— Year K431 —
Dear diary… no, I suppose that's a bit cliché, isn't it?
Anyway, a few months have passed since the battle against the Man-God, and without that looming threat hanging over me, I found myself having quite a bit of free time.
And so, I decided that it was about time to take writing this diary seriously one more, considering I had been slacking quite a bit over the past few years.
As for what had happened around the family during this time… well, for my wives and children, nothing particularly of note, but as for the others… well, my brother had quite the surprise.
With Shizuka no longer in a state of fate-induced temporal stasis, her biological functions had returned to normal, such as her time of the month I had briefly witnessed her suffering through, and as a result of that… well, she was pregnant.
We wouldn't be able to see the new member of our family for another seven months from now, but I was definitely happy to see how excited she was.
And she wasn't the only one being blessed with a child, as Ghislaine had nonchalantly announced one day that she had gotten pregnant as well, and would thus be taking a break from strenuous activities.
To think those two would actually be having a child together… I still wasn't able to completely wrap my head around it, despite understanding the logic.
Ah, and now I'm being called to watch over the twins… well, I suppose I'll have to return to this later.
— Year K432 —
Aria had her tenth birthday last week, and as my wives and I had agreed upon before in regard to our children's future, she enrolled in the academy just yesterday and would be moving out to live on campus.
Having my sweet little girl spending her days away from me… it definitely hurt, and it made me feel like something was missing in the world… and to think that it had only been one day… perhaps that was what had driven me to write an entry tonight.
Either way, she was just as upset as I was when we told her she would be living in the dorms, but after having a long conversation to calm her down, and the fact that she could come home whenever she wished on the weekends, she eventually accepted the situation, and was actually quite excited to be able to meet some new friends.
And as for Shizuka and Rudy's kid… well, they had gotten themselves a baby girl.
One Sakura Greyrat, having inherited her mother's black hair, and her father's green eyes.
Quite the little cutie, my niece was, and thankfully, despite being a few years younger than her siblings, she was still quite near the age of Evelyn, Arthur, and Athena, so she would still have people close by to play with as she grew up.
Ah, and thinking back on yesterday, one thing I noticed when Aria gave us a hug before heading into her dormitory… it was that look that Roxy was wearing.
A bittersweet sadness that contained a lot more pain than my expression probably did.
Right… she was scared of watching her grow up.
More scared than me.
And knowing why… well, it was about time that I started working as well.
I did have those research documents from the Dragon World in the basement, as well as a lot of free time now… and I would never let the fears that Roxy harbored come true.
— Year K433 —
Another child had reached their second birthday… this time, the child in question being my sweet little Anna.
But this one was… much harder to accept than any others.
We had agreed years ago that if she had obtained the basics of my swordsmanship and magic skills, which she had, she would be able to go to the Sword Sanctum to further train in the sword.
She was already able to beat back most Intermediate-ranked swordsmen, and even some weaker Advanced-rank ones, so it wasn't like I was worried about her getting hurt, but… I was still sad to think she would be leaving home so early.
But thankfully, I had the others to keep me company, and she still had the stipulation of needing to visit home at the start of every year, so it wasn't the worst.
With Nina there, I could trust my daughter to continue her growth in the sword, and with her deeper understanding of touki due to my teaching, I had no doubt that she would quickly rise in the rankings.
But still… I couldn't help but be a little sad.
…
It seems that Alice was able to sense my mood, as she just ran up to give me a hug from behind.
Okay… maybe it wasn't the worst.
Oh, and speaking of children, Ghislaine just gave birth to her second child a few days ago, giving her a baby boy to match the girl she had given birth to over a year ago, and she was quite happy about getting a son to her name.
Yeah… no comment on that.
Now, I think Alice wants to take a walk around the city, so I'll have to end it here.
— Year K434 —
It was finally completed.
The research into the Dragon World's knowledge of lifespans, and their methods of altering them… I had finally finished it.
Of course, as I was never a researcher, I wasn't able to complete it by myself.
I guess I should have known better than to think I could keep that under wraps when I spent so long in the basement reading and trying spells out.
But after telling my wives my idea, they all easily accepted, with Roxy forcing me to let her join in as we worked on creating a spell to link our lifespans together, and after but a few months… well, it was done.
While she might not be as good as me in terms of using magic in combat, my Roxy was still a genius when it came to the research and academic implementation of it, and that skill had only improved after making the seal for the Man-God.
Either way, with all of our remaining years now linked together, we assumed that we should all live until around 100 with this, so I can only hope that my purely human children would live long lives.
We had already sworn ourselves off of extending their lives unnaturally, as we didn't want to venture into the possibility of immortality, if that was even possible, but with this… we would at least be able to lessen the tragedy of loving someone of a different race.
But, with this linking of lifespans, there was one unintended side effect… that making all five of us infertile, so there wouldn't be any more kids joining us.
To be honest, we were all fine with that, and now we could indulge in our bedroom activities without a single care in the world, so it could even be seen as a blessing.
But yes… to think that it only took a couple of years to finish it… it was only thanks to Roxy, but I was more than happy.
Ah, and on that note, Evelyn had also shown an interest in music from the passing buskers that visit the town.
It would certainly make getting her gifts much easier, and she was already getting better by the day with her lyre, so I was more than happy with her newfound interest.
— Year K435 —
I was now thirty years old… a verified 'old man', at least according to Emilia, which she had informed me of as I was preparing her for school this morning.
Honestly… it was only when I woke her up was did she reveal such a bad mood… was the future Queen of Asura meant to hate mornings so much?
I mean, I know she loved resting, but still…
Anyway, as for one thing that had been quite a shock this year, it would have to be the fact that Norn had just given birth to her first child.
It was a girl, and yes, she was adorable.
But that was obvious, considering at least half of her genes were coming from my little sister.
Anyway, Norn has been quite good, even though we hadn't met as often as I would have liked these past few years, but with a very successful bookshop, and a new family, it seemed that life was treating her quite well.
Aside from that, this was also the year that the twins and Evelyn reached their first birthday, which meant that they would be going to school pretty soon.
And with all the kids being away from the house during the day, I will soon find myself with quite a lot of free time… perhaps I should return to being a swordsmanship instructor at the university?
I know they would definitely accept me, and it would also give me the chance to easily check in on Aria and Ars, who had enrolled in the university last year, other than their regular weekend visits.
Yes… that sounded quite nice.
And with Emilia joining in only a few months when her tenth birthday arrives… yeah, I think that's a good plan.
— Year K436 —
Roana had her tenth birthday this year.
It seems that her love of figures and art wasn't just a phase, as she has begun learning from her uncle while taking all the provided art courses in the university, which she had just recently enrolled in.
Perugius was a lover of the arts, right?
Perhaps I can ask him if he has anything to give my daughter some inspiration later.
— Year K437 —
It appears that by seeing her older siblings all begin to choose their path in life through their experience in university, my little Alice has decided to do the same.
And she wants to be an explorer.
Since her birthday is in a week, we'll need to choose some courses for university, but I'm thinking that she should focus on the courses related to adventuring, survival, and classes related to understanding the world like geography and such.
Of course, I wasn't going to let her become an adventurer without sufficient strength, so on the weekends we would be heading into dungeons to grow her experience, while I would head up to her dormitory to train her in the morning.
Ah… and Aria had also turned 15.
Luckily, despite being known as the 'kind-hearted beauty' of the school, along with her sister Emilia, she still hadn't shown an interest in any boys, so for now… I could keep my sanity despite my first child having reached adulthood.
— Year K438 —
Having recently turned 15 and becoming an adult, Anna finally returned from her training at the Sword Sanctum, having become a King-ranked swordswoman during her time there, and had apparently even beaten Nina in a duel before deciding to return.
But she wasn't satisfied with just that level, so for now, she would be living at home once more while I continued training her in my style now that she had grown her basic skills to such an extent.
And with her slowly reaching a new realm in swordsmanship, I also decided to give her my unbreakable sword, while Anna passed on the sword she had used before, the one Eris gave me all those years ago, down to Alice.
A nice family exchange, one could say.
Anyway, she wasn't the only one who had become an adult this year, as my younger brother Alaric had as well.
And what a story that was…
After all, on the very day of his 15th birthday party, after receiving a sword from our father, he immediately turned to the Miko of Memory and proclaimed his love once more, asking for her hand in marriage, to which she accepted with flushed cheeks.
Quite a heartwarming love, those two shared, and with them getting together as Alaric began his path as an architect, I gave them all the blessings I could.
— Year K439 —
With Aria completing her six years of schooling and graduating from the university of Ranoa with flying colours in subjects focused on magic and some geography, it was now time for one of my children to be released to the world for the first time.
While Anna had technically already left the house with her time at the Sword Sanctum, this time… it was different, as Aria was planning to begin her own path to live her own life.
But I could stomach it.
After all, I knew she still loved us, and Aria said she would still head home whenever she wanted after she learned to make her own teleportation circles from Shizuka.
But indeed… in a similar dream to Alice, Aria wanted to travel the world, and instead of making new discoveries like her younger sister, wanted to write down all the things she could see and make a book of her findings, much like Roxy's old master.
Perhaps she was inspired by that former adventurer.
I would definitely miss her, but knowing that she was more than strong enough to defend herself, and now had a goal to follow with her life, filled me with quite a bit of joy.
But still… now with the youngest three of the family, those being Arthur, Athena, and Evelyn soon reaching their tenth birthday and entering the university, I couldn't help but notice how… quiet the house was.
With my wives and our family and friends, it wasn't as if I was lonely, but still… it was tough to see your kids grow up in preparation to leave.
I mean, it felt like just yesterday that they were born, and now… yeah, I think I'm going to ask Sylphy to hold me tonight.
— Year K440 —
It seems like there was one thing I had seemingly forgotten as I've watched my children grow older.
And that was the possibility of relationships… and unfortunately, I was made aware of that reality, forcefully, but a month ago when a random man arrived at our doorstep.
One Sword King Nel, the son of Nina, Eris' friend, and Jino, the Sword God.
He had come from the Sword Sanctum to learn at the university, but that wasn't important.
What was important, was that Anna and him had gotten close during her time training at the Sword Sanctum, and after making some sort of promise between the two… they had entered a relationship right after he arrived.
To see my sweet daughter kiss that guy right in front of me… it still pissed me off, but I knew I needed to get over it.
And they weren't the only ones who had been blessed with love, as my dear sister Aisha had finally found herself someone, that being Eris' little brother Julian.
To be honest, unlike the slight irritation I had after learning of Norn's relationship, I was immediately relieved to hear that the two of them had gotten together and that she had finally moved on from her love for me.
Although… even if she had moved on, that didn't stop her from teasing me whenever she could.
What a troublemaker.
— Year K441 —
Ars graduated from the university, and just like his older sister, he had also decided on a goal in life… and the goal in question was to be a knight and bring happiness to the world through justice.
Perhaps those childhood stories had really stuck to him… maybe a little too much… but he had always been a cheerful and courageous kid, so it might just be his nature.
Anyway, while he wasn't someone who focused on academics, to put it gently, he was at least smart enough to know that to accomplish his dream, he would have to get quite a bit stronger.
Unfortunately, due to his somewhat lacking skill in magic, I wasn't able to teach him my style to the full extent, but luckily, there was another master swordsman in our family that could fill in that gap… that being his mother.
And luckily for him, he fit right in with the Sword God style, as he had quite a straightforward way of going about things.
Needless to say, he would soon be heading over to the Sword Sanctum to further train his abilities, and from what I could tell, he had the potential to be just as strong as his mother if he put his mind to it, so I was excited to see what he would turn out to be.
Although… from the rumours of how he acted around school, I was a bit worried about his approach to women.
It seems that he had picked up both of his parents' charm, and while he hadn't fallen to temptation just yet… well, he was sixteen now, and from the time I had taken him out drinking to celebrate his graduation, he also had quite the infatuation with women, though he was still waiting for 'the one' to call his partner.
I… just hope things work out for that son of mine.
— Year K443 —
Fuck… why did family have to be so complicated?
As for what my complaints were about, well… some sort of family emergency, one could call it…
Okay, I guess I should write it clearly.
Yesterday, we caught Roana and Damian in bed together.
They were both already 16 and were close to graduating, so their ages weren't necessarily a problem… but the fact that they were cousins, was.
We had always known they were closer than normal cousins, and their introverted personalities seemed to match, but we had never thought it would come to something like this… it was definitely troublesome.
But after a family meeting, and some intense discussions with the two… we decided that they could be together if they wished.
After all, while we said they were cousins, it wasn't as simple as that since Rudy was my half-brother rather than my full one, and from how the two of them grew up together, it was more like childhood friends growing into romance rather than anything incestuous, so… who were we to stop them?
Besides, Eris and I were technically related as well, although we were distant in genetics, so that made it a bit easier to stomach.
Still… to think that Alice reaching adulthood wouldn't be the most interesting thing to happen this year… that was certainly a shock.
— Year K444 —
Aisha gave birth to her first child this year, one Max Greyrat, while Norn had her second, it being another girl for the family.
My new niece and nephew were definitely adorable, but unfortunately, the news of those two babies were dwarfed by another announcement.
Because Anna… she was pregnant.
My first grandchild… it was currently the eighth month of the year, and it had only been announced a week ago, but I couldn't wait to meet them.
— Year K445 —
Today was the day that Alice became an explorer, having already become a B-ranked adventurer thanks to her weekend excursions into different dungeons with me, but now, she would leave to explore the wider world without me.
Thankfully, Aria said she would be taking her along with her until she was assured that her little sister would be safe, so I wasn't worried about Alice getting hurt, but still… another bittersweet sensation of watching my children grow up took hold.
And speaking of children, Anna had finally given birth to her first child.
Eleanor Greyrat.
And wow… she was adorable.
Having inherited her father's dark blue hair, and my own brown eyes, she looked quite similar to Aria when she was a baby, and I was so excited to watch her grow up.
Grandchildren… it gave me a warm feeling similar to when my own children were born, but still a bit different.
Seeing Anna's soft smile as she held her daughter close to her chest… I don't think I would ever forget such an amazing sight of my daughter's happiness.
And with the two needing to settle down, they decided to move into the capital of Asura and create a new swordsmanship school, where one would be able to learn from both the Sword Emperor Nel, and also the Elemental Emperor Anna.
— Year K446 —
This was the year that Lana started her merchant company.
Apparently, she had been quite taken with all the inventions and tales from her father and Shizuka's old world, and had carved a place in the global market by making use of said inventions and stories.
I always knew she was a resourceful child.
Either way, she wasn't the only one carving a path in life, as the twins and Evelyn had also graduated and went out into the wider world.
Athena had found a love for healing magic during her time in school and had gone to take over my mother's clinic, though she had expressed interest in going to the Holy Country to grow her craft and strengthen the presence of healing magic across the world by opening a healing-focused school similar to the university.
And to do that, she would need connections.
Of course, Cliff would definitely help her out if we asked, but considering there was still that promise to the Latreia house to give them an heir… well, those talks could wait for a few years.
Arthur, however, had immediately decided to become a blacksmith after finding his love for the craft during one of his electives.
He still decided to move to Ars in order to be close to and help his elder sister, Emilia, as she began training under Ariel and Aisha in how to govern the nation, but it was good to see him carving his own path rather than simply living in his older sister's shadow.
And as for Evelyn… well, she had left to do a music tour across Asura, wanting to perform in a bunch of places as a bard.
Thankfully, while she wasn't as interested in combat as some of her older siblings, she had inherited enough of her mother and I's skills to easily defeat anyone average group that tried to harm her.
Ah, and speaking of skills, Ars had returned home, having become a Sword King at the end of his training at the Sword Sanctum.
And if that wasn't enough, he had also returned with Jill, Nina and Jino's girl, who was also a Sword King…
And also Luke's girl, Mary…
Yes, he had indeed got himself two women, having met both during his time in the Sword Sanctum, and causing both to fall in love with that charming son of mine.
There was still a small issue, that being Jill was six years younger than Ars, while Mary was four years younger, but even if the age gap was a bit… troublesome, they were all adults now, so I couldn't really say anything.
But still… my dear son was a bit of an idiot, as when we talked to him about the difference in ages, he immediately pointed out how old Roxy was compared to me.
Needless to say, even being a Sword King wasn't able to stop him from being frozen from the waist down.
But for some reason, despite accepting his new relationships, my wives all got mad at me when we went to bed that night, thinking that he got his 'ability to spread love' from me.
Honestly… that was a ridiculous notion… right?
— Year K447 —
Evelyn returned home after her year-long tour, and in that time, it appears that she acquired a partner… that being a woman.
And not just any woman, but one that ended up being the child of Vierra and her husband.
It's funny how fate works, huh?
Anyway, after talking with the girl as a sort of marriage interview, it appears that Vierra and her husband ended up being quite the trusted family as Roa was rebuilt, and suffice it to say, I quite liked the person my youngest decided to entrust her life to.
Ah, and speaking of the youngest, Athena just recently moved to Millishion to take over the Latreia family as had been agreed to before.
Claire was getting quite close to her final years, but she was extremely happy to know that her house would be well taken care of with Athena at the helm, as not only was she an amazingly skilled healer, but she was also the daughter of the Queen of Asura.
— Year K448 —
It was a few years ago that Sieghart, Rudy's child, went over to the Shirone Kingdom to learn under the Death God after Ruijerd trained him to become a King-ranked warrior, with the Death God fulfilling his promise to teach one of our children after the battle against the apostles.
But now, their training had basically ended, and Sieghart had moved to the Great Forest along with Leo, the Sacred Beast of the Doldia tribe, as well as the three women he had claimed as his own, having fulfilled his dream to create a harem.
A natural flirt, and an incredible womanizer.
I wasn't going to disparage my brother without knowing everything, but I had a feeling that my oldest nephew was influenced by Rudy.
Anyway, with him going over there and marrying Tersena, the upcoming heir to the tribe, it seemed that he was going to build his life in the Great Forest, likely due to the influence of his mother.
And speaking of marriages, Athena had just recently married Clive, Cliff and Elinalise's boy, as the two of them had quickly hit it off during their time in the Holy Country.
Anyway, with the position as wife of the likely newest Pope, the new leader of the Latreia family, and also the best healer in the country, she was primed and ready to begin her dream of building a new school for healers in Millishion that would service anyone who wished to join, breaking down the exclusivity of healing magic that the old church had set up.
Just like I was with all my children, I was incredibly proud of her.
— Year K449 —
With Pax Shirone's child, the son of the current king of Shirone, coming to learn at the University of Ranoa a few years ago, he soon fell in love with Sakura, Rudy and Shizuka's kid, and while she was dismissive to his advances at first, the two eventually found themselves in a relationship, much to Rudy's chagrin.
I guess he would now also know the pain of seeing your daughter find a man.
But still, she wasn't one to lose sight of her dream over love, so she still continued her research into magic artifact crafting, with the pursuit to continue bringing modern inventions into the world from her mother and father's knowledge, while also working quite closely with her older sister Lana, whose trading company had continued to grow.
— Year K450 —
Seighart had been working quite hard after settling down, having used his might in the spear, and also his older sister Lana's diplomatic savvy and connections with her merchant company, to unite the Great Forest in a way unseen before.
It appears, according to Rudy, that he had gone down the 'nation building' path, and wished to increase the development of the Great Forest to make them stand among the other nations of the Central Continent, and not just a land of savages, which it was known as by much of the world.
Ah… and Lana also found love during her time in the Great Forest, having married Pursena's boy.
— Year K451 —
Randolph Marianna, the former Death God, decided to open up a small restaurant in Shirone.
And yes, I said former, as Seighart had taken on the mantle after defeating his former master in a duel, becoming the fourth ranked world power to go alongside his title of 'King of the Beastfolk'.
And speaking of the world rankings, through some unknown means, Aria had become the seventh world power, taking over Rudeus' former position.
I guess it was from that duel a few months back to decide who would get the last piece of cake at our last family dinner, which Aria won quite easily.
Poor Rudy, he had liked that title quite a bit.
— Year K452 —
Well… I suppose I should have expected something like this.
As they have grown older, Anna had come to the realization that due to her physiology, her husband Nel would die long before her.
Of course, being the smart girl she was, she had already accepted that before marrying him… but now with children of her own, she had realized that the same would go for them.
To say she was upset was an understatement, and after noticing how Ariel, Eris, and I had been aging quite slowly compared to what would be natural, she begged for me to help her out.
And so, I decided to give her the lifespan connecting magic Roxy and I had created, and I planned to do the same for all my children who decided to have partners with other races… only if they wished, of course.
After all, even if it ended up shortening their natural lives, I would never want to see them as depressed and scared as Anna was the day she came asking for help.
— Year K453 —
Arthur crafted an amazing spear from some incredibly strong monster that Aria and Anna killed for him, and after making it, he immediately gifted it to Ruijerd and Ghislaine's girl… and from that, they married.
It must have been some sort of tradition that Ruijerd had passed on to his daughter, since she didn't gain the tail of the Superd tribe due to her genetics, but either way, I was happy to see another one of my kids find love in their lives.
— Year K454 —
Roxy became the principle of the University of Ranoa.
Not that surprising, considering it was her we were talking about, but I definitely showed her a lot of love after the announcement… as did the rest of my wives.
— Year K455 —
After finding his skills in blacksmithing to have reached it's peak, and also having recently had a daughter, my son Arthur came to me asking for better materials, as he wanted to make another set of extremely powerful weapons akin to the 49 swords of Yulian Jalisco's creation, made from the bones of the former King of Dragons Kajakut.
And luckily for him… I had just the thing for him to use.
And so, with the remnants of the Fighting God armour left in my basement, I decided to gift it to him.
I would say I hope he would put them to good use, but knowing him, it was an inevitability.
All of my children were amazing like that.
— Year K456 —
Today was the day of Ariel's retirement, as Emilia was to take on the mantle of Queen of Asura from now on.
Having married Isolte and Doga's boy, she already had a husband at her side as she promised to continue the years of prosperity that her mother had brought to the nation, having been met with a grand festival to commemorate her ascension and celebrate Ariel for all that she had done for Asura.
But my dear wife was simply glad to be able to stay home all the time with the rest of us.
There was also Ars, who had welcomed his first child as Mary gave birth to a boy, while his other wife, Jill, was also pregnant.
He would soon be quite busy, but with the three of them moving back to the Sword Sanctum, I would unfortunately not be able to help him out as much.
Ah, and Sakura had just recently created another magic artifact from my former world, that being something very similar to a pistol.
Knowing how such an invention could change the balance of the world, she didn't intend to release it to the public, but she did give the first few prototypes to Alice, who had begun using it as a weapon instead of a sword, as she found them quite fun.
Ah, and Aria had recently published her book describing her travels around the world, and after having done so, she decided to move back in with us and start focusing on magic, as she had never lost her love of it.
It was nice to have one of my daughters back with us.
— Year K457 —
Jill recently gave birth to Ars' second child, and the first son of their family, and only a month after doing so, she faced her father in a duel before claiming the title of the Sword God.
My son was quite amazing, to have taken someone as strong and prideful as her as a wife, alongside another one… but I guess love was just like that.
— Year K458 —
Alice, now known as the greatest adventurer in history, recently cemented her title by fully clearing the Hell dungeon on the Divine Continent, and bringing back ancient archaeological records of the past that were located in the bottom-most stratum with her.
Of course, she had enlisted the help of both Anna and Aria to supplement her firepower, but still, she was quite incredible, that daughter of mine.
— Year K459 —
Emilia gave birth to her first children this year.
Yes, children, plural, as she had given birth to twins.
Maybe it was something in Ariel's blood that made it happen that way.
And on the topic of relationships, Norn's little girl had recently gotten together with Ruijerd and Ghislaine's youngest boy, who had inherited Ruijerd's looks despite having the ears and tail of Ghislaine.
Perhaps… that was another strange effect of fate.
— Year K460 —
Arthur had given birth to his second child, and had also finished the first sword made from the Fighting God Armour, and gifted it to me.
To say it was powerful was… an understatement.
Just one swing, and I had cleared an entire forest by accident.
Thankfully, it was going to be cleared for a new town anyway, but still… I had to give him a good talk about the dangers of creating such monstrous weapons afterwards.
— Year K462 —
Anna's daughter, who had recently moved in with us as she enrolled in the university of Ranoa, had gained an admirer.
Not that it was rare, due to her beauty and being by first grandchild, but there was something interesting about the boy in question.
You see, he immediately went to me after being rejected, as Eleanor had said quite clearly that she would only accept a man that was strong with the sword, and so… he begged me to train him.
And so I did, and it wasn't long before he was able to give little Ellie a good fight, and thus, another love was born.
To think I had essentially played matchmaker for my granddaughter hurt a little bit, but seeing her smile after accepting him… well, I guess it was fine.
— Year K464 —
Last week, I did something quite… different from usual.
There was an underground slavery ring that I had gone and destroyed, and amongst the kidnapped children I found, there were a pair of brother and sister that had no family to return to… or, more accurately, it was their family that had sold them.
And so… I decided to take them in.
Perhaps it was due to seeing my children grow up, but either way, I plan to give them a home and bring them up as my children the best as I can until they're old enough for university.
Hopefully, I wouldn't need to worry about children and slavery again, as it had been completely outlawed throughout the northern territories, and anywhere that was within the Millis Church's influence or had ties to Asura, but still… I think this good deed was worth it.
Although, when I was reading to the little girl on my lap before bedtime and Aria came home, she was quite jealous, and immediately took the spot on my other lap before falling asleep, just like she did when she was a kid.
Yeah… my daughter was still the cutest.
— Year K468 —
It seems that Aria had taken my idea with the two orphans to heart, as after visiting her grandparents on her mother's side along with Roxy, she picked up a demon kid that had his tribe wiped out by monsters, and decided to take the little girl in as both her child and disciple in magic.
— Year K469 —
Today… was a sad day, but an expected one.
Ghislaine had died.
I had offered her the lifespan sharing magic because she was with Ruijerd, but she herself had refused, so in the end, it wasn't as if there was any guilt, nor was it a tragedy.
And Ruijerd… well, he was seemingly fine, as he immediately left Sharia to go back to his tribe and lead them once more as they attempted to become an independent territory in the northeast.
I guess he had already accepted it from when they first entered a relationship.
— Year K470 —
Philip died today.
Eris was quite sad, but his funeral ended up being quite the joyous celebration of life, so it wasn't completely depressing.
— Year K472 —
Anna's daughter had her first child last week, giving birth to my very first great-grandchild.
— Year K473 —
My father died today.
To be honest, I am not nearly as sad as I thought I would be, though that is likely due to how happy he looked on his deathbed when he finally passed.
That guy kept bragging about being able to be a great-great-grandfather before he died and that he got to have such a great family… but yeah… tonight would be a night for some drinking with Rudy and my sisters, though we ourselves are getting quite old for such activities.
— Year K474 —
Alice, my dear daughter, after achieving so much, had finally retired from adventuring.
She had quite the legacy to have left behind, as she was the sole adventurer who had any modern records on the Divine Continent, and with some help from Orsted, had even explored the dungeon located in the middle of the ocean in the Sea Folk territory.
Anyway, with that stage of her life behind her, she is now in Millishion and serving as the Vice-Leader for the Adventure Guild.
— Year K475 —
Ars' kid finally got good enough with the sword to defeat his mother and become the newest Sword God.
He's quite skilled, and I remember training him along with Eris when he was younger.
— Year K476 —
Lilia and Hilda both died this year.
It was a peaceful affair.
— Year K477 —
Mama died yesterday.
Meaning that now, all of our parents, save for Roxy's from what we know, have now passed on.
To be honest, I don't want to write right now… but at least I had my wives to hold me for tonight.
— Year K478 —
Alice has become the head of the Adventure Guild, and Damian has become the Principle of the Ranoa University, having taken over Roxy's position.
Roana also finished her commission to build a grand statue for the capital of Ars, something that even Perugius praised as a genuine work of art.
— Year K483 —
Linia died today.
Rudy was quite sad, but since he himself was getting quite up there, he wasn't completely inconsolable, as he knew he would be joining his wife soon.
— Year K487 —
Rudeus died yesterday, and as if in some twist of fate, Sara also passed the next morning.
There wasn't much sadness to be had, as they had both lived long and fulfilling lives, and it was quite nice to have the family gathered together again, but I was a bit worried that Shizuka will feel lonely now.
Ah, and Anna's granddaughter wants me to tell her some stories again… I suppose writing will have to wait until later.
— Year K495 —
This was a… very unfortunate year.
Not only did Shizuka die, but so did Julian, Eris' brother, alongside Norn and her husband.
This was the one drawback I was afraid of with extending my lifespan, as while I was assured to not leave my wives behind, and I likely wouldn't see my children pass before me, there was always the chance that I would see my sisters die.
It is… quite the sad feeling.
And not only that, but I had noticed… I couldn't swing my sword nearly as strong.
I guess even daily training couldn't stop the power of age, huh?
And while my lovely wives said I still looked handsome, these gray hairs didn't lie.
Still, with my strength having diminished over the years, I decided to pass on the title of Elemental God to Anna, and considering that she still had quite a lot of life left to live thanks to her elven bloodline, I didn't have to worry about her needing to find a new successor for a while.
— Year K498 —
Aisha and Alaric died today, as well as Alaric's wife, Miko.
Up until the very end, Aisha still acted as the prime minister for the Kingdom of Asura, and Alaric was able to see the new royal palace he had made plans for be completed, so they were more than fulfilled by the end of their lives.
With everyone slowly succumbing to time, I am continually grateful to my wives, children, and grandchildren making sure I don't feel lonely.
…
— Year K512 - Leon Anemoi Greyrat —
"Haa… thank you all, for coming here…" I muttered out, feeling the raspiness of my breath.
If only I had the strength to drink some tea…
"O-Of course, Papa! That… of course we would come back," Anna said, looking at the five of us as we laid in our bed.
"Yeah… d-don't… we'd never…" Aria added, holding my hand at my bedside as tears began to run down her cheeks.
So she already knew what this was about.
But still, I didn't want to see her cry like that…
"Don't worry, sweetie… it's okay," I said, struggling to lift my arm to wipe the wetness away.
Ah… getting old really did suck.
"Now… I'm guessing you all know why I called you here today…" I said, turning to the rest of my family that was gathered within the room.
To think that such a giant room could be filled to the brim… indeed, I did end up leaving behind quite a large bloodline, huh?
"Yes, Dad… though I have a feeling I'll be doing the same pretty soon, haha!" Ars laughed from his wheelchair, his two wives quickly reaching down to pinch each of his ears.
Seeing his wrinkled face and grayed hair, I couldn't help but smile a bit, seeing that he was still alive in front of me, even if he wasn't in the best condition of his life.
Yeah… I really had timed that magic perfectly, to be able to see him in his old age like this.
Now, with my family surrounding us, and the concentration of my touki diminishing with each passing day… it was time for us to peacefully pass on.
All five of us.
"Indeed… all of you… thank you, for being such wonderful children and grandchildren," I said, looking to meet the eyes of each of them. "I… could not be happier, to have lived such a life…"
With my family having understood my words, I watched as most of them began to dab their eyes as I looked over to my side, seeing the four of my wives… my partners in life… laying down next to me with calm smiles.
"What are you thinking, Leon?" Ariel asked.
"Nothing… I'm just thinking that you all look just as beautiful as the day I married you," I replied.
I felt Ariel's hand squeeze mine, as Sylphy, Roxy, and Eris all pushed closer with warm smiles.
Indeed… even if they had gained a few wrinkles in their elder years, that still couldn't mask their inherent beauty that made me fall for them harder with each passing day.
"Thank you… for giving me such a wonderful life… and staying beside me all this time," I whispered, trying my best to squeeze them tighter.
Damn these old limbs…
"I can say the same," Roxy said, reaching her head up to kiss my cheek. "For giving me a place to call home and making me the happiest woman on earth… thank you, Leon. I love you."
"The warmth of a family and love… you already know what you did for me," Eris added, resting her head on my chest. "Something as dumb as death can't stop my love for you, Leon… I'm not that weak."
"Ha. I know… but unfortunately to say, I love you both more," I said, even though they both already knew it.
Ariel tightened her grasp on my hand as Sylphy trailed her hand up my arm.
"Husband… I would have never thought I would live such a fulfilling life… acquire genuine love… so thank you… for everything," Ariel said as she slowly closed her eyes, leaning her head on my shoulder.
"And you already know, Leon…" she said, leaning over Ariel to whisper into my ear. "I love you the most."
This woman… she had always been the unofficial 'leader' of our home in terms of familial matters, always ensuring all five of us were happy, but to think she would try to take the lead in our last moments…
That was just like her.
My sweet wives… I really had the best luck of all time to have not only met them and fall in love with them, but also spend my entire life with them.
Hearing the muffled sobs to my right, I turned my head once again to see Aria burying her face into my chest, her hand squeezing mine hard enough to hurt quite a bit… not that I would let her know that.
"Aria… listen to me," I said, causing her to pause her hiccups as she looked over to me.
"D-Dada?" she asked. "Are you… going to leave me?"
"Yeah… unfortunately, I have to go," I said, smiling as I let go of her hand, gently reaching up to brush the tears out of her eyes. "But don't be sad. I had a wonderful life… one more amazing than anyone could ask for… and a lot of that was because of you… so don't be sad… instead, be happy… be proud that you made your parents so happy… okay?"
She sniffled hard, the bottom of her lip trembling, before she eventually nodded her head.
"O-Okay… Dada… I love you," she said, leaning down to gently kiss my forehead.
"And I love you too… just as I love all of you," I said, sending a glance to the rest of the family, who had inched closer to the bed with mournful faces.
Haa… honestly, these goodbyes were difficult, but also needed.
And thankfully, with how amazing all my kids turned out to be, I didn't have to worry about their futures, or that of my grandchildren, and their children afterwards.
Yeah… I was definitely grateful… for everything.
And so, with an immense calm flooding over me, I slowly closed my eyes as memories of the past hundred or so years flashed through my mind.
From waking up in the arms of my mother, to finding a new family thanks to Mama and Paul… to meeting Roxy, Sylphy, and Eris in my youth… to getting teleported to the Demon Continent, finding my way back, rescuing my mother and having my first child with Roxy… then falling in love with Ariel and building the family I knew and loved today…
Yes… I had a good life.
A wonderful life.
And so, like this, surrounded by my family… it was the end…
— The End of Leon Greyrat: The Second Son —