34 – Parenting Gathering
On a sunny morning like any other, Luminael Duchy.
Since my feet were tied to the capital, I stayed at the Duchy.
To ensure my safety, I could return to the temple, but there was no place like here to take care of the children.
For the first few days, I just played without thinking.
I went for walks with Elysia, took Tyna and Glenn to see the capital. But that was only for a day or two. It was agonizing to just play and do nothing anymore.
Although I’m called a son-in-law, I can’t just play and eat without paying.
So I asked the Duchy for permission and got a new job, which was the position of the swordsmanship instructor of the Luminael Duchy’s Knight Order – the Sword King Squad.
Originally called the Patriotic Sword King Squad, the Duke said that the shortened name was more appropriate because it was too messy.
There were indeed many talented people in the squad, as impressive as their grand name.
Then, in a place like the training ground where there were so many talented individuals, what was I doing?
I was about to make a cheeky remark while sitting with my legs crossed.
It was a discussion during the break after training.
“Ahem! Is everyone ready?”
“Yes! We are!”
A unified response resounded with a roar. Indeed, it was a well-coordinated squad, caught as soon as the military signals were given.
In front of me was a long rope. And soldiers, assuming a tug-of-war stance, holding onto the rope.
However, unlike regular tug-of-war, there was no one on the opposing side.
“Well, Tina. Glenn. Watch closely.”
“Yes, Dad.”
“Sure thing, Captain.”
I theatrically took a deep breath, extended my hand dramatically, and exclaimed, “Abracadabra… Presto!”
Snap!
As soon as I uttered the silly incantation, the rope soared to the height of the soldiers’ waists. Then, with a subtle flick of my finger, the rope, which they were pulling with all their might, was instantly drawn towards the direction where I was sitting.
“Whoa, whoooooa!”
Clack, clack, clack…!
They struggled, even lying on their backs, causing their shoes to scuff the dusty ground. Despite a bit of dirt flying around, the rope inexorably continued pulling toward me.
“Uwaaah!”
They exerted their strength, putting up a fight in their own way, but the decisive moment came quickly.
The rope, which had been far away, lost its strength only after coming right before my eyes and fell to the ground with a thud.
“Hey, guys, this is magic.”
“Amazing! It’s so fascinating, Dad. Is everyone just acting?”
“Yeah… I thought it was a supernatural pantomime, just like Tina said.”
They deceived innocent kids with lies while putting on a show.
Actually, it was just a skill of moving objects through determination. It was a technique similar to what the Duke often used when opening doors.
Of course, unlike inexperienced kids, knights who had been through countless battles were not easily fooled.
“Amazing, Master! I thought only the Duke could pull off such tricks…”
“They say that when your training reaches its peak, you can move objects with just your mind…”
“Could this be what they call divine power?”
Whenever divine power was used, the radiance of the gods inevitably followed. Even if it was just a trivial skill, a noisy spectacle was bound to accompany it.
“Oh, come on. I may be a knight, but I can’t rely solely on baptism names, can I? I’ve been wielding a sword diligently since my time at the temple.”
As they admired my words, they couldn’t hide their curious glances.
“Well then… if we were to compare ourselves to the temple’s holy knights, who do you think has the advantage?”
“Obviously, the Sword King’s knights have the advantage.”
It was a question that didn’t require much consideration.
Holy knights strictly followed the rules of the temple in their lifestyle. Moreover, as they were fundamentally classified as clergy, their involvement in religious activities was significant.
Comparing them to a knight order that could dedicate themselves solely to training all day would be unfair.
“The Commander might be similar to the Duke, but…”
There was no need to draw comparisons to the Lord they respected so much. Let’s just promote the Duke for a harmonious social life here.
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It was when I was nodding my head in agreement.
Tina, who had been watching from the side, twinkled her eyes.
“Dad, can I do this too?”
“Of course! Absolutely. Just train hard.”
Moreover, being a Half-Dragon, there might be unique abilities inherent in her. If she had the determination to become stronger, she would likely grow faster than anyone else.
“Director, what about me?”
“There are reasons why the Duke chose you as his disciple. Whatever the Duke can do, you’ll be able to do it too.”
“Wow…”
Glen nervously gathered his hands and sought assurance from me.
“If that’s the case… I can help others like the Director does, right? Just like how the Director saved me.”
“Yoyo, sounds commendable!”
“Wow, Director…!”
I tousled Glen’s hair randomly. It was inevitable, but the memories of the illegal auction seemed deeply rooted in Glen’s mind.
Instead of turning that into hatred, it’s transforming into altruism.
It’s unbelievable that such a kind child has grown into Elphesia’s exclusive savior in the future.
“Right now, Elphesia takes care of me knowingly or unknowingly, but…”
In fact, an awkward atmosphere flowed between Elphesia and Glen. More precisely, Elphesia’s awkwardness seemed to exert a force, making Glen equally awkward, like a reflection in a mirror.
For some reason, Elphesia openly avoided taking care of Glen. Instead, she subtly gave frequent glances and brought gifts that were subtly more expensive than others.
… Of course, through me.
It was a time when I was deeply immersed in contemplation.
As if on cue, Elphesia’s call came from behind.
“Harte.”
“Oh, Elphesia. You’re here?”
I greeted her, but my eyes couldn’t help but wander over her shoulder.
Behind Elphesia, a maid named Nod followed, pulling a trolley cart. And above the trolley cart, the scent of strawberries wafted as a iced lemonade proudly displayed itself.
“Thank you for your hard work in training. It seems like everyone’s throats are sore from shouting, ‘Heave-ho.'”
“Goodness, Elphesia…”
“Oh, oh, oh… Lady Elphesia…!”
Following that, Elphesia added in a voice colder than Aid’s frosty breath.
“Judging by appearances, it seems like you were engaged in some clownery.”
“Oh, no! Elphesia. This, um, it’s a training method to build core strength through tug-of-war.”
The knights, sensing the urgency, quickly jumped on my explanation.
“Yes, my lady!”
“This was the most challenging!”
At least that wasn’t a lie.
It must have been tough to muster strength, and the training method for building core strength… probably accurate.
Elphesia, with a look of disbelief not even as big as a fingernail, allowed us to have snacks.
“Sigh, it’s a shame to just throw it on the ground like this. I’ll let it slide this time.”
“Oh, oh, oh!”
The moment permission was granted, the knights, without hesitation, grabbed Aid, emanating the scent of sweat.
During that, I subtly remarked on how surprising it was that Elphesia was being so generous.
“So… what’s the occasion? You’re being unusually careful today.”
“I brought a bribe because I was afraid you might get ostracized.”
“Really?”
As our stay at the duke’s residence prolonged, the duke’s attendants became well aware of the direction they should take when dealing with us.
Daring to avoid it would almost certainly result in a stroke of misfortune. Who would dare to mess with destiny like that?
It wasn’t Elphesia who remained oblivious to this.
“This is my plan. Shouldn’t you keep your husband alive so you won’t be excluded from high society?”
“Oh, is it time already?”
Today was the day to attend a gathering.
If asked what kind of gathering it was, one could say it was a parenting meeting.
The beginning of the parenting meeting stemmed from Elphesia’s concerns.
[“What will you do, Tina and Glen?”]
[“What do you mean?”]
[“Will you just confine them to the ducal residence and indulge them in favors?”]
[“… Isn’t that good?”]
At that time, I was a fool thinking from an adult’s perspective. That’s why Elphesia didn’t shy away from scolding.
[“Will you raise them as children who have no friends other than each other? Even Yuri only has one friend since she stays at the palace.”]
[“… Ah!”]
“What’s with the ‘Ah’! As the environment has changed, we need to create another one.”
After scolding me, she handed me a stack of letters exceeding ten envelopes.
“Since the last ball, invitations have accumulated quite a bit. I’ve picked out the ones worth considering, so you can decide on the rest.”
“What’s worth considering?”
“Invitations from households with peers of Tina and Glen. If you ask for permission, bringing children along should be possible.”
“That sounds good. As expected of Elphesia. The best mother, no doubt.”
In response to my praise, Elphesia flicked her head and glanced at the empty air with disdain.
“Well, it’s just a contract, that’s all.”
Thanks to Elphesia’s sincere commitment to the contract, I was able to expand my human relationships.
At first, to avoid confusion, only Elphesia and I met people. Gradually, as we became more familiar, we started talking about the children, which somehow escalated and evolved into a parenting group.
Even connections with peers who had children were formed, and the size of the group grew considerably.
As a result, it took a long time to set a date.
Due to these circumstances, the slowest time was exactly noon today.
In other words, today’s outing is the first meeting with Tina and Glen.
“Kids, since we played at the training ground, let’s go inside, wash up, and change clothes.”
“Yes!”
The children answered energetically in unison. Then, without looking back, they ran towards the mansion. It seems like they were quite excited about today’s gathering.
“I hope everything goes well without any trouble…”
I feel worried, especially since I’m accompanying the children.
But without any concern on my part, the sun slowly crawled up to the center of the sky.
The timing of the parenting group was getting closer and closer.
◈
Inside the elegant mansion.
Leona Peter, the wife of the owner, was busy checking the refreshments and interior decorations.
She was the host of this parenting group meeting. Although someone else would take over as the host for the subsequent meetings, being the host of the first gathering was an important role.
She had witnessed countless gatherings that fell apart after one mistake.
“Absolutely… I cannot ruin it. Whatever it takes.”
There is no such thing as an innocent parenting discussion in the parenting gatherings. It’s not a place for genuinely naive debates about parenting.
Of course, such an atmosphere could be created.
But it can never be the main event.
The inner thoughts of the guardians participating in the gathering will be in harmony.
“If the gathering becomes larger… there will be no better place to unearth potential alliances!”
If it turns out that way, the influence of those who naturally become the center of the gathering will grow.
Perhaps they might emerge as dominant figures in social circles.
“The timing is perfect.”
Elphesia Luminael and her husband attended such a gathering. In that case, it’s inevitable that the children seen at the banquet will accompany them.
The children may not be nobles, but well, why not.
The noble status is an attainable commodity for children who are both affordable and noble-born.
It would be good to adopt them into a noble family, but if they are integrated into a duke’s family, it would be even better.
Commoner children becoming the best potential allies is the irony.
Guided by this irony, many people will surely come.
“Stay strong, Leona Peter.”
She, who had accumulated wealth through marriage dealings alone, clenched her fists firmly and made a resolution.