WIEDERGEBURT Act VII: Chapter 20

Eryk and Lin soon left. While Kari no longer had anything important to do back home, someone needed to watch over the people now residing in Vahn, and Eryk was still the strongest among them. He felt a sense of obligation toward everyone under his protection. That didn’t mean Kari didn’t wish he could say, but she understood why he had to leave. Tora had also gone with Eryk and Lin.

Siv remained with Kari.

“Lin seems like a very nice girl,” Fray said as she reached over and grabbed a danish.

Kari agreed wholeheartedly. “Lin is a wonderful younger sister. I adored the girl ever since we first met.”

“Hmmm.”

“Is something wrong?”

“I do not know. Maybe.” Fray nibbled on the danish a bit. Kari recognized the tactic people used to buy themselves time. “I’m sure you already know the legend. Long ago, there was a Drakvarian who broke the taboo and learned how to use the Concept of Negation. They were banished, their wings stripped from them, and were eventually sealed away when they rampaged through Miðgarðr.”

“Lin said she inherited that person’s power,” Kari admitted.

“I assumed that was the case.”

Fray continued nibbling on the danish. When she went silent, Kari turned her attention toward Siv, who had some fruit juice on her face. She reached out with a towel and wiped the girl’s face clean. While Lin would always be her little sister, she had grown to love Siv very much in the time they had been on Vindenket.

“I personally have no issue with Lin learning how to wield the Concept of Negation… but there are many others who will take issue with it, which is why I suggest you hide this fact from everyone else,” Fray said. “I know that if it came to light and the people tried to harm her, Eryk would fight them, and we cannot afford to fight amongst each other right now—not when we have such a powerful enemy knocking on our front door.”

Kari nodded gravely. “I understand. Don’t worry. I’m sure Lin understands the importance of keeping this a secret, but I’ll be sure to talk with her about it as well.”

“I’d feel reassured if you did,” Fray said with a smile. “Now, onto more pleasant topics.”

Kari spent what must have been an hour with Fray, just talking about every day matters. Kari informed Fray of some of the more humorous moments that happened in their household, like the time Raul tried to cook something for his girlfriends and mistook the sugar for salt.

“To be fair, I had not yet labeled anything in the kitchen… but most people would taste test their creation before serving it,” Kari said with a grin.

“He sounds like a tr-truly wonderful child,” Fray said in between giggles. “And his girlfriends did not say anything.”

“I think they felt bad enough already. Sadly, Raul found out a little later when he finally ate some himself.” Kari giggled even as she continued to stroke Siv’s hair. The Drakvarian had fallen asleep while they were talking. Her soft hair felt like Giant Tarantella silk.

“I hope I get to meet this child soon,” Fray continued.

“You will,” Kari said. “I’m sure Eryk will bring him when he brings over Fay.”

Kari was sure the conversation would have continued for some time, but the door suddenly opened and four people walked in.

Fray’s house was basically just a wide open space on the first floor. The parlor took up the entire floor save a small area where a staircase led to the bedrooms on the second floor. Kari was sitting on a couch facing the door, so when the six people walked in, they easily spotted each other.

The woman in the lead looks like Kari’s identical twin, with long blonde hair, blue eyes, and features so fair you’d think she was a doll. She wore a chestplate, gauntlets, greaves, and shoulder pauldrons that were covered in a complex rune array. A sheathed sword was attached to her waist. Aside from the regal and imposing aura she emitted, there was just one difference between her and Kari.

Kari’s chest was a lot bigger.

“MOTHER!”

Kari’s shout startled Siv awake. As the girl leapt into an upright position, Kari bolted from the couch and slammed into the woman, hugging her fiercely as she sobbed.

“What the—K-Kari?!”

“Mother! I missed you so much! I… I am so glad… that I can finally see you again!”

It had been a very long time since Kari allowed herself to cry, because she knew that crying never solved anything, but she could not help it just then. It had been four years for Kari since she had seen her mother. Four years of longing. All the emotions she had kept trapped behind a dam of self-restraint and discipline crumbled.

“Oh… Kari…” Her mother placed her hands on Kari’s head and stroked her hair. “I’m so happy to see you. You do not know how much I worried. When you disappeared I… I assumed the worst. Eight years. I have been without you for eight horrible years. Welcome home.”

Those words made Kari cry even harder. Tears stung her eyes, her body shook as it was wracked with sobs. She was glad Eryk wasn’t here right now. Having him see her like this wasn’t embarrassing, but she honestly wanted to be strong for him, so she didn’t want him to see her like this right now.

“Hey, hey! What’s this? Your mom gets a hug, but your old men don’t? My arms are feeling a little lonely right now,” someone said.

Kari sniffed as she pulled back from her mother and looked at the man who had spoken. He was a silver-haired man with a roguish atmosphere about it, which may or may not have been due to the crooked grin on his face. Like his wife, he wore full-body armor, though his was made of leather. It made him look more like a hunter than a warrior. Strapped to his waist was a standard broadsword.

“Dante.” Kari went forward and hugged her third father. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too, baby girl.” Dante’s hug was warm and gentle, a complete contrast to his rakish personality. His hugs vaguely reminded her of Eryk’s. “I don’t see your husband here. He, uh, not around?”

“Eryk had to travel back to Vahn.” Kari pulled back and wiped her eyes. “We’ve been doing a lot since we returned to Miðgarðr. I’ll tell you about it later. For now…”

Turning once more, Kari found herself staring into the smiling face of her second father, a caramel eyed man with short hair that was swept back and just two locks trailing in front of his face. The joints in his armor made soft clicking noises as he opened his arms and let her walk into his embrace. He smelled of metal and oil, but it was a comforting scent.

“Welcome home, Kari.”

“It’s good to be home.”

“Kari…” another voice spoke up, one that sounded gruff but was filled with emotion.

Rainer stepped away and let Kari turn one last time, toward the last man standing among this group. Large and imposing. That was what Kari had always thought about her father, Valence. He didn’t look much different now than he had been when she was younger, but he did seem a bit… older. There were no wrinkles on his face or anything to denote his age, but she just had this feeling that he had aged somehow.

Kari’s relationship with Valence had always been the most complicated. He was her birth father, and yet he was the most distant among all her parents. Silent. Cold. Demanding. When she was little, her father had always frightened her, and while those feelings had vanished after she met Eryk, she still didn’t always know how to address this man.

“Father… I…”

Whatever she had been about to say was cut off when Valence reached out and pulled her into a hug. She found her face pressed against his breastplate. It was cold, but she was more shocked by the hug than the cold steel her cheek was pressed into. Valence’s hug was… hard. He was holding her like she’d disappear if he let go. And she didn’t know how to deal with that.

“I’m glad you are home. I… have missed you terribly,” Valence said, his voice choked with emotion.

Kari froze. Then she unfroze. She blinked several times as her eyes stung and tears she thought she finished shedding trickled down her face. Her shoulders shook as he hugged Valence back.

“Me too. I missed you so much, Father.”

***

Two days passed in the blink of an eye. While Siv returned home the day after we visited Fray, Kari remained for those two days, and when she finally returned, she brought her entire family along with her.

“Welcome to Vahn… Mother,” I said, wonder what this awkward nostalgia was as I stood before the woman, her husbands, and her children, and her grandchildren. For some odd reason, Rienhard was also with them. He was standing next to Mykkel.

“It is good to see you, Eryk.” Empress Hilda—I suppose she wasn’t an empress anymore, now that I thought about it—smiled at me before walking forward and giving me a hug. I was getting better at being hugged by people who weren’t my wives, to the point that I was able to hug her back. “I’m glad you and my daughter were able to return safely. Kari has already told me much about your time away, but I would like to hear about what happened from your perspective.”

“Of course,” I said as Hilda pulled back.

She took several steps away so the rest of the family could come in and greet me. I found myself being backslapped by Dante, having my shoulder pat by Rainer, and having the ever gruff Valence thank me for looking after his daughter and that awkward manner of his. Of course, while I was happy to see them, there were a few matters I wanted cleared up.

“What’s he doing here?” I asked, pointing at Rienhard.

“Ha ha ha! What kind of greeting is that?” Rienhard chuckled. “I’m obviously part of the family now.”

I didn’t realize what he meant at first, but then I saw the way he and Mykkel were standing together—more specifically, they were holding hands. It took me a moment to remember that Rienhard was gay. I hadn’t realized Mykkel was too, but that did explain why he’d never gotten married despite his parent’s wishes.

“I see. Congratulations,” I said to Mykkel and Rienhard.

Mykkel merely smiled at me. “Thank you. It’s very appreciated.”

The second eldest of Empress Hilda’s sons was a redhead with a smattering of freckles on his face and green eyes. He hadn’t changed much since I’d seen him before the attack on Nevaria. That was imply a result of his power. Those who had reached the Fourth State of Spiritualism aged very slowly. He wasn’t wearing armor right now, but the tabbard, pants, and boots looked to be made of a durable fabric. Demon Beast hide probably.

The next group I turned to was Geirolf, Catalyna, and the two kids they were carrying. One boy and one girl. Both children had curly blond hair like their mom, but their eyes were a bright blue like their father’s. The boy’s hair was also more of a dirty blond than outright blond. They couldn’t have been older than one year old.

“And who are these two?” I asked.

When I looked pointedly at the two children, the boy hid his face in his mother’s chest, while the girl merely stared at me like a hawk.

Catalyna chuckled as she patted her son’s head. “The boy is named Eryk and the girl is Karin. I bet you can’t guess who they were named after.”

With curly blonde hair that descended all the way to her butt, sharp blue eyes that seemed softer than I remembered them, and a figure that could compare to my wives, Catalyna still looked more like a young girl than a ferocious warrior. I thought the married look suited her though. She had become a lot more womanly since marrying Geirolf, and now she seemed even more mature after having kids.

“I have a few,” I said with a chuckle.

“Guess who named them.”

At those words, I raised an eyebrow and looked at Geirolf, who suddenly went red in the face. He looked away and crossed his arms like he was trying to defend himself from someone’s accusation.

Broad shouldered and powerfully built, Geirolf looked like he had grown even more powerful and wise than I remembered. Other than that, he looked no different than before. His brown hair was still spiky, his eyes still a bright blue, and his face still retained its youth. His outfit consisted of simple brown pants, brown boots, and a white collared shirt.

“I just wanted… something to remember you two by,” he mumbled. “You both disappeared, so I thought…”

“I understand. I’m honored to have your son named after me,” I said. Clapping my hands, I gestured for everyone. “Anyway, since you are all here, why don’t you follow me. We can relax, talk, and have a late lunch. I’ve been working all day, so I haven’t eaten.”

Kari stood by my side and held my hand, happier than I had seen her in a long time. I wouldn’t say she had ever been unhappy. However, I understood there were few things that could compare to learning your family was safe during a crisis.

Empress—no, I needed to call her Hilda now. Or maybe Mother? Mom? I knew I couldn’t keep thinking of her as an empress now that Nevaria no longer existed, but it was harder than I expected. In either event, she walked up to my other side and gave me what I thought might be her version of a stink-eye.

“I tried for so long to convince you to take my place as the Emperor of Nevaria, and you refused every time… and yet now you’ve become this city’s equivalent of an emperor. I hope you realize I’m very cross with you.”

For whatever reason, hearing my mother-in-law make such a childish statement with her odd version of pouting made me chuckle. The cross look on her face deepened, but I honestly just thought it was funnier. The Empress Hilda who had for so long been a pillar for her people was pouting at me like a petulant child. How was that not funny?

“This is only a temporary position,” I assured her. “Once the situation stabilizes, I’ll have to find someone who can replace me.”

“Oh?”

I shrugged when Hilda raised an eyebrow at me. “Anyone can be trained to do paperwork and manage people. There are things I need to do now that I’ve returned—things only I can do.”

Hilda nodded slowly. “I have heard the reason you came back… and I think you are right. The situation at hand is one we humans cannot deal with on our own. And with Lady Fray unable to leave the Misty Mountain Range…” Hilda shook her head. “It seems you and your wives are the only ones we can rely on right now.”

There was a lot of truth to her words, and I was glad she understood the situation, but this also wasn’t something to talk about right now. We had time. Not much. But it was important to take what little time we could to reconnect with our loved ones.

We walked through the busy streets of Vahn and reached our home shortly thereafter. Lin, Siv, and Tora were there to greet us… though from the way Tora and Lin stood with Siv between them, something had happened and they’d begun fighting again. It seemed like every time I looked away, those two were arguing. I really didn’t understand why those two didn’t get along.

I’d do something eventually, but I wanted to let them try and resolve their issues without my intervention for now. It was important they learn to work through their problems without a mediator.

I directed everyone to the parlor. It was a large space decorated in warm colors and bookshelves. The bookshelves were all brand new, something I had created with the earth element and life manipulation. They sat against the walls. In the center of the room were a series of couches and chairs. There was no coffee table. However, we weren’t going to eat here, so I didn’t see the problem.

“I’ll make some tea for everyone,” Chloe said before leaving for the kitchen. I sighed. That woman was always working in her capacity as a servant, to the point where I thought she got off on it.

Everyone else spread themselves around the room. Catalyna and Geirolf ended up on the floor where they played with their kids, while Hilda, Dante, Rainer, and Valence took one of the longer couches. It still looked like it was a tight fit, but I didn’t see them complaining. Rainer and Mykkel took one of the chairs for themselves.

Kari, Lin, Siv, and I took the last couch. Tora glared at Lin as though demanding her to move, but I sent her a stern look that made the woman grumbled and sit in the last empty chair.

This was getting ridiculous.

“Now, Eryk, tell us what it was like on Gudeverdenen,” Mykkel said. “I’m curious to know.”

“I’m pretty damn curious myself,” Dante said as he leaned back.

“It’s not every day someone travels to another realm,” Rainer added.

Shrugging, I told them all about my time in Gudeverdenen, and I didn’t spare them the gory details either. Everyone was shocked when I showed them that my arm was actually a fake. I wasn’t sure what shocked them more: That I’d lost my arm, or that I could manipulate the seven elements to create a very realistic recreation.

“And it… moves just like a real arm?” asked Geirolf, staring curiously at it.

“More or less,” I confirmed. To emphasize, I raised my arm and bent it, then spread my fingers wide before clenching them into a fist. “I have to will my arm to move, which takes a little more effort and thought than if it was my real arm, but ultimately, it isn’t too different. The only bad thing about having a fake arm is that I can’t feel anything with it.”

One less arm with which I could feel my wive’s skin.

Chloe returned from the kitchen pushing a tray with a tea set on it. I was used to seeing her with expensive tea sets that looked like they cost enough to buy a small mansion, but the one in our house was just a plain ceramic set. Even so, she poured our tea with enviable poise and passed it around. I grabbed the plate she handed me with my real hand and the teacup with my fake hand.

Once everyone had their tea, Chloe manuvered behind me and stood with her hands clasped in front of her.

“It is horrible that you lost your arm, but to be able to use all seven elements in such a way is very impressive,” Hilda said. She sighed in dismay and shook her head. “And not only have you mastered all seven elements, but you and my daughter have even learned how to wield concepts. You have truly grown past me.”

Kari blushed just a little. “Maybe in strength, but you are still my mother.”

Hilda gave her daughter an amused glance. “I did not say that to be self-deprecating, dear. I’m merely proud of how far you have come.”

“Oh…” Kari’s blush grew deeper.

“This princess was pretty shocked when Big Sister returned wielding all that power too,” Lin added. “You haven’t seen her in a fight, but she’s pretty amazing.”

“I’ll second that,” I said.

“You two,” Kari muttered as she cast us a glare.

“I third that.”

“E tu, Siv?”

It became late and we eventually moved our conversation to the dining room, where we ate a late lunch. We moved back into the parlor soon after. It was during this time that the entrance door opened, and Fay and Raul walked in together. Mother and son had gone off to gather alchemy ingredients. When they saw who was with us, the response was not what I expected.

“Grandma!”

I blinked at the word that came out of Raul’s mouth, but I was even more surprised when Hilda stood up and received her grandson’s hug. Maybe it was still just because I saw her as the empress of Nevaria. However, it was still just awkward to hear my son calling her “grandma” of all things.

“Raul, it is so very good to see you,” Hilda said. She was resting her head on Raul’s shoulder, which meant she could also see Fay. “It is good to see you too, Fay. I feel like I should tell you that your father is safe. He is with Lady Fray in the Misty Mountain Range.”

“My father?” Fay looked stunned. “Really? He’s safe?”

“Yes.”

“Oh, thank the nine realms.”

I stood up from the couch and made my way to Fay, who looked a little weak-kneed. Taking her by the shoulder, I let the woman lean into me, which she did, pressing her face to my shoulder and breathing in deeply.

“We can go see your dad tomorrow,” I said.

“Thank you,” Fay said with a soft sigh.

It was getting late. Hilda and her family said they needed to return to the Misty Mountain Range. Kari tried to convince them to stay the night and eventually succeeded by convincing them that the Valkyries were more than capable of handling matters in their absence. I was sure Fray wouldn’t mind. In fact, I was certain she expected this to happen, so I said nothing and instead asked Chloe to prepare three rooms for our guests.

I prepared for bed with my wives, but I also had one thing I wanted to do before going to bed.

“I’ll be back in a bit,” I said to the four. Kari, Siv, Fay, and Lin were already dressed in nightgowns of varying colors. Kari’s was light pink, Fay’s a deep scarlet, Lin’s was pure white, and Siv’s was silvery green like her hair. They all looked gorgeous. If it wasn’t for how tired I was and how, uh, poorly sound-proofed these walls were, I would have probably taken them right now.

“We will be waiting here,” Kari said.

“Don’t take too long,” Fay added.

“Return to this princess soon,” Lin said.

“Should I come with you?” asked Siv.

I shook my head. “There’s someone I need to talk to, and it would be better if I did that on my own.”

Siv accepted my decision with a nod, and so I left the bedroom and wandered down the hall, until I reached one specific door, which I knocked on once.

“Door’s open,” a voice said.

I opened the door and stepped inside. The room was neither big nor small. A good portion of it was taken up by the bed, but there were also bookshelves, a dresser, a desk, and a nightstand. The walls were made from a combination of stone and wood like everything else.

Sitting on the bed was Tora, dressed in a black nightgown, her legs crossed and eyes closed. It looked like she had been meditating. I would admit that I may or may not have gazed at her heaving chest longer than was necessary. As I closed the door behind me, Tora opened her eyes and frowned.

“To what do I owe the fucking pleasure of your visit?” she asked.

“I wanted to ask if you and Lin are still fighting,” I said. I didn’t sit on the bed, but I stood close by.

“Was it that fucking obvious?” asked Tora. She grunted and looked away when I just continued to stare. “Yeah, we had a fucking fight. I’ll even admit it was my fault. Lin kept telling me to behave and that I shouldn’t swear in front of ‘Big Sister’s family.’ I told her to fuck off. Said I’d say whatever the fuck I want. She got angry at me.”

I wanted to sigh. This woman had such a prickly personality. It was more than just her potty mouth. She was so confrontational, and while Kari and Siv could deal with her because one had experience with people and the other just had a very mild personality, Lin was similar enough to Tora that it caused sparks to fly. I wanted them to resolve this issue on their own… but with what I’d seen today, I didn’t think that would happen.

“Do you really want to marry me?” I asked.

“The fuck kind of question is that?”

“A very important one. Do you want to marry me?”

“Of course I do.”

“Then you have to respect my wives,” I said, repeating what I’d already told her. “I’m not asking you to be best friends with Lin right now. Friendships take time to form. However, if you aren’t even willing to extend an olive branch to them, how can you expect them to accept you?”

“I know that. I fucking know that. It’s just… hard.” Tora rubbed her arms as though a chill had entered the room. “I’ve never been very sociable. I never got along with other girls my age either. Or anyone else for that matter. Did you know? You were the first person who could deal with my personality.”

“I did not know that, but it does explain why you never spent time with anyone else,” I said. When I saw the look on her face, so destitute and lonely, I sat down on the bed and reached out to place my hand over hers. “I know you aren’t very sociable, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try to be. Siv’s not very sociable, but she gets along with everyone else just fine.”

“Siv is a wall flower. Don’t compare us,” Tora said with a scowl.

I chuckled. “Okay, maybe that was a bad comparison. My point still stands. Also, if you have trouble communicating with everyone else, then you can always ask for help. I know you think being able to do everything on your own is a strength, and maybe it is, but it also means you will always be alone. People have trouble accepting someone who tries to do everything by themselves.”

Tora still wasn’t quite looking at me, so I leaned in closer, until she had no choice but to look at me. Our eyes locked. I tried my best to instill my feelings into our eye contact. I wanted her to understand how I felt about this, and I wanted her to admit that maybe I had a point. At the very least, I wished she would try to see things my way.

“You’re right.” Tora sighed and her shoulders slumped. “I’ve done everything on my own for so fucking long that it’s just hard for me to ask others for help.”

“If I’m going to be your husband, you had better learn how to ask me for help,” I told her. “A husband enjoys being useful to his wife.”

“Okay. I’ll do my best. I don’t fu… er… I don’t think I can change much, but I’ll try harder,” Tora said softly, cheeks turning red. She might be a foul-mouthed warrior with more power in her pinky than most people had in their entire body, but she was very pure when it came to romance.

“Thank you. I’ll help whenever you slip,” I said. I squeezed her hand once before getting off the bed and making for the door. “Goodnight, Tora.”

“Goodnight,” Tora said.

I paused at the doorway, listening to the sound of slithering that came from the other end. Of course, when I opened the door, there was nobody there.

***

Chloe woke us up early the next morning, and we all had breakfast with Kari’s family, but Fay, Raul, and I soon parted ways with the others because we were going to visit Stelys Valstine today. I knew Kari was going to spend the day with her family. I didn’t know what Lin and Siv would do, but they both assured me they had something to keep them busy. Tora also said she had some things to do and told us to “have a good fucking time.”

I was sure she meant that sincerely and not sarcastically.

“Do you mind if we bring Sana and Lilac?” asked Raul as we walked along the street.

“I don’t mind,” I said. “Fay?”

“I do not mind either. I actually think it is a good idea,” Fay said. “Even though Father knows them, he only knows of them as my apprentices. They need to be introduced to the family as Raul’s girlfriends.”

While Raul flushed at her words, I merely nodded along with them. We still didn’t know if this was a serious relationship. However, if Raul was anything like me, then it wouldn’t be long before he proposed to them. I honestly hoped he would. I didn’t ascribe to the noble belief that every relationship needed to end in marriage, but I also didn’t believe flings were a good thing either.

And Raul seemed like a very serious young man.

I stood back with Fay and Chloe as Raul knocked on the door to his home. Sana was the one who opened it, easily recognizable by her white hair and crimson eyes. Raul spoke with her in a hushed conversation and gestured toward me and Fay. Sana’s eyes lit up before she turned her head and called back into the house.

“Lilac! Hurry up and get dressed! We’re leaving to meet Mistress Fay’s father!”

“WHAT?! MISTRESS FAY’S FATHER?!” a shriek came from inside the house.

Fay and I looked at each other as the entire building seemed to shake with activity. Some sweat trailed down my scalp when a series of bangs, clangs, and what I really hoped wasn’t an explosion echoed from inside the house. I really hoped Lilac was okay. Just what was she doing in there.

“I am sorry.” Sana bowed to us as she emerged from the house with Raul. “Lilac and I were refining alchemy pills and… well, you know how Lilac can be.”

Sana was wearing her classic Grandmaster Alchemist robes. They were white robes with platinum lining the hems. It was a simple outfit. Yet it suited this albino girl.

“Was she trying to refine original pills again?” asked Fay. When Sana merely turned her head, my wife sighed. “I do hope she at least remembers the proper protocol for refining original alchemy pills.”

“I’m sure she does,” Sana assured. “But, still, it’s Lilac.”

I wasn’t sure what Sana meant by that, but I didn’t ask, and Lilac emerged from the house fifteen minutes later, dressed in purple tribal style pants that were tied around the ankles with elastic bands. Her shirt was also purple, but it was a bedleh, a bra top that bared her midrif. While this didn’t give her much modesty, she did have a raiment that went around her shoulders. While she looked clean and unharmed, I noticed the tips of her hair was singed.

“Okay. I’m ready,” Lilac said.

Fay gave her a flat look. “Are you really going in that?”

Lilac froze. “Um… yes? Should I change?”

“No. It’s fine.” Fay sighed. “I would like to leave now, so let’s just go.”

We drew a lot of eyes as we walked. I wasn’t sure who they were staring at. Were they looking at the gorgeous company Raul and I kept, or were they staring at my son and I? I couldn’t be certain, but it did feel like a lot of envious stares were being sent our way, especially my son who had a flower on either arm today.

My fake arm was feeling awfully lonely right now.

After making it outside of Vahn, Chloe opened a portal and we stepped through. We appeared in the same area as last time, which meant we had to walk half an hour through no man’s land. We still didn’t run into any problems this time either. I passed through the barrier with Fay, Raul, Sana, Lilac, and Chloe.

“So this is the Misty Mountain Range,” Fay muttered as she looked around. “There are a lot of ingredients that can be used for alchemy here.”

“This is like an alchemist’s paradise,” Lilac agreed.

I wanted to tell them that if they thought this place was a paradise, they should see what Gudeverdenen was like, but I didn’t feel like that was appropriate. We couldn’t even travel there right now anyway.

“Where does Stelys live?” I asked Chloe.

“I shall lead you to him,” Chloe said.

We followed the maid as she led us into the village. A lot of people looked at us as we passed. I heard gasps and saw people pointing at Fay and whispering to each other. It seemed my wife’s reputation preceded her. I’d heard she was rather famous for her steadfast defense of Vahn, and it looked like people still remembered her even after two years.

It wasn’t long before we left the main village and wandered through a forested section. As we did, a shadow passed overhead. I looked up to find an old dragon with deep red scales and a fire burst pattern flying toward us. He was quite at large at maybe fifty or sixty meters in length. Four powerful legs flexed as he landed before us and taloned feet dug into the soft loam. The dragon unleashed a mighty roar of greeting.

“Eryk Veiger! I heard you had returned! How dare you not come to see me!”

“Feuer,” I said with a strained smile. “I had planned on seeing you eventually, but we have currently been visiting all my wives’ families.”

Feuer paused after I spoke and looked at me—really looked at me. I felt his Spiritual Power flow over my body. He spent nearly a full minute doing that before rearing back as though struck.

“Heh. I see you have become even more powerful than ever. Since you are going to see your mate’s family, I will let you go. Is Lady Siv with you?”

I shook my head. “I will tell her you want to see her when I return to Vahn.”

“See to it that you do,” Feuer said before generating a massive gust of wind with his flapping wings. He lifted off the ground and flew away.

“Now that that’s out of the way, shall we continue?” asked Chloe.

Continue on we did. Stelys’ house was a lot further from the village than I expected, in a small area surrounded by a pond and numerous plants. There was a garden in the back that I could tell in one glance was an alchemy garden. The building itself was only a single story, but it was made from earth colored bricks, featured a slanted roof with red tiles, and had two chimneys—one of which had white smoke wafting from it.

“This is it,” Chloe said.

I looked at Fay, who took a deep breath and stepped forward, squaring her shoulders as she knocked several times. Nothing happened at first, but then a light thumping sound came from the other side. The door opened, and the person who appeared before us was… not Stelys Valstine.

“Hello, who is—oh my! Is that Fay? I’m so glad you’re safe!” Feinrea Kuunis stood in the doorway, her hair tied into a tight bun and a modest dress wrapped around her body. I think what shocked me the most was not the less flashy clothes. No. It was the large swollen belly she was sporting that told me one thing.

Feinrea Kuunis was pregnant.

And I didn’t need to know who the father was.