Chapter 138: The Apple Doesn’t Fall Far from the Tree
After Eos vented a bit more to her older brother while I watched and started making notes on that playbook to pass on, we started heading back home.
Despite venting, or maybe because of it, Eos was still red-faced and glaring at Roland. She was calmer now though. At least, she wouldn't be trying to slap Roland again any time soon.
As for Roland, he was rubbing the red handprint on his face and looking apologetic. He kept glancing at Eos and sighed, shaking his head with disappointment. In himself, it looked like. At least, I hope it was that, because he had another thing coming if it was towards Eos.
It seemed like my dear daughter had inherited Mom's temper, so... yeah.
Anyway, I was standing between the two to serve as a buffer, with Eos on my right and Roland on my left. I was also currently still a red-head, so it made for a pretty odd sight.
Judging from the looks people were sending us, I had a feeling that they were thinking there was a love triangle or something.
Pretty awkward considering the relationships, but people were going to think what they were going to think.
And as if to add to those rumors, Eos glanced at Roland and then shook her head. "I still cannot believe you left me alone like that."
Roland sighed and said, "I said I'm sorry. I saw someone dangerous, so I wanted to try and catch him before he did anything."
Well. If there was any doubting Roland was my kid, that definitely cleared it up. Seemed like he was running through the good ol' hero complex part of life.
Something to add to the list of things to make note of for future generations. Just like the list of things that an overlord shouldn't do that I was building up.
Eos rolled her eyes and said, "What do you think I am? A delicate princess?" She gave Roland a once over and said, "Look at you. Running off like that and still nothing to show."
Roland gave an awkward smile and rubbed the back of his neck.
I looked at Eos and said, "Don't be too hard on him, Eos. The idiot ball runs in the family on the male side."
Eos gave me a blank stare. "You expect me to believe that? Considering you, Father?"
"Ask your grandmothers for some stories when we meet up with them again. And it's better having a shounen protagonist phase than being an edgelord."
"What?"
I waved my hand and looked at Roland. Specifically, I stared at the weird staticky mana still flickering around him and said, "So, Roland. Care to explain why you've got a bunch of time mana on you? Did you get chucked into a distortion?"
Roland shook his head. "Nothing like that. I was just caught off guard chasing after that person."
"By that person, would you happen to mean Gisu?"
Roland blinked and said, "Huh? You already know about him being Hitogami's Apostle?"
"...No. But thanks for the confirmation?"
Well. Damn. That explained a lot.
Of course, it wasn't *confirmed* since Roland was definitely from a different timeline... Worldline? Wasn't too sure how time was structured here just yet.
But anyway... Definitely needed to keep an eye on Gisu then.
At least, I would if he wasn't actively blocking my Clairvoyance somehow now.
I could pinpoint him with some triangulation and mana pings, but that would take a while...
I shook my head and said, "We'll talk about that guy later. But either way, it doesn't explain the time mana."
The weird staticky mana was similar to the one in the Distortion that had Rudy the Gray. And after talking with Ena after that incident, we confirmed that it was definitely 'time' mana.
Still not sure how to make it or use it, but I knew it when I saw it.
Roland paused to think and then said, "That's probably from when Big Sis contacted me- Oh, right." He looked at me and said, "My Big Sis wanted me to tell you that Grandma Zenny and Grandma Lilia are safe, but they're stuck in the timeline where I came from right now with my family."
I stopped walking.
Eos did as well.
Roland looked at me and tilted his head. "What?"
I rubbed my face and muttered, "I need to apologize to Dad later."
I was starting to see how frustrating it was when your kid didn't act the way you expected. Here I was thinking that Roland would be rational enough to at least take Eos with him or report that VERY IMPORTANT info about Mom and Mama Lily being in another timeline, but...
Roland blinked and said, "What are you apologizing for?"
I shook my head and said, "Don't worry about it. Let's just head home already."
It was getting late. The sun was starting to set and shops were closing up. Even the crowd of adventurers wandering around was starting to thin.
Thankfully, that meant less people staring.
...Though it seemed like most people were already preoccupied with something else. I kept overhearing talks about a rainy season and rare monster drops coming soon.
I also heard some mutterings about an incoming shipment of beastmen slaves.
Hm. Probably should get a few people to resolve that before either Norn or Stella gets any ideas.
Or Dad.
But anyway, for the most part we headed back to our house in silence. Walking along the main road and up towards the house on the hill I made, both my kids were lost in thought.
Since that was the case, I took the time to check on Cliff with Clairvoyance.
Things seemed to be going well. Millishion wasn't on fire, and I didn't see them camping outside, so it looked like they made it in peacefully enough.
The real test would come tomorrow when the Anti-Demon faction got their forces together to try and pull some BS, but that guy could handle it.
Not only was Cliff the current Pope's grandson, but his adoptive father was practically a Cardinal in terms of rankings.
I think.
Either way, he was up there.
Also, it turned out that the woman who looked a lot like Mom was actually my Aunt Therese.
It seemed like there had been a bit of miscommunication there and I misheard her saying she was the aunt of Eos and Ena instead of her really saying she was Norn and Stella's aunt.
Or something.
Anyway, Aunt Therese was apparently an important person on the Anti-Demon side who personally guarded that faction's Pope candidate, a 'miko' who could read people's memories.
Didn't work on me of course. But it seemed like she picked up enough from everyone else in my family and was adamantly refusing to go back to Millishion.
To sum things up... Things would be fine. It was just a question of whether the situation in Millishion ended with peace or violence.
I was secretly hoping it was violence. Not because I wanted people to get hurt, but I was really curious about whether or not I could actually blow up the towers and get rid of humanity's greatest Barrier spell.
"Father." Roland spoke up and then looked at me.
I blinked, caught off guard by the change. Usually, he called me Lord Rudras... Not that I minded the change, but it was weird.
"...Yes, Roland?"
I gave a hesitant resposne and looked back at him.
"Have you been doing undercover work for Orsted?"
"...No. I have been doing undercover work, but not for Orsted." I tilted my head and said, "Is that what I did in your timeline?"
Roland nodded. "You were frequently out of the house when we were younger doing all sorts of tasks for Orsted. I was wondering if you were doing the same now after reuniting with him, but..." He trailed off and shook his head. "As expected, Father here is very different from the Father I knew."
"Considering the fact that I couldn't reach Mom or Mama Lily with scrying or summoning spells, that'd have to be true."
After all, with how much practice I had these days using summoning magic, they'd have to be pretty far away in terms of spacetime for me to not reach them.
I shrugged and said, "I thought we went over this already though, Roland?"
He nodded and said, "We did. But..." He ruffled his hair and said, "I've only just realized how different Father here really is from the Father I knew. Not that it's a bad thing, but..." He looked at me and then looked away, muttering, "If Father was as strong as you are now, would he still have been alive at that time?"
I frowned. "...Just how far from the future are you anyway, Roland?"
I was under the impression that he wasn't that far off, but from the way he was talking now...
Roland paused to think and then said, "Around K500?"
I blinked and then rubbed my face again. "...Alright. We need to have a father-son talk soon enough. It seems like your dad was a bit too nonchalant raising you."
Seriously. Did the Rudy in that timeline become a copy of Paul or something? What was with leaving out all of these important details? *I* wouldn't have done that.
Well, not anymore. Surely I would have grown out of it by the time I was old enough to have a kid.
Argh. What was it with 'Rudeus Greyrat?' Were we destined to either be a Shounen Protagonist or an Edgelord? At least have a little bit of common sense. Information is important!
[author] Still getting back into the flow of the story. Rewrote this a few times, but after the third, I think it's better we just keep going for a bit... The wind will catch the sails eventually.[/author]
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