“Whew... They’re finally both asleep.”
I murmured that as I watched the two babies. Up until a moment ago, they’d been crying their little hearts out, but maybe all that crying had tired them out, because they’d fallen asleep in a flash, like their batteries had run out.
There was a kind of, I dunno, resonance between them. One crying would wake the other up, who would then start crying too. And just when you thought they’d finally stopped, one would start right back up again, waking the other, and then they were both back to crying. Those times were absolute chaos. Everyone in the adult gang would laugh over their adorable antics and do our best to soothe them.
Sometimes, I saw them staring at each other like they were having a silent conversation. I knew they weren’t, whether in their heads or out loud, but there were times when they seemed like they were super aware of each other. Maybe they already recognized themselves as siblings.
What was even more interesting was that the two of them were already starting to show their personalities. Riu was always full of energy, expressed her emotions with wild gestures, and laughed a lot. Sakuya, on the other hand, was a little quieter, somehow calmer than her, and gave the impression of observing everyone’s faces carefully. At the end of the day, though, they were still babies, so when they cried, they did it with their whole chests, waving the crap out of their arms, legs, and tails.
Riu’s little ears were so cute, especially when they twitched, and so were Sakuya’s squishy, cartilage-like little horns. Also, just like Nell’d said, his face was similar to Lefi’s, so he’d probably grow up to be quite the heartbreaker. Lucky little shit.
I guess I’ll have to teach them about that kinda stuff. I didn’t think I had enough life experience on that front to offer him any genuinely profound bits of advice. As one of his parents, though, I wanted to teach him the important things in life.
“Ha ha...”
I couldn’t help but let out a wry chuckle when I realized what direction my thoughts had headed in. Now I understood why parents wanted to say so many things to their children. Then, the kids rebelled against the nagging, grew up fighting with their parents, and when they became parents themselves, they’d end up saying pretty much the same stuff to their own children. A curious feeling welled up inside me while I was imagining that future.
“What is it, Yuki? You seem to be in a good mood.”
“Oh, hey, Lefi. You’re awake.”
“Indeed. I do not actually have a need to nap much. My body is strong, after all.”
Lately, the grown-ups had been taking turns napping during the day in case Riu and Sakuya woke up at night. Lefi had also been dozing at the inn until now.
“You have been taking care of them all this time, so you should rest as well.”
“Nah, I’m fine. Besides, as long as I’m in the dungeon, I’ve got power flowing into me, so I’m definitely having an easier time than everyone else. I’d be a pretty crappy husband if I didn’t do at least this much.”
“Is that so? Then...let us watch over them together!”
“Ha ha, sure.”
I was sitting cross-legged, so when I motioned her over, Lefi sat down in the cradle of my legs. I wrapped my arms around her from behind in a loose hug, and she leaned into me. The two of us watched over our children in silence.
“It is amazing, is it not?”
“Hmm?”
“These adorable wee pups will eventually grow up and become adults. Watching Iluna and the others grow has been rewarding, but this...feels different.”
“’Cause something so small can get so big?”
Lefi nodded.
“Well put. It is astounding how living beings can grow from such a small, weak state. And when they do, it is because their protectors watched over them always, yes? I... Once more, I feel the immense weight and responsibility of being a parent.”
“Same.”
We would raise these small, fragile lives. And just like Lefi’d said, it wouldn’t be easy.
“Nevertheless, children will think for themselves and grow in their own ways. This I realized from watching Iluna and the others.”
“I love listening to their stories nowadays.”
“I do as well.”
Since the girls had started going to school, they’d been cheerfully telling us about their days. Listening to them at dinnertime was one of our newest joys. Now that they were out in the “real” world, they’d encounter all kinds of things, both fun and difficult, but I hoped they’d continue to enjoy life to the fullest.
“Yuki.”
“Hmm?”
“In the beginning, it was only you and I. Then, you summoned Shii, and after her came Iluna. And now... Well, this place has grown quite crowded, eh?”
“Ohhh yeah. The first person I met after being born into this world was you.”
“As if I would forget. At first, I thought you a decidedly strange demon.”
“I thought, ‘Shit, I’m doomed.’ But then all it took was a single piece of chocolate to lure you in and get you to follow me all the way home. Never imagined you being such an easy mark.”
“I will have you know that the chocolate smelled very good. I could not resist the temptation. Even the Supreme Dragon is not immune to confections. It is simply a truth of this world.”
“That so? Well, life’s been pretty great so far, so maybe I should be grateful to your gullible—I mean, your generous nature.”
“I heard that. At any rate, there are only a handful of people in the world who can make sweets that satisfy the Supreme Dragon. You are one such person. Consider yourself fortunate.”
“No freaking way. In fact, I think it’s the height of misfortune for my dungeon to settle itself in your territory and then summon my ass there.”
“Oho? Misfortune, is it?”
“Yup. ’Cause now I can never live alone. Whether I like it or not, I’m stuck with you.”
“Ah, yes. Unfortunate indeed. The demon lord who should have stained the world with evil has instead ended up under his wife’s thumb.”
“See? You get it. All I can do now is be the humblest husband I can be, trying to keep my wives and kids happy. Sometimes I think to myself, ‘This isn’t how I imagined my life as a demon lord!’”
I shrugged dramatically, and Lefi laughed.
“That is understandable.”
“Wow... It really just hit me that I’ve been with you since basically my first moment in this world.”
“Heh. Finally feeling the gravity of it, are you?”
“...”
My own thoughts embarrassed me a bit in the moment, so I didn’t say anything. But of course, Lefi saw right through me. She looked up at me with a smile.
“Be at ease. For I shall remain with you until death parts us.”
Unable to find the right words, I just hugged her tightly.
✦ ✦ ✦
