Samuel Alistair POV

Walking along the stone road, I noticed Albus’s aghast expression; almost as if he were in the midst of experiencing something akin to a revelation that he’s shocked to find real.

‘I wonder what he’s thinking about.’

*****

The moon had already settled into the black dyed sky, sun not in sight, stars dimmed by the faint, nigh-transparent clouds. Albus is sleeping carelessly on Tadashi’s back; he, once again, entered the state of somnolence that brought my mind worry. But perhaps because I’m here at his side, I feel that worry has gone dormant.

‘Ironic.’ I scoffed in my head.

“Home at last.” yawned Sara, interrupting my thought. “Gloria, come with me to the bath!” Sara jovially said, running over to Gloria.

“H-Heh?” Gloria exclaimed as Sara locked her arm around Gloria’s.

“Come, come!”

“F-Fine.”

And, just like that, my wife was taken away from me by the hand of another…

‘Still, I’m glad to see she’s enjoying herself.’

There’s still a guilt that resides in me, I guess; to suddenly be given an expectation upon marrying me; to care after not only our children, but the village as well. Gloria doesn’t really have time for herself as a result, and when she does have free time, she usually spends it with us. Because of which she doesn’t really spend time around other women besides the villagers, but even with the crowd of women, alienation is there as they see Gloria as someone of higher standing. So, to be accompanied with Sara, heir to the Allen family, it’s a nice change of pace.

Ralph walked closer to me, arms behind his back as he whispered, “Sam, if you’d like, I can introduce Iris to Albus tonight. I’m sure they can hit it off. After all, he is your son.”

“As exciting as that might be, I think the best time to introduce them is tomorrow at the party when they’re looking their best, don’t you think?” I answered, looking back at Albus. “It’s funny what a surprise can do to the mind.”

“I’m going to put Albus to bed.” Tadashi said, walking ahead of the both of us. “After that, I’m going to go to bed myself.”

“Ok, good night. If you sneak out at night make sure to wear protection.”

“Shut up trash – sorry, slip of the tongue.”

“How is that a slip of the tongue!? You said the entire sentence! Albus has been a terrible influence on your personality!”

“Good night, Father, Mr. Allen.” Tadashi and Albus entered the manor, as Tadashi’s hand waved at the both of us before disappearing entirely. “Tell our mother I said goodnight as well.”

“Good night.” Ralph responded.

And now it’s only Ralph and I.

“Anyways,” Ralph continued as we walked into the manor, “you make a good point. Let’s go with that.”

“I have to say, I’m surprised that you would willingly want them to meet. I always thought you to be one of those doting fathers who refuse to let their daughters talk to any boys.”

“Usually that’s how I would be, but Mary is older now so I can’t really interfere with her love life anymore. Iris has always been very antisocial; she doesn’t have anyone she could call a friend. So, because of how timid she is, I’m still very picky about who she talks to, but if it’s Albus that ends up becoming her first friend –”

“Love interest.” I coughed, cutting off Ralph.

“L-Lov-” He choked on his words. “If Albus were to become her first friend, and that, ahem, escalates further, well, I wouldn’t be opposed to it. He’s the son of someone whom I respect dearly, after all.”

“Ralph… If you weren’t a man I would’ve kissed you. But since you’re a man, I’ll kiss you anyway.” Lunging towards Ralph, he dodged, warily checking his surroundings.

“Are you trying to get me killed?! Gloria will kill me out of jealousy even if it is a joke!”

I giggled “I know.”

“But truly, Albus is something else.” Ralph continued, walking into the manor. Are the rumors true about him creating a mana sword?”

“Yup!”

“Really?! At age 6! That’s incredible!”

“Right!”

Within this world, my family carries all the love in my heart. However, there exists another thing that I love more… bragging about my family.

“His mana pool will undoubtedly surpass mine. Hey, did I tell you? His mana pool is already larger than Tadashi’s! Albus has the potential to surpass the both of us, without a doubt! One moment it seems his genius is lacking, but the next he’s already adapted; his genius is only going to continue to grow, I tell you!”

“Hehhh, I don’t doubt it. I wanted to see him again to confirm my suspicion, but my expectations were exceeded.”

“What suspicions?”

“To say he’d surpass The Samuel Alistair; The Prophet’s Grim Reaper, those words don’t come without their expectations, Sam. I wanted to see if Albus would truly be able to surpass you.”

I never did like that name; The Prophet’s Grim Reaper. I’ve dabbled in a few religious texts I’ve stumbled upon during the war. A false hope, I’d say. Which is why a world based off strength and merit doesn’t seek refuge in such texts. Though self-proclaimed prophets along with their texts and teachings have practically gone extinct, I myself am called a prophet. And to correlate a prophet and a grim reaper; one showcasing continuous hope in life, the other showcasing an end.

Such a stupid name.

“And?”

“His aura alone was enough to answer my suspicions. You should enroll him in Krumore Academy. He’s only 6 years old, but he could enter as a grade 5.”

“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think about it. If Albus wants to go then I’ll let him, but first I want to get him stronger. Even if means making him hate me, I want him to become as strong as possible.”

“You’re pretty overprotective yourself, aren’t you?” Ralph teased.

I laughed. “I only found that out recently.”

“I’m hoping Albus does become as strong as you want him too. If he and Iris were to get further acquainted, I’m sure he’ll become some kind of inspiration to her.” We stopped in front of a closed, wooden double-doored entrance. Ralph proceeded to open the doors as he continued speaking. “The same could be said about Tadashi and Mary.”

Upon entering the door, the smell of an oaky wood, tinged with lignin, wafted past my nostrils, lingering within the room. Ralph reached to his left, flipping a switch, as a yellow light descended onto the room. Surrounding the wall; acting almost like another wall, are black, wooden book shelves, each shelf filled neatly with books; spines facing us. And, in the middle, is a large desk; one chair behind it and two in front.

“Ugh, don’t even get me started on Tadashi.” I scoffed, sitting down on the cushioned chair in front of Ralphs desk, allowing the cushion supporting my back to hold my weight. “If I had a copper coin for every time I’ve been asked about wedding off Tadashi to another woman, I’d have enough to buy this mansion off you. But no matter how many times they ask, Tadashi ignores their requests and focuses all his time on Albus.”

“Hey, at least he’s a committed older brother, right?” Ralph asked, sitting in front of me.

“Yeah, but I’m getting older, you know? It’s only a matter of time till I’m going to start wanting grandkids.”

“Hah!” Ralph throatily scoffed. “I said I’d allow them to get acquainted with my daughters, but grandkids! Maybe you have gone a bit senile!”

“Come on! Mary is 21 tomorrow, right? The times of war are over, hell, I can even see a bit of grey hairs showing in your beard. Imagine Mary’s child running up to you, hugging your leg, saying ‘grandpa, I love you!’.” I said in a child’s tone. “Maybe you’re right; maybe my mind has gone senile, but to me, that thought brings me more warmth than a wyverns breath.”

Ralphs cheeks flushed into a bashful red, coughing a bit to regain his senses. “Well, I guess it wouldn’t be so bad.”

“Right!!!”

We continued to talk loudly like men who hold no common sense; laughing hysterically with no binding. Before long, the night crept its way into our consciousness, further darkening our ability to stay awake, as we eventually called it a day and went to sleep for the night.

*****

The sound of feet smacking against the marble tiles echoed outside the half opened bathroom door, coming closer to where I laid. My eyes adjusted quickly to the light that seeped through the window, as Gloria walked out in a magnificent black dress; wavy hair swaying freely to her brazen movements. Gloria’s lips a rose red; her body’s outline matched perfectly with the dress’s size; hips perfectly lined with the dress, as if traced with diligence; her slender legs were given accentuation with the black hued fabric; the train of her dress trailed a few inches away; even her shadow displayed on the ground is beautiful. And this angel in a black dress is walking towards me – me of all people.

With a minute smirk, Gloria stopped by the bed, placing both her hands on the bed; hands acting as a support beam, as she leaned in for a kiss. “Good morning, Mr. Alistair.”

The room has a fragrance of fresh fruit; tropical with a bitterness of lemon… shampoo? “You already took a bath without me?” I asked, smelling a lock of Gloria’s hair that rested on my palm.

“I would’ve invited you, but you didn’t wake up, so… hey, you look like a child throwing a tantrum.” She giggled with a wry smirk. Gloria walked over to the closet, grabbed a garment bag, and tossed it onto the bed. “Get ready. The party is about to start.”

“WHAT?!” I jumped out of bed, nearly slipping on the wetness of Gloria’s feet tracked in. “What time is it? Why didn’t you wake me up?!”

“You looked so comfortable.” Gloria said in a higher toned pitch, placing her finger on her lip. “You were sleeping like a baby, so I thought I should let you sleep like the innocent little lamb you seemed to be, hehe.”

“Don’t ‘hehe’ me! The party starts in the afternoon, doesn’t it? Why’d you say good morning then!?”

“Did I say good morning? Ahh, my mistake. Slip of the tongue?”

“Don’t answer my question with a question!”

“Hehehe.”

‘She’s enjoying this, isn’t she? I would’ve believed her if she didn’t have such a sadistic grin on her face. It’s as if she wanted to see me panic. Albus’s personality certainly comes from his mother. I’m starting to feel bad for Iris considering she’s his first crush.’

I heaved a sigh. “I’ll get ready quickly. Are the boys ready yet?”

Gloria grabbed black heels from the closet, then sat on the bed, putting them on with reposed-like movement. “They’re waiting in Albus’s room for us.”

“I see. We shouldn’t keep them waiting.”