, Yumina saw the two of them off.

"...I feel like I’ve already had to let go of my child after just one day as a parent..."

"Well, you didn’t actually give birth to him, so don’t sweat it."

I consoled the slightly dejected Yumina. That day will probably come eventually… but it’s still a long way off.

"Your Majesty."

"Hm? Oh, Tsubaki-san."

While I was lost in thoughts of the future, I noticed that Tsubaki-san, head of Brunhild’s intelligence agency, was standing in the living room. Did something happen?

"That chimera-like creature has appeared again. This time, in a fishing village along the coast of the Kingdom of Rare."

Again, huh.

These synthetic beasts created by the so-called "Apostles of the Evil God" are implanted with mysterious, regular-octahedral cores and spread curses.

This fish-man type one has been sighted in coastal areas all around the world.

They’re not that strong individually. But if you get injured by one, the 'curse' spreads.

Anyone wounded by them develops a high fever, then their body begins to mutate—eventually turning into the same kind of fish-man.

Once transformed, they lose all memory and emotion from when they were human and simply vanish into the sea.

It’s as if the Apostles of the Evil God are assembling their own army, and it’s incredibly unsettling.

These synthetic beasts—chimeras—seem to carry some kind of divine protection from the Evil God. They don’t even show up on [Search]. It’s infuriating. I think I could detect them if I spread divine energy into the [Search], but the range is just too limited...

Whether it knew that or not, it had never appeared near Brunhilde. Well, aside from the Dungeon Island, there is no sea around Brunhilde…

“What about the damage to the Kingdom of Lea?”

“It seems the villagers fled and abandoned their village after the attack, but a few of them became casualties. When the Golem Knight Order of the Kingdom of Lea arrived for rescue, there wasn’t a single soul left in the village…”

Those who became casualties were undoubtedly turned into merfolk and taken away…

As I suspected, there’s a high possibility that their base is under the sea or on the seafloor.

I’ve asked Sango and Kokuyou to mobilize the sea-dwelling animals under their command to search for them, but we haven’t obtained any solid intel yet.

That’s because while animals like dolphins, seals, and turtles are reasonably intelligent and apparently can understand and act on what we tell them, as for the more numerous fish species, their communication is all over the place, and it’s questionable whether they even understand us. It’s like we can’t have a back-and-forth conversation. Well, they are fish…

We probably have no choice but to wait patiently for them to find something.

I’ve also asked Kougyoku to have the birds keep watch from the sky. My theory that they’re based in the sea is still just that—a theory.

Oh! That’s right! I should also ask them to let me know if they spot a strange child! According to Kuon and the others, Steph is quite the mischievous one, so she might get spotted quickly.

I sent a telepathic message to Kougyoku to share my idea.

　　　　　　　　　　◇　◇　◇

“Look, Kuon! This shop has been around since way back then! Even the bread tastes a little different! Isn’t that interesting?”

Pulled along by Alice, Kuon looked up at a bakery tucked into a corner of Brunhilde. He thought back to how he used to often come here with Alice to buy and eat bread in the future world.

The difference in taste probably meant the baker wasn’t as skilled yet.

Inside the shop, the owner was lining up bread. Both Alice and Kuon were familiar faces to the shopkeeper and often got freebies. The man visible through the window was significantly younger than the one Kuon knew.

“No one here knows us, but we know the townspeople so well. It’s a weird feeling.”

“Right? I thought the same.”

They’d lived in this town since they were born. Some buildings weren’t constructed yet, but there weren’t any huge changes. The two quickly adapted to the town.

Eventually, they reached their favorite place—a park built on a hilltop. Though it was called a park, it had no playground equipment—just a few benches. Still, it was a little-known scenic spot where you could get a panoramic view of Brunhilde.

“Ahh, seeing this familiar scenery really puts me at ease.”

“No, it’s actually quite different. That house with the red roof over there didn’t exist in our time, and that little house over there used to be much bigger…”

“Geez, Kuon, you’re so nitpicky!”

Alice pouted. From Kuon’s perspective, Alice was just too careless—but he didn’t say it out loud. He’d learned from birth that arguing with girls just made things unnecessarily complicated.

“I wish Steph would hurry up and get here already.”

“Seriously… Just thinking about what that girl might be doing right now gives me a stomachache. Without anyone to stop her, she could be doing something outrageous…”

The thought of his younger sister made anxiety rise within Kuon.

Steph, daughter of Sue, was the very definition of free-spirited—for better or worse. She took an interest in everything, acted immediately on her impulses, and while she did reflect on her actions, she never regretted them. Among their siblings, she was by far the most unpredictable one.

Kuon had been dragged into her reckless antics countless times and had paid the price for it. He really hoped she wouldn’t do anything unnecessary and would just come straight here—but he knew that was just wishful thinking.

When the dimensional quake hit, Kuon and Steph had been in almost the same location. That meant Steph should already be in this era. The reason she hadn’t arrived in Brunhilde yet could be due to the distance—or maybe something else…

Kuon silently prayed to the gods that she wouldn’t cause any diplomatic incidents.

As he sighed softly, a sharp slicing sound cut through the air overhead. A sword—still in its sheath—came flying down and stabbed forcefully into the ground with a thud!

It was the silver “Crown” that had been taken to Kuhn, the Infinite Silver.

‘Young master! Please do something about that neesan! She’s terrifying beyond words! I was this close to being filed down with a rasp!’

“Ahh… So, you escaped from Babylon. But how did you know to come here?”

Kuon looked up into the sky. Naturally, Babylon, now in stealth mode, wasn’t visible from the ground.

‘You’re my master, so of course I could tell! If you call for me, I’ll come flying from anywhere. And if it’s nearby, I can even teleport!’

“You’re surprisingly multi-functional…”

If only it didn’t have that weird talking function, it would be a pretty decent sword—Kuon thought regretfully.

As he was feeling that disappointment, Kuon’s smartphone buzzed in his pocket. The caller ID showed "Kuhn." No doubt it was Silver she was calling about.

"Hello?"

"Ah, Kuon? Is Silver over there with you?"

"Yes, she's here. Kuhn-neesama, what exactly did you do?"

"Nothing weird, really. I just ran a little current through her to check the materials and dripped a bit of sulfuric acid. She overreacted and started thrashing around, so I tied her to the workbench. But then she cut the belt and ran off."

Seriously? Kuon wanted to shout, What kind of torture is that? Maybe it’s not right to lump her together with humans, but for Silver, who clearly has a will of her own, it must have been terrifying. She was still trembling.

"So? Did you find anything out?"

"A few things, yes. Silver is definitely a golem, but also a magical creature. She’s using a special G-Cube and Q-Crystal, which sets her apart from the previous 'Crowns.' I’d say the blade itself has about the same strength and sharpness as the crystal swords Father made. If she really was created five thousand years ago to fight the Fraze, then that level of performance makes sense."

After telling Kuhn that he’d take care of Silver on his end and ending the call, Silver visibly relaxed. Pretty nimble for a sword.

It seemed Silver’s specs were higher than he expected—despite being such a disappointment of a sword when she spoke like some low-tier thug.

Apparently, though, this disappointing personality had formed specifically to match Kuon, which made him feel... complicated.

"I wonder if I could fix her with some behavioral correction..."

"Hii!? Why do I feel the same scary aura coming from you as that fairy tribe onee-san!?"

Silver skittered backward with a loud zazazaza! sound. She might be a golem, but she was also a magical creature. If she were a living being, wouldn't it be possible to train her? She had to be smarter than a dog.

That’s what Kuon was thinking—but he hadn’t realized she was already partially trained.

"Muu~! Kuon, you’ve been talking to that sword the whole time! That’s not fair!"

"Even if you say it’s unfair…"

He didn’t really get it, but Alice was sulking. They hadn’t been on a date alone together in a long time, and she was quite upset—but Kuon still couldn’t quite grasp those subtle emotional cues.

"Young master, who’s this tiny one?"

"I’m not tiny! I’m Alice! Alistella! Kuon’s future wife!"

"I, uh, don’t have a fiancée yet…"

Just as Kuon was about to throw in a retort at Alice puffing out her flat chest toward Silver, Silver threw in an unnecessary comment.

"Hah! Wife or whatever, I’m Young master’s partner! Always together, through life and death, we share a fate! Don’t compare me to some pipsqueak bride!"

"P-pipsqueak—!? Grrr! You cheeky rust bucket! Acting all tough when you’re just a downgraded Brunhilde!"

"Y-you...! That’s something you should never say!"

With Kuon stuck in the middle, the girl and the sword hurled insults back and forth. Things were about to escalate into a full-blown brawl (or something like it), so Kuon had no choice but to step in.

"If you two don’t stop fighting, I’m leaving you both behind. Also, I’ll call Kuhn-neesama and Mel-san."

The argument came to a screeching halt.

"Good. Now, both of you, make up."

"...Ehh..."

Voices filled with dissatisfaction leaked out from the two of them. Smoothly, Kuon took out his smartphone from his pocket with a smile still on his face.

"Make up~!"

Alice and Silver quickly bumped fist and pommel together in a panic.

With a giiiiii sound, Alice’s face twisted from the pressure while Silver’s pommel creaked under the strain—but well, close enough.

“Alright then, shall we go out to eat somewhere? …Ah, come to think of it, I don’t have any money…”

He had been torn between taking a carriage or buying souvenirs in the Regulus Empire due to a lack of funds. In the end, he chose not to ride and used the remaining money for souvenirs, leaving Kuon’s wallet completely empty.

“Ah! I’ll treat you! You know, I fought a demon dragon called 'Nidhogg' with Linne and the others before, so I’ve got some money!”

“Nah, having a girl pay for me is a bit…”

Kuon hesitated. ‘A prince must always be kind to children and women, and never burden them’—that was what his mothers had always told him. And besides, he had at least a little pride to uphold.

“Hmmm... Well, it's fine even if you don’t have any, but it's better to have at least a little on hand, right…? I suppose we should come up with something.”

‘Money again, huh? Young master, ain’t ya a prince? Couldn’t ya just ask yer pops, the king, for some allowance or somethin’?’

“We try to be as self-sufficient as possible. Even Father covers our family’s living expenses with earnings from the Adventurer’s Guild. Not a single copper coin of the people's tax money is used to support our family.”

In principle, all taxes and national income in Brunhilde were allocated to national projects. The living expenses of the royal family, the Mochizuki household, were almost entirely covered by the personal funds of the head, Touya.

From commissions by the Adventurer’s Guild, royalties from various products sold by the Strand Company, and rental fees for Frame Gears in various countries—Touya earned a substantial amount. And though the family was large, it was more than enough to support them.

Well, there was the money-eating black hole known as “Babylon,” so to say they were flush with savings would be… a bit of a stretch.

“Then let’s earn some money together! If we go just outside town and hunt a few magic beasts, the Adventurer’s Guild will buy them, and that should be enough to cover a meal!”

“Magic beasts, huh…? Ah, right, they’ll still buy them even if we don’t have guild cards. Hm. Not a bad idea.”

Around Brunhilde, there were relatively few magic beasts. That was because many adventurers came seeking the Dungeon Island, and naturally thinned the numbers.

Still, that didn’t mean there were none. If they searched, they’d likely find one or two without much trouble.

“I’d like to have at least enough for tea. Alright, let’s do that.”

“Yay! Let’s go, just the two of us!”

‘Oi! Don’t forget I’m here too!’

Ignoring the two as they once again bickered—‘Third wheel!’ ‘You little brat!’—Kuon took out his phone to notify his father and mother that he’d be heading out of town. He was responsible like that.