Volume 12 Chapter 30 The Godparent
The head of Jormungand was still alive.
"I can't believe it..."
"That guy is tough."
We were looking down at him from the top of a building. Miraculously, there was a nearby building that hadn't collapsed, and it was a bit elevated.
From the rooftop, I could see that Jormungand, while not dead, looked pretty worn out and hardly spoke at all.
Maybe he didn't have the strength to talk with just his head, or maybe he had his own thoughts.
Either way, I didn't want to see a family member in such a brutal state. The only fun part is when we're fighting, I thought to myself.
So, there I was with Clay, looking down at Jormungand's severed head.
Mudi had said, "I'll go check things out," and it seemed like he was doing something over Jormungand now.
As I watched them, I muttered,
"Still, why did Jormungand start yelling like that at the last moment?"
"What do you mean by yelling?"
"You know, the stuff about family. I thought, 'What is this guy talking about?' and I ended up snapping back at him."
When I told Clay this, he let out a wry smile.
"...Talking about family is complicated. There are a lot of problems if you become one, and there are plenty of cases where you want to be one but can't."
"What's that, Clay? You sound like you know everything."
"I worked with Mung-san, so I had a lot of chances to talk with him. That's how I know a bit about the situation. But I was surprised that Wade-kun just cut him off like that."
At Clay's words, I looked away.
Because it looked that way. Rollo seemed to completely accept Renril, Mung, and Sur. It was pointless to complain about it now, standing by Mung.
"By the way..."
Clay sat down next to me. I followed his lead and sat down too.
With Clay and me side by side, we dangled our legs off the edge of the building's rooftop, like we were sitting on a helicopter.
"Actually, I got married too."
"...Wait, really!? The person you mentioned before, was it Teres-san?"
"Yeah. Even though I told her I'd be flying around to different places, she said she would wait for me. That's when I made up my mind and got married."
"Whoa... When?"
"...Actually, a little before Wade-kun and the others."
"Huh!? You! Clay, you should tell me important stuff like that, you jerk!"
I grabbed Clay's shoulder and shook him. Clay just laughed.
So, it must have been around the time before the war with Sieg. That war had a lot of paths already set, and Clay must have decided to leave Karditsa by then.
Actually, I think I remember catching a glimpse of Clay's love letter back then. Maybe if I had read it more carefully, it would have mentioned something about getting married.
The content was so sweet that I just checked the name and overlooked it...! I bit my lip in frustration.
Meanwhile, Clay, finding my reaction funny, casually apologized.
"Haha a, sorry, sorry. It's just that Wade-kun was already in the middle of preparing for his wedding. I thought I shouldn't interrupt, and then I ended up missing the timing."
"Ugh, I appreciate the thought, but...! Anyway, congratulations! Once everything is done, make sure to let me celebrate properly!"
"Of course. So, Wade-kun, there's something I want to ask you."
Clay glances at me from the side, and I respond.
"Got it. What is it?"
"Hehe, you answered right away. That's so like you, Wade-kun. Actually, I found out from Teres on the day I was leaving Karditsa."
Clay has his hands clasped on his knees. If you look closely, his hands are shaking a little.
"...It seems I'm going to be a father."
"..."
I'm speechless.
I'm completely speechless.
"...Wow..."
"Of course, I'm ready for it. I have a job, and everything is going smoothly. But since it's my first child, and considering my background and the challenges ahead, I feel a bit scared."
"...Ah, I see."
Somehow, Clay seems like a life veteran to me. We're only a year apart, if that.
N-no, I do have Moruru, but raising her was so easy. The difficulty level was very easy. The only trouble was the initial food costs.
"So, about that request... Wade-kun, I want you to be the godparent of my first child."
Hearing that, I blink in surprise.
"...Is that really okay?"
"Yeah. I really want to ask you."
For some reason, Clay is asking me very seriously, and I shrug my shoulders.
"Well, I can't just refuse that. Instead, can I ask you to be the godparent when my first child is born?"
"...! Is that really okay? I mean, that's something I could only wish for."
"Hahaha, what's with you, Clay? You're being so dramatic. We just talked about how we're family. Asking you to be a godparent is a small favor."
I laugh and put my arm around Clay.
"How about we arrange a betrothal between my child and yours? If it's your kid, I can trust them with mine. Though, to be honest, none of them are born yet."
"What about Moruru-chan?"
"Moruru is out of the question. She's still too young."
"But the kids that aren't born yet are even smaller!"
We both chuckle softly. Well, either way, that's a story for a while later.
Besides, if his wife got pregnant while there's still fighting going on, it would be a big deal. I think I'm being pretty careful.
...I think I'm being careful, but everyone is so lively... I often give in to my desires too. At least, I don't think there will be any problems until we conquer the imperial capital...
That aside, though.
"...Hehe, haha, ahahaha!"
Clay laughs genuinely, looking really happy.
"That's right. If that happens, we really will be family. It's a great idea, Wade-kun. I feel like the future is so much more exciting now."
"Right? I think it's a nice idea. So, I need to work hard now and earn enough to cover the wedding costs for the kids!"
"Sounds good. A wedding between my child and your child. I'm getting excited just thinking about it!"
We laugh together.
Right after defeating the World Snake. I was covered in blood, and Clay was covered in dirt. The blizzard in the depths of hell, Nilfheim, was still fierce today.
Even so, our future was shining so brightly.
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