The souvenirs from our Earth trip were well-received by everyone, but the ones who were especially excited were a few people in Babylon.
Particularly, Doctor, Engineer Elluka, the Professor, Rosetta, and Monica were all thrilled by the Earth technology souvenirs brought back by Leen and Quun.
Doctor was absorbed in the tech-related books and e-books brought by Leen, and Engineer Elluka was already dismantling household appliances. the Professor, Rosetta, and Monica were somehow completely engrossed in playing with the mini four-wheel-drive cars that Kuon had brought back.
Flora from the "Alchemy Tower" was also analyzing the cosmetics and hair care products that she bought, working together with Tika from the "Research Lab" to replicate them.
Fam from the "Library" … well, no surprise here, she was just reading books. I made sure to buy books that seemed useful while we were on Earth and downloaded them to my phone, so she probably won’t be moving for a while…
The children have all gone to visit their grandparents before the farewell in a week.
Yumina and Kuon went to the Royal Castle of the Kingdom of Belfast.
Sue and Steph went to the Duke's House of the Ortlinde family.
Lu and Arcia went to the Imperial Castle of the Regulus Empire.
Yae and Yakumo went to the Eashen's Ninefold Dojo.
Hilda and Frei went to the Royal Castle of the Lestia Knight Kingdom.
Sakura and Yoshino went to see their grandmother, Fiana, and the Demon King in the Demon Kingdom of Xenoah.
Elna, Linne, and Quun stayed behind. They don’t have maternal grandparents…
Strictly speaking, Elze and Linze have the uncle and aunt who raised them, but Elna and Linne’s situation hasn’t been explained to them. It would definitely lead to complications, so I decided to leave it unsaid.
"It’s your turn, Dad!"
"Oops!"
Linne reminded me, and I turned my attention back to the board game in front of me. It was a game I bought from Earth, and we were all playing it while waiting for everyone to return.
This game involves players working together to fight against a rapidly spreading pathogen, aiming to eradicate it.
Players have roles like "Scientist" or "Medic," each with their unique abilities.
The player pieces move around the world map on the board, visiting cities to eliminate virus pieces that have been scattered.
Each turn, players draw cards, and the card dictates which cities will have more virus pieces added. The goal is to develop a vaccine to stop the disease before it spreads too far.
I wonder if this kind of game could sell in this world too... Maybe we could change the virus pieces to Phrase and have the player pieces be Frame Gears...
Each Frame Gear could have its own unique abilities, and players would fight the Phrase that appear in various places. That could work, right?
"Dad, it’s your turn."
"Oops!"
I got lost in thought about starting a new business, and now Elna had to remind me again. Gotta focus—it’s a cooperative game, so if I slack off, it’ll mess things up for everyone.
"I’m home!"
Everyone returned just as we lost the game to the virus threat, with the game over.
I had asked Yakumo to bring everyone back, so they all came through the [Gate] and entered the living room.
"The Demon King wouldn’t let go of Yoshino, so it was a bit of a hassle..."
"The King was reluctant to say goodbye, too."
Sakura looked exhausted as she spoke, and Fiana, her mother, responded with a faint smile. I could clearly imagine how much Yoshino must’ve resisted... It must’ve been a scene with a lot of fuss.
Yoshino looked a bit tired, too. I’m glad I didn’t go…
"Grandma, can you stay with us tonight?"
"Oh, my. Is that alright, Your Majesty?"
"Of course. Please stay with her."
It seems like Fiana and Yoshino are going to sleep together. Everyone went to take a bath to freshen up.
…Hmm, I try to stay as normal as possible, but I can’t help feeling a bit lonely sometimes…
At this rate, I’m probably going to cry on the day of our departure. As a father, I shouldn’t lose my composure like that... I need to send them off with a smile…
The next day, I asked the kids what they wanted to do before they left. They asked for a picnic.
A picnic, huh? Normally, you’d go somewhere natural and eat a packed lunch or something, right?
Well, where could we go that has beautiful scenery and is rich in nature? A place with good nature, but not something like the Great Tree Sea...
After discussing it, we decided to go to the Rhea Kingdom, ruled by the Elf King, and home to the "Crown of Green" and the Grand Grün. The Rhea Kingdom is known for its lush green nature, which fits the bill.
Not only does it have forests, but there are also many grasslands and plains, so it’s a great place to experience nature and see some breathtaking views.
It also means there are a lot of wild animals, but we can handle that.
We ended up going to the Real Plains, just south of the Royal Capital of Rhea Kingdom. I made sure to get permission from the King of Rhea for our picnic.
"[Prison]!"
I set up a wide-ranging barrier infused with divine energy. This should keep most magical beasts out. I left it so regular animals can pass through, though, since it’d be odd to have a picnic with no birds.
The picnic group consisted of my family, Ende’s family (or rather, Melle’s family), all of our summoned beasts, Paola, Parla, and Gold. I plan to send Gold to the future with Stef, too.
"Yae, hold that side."
"Got it."
Elze and Yae spread out the picnic blanket. It wasn’t just a regular blanket; it was made from the fur of magical beasts, processed into a light, fluffy carpet.
They even made a small tarp to block direct sunlight.
The kids had already dashed into the field, starting to play. Alice, Linze, and Leyle were throwing a frisbee, while Kohaku and Luli were playfully fighting over it.
Elna and Yoshino were making flower crowns with the flowers growing around.
Quun was driving a remote-controlled car like crazy, and Steph was begging to borrow it.
Yakumo and Frei were playing badminton, with Kuon acting as the referee.
Arcia was setting up a barbecue grill she took out from [Storage], adding charcoal to start the fire, while Lu began preparing skewers of meat.
Wait… this seems less like a picnic and more like a camping trip, right? We did bring packed lunches, though, right?
"I thought it might not be enough if it’s just Yae, Frei, and Melle, so I figured it’d be better to cook it all here."
Ah, that makes sense. Melle and the others from the dominant breed Phrase can eat just as much as Yae and Frei...
I adjusted the settings on [Prison] so the smells wouldn’t leak outside. No weird animals should be drawn to us now.
"Dad! Let’s compete again after a long time!"
"Huh?"
Alice, bored of the frisbee, ran up to Ende, who was relaxing with Melle and the others. Ende gave a confused look, as if saying, "Here?" I felt the same way, but...
"There, you’ve been called out. Go on. But don’t raise a dust cloud, so play outside [Prison], okay?"
"You…!"
I pushed Ende toward Alice. It’s good bonding time with your daughter. Go have fun together. Leyle followed them as they went.
Alice’s outfit was one that she bought as a souvenir from Earth, and it seems like Leyle liked it a lot.
Oh, and Linze also pulled Elze along to follow. Meanwhile, Kohaku and Luli, who were released from the frisbee game, returned to us. Good job, you two.
Yae and Hilda joined in on the badminton game, and Linze and Sakura began making necklaces to compete with Elna and Yoshino’s flower crowns. Linze’s was especially impressive, using flowers of all shapes and sizes, but… what’s the dog-like figure next to it? How did she make that...?
"These laid-back moments are really nice."
"Yes, they are. I feel a little bad for Kousuke-san and Lapis-san, though."
Yumina responded with a wry smile. Well, yeah, I did dump the work on them...
Kousuke and the others are aware of the kids' (who they think are just relatives) upcoming departure, so they've been considerate in their actions. For now, though, let's forget about work. Once we get back, I'll be working late into the night…
Leen was leisurely reading a book on a deck chair placed in the shade of a tree. Next to her, Sue was reading a shoujo manga on her own deck chair.
It’s starting to feel more like a camping trip. …Well, I guess it doesn’t really matter.
"Touya-san, could you please get us some drinks?"
"Understood."
I took out a large water jug from [Storage] and set it down. It was filled with chilled lemon water.
I also pulled out some iced tea. Oh, and I should get cups for everyone, too.
"I’m thirsty!"
Frei immediately came over, poured herself a glass of lemon water, and gulped it down. Meanwhile, the badminton match had become heated, and it was now Yakumo vs. Yae, a mother-daughter showdown.
The rallies were intense… I think the shuttlecock and rackets were specially enhanced, so they won’t break, but... every time they hit the shuttlecock, it seems like there's a shockwave. Is badminton usually played at a distance like this? They're more than a hundred meters apart, right? …Let’s just ignore it.
"It’s almost time for lunch!"
At Lu’s call, everyone who had been playing came over.
The picnic area was already full of stacked lunch boxes, and the barbecue grill had started cooking skewers of meat. I handed out chopsticks, forks, and small plates to everyone.
The lunch boxes were filled with a variety of food—onigiri, sandwiches, and a colorful assortment of side dishes. The amount was incredible.
"Itadakimasu!"
Everyone reached for their lunch all at once.
I grabbed an onigiri and took a bite. The balance of salt was just right, and the filling was a delicious meat miso. This is really good.
"This is delicious!"
"Yes, it’s really good."
"Yum!"
While I eat one onigiri, Melle and the others devoured about three each. They were eating at an unbelievable speed. Wow… no wonder there are so many lunch boxes.
Frei was eating at the same pace, but Yae seemed to be taking her time, savoring each bite.
The side dishes were tasty, too. This tamagoyaki is great.
"Here, the skewers are ready."
"Ah, thank you."
Lu handed me a skewer with grilled meat, onions, peppers, mushrooms, and paprika. A light glaze of sauce coated the meat. I bit into it, and the savory taste of the beef spread across my mouth.
Again, Melle and the others were rapidly devouring the skewers. Lu and Arcia had a hard time keeping up with the cooking.
They eat so much… Even if Ende earns more and more, it must never be enough.
"Touya-san, it's time for that."
"Ah, right, right."
Yumina asked, and I pulled out my phone and activated [Mirage]. A video from Earth appeared on the floating screen of [Mirage].
"Oh, so this is 'Chikyuu'."
"That’s a very tall tower..."
"Ah, that’s the Sky Tree!"
As Nei and Melle marveled at the SkyTree on the video, Alice was explaining it excitedly to Leyle.
The video showed scenes of the Sky Tree, the subway, Kaminarimon, Nakamise Street, and Asakusa Temple. With each new scene, Alice happily explained everything to Ende and the others.
I had sent Ende some photos, but I hadn’t sent the videos yet. I thought it’d be more fun to watch together.
"Alice looks like she’s having so much fun… It’s really frustrating that I wasn’t there!"
"Why does it have to be like that…"
Ende stared at the video with a mix of frustration and happiness. What kind of emotion is that, you bastard?
The videos from the festival and the aquarium were fun to watch again. At the petting farm, it was adorable to see the kids interacting with the animals.
"Hmm… I suppose keeping animals could be a good idea."
"Yeah, it looks fun."
Ney and Lycee nodded as they watched the video of Alice playing with the sheep. Animals are good for kids’ emotional development, after all. Though, I wouldn't exactly call Kohaku and the others "pets."
"What about a Chimera?"
"An Owlbear could be good too."
Wait, wait—why are we talking about magical beasts? Let’s go for a dog or a cat… normal animals!
While eating lunch and watching the video, we finished everything before I realized it. No way, there was quite a bit of food, but it’s all gone now. I didn’t think it would disappear so quickly.
What surprised me was that Leyle ended up eating more than Alice. Well, she’s kind of like a dominant species, so I guess she had the capacity for it.
After eating, Stef, Alice, and Linze all fell asleep, resting on their mothers' laps. They must have worn themselves out from playing. They had been running around a lot. Yae and Hilda had also fallen asleep. Elze seemed unaffected, though.
I felt a little sleepy too, but not too much.
Looking up at the sky, I saw birds fluttering around. It’s so peaceful… I feel like I’m truly relaxing for the first time in a while. …It’s strange, though. I was supposed to be on vacation on Earth, but I’m still not used to it.
As I absently stared at the sky, I noticed the birds that had been fluttering around suddenly took flight in a flurry, and more birds began to fly up from a nearby forest. What’s going on?
"Ah, there. Look to the east. A Wyvern is flying."
"Hmm…?"
Ende casually pointed to the eastern sky. I could see something that looked like tiny specks. When I focused harder, it seemed to be a flying dragon Wyvern. Maybe the birds fled because they sensed it.
For us, a Wyvern isn’t a big deal, but it’s a threat to regular animals.
"What should we do, Touya?"
"I don’t want to wake the kids. Let’s shoot it down from here."
"Alright."
Ende smiled at Alice, who was sleeping in Melle's lap, and stood up. He gathered his magic power in his fingers, aiming at the Wyvern in the distance.
"Don’t mess it up and miss!"
"Shut up."
With a snap, a glowing arrow shot from Ende’s fingers toward the Wyvern. The tiny speck of the Wyvern in the distance exploded into pieces.
"Ah, geez… You had to say something, didn’t you? Now I ended up overdoing it."
Apparently, Ende misjudged the power, causing the Wyvern to explode. Wait, how is this my fault?
"Maybe it’s a lack of training? Should I ask Uncle Takeru to teach you?"
"There’s a time and place for jokes!"
Ende shouted at me, and I was immediately scolded. I didn’t mean to make him angry…
"Mmm… What’s going on?"
"Ah, great. Now Alice’s sleep got interrupted."
"Ah, sorry."
Melle scolded Ende, who was frantically apologizing to Alice. It’s clear who’s in charge here… though I can’t exactly say much about that.
"Your Majesty, there’s a stampede about to happen past where the Wyvern was. We should do something about it."
Sakura cupped her hand to her ear and relayed the message. A stampede?
I used my [Divine Eyes] to check the area where the Wyvern exploded. …Yeah, it looks like the animals are starting to go out of control. If we don’t stop it, the stampede could engulf the surrounding animals and magical beasts, causing a huge mess.
The Wyvern might have been the one to trigger it.
"Well, can’t help it. Let’s deal with it."
I pulled out my phone and opened the map.
It’s not a huge problem yet, but if it gets to the Royal Capital of Rare Kingdom, the damage could be significant.
"Target locked. Using [Shining Javelin] on the rampaging magical beasts."
"Lock complete. [Shining Javelin] activated… Target eliminated."
That should take care of it. To avoid trouble later, I sent an email to the Elf King about what happened.
"There was a sign of a stampede, so I’ve taken care of it."
A while later, I received a reply: "Thank you."
Well, since we’re using their territory, this much is only fair.
◇◇◇
"I’m home!"
"Welcome back!"
After saying goodbye to Melle’s family, I returned to the castle’s living room through the [Gate], where Lapis and the maids greeted me.
It was a relaxing day. Sure, there were a few issues, but it was nice. I want to keep making days like this where I can spend time with everyone.
"Welcome back, Your Majesty. Right away, could you please review these documents?"
"Oh..."
With a smile, Kousuke handed me a large stack of documents. Heavy… Does he expect me to read all of these? Even with [Accel] to speed up my thought process, I’m not sure I can finish this tonight.
"If you put it off, it’ll only get worse later. It’s better to handle it now."
Yeah, he’s right… I have to spend time with the kids too, but his point is totally reasonable. After such a fun day, it’s hard to switch gears this quickly.
My wife and the kids had already rushed to the bath.
Tomorrow, I need to spend more time with the kids, so I guess I’ll just have to push through this.
Sigh. Being a dad is tough.
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