By the time we left the castle and returned to the inn, it was already well past midnight.
Karen and Grandma were still awake, waiting to welcome us back.
The two of them simply smiled warmly and asked, 「How was it?」
So I smiled and nodded in return.
「I’m glad I went.」
※※※
Morning came, marking the day we would return home.
The past ten days had been a whirlwind—hectic, yet fun, fulfilling, and above all, filled with irreplaceable encounters.
Yuni-san, Eidel-san, Shaps-san, Fauntia-san.
Lupo-san, Sarah-san, their two children, and those I had yet to meet, the unborn baby and Lorabo-san.
Titles and status didn’t matter.
These were my relatives, my parents’ long-time friends—people with whom we shared a bond that extended beyond a single generation.
As I stood before the gate that led to the forest, I took a moment to reflect on that.
Then, one by one, I exchanged farewells with those who had come to see us off.
「I still can’t believe you actually went to see Father and Mother. That caught me off guard.」
「Why don’t you visit the Beastkin Territory next? At this point, I might as well introduce you to my parents too. Our family is pretty crazy, you know. My father has fifteen wives.」
Noah and Parker-san spoke with wry smiles.
They had been utterly dumbfounded when they heard about last night’s events—but even so, they looked happy.
Especially Noah.
「I am utterly exhausted. But I must admit, it was an enjoyable experience. Receiving praise from Her Highness the Princess was particularly delightful. …Take that, you pretentious pastry shops in the royal capital.」
「You’ve never even been to the capital. What kind of grudge do you have against it…?」
I knew it must have been a lot of pressure for Tomoe-san, and I felt bad for putting her through that.
But in the end, she seemed satisfied with her efforts, and I was glad I had left things in her hands.
Her husband—Schnei-san—was also pleased to see his wife’s cakes receive such high praise.
「We didn’t do much this time, but at least we managed to confirm that the ‘Teikou’ observation device is functioning properly.」
Berde-san crossed his arms, his expression unusually serious.
「The current issue is figuring out how to deal with surface-level mutants like the one we just faced. I can’t keep calling you out here every time something happens, so ideally, I’d like Sidera to handle it on her own.」
「Well, isn’t that something the new lord can work on? Nishishi.」
「Hmm, you’re right! Now that I’ve taken on this responsibility, I need to step up. I’ll put my head together with Cliche-dono and come up with a plan.」
Noah nodded exaggeratedly as Lila-san, standing beside him, let out a mischievous laugh. Cliche-san, suddenly dragged into the conversation, frowned.
「Hey, because of this guy’s big mouth, I’m getting dragged into this mess…Berde, make sure you talk some sense into her later.」
「GilMas-san, don’t you think our Lila is such a thoughtful bride?」
「Old man, stop bragging about your wife, damn it…」
Grandma Seralinde scolded Cliche-san, who looked thoroughly displeased.
「Youngster Cliche, stand tall. You’re making a fool of yourself. …It’s fine. The Witch of 『Conception』 mentioned she’d be back soon, didn’t she? We’ll have enough firepower for a while.」
「Please stop calling her that, ane-san. …Anyway, for now, we’ll have to rely on the higher-ranking mages to step in. But eventually, I want to figure out a system where the whole town can handle things without depending solely on individuals.」
「Yes, make sure you do it properly.」
This time, Grandma was not the one seeing us off but the one being seen off. The reason was—
「Ehehe. Go home together, Grandma!」
「We’ll be in your care for a while, Mint. Let’s play a lot together, okay?」
After completing the significant task of hosting the royal family’s visit and managing the various adjustments that came with it, Grandma was personally rewarded by the King with a long vacation. So, she would be returning home with us and spending the rainy season there.
It was surely Shaps-san’s way of showing consideration. A chance for her to relax with her family, as thanks for the care her daughter and son-in-law had received.
In addition, Novium-san and his wife, Dolce-san and Alice-san, who now had some free time, all bid us farewell with their own words of encouragement as we prepared to depart.
「I’m glad 『Kannagi』 was of use. It makes my beard grow even longer, you know.」
「Take care on your way back. Come visit again sometime, and we’ll have more time to relax.」
「Dolce also wanted to try Sui-san’s cooking… Please come back and make some for us again.」
「Things have settled down quite a bit in Alfheim, so I’ll come visit soon. But before that, I think I’ll spend some quality time with my daughter.」
Amidst all these voices, we boarded the lizard carriage.
※※※
「Well then, we’re heading back. Thank you for everything.」
「Bye-bye! We’ll come again!」
「Bark!」
I bowed my head, Mint waved her hands energetically, and Chocola barked cheerfully. Karen fluttered her hands, and Mother smiled as she took hold of the reins.
「Do your best, Pochi. It’s our first trip with Grandma on board, after all.」
「Fufu, we’re counting on you.」
「Kyurururu!」
The carriage’s wheels pressed firmly against the cobblestones as we passed through the gate and into the forest. We were heading home, deep into one of the world’s most dangerous areas—the depths of the 『Void Forest』.
The Hatano family was going home.
Perhaps, in the future, rumors about us might spread in the royal capital. About the eccentric nobles who live in the forest. But for us, nothing would change. We would continue living as an ordinary family, deep in the forest, just as we always had.
——————————————————
Volume 12: 『That Which is Inherited』 has come to an end.
This volume depicted Sui’s encounter with the royal family. Through inheriting his title, Sui came into contact with what his father had built and began to walk his life’s path while carrying those feelings.
From the next volume onward, we’ll return to Sui and his family’s relaxed life in the forest with Grandma Seralinde.
…However, before we dive into Volume 13, there’s an announcement.
Up until now, I’ve been updating daily, but the story has grown quite extensive, and I feel I’ve been rushing a bit. So, I’d like to slow down the pace a little. Moving forward, I plan to update once or twice a week to give the story the attention it deserves.
I apologize to those who have been looking forward to daily updates, but I hope you’ll understand and continue to follow along.
As a small consolation, I’m also planning a new project. Please look forward to it when it begins!
TN: Yeah, it slowed down a lot and there were only around 10 chapters left before we caught up.
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