Volume 5 Chapter 40 Father And Son
Some time later, I went to visit my old man with Toxy.
"Hey, Wade, and Toxy-chan too. I didn't expect you to visit so soon."
My old man said, smiling lightly despite being restrained all over. Well, it's no surprise. It's hard to believe that a gold-ranked adventurer like him got caught so easily.
"No, it's the other way around. If I didn't come now, I probably wouldn't have been able to visit for a month."
"Seriously? Is something going on?"
"It's a war. Haven't you heard? Fist of the Dragon~ or something like that."
"Oh...? I remember the boss joking about how it would be chaotic because of the war and that we might as well take over Karditsa."
I didn't know the boss said that. He's the one who built Nightfather man in one generation, so he must be a great person. But since his focus isn't on combat, I honestly don't understand his greatness.
Of course, "great" isn't a compliment. It's short for "greatly bad."
"I've never heard of Fist of the Dragon in my time. It's more of your generation's thing. But it's quite a nickname. Fist of the Dragon, punching a dragon."
My old man said with a smile. "I would have liked to try fighting when I was younger." And Toxy nudged me with her elbow and said,
"You're just like him."
"Stop teasing me, Toxy~..."
"Huh? Yeah, people said that Wade looked just like me when he was a baby. He grew up to be quite handsome like his mother, but he's pretty hot-blooded."
"Isn't it!? Wade is pretty hot-blooded!"
Toxy and my old man get excited talking about me. I feel like I'm being toyed with.
"Hey, Wade. You're not just hot-blooded like me, but you've been through a lot and have real strength now, right?"
"Despite how it looks, I've been through a lot."
"What kind? Tell me about your adventures."
With a smirk, my old man asked, and I take a breath and tell him.
"I recently cleared the 100th floor of the dungeon."
"Karditsa's dungeon, huh? Hmm... I thought it was amazing to have a golden torch, I thought, but I guess it's been recent. What was the boss on the 100th floor like?"
"He was a Demon (Majin) who controlled crystals. He said he was a Lieutenant General in the Demon King's army."
"The Demon King's army, huh? It's been a while since I heard that from my time."
My old man looked up as if lost in thought. I was curious, so I asked,
"What is the Demon King's army? They said they're still gathering power."
"They're the enemy of humanity. They come through the large dungeons scattered everywhere, the vanguard of the Demon King. But even humans, like the 'Handless,' with rank above gold torches, are rampaging through and causing havoc. They're constantly attacking and killing each other. That's the kind of existence they are."
"...What do you mean by your time, old man?"
"The previous Demon King was a monster."
My old man said.
"Humanity was on the brink of defeat. We would have been completely defeated without the summoned hero. But the summoned hero was a monster greater than the Demon King. After trampling the Demon King's army and the Demon King himself, he took over a certain country and ravaged the world."
"A certain country...?"
My old man smiled bitterly.
"The Roman Empire. This country. The current emperor of this country, Yuuya Hibiki Roman, was the summoned hero from before, and now he's our emperor, claiming dominance over the world."
"I see."
"I didn't even tell you this. I'm really a failure as a parent."
My old man reproached himself. He was indeed a failure as a parent. Not that he wasn't a parent.
At that point, the guard said, "It's time." We stood up and said, "Well, let's stop here for now."
"Yeah. I'll see you again in a month. I'm counting on some treats too. I'm tired of the same old food!"
"Say what you want. If I feel like it, I'll bring you some."
"Yeah. Take care of Toxy-chan too. Support Wade for me, Toxy-chan."
"I'll do that without being told."
"Leave it to me!"
We left the visiting room and completed some procedures before leaving the prison. Then, we talked as we walked through the city.
"I think I understand why you're sometimes unreasonable, Wade"
"It feels embarrassing, doesn't it?"
"Don't worry. I'll support you!"
As Toxy said this, she smiled. Then she said, "But I'm glad."
"Parent-child relationships last a lifetime. It's difficult, but it's really good that you two get along."
"Compared to the past, it's not so bad, I guess."
"You're not being honest... I think father-in-law would be happy too. You should show filial piety to your parents while they're alive."
When Toxy said this, I remembered. Toxy's father had definitely hanged himself.
"...Yeah, I'm glad I was able to do something while he's alive. If he had died without being able to do anything, I would have been unable to accept it."
"That's right. I'm already beyond help, but at least it's good that Wade can accept it."
I think that Toxy's concern for me may have been her way of replacing her father, who died, by taking care of me and my old man.
Thinking this, I started to feel affectionate towards Toxy and couldn't leave her alone. Before I knew it, I was holding Toxy's hand.
"Oh... it's unusual for you to hold my hand first, Wade."
"I just felt like doing it."
"Hehe, I see. ...I'm happy."
Toxy changed our normal hand-holding to a lover's embrace, then hugged my arm. Then she suddenly looked up at me and asked,
"By the way, about the 30 children, are you serious?"
"Huh? ...I'm serious."
"Ugh. I-I see... Well, I mean, it would be difficult during the war, but after that, maybe..."
Toxy's face turned bright red as she stammered. I couldn't help but love Toxy, so I hugged her tightly and whispered in her ear.
"I'll treasure you, Toxy. Forever and ever."
"...Yeah."
Toxy was too embarrassed to say anything. She just buried her face in my arm.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Donate me
Support Me with USDC
(ERC20)
Support Me with XLM
(Stellar Lumens)