The OP Lich is a Returnee, Chapter 169

Chapter 169 – Birthdays

Naturally, I was no trained marksman, at least with guns. I’d trained to an acceptable level with bows and crossbows, and even some siege weapons, but never guns. However, the enhanced physical abilities I possessed thanks to having trained with mana helped offset my inexperience. My eyes could focus clearly on the targets, even at one kilometer, which was the furthest back this range stretched. Not surprising, since it was primarily for small arms, not sniper training, and the generally accepted ‘effective range’ of assault rifles was about 450 meters. Sure, your average assault rifle could ‘technically’ send a round 2700 meters downrange, but at that point accuracy was considered a myth, and the round would have lost too much energy to be worth much.

At any rate, my eyes allowed me to easily see my targets, and despite how I looked, in my human guise, my arms were magically enhanced beyond human capability, so recoil was a nonissue. Maybe I would have an issue if I tried to shoulder fire a sniper rifle, but for normal weapons, recoil might as well not even exist. More accurately, I overwhelmed the recoil with raw strength, stabilizing the gun without allowing it to move. That was beyond abnormal, as far as humans were concerned, but it was not even close to the limit of my power.

To be honest, the real reason I’d have trouble firing a sniper rifle from the shoulder, or even holding it out in one hand, was because if I didn’t brace myself, the physics would knock me off my feet. Hells, if I wasn’t prepared or braced properly, a child could knock me over, just by running into me too hard, sending me sprawling, despite not damaging me in the slightest. Even with magic, Newton still had his say in things, after all.

By the end of our range time, I had technically qualified on each of the weapons they had ready for us. The soldiers were mollified somewhat when I explained how I was ‘cheating’. Of course, I pretended that I didn’t see one of them taking notes, especially when I went into the mechanics of what I was doing. I wasn’t blind to the true reason they allowed us to have fun at the range, after all.

I parted ways with my disciples at that point. They had an evening to themselves, which I was sure they’d enjoy, one way or another, even if they just spent it practicing. I, on the other hand, turned to Tokyo, and the home of my younger brother.

“Aunt Kaori! You came to dinner!” Little Kaori greeted me at the door, obviously buzzing with excitement.

“Well, of course, little one. How could I miss my oldest niece celebrating her first day of school?”

“I’m your only niece, Auntie!”

I smiled at her, “Then that makes you the oldest, and the youngest, no? My, my. It seems like just yesterday I returned from the other world, to hear that I’d missed your fifth birthday by a week, and now, here you are about to start school!”

“Auntie, that was ages ago!”

I couldn’t help but chuckle. “For you, I’m sure it was. When you get old, like me, your perspective on time changes. Now, let’s go in, and allow me to greet your brothers, hmm?”

Little Kaori blushed slightly, realizing that we were still standing in the doorway. Her brothers were smiling as they looked on, but they waited for me to take off my shoes before giving me a hug. Genjo broke the silence, and said, “Aunt Kaori, if you go around calling yourself old, while looking like that, Mother’s going to cry.”

“Cheeky boy,” I chuckled. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were flirting with your old Auntie. Don’t worry, I won’t do anything to upset Hiroko.”

Tatsuo’s house was a modest affair, considering his wealth and position. No one would have objected if someone with his status had a mansion, complete with an army of servants. He could certainly afford it. However, he and Hiroko had made a choice, when they got married, to live a more grounded life. Sure, their house was three stories above ground, and one below, and they had a live-in housekeeper who helped with the cooking and cleaning, but the overall look of their home was not out of place in the neighborhood. Slightly nicer looking, and having a good deal better security, thanks to the bodyguards who were on shifts with the family, than the surrounding houses, but otherwise unremarkable.

Of course, the bodyguards from the Akagawa Company were only part of the security. The most obvious part, but only part. Not counting the alarms and other technological improvements to the house, I’d made sure to add a bit of security to their home. Of course, I wasn’t so crass as to post death knights in their driveway, or anything like that. Something like that would draw more problems than it kept at bay.

No, I’d settled for adding a dhampir from my army to each of the shifts of guards, to protect them when they were away from the house. Oh, and anyone connected with the underworld knew not to target my family, thanks to the influence of the Inagawa-kai. I wasn’t worried about them at home, though, because I had put a ward more intense than the one around my own home upon their property. No one who meant ill will to them, or who had intentions to cause damage or harm, would be able to cross that barrier, unless they could overpower my magic. And if, somehow, they managed that, I would be alerted, which would likely cause the matter to resolve itself in short order.

“Ah, Kaori! I’m glad you made it!” Tatsuo smiled as we entered the dining room.

“Of course, I made it,” I smiled back. “I deserve a bit of a rest after saving the world, I think. What better way to start that off than by having dinner with my family?”

“You saved the world, Aunt Kaori?” Little Kaori looked up at me, wide-eyed. “Is that because of the seal things in the news?”

Teika, the middle child of the group, grinned. “Not just that, Kaori. She made a bunch of people into heroes of different elements. They even turned into all kinds of different creatures, too! They showed interviews with the Japanese ones!”

“Now, kids,” Hiroko cut in, “your Aunt did not come here to talk about all the things she’s been doing around the world. She came to have a nice, normal dinner with everyone, to celebrate Kaori’s first day of school.”

“That, and I have been informed that tomorrow is someone’s birthday,” I grinned as I turned to look at Tatsuo. “Last year, I was busy trying to ensure that some of the more conservative Yakuza didn’t get ideas above their station. You didn’t think I would miss the first chance I’ve had to give my little brother a birthday present, did you?”

Tatsuo chuckled. “Well, I certainly wasn’t going to mention it, what with you going around doing important work, and still having time to make some impressive contributions to Phantomline’s product offerings. Seriously, Kaori, people wouldn’t hold it against you if you took some time for yourself.”

“You should know as well as anyone, Tatsuo, that the reward for having power and using it effectively is more work. But there should be time before the next crisis, whatever it is. But anyway, I promised you a present, and here it is.”

I reached into my storage dimension, and pulled out a simple black case, marked with the Athelian Arms logo. Tatsuo took it with both hands and bowed slightly. “Thank you, Kaori. Truly.”

“Don’t thank me yet, you still haven’t opened it,” I chuckled.

“Open it, Dad!” Kaori said, excitedly. “Let us see what it is!”

Inside was a simple iron horseshoe. Simple, perhaps, to look at, but it bore the clear signs of being hand forged, rather than made in a factory. It was also engraved with lines that were filled with silver, forming patterns all over its surface. Tatsuo looked up at me, confused. “A horseshoe? I am guessing it is enchanted, somehow, but what does it do?”

“Well, first off, this was made by my blacksmith from wrought iron, cold-worked to harden it, turning it into cold iron. That alone makes the horseshoe an effective ward against certain spirits and malign entities. Hang it over one of the doors, with the ends pointed up, and it serves as a general good luck charm.”

I paused to grin at my brother, who had an expression that clearly said he didn’t believe that was all. “As for the enchantment itself? Consider it a blessing upon this house. Once it is hung, those inside will be cleansed of sickness, disease, and mental influence or corruption. And the house itself will be protected, even against fire, earthquakes, or other violent acts. My gift to you, my brother, is to give you a sanctuary for your family, so that, if anything happens, you may rest assured that they are as safe as can be.”

Tatsuo stiffened for a moment, and then pulled me into a hug. I smiled, and let it happen, wrapping my arms about him for a moment. Leaning down to whisper in my ear, he said, “Thank you, Kaori. It is the best gift you could give me.”

I chuckled, and gently pushed him off. Softly, I said, “I may be a monster, Tatsuo, but I still remember how the living care for those around them. My wish for you is that you live to be an old man, and that your death sees you falling asleep one final time surrounded by family that loves you, at peace. And, when it is their time, I hope to watch over your children, and ensure that they have the same peaceful end.”

I turned, then, to Genjo. “And you, young man! I know that your birthday is next week. And your poor mother tells me that you’ve been getting a bit full of yourself lately, ever since I gave you that bracelet of physical prowess last year. The poor woman has been beside herself worrying about you possibly ruining your life with some kind of scandal!”

The soon-to-be twenty-one-year-old man froze like a woodland creature caught in a car’s headlights under my gaze. His mouth opened, and shut, as he tried to come up with an excuse. Before he spoke, he stole a glance at little Kaori, and clearly decided to edit his speech, somewhat. “Uh, well, you see, it really isn’t my fault, Aunt Kaori. I’m just too impressive for the ladies at college. They can’t help themselves. Honestly!”

“Uh-huh,” I chuckled. “Fortunately, I know just the gift to give you, for your birthday.” I reached into my storage dimension, and brought out a hot pink leather collar with a silver heart on the front. “This will help you avoid any unfortunate ‘entanglements’. It is enchanted to protect you from any diseases your ‘companions’ might expose you to. It also acts as birth control, preventing you from accidentally making any little Genjos to worry your mother with.”

Genjo blanched slightly, but still took the collar with both hands and bowed. “Ah, thank you, Aunt Kaori. But does it have to be so… girly? At least could it be black, instead of this pink?”

I smiled wickedly at him. “That’s the second enchantment. As soon as you get engaged, the collar will turn black. When you get married, it will become a simple black band, and an identical one will appear on your partner’s neck, with the same effects. Oh, but if you break up, it goes back to pink, and disappears from your partner.”

“Oh, ah, thanks?”

“Don’t worry, it also has a mending and cleaning enchantment, so it won’t get dirty or wear out, once it is on. Which is good, because it has been specially charmed so that only the wearer’s mother can remove it. This way, you can give your poor mother some confidence that you won’t be causing trouble for the poor girls at school, since they can’t resist you, hmm?”

The rest of the family mostly looked as though they were heroically trying to stop laughing at Genjo’s gift. Teika chuckled, “Remind me never to get on your bad side, Aunt Kaori? I’d hate to see what you would do if you were actually upset!”

Little Kaori frowned slightly. “What’s wrong with it? The collar is pretty!”

“Yes, it is very pretty,” Hiroko nodded. “Come on, Genjo, put it on, so we can see just how good it looks on you. And so you can give your poor mother some peace of mind. Especially when you were saying I would cry if Aunt Kaori called herself old.”

Genjo, sadly, had the look of a rat in the trap, with no escape. He looked to me for some kind of help, but I just smiled, and said, “Honestly, boy. You should just focus on getting back on your mother’s good side. Or embrace your new fashion statement.”