Youngest 226
by CristaeEpisode 226
Whew, Dad sighed again. At this rate, the whole southern land might sink today.
“If you checked the grave… Rosé must have been beside herself.”
“Mm…”
Since I couldn’t even begin to imagine how Mom must have felt, I held back from saying anything more.
After that, Dad told me about the Mage King’s letter.
He said that after seeing the empty potion bottle at the lakeside, he’d had a nagging feeling. When the Mage King’s letter arrived, he instinctively jumped to the same conclusion I had.
“So you saw the potion bottle… By the way, Dad, can I ask you something?”
“You can ask a hundred things.”
“What vision did you see in the cave? Was it something to do with me?”
I finally voiced the question that had lingered vaguely in my mind. Dad’s violet eyes looked at me with gentle affection.
“Yes.”
“What was it?”
“You were born.”
“…”
“A coward, a troublemaker, a daughter who wouldn’t eat her vegetables, who constantly said she hated her father.”
“I don’t know how this might sound, but…”
“Yes?”
“That’s exactly me.”
Dad let out a soft chuckle.
“Exactly.”
With my magic depleted, my arms felt heavy, but I managed to gently hold Dad’s hand. He gripped mine more firmly in return.
“Hey, Dad. You know, maybe that wasn’t just some illusion but another version of us in another world.”
“That could happen?”
“Well, I don’t really know, but movies like that do exist!”
Dad, not knowing what a movie was, still pondered my words seriously before nodding.
“Yes, I’d like that. Because it would mean there was some place you were truly happy.”
At the low, soft sound of his voice, I smiled quietly.
“I’m happy, here and now.”
Dad stroked my head gently.
For a moment, the blood that had dripped from my wound stopped completely.
“Well, shall we get moving now? Do you want me to carry—”
At that moment, a loud boom echoed.
Soon after, we felt the rush of many people hurriedly approaching.
“Leviathan! Ruby!”
The first thing I saw was a head of pink hair, panting for breath.
“Mom!”
“Are you alright? Ruby, your leg!”
Mom looked at Dad and me with trembling eyes, then spotted my wound and covered her mouth in shock.
“Ah, it looks bad, but honestly it’s not as serious as it seems…”
“Rosé, calm down. I’ll explain.”
“Leviathan…”
Mom staggered toward us. Worried, Dad jumped to his feet.
‘Oh my.’
I sniffed. After all they’d been through, it was a reunion between a husband and wife.
“Leviathan…”
Soon, a passionate embrace…
“You, @#$@%#@ you idiot!”
Thwack!
…Huh?
“What were you doing that you couldn’t even get out of a simple cave!”
Mom’s voice echoed throughout the entire cavern.
I got the feeling that the footsteps rushing toward us suddenly froze in place.
“Sorry, Rosé.”
Even after being kicked in the shin, Dad calmly approached and pulled Mom, who was radiating a terrifying aura, into an embrace.
“How much, how much I…”
“I’m sorry.”
“…worried!”
Mom cried out in a choked, tearful voice. Dad softly brushed at the corners of her eyes.
Seeing the veins burst red in her eyes, Dad stiffened for a moment, his jaw clenched as if holding something back.
“…I’m sorry.”
“All you ever do is apologize!”
“It’s my fault. Besides—”
With a long sigh, Dad kissed Mom on the forehead.
“I’ve never wanted to beat you, then or now.”
His lips glided down her brows and nose, stopping at her upper lip.
“I’m sorry I was late.”
A whispered apology trembled dangerously between their joined lips. Mom looked about to cry, then suddenly pulled Dad’s lips firmly to hers…
‘Gasp.’
I swiftly covered my eyes.
‘Hey, excuse me. I’m here! Your daughter is right here!’
Parental displays of affection?
‘Curious, but not really.’
Now what? Still… hasn’t the time come for me to learn how this works, too?
At the moment I spread my fingers slightly in a fan to peek—
“Ruby!”
“Gah!”
Someone suddenly grabbed my shoulder, nearly making my heart jump out of my chest.
“Kal! You startled me!”
“Your leg…”
Khalid was panting heavily, apparently having sprinted at full speed.
He knelt on one knee beside me, leaning against the cave wall to examine me. His face darkened as he looked down at my blood-crusted, battered calf.
“Ruby!!”
Soon Void and Grandfather hurried in as well.
‘Why…’
We’re supposed to be leaving the cave—why is everyone streaming in so eagerly?
“There were more magical beasts than I thought.”
Kal swept a cold gaze over the bodies of the slain beasts. Then he began meticulously inspecting my wound as if trying to unearth it.
“Yeah. But Dad took care of them all.”
“So what? You still got hurt.”
“Hm. If I say I’m fine, will you please relax that scary expression?”
“No. Absolutely not.”
Here he goes again, getting all contrary.
I shook my head, but then Kal suddenly leaned in close.
“W-what? What are you doing?”
At that moment, why did the affectionate image of Mom and Dad pop up in my mind?
“I need to give you a hug.”
Kal said it nonchalantly.
“What are you on about? Crazy.”
Naturally, before he could, I got pushed aside by a broad, dark back.
“My little sister will be getting a piggyback from her big brother. Move it. You think all that makes you cool is your fancy armor?”
“Out of the way, all of you! What are you doing, waving those twiggy backs in my face?”
Grandfather barreled forward like a tank, immediately reducing all the strapping young men to kindling.
“Come here, sweetheart! My little snot! Isn’t grandpa’s hug the one you’re most used to?”
Grandfather spread his burly arms beckoning me in for a hug.
“Ugh, Grandfather, please!”
“Respect your elders! Even with water, mind who’s senior!”
“Why do I have to respect my elders just to get a piggyback ride… Seriously—fine, let’s be fair and decide with rock-paper-scissors. The cave has three sections to the exit, so we’ll take turns—”
“Would anyone mind if I ‘accidentally’ got lost for a bit?”
“Kal, do you think you’re Liam now?”
Ugh. Clearly, everyone’s lost their minds.
“Um, this is a little embarrassing—can everyone just be quiet for a—wah!”
Suddenly, I was swept up off the ground.
Somehow, Dad had moved in, beaten out all the competition, and lifted me up in a smooth piggyback.
“That’s enough nonsense. Let’s keep moving. And honestly, Rosé could’ve handled this herself—why did everyone else come rushing in?”
“Father, you traitor.”
Void shot him a glare.
“First you come barging in making no sense, now you’re stealing the show?”
“Can I be excused for cursing?”
What on earth!
Leaving the three of them to mutter and grumble in their own way, I clung to Dad’s broad back like a cicada. Whatever the case, this was the most comfortable and reassuring place for me right now.
Step, step. Dad’s long strides carried us surely through the cave.
It had seemed like an endless tunnel coming in alone, but the exit was surprisingly close.
A faint light could be seen in the distance.
“Ruby, does your leg hurt a lot? Were you very scared? Oh, my poor girl, always having to go through everything alone.”
Mom squeezed my hand tightly as she walked beside us.
“I was scared… but Dad’s the one who took care of the magical beasts anyway…”
“Keep talking, Ruby. Brag to Mom—tell her exactly how well and how quickly Dad took care of things.”
“Um—I had my eyes closed, so I actually didn’t see all the details.”
“We’re doomed, then.”
I wrapped my arms around Dad’s neck and giggled.
The bright light drew ever closer.
I picked at flakes of dried monster blood stuck in Dad’s hair and let out a long breath.
“Haah. That was a long journey.”
My cheek pressed against that solid back, and I felt his powerful heartbeat. At that steady rhythm, a deep comfort finally settled over me.
Maybe it was mental exhaustion more than physical—my eyelids felt impossibly heavy.
Ah, when I wake up, I need to get some energy from Khalid.
“Ruby, are you sleepy?”
“Yeah. Is it okay if I take a little nap?”
“As much as you like.”
Dad gently tapped my uninjured leg. Beside me, Mom softly stroked the back of my hand.
We moved toward the light. The long tunnel was finally coming to an end.
“This is nice…”
I murmured unconsciously as my vision grew dim and blurry.
“It’s really nice…”
It felt as if I was watching the three of us from afar, as though I were dreaming.
Piggybacked on Dad’s back, I was Ruby at age ten again. That little Ruby had grown in her parents’ embrace, through so much, aged twelve, fifteen, seventeen… then eighteen.
‘That’s right. We’ve always been family since then.’
Even if our first meeting was out of step.
From the very moment we met as strangers.
We were, in truth, always family.
“Sleep well, our daughter.”
Mom whispered close to my ear. Or perhaps it was Dad. It didn’t matter which.
The words we needed to speak were all the same, after all.
“I love you.”
Within the gentle, warm embrace I had longed for through so many years,
I was finally at peace.
“Are you pleased, Leviathan Zevert?”
The Mage King smiled as he looked down at his palace, shrouded in black mist.
Given that all contact was lost with the child mages he’d sent to provoke him, Leviathan had likely found them, offered protection, and was now caught by the illusion spell.
And of course, after seeing the letter he’d sent, Leviathan must have been even more agitated.
‘Such weaknesses are always so predictable.’
A child, a dead daughter, family.
Old wounds that gush bright blood at even the gentlest touch. As ever, that mind was as feeble as ever.
“Now then, how is my seventh one faring…?”
Are you starting to approach the truth?
Are you now on your way to kill your own father?
‘Not even realizing that is precisely what tugs on your leash!’
With excitement gleaming in his eyes, the Mage King let out a wicked, expectant laugh.
A savage cackle rang out, echoing through the vast palace.