Leon Greyrat: The Second Son - Mushoku Tensei OC

— Leon Anemoi Greyrat —

It was a day like any other, and with the fifth month of the year bringing along a warmer summer than usual, I was content with watching my kids play around, and oftentimes taking Aria and Anna to their school.

Honestly, thinking about it now, it felt like nearly no time had passed since I had gone off to fight Laplace, but nope… it had been two years by this point.

Ariel was entering her third trimester, Sylphy had a large belly, Alice was now running around, and Ars' first birthday was close approaching.

But… I loved this, even if I felt a bit of sadness at the passing of time.

Seeing my cute children grow, making love with my wives, a casual training scheme now that I had removed the threat of Laplace… yes, it was quite a nice life.

But alas… with my luck, such peace had to be broken at some point.

"Leon… please help me," Cliff said, bowing his head as Lina and Rudy stood behind him.

After hearing a knock on the front door, and having not expected any visitors, I wasn't quite sure who would have come over… but seeing their serious faces upon their greeting, it looked like I was in for quite a surprise.

"Help you with what? Actually, how about you three come inside first," I said, opening the door to them. "Everyone else has gone for a picnic, but Alice and Emilia are taking a nap upstairs, so try to keep quiet."

"Ah… of course, thank you," Cliff said as he and the other two walked in.

Guiding them to the table, I took out a jug of juice and some cups, reducing the heat in the liquid as I poured a glass for each of us.

Honestly, from how I could instinctually feel that things were about to get troublesome, I was tempted to open a bottle of wine instead… but this would do for now.

"Now… tell me what's up," I said as we all sat down, my fingers tapping against the wooden dining room table.

Cliff clenched his fist, looking over to Rudy who gave him a nod, and with Lina giving him a kiss on the cheek for comfort, he then turned to me once more, his eyes meeting mine.

"I… received a letter," he said. "It was from my grandfather, the current Pope… and it said that I should not return to the Holy Country, for my own safety."

I see… but still, why was he coming here to tell me this?

And how did that make him need my help?

There was definitely more to the story.

"But wasn't that the main reason for you to come study in Ranoa? How does this change anything?" I asked, tilting my head.

"That… is true, but it was expected for me to have returned around this time, as my grandfather had said he would quell the unrest in my homeland to prepare for my return," he said, biting his lip. "But… it seems that something has changed."

Something… changed?

"What do you mean?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.

"I'm not completely certain, as it was only explained briefly in his letter, but grandfather said that his enemies suddenly gained strength… both in martial might, and political manoeuvres," he said.

"I see… and with your request for help… I'm guessing that is related to reversing this change?" I asked, leaning back into my chair.

Haa… always something, huh?

But an unexpected, sudden gain in strength… that was a bit suspicious.

"Yes. Before, right after finishing at the university… I would have been content with remaining here with Lise. No, with Clive, that feeling is even stronger. I have no dreams of returning to my homeland," Cliff said, shaking his head. "But still… I cannot accept leaving the Holy Country to remain as is… I want it to be a good place… a place that can inspire the hope I know it is capable of… Lise made me realize this… so please… help me save my birthplace!"

Finishing his words by bowing his head, I raised my hand to my chin as I thought over everything.

I know Cliff had been serving as a priest for the local church in his free time, whenever he wasn't working on his curse nullifying magic items, being with his family, and helping Shizuka with her research, that is… so it seems that his faith was still strong.

And as for why he came to me… he must have gone to Rudy first, and then he recommended that they get my help as well, and the slightly guilty look on my brother's face all but assured me of that.

I still had my plans for the Millis religion, but that was more about putting them in their place, or even outright destroying them once I got strong enough.

But for a complete change on an institutional level…

"You know that what you're asking is quite serious, right?" I said, narrowing my eyes at him. "I'm fine with supporting you, but I will not be there to clean up the mess afterwards. I would simply be the hammer to break it down, while you would be picking up the pieces… So, are you prepared to bear the responsibility of not only a nation, but also an entire religion? Are you prepared to change it to achieve this 'good place' you speak of?"

Cliff's eyes widened at my forceful tone for but a moment, before narrowing in seriousness.

"Yes… I am," he said. "If I was alone, perhaps I wouldn't be able to do it, even with all the effort in the world. But with Lise at my side… I can do anything I put my mind to."

…Hah.

How romantic.

"Alright… then, I'll help," I replied, a small smile forming on my face. "Though I really hope you don't expect me to leave home for a long time. And when do you expect to begin this operation?"

"As soon as possible would be best. Considering the time it took for the letter to arrive here, the situation could have only gotten worse from what grandfather had written. But with the teleportation circles, at the very least we won't have to worry about travel time," Cliff said with a frown. "But still… I can't go about this blindly. While your strength is amazing, you are right that I will need to pull the nation together afterwards. And without any support aside from my grandfather and his people…"

My gaze moved away from him as I noticed the familiar presence walking up to the door.

Just what was she doing here…?

"Darling, I don't think we'll need to worry about that," Lina said, giving Cliff another kiss. "While I adore how lovingly you spoke about me, did you think I would do nothing but sit around when you were speaking so, mmh~ passionately~?"

…Lina.

Not in my house, please.

With the front door creeping open, all of us then turned to the entrance, where Mama soon walked in.

"Oh? Is the conversation already over? I was worried that I would need to convince Leon first," she said, dusting the snow out of her hair.

"What…?" I said, confused.

Convince me?

What was she talking about?

Looking at Rudy, I noticed that he was in a similar state of confusion to me, while Lina had a wide smile.

"Mama… what do you mean? And what are you doing here?" I asked.

Did she know about this already?

"Oh, don't be like that, Leon," she said, coming over to give me a kiss on my head. "If you want to know, when Lina came over to explain everything, I decided that I couldn't just sit still. With my family, I have a say in this too, and I might be able to provide Cliff with that support he needs by talking to them."

Lina asked her?

I see… that certainly made sense.

"But still…" I said with a frown.

"Don't worry, it isn't only for his sake," she said, rustling my hair. "It's been exactly twenty years since I've seen them… and that isn't counting the years I was trapped in the labyrinth… so I think it's about time that I met them after so long. When I left, they were in the opposite faction of the current Pope, so that could prove difficult… but with their influence, they would be a major help in shifting the balance of power if we are able to convince them."

Seeing her soft smile, I felt much of my initial hesitation fade away.

But still…

"Are you sure, Mama? Didn't you… not like your family?" I said.

"Well… we certainly had our disagreements, but there was still love there… and more importantly, since I left home… I met you," she said, smiling down at me as she pinched my cheeks. "Leon… you were the first one to show me how amazing a family could be, even if you didn't become my precious baby in the traditional sense… So, now that I know, and have experienced so much happiness thanks to you, Paul, Rudy, and everyone else… I want to see if there is a chance to become a family with them as well."

…So it was that.

She really was too kind for her own good.

I always preached that family was most important, but that was only because my family was so lovely.

If they were as filled with hate and coldness that Mama had told me about the Latreia noble household… I doubt I could hold the same convictions.

"But… it will be dangerous, especially if we have to fight the entire nation's military," I said with worry.

"Yes, but I trust my strong, amazing sons to protect me," she said with a smile, sending a wink over to Rudy as well.

Right, but… with a scale as big as this, it would be hard to both protect her and take out everyone that we needed to.

At least, if we didn't want to destroy any innocents in the meantime.

"Besides… if you're that worried, then this is the perfect opportunity to give Eris some time to shine," she said with a knowing smile. "She's been quite sad since your… time away. And even though you have returned, she still feels inadequate. Don't you think this is the perfect moment for both of you to fight together, just as she has wished?"

…Dammit.

Mama always knew how to win me over in an argument.

"Fine… you're right, Mama… I'll do it," I said, looking over to Cliff. "So… when will we leave?"

Cliff let out a sigh of relief before he nodded towards me.

"Whenever you are prepared. I have already asked Lilia and Paul to look after Clive in our stead, so we are ready to leave right away," he said.

Right away… well, I guess he wasn't planning to waste any more time.

But I still needed to talk to a certain someone before I could leave home, especially if I was taking Eris with me, not to mention Rudy as well.

Orsted should be back from his little trip he mentioned taking, right?

So I would need to visit the royal capital…

"Then… come back in two days," I said, standing up. "I have some things to prepare before we leave…"

I knew that I would end up fighting with the Millis Church, but to think it would happen so soon… well, I suppose it was best to have a warm-up for the eventual fight against the Man-God.

Now, aside from Orsted, how would I explain this to my wives? 

Well, Eris should be quite happy in going with me, but as for the other three… I might need to do quite a bit in return as compensation.

But knowing them… well, I would probably enjoy the compensation just as much.

— Leon Anemoi Greyrat —

"Alright, is everyone ready?" I asked, turning to the others. "Perugius has already connected this to a teleportation circle just on the outskirts of Millishion, so we should arrive by midday."

The people that would be joining me were, of course, Cliff, Lina, and Rudy, as well as Mama and Eris.

With all of them dressed in adventurer gear, as well as some formal clothes in case of a 'diplomatic' solution, there was nothing else to do but head out.

"Okay… and yes, I'm ready," Cliff said, raising his head. "With everyone here… there is no way I can back down. Especially when it's not only me in danger in the future, but also my family. So please… take care of us."

How earnest… but could you please not bite your lip like that, Lina? We're trying to be serious here.

"Yeah… don't worry, I will," I said, patting his shoulder. "And I'm not doing this only for you, so there is no need for such thanks."

Of course, there was the revenge I felt that needed to be returned after reading how they had killed Lilia and Aisha in my diary, and then in turn, the need to destroy them before they decided that my family was one full of 'heretics'.

But there was also the consideration for the future of my family's lives, especially those of Aria, Roana, Anna, and Sylphy's coming child, as they would find hardship considering their race with any followers of the Millis Church that were considerably… devout.

And then… there was that meeting I had with Orsted, where a peculiar detail was revealed.

Not only did he think that the sudden change in the Holy Country was due to the Man-God's influence, but he also told me why it could be considerably troubling for our cause… as one of the other four sacred treasures that we needed to collect was stored in the basement of the central church of Millishion.

Orsted said that he would remain in Sharia to protect my family in case this move was some sort of diversion, but he doubted that it was.

In his opinion, from what he knew about the Man-God from his previous loops, he thinks that he doesn't expect me to make a move for people who were not my family, and wanted to make a play for the Millis religion to overwhelm me from the shadows in the future.

But there was also the possibility that he was aiming for the sacred treasure stored there in order to hide it in order to ruin our plan.

Of course, I had asked Orsted why they wouldn't simply destroy it in that case, since it would remove any chance of us reaching him, but he said that the sacred treasures couldn't be destroyed by anyone but the Creator God himself, so we wouldn't have to worry about that, thankfully.

"Anyway… Mama, Eri, Rudy… are you all ready?" I asked them.

"Of course," Eris said with a wide smile. "I'm ready to kick some ass!"

"Well… yeah, me too," I said, giving her a smile.

I was originally going to say that such a scenario was not the ideal one, but it was very likely that we would end up having to fight… and honestly, I was a little excited too.

Those pretentious and hypocritical assholes… it was about time that they had what was coming to them.

"Then… do you mind, Rudy?" I said, gesturing his way.

"Of course," he said, tapping his staff against the magic circle we were all standing on.

And with a flash of mana, I felt the pull of the teleportation magic as we headed towards the Holy Country's capital, and also, my next battlefield.

But compared to my previous fight against Laplace, and with Eris now at my side… well, let's just say I wasn't too worried.

— Leon Anemoi Greyrat —

With all of us having disguised as travellers, it ended up being fairly easy to enter the city of Millishion.

I was quite worried that they would have been looking for Cliff and me, but from how the guards easily passed over our names on our adventurer cards, if there was a search for us, it seems to have not been ordered down to the city guard.

Well… considering that I could have destroyed this city guard in but a few swings, I suppose that it wasn't an idiotic choice.

But considering how they might have just reported it without making a move… well, perhaps I should stay on guard for any possible attacks.

With it being noon, we decided to put off the need for our accommodations, and instead make our first move right away, hence why we were currently in the waiting room of the Latreia noble mansion as we awaited Mama's birth family to greet us.

And it seems that they were here…

"Eri… just leave this to Mama and me, no matter what they say," I said, giving her hand a small squeeze.

"Tch. But… fine," she said, squeezing my hand in response. "Just make sure they don't say anything that would really piss me off…"

I… wasn't going to pretend that I could promise that.

But there was only one thing that could piss Eris off to such an extent that she would instinctively lash out, and that would be by insulting our family, so I would only need to hold her back if they began berating me.

Because if they went after the rest of our family… well, she wouldn't be the one needing to be held back.

But… my grandmother didn't seem too bad from what I remember of meeting her back when we visited Millishion after the Displacement Incidenct, so I wasn't too worried.

"Apologies for the wait," an old woman said as she entered the room, with another person at her side. "I was told that you were messengers from the Asura royal family, so what can I… do for you… today…"

Her voice trailed off as her wrinkle-covered face slackened, her eyes widening as she instantly focused on Mama, who was sitting at my side.

Claire Latreia, the strict and stubborn matriarch of the Latreia noble household, the mother of Zenith and Therese, and the biological grandmother of Rudy and Norn.

And also… my grandmother.

"Rudeus, Leon, and… Zenith… you… you're here…" Claire said, her eyes widening in shock as Therese revealed herself from behind her, obviously just as surprised at our arrival.

"I am… Mother," Mama said, reaching down to grasp my other hand as she gave her head a slight bow. "It's nice to see you again… and the same to you, Therese."

"S-Sister…" Aunt Therese said with wide eyes.

Right… they were close, and according to Mama, the two had continued exchanging letters once we settled in Sharia, although at a much slower pace.

"Zenith, have you…" Claire said before she suddenly close her eyes, opening them a moment later as her expression hardened. "Have you finally decided to ditch that blubbering fool of a husband and return to my side? Or will you simply continue with your delusions."

…Right, so it wouldn't be so simple.

And this wasn't even with the actual reason for our visit…

"What…? No, Mother, I will not. I am happily content with my current life, and Paul is now a wonderful husband," Mama said with a frown. "And while we used the excuse of being messengers from Asura as a cover, we are here on official, serious business."

"If you will continue with that nonsense, then there is no need for you to be here. It was you who cast aside your lineage," Claire said with a frown, turning her head away.

Feeling Mama's hand clench, I briefly glanced over at her, only to see her usually warm smile cracking under the pressure.

"Mama…?" I asked.

"I-It's nothing… she's just being her usual self. I just needed a moment to get used to it, is all," she said, releasing a sigh.

"I see…" I said, turning back to Claire and Therese as they both sat down on the couch across from us, both ignoring the cups of tea that were set out between us.

"Leon… you and Rudeus have grown up quite well, I see," Claire said, looking at the both of us before she narrowed her eyes at me. "But do refrain from calling Zenith 'Mama'. Such childishness reflects poorly on our stature."

I felt my eyebrow twitch.

"No." "Not a chance."

Mama and I both replied in unison, causing Claire to slightly widen her eyes.

"I will address my mother how I wish, and has been, and always will be, Mama," I said, as Mama agreed with a nod.

Perhaps it was childish… but who cares?

To Mama… I would always be looked at as childish.

"Haa… and to think that this is the man that had married the Queen of Asura…" Claire said while shaking her head with an expression of disbelief. "Whatever. Now that you're here, I suppose that eliminates the need for a letter."

"A letter?" I asked, tilting my head in question.

"Yes… your sister, Norn I believe, has become an adult at this point, yes?" Claire asked, prompting me to nod my head. "Then, bring her over to us. I will mould her into the perfect heir of the Latreia family, that is, if Zenith does not wish to do so."

I felt Eris' grip tighten against my hand, but she didn't have to worry.

Because I wouldn't let such a possibility stand.

I had somewhat expected such a thing after remembering our last meeting, but in response to such a proposition, there was only one fitting response…

"Don't push your luck, Grandmother. Norn is already living her own life, and I will not allow her freedom to be taken from her," I said, releasing a bit of my touki into the air, causing both Claire and Therese them to freeze.

"F-Fine… I suppose we can return to that conversation later," Claire said, clearing her throat as she took a quick drink of her tea.

The answer to the conversation would not change, but I suppose I could remind her of that later, just as she had said.

"Now… you said that you were here for important business not tied to our family, so out with it," she said with furrowed eyebrows before she looked behind me. "And who exactly are these two? I heard of the red-haired woman being another one of your wives, Leon, but I do not recognize the two behind you."

Ah… right.

"Well, the explanation for us coming here, and their presence, are one and the same," I said, looking behind me to nod at Cliff. "And he can explain the situation better than I."

"Yes. Allow me to introduce myself," Cliff said, stepping forward. "I am Cliff Grimoire, and this is my wife, Elinalise Grimoire."

That immediately got both of their attention.

"Grimoire, you say…" Claire muttered with wide eyes.

"Yes… and as you must know, the powers in the church and this nation have changed recently, and upon receiving this knowledge, I have decided to return to my birthplace," he said, his voice steady and composed. "And with the help of my friends before me, I will return to my rightful position as heir to Pope Harry Grimoire, my grandfather. And we have come today to ask for your support."

Both Therese and Claire frowned as they looked at each other before Claire eventually looked back at us.

"You are right that things have changed. It began a few years ago, when our faction began pushing for more power," she said before shaking her head. "But regardless, that doesn't matter. I will keep your return between us, for the sake of allowing me to see my daughter, but I advise you to leave. Going against the church is too much for your group."

Oh? Too much?

"Are you sure about that?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "I thank you for your concern, but I was able to defeat Laplace. Why do you think I wouldn't be able to fight off the church's forces?"

She narrowed her eyes in response.

"You don't have the Dragon King Perugius at your side now, correct? Nor that Ruijerd Superdia whose name has been making waves… and despite not revealing it carelessly, the church have some of the strongest fighters among the human nations," she replied.

Well, they didn't have the Water God, who was in Ars, nor did they have the North God, who had decided to remain in Ars as well, and the newest Sword God was still in the Sword Sanctum, and it didn't seem like he would leave anytime soon, so I highly doubt there was anyone who could defeat me here.

In fact, I doubt that there was even anyone here that could defeat Eris in a head-on fight.

"That won't be a problem, and the aid we wish to acquire from you is purely political, not combative. We alone are more than enough," I said, watching as Eris' lips curled into a smirk. "That is the privilege of the strong, and we are not planning to retreat. So, if you wish to stand on the right side of history… I suggest you work with us."

Even if I had somewhat positive feelings towards my grandmother and Aunt Therese, they were not enough to spare them should they decide to become my enemy.

Claire stared at me for a few moments before releasing a sigh, and with another sip of tea, she then set it back down before folding her hands over her lap.

"If you are so confident, then let me reiterate the current situation. As of now, the current Pope has been taken prisoner by the head knight Milton under the guise of a house arrest, which was ordered by Cardinal Leblanc McFarlene and the Order of the Temple," she said, narrowing her eyes at Eris and me. "And from your faces… you have no clue as to who I am referencing, do you?"

I… understood that Harry Grimoire was Cliff's grandfather, and had apparently been captured, but past that… no, I did not.

"Haa… then allow me to explain the power dynamics at play," she continued, shaking her head. "There are two factions that follow different readings of the original Holy Scriptures. First, there is the Demon Race Acceptance Faction, led by the current Pope, and who have gained prevalence in recent years for their treaties with the beastfolk of the Great Forest. They are also allied to the Order of Instruction, the division of knights that sends their people to areas of strife to spread the Millis Religion. But that knight order has seen its influence decline due to the recent stabilization of the Strife Zone, and the restrictions placed on them in the Kingdom of Asura."

Ah… right.

I remember that one of Ariel's first major orders were removing the influence of the Millis Church that were directly connected to the Holy Country from the Asura Kingdom, which was heavily influenced by the knowledge of the other timeline.

But it seems to have backfired on us, if only slightly.

Then again, if this order were the parasites that spread the disease across the world as the so-called 'inquisitors of justice'… well, perhaps I should finish the job while I was still here, and remove them from causing any possible future trouble.

"And then, on the opposite side of the spectrum, is the Demon Race Rejection Faction. Led by that very Cardinal McFarlene I just mentioned, and supported by the Order of the Temple, and this very Latreia House," she continued. "Our own influence was dwindling in recent times, before our own candidate for the next Pope, the Miko of Memory, was born. And with the recent moves of Cardinal McFarlene, as well as his knight Milton, we have emerged as the leading faction. So tell me… why, for what reason, should I aid you in this endeavour, when considering our factions and alignments, I am your enemy?"

So what Mama said about her being in the opposite faction was true… but I didn't know that their house was such a prominent supporter.

This could definitely cause some problems-

"Ah, and now sounds like the perfect time for me to introduce myself, no?" a light voice said as the door opened once more, only to reveal a woman no older than twenty, with long and wavy blonde hair, and warm blue eyes.

Who was this?

"Lady Miko… just what are you doing here?" Claire asked, her brow twitching as she turned to the newest guest.

Ah… that explained things.

So this was their Pope candidate?

"Well, I was curious as to why Therese had suddenly left, and then I heard my name from inside this room, so I thought it only fair that I observe what is happening," she said, looking at all of us with a calm smile. "It's nice to meet you. And…"

Her words trailed off as her gaze zeroed in on Eris, her pink, diamond-shaped pupils widening as her smile grew.

"It's you! Eris! It's been much too long!" she said with glee as she ran over, reaching out to take Eris' free hand while my wife remained in confused, stunned silence. "I still remember how amazing you were back then when you saved me, and I can only assume that you've gotten better since then! Oh, and I have also wanted to train in the sword, but nobody among the knights was nearly as talented in that style as you! Do you think you could spare the time to teach me? I have trained my body as best as I could, so if you could simply teach me the basics, that would be wonderful!"

Eris slowly turned her head towards me, her eyes practically screaming for advice as to what to do in her current situation.

Eris… saved her?

Wait… Therese was the Miko's guard… and she had mentioned Eris helping her against assassins when she took us to the port city…

So that's what happened.

"Eri… why don't you go with her?" I said, giving her hand a final squeeze before I let go. "I assume the talks from here on out will be quite boring, so you should at least try your hand at fulfilling her request."

Not only would this remove any fear of Eris getting too angry in Therese and Claire's presence, but if she got close to their candidate for the Pope, then that might prove to be quite helpful in any future negotiations.

"Huh? Uhh… sure," she said, standing up, yet still confused. "Do you have a place to train then?"

"Ah! The garden here is simply amazing, and there's a wonderful spot where I practice! Let me take you there!" the Miko said, pulling her along.

And before we knew it, they had left the room, leaving nothing but a slightly awkward silence in their wake.

"Therese… is it fine to let her go like that?" Claire asked.

"Yes… I believe I can trust in Eris' integrity, and more importantly, there is no one in this household that would be able to stop her if she wished to harm the Miko," Aunt Therese said calmly.

"I see… then, let us get back to the matter at hand," Claire said, turning back to us. "So? Ignoring that… interruption, what is the use of coming here, when we are already allied to your enemies?"

Right… how to change that…

"Well, as I said before, if you wish to survive the ensuing chaos, I would highly suggest switching sides… but I will leave the negotiations to my mother," I said, nodding to her.

Giving me a slight glare, likely due to my barely veiled threat, she then turned to the other two.

"Mother… Sister… I know you're kind. This chaos and discord in this nation and religion… they are not the traits that you raised me to uphold. If we can instill Cliff as the Pope, he can remove these factions, and change the religion for the better," Mama said, looking over the Therese. "I still remember how much you complained about what you were forced to do as a member of the Order in those letters. It's because you're kind, and unlike me, you did not run away when faced with the truth of your position… But you want it to change too, don't you? The terrible things that the church does behind closed doors, all for the name of 'goodness'… I know that you hate it as much as I do."

 Aunt Therese's jaw clenched.

"But… Sister…" she said, struggling to find the words as her head tilted downward. "Even if this works… how can you promise to change such things?"

"Well… while I don't necessarily adore my dear son's more… violent methods, he is right that his strength grants him the privilege of control, as do those he is allied with," Mama said with a pained smile. "But more importantly, with your support, there will be much less of a need for such things. Don't you think that a future where the church only needs to do good, without the vile things you hide away from… don't you think that would be something worth fighting for?"

With Mama's earnest plea, Aunt Therese's expression cracked.

"Yes… it does… but I cannot go against the family on my own," she said, looking back up. "And I will only accept this if you can promise the Miko's safety… even if she is no longer in consideration as a future Pope, there may be powers that try to harm her… and that girl, at the very least, deserves a future."

Ah, finally, something I can add to this.

"Consider it done," I said with a smile. "We can even take her back to Ranoa for her own protection while things settle down here. She seems like a curious child, after all, and there is no safer place than with my family."

Although she would need to find a new place… but there should be a small apartment nearby she can use.

Therese bit her lip for a moment before eventually relenting with a nod.

"Then… what is your opinion, Mother?" Aunt Therese said, turning to Claire, who had been silently brooding with her hand on her chin.

Her eyes narrowed at the question, but with a small sigh, she eventually responded.

"If you're so adamant… then if, and only if, you can defeat the forces that are required, the Latreia House will aid in the reorganization of the church and the nation," she said. "But… this comes with one condition."

"And what would that condition be?" I asked.

"You two… at this age, I can only assume that you have produced at least a few children," she said, looking towards Rudy and me.

Well, I think I had produced more than a 'few', but she was correct.

Seeing us nod, a small smile settled on Claire's face.

"So I really have become a great-grandmother… well, the condition is that one of your children will come to our house to become an heir," she said.

I had to stop myself from immediately refusing on instinct.

No… I couldn't be rash here.

Well, actually, I could, but that would simply complicate things.

"Are you proposing we give up our children for adoption?" I asked with a frown.

"Not necessarily. That would be the plan with the current state of the children of the house and their lack of offspring, but considering your children are already connected to the house through Zenith… well, it would make it quite simple," she said, crossing her hands over her lap. "They would not even need to arrive here before adulthood, as by living in Ranoa, they could pass off their first fifteen years of life as simply 'studying abroad', much like Cliff Grimoire here has done."

I see… so they wouldn't even need to be taken away at childhood…

"If that is your condition, then I accept," I said with a smile.

"B-Brother!?" Rudy said, looking towards me with shock.

Ah, right. This was definitely unlike my usual self.

But I had my reasons.

First off, if Cliff was spearheading the change in the Holy Country, and with my support no less, I could trust that it would become a good place by the time any of my children became an adult.

Secondly, it wasn't as if becoming the head of the Latreia House was necessarily a bad thing, as it only required a certain ambition to want to lead the life of a noble. It was the idea of being forced into such a position that would turn me off the idea, as well as growing up in such a closed environment.

So, if any of my future children held the desire to become the head of the Latreia House when they were an adult… then I could simply send them over, much like I would do so for any of my other children if they wished to use my connections, such as joining the Sword Sanctum, for example.

And if none of my children ended up not wanting to become part of the Latreia House… well, this was simply a verbal agreement, and there wasn't much they could do if I ended up betraying it.

"Hmph. Fine, then. You have the Latreia House's support in instilling Cliff Grimoire as the next Pope," Claire said, looking over to him. "I assume you already have some ideas already to implement this 'great change' you are prattling on about?"

"Yes… I do," he said sternly.

Indeed, and I knew that one of the first ones was his aim to eliminate all persecution of the Beast race, both inside and outside the country, as well as actively deterring slavery.

I could only imagine that this idea was born from his friendship with Linia, as well as the various other beastfolk of the university he had met over the years.

Of course, this was a stance that I had agreed to, as well as Ariel, as Asura had also begun doing the same thing, but it was a lengthy process.

The end goal was to make slavery only exist as a form of capital punishment, and we had already passed a law making it so that children of slaves were considered free, so we were changing things, even if only slowly.

Being the leader of a nation, it wasn't as if Ariel and I could do whatever we wanted, but we could systematically diminish the use of slavery in our lands by boosting the workforce of formerly slaved positions, such as maids, with poorer citizens to quell any dissatisfaction that would come from nobles, leading to lower unemployment as well.

But again… we couldn't do whatever we wanted, even if we were the leaders… unless we wanted a revolt, that is.

But the beauty of someone that would be in Cliff's position, where he was the leader of a religion and an ideology rather than just a nation, is that he could attack such a concept directly through the morals of the Millis Church, deeming it unjust, and then the people would follow, without having to worry about all the political schemes.

"Hmm… you certainly remind me of that old man… but I suppose I can-"

I instantly stood up as I felt a strong presence approaching fast, and casting a large barrier to cover us, the wall behind Claire and Therese was instantly destroyed a moment later as a shower of glass and stone rained around us.

"An attack!" Therese said, unsheathing her sword.

Yes, it did seem that way, dear aunt.

"What about the Miko!?" Claire shouted with worry.

"It's fine. Eri is with her," I said as I unsheathed my sword. "And either way… I doubt that they would harm her intentionally."

"What do you mean?" Mama said, waiting behind Rudy and Lina with Cliff.

"You'll see…" I said as Therese and Claire both walked behind me.

As the dust settled, it soon revealed the tall, imposing figure of an armour clad man, with many knights standing behind him in rough formation.

"To think that the great House Latreia would fall so low to harbour heretics… it seems that his advice proved useful yet again," the man in front said, taking off his helmet to reveal a middle-aged man with a rugged face.

Well… it seems that the expected battle would come a bit sooner than we had thought.