Glory (2)
Chapter 318
Ray and Luna returned to Phillip’s County.
As expected, quite a number of people had gathered to welcome Ray and Luna back.
Amidst the bustling atmosphere, Count Philip approached Ray with an unusually serious expression, exchanged brief greetings, and stepped aside.
Once Count Philip moved away, Bella approached Ray, extending her arms.
“Son, welcome back.”
Bella embraced Ray and patted his back affectionately, as one would with a young child. Ray chuckled at the familiar gesture.
“Yeah, Mom. I’m back.”
“Seems like you’ve gotten thinner since I last saw you… Are you eating properly?”
Bella inspected Ray’s complexion with concern, despite always claiming how reliable he was. She still struggled to fully accept that Ray had grown up.
Compared to Saria, who expressed her feelings more openly, Bella also tended to treat Ray like a teenager going through puberty.
“Young or not, skipping meals isn’t good for your health.”
“Ah, mom, here we go again with the lectures.”
Ray sighed playfully while hugging Bella back.
Feeling the warmth of Bella’s embrace, Ray took a deep breath and glanced to the side. Karen stood nearby, looking somewhat awkward.
Ray greeted Karen lightly before asking casually, “You seem a bit off. Is there something you’re hiding?”
“Huh? Oh… um… later! We’ll talk about it at home. I’ll tell you when we get inside.”
“Alright. It’s still cold out, so don’t push yourself too hard. Go ahead and rest.”
With Ray’s suggestion, Karen didn’t object. After stepping back slightly, saying she’d wait, Lea quickly interjected herself between Ray and Karen.
“Big brother!”
Lea grinned brightly, having inserted herself into the scene.
Seeing Lea, Ray recalled the painful memory of her pulling his hair in a previous vision.
While contemplating how best to get revenge, Lea suddenly shouted,
“Here’s a present for big brother from me!”
“…A present?”
“Present!”
Lea excitedly handed over a simply wrapped gift. Ray unwrapped it reluctantly.
Inside was a scarf, though its condition wasn’t particularly good.
Even though it looked like something bought from the market, Ray was curious about the face of whoever sold such an item.
Just as Ray furrowed his brow, Bella added,
“Our daughter worked hard making this for her big brother.”
Upon hearing that, Ray examined the scarf again.
It was rather short, with uneven patterns due to repeated mistakes during knitting. There were also many loose threads. However, certain sections appeared flawless—clearly done by Bella.
Despite its poor quality, it was evident that Lea had made it herself. For days, she must have held onto this project with her tiny hands all day long.
Whenever Lea fell asleep after struggling with her clumsy knitting, Bella likely unraveled overly twisted parts and helped finish them.
“…”
Ray looked down at Lea, who was beaming up at him with shining eyes.
Whether seeking praise or expecting something in return for the gift, it wasn’t clear. Regardless, Ray smiled warmly and picked her up for a hug.
“Lea.”
“Yeah!”
“Thank you for the gift. I’ll use it well.”
Hearing this, Lea couldn’t hide her satisfaction and broke into a wide grin.
Still holding the scarf on his shoulder momentarily, Ray pinched Lea’s chubby cheeks with both hands.
If the future Lea from his vision was behaving poorly, Ray might have immediately scolded her upon seeing her face.
But this Lea was diligently working hard in the future to take care of her deceased older brother’s family.
Recalling the image of a rebellious younger cousin, Ray felt strangely emotional.
Nevertheless, it warmed his heart to realize that she wasn’t completely unaware of his struggles.
“Lea.”
“Yeah!”
“That scarf is pretty. Does our little sister have good craftsmanship skills?”
“Mom said so too. Lea draws well and knits well. Lea has good craftsmanship!”
“Sure, sure. Next time, I’ll give Lea a beautiful scarf as a gift.”
Lea frowned.
“I don’t like scarves. Since Lea isn’t rich like big brother, I prefer expensive things over effort. Give me something else.”
“Our little sister is getting demanding.”
*
After exchanging quick greetings with everyone who had come to welcome him back,
Ray delivered a special request to Count Philip and then proceeded to dine with Alesya.
Normally, Alesya would have happily laughed and shared a meal with Ray, but today she seemed unusually glum, picking at her food.
Until recently, Alesya used to joke around by pretending to feel nauseous in front of Count Philip.
However, now that her real morning sickness had set in, she found it truly unbearable.
“Ugh…”
Alesya groaned in discomfort after catching a whiff of the food.
Seeing this, Ray chuckled lightly.
“Alesya.”
“What do you want, my knight…?”
“Did you gain a bit of weight while I was gone?”
“…!!”
Shocked by Ray’s comment, Alesya swayed on the spot.
Was that really something one should say to a lover suffering from morning sickness?
Though her weight did increase slightly due to enjoying good food before the onset of morning sickness, it wasn’t noticeable.
Chuckling at Alesya’s reaction, Ray waved his hand dismissively.
“Just kidding, kidding. You’re dealing with morning sickness, aren’t you? Try eating small portions frequently. If it gets too tough, don’t force yourself to eat. Let me know if there’s anything specific you’d like.”
“…?”
Alesya blinked in confusion.
She hadn’t yet revealed her pregnancy to Ray, yet his words came across so naturally that she paused briefly.
Realizing what Ray had implied, Alesya gasped in shock.
“Did you know?!”
“When I met the World Tree, I glimpsed the future briefly and saw a daughter who looks just like you. And Karen will also have a daughter.”
“…!!”
Stunned by these unexpected revelations, Alesya froze with her mouth agape.
Approaching her frozen form, Ray cleared the food off the table and patted her shoulder gently.
“You’ll endure for a few more weeks with the morning sickness. Sorry I wasn’t around to support you during this time.”
“Oh…! My knight is acting like a husband…!”
Alesya smiled brightly.
Ray’s thoughtful demeanor made her pregnancy feel even more real than when her morning sickness first began.
Ray watched Alesya’s joy and took a moment to gather his thoughts.
Calculating the dates, he realized they were still a few weeks away from entering the stable phase.
It seemed necessary to keep the information about the Demonic Realm secret until then.
Additionally, there was now even more reason to ensure his survival during the expedition to the Demonic Realm.
For now, Ray listened to Alesya recount her recent experiences and shared her laughter.
*
The soundproof barrier was activated within the study of the Manor in Phillip’s County.
Count Philip, the knights serving the House of Phillip, Jimy, Matthew, and Ropheiren were all present.
Having requested Count Philip to summon everyone, Ray began speaking.
“First, I’ll explain a few important matters.”
Everyone already knew that the Sacred Sword had been drawn. However, being located on the frontier, most only heard rumors about other details.
Count Philip received a letter from the Emperor detailing the Continental Conference and the Expedition to the Demonic Realm but kept quiet about it until Ray arrived.
The letter included instructions to maintain silence on the matter until Ray’s arrival.
This was Ray’s request, as he didn’t want his acquaintances, especially Karen and Alesya, to worry prematurely about the Demonic Realm expedition.
Ray explained everything, including this detail, to those gathered in the study.
In the somber atmosphere, Count Philip spoke up.
“Will you be participating in the expedition…?”
“Yes, I will. The Demonic Realm may seem terrifying, but it’s a fight we can handle. Don’t worry.”
Listening to Ray’s overly optimistic tone, Jenkins sighed deeply.
“Ray, do you expect us to believe that nonsense?”
“Aww, Master. Your trust in your disciple seems lacking.”
“This ‘Master’ and ‘disciple’ business again…”
“Why not? Soon enough, you’ll be known as a leader who raised a hero of the Empire.”
Ray chuckled mischievously and held up four fingers.
“For now, please thoroughly control information about this within the county for the next four weeks. It wouldn’t be good if someone in the throes of morning sickness got shocked.”
Those who understood Ray’s implication nodded.
Having received their agreement, Ray brought up the main issue.
“Once the expedition begins, Devil Worshippers may try to stir up chaos on the continent to cause division, confusion, or unrest among the expeditionary forces. While efforts are being made to mobilize surveillance resources, achieving perfection will be difficult.”
“…”
“And given my current status, which is already widely known, my people could become targets again, as they did last time.”
“What do you plan to do about it?”
“I thought about moving my people to Jimy’s territory near the Imperial Capital before the expedition starts. It’s safer being inside the core defense perimeter of the capital, and we can receive immediate support if needed. In case of danger, we can even evacuate further into the Imperial Capital.”
“Hmm… That sounds like a good idea.”
“I need to return to the Imperial Capital within forty days. I plan to move everyone then. By the way, Count.”
Ray hesitated slightly before asking,
“Would you consider coming along? It might be safer for you to join us, though I can’t guarantee anything.”
“I appreciate the sentiment, but I intend to stay here and fulfill my duties. I can’t abandon the residents of the county, can I?”
“…”
“I will carry out my responsibilities as Lord of the Manor.”
Standing up, Count Philip bowed deeply to Ray.
“I entrust my daughter to you. Great Guardian of the Empire.”
“…Understood. Please don’t worry.”
Looking somewhat troubled, Ray nodded and continued.
“Since we still have some time, I’ll work with Luna to strengthen the defenses of the county as much as possible.”
*
Ray had an important conversation to have with Ulte.
However, delaying the meeting with Ulte by a day, Ray promptly returned home where Karen awaited.
Karen greeted Ray but fidgeted nervously, twiddling her fingers.
Ray kissed her cheek unexpectedly and asked,
“Would you prefer a son or a daughter?”
“Eh? Eh? What…?”
Startled, Karen stammered before finally responding,
“Well… I’m not quite sure yet…”
Would she prefer a sturdy son like Ray or a sweet and affectionate daughter like Lea?
Watching Karen flounder with the sudden dilemma, Ray chuckled teasingly.
“After meeting the World Tree, I caught a glimpse of the future. It seems we’ll have a stubborn daughter who takes after you.”
“Fu, future…? But why would she be stubborn if she takes after me?”
“Because you’re stubborn.”
“Ray is stubborn too!”
“Exactly. With both parents being stubborn, how could our daughter possibly be gentle?”
Ray playfully kissed Karen’s cheek once more and sat her down on a chair.
“You’ve been dealing with morning sickness lately, haven’t you? Rest. I’ll prepare dinner.”
“Eh? No, I can do it. Let me!”
“Rest. Is there anything specific you’d like to eat?”
Ray continued smiling as they conversed.
Outside the house, Luna leaned against the wall, listening to Ray’s carefree laughter.
“…”
The sun was setting.
As the sky darkened, Luna gazed at it, slowly etching this final vacation with Ray into her memory.
