Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Chochorina woke up letting out a small, muffled sound—which was actually a yawn she couldn’t release properly because her mouth was still closed. But as she slowly pushed herself up to sit on the bed, she opened her mouth to let the yawn out while stretching her arms. A normal morning ritual for the little silver-haired, dark-eyed girl, whose life had always included waking up at slightly inconsistent hours whenever she was allowed the freedom to do so.

This time was one of those times when she could sleep in a bit longer.

All because the people around her usually let her sleep late—mostly because they didn’t want her meddling in their daily tasks!

When her eyes blinked a few times to adjust to the light in the room, they wandered around—and her expression turned odd.

“Good morning, Chocho-nee-chan.” A voice called out, catching her attention.

In front of her stood someone she didn’t normally see first thing in the morning.

Chochorina’s face lit up with a wide smile. “Good morning, Adharda-nee-san!” the little girl greeted with her usual daily enthusiasm.

She quickly began dressing to start her day.

If someone walked into the room then, they would see two little girls who looked similar in some ways but quite different in others.

Both had long silver hair, frightfully striking eyes—yet of different colors, belonging to different figures: Chochorina had dark brown eyes like her father’s, the same as her grandmother’s; and Adhara had bright amethyst eyes exactly like her own mother’s. Both were half-elves, something easily noticeable by their pointed ears.

Adhara was the older one—at least between the two.

Not only in behavior but also in height and maturity.

And the younger one was still struggling to dress as quickly as her older sister.

It took them a while to fully get ready. Adhara wore a dark dress with deep purple accents, while Chochorina put on a white and pale-lilac dress. They almost looked like opposites in their clothing choices despite sharing the same room. The differences extended to the room itself, but none of that mattered to the girls at the moment. Without wasting more time, they both left the room.

The door swung outward as Adhara kindly opened it, letting Chochorina step out first. They found themselves in a hallway with many other doors, some of them already open, showing that others had already left their rooms.

They walked together down the corridor, heading left.

It was wide enough for three people to walk side by side. But only the two silver-haired girls were there.

Nothing unusual for them.

Not because they were disliked—far from it—but simply because they tended to sleep late. And that was allowed since they were two of the youngest in the whole group.

When they reached the end, they found themselves at the landing of a staircase, with two ways down to the main floor below. The staircase was entirely wooden and brown in color. The two took the left side, going down together. Chochorina hopped down a few steps with lively little jumps, while Adhara smiled softly at the sight.

And when they reached the bottom floor, they looked around at the many directions they could go.

Everything seemed calm.—— BAAAM!!!

A loud, thunderous sound erupted, signaling that the calm had just ended. The girls immediately ran outside.

“I HAVE ALREADY DECIDED! TO PROVE MY SUPERIOR SKILLS OVER YOURS BEFORE ALL OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS, COME!!!”

“MY SISTER HAS FINALLY LOST HER MIND! SO AS A BROTHER WHO CARES FOR EVERYONE’S SAFETY AND HAPPINESS, I’LL STOP YOU AND PUT AN END TO YOUR INSANITY, YOU FOOL!!!”

Two voices, two shouts from different people drew their attention as they stepped out.

A whirlwind of flames clashed against a whirlwind of cutting wind—the wind only making the flames grow stronger as they collided.

Two figures stood there.

A young woman with dark hair and scarlet eyes, Helena; and a young man with vibrant green hair and eyes much like their father’s, Leo. The girl wielded two swords, while the boy held only one as they exchanged blows.

The impact of Leo’s sword striking Helena’s two blades sent out a powerful shockwave.

The impact produced another booming sound that made the girls almost cover their ears, while flames burst from Helena’s swords and Leo’s slicing winds tore grass and dirt around them. It was a battlefield—one they couldn’t step into without risking being killed or injured so badly they might wish they had been.

“Woooow… they’re fighting again already?” Chochorina commented, a bead of sweat sliding down her forehead as she watched in a mix of surprise and awe.

“Oh, look who finally woke up. You two are really late, you know?” a voice called out beside them.

Someone walked up.

A girl who seemed to have recently entered adolescence—judging by her height and how her body was developing. She had brown hair at the roots, darkening toward the ends of her long strands. She wore slightly extravagant clothes: short dark shorts that reached a little below her thighs, a dark jacket with orange accents that covered her torso down to her waist, and dark boots.

“Graf!” Chochorina waved with one hand, still covering one ear with the other. “Why are Helena and Leo fighting so early in the morning?”

“Hm? Oh, the reason is pretty funny. Hahaha!” Graffias said, patting her belly as she laughed. “They started fighting because they bumped into each other when they started racing! Hahaha! Isn’t that awesome?!”

“…How is that awesome…?” Adhara muttered to no one in particular, staring at her older sister in bewilderment at how relaxed she was about the situation.

“HEY!” another voice called their attention.

A girl with short, neat mauve hair—her clothes messy, and shorter by about five centimeters compared to the silver-haired girls—approached, her bright eyes resembling her mother’s. There was a tail design on her pants.

This was Lyra, shaking a cup that jingled loudly with coins inside.

“Alright, who are you guys betting on this time~?” she asked with a smug grin.

Chochorina tilted her head in confusion, while Adhara looked tired and shocked by the question.

“I already bet on Helena!” Graffias said excitedly from the girls’ left, arms crossed as she watched the fight.

“Graf, Nunki, Mercu, Alcy, Vega, and Taygette bet on Helena; Rigel, Cassia, me, and Alpha bet on Leo. I even thought about asking those three weirdos, but… I was terrified and disgusted just imagining getting near them.” Lyra shuddered at the thought of the three strange individuals. “I’m feeling pretty confident, though—Mercu bet on Helena, and Alpha bet on Leo.”

Lyra sounded so confident it was as if the prize money was already guaranteed to go to her group and not to the ones betting on the dark-haired girl.

Adhara sighed and waved her hands. “No, no. Thanks, but I don’t want to bet… And wait! Shouldn’t Cassia-Aneki be stopping their fight?!”

Her eyes scanned the wide training grounds and spotted, not far away, several of their other brothers and sisters watching the fight like an enthusiastic audience.

Lyra let out a small, amused snort. She glanced toward the sister in question.

A girl taller than the three of them — and also bigger and seemingly stronger than Graffias, who was herself older — stood out both for her height and for her hair, which looked more like a powerful golden mane with streaks of red. This was Cassia, short for Cassiopeia, who was watching alongside another one of Adhara’s and Chochorina’s siblings.

The short‐haired mauve girl laughed again, amused.

“She got tired and decided to let it slide this time. Just to have a little fun, I guess!” Lyra said, entertained by her own words. “Can’t blame her. She has to step in even for the smallest conflicts.”

Her gaze drifted to other figures. She crossed her arms, tilting the cup full of coins slightly. “The Grumpy One didn’t even want to bet…”

Adhara shivered a little, knowing exactly who she meant.

Chochorina, on the other hand, wore a slightly sad expression.

They knew very well who the cheerful girl was referring to, and they knew equally well how grumpy the “Grumpy One” would be if she were near them in a moment like this.—— BAAAM!!!

Another massive crack thundered through the area, pulling their attention back to the fight.

Leo and Helena continued clashing their swords against each other.

Their weapons collided with sharp CLINCK! sounds, throwing sparks as steel struck steel, while the shockwaves kept tearing apart everything around them.

It looked like the two were finally starting to hold nothing back.

If this continued, at least half of the territory they stood on would certainly be destroyed. There was a real chance the place could end up as a giant crater.

That realization made the girls prepare themselves to intervene.

Of course, they knew very well how dangerous that would be.

According to Alpha — another of their older sisters — if the two of them fought against either Leo or Helena, both of them together against each one separately, they could still lose an arm and a leg just to take them down. And if they fought both together, fully ready to retaliate against anyone who tried to interrupt their personal duel, they’d lose much more than that.

If Cassia or anyone else didn’t step in, one or both of the girls would have to sacrifice parts of their bodies to stop the battle.

“WHAT IS ALL THIS RUCKUS?!”

A single shout instantly froze everything.

Helena and Leo stopped midair with one final clash of their weapons.

The two froze completely, their fight ending at once as if someone had cut an invisible thread.

They began to fall slowly at first, like feathers, then a bit faster until they landed on the ruined ground below. The others stopped watching the duel and turned toward the figures who had arrived.

A dark-haired teenage boy stood there, accompanied by two smaller figures, both blonde — one dressed in pink with blue eyes, the other wearing something similar to a maid outfit — all three wearing expressions ranging from tired to exasperated.

“What… were… you doing AGAIN?!”

That teenager? Natsuki Subaru, a boy with dark hair and unsettling eyes — eyes shared by many of the children present.

His exclamation struck the battling duo like lightning.

“Sorry…”

Both youths apologized instantly, heads low, faces fallen, sheathing their weapons.

They looked exactly like children being scolded by someone far above them — for reasons far deeper than most people would ever understand.

Why would two children that strong apologize so sadly to him?

Of course they would, under the gaze of that dark-haired boy. Because he was none other than Natsuki Subaru, and he was their—

“DAD!!!”

Many of the children leapt at the dark-haired figure, hugging him tightly.

This included the little Adhara and Chochorina. In fact, the two silver-haired girls had started running the moment they saw him appear and stop the fight. Almost all of them wanted the attention of their father.

While Subaru was being crushed by the sheer number of children, he complained about how hard it was to be a father… ESPECIALLY WHILE STILL BEING A VIRGIN!!!

—————

I know this wasn’t the prologue some of you expected — sorry about that.

But this is meant to give an idea of what the story will feel like. Of course, we’ll have serious chapters, like the Named Chapters for some of the children, but a large part of the story will focus on interactions between the kids and the Camps — especially Emilia’s Camp and its members. Some chapters will be longer, others shorter.

The main children I want to highlight are: Adhara, Chochorina, Electra, and Alpha.

And we’ll also have chapters of the kids helping hunt down the Sin Archbishops, and even Rem will return eventually.

Let me know what you thought of this first chapter of the new version.

I'll still keep the old version for anyone who wants to read it: Family IF (Old Version), since I don't really like deleting my old work.

Chapter Text

“Arf… I didn’t know being a father would be this hard, especially this early in my life,” Subaru complained in an extremely frustrated tone, showing obvious exhaustion from the burden he’d recently been forced to carry.

“Betty thinks her contractor should have prepared for some sort of eventuality like this if he wanted to deepen his relationship with the half-elf in the future, I suppose,” Beatrice replied in a slightly accusatory tone.

That immediately made Subaru blush bright red. “N-N—N-N-n-not that I h-h-haven’t thought about something like that for the future…” he muttered nervously at the thought of getting involved with Emilia in such a way. “B-But I-I-I didn’t expect it to be like this! Or this soon! Not while I’m still so pure and virginal, only having kissed someone once in my life!” he protested, crossing his arms with visible frustration.

“We already knew you strongly wished to corrupt Emilia-sama’s innocence with your filthy, lustful words and demeanor, Barusu. But now we’re seeing the result of your depravity, like a disgusting pig,” Ram commented coldly.

“THAT HURT, NEE-SAMA!” Subaru cried out in a comically exaggerated way at her words.

Inside a small meeting room, four people were gathered.

Subaru sat on one of the sofas, with Beatrice sitting on his lap. Otto, the person in charge of Internal Affairs, sat on the opposite end. Ram stood behind Subaru’s sofa, arms crossed.

All of them were gathered for the same reason:

To help Emilia’s Camp.

Not long ago — in fact, just three days earlier — something sudden and shocking had happened, surprising everyone in Emilia’s Camp and the Mathers Mansion. It was something so strange and so abrupt that it barely made sense at all.

The appearance of Natsuki Subaru’s Children!

Yes, the sudden appearance of Natsuki Subaru’s children!

How did this happen? Why did it happen?

The answer came from the one responsible: Alpha, the Witch of Time — or at least that’s what she self-proclaimed, according to some in the Camp who had never even heard of such a Witch existing.

She had done all of this using her own abilities — abilities they had doubted at first.

But after she casually altered reality itself, it became… quite difficult not to believe the abilities of someone who calls herself a Witch. Especially a Witch whose power extends to controlling time.

And she was the one who explained who those children were.

All the possible children Natsuki Subaru could have had — with different women, from different times, resulting in different children.

Something really… strange. Very strange. And at the same time…

“This is honestly a very stressful situation to deal with. And the worst part is having to do a job like this,” Otto commented as he sorted several papers atop the small center table. “Especially… considering the child we’re about to deal with seems pretty… interesting?” The former merchant tried phrasing it in a way that sounded as unoffensive as possible, especially with Subaru nearby, and considering Subaru was supposed to be that child’s “father.”

“Tell me about it, Otto. I really don’t like how things are going… I just hope Emilia-tan doesn’t get too stressed or worried. I don’t want her going through so much because of me…” Subaru agreed with Otto’s words regarding the stressful state of the situation.

“Yes, yes. Emilia-sama finds herself in a very complicated situation thanks to Barusu’s lustful, uncontrollable nature. You should blame yourself and then die to atone for your obscene sins against the pure hearts of those who get involved with you, such as the fragile heart of the young maiden Ram,” Ram added with a disdainful tone.

“Don’t say something like that!” Subaru protested sharply. It wasn’t that he didn’t know she wasn’t being fully serious, but it still hurt whenever she told him to commit or suffer something like… dying. Even if she didn’t know, and didn’t actually mean it, it still hurt for a reason he couldn’t explain.

“Not that I wouldn’t want to…” he thought sadly.

Beatrice noticed the flicker of sadness in his expression, sighed, and shot Ram an irritated side-glance before patting Subaru’s hand gently in a comforting gesture. “It’s not really the f-f-f-f-f-fault of Betty’s partner that such a strange thing happened, but rather that bizarre figure. And she is quite late at the moment, I believe, I suppose,” Beatrice said in a neutral tone, trying to shift the topic.

At that very moment, the doors to the room swung open.

“Sorry I’m late~! I was busy dealing with one of my weird sisters!”

The figure in question entered.

A girl with white hair, multicolored eyes, dressed in green military attire. Alpha, the Witch of Time — the one who had gathered and brought all the children. She hurried inside in a slightly comical manner, circling around the empty sofa before sitting down in front of the group.

“So~? How are you all doing~? Did you sleep well, Otõ-san?” Alpha asked, looking directly at Subaru with a gentle smile.

“I always sleep wonderfully thanks to my sweet and gentle Beako!” he said while stroking the Great Spirit’s head. Beatrice wore a tiny smile, trying to hide the fact that she actually enjoyed it. “But… I already told you that you don’t need to call me that, all right? It sounds really weird.”

“Hm? Sorry, but I refuse! You’re my father, and I love you more than sweets and mayonnaise, so I could never be improper!” Alpha rejected immediately, raising a hand like she was stopping him, still wearing a polite smile. “It would be like you not calling Beako-Nee-Chan-Sama ‘Beako,’ or not calling the half-elf girl ‘Emilia-tan.’ It would break my fragile heart.” Her tone was serious, though slightly playful.

“Hm. So that’s how it is… I get it, I get it. That would be too painful,” Subaru said, placing a hand on his chin and nodding repeatedly in agreement.

Otto let out a small laugh before trying to maintain a friendly smile as he began the serious conversation. “Alpha-sama, I also hope you all had a good night’s rest. Are the accommodations comfortable for everyone?”

“Of course they are. I’m the one who created the place where my half-brothers and sisters are staying,” Alpha replied, since she truly had created the housing herself. Everything was built within the area near the Mansion to stay close to the Camp.

It had been another surprising event.

That Witch of Time had created an entire sub-mansion so that all of them could stay there, since the Mathers Mansion simply couldn’t house that many children.

Otto even thought about how convenient and useful abilities like hers were!

“For a comedy story, having someone with abilities like mine to do something like that is really convenient for everyone, don’t you think?” Alpha said, looking directly at the readers through the narrative.

“Who is she even talking to, I suppose?” Beatrice wondered aloud, finding the whole situation strange. That girl really sounded odd every time she opened her mouth to say anything. “And Betty has already asked you not to call Betty by that strange nickname that only Betty’s contractor has ever used, I suppose!” she added in a more serious tone.

“But… I love you so much too, Beako-Nee-Chan-Sama… You were always my big sister…” Alpha’s eyes began to shimmer as she spoke. “And I was so happy to see a version of you again, just as cute as always, that… my heart couldn’t handle not calling you that again…” As she said this, she was on the verge of tears. “Please don’t take that away from me…” she begged, her voice heavy with sadness, wearing an expression like a child about to be attacked by a monster.

Beatrice saw the look in her eyes and was briefly shocked. She coughed into the palm of her left fist, swallowing dryly. “I-I-I suppose B-Betty c-can allow being r-r-referred to in that w-way… a-a-as long as you maintain r-respect, I suppose,” she permitted, her cheeks flushed pink.

“Too easy.” Alpha’s face curved into a catlike grin, looking like a tiny little monster.

“I’m suspicious of those words…” Otto muttered. Subaru, Ram, and he had all noticed the possible intentions behind Alpha’s phrasing.

The Witch of Time shifted into a more comfortable position on the sofa, crossing her legs.

With a snap of her fingers, several things instantly appeared on the table.

A stack of papers, already filled out.

“And as I promised, this time… I came to help with the things you requested.” Alpha made one of the papers float over to Otto. “These are the names of all my brothers and sisters I brought with me. They’re listed from the ones I consider the easiest to deal with to the most complicated. You’ll notice Elpis is the most troublesome. Be careful she doesn’t destroy your mansion—especially if she breaks the dungeon doors!”

She said it in a lightly amused tone.

Otto took the paper with a small smile, but his expression quickly shifted. “Are you telling me that little girl could destroy the dungeon doors?!” he asked incredulously.

“Even though Elpis seems like a weirdo, she is not weak. In fact… Graffias, Cassia, Menkar, and Nunki are the only ones who can confront her physically in terms of raw brute strength. Aside from them? She’s the strongest. Strong enough to easily overpower everyone in the Camp in a hand-to-hand fight using nothing but her physical strength.” The Witch of Time revealed this casually, waving her hand.

“A-are you that sure about her strength? She really didn’t seem like that… but also… I felt a bit uneasy seeing her for the first time,” Otto admitted.

Elpis — Elpis Natsuki, as she had introduced herself.

A little girl who, upon arriving and learning how they would be settled in the Mathers territory — whether they liked it or not — walked straight into the Mansion’s dungeon and claimed one of the rooms there as her bedroom.

Her reasons?

No one knew. She simply did it, and not one person questioned it after a single “suggestion” from the strange girl.

“She said father’s scent is stronger when she sleeps closer to where he sleeps…” Alpha chose not to reveal that, not wanting to scare her father, but she kept watch regardless.

Bending the Mathers Mansion’s reinforced doors was as easy for Elpis as it would be for Reinhard van Astrea if he felt like doing it. A true monster in terms of raw strength. The only ones close to matching her were Graffias, Cassia, Menkar, and Nunki — four of the strongest siblings physically.

But if each of them fought Elpis one-on-one? Who would Alpha bet on?

“That fucking freak…” Alpha muttered under her breath, with only Ram showing any interest in the comment.

“Well… now that we actually have all the names, things will be easier. Arf! I guess I’ll have to memorize all of them so I can talk to them, right?” Subaru said, drawing attention to himself.

“Yes, that would be nice. All of them would be happy — or at least most of them would be happy — if you knew their names, even if you gave them nicknames.” Alpha smiled brightly again, leaving her thoughts about Elpis behind. “Even if you’re not from our worlds, you’re still our father. I think my younger sisters especially would be happy.”

That seemed to lift Subaru’s spirits a bit.

Although Alpha could sense the nervousness radiating from him regarding everything.

“But these matters about Barusu’s lascivious nature and whether he will be man enough to take responsibility for these supposed children who appear to be his are not important right now. We did not come here to waste time with such a disposable conversation.” Ram abruptly cut off the topic of the children’s names, earning an almost irritated look from Alpha — though the Witch quickly masked it with a neutral expression. “Do you remember the arrangement you made with Master Roswaal-sama?”

“I remember, I remember.” Alpha waved her hand dismissively.

When the group had arrived in the Mathers domain, chaos had naturally ensued.

Several children claiming — and appearing — to be the possible sons and daughters of the Knight of the Royal Candidate of the Mathers Domain? Anyone with a shred of sense would be suspicious until seeing the power of the Witch of Time firsthand.

Alpha, apparently, had made a deal with Roswaal L. Mathers to allow them to use his lands for the mansion she had created with magic. A deal that seemed to plaster a wide smile on the Court Magician’s face. And although they didn’t know all the details that had delighted him, they knew a few things.

The four gathered — Subaru, Beatrice, Ram, and Otto — had been chosen by the Witch of Time herself.

But why had she chosen them?

“To give you information regarding the Witch Cult.” Alpha wore a small, confident smile at that moment.

“If you’ll allow me to ask… how can you expect us to believe you possess the information about the Witch Cult you claim to have?” Otto asked seriously but carefully, not wanting to irritate her while still expressing a bit of skepticism.

Subaru had a serious expression as well, as did Ram and Beatrice, all staring at Alpha.

The Witch Cult was a deeply delicate subject within the Camp.

Alpha only let out a small amused huff, showing no irritation at all. “There’s no problem in doubting me like that.” She didn’t seem offended in the slightest. Her legs swung lightly as she tapped the upper one. “I am the Witch of Time. My title isn’t decorative, nor metaphorical. I can see, travel to, create, and even erase parts of timelines. I gain important knowledge about things I consider important to me.” She explained in a tone of complete certainty.

“But that doesn’t mean we should trust your words completely.” Ram countered again, narrowing her eyes in suspicion.

“You’re not wrong,” Alpha reluctantly agreed. “But even if you don’t fully believe the information I’ll give, I’ll still deliver it as the compensation I promised. That was the deal I made with your master. And my contract forbids me from lying about the things I know — if I do, my soul will be burned and completely destroyed as if it were nothing!”

“WHY WOULD YOU AGREE TO A DEAL LIKE THAT?!” Subaru, Beatrice, and Otto shouted simultaneously.

“Why? Since you’d have no reason to trust me at first, I decided to take the risk. And it’d serve as good motivation for you to believe what I tell you, don’t you think?” Alpha said, now wearing a confident smile with her tongue sticking out a little in a cute, childish gesture.

“You realize you did something completely idiotic and dangerous?!” Subaru exclaimed.

“I did something you would do. And something I’m sure you’ve already done.” Alpha argued back.

“The worst part is that you’re right!” Answering in a comedic tone, he had no way to defend himself from the accusation made by the little Witch.

“Of all the things the daughter of Be–Be–Be–Be—Betty’s p–p–p–partner could have inherited, why did impulsiveness to make stupid decisions have to be one of them? It couldn’t have been something positive, I suppose.”

“The poor children were already unlucky enough to be related to such a predatory creature toward women, and on top of that, one of them had the misfortune of inheriting one of the worst flaws of this embarrassment of a father. Truly, all possible Barusus are so useless when it comes to passing down any decent qualities to their offspring.”

With Beatrice’s and Ram’s critical remarks, neither of them could help but look at Alpha with indignation at how naturally inclined she seemed to do something so impulsive.

“I consider it one of my best qualities.” Alpha said casually, as if it didn’t matter much. “If I didn’t have the courage to make decisions and just stuck to what others wanted from me… I could end up trapped somewhere for a long time, or end up falling in love with some weirdo.”

And just like their sharp words, Alpha responded in a defiant tone.

Beatrice seemed affected by what was implied, and Ram remained impassive.

Subaru even thought he saw a few sparks beginning to crack between Alpha and Ram right after the Time Witch’s comment, and as he exchanged glances with Otto, the air in the room seemed to grow heavy. “S–So…” The man in charge of internal affairs drew everyone’s attention to himself. “Alpha-sama… what information are you giving us this time regarding the Witch Cult?”

The atmosphere shifted when Alpha stopped staring at Ram.

Her expression turned serious.

“I’m going to give information regarding… the Sin Archbishops of Gluttony.” The moment she spoke those words, she knew exactly how her father would react.

Subaru’s face tightened in an expression that was both furious and stern. “Gluttony…?!” He looked ready to lose control, but held himself back. Beatrice comforted him.

Ram held herself back as well, though anyone who knew her—or could read the room—would realize she was also extremely irritated at the mention of Gluttony.

“Yes. Among the Archbishops, I know he must be the one you’re most interested in. Since he ate Rem’s name, and also Crusch Karsten’s memories.” Speaking directly and precisely, Alpha was firm and even seemed a little gentle for her father’s sake. “It would be both a favor I’d be doing for you, and one you’d be doing for the Crusch Karsten Camp. Strengthening your bonds if you crushed him and retrieved everything he’s stolen, wouldn’t that be right?” she argued.

“You’re giving us this information so we’ll have an advantage in our campaign?” Otto asked, curious.

“No. I’m doing this for Otō-san, who must want to get Rem back as soon as possible… and helping Otō-san’s Candidate would just be a bonus. I don’t like Otō-san being sad because of weird creatures like him and the other Archbishops.” Alpha placed a finger on her cheek. “Actually: Eliminating all the Sin Archbishops, in my opinion, would be the best option, because the number of threats to my Otō-san would decrease and he’d be safer. At least… those are my selfish reasons.”

Hearing her honest explanation, everyone felt that maybe her motives truly were sincere. Despite their suspicion, she didn’t seem like someone who would lie while speaking in such a sweet tone.

Subaru was even surprised by Alpha’s words, scratching his left cheek. “I–I mean… thanks… but don’t you think your motives are, I dunno, a little childish?” he asked, partly curious and partly nervous about the way Alpha expressed her motivations.

“Childish motives? Would it be childish to want the world to be safer for your father and his companions whom he cares for so much? Would it be childish to wish that the world’s most dangerous people were exterminated so that those I love and treasure could live pursuing their dreams without fear of suffering or dying at their hands? —— Parents think of doing such things for the children they love, just as there can be children who want to do the same for their parents.” Alpha said.

The poetic words of the Time Witch were a perfect rebuttal to prevent further argument.

“Eeehhh… I can’t even beat my daughter in a battle of words…? I’m so ashamed…” Subaru pretended to sulk, though he kept a small smile on his face, silently thanking his daughter.

The remark even drew smiles from the others, including a brief one on Ram’s face.

With a still-neutral expression, Ram stepped closer to the sofa, drawing attention with a fake cough. “And what information do you have on the Archbishop of Gluttony? I hope it’s actually worth hearing.” Her tone carried a hint of accusation.

“Alright, first of all… I’m going to correct a mistake I made earlier, because there isn’t only ONE Archbishop of Gluttony… but three!” Revealing this, she raised three fingers of her left hand — her thumb, index, and middle finger.

This generated the surprised reaction she expected from the three: “Hoy! What do you mean, three?!” Subaru exclaimed.

“Mhm. Surprising, I know.” Alpha didn’t seem affected by their reactions of disbelief—or at least as much disbelief as Ram could show, which was her eyes widening just slightly. “They were born as triplets, and as such, like most, they are connected. That includes their ability— their Authority. Sharing even the memories and names of the victims they hunt.” She revealed bluntly, wasting no time.

“Who are these three? And how does the Gluttony Archbishop’s ability work…? That Authority, as you said…” Otto asked, trying to keep the conversation focused — assuming the information was true.

“Their names…?” Alpha grew thoughtful, placing her hand on her chin. “Lye Batenkaitos, Roy Alphard, and Louis Arneb. Cetus, Hydra, and Lepus, respectively.” She revealed plainly, staring directly at Subaru, who seemed to have realized something.

“Batenkaitos, Alphard, and Arneb…?” Subaru also grew thoughtful.

“Cetus, Hydra… and Lepus? What is that supposed to mean, I suppose?” Beatrice asked, pronouncing the constellation names clearly thanks to Subaru’s previous teachings — as well as her own intelligence as a Great Spirit.

Alpha seemed to brighten a bit more. “They’re… constellation names. The constellations their own names were taken from.” She revealed.

And like a switch flipping, something clicked in Subaru’s mind.

He looked toward Alpha, who met his gaze and nodded slightly as if answering a question he hadn’t yet asked.

“Could it be… is something like this even possible as a coincidence…? Now that I think about it, even that guy’s name… Petelgeuse…” Subaru began to ramble.

“Hm? What is it, Subaru?” Betty called to her contractor. Ram and Otto also looked at him.

“It might sound like a huge coincidence… but the names of the Archbishops… they’re the names of stars from where I came from.” Subaru revealed openly, not hiding anything from the trio, who looked stunned. “Thinking about it… Petelgeuse, the name of the Archbishop of Sloth, is a star from the constellation Orion — specifically in the constellation’s arm… and his power was to create multiple Hands, Invisible Hands using his power.” Finally connecting the coincidence to the constellation, he turned back to Alpha. “Like you said… their names are tied to the Three Great Beasts?”

“The… Three Great Beasts?” Ram asked, curious like the others.

Subaru began counting on the fingers of his right hand. “Cetus… In the night sky where I come from, it’s the constellation represented as a Sea Monster, a Whale; Hydra… a huge venomous creature that spewed dangerous poison, a giant Snake or Serpent; and Lepus… it's a constellation shaped like a Rabbit or Hare. —— Whale, Serpent, and the Great Hare… Three Sin Archbishops, three names that link each one to a constellation, and each constellation tied to one of the Three Great Beasts known to the world. Is this some kind of cosmic joke?” After listing everything he needed to, his eyes remained fixed on Alpha.

As for the rest of the trio?

Beatrice was quite shocked by all that, as was Ram, though both reacted in a contained way compared to Otto: the merchant’s eyes were wide open in surprise and disbelief, and he kept moving his head back and forth, looking between Subaru and Alpha as if trying to confirm whether this was real or some elaborate trick.

But apparently, it wasn’t.

Everything Subaru had said was then confirmed by Alpha, who gave a firm nod: “And to answer your second question, Otto…” remembering the second part of his inquiry, she wore a confident smile on her face. “The power of the Gluttonies requires that they know the name of their victims in order to devour them. But before that, they must touch the victim with their left hand and lick the palm of that same hand to do it. For example, if it were me: they would need my full name, and then they’d be able to eat it, allowing them to devour either my [Name], which would make people forget I exist, or my [Memories], which would make me lose all my memories, or they could devour both and leave me completely empty—just like what happened to Rem.” Speaking openly about the power, she held nothing back.

“Hm? That’s it…? Then we’d just need to not give them our real names, right?” Subaru asked, thinking the weakness was obvious enough.

“Yes, that’s one of their weaknesses. Another is: A false name!” Alpha raised her right hand and held up two fingers—the middle and index—while lowering her left hand. “If you gave them a false name and they tried to [Eat] it, they would get a stomachache. They’d feel nauseous and leave their guard wide open to be attacked, because they would have tried to devour a name that doesn’t belong to that person.” Then she raised a third finger among the central three of her hand. “Also… if a person got married or was adopted, and a Gluttony tried to devour the name they used before that, the same thing would happen.” She then lifted her thumb. “Another thing… the name they have to devour is the one the person was born with. So if someone uses or presents themselves with a name that isn’t their birth name, it counts as false or incorrect since it’s not the one they were given on the day they were born.”

Plainly, without holding back, and without any hint of joking, the white-haired girl listed every weakness she knew regarding Gluttony’s power.

All the information flowed straight to each of them.

And all of that at once started to give Subaru a slight headache, while the others seemed able to absorb it more easily. Especially Otto, who needed the information to be useful.

“You told us the weaknesses… but what about their strengths?” Otto asked.

“Their power is pretty simple: They eat memories, gain them, and can use the skills of the people they devour. Basically, they can acquire the abilities of their victims—most commonly, combat skills from the ones they consume.”

“So if they ate the name of a skilled fighter?”

“They’d be able to use that fighter’s abilities. Along with their own strength and their own powers.”

Alpha explained one last time after Otto’s final question regarding the Gluttony Archbishops.

The room went silent for a while.

Apparently, they were trying to process the information they had just received from the Witch of Time, and so none of the three asked anything more on the subject.

“Is there… anything else we need to know?” Otto asked.

“Hm. About their abilities… Not much else for now, I think. I can explain more later. I’ve already given you the basic essentials to understand their power.” Alpha said in a completely casual tone—neither serious nor light-hearted—speaking neutrally. “Any questions you have… go ahead and ask, and I’ll answer them without hesitation. But until then, you should first confirm whether my information is true or not, right?” she teased, now in a playful tone.

Subaru waved his hand dismissively. “Nnah. As much as I’d like to doubt it, I don’t feel like Alpha-Chan would lie about something like this.” He sighed, his expression relaxing. “Honestly, I feel like I can trust you.”

“It’s good to seem trustworthy to you, Otõ-San!” Alpha was genuinely pleased to hear those words from her father, even if he wasn’t the direct version of her father from her own universe.

“Now… if you could give me more information about your brothers and sisters, I—”

“Sorry, Otõ-San, but: No!” Alpha immediately cut him off. “In my negotiations with that Weird Clown, I promised I would hand over information about the Cult, and I can give you some information about the worlds me and the others came from, but that part is for you only. I’m not giving any of that to anyone except you. Not even to Beako-Nee-Chan-Sama, not to the failed merchant, and not to the walking case of Stockholm Syndrome over there.” Speaking in a way that left no room for negotiation, Alpha wore a serious expression.

Subaru looked at her with a bit of sadness and exhaustion, Beatrice appearing somewhat indifferent.

Otto was clearly offended, and Ram even more so.

But this wasn’t something simple—not to the Witch of Time.

Alpha had very strong reasons for that, beyond mere narrative convenience. After all, despite her ability to handle the problem concerning the PERSON—better said, the BEING—that would torment the world if she openly revealed everything she knew.

The Witch of Time sighed. “But that kind of talk… is a conversation for another moment. For now, this was the discussion we had for today. Today was about Gluttony.” She spoke in a tone that clearly signaled the end of the topic.

“And we’ll only get more information at another time, correct?” Otto asked.

“Yeah, unfortunately for you all. I’m not going to reveal everything at once. Besides, you still need to try and confirm the information I’ve already given you somehow. And I’ll give you more details about the Gluttonies every time you ask me — especially once you decide to hunt them.” Alpha confirmed, openly telling them to ask whatever they wanted.

“Hmm. I just hope you’ll actually be kind and help us when we ask, young lady.”

“Don’t look at me like that, Otõ-San…” Alpha formed a comically sad expression when she received his disapproving, expectant look. “Well… since we’re done here, I’ll be going. I have some things to take care of, and I assume you do too~?”

“Yes, yes. —— Natsuki-San, you and Beatrice-Sama can go with her if you like.”

With Otto’s permission, the three of them — Alpha, Subaru, and Beatrice — left together.

Otto let out a heavy sigh, placing a hand against his head.

“This is… so complicated… I just want to go back to being a simple merchant…”

“You’d like to go back to being a failed merchant drowning in debt? How sad to think someone would willingly choose such a harsh life just for being too lazy to help others. But I already knew a failed merchant would be lazy.”

“I’m not lazy! I work a lot, you know?!”

“Hmpf! Nothing more than what is required of your position and what you receive in return.”

“Urgh! So cruel…”

The exchange between the merchant and the oni maid was a bit sharp, but there was no real malice in Ram’s words — at least not in most of them.

“Do you think… we can really trust information like that?—— I mean, with so many strange things, the self-proclaimed Witch of Time, and the appearance of so many children claiming to be Natsuki-San’s, even though they say they aren’t… from this timeline (?)…—— Why do things feel so strange and more complicated whenever Natsuki-San is around?”

“Barusu really… can be a headache for everyone around him.”

“—— But I think he’s going through the same thing, or worse…”

None of them truly blamed Subaru for any of this, since he looked just as confused and worried as they were regarding the children that appeared. It really felt like strange things happened around Subaru as time went on. In truth, they were mostly venting, trying to release some frustration, since they couldn’t direct it at Subaru himself.

Partly out of respect and affection they had for him — even though Ram would never admit it out loud, or even internally — and partly because of the sense of danger they felt when speaking that way near Subaru’s children… especially the Witch of Time.

Ram looked down at her hands — clenched. She had squeezed them with surprising strength. Maybe it was instinct, but it felt like every time she insulted Subaru or called him Barusu, each child was just moments away from attacking and killing her. Especially the one who had taken her place in the mansion’s dungeon-cell, and the one who was a Knight, and especially the Witch of Time — in that case, she felt as if she had been killed and rewound to that point in time without her memories. Specific? Yes. But that’s what it felt like.

“Barusu really… manages to complicate things far too much.” Ram said tiredly as she rubbed her temples.

How troublesome could those children be?

And as if answering her question, they felt a tremor and an explosion. Looking out the window, they could see more of the garden becoming the stage for some kind of battle.

—————

This chapter serves more as an example of how the named chapters for the kids can be, dealing with more serious matters.

It also shows what happens behind the scenes in the Mansion: Alpha working to keep everything standing and allowing her siblings to have fun, while she negotiates with people — especially Roswaal — to let them remain there.

The children are in a smaller mansion created by Alpha using her own power.

For those who didn’t understand:

Elpis is in the dungeons of the Mathers Mansion, in a cell next to Meili (modified and rebuilt by Alpha). All because she wants to stay close to Subaru, but doesn’t want to fight Alpha — who threatened her if she tried to sleep in their father’s room.

What did you think?                                                                                                           

I’ll try to bring lighter and funnier chapters next time, even from the point of view of the Camp members and Emilia herself, especially involving competition between the children.

Chapter Text

Emilia didn’t have any real deep understanding about how children were conceived.

Until recently, due to her isolated upbringing and lack of deeper outside knowledge, she didn’t know how children were actually made. She had imagined that children were born from a kiss between a man and a girl on the lips. That was what Annerose had told her, also believing that this was how children were created between two people.

A kiss and then: POOF!, a child would start growing inside the woman who had been kissed.

It genuinely made sense in Emilia’s opinion as a girl who grew up not knowing how children were born. In her innocent mind, it made sense — especially since she had no one to tell her otherwise.

Learning that this wasn’t how it worked surprised her.

Even now, she didn’t actually know how it really happened, since no one had ever told her.

In this world’s reality, she didn’t fully understand everything, because the world was much vaster than she had imagined in the past.

Living isolated, growing isolated, being isolated.

Not knowing about the world did make sense for the silver-haired half-elf girl.

“Mommy! Mommy!” A small figure called out for her attention. “Look! Look, this time, this time I…!”

The little girl turned her body sideways and swiftly performed a spinning motion. She placed her hands on the ground, supported her weight, spun, and lifted her legs up for a few moments before spinning back down and landing on her feet again. She twirled and flashed a bright, lively smile toward Emilia. “I did it this time! Wasn’t it cool?”

“It was really good!” Emilia clapped lightly to praise the girl. A gentle smile on the older girl’s face for the small child in front of her.

Standing before her was a little girl walking with her along the road toward a special place near Arlam Village — a very special place.

A little girl with silver hair and eyes just like Subaru’s, named Chochorina.

Apparently, her biological daughter.

Emilia didn’t really understand a lot of things. Especially what Subaru, Alpha, and the others had explained about: timelines and the multiverse.

What did she understand?

That the little girl was her daughter — her heart accepting it in a way that felt very strange for someone who didn’t understand many things, especially things involving feelings. She didn’t even understand what love was yet. That was why accepting Chochorina as her daughter, also Subaru’s daughter, felt a bit strange.

But she was such a cute and adorable little girl from her point of view!

And her name was amazing!

Chochorina, the small girl, was someone Emilia found fun, lively, and energetic.

And she was now showing one of the skills she’d been practicing.

Doing “cartwheels,” as she called them, to show her agility in a playful way.

Among Subaru’s sons and daughters — the ones who had come to them — Chochorina was the one who most liked to stay close to her, and the feeling was mutual.

Because Emilia felt more comfortable approaching the other children. Not that she disliked them or anything like that. But what set Chochorina apart from the rest was a feeling of greater affinity — the adorable, bouncing little girl was the one Emilia guiltily liked the most.

That was why they were out together during this moment of relaxation between her study days.

Emilia even thought about inviting Subaru, but he was also busy with the other children.

So many children to take care of must be very stressful.

If she were asked which child she found the strangest?

The little girl named Elpis. Her gaze… reminded her of someone that made her heart feel fury. As well as a feeling she vaguely understood: fear. Fear of something, fear that made her hands tremble, fear in a way that made her not want to face her if she could avoid it — because she didn’t want to confront one of her Knight’s children if she could help it.

“What did you think, huh, Tay-nee-san?” Chochorina asked another figure accompanying them.

Besides Emilia and Chochorina, there were others walking with them.

“I saw it, Chochorina-nee-san. It was… very good.”

A half-elf as well, but with greenish hair, named Taygete. She spoke in a formal yet gentle tone, with a noble, composed demeanor — truly fitting for her poised and centered personality. She wore clothes that also displayed her origins, with the peculiarity that she was walking barefoot.

“If you practice just a little more, you’ll be able to do several in a row. You could even use it in combat if necessary.”

“Eh?! But I don’t want to use it in combat! I don’t see any reason for that!” the younger girl said in a startled, reluctant tone.

“I am simply saying it could be useful. Saying that something may be useful for a situation doesn’t necessarily mean you must or will participate in such a situation. —— My father and my mother told me that. It is better to be prepared for what might happen than to leave everything to chance. That’s why he and my mother made me study and train so I could be adequately prepared for any event that might require it. Not that I disliked it — I actually have an appreciation for training and literature.”

“Tay-nee-san… you’re boring.”

Speaking in a blunt way that left no room for doubt about her opinion, the little girl found that explanation very boring to listen to. “I don’t really like the studies Daddy makes me do. He and the others ask too much.”

“I know… sometimes studying can be really boring.” Emilia had to agree with her little daughter.

Emilia didn’t hate studying, but she also found it boring.

Especially when she had to spend hours on a subject she could leave for later, wanting instead to move on with her life and have fun with the others. In that case, she tended toward: do what she must do, not what she likes.

Taygete, meanwhile, showed a small, slightly embarrassed smile. It wasn’t exactly strange for her to hear that —

Even her parents liked when she relaxed her studies sometimes.

“Leo-aniki also showed a tendency toward that,” Taygete added. She and Leo had already talked about literature regarding what she had studied and tried to practice. “Anyway. I just meant that… you should practice more. You can have fun doing it.”

The barefoot girl said to her younger half-sister.

“Yeah, I’ll practice until I become a professional!” Chochorina declared while trying another cartwheel — with a bit more difficulty, but still able to perform it. “Did you think that one was good too, Mommy?”

“I thought it was veeeery good, Chochorina!” Emilia answered again, with a gentle smile and a lively tone while they continued walking together.

Being called “Mommy” felt a little strange.

But not uncomfortable.

Alpha had explained to her that Chochorina was a smart girl, but not very wise.

What did that mean?

It meant she was skilled at solving problems with straightforward, pre-made solutions. For example: 1+1=2. Obvious.

But she wasn’t talented at discerning specific situations that required deeper wisdom or knowledge.

In this case: she would not fully understand that this Emilia was someone who could be her mother in another timeline — in other words, she couldn’t tell the difference.

In other words:

For Chochorina, Emilia is Emilia and her mother regardless of the time or place.

Not that Emilia doubted it.

If Emilia is Emilia, and Chochorina didn’t see any difference between the Emilia of now and the Emilia of the future, then her existence was the same — so she could be her Emilia, and Chochorina could be hers. At least, that’s what the half-elf had understood.

Which actually earned her a comment from Alpha — an insult:

“Dumb as fuck… but not completely wrong.”

A harsh insult that Alpha used to judge her way of thinking, but she didn’t outright deny whether Emilia was right or wrong about the matter.

“Why does she insult me so much when I never did anything to hurt her…?” Emilia wondered, thinking about the Witch of Time as well as some of the other children.

Even if she didn’t actually understand many of those things, she could partially grasp the look in some of their eyes.

Helena, with her scarlet eyes, seemed to look at her critically.

And then there was young Denebola, who had started serving as a maid in the Mansion since the day she arrived, and who looked at her with an expression that held a slight doubt. It didn’t seem like anger or hatred, but rather… hesitation? Yet they could still talk and get along well. She even did an excellent job working alongside Frederica and Petra.

Walking along a special path, the three of them arrived at a distinct place.

In the past, Emilia had her first meeting with Subaru atop that very hill — watching the beautiful flowers that bloomed there in such a lovely way. It had been a truly wonderful moment for a girl who had never had a date in her whole life!

It would be a perfect place for a nice picnic.

A chance to enjoy the day, enjoy some free time. And maybe even get to know little Chochorina a bit more than she already had.

What did she know about the girl so far?

One of the things she liked was playing, eating sweets, drawing — even cooking!

Chochorina had declared that she, Emilia, always ate her birthday cake whenever her daughter made one for her! And she would eat it all and praise her afterward!

Emilia felt a sense of pride imagining that her daughter had such a talent for cooking when she herself had none — she even thought she’d like to taste such food someday.

She also wanted to get to know the other half-elf children, like:

Taygete, who had accompanied them to that place,

Aconita, who was still very young and at the same time isolated from her and the others,

and Adhara, who… had an appearance similar to her own, though she’d been told she wasn’t her daughter. A very polite and gentle girl, although still not approaching Emilia as much as she wished — she wanted to get to know someone who looked almost identical to her when she was a small child.

And another one Emilia wanted to meet was…

Whoosh!

All three of their eyes widened slightly.

In that flower field was a figure running. Her legs lifted quickly, moving across the field in an elegant way — despite lacking a bit of technique.

She avoided stepping on the flowers she didn’t want to crush, landing only in the spaces between them.

As she moved her sword, it produced a resonant sound with the swift motion of the blade — Whoosh! — the blade weaving between the flowers on the ground, though cutting off a few petals with its movement. Through the petals that began to fall, the blade moved, dodging each one with a fast yet precise motion.

Every movement coordinated. Every movement exact.

Not only did the blade shine under the sunlight, but the outfit she wore also shimmered softly. An elegant white that glowed in the sun. Her knight’s attire, like her sword, gleamed — and the shine truly displayed the elegance and beauty of the nobility behind those movements, as well as the skill of that figure.

Her dark hair also shone. And her amethyst eyes.

When her movements finally ended, she spun her sword in one hand — quickly — and sheathed it. Returning it to its rightful place, as someone returning home after fulfilling their tasked duty. She did it like a true Knight would, which was why she dressed as one, why she carried a sword like that — a sword that would be given to someone holding such a position.

Walking toward the three who were at the top of the hill, she stopped halfway up the slope.

Her amethyst gaze crossed with the amethyst gaze of the oldest of the four present.

“Good morning… Electra-Ch— Electra, I see that… you were training again…” Emilia spoke to the figure.

“——” That half-elf with dark hair and amethyst eyes — this was Electra. A girl who also, as far as Emilia had been told, was her daughter just as much as Chochorina was, in terms of blood. Though Alpha had told her that Electra did not, in fact, look upon her fondly. “Emilia-sama, yes. I was in my training. —— Taygete-sama, Chochorina-sama. —— I see you came together for… a picnic.”

She spoke in an extremely formal and perfectly polite tone, shaped flawlessly by whatever training she’d had. Though there was a faint venom when she referred to Emilia using titles that emphasized their difference in position.

“Yes, my sister. / Yeah, Electra-nee-san, we came for a picnic!” Taygete and Chochorina responded, respectively. Taygete with respectable composure, Chochorina with energetic cheer.

Electra merely gave a slight nod. In a uniquely knightly and disciplined manner.

“You don’t have to use honorifics when speaking to me… or to any of us, really.” Taygete stepped forward, addressing Electra directly. “We’re sisters, aren’t we?”

“Yeah, yeah! Electra-nee-san, you don’t need to be so formal! Just talk however you want!”

Chochorina cheerfully backed up the green-haired half-elf.

“Even as sisters, our roles still hold differences. As a Knight… I can’t simply ignore those and act as I please… much as I wish I could.”

Electra spoke in her usual stiff tone, though she sent a restrained but undeniably icy glance toward the silver-haired Candidate.

Emilia flinched ever so slightly under the weight of that look.

Taygete sighed, and Chochorina only tilted her head, not fully understanding.

Electra let out another quiet sigh and glanced away, her expression hard.

“Now then, if you will excuse me. I’ll take my leave—”

“H-Hum—Electra-ch… Electra.”

Emilia stopped her just as she began to walk off. Electra paused, not bothering to face her, yet her gaze somehow grew even colder despite not being directed at Emilia’s face.

“Would you… like to come with us? To stay and… eat together?” she invited hesitantly.

“Come on, Electra-nee-san! It’ll be sooo much fun!” Chochorina echoed, her smile brightening at the thought of another sister joining their little family moment. “We even brought sweets!” she added, dangling the temptation.

“Join us, Electra-nee-san. We would be more than happy to have you.” Taygete extended the invitation as well.

If Electra stayed, it would make four with elven blood — out of the six currently living in the Mathers domain.

But the Knight only cast a passive glance at the younger girls… followed by a clearly hostile one toward the tallest among them.

Emilia didn’t move, even as the obvious aggression shimmered in Electra’s amethyst eyes.

Electra finally closed her eyes, resigned.

“I decline… but thank you for the invitation. I truly do appreciate it. Perhaps another time. For now, I’ll return home and rest after my training.”

Without another word, she walked away with calm, steady steps.

“Please enjoy yourselves. And take care — should any danger or obstacle arise.”

“It’d be so nice to have a Knight with us…”

Chochorina tried one last time, only to watch Electra disappear down the same path they had used earlier.

Her cheeks puffed up in frustration. “Phuuo…”

It was a strange, sad little sound. She didn’t like being ignored, nor seeing her sister walk away again.

“Why does she have to be such a grump?” she complained, arms crossed.

“I… would very much like to know that myself.” Emilia agreed softly.

She simply couldn’t understand Electra.

No matter how much she wished she could.

Electra didn’t like standing near her.

Electra didn’t like looking at her.

Electra didn’t even seem to like being in the same space as her.

And that hurt — in a quiet, confusing way.

A pain she couldn’t fully grasp, though it was different from the warmth and closeness she felt with her other daughter, Chochorina.

At the very least, Emilia had learned not to call her “Electra-chan” or “Electra-san.” Using only her name was enough to get a minimal response… even if Electra’s voice still dripped with poison.

Everything with that daughter was complicated.

A daughter who seemed the complete opposite of the one who had remained by her side today.

How could she get Electra to open up?

How could she mend a relationship that had started in such a terrible way?

What had she — or the other her, the Emilia from Electra’s world — done to make her daughter dislike her so deeply?

“Hm. A shame,” Taygete finally said, breaking the heavy silence left behind by Electra’s cold departure. “Let us enjoy our time together, as we planned. We can worry about her afterward. Perhaps rest will give her the time she needs to think — and time to think is better than none at all.”

Confident in her words, Taygete walked toward the tree atop the hill and began preparing the spot for their picnic.

Emilia couldn’t help but agree.

She needed to set her worries aside for now — to focus on the little event she had invited them to.

To speak with them, learn who they were, hear about their lives… and imagine the future they might build.

Her curiosity bubbled up again — about her new Knight, about the children, about everything she didn’t know yet.

Even with doubts lingering in her chest, Emilia decided to enjoy the moment with Chochorina and Taygete.

On that hill, the three shared their picnic and talked.

They savored the breeze, the flowers whose fragrance drifted past their cheeks, and the delicious food prepared just for a moment like this.

None of them noticed the figure lying hidden on one of the tree branches above.

“Her technique wasn’t bad at all.”

The red-haired boy murmured, having watched Electra’s earlier display of skill.

None of the three girls would ever notice his presence — finding him would be difficult, after all.

But that’s simply the kind of boy he was.

—————

I've decided something: Chapters featuring members of Emilia's Camp, or other Camps like "Emilia I or II," will focus on the members individually meeting the children and spending time with them. Chapters named after the children will be for the more serious and important moments in the story.

What do you think of this?