>>6211992Her mother's cooking, while nothing extravagant, tastes as delicious as always. The conversation is light, Hyoizaburoo asking you about your progress on creating the crystal torches for adventurers. You fill him in on your progress, how all you have left to figure out is to increase the longevity beyond a few days. Last thing people need while exploring a dark dungeon is for their primary light source to go out. Kazuburo brags about him learning Polymerization and De-Fusion spells from your apprentice, while Meloka Wolbach tells them about her time in school. You seeing the nostalgic looks on the older Crimson Demons' faces as they no doubt remember back to their own school days. And once the meal and conversation is over you all say your goodbyes, the kids carefully hugging their grandparents farewell. Then all of you leave and go home, readying yourselves for bed. Using one of her newly-acquired spells, Meloka Wolbach uses her Prestidigitation to clean her teeth instead of brushing them, then doing the same for her brother as well before showing off the results to you both.
“Well well, look at that. Well done kiddo.” you say to your eldest, ruffling her hair. She beams at your praise, you and your wife taking your kids to their rooms and tucking them in. “Goodnight, Meloka Wolbach.”
“Goodnight, Daddy.” she says, you kissing her on the forehead then pulling her blanket up to her chin. Reaching down, touching the crystals of her room you dim the light, barely enough to see the outlines of her room. Leaving that room behind you enter Kazuburo's room, doing the same for him. Tucking him in and kissing him goodnight, you then head back up into your workshop. Where, after a few minutes, your wife comes up as well. Having dressed down into her own pajamas, she walks up to you at your workbench, sitting in your lap facing you.
“Alright, let's talk.” she says, eyes meeting your own as she places her palms on the bench behind her. So, what happened? What was so important your father decided to come all the way out here and tell you face-to-face?”
“Haaah, where to start?” you wonder aloud, then start from the beginning. Quickly telling her everything that happened, retreading everything he's told you that you'd told her, ending with what you'd discussed in this very room.
“Three of them? That's not good, what are we going to do?” she asks, voice worried. But as you see the uncertainty in her eyes you lean forward, kissing her and stopping her mind from going down that 'what-if?' spiral. Pulling back with a smile, you still see the uncertainty in her eyes, but she waits to see what you'll say next.
“It's okay. If that Tuffle bastard sends them our way, I'll protect us.” you tell her, feeling your smile fade as you lift your right hand, looking back at it. “Even if my father can't, I will keep us safe.”
