Translator/Editor : Léabyss
The season of snow and frost has come to an end and the season of feeling the breath of new life has finally begun.
The children have grown a lot and it is clear that Richt is particularly motivated by this new date because his changing joints stopped hurting.
I wanted to enjoy this with him and my Hikaru, so I decided to take a break and go camping.
In addition to our family, the invited members are Theo and little Grants. Hector, who has a job with a national kingdom from another country, shed a lot of tears because he couldn’t join us and as for why Grants is coming alone, it’s because Mintz is expecting the child from Parish this time. Immediately after learning of the pregnancy, they both became fully involved with Mintz and the child in his womb, and yet when we asked them if they wanted to come, Grants got so excited that he started wagging his tail. Mintz and his partners were reluctant because they didn’t want to be a bother … But he’s always a good playmate for Richt and I wanted my baby to have fun.
We had breakfast with Grants, who stayed at our place last night. Recently, my spouses’ requests have turned into plain pancakes. Douglas puts lots of butter and cream on it and adds fresh fruit and jams depending on his mood for the day. Both Richt and Grants are small in size, they eat their breakfast with their mouths, face down on all fours, and lie on the ground so they can bite. They are very cute when their faces are full of cream. Gale eats it with a very happy expression because he empties a whole bottle of honey and some strawberries. I’m very happy that I cooked the crepes that time because I got to know this stage of theirs!
I am happy holding my baby Hikaru. I tend to serve small side dishes of cooked vegetables and fruits with soft rice so that the texture remains to some degree … He is already starting to eat. The gesture of trying to grab the food with his little hand is different from what Richt does, so my heart inevitably warms up.
After finishing the meal and getting ready to leave, we called Alex-san and Theo-san. We will go to a place between the river and the forest, approximately 3 to 4 hours from the capital city. Douglas and Gale used to play there when they were little, and it seems to be a good place to camp.
Douglas takes his Arvis Rex (the horse) and takes me and Hikaru. Gale takes Richt on Noah … My son (Ritch) sits perfectly upright in front of Gale without being held back, like me and my little baby (Hikaru). I was a bit surprised by this, but it also made me quite proud. On a very large Arvis called Sieg, there was Theo, Alex and the little Grants. The brothers go very dignifiedly, but Grants moves so much that he has to be hugged by Alex the whole way.
We were then able to reach the destination safely without any problem, although we had several stops to rest. It was without a doubt the best place to come camping! The river is very clear and as soon as we reached the shore, we realized that there were many fish. Richt and Grants rush to run to dive … though Gale and Alex were chasing them almost immediately. Beyond the stream and the adjacent flat land, a deep and vast forest shows its beautiful appearance. There are many edible flowers, fruits and mushrooms in the forest and finding them one by one seems to be another kind of pleasure.
I have set up tents in the company of Theo-sama, so that we can all enjoy the beauty of nature in peace. When finished, he just came up to me and said:
“Chika, do you want me to take care of Hikaru?”
“But it’s a great opportunity for you. Why don’t you go run with the others?”
“No, I want to be with Hikaru …”
Theo’s eyes looking at Hikaru show various emotions. It’s a very cute thing … Like when Douglas and Gale see me. I decide to talk to Theo while I give him Hikaru.
“Theo, as a father, I want Hikaru to be happy. Do you want the same?”
“Of course, I can say that I’ve already had my first love … But that didn’t come true. Compared to that time, now I feel something completely different. My instinct tells me all the time, whenever I see him. My job is to make Hikaru happy.”
“Is that so …?”
“Hell … I’m really sorry. No, you can forget what I just said and … Forget everything please, and let’s continue as before.”
“No, I understood Theo’s feelings perfectly. You have to be sure that I am your friend and that, as a friend, I want to see you well and happy.”
“Thank you, Chika … I promise I won’t misbehave! I’d like to keep watching Hikaru until he grows up … Just that.”
So this is inevitable.
However, my Hikaru is human and will have to do a magic exchange with him for us to be truly safe. On top of that, there’s the fact that he has two parents … one more jealous than the other.
“I have decided. I’m going to support Theo with all my might. If my baby loves you when he grows up and you decide to have a life together, I’m not going to object. It’s okay?”
“Chika-san … Thank you, I say it from the bottom of my heart. For your thoughts, for your open mind, and for giving birth to Hikaru.”
Theo bowed to me.
Douglas came to me desperately and took our baby out of his hands. Rather, he snatched it.
“What? What are you doing? Why does he have Hikaru? Gale!”
“Oh no, no … We were talking about the river. I asked him if I could take the baby to shore. And he … thanked me for the invitation and said yes.”
I hit Theo-sama in the rib to make him leave this place before it ended in a tragedy.
“Ah, well … I don’t like playing in the water, so I’m going to run in the woods for a while.”
“Can I be with you?”
“Oh, of course you can. It’s okay?”
“I like being on my partner’s back … And maybe we can find a lot of fresh mushrooms and ingredients growing there. I’d be happy if we could get anything that could be used for dinner.”
“I’m happy you like my back, but I can’t really trust getting a mushroom or ingredient … Or that you won’t fall.”
Laughing, Douglas turns into a beast and puts me on top of him. Talk to Gale, who is playing in the water, and then we go to the forest together.
I walked into the forest with Douglas while desperately clinging to his back … But gradually I got used to it and the refreshing sensation of running with the wind and the constantly changing surroundings was more than fascinating.
“Chika, are you okay?”
“Yes, it was very nice. The landscape is very beautiful and … So I understand that the more I spend with Douglas and Gale, the more I like this world.”
“Do you like this world …?”
“Very much. Look! Many mushrooms grow there! Do you know which ones are edible? Can you tell me how to distinguish?”
“Oh, of course.”
The mushrooms we harvested are big and right on the other side, there are a lot of barbecue veggies and herbs that I planned to cook. Douglas seemed to be thinking of something strange, although maybe he was just confused by the ingredients we had taken.
“Is something wrong, Douglas?”
“No, no, but it would be better to come back soon. If I just monopolize Chika all day, Gale is going to get mad.”
“Yes, I don’t want to leave the children that long either. Are we going?”
Just like when I arrived, I climbed on Douglas’s back to go around the forest and return to our original place, where the children played happily while pulling fish out of the water with their mouths. On top of that, Gale, who turned into a beast, dips his leg into the water from time to time and takes out fish to make them bounce around the corner.
Richt, who saw me coming, rushes up to me and yells:
“Mommy mommy! Fishes. Daddy has fish!”
Richt climbs to my knees, his little eyes gleaming as he wags his tail from side to side. Gale is certainly fishing nonstop.
“Chika, welcome back. Come with Richt so we can try to catch fish together!”
Gale’s voice can be heard from a bit far away.
“Mommy! Catch! Catch!”
“Run then, darling.”
When Richt shakes his soaked body and drops a few drops on me, he licks my face in goodbye and heads back to Gale.
The figure of Richt trying to imitate Gale to catch fish is certainly very charming. Although the race and physique are different, I think it is possible that my child can do it soon, just like him. Douglas goes into the river too, although he only went to inspect that no one got hurt. Nearby, Grants, who managed to catch one, brought the fish to Alex who was looking at it with great pride while clapping for having caught it almost immediately.
“Alex, for you …”
“Thanks a lot. Do you think you can get one more?”
Grants then nods his little head over and over again.
“Grants, I’m very happy to see that you’re already a big boy.”
And, after happily wagging his tail and receiving one more touch, he turns and runs back to the river. They all seem to enjoy the water a lot! Except of course, for Theo and the baby.
“How are your arms? Don’t you feel that they hurt after you have carried him all the time?”
“No, actually he weighs almost nothing.”
“He’s very small … But recently he started saying a few words. You want to hear?”
I bring my face in front of Hikaru and point at his little nose with my index finger. Hikaru noticed and immediately grabbed my hand while saying:
“Mom.”
It was a small voice, it was barely understood … But the word was there and I was really happy to see him grow. It wasn’t like Richt, but it was slight changes that filled me with great pride.
“I’d love for you to start calling me by my name if possible, but I guess it’s just about being patient.”
Theo-sama’s expression is chaos. It looks like it could melt onto the grass at any moment.
I smiled, and devoted myself to silently looking at my son, my husbands, and my precious people. Life in my original land was really very satisfying. I had a stable, well-paying job, a small house, friends, and a happy, everyday life. However, I would have always lived the same. Working all the time, without descendants and without starting a family. What I have now is a vision of a joyful home that I have dreamed of since I was a child … Something beautiful, something I don’t know if I really deserve it. I can feel my eyes start to burn, but crying in such a place would spoil the fun atmosphere … Looking up to try to swallow my tears, I can hear Richt running towards me once more. He then offers me a fish, in the same way that Grants offered it to Alex.
“Is it for me? How did you know I wanted that?”
I take the fish and hug my cute Richt too. His black hair remains wet, but that doesn’t matter to me at all.
“Mommy … I want to go down.”
“Oh I’m sorry. It’s just that I’m very happy for your gift. It’s the best you’ve given me lately!”
When I say that and put him on the ground, Richt happily turns a couple of laps while swinging his tail here and there.
“Chika, you’d better go change your clothes.”
“Yes, I also want to start preparing dinner. Or are you not hungry?”
“For Chika’s food I’m always hungry.”
✤✤✤✤✤✤
When someone talks about a camp, I can only think of curries and more curries. Honestly, the curry has a strange color and I am concerned that it will not be accepted by these people. But I don’t care what it is, I want to eat it and no one will stop me! Luckily the other day at home I was finally able to cook something very close to the long awaited curry powder, so now it shouldn’t be that complicated. I cut the ingredients into thin slices, the onions, the potatoes, the carrots – although, of course not all -, the meat and the mushrooms that I picked with Douglas. I don’t think it has any mushrooms to match the curry, but I can experiment a bit.
The recipe is: A light and ordinary curry with lightly sautéed ingredients, fresh seasonings, water and a simmer.
“It is a dish with a strong aroma … But I promise you the taste is fine.”
Alex, who was helping, frowns as he carefully looks at the curry being cooked.
“It looks very ugly.”
“For those who are seeing it for the first time, this is certainly an ugly color. But you will be fascinated! You have to believe in my abilities at least a little.”
I told Alex to cook the rice and in the meantime, I decided to make another dish. Simpler, perhaps. I cut the bread to make ham sandwiches, with fish and also, some sandwiches stuffed with curry. My partner and Theo have no choice but to prepare a barbecue and also, skewers of grilled fish with vegetables.
And suddenly…
“Young husband!”
As soon as I raised my voice, a familiar face appeared in front of me. The appearance of Sebastian and Johann is really stimulating to my heart.
“They did make it here after all!”
“Of course. Because our job is to protect Chikayuki and the children.”
“Thank you for that … But now we are all very well. We’re going to start dinner, so would you like us all to eat together?”
“You can do it, I’ll be back overseeing that everything works well.”
“No, that’s not the point of this trip! You are part of the family too, Johann. My children love you.”
“But…”
I grab Johann’s hand and take him by force with everyone else.
“Chika, what happened? How come you suddenly found Johann in the forest?”
“Well, he does a tough job all the time so I want him to eat a delicious meal at least once.”
“I’m so sorry Johann, surely my father called you. I’ve told him many times not to bother you, but he keeps insisting …”
“No, Douglas, I am proud to be a part of this important mission.”
“Oh, then let’s all have fun together. It’s okay if you stop hiding your face like that, it’s not necessary here.”
“But…”
After all, Johann still seems to care about his strong appearance. I think it is definitely a blank and strong face, but not bad. Is it some kind of childhood trauma or something like that?
“What Gale was trying to say is that no one gives a shit what you look like. Except for Chika and the kids, everyone here is horrible.”
Douglas walks over and forcibly removes the cloth covering Johann’s face … Grants and Richt, who noticed this, ran toward us almost immediately. Our guard had been hiding his face for a long time and the children were curious to see him for the first time. So now we have some little beasts staring at Johann’s face.
“Yoan …”
“That’s right, it’s Johann.”
“Do we fish?”
“Yes! Fishing with Yoan!”
Johann seemed very surprised by the reaction of the two.
“Aren’t you afraid of me being like this?”
No one answers, because they don’t know what he means.
“Don’t worry Johann … It was true when I told you that they appreciate you and love you a lot.”
“Thank you … Can you both get along with me?”
“With Yoan?”
“And me! And I also!!”
Johann, who gets down on his knees, tries desperately to match the height of his eyes with theirs. It’s kind of interesting if you think about it carefully.
Alex had already finished most of the preparations by then.
“Excuse me, I shouldn’t have left like that and left you with everything.”
“I do not care. Rather, if Johann is happy I am happy too. He has a difficult job and seems to have a lot of painful memories … But hey, how about we call everyone to eat?”
Motivated by his words, the meal began.
✤✤✤✤✤✤
Grants is on Alex’s side, Richt is with Johann, Hikaru is Theo-sama’s, and I’m on Gale’s lap. He felt a little sorry for leaving Douglas alone, but he was in charge of the barbecue anyway.
At the moment, we distribute curry rice only to adults, but it seems that it will not be enough.
I should have thought better of the portions … Again.
“Be careful, it can be a bit spicy.”
First, my spouses put the spoon in their mouth. The next moment they start screaming:
“What the hell! It’s a great taste. Pretty delicious.”
“It’s like Doug says, a completely unfamiliar but wonderful flavor. The more I eat, the more I want.”
The remaining adults bring the spoons one after the other to their mouths as if Douglas and Gale’s reaction had pushed them.
“This is really delicious, man. It is certainly spicy, but has a good flavor and a good balance with sweet rice.”
“Wow, Chika-san is a genius. I had thought it smelled delicious, but I didn’t think it was really that good. You have to tell me how to do it later …”
Alex, the person who was working with the curry while I was distracted, is the true genius of the night. The spicy flavor it achieved is not that strong so you can eat as much as you want.
When I looked at Johann’s face, I noticed that he put a spoon in his mouth and then he hardened.
“Didn’t you like it, Johann?”
“It’s not that … It’s just that I was surprised. The cutlet sandwich I tried before was really great, but Chikayuki’s cooking skills seem to grow every day.”
On the other hand, my children eat meat and vegetables as much as they want while Hikaru slowly takes from his bottle.
“Yoan, I want to eat too.”
Apparently, Richt asks Johann for his curry rice. It’s okay with him doing it, but I’m a little worried it’s too spicy for him.
“Honey, you might not like the taste. Can you try to eat it little by little?”
Richt, who listens to me and slowly eats the curry rice, looks quite happy now. Grants, who was looking at it, began to ask Alex if he could eat it the same way.
“Speaking of which, these breads also have curry in them. I hope you like it because it is a different flavor than the one that is accompanied with rice.”
That said, the actions of my companions were again faster than anyone else’s. They take a bite and yell again:
“Good grief! This is delicious too, the curry inside is very crispy and fragrant.”
“Bread and curry flavor blend inside your mouth like magic!”
And they both eat a sandwich, alternating it with the curry and also with the rice. The other adults also help themselves to the curried bread, and the children seem to be satisfied with eating rather small pieces.
“My f
ather is going to die of envy when we tell him about this.”
“Please tell me you’ll do it again at home.”
“Of course!”
But not only the curry, also the barbecue was really delicious. The meat and vegetables with lots of sauce on a skewer are rich enough to satisfy each of us and the best. I can eat it from Gale’s hand!
“This is ” Douglas’s Special BBQ. ” It’s not as good as Chika’s dishes, but isn’t it delicious?”
Richt, who received a grilled fish from Douglas, holds it between his mouth and runs here.
“Mommy, Mommy … Your fish.”
“Oh, that’s the fish Richt took for me. Right?” It was delicious and very tender. It didn’t seem like it at first glance, but I’m sure now that it’s what I know as “Salmon.” Wow, it’s amazing. That Richt can source such delicious fish on his own is sensational!
After stroking his head, Richt immediately brings a fish skewer to Johann’s legs. He was wagging his tail, because that one had captured him too.
Later, when we finished, we divided into several tents to try to sleep. For some reason, Grants is very fond of Alex so he sleeps with him along with his brother. Gale and Douglas sleep with Hikaru and me while Richt snuggles comfortably at our feet.
I can hear the slight sound of the wind swaying the trees and the sound of the river in the distance …
It was definitely a quiet night.
✤✤✤✤✤✤
“Chika, my love, listen to me and get up.”
Suddenly, they shook me and woke me up.
“Umm …? Gale?”
If I look around a bit, I can see that Douglas already has his gun in hand.
“I’m very sorry, I don’t want you to worry, but you have to move along with the children. It’s okay? Just go with them.”
At that moment, Johann quickly enters the tent.
“It’s a demonic beast.”
Alex and Theo, who were being guarded by him, carried Grants in their arms.
“What are we going to do, man?”
“Smash hit. Nothing more than that.”
The fact that it is something similar to what I saw being in the Hellenic forest, makes me feel something cold running down my back.
“Chika, you don’t have to worry, my love. Stay with the children and that’s it.”
“Theo, can you come out together with us? Chika, Alex and the kids are staying here.”
“No problem.”
Theo-sama takes out the sword that he had settled on his waist and takes his battle position right at the entrance … I hold Hikaru and Richt, taking advantage of Alex still holding Grants.
Of course, I understand that everyone can easily kill beasts, but tremendous fear grows in me. Hikaru starts crying with a small voice … It seems my panic has been conveyed to everyone, because Richt is also quite anxious. After a while, if you are silent, you can hear the metallic sound of weapons striking each other and the sound of human groans and falls.
“And Sebastian?”
“He had to go out at dawn …”
My body was shaking and the tension I felt was reaching its peak … At that moment, Richt slipped out of my arms, I had my baby so I couldn’t stop him from running out of the tent. Theo didn’t even notice, the boy slid to the side and almost passed him.
Maybe my anxiety had now led my body to act unconsciously because, in a hasty manner, I pushed Hikaru against Alex and chased after my Richt.
“Richt! Wait! Richt!”
“Chika!”
I can hear Theo-sama’s voice shouting from behind, but that’s not important now. Gale, Douglas and Johann have their weapons and face an immense enemy. Richt, who is scared, runs quickly towards his dad … He is unstoppable and constant, he is very scared. I chase him as well as I can, at top speed. Meanwhile, looking a little to my right, I notice that one of several people Douglas was dealing with was now pointing forward with an arrow on his bow.
Richt is ahead of the arrows.
“Richt! Richt! Stop!”
My son stops when he hears my voice and looks back.
“God, it’s Chika!”
“Chikayuki-sama?”
It seems that Douglas, Gale and Johann have noticed Richt and me too … But the bow was tight and the arrow was about to be released. I run even further and hold him as soon as I get to him … The next moment, after a sharp sound, I experienced terrible pain. Like a burning bolt pressing against my left arm to some part of my chest.
“Ah !!”
Douglas rushes toward me, but I can’t move because of the intense pain. Theo, who ran almost as fast as I did, started to fight the opponent Douglas was fighting earlier.
My partner hugs me and screams with great fear.
“Chika! Chika! Look at me, you have to look only at me. Do not move…”
“I’m fine … But, Richt …”
The baby was holding me tightly and by that time, he had already started crying. The pain gradually spreads from where the arrow is stuck to each of my limbs. I even feel like I might start to throw up.
“Richt is fine … But your arm …”
“Uncle, I’ll take care of him.”
What I can hear this time is Alex’s voice.
“Alex … are you sure?”
“Yes, go now.”
“But…”
“Go away! Or it will be much worse later.”
As Douglas slowly lowered me to the ground, he took up his sword again and raised a cold voice I’d never heard before.
“Gale, forget about taking them prisoners. Kill them all … And start with that one.”
“Perfect.”
It was scary just hearing them.
“Chi-san, please stay still. The arrow penetrated completely, so let’s deal with the bleeding. I have … I have to get the arrow out.”
“Richt”
“It’s okay, Richt and Hikaru are okay … Trust me, please.”
I understand Alex is trying to reassure me with a smile that doesn’t fit this place at all. However, my left arm changed from a dull ache to a severe pain.
It wasn’t long before the surroundings were quiet.
“Chika! You’re good?”
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have …”
“It wasn’t your fault, don’t apologize for this.”
My companions, the ones who would have eliminated all the enemies in front of them, return to me with completely worried faces. Gale and Douglas are pale.
“The arrow … Take the arrow from me.”
“Sorry … I’m trying … Chika, it might hurt a little so be patient.”
Douglas holds me by the shoulders. I don’t even know where it came from.
“It’s okay, Alex. Take out the arrow and then, start applying your healing techniques.”
“I get it.”
“Johann, cut it.”
“First, I have to…”
“Dammit. Cut it off!”
“Chikayuki, I’m sorry.”
And he cut the tip of the arrow sticking out of my arm with the dagger he had on his belt. The procedure was difficult to follow due to the pain, I felt each one the vibrations …
“I can’t get it out alone!”
“… Chika, Gale is going to draw the arrow. You understand? It will definitely be very painful. Don’t hold your voice.”
“Yes…”
“Chika, I’m sorry … I’m going to start.”
“Uh…!”
The pain was momentary, but the sensation that went through my body to my head was so intense that I thought I was going to pass out.
“Chika-san, I promise that everything will finish very soon …”
The discomfort extends terribly from the wound, probably because Alex was already healing me. When I try to scream out loud because of my arm, I can see how Douglas presses his hand against my mouth so that my teeth could bite into him … It was very efficient, because I felt better when I sank my teeth into him with all my might.
“Chika, that’s it … It’s over.”
The tension is lost from my body and there is definitely no pain when I move my arm.
“Thank you, I … my arm …”
“I tried to heal your blood vessels, muscles, and nerves, just like I learned in the lecture you gave once, but … it’s okay?”
“Yes. Thank you very much Alex.”
I tried various moves to test the level of healing, but it seems like there are no side effects and everything is perfectly fine.
“Chika, don’t push yourself too hard.”
“Chika, are you okay? Are there other scratches or pains?”
“No, I’m fine … But Douglas, your hand …”
“It doesn’t matter, we’ll see later.”
Douglas and Gale definitely got their original skin tone back.
“I’m really sorry, we should have paid more attention to Richt or …”
“No, it was my fault … I scared him.”
“Rather, Chika, you protected Richt perfectly well. It could have been terrible without you …”
“Richt …? Where…?”
I shake my head this way and that trying to find my son. Hikaru is in Theo-sama’s hands, crying as he gazes intently at a trembling Grants. Then there’s Gale, who hugs a completely hysterical lion cub.
“Mommy, I’m sorry … I’m sorry.”
Richt continues to apologize, huge tears welling up from his eyes and running down his fur. I extend my arms so that he can get closer.
“Richt isn’t to blame … You were scared because I was so scared, weren’t you? I’m sorry. Will you hold me for a moment?”
Richt continues to cry, but at least he’s already with me. He sticks his snout and nose to my cheek while I hold his head so I can stroke him.
“Okay, there’s no reason to be afraid anymore.”
Then Johann came to my side and fell to his knees to the ground.
“Chikayuki-sama, I was the one to blame for hurting his body … I’m sorry, I couldn’t take proper care of him. I will accept whatever punishment you want to give me.”
“Don’t say that, Johann. This was my own decision. We are not going to look for culprits.”
“But …”
“Johann, you always take very good care of our Chika. Why would we have to punish you now for something like that? He just acted as a father.”
Saying that, I remember when I chased Richt away from the tent, I completely ignored Theo.
“It’s true … I’m sorry I didn’t tell you anything, Theo. I heard your voice from behind, but I was so worried about Richt that …”
“No, I should have paid more attention … It was all my fault. I didn’t even know how to react.”
“Don’t worry, you’re still very young. When you return, you can go train with Gale as many times as it takes until you become better than you are now.”
Not only does he feel that way.
This event reminded me of my weakness and helplessness in the face of this new world. It made me think of something that had been on my mind for a long time. I have to get stronger to protect my children .
BL snack 