Chapter 45

Having concluded that a more pressing matter was at hand, Jae decided to postpone the rest of his conversation with Leila. The 'pressing matter' was, of course, related to Rena.

Needless to say, Leila knew that Jae wasn't Rena's real father. It was only a matter of course, as she was her mother.

From what she had been saying though, it seemed as if she didn't mind if Jae were to become Rena's real father. After all, that was one of the reasons she proposed marriage to Jae, or so she claimed.

Of course, it certainly was strange how the long list of criteria she gave to Rena about her father had just so happened to fit Jae to a T, and that was a bit much to just write off as a coincidence, but he could always ask about that later.

One might remember that he also had a theory in the past; a theory that Leila had purposely given this information to Rena about her father in hopes of baiting out Rena's real father.

What he never considered previously, however, was that, maybe, the "real father" Leila was trying to bait out, was perhaps someone who would just act as a father figure, and not actually her biological father. Maybe, she had faith that Rena would be able to subconsciously judge whether a person was 'worthy' or 'qualified' enough to be the father.

Yes, maybe it was all planned, and Leila had allowed the kidnapping to happen because she was confident that someone like Jae―or perhaps even Jae specifically―would take care of Rena and bring her back to the castle after naturally hearing about it. It was feasible. That was pretty much what happened to Jae, after all.

Maybe, Leila had even planned so far ahead to the point that she wanted Rena to be kidnapped by the rebellious force so that she could be rescued by Jae, and then, planned that he was informed about the rebellion, before planning that he brought her back safely to the castle to solve the rebellion, and finally, she planned to have him marry her?

...In any case, this is all mere speculation. None of it can be confirmed, but nor can it be denied. Jae could only think that the chance of all this being the truth, was highly unlikely.

Besides, all of that is without even giving mention to the fact that Rena's Soul State still had that bizarre 'status condition', [SR,N=nf.SDT=1x// 815>], beside her Health stat, as well as her ambiguous title,「Impossible Child」.

Furthermore, Jae hadn't forgotten that Jiyeru also once claimed Rena's father to be a high-ranking member of the Spirit race, too; yet another random thing to consider. Truthfully, all Jae currently thought about this matter relating to anything else was that both her title and tremendous aptitude for magic could be a result of a mixed birth between Spirits and Demons.

With this myriad of mysteries and disjointed information piled on top of each other, it would be absurd to claim to know just what the truth is until Leila herself reveals it, as there are simply too many different possibilities, irregularities, and holes that need filling in.

As an analogy, it would be like trying to solve a 5000-piece puzzle, but with the pieces of just five different 1000-piece puzzles; clearly, it would be impossible, no matter how hard anyone tried, and any attempts to solve it with those pieces alone would certainly only ever end up being a fruitless endeavour.

Contrary to that confusing mess, Jae's current state of mind was much more simplified.

What he was currently bothered by had nothing to do with any of that.

―Has she really been lying to me the whole time about not remembering me? Why would she do that? Is that why he ignored my request?

He was purely concerned about whether or not Rena had concealed her knowledge of thinking that Jae was her father, as well as the reason why she may have concealed it. All, despite the fact that he had already decided to settle with being a teacher, and a teacher only, as he thought that was for the best.

Nonetheless, with various questions floating around in his mind―including some speculation for why the Sinful God annoyingly disregarded his plea to recover her lost memory―Jae walked briskly down the castle halls towards Rena's room; the location of which, he was directed to by Leila.

Unfortunately, he currently required to have the location of everything told to him by a resident, as the anti-magic bricks the building was made from were interfering with his radar-like magic sensing, and his「Mapping」skill would only begin to have an effect once he had already explored enough of the place.

...This might be quite dangerous, actually. My main weapon is magic. Although I won't have trouble casting it, the sheer amount of anti-magic material here might cause some issues... Well, it should be fine. It's not like magic is my only method of fighting, and I'll figure something out in any case.

Feeling like he had thought such a thing more than once in the past, Jae shortly arrived at his destination. He politely knocked on the door, as a result of feeling strangely anxious.

*knock knock*

"...Ah!"

A few seconds later, the door was opened from the inside and a small white head popped out from behind it, making a sound at Jae's appearance. His facial muscles loosening at the innocence, Jae gently stroke Rena's head.

"How have you been? Sorry for making you wait so long. You did a great job persuading everyone."

"Good afternoon! Thanks! It was scary, but Bailey helped too!"

"...Did he, now? Well, I'll be sure to reward him later, too, then. May I enter?"

"Oh!"

She opened the door wide and allowed Jae inside the room. It was pretty much exactly what he imagined a little princess's room to look like, though it seemed a bit empty. Perhaps her room was recently changed for security reasons, or because the owner was away for so long.

In any case, Rena closed the door and sat down next to Jae on the edge of her king-sized bed, sighing.

"It's been a long time since you were home. Have you enjoyed being back here as much as you were hoping to return?"

"Mhm!", she nodded exaggeratedly before looking a little sad, "...I didn't see Jiera or Jiyeru yet, but, Mama said they're just being shy and will visit soon."

"I see."

He thought back to this morning when Jiera spewed curses at him.

Well... I can understand why her feelings were so intense. I haven't seen Jiyeru yet though, so I wonder where he is. Leila, on the other hand...... I wonder just what she was talking about.

After a moment of hesitation, Jae sighed and opened his mouth. He spoke softly.

"...Rena. You love your mother, don't you?"

"Mhm!", she nodded with a bright smile.

"That's good. She cares a lot for you, you know? Don't take it for granted..."

Even though she is an irresponsible parent...

"Mhm!"

Jae could only smile bitterly towards the girl, whose own smile was as radiant as the sun. She innocently believed, wholeheartedly, in her family. Perhaps it was simply the naivety of youth he was witnessing, but Jae felt bitter inside as he looked at her.

The girl in front of him, despite going through more hardships at such a young age that it would most likely completely break any regular person... She was living her life cheerfully.

Jae saw this and wondered.

How...?

How could this girl, after undergoing such horrendous things, stay so bright like this?

Jae... It could be said that his humanity is corrupted, you see.

Ever since he first arrived in this other world, he experienced first-hand, the unjust horrors of being weak. His first three deaths were all because he was simply too weak to win. Since then, of course, he has gotten better, but to say he has made a full recovery? Nonsense.

―An ordinary sixteen-year-old boy would never be able to stay normal after suffering from such events.

Even though years have certainly passed since those times, it isn't like it reverses what has already happened.

No matter how powerful「Steadfast Mind」is, to say that it can completely negate the side-effects of dying many times over, and in such brutal ways like having your internal organs ripped out from your body before bleeding to death, or drowning over half a dozen times in drake's stomach acid, is, quite simply, absurd.

Even the number of times he had not hesitated to end his own life, is plain disturbing...

Hence, he wanted to know, after suffering from so much, how on Earth a child like Rena could stay so youthfully innocent, lively, and optimistic; just like any ordinary, run-of-the-mill little girl. One who, perhaps hadn't gone through those things. It was clear to him, that it wasn't just an act―this was the real, true her.

So, just how does she do it?

And then, something he never even stopped to consider before suddenly sprouted in his mind.

...If I... In the first place... Never came to this world...... Would I be happy...?

His mind briefly turned blank. He didn't know. It was simply an impossible question. He hated it. He hated to think of unimaginable things like that. Hypothetical questions that couldn't be answered. He believed there was no point.

To clear his darkening thoughts, he asked a question.

"Because you love her... Rena, did you tell Leila that I was your father?"

Her expression hardened like she had been caught red-handed, "...Uh...U-Uhm... S-s-sorry... U-um... Are you mad...?"

Jae chuckled softly and spoke with a smile that gave away his emotions.

"Haha... Why on Earth are you apologising? Of course, I would never be mad at you for something like that..."

"..."

"...Can you tell me why you said that?", he said after a breath.

Rena stuttered.

"U-um... I-I-I don't k-know... I was told before..."

"Ah... Was it because of what your mother told you your father was like? You saw those same characteristics in me...?"

...I completely forgot about all that... It was the entire reason she thought I was her dad in the first place...... Hah. How stupid. Well, I guess she didn't get her memories back, then.

Jae facepalmed at his own terrible memory. It was fairly reasonable since it's not like the「Memory」skills are active all the time, and when they are de-activated, it's natural to forget a lot of things, but he really thought he was an idiot for forgetting why he accepted Rena as his daughter to start with.

"Y-yes...", she nodded, "...Um... Was it bad...?"

"I already told you, no. Really."

He felt touched. Moved. So much so, that it was difficult for him to hold back his smile. If he was a bit weaker to such emotions, then he may have even begun to tear up a bit.

"...In fact, that might've been what saved me. Since you said Bailey helped you, did he know about it?"

"Yes."

"Right. That's fine, so don't worry about it."

That's probably why he was so stiff around me all the time... Was he recalling bad memories from back in the forest?

"Okay..."

"But, why did you hide it from me?"

"...I-I thought... you might get mad... and leave us..."

The end of her words trailed off as she spoke. The expression on her face was not one that anybody would want to see on a child.

"......", Jae opened his mouth but words wouldn't leave it. He didn't know what to say. He sensed the sadness in the girl's voice, feeling both sorry and regretful about acting in a way that might give the impression he would abandon them.

How the hell... did I not even realise she felt that way...? Fuck... Damn it...

Eventually, he managed to say something.

"...Rena, you can have full faith in me. I would never do something like that. Please..."

He placed a hand on her head, "Please don't think like that ever again, okay? I would never abandon you guys."

I'm not a bastard who'd do something awful like that. Swearing on my life wouldn't mean much, but...

"...Okay...", she meekly nodded.

It was clear that she was embarrassed. Upon seeing the smile appear on her lips though, Jae felt at least a bit better. Then, it was Rena's turn to speak.

"Um..."

"What is it?"

"A-... Was it real?"

He was confused, "Was what real?"

"That you are..."

"? Oh..."

Jae realised that Rena was asking if he truly was her father. He contemplated on how to respond for a second, before clearing those thoughts.

...I'm an idiot. Why did I even feel the need to think about this? Isn't it obvious?

Putting on a confident smile, Jae spoke assuredly.

"If you see me as your father, Rena, then I don't see why such a question is necessary."

Her eyes slowly widened in response. Then, Jae stuck his hand into the air and pulled something from a strange rift.

What he just grabbed from the Inventory was an amulet. Tied with black thread, its design was relatively simple, and the core of it was a shining ruby―a colour that matched her eyes. Of course, it was also personally enchanted by Jae himself.

Jae took Rena's hands and made them into a cupping position.

"Here.", he placed the amulet into her hands, and gently, yet firmly, clasped them together, "It's a gift. Always be sure to keep this with you, okay? It will protect you during the times where I may not be present."

He withdrew his hands after making sure that Rena held the item securely. Wordlessly, Rena blinked a few items at the unexpected gift before she began to put it on with a wide grin.

...This is also a 'thank you'.

――At the same time, Jae began to think in the back of his mind. They were the words he was too embarrassed to say aloud, but that didn't depreciate any of the sincerity of his heartfelt message.

Satisfied, Jae watched her slowly put the amulet around her neck.

...A 'thank you' for giving me a purpose.

"It's nice, isn't it?"

...Ever since I was separated from Amelia, I felt as if I had nothing. My heart sank into despair, and I only imagined the worst of the possible outcomes.

"Yeah! Thank you!"

...Being abandoned by Aphy only exacerbated it. Being discarded by the one person you can rely on―it destroyed my soul. I realised a lot thanks to that. Like the pain of being abandoned... By that point, the side-effects of me dying, over and over, had begun kicking in. I secretly wondered if there was even a point to my existence when I had nothing to live for, but death also meant nothing. With a mask, I had no choice but to exist.

"Instead of thanking me, just promise me that you will keep it forever, yeah?"

...Then, I shut myself in the Sloth Dungeon for two years, using the excuse of 'training', and 'learning new skills', to distract myself from my reality. It worked for a short while, too. Hah. Nobody would believe that I used to be strong-minded if they saw me like that.

"Okay!"

...But then, I remembered you, Rena. You relied on me before I left you at the village, which I did because I thought it'd be better than dealing with me, but as I remembered that I was going to take you home, I was relieved. At last, there was something―someone who needed me.

Suddenly, she then lunged forward and wrapped her arms around Jae's torso, giving him a big hug.

...And when we finally arrived at the Queen's castle, I thought that was surely going to be the end. I'll admit, I'm jealous of Leila who is loved so much, and the two siblings who have your unconditional faith.

"I love you, Daddy!", she shouted with a flushed face.

...I thought that, after bringing you safely back to your home, I would have no choice but to just leave and wander the land with no purpose. Of course, I wanted to stay, even if only for a little while. But then I thought, even more than that, I wanted you to stay happy. With me being the anomaly of an existence I am, I knew it was impossible for me to be included in that happiness.

Jae, after being briefly taken aback, softly stroke her head.

...But now, it's different. Because I'm a father, albeit not a biological one. It makes no real difference in the end. Or, to me at least. What matters, is that there is now someone who I can live for. My parents, Amelia, Aphy... Even if everyone I once loved or relied on are no longer options for me... At least there is one.

A sharp, almost stinging sensation, could be felt around his sinuses; as if he was about to cry.

...So, thank you. Thank you... so much.

Tears faintly formed in the corners of his glistening eyes.

...Thank you for allowing me to be your father, despite my many flaws, and for giving me a purpose.

And Jae spoke with a loving, affectionate smile.

...I will always cherish you, Rena, my precious daughter.

"...I love you, too."

This time, Jae felt like he regained a piece of himself that was once lost.

A piece called "family".

Jae visited Bailey after cooling his emotional state.

Right after greeting the boy, Jae asked, "I heard from Rena that you helped her with persuasion?"

"U-u-uhh...", he stammered in response.

"Ah, don't worry, you're not in trouble. Actually, I came to thank you and see how you're doing."

"Oh... I'm alright..."

"Haa. Listen, I know you've been feeling down; especially recently."

"No."

"Just listen."

"..."

"I don't know what's been dragging you down, but please don't hesitate to tell me anything. Even Rena had some things she didn't want to tell me, but that just makes it all more difficult for everyone, so don't be afraid to ask or say anything."

"She did...?", he asked with a slightly surprised look.

"Yes. She is a relatively normal child, you know. She just doesn't show it."

"Huh...?"

"That's right. So stop moping around and tell me if you have issues, okay? Else, she might leave you behind."

Bailey nodded after a moment, "...Okay. I'll work hard."

"Good. You don't want to be left in the dust by a girl two years younger than you, do you? Just go at a good, steady pace, and you'll be fine. Anyway, I have something for you.", he pulled something from his pocket.

Bailey tilted his head, "? For me...?"

"Here."

Jae gave Bailey an enchanted amethyst pendant, very similar to what he gifted Rena. He observed Bailey receive the item with gleaming eyes, satisfied, before turning to the door.

"W-wait. Where are you going now...?", Bailey asked. Jae paused for a moment before answering.

"...For a place where my daughter is living, there is far too much garbage lying around. I'm going to clean it up. It'll only take a minute, so I guess I'll see you with everyone else during dinner."

"Oh... B-bye..."

Following this, he went to where Des' office was said to be―again, its location was given to him by Leila after some hesitation. Simply put, Jae was going to kill him.

As he was walking, he inevitably encountered and greeted others in the hallways. Most notably, maids and butlers who were either cleaning or who were in the middle of a task. Though they were curious about his identity, they mostly seemed to have a favourable first impression of Jae, which he was satisfied with.

Since he was playing the role of Rena's father without also being Leila's husband, he was wondering how her subordinates may treat him, but he would have to wait before an official announcement anyway.

Surprisingly, their magical strength was nothing to scoff at. It seems that, because Demons are very naturally proficient in magic, it is taught as a compulsory subject in schools, which Jae was told isn't the case for most human countries; with the exception being nobles' schools or specialised wizard schools.

It didn't take long before Jae found the right room, as it was relatively close to Leila's office which he visited previously.

He began by knocking on the door to not arouse suspicion.

*knock knock!*

"...You may enter.", a muffled voice was heard. Jae opened the door and walked in before anyone could say anything.

Hm...

He glanced around and was surprised to see that there were about a half-dozen people in the room. They all sat at desks with stacks of paper in front of them. A lot of work was being done here, apparently.

The scratching sound of pen on paper suddenly ceased when the doors were opened, however, and everyone stared at Jae with questioning eyes.

"""......"""

They were all just as surprised to see that Jae waltzed into the room unannounced. For them, it was unheard of, and on top of that, none of them had even seen him before in their lives, so they were quite wary.

Then, the man at the end of the room frowned as he spoke.

"...And who may you be? I have not received notice of an appointment at this time."

Jae simply ignored his question, "Are you, Des?"

At his words, it was as if the room's atmosphere froze. The tension was high, but the one who broke it all was once again the man who first spoke.

"It's rather rude of you to not introduce yourself before asking entering, let alone ask questions before doing so. Who are you?"

Jae replied with a smirk, "I'm just a local dad. You're Des, right?"

"...I am. What is your business here?"

"Okay, good. Before I get started, is everyone here beneath you or Leila?"

"!? You dare to call the Queen by name? This is--"

"Be quiet. Answer my question. Are these people your subordinates or hers?"

Maybe it was because he could sense just how much mana Jae had, but Des was being quite cooperative. It was understandable since Jae had a lot more mana than even Leila herself, who was claimed to be the strongest in the castle.

"...Of course, everyone is a subordinate of the Queen, but officially, I am the one who hired them. Is that all? Do tell me who you are and what is your business...?"

"No, that's enough. You hired them, so they're all involved too. A shame."

I do feel a little bad. Leila'll probably get quite a lot of work for a while until she can hire more people... But, I just can't risk these guys going about their daily lives as normal, when the possibility that they had a hand in harming Rena is extremely high. It means they could do something similar again in the future.

"What are you talking abou--"

―Twelve sharp, crescent-shaped blades of wind suddenly materialised.

*Woosh~!*

*splatter*

*thud, thud...*

Six dead bodies hit the ground as their severed heads all rolled across the floor.

Level limit reached. Excess experience points stockpiled until the limit is increased

Now that that's done, I guess I should―

*BA-DUMP!*

―All of a sudden, Jae felt a huge sense of discomfort. Just as though he were about to throw up, he was intensely nauseated, and his saliva tasted salty as something creeped up from his stomach.

A foul stench filled his surroundings as his body reacted violently. His heart began rapidly palpitating, and sweat rose through the pores on his body as his hairs stood on end.

What's going on!? Fuck...!

Was it related to the fact he felt like vomiting his guts out?

「Instinct」has levelled up [Lv.2]→[Lv.3]

!?

Whatever it was, something bad was definitely about to happen.

―Jae could feel it within his bones.

Then, he sensed a presence behind him. Swiftly turning around, Jae witnessed someone slowly pass through the hallway beyond the open doors.

It seemed like they only peered into the room by pure chance, as the doors were wide apart, but that was the moment Jae could see the person clearly.

Oh, shit... Fuck...!

A remarkably stunning, out of this world beauty, who donned a set of pure-white armour and who wore a head of magnificent golden hair; on her back were a pair of white, feathery angelic wings.

She was very clearly not of the Demon race.

Her distinctive features gave a sense of keenness like she was always hard-working, and earnest, yet the atmosphere about her gave off the impression that she was gentle.

Soul State - Seraph

Name : Ariel Soul Level : 635 / 650

Title : Ruler of Diligence

Age : 863 Years Health : 138

Magic Energy : 672,700 Power : 242,641

Magical Ability : 201,675

Defe― Skill「Envy」has been blocked

It was the same thing that had happened with Nazar.

This person, Ariel, had obstructed the usage of「Envy」as soon as she realised it was being used on her.

Damn it...! What do I do?!

Jae was incredibly frustrated and panicked. He stressed, trying to quickly find a way out of the situation.

...But he came up with nothing.

The current circumstances were absolutely terrible for him: he was in the middle of a room with six dead guys who he had unquestionably just murdered, and the opponent was his archenemy; an owner of a Virtue skill. The Ruler of it, no less.

From what he had momentarily seen of her Soul State, this person was so immensely strong that Jae felt completely outclassed. He thought it wouldn't be strange if she could fight on equal terms with even some of the younger-lived dragons he had encountered in the Pride Dungeon.

" !! ", The moment Ariel realised that there were dead bodies in the room, her eyes widened in shock.

And then, when she noticed Jae, her previously respectable appearance spontaneously turned feral.

Ariel scowled intensely, overcome with a seething rage. She must have assumed Jae to be a murderer who broke into the castle, as there would not have yet been a chance to inform her about him if she just arrived here.

And... The fact that he was reeking with the smell of 'sin' only intensified the conviction within her.

Within an instant of making eye contact with this furious follower of God―she was no longer where she stood.

"Kaghk...!?"

*SLAM!*

―Jae spluttered as he was violently slammed into a wall with his neck tightly grasped.

Just like what he had done to Bailey when he first saw him, Jae was lifted up and into the air, by his throat. Except, his oesophagus was completely crushed, making it no longer possible for him to breathe.

His defence was immediately penetrated by raw strength, and even his passive high-level magical barrier was as useful as a stick of butter to the enemy's thousand-degree knife.

He immediately began to cast Healing Magic on himself in desperation, as he directed a murderous glare towards his attacker. Of course, he also tried to escape using Sloth, but it turns out it doesn't work when his throat is grasped so viciously, as he is locked in place.

With the realisation that he couldn't escape dawning on him, Jae grew both pissed off and terrified.

He knew he wouldn't permanently die, but the only thing he feared was what followed death. He didn't want such an incident to occur right after he regained his status as Rena's father.

Ariel's scrunched-up face trembled out of fury; her golden eyes, shaking in anger.

The angelic appearance she previously had, was now feeling more like a devil to Jae. Her divine, holy exterior, now only seemed like a broken facade.

Perhaps it was due to her heavenly origins? Ariel was innately repulsed by what she sensed from Jae―just as he was by her. As if the two were natural adversaries, the both of them were currently holding in their body's desire to throw up its contents.

Jae knew he was about to die. Maybe even tens, dozens of times, would he perish.

It was inevitable.

After all, the person in front of him was simply belonging to another league altogether, and she maintained a clear desire for the eradication of him alone. The two couldn't even be compared, like an ant to an elephant.

At the very, very least, he just wanted to end this encounter with no mess. He wanted to survive this; not for himself, but for his daughter, Rena.

Doing the only thing he could think of to survive, Jae almost resigned himself to his fate.

...But then, something completely unexpected happened.

"―Hey, bird bitch."

A familiar voice was heard.