Edited by Iseul

Katie led him outside the back entrance. Crickets sang and the sky was dark with stars overhead. Piercing screeching of children could yet be heard, Katie’s siblings busied themselves with harassing Leonel. Good. That meant the inquisitor was occupied.

“The viscount’s daughter is an innate mage. A powerful one,” Katie whispered. “The Divine Order sent one of theirs. But the mage escaped and everything turned out to be a huge mess.”

Julian rubbed his chin, churning the information in his mind. An innate mage was simply a mage that came into power with natural talents, rather than being taught the laws of magic through an apprenticeship. Often rumored to be volatile and superb in power, even innate mages had their weaker and stronger varieties. 

And the Divine Order sending their own…would that be Leonel? Had he failed to capture and slay a single innate mage— the viscount’s daughter, who, if Julian recalled correctly, had not yet entered womanhood.

Something didn’t quite add up. Especially when Julian remembered the wound on Leonel’s abdomen; the markings of clumsy magic, one that had no rights being after to fend off a trained inquisitor. Even then, what of the other injuries that Leonel had suffered? Julian couldn’t imagine the doings of a single, young girl.

Seeing the doctor stew in silence only spurred Katie’s anxiety, and her curiosity as well. “Then…that man, Leonel. He must be the inquisitor that the Divine Order sent, right?”

“Hm?” Julian looked up. “That is a likely possibility, lassie. I found him in quite a state though. Were there others involved aside from the viscount’s own and the innate mage in question?”

“…Huh?” Katie pulled back, blinking. She suddenly understood the dilemma and reasoned the doctor’s question, her eyes going wide. Katie frequented Fauster quite often, she knew that the viscount’s daughter was a dainty little fifteen-year-old girl. Though an innate mage she might be, it was absurd to think the girl would have the capacities to fight off an inquisitor, unless she had talents that rivaled the late King Amari himself. 

“Oh. Shit. Why didn’t I think about that?” Katie deflated, a small pout appearing on her lips. “Sorry, Doctor. I have no idea… I wasn’t really paying that close attention to the rumors.” 

Julian patted her shoulder. “There lassie, don’t look so down. I’ve suffered no loss, aside from the dent in my pantry. Perhaps I will ask the man himself…” he hummed, rubbing his chin in thought.

Katie frowned, uncertain. “A-are you sure? Won’t that—“

But before she could finish, she was ruefully cut off. A stampede of tiny feet and deafening shrills came upon them. “Doctor Julian Sir! Madame Sister General Katiecat! Food’s ready!”

Katie herself screeched back at a similar high octave, threatening to split ears even when Julian was already half-deaf. “What did I say about screaming!? And don’t call me that! Just you wait when I catch you, I’ll be giving each and one of you little mongrels a damned good spanking!”

The children squealed and scattered like deer running from wolves. Only after their high-pitched cries did Katie’s snarl ease.

She sighed and turned to Julian. "Sorry about the brats. Let's go eat before you keel over from starvation."

Julian raised a brow. “I won’t keel over.” Well, he might have forgotten to eat much in the past few days as well before Leonel's arrival but he was trying his best to ignore the growling in his stomach and the weakness in his limbs. He had gone much longer in the past without food and Julian was exceptionally tolerant to pain and physical discomforts.

He followed Katie to the front of the house and found a total of six children screaming and cheering for their arrival. The dinner table was set with Leonel sitting at its head with a deep frown on his face. The family’s patriarch was nowhere to be seen.

Julian asked as he took his seat at the long, wooden table, "Where's the master of the house?"

Katie shook her head, taking a seat opposite Julian. "Out with the lads, he says. Don't worry about Pa'. Just relax and eat with us."

“Yes, eat,” Leonel agreed with his signature deadpan voice. With one hand, he deftly pushed a snotty brat away. But it seemed that the inquisitor couldn’t (or just didn’t) fend off the three-year-old toddler. The babe had climbed him like a tree and was now seated on his shoulders, using Leonel’s black hair like horse reins. 

“You look ridiculous,” Julian snickered.

Leonel only scowled. “Shut it and eat.”

The table was filled to the brim with delicious home-cooked food. And though the family didn’t have any extravagant ingredients, it smelled mighty delicious. From potato salads to braised venison and freshly baked bread and heart-warming soup. Julian had a feeling that one of the little brats put too much salt on the peas, but he didn’t mind so much. It wasn’t often that Julian got to savor a pleasant, family dinner.

The air was filled with merriment, so much so that Julian could almost ignore Leonel’s irritated grumbling.

The broody ball of anger was hilariously popular with the children. The little demons were all pleasantly amused that the inquisitor could be climbed.

Leonel suffered greatly and Julian found himself suitably entertained.

It was late by the time goodbyes were exchanged. The sky was a void in twilight, making the stars shine even brighter than before. Nocturnal critters stirred an uproar, from cricket song to loud croaking frogs and nightly birdcalls. 

A few villagers milled about, having completed their evening chores and bidden their own farewells when they came upon the doctor. It was only after they were well on the path with Gotsven behind them that Leonel finally spoke up.

"I can't believe they tolerate your awful personality here. It's only thanks to them that you've been able to survive for so long on your own." A sneer decorated his handsome features, lips twitching with annoyance that had built steadily throughout the day.

“Oh quiet.” Julian paused, only to raise his walking stick to whack the petulant man beside him, who had once more taken charge of the groceries. With all the bags strung around his arms, Leonel had no hope of dodging the assault that came upon him. Julian had no sympathy for his plight and continued to chide, “I’m their doctor, so of course they would tolerate me!”

The inquisitor was not in a good mood. “I suppose that’s the only way they’d welcome an old grump such as yourself within their midst.”

"Enough with the insults," Julian sighed, knowing them to be at least partially true. "It's not like you're much of a pleasant person yourself."

Leonel was still a brat. "Never said I was."

When they made it back up the hill, Julian was once again witness to the piles of his belongings that he had left outside his house. There were strings of bird shit on them now, along with dirt and other disturbances. Julian sighed at the mess, knowing that he’d have to deal with it at one point or another.

"What's up with all this anyway?" Leonel asked pointedly. He made a weird face at the Old Age armor that was still propped up against the log.

"I had to make room for my new guest when he showed up uninvited. I wasn't given much of a notice of his arrival, you know?"

"I can't believe you have so much useless junk. I don't even know where you're going to put all of this." Leonel was talking about the mountain of items that he had in his arms, on top of all the junk piled outside. The bags that Leonel held were half-filled with food supplies. Julian made sure to stock up on exuberant amounts, just to feed this new oversized pet he acquired. But the other half of the purchased goods were just random things he got to harass Leonel back in the village.

Julian shrugged and ushered the inquisitor inside. 

Even then, the complaining and insults did not relent. "No offense, Doctor, but it's basically a pig's den in here. I bet the village brats keep yelling at you to get a wife."

That was painfully accurate. If Julian had a coin for each time Freddie brought the topic up, he'd be a wealthy man. Then again, if he sold his junk and stopped buying useless things like that paperweight he got today then maybe he wouldn't be struggling so much with money.

Julian grumbled dismissively before walking over to the bluestone food preservation device that he affectionately called a Freezer(TM). It was a box-shaped contraption with a frigid interior, helping the preservation of food items. A very handy item. Julian opened the Freezer(TM) up and began shoving groceries inside without any consideration for order. 

Julian rambled while he worked, “Why did no one teach you to be grateful? I gave you a roof, clothed you, treated your wounds, and even fed you. Where is my thanks?”

“…”

Julian clicked his tongue at the silent response. He wanted nothing more than to have Leonel writhe in guilt. He quietly hoped that the lack of response meant that the young man was stunned into shame from his misbehavior. A smile stretched Julian’s lips, quite pleased at his own thoughts. 

Alas, he wasn’t expecting blue eyes to be gazing at him and he flinched when he looked up.

“What?” Sweat trickled down Julian’s face. Why was Leonel so damned difficult to read!?

At first, Julian was certain that he heard wrong. 

Leonel deadpanned, “Thanks.”