Side Story 18. [After Story] Meeting of Racial Representatives (2)
“…The kids have grown a lot.”
Kellibey muttered blankly.
As he spoke, the twins—Emerald and Sapphire—crawled all over Kellibey’s body. They tugged on the Dwarf King’s beard and clapped their tiny hands on his bald head. Clap clap!
“Kyaa-ha-ha!”
“Aha-ha-ha!”
The two children burst into laughter.
Their dazzling blonde hair, with one having green eyes and the other blue, made them look like the embodiment of baby angels. But their actions were nothing short of that of little devils.
“Huh?!”
At that moment, Evangeline, who had been slightly delayed entering the lord’s manor while giving instructions to the servants at the gate, finally took in the scene.
“AAAAHH?! Kellibey, are you okay?! Hey! You little brats! What do you think you’re doing?!”
“Kyaa-ha-ha~!”
“Aha-ha-ha~!”
As their mother stormed over, fuming, the two little devils quickly jumped off Kellibey. They scurried across the floor, running away as fast as their tiny legs could carry them.
Their small bodies moved so swiftly that Evangeline’s hands failed to catch them every time.
The twins nimbly dodged her attempts, zigzagging around the guests and creating chaos as they spun around the room.
Their next victim was Verdandi. Before she knew it, each of her hands was grabbed by one of the children, and she found herself spinning helplessly in place.
“Waaaahhh~!”
“Verdandiiii~!”
By the time Evangeline’s anguished cry rang out, the twins had already darted off in opposite directions, leaving Verdandi dizzy and leaning against the wall for support.
“The, the kids… they’re so full of energy…”
“I’m so sorry, so sorry! They’re such mischievous little rascals! Hey! You two! Can’t you sit still for one second?!”
As Evangeline shouted at the top of her lungs, the two little devils gleefully hopped and skipped toward the entrance of the manor, leaving a trail of chaos behind them.
“Emerald. Sapphire.”
A young yet calm and authoritative voice called out the twins’ names.
The two children, who had been behaving like wild animals, froze with wide eyes and immediately turned toward the source of the voice.
Standing further inside the manor was a boy who appeared to be around ten years old.
He had a thick head of reddish-brown hair, and his deep green eyes—tinged with hints of brown—held a maturity far beyond his years.
It was Sid, who had recently turned eleven.
“Stop causing trouble and come here.”
“…!”
“…!”
At Sid’s words, the twins instantly stopped their antics and ran toward him.
Once they reached him, they clung tightly to Sid’s legs, peeking out cautiously from behind him.
Sid gently patted their heads and offered a faint, wry smile.
“I’m sorry. You must’ve all been startled. Emerald and Sapphire can be a bit too playful.”
Evangeline clasped her hands together, tears welling up in her eyes as she looked at Sid.
“Thank you, Sid. Thank you! Really, I owe you my life! I don’t know how I’d raise these kids without you!”
“Haha, it’s nothing. I actually have fun playing with them too.”
Sid bowed politely toward Kellibey and Verdandi.
“Kellibey, Verdandi, it’s good to see you again. It’s been a while.”
“Sid? Lilly’s boy? My goodness, the last time I saw you, you were this small. And now you’re all grown up!”
“It’s hard to get used to how fast humans grow… How have you been, Sid?”
Sid smiled politely and exchanged greetings. He then turned to Emerald and Sapphire, who looked ready to bolt at any moment.
“Now, Emerald, Sapphire. Apologize for playing too rough with the guests.”
“Dwe sowwy~.”
“W-we didn’t mean it~.”
The two five-year-olds wiggled as they bowed deeply in apology.
“Well… it’s not like there was any real harm done.”
“They’re just kids playing around…”
While one could have considered their behavior disrespectful, considering they had messed with a king, the twins were still young children—and more importantly, the children of comrades.
Kellibey, whose beard had been tangled, and Verdandi, whose eyes were still spinning, were quick to forgive.
“Then I’ll take the kids and keep them busy for a while.”
“Keep us busy~!”
“Heehee~!”
Sid bowed courteously again before leading the twins into an adjoining room.
Once the little whirlwind had passed, Evangeline repeatedly apologized to Kellibey, Verdandi, and Hannibal.
“Seriously… I had no idea raising children would be this exhausting.”
As she guided the now-settled group further into the manor, Evangeline shook her head in exasperation.
“From the moment they started crawling, they’ve been darting all over the house. Once they started walking, they roamed all around the city. And now that they can run like that…”
“And now?”
“They’re completely uncontrollable! You just saw, didn’t you? They’re absolutely impossible. They don’t listen to a word I say!”
Evangeline sighed heavily and rubbed her forehead.
“They don’t even listen to their mom and dad, but for some reason, they always listen to Sid… Honestly, it’s a miracle. Without him…”
She found herself envious of the well-behaved and responsible boy next door.
Suddenly, she burst out in frustration.
“Why is Sid so kind and mature? And why are my kids like this?! Why are they bouncing around like wild animals?! Who do they take after, I wonder? It must be Lucas’ side, right? I must’ve been a very obedient child when I was their age…”
Though everyone suspected that Evangeline herself might be the culprit, no one dared voice their thoughts.
“About Sid.”
At that moment, Hannibal, who had been following behind Kellibey, asked a question.
“Does he, by any chance, get along well with animals too?”
“Huh? How did you know, Hannibal? You’re right.”
Evangeline nodded in agreement.
“Whenever we go on a picnic to the forest, birds, squirrels, and all kinds of animals flock around Sid like he’s a magnet. And let’s not even mention the dogs and cats in the village—they absolutely adore him. Our kids? They’re over the moon just tagging along with him.”
“Hmm…”
“Why? Do you know something, Hannibal?”
Hannibal cautiously nodded and began to explain.
“It’s one of the traits of elven blood. It’s commonly referred to as animal affinity. Based on what you’ve described, it seems to manifest quite strongly in Sid.”
“So… does that mean… my kids are really like wild animals… and that’s why they follow Sid around so well?”
“Not necessarily! I-I was just explaining a theory… It’s a trait we sometimes observe in half-bloods like him…”
Verdandi, who had been listening, gasped in surprise.
“But ever since magic disappeared, even we elves have been losing that trait. And yet, you’re saying Sid exhibits it?”
Kellibey stroked his beard, furrowing his brows.
“Now that you mention it, this reminds me of something Ash said a while back. He called Sid the Mana-Chosen.”
“I think Dearmudin also said something similar. That Sid’s magical aptitude was extraordinary…”
Evangeline, listening to the conversation between the kings of different races, looked bewildered.
“But we live in a world where magic has disappeared, right? Doesn’t that make the manifestation of such… magical traits impossible?”
“Hmm…”
Kellibey rubbed his chin and glanced toward Verdandi and Hannibal.
Both nodded in unison, and Verdandi spoke softly.
“It seems like we’ll need to look into this further.”
Following Hannibal, Kellibey, and Verdandi, more kings began arriving at Crossroad one after another.
“Well, well! It’s been a long time, everyone!”
Kuilan entered the drawing room of the lord’s manor with his arms spread wide, greeting everyone enthusiastically. The waiting group erupted into cheers as they welcomed the Beast King.
“Hey, love-struck fool! You’re finally here!”
“We heard the news, Kuilan. Congratulations!”
“Congratulations! Huh, but where’s Lady Yun? Didn’t she come with you?”
Kellibey, Verdandi, and Hannibal each spoke in turn. Kuilan, who had been bowing politely to everyone, scratched the back of his head awkwardly and smiled.
“She wanted to come, but she’s still not fully recovered yet…”
“Well, we’ll see her at the wedding, then. Speaking of which… Hey! Where’s the invitation, you rascal?! You brought it, right?!”
Kellibey gestured urgently, causing Kuilan to sheepishly pull the wedding invitations from his coat.
“Ah, sorry about that. I usually don’t keep in touch, so it feels a bit awkward handing these out…”
“Hey, listen here, you fool! Invitations are a must, no excuses! If you don’t tell people about your wedding, they’ll be more upset later. Even if someone accuses you of fishing for gifts, just take it on the chin and cut ties with them! Hand them out to everyone. Got it?”
Kellibey rattled off his advice like a machine gun.
Hannibal, listening from the side, broke out into a nervous sweat.
“Master, you seem to have a lot of unresolved feelings about wedding invitations…”
“I do! No one ever gives me invitations!”
Kellibey exploded.
“They think that because I’m a stingy dwarf, I’ll complain about giving money if I get invited! Dammit, it’s not true! Well, I will complain, but it’s still better than not being invited at all! Please, just invite me, for the love of the Goddess!”
Having vented his pent-up frustration, Kellibey turned his sharp gaze toward Kuilan.
“By the way, have you made the rings yet?”
“Not yet… Things have been so hectic, I haven’t gotten around to it…”
“Want me to make them for you?”
“Really? Would you do that, Kellibey?”
“Of course! I even remember both of your ring sizes. I’ll make you something spectacular.”
“Ah, I don’t even know how to thank you…”
Watching the two energetically plan out wedding jewelry, Verdandi chuckled softly.
“Hehe. Talking about weddings reminds me… of nine years ago…”
But mid-sentence, Verdandi’s face froze.
As the kings recalled the legendary joint wedding from nine years ago, their faces grew pale. They all coughed awkwardly, trying to dispel the memory.
Fortunately, Evangeline was out at the north gate welcoming the next guests, so she wasn’t present for this discussion. What a relief…
Bang!
The door to the drawing room swung open, and another guest stepped inside.
“Yoo-hoo! How’s everyone doing? You all look as lively as ever!”
Ash entered with a radiant smile.
Thanks to the Everblack royal family’s anti-aging trait, the Crown Prince looked as youthful and energetic as ever, despite it being ten years since the war. All the kings, once comrades in arms and rulers in their own right, immediately stood to greet him.
“You bratty prince! What have you been eating to look so healthy?!”
“Long time no see, Ash!”
“Good to see you, Your Highness Ash!”
“Captain! Here’s your invitation!”
Ash greeted everyone warmly, congratulated Kuilan on his upcoming wedding, and joined the lively conversations in the room.
Tucking Kuilan’s wedding invitation into his pocket, Ash smirked and raised his thumb, pointing toward himself.
“Well, let me add some good news of my own!”
“Huh? What news? What’s going on, Ash?”
As everyone looked at him curiously, Ash confidently declared:
“I’m going to be a father too!”
“…What?”
“That’s right! Ash the Second is on the way! My child is coming into this world!”
Ash’s exuberant announcement of “Here comes a new baby!” caused everyone to leap to their feet, rushing over to clap him on the back and congratulate him.
Everyone knew how much Ash had struggled emotionally over the years due to not being able to have a child after his marriage. So, when he shared the news, the group’s faces lit up with relief, as if a heavy weight had been lifted from their hearts.
“I told you, didn’t I? Balance is key! You need to pace yourself, take it easy! If you’re too impatient, it just makes things harder!”
Kellibey scolded loudly, while Kuilan hastily grabbed a pen and paper nearby.
“Balance… is key… take it easy… important…”
“Wait, Kuilan, what the hell are you writing down?!”
“W-Well, you know… this is something I need to take to heart too…”
After another round of laughter and commotion, the group gradually settled down again.
“Good news just keeps coming, doesn’t it?”
Kellibey smiled broadly and nodded in satisfaction.
“Ash is finally going to have a second generation!”
Ash raised both hands in the air, striking a victorious pose.
“Kuilan… is marrying Yun, who has finally awakened!”
Kuilan, not to be outdone, quickly mimicked Ash’s pose, flexing his biceps as if to emphasize his achievement.
“And…”
Clears throat!
Kellibey coughed awkwardly, fidgeting a little before continuing.
“A-Actually, I… I also…”
“…?”
Everyone turned to Kellibey with wide, stunned eyes.
What?
Hold on a second—what?!
–TL Notes–
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