My Dad, the Demon King, Is a Big Problem-Chapter 99

I couldn’t find the words to respond.

Rearwin hurriedly wiped her tears and smiled.

“Oh my, what am I even saying to someone who isn’t interested in Metty? I’m sorry about that. But I wasn’t joking—I just wanted you to know that I could be your mother or even your mother-in-law, whatever it takes to stay close to you.”

“....”

“It’s silly, isn’t it? It’s just that the thought of parting with you is too hard for me to bear. But Centi, even if we go through with the disownment, we’ll still see each other, won’t we?”

“Yes. Of course.”

I nodded twice.

I wasn’t sure if we’d truly meet again, but knowing how much this meant to her, I couldn’t bring myself to cut ties completely.

Thankfully, Rearwin’s expression brightened a little.

“That’s a relief. Would it be alright if I helped set up a place for you to stay? I can hire capable staff to make sure you have everything you need.”

“No, it’s okay. Staying in the dormitory is more than enough for me. Besides, I plan to spend my weekends focused on training anyway.”

“...I see.”

Her gaze turned somber again, likely because I had refused her offer of kindness once more.

Now, all that was left was to say goodbye.

That realization made my heart feel like it was crumbling.

“Take care, Centi.”

Rearwin pulled me into an embrace.

As I hesitated, I slowly raised my hands and wrapped them around her waist.

This much should be fine.

Even though I didn’t deserve her love, I wanted to feel her warmth a little longer, especially since this seemed like it would be the last time.

“Thank you for everything, Mother.”

***

Only traces of the embrace on the secluded forest path remained.

I buried myself in training, unaware of how time passed.

Still, flashes of Rearwin and Meteor’s faces occasionally appeared in my mind.

Not thinking of them would have been stranger.

...Because I missed them so much.

Rearwin must have felt hurt.

I had rejected all her kindness and asked to be disowned.

Yet, if she ever discovered my true identity in the future, she would understand why I had to be so resolute.

Sigh. It’s so depressing.

Now I was truly alone.

Still, I tried not to let the sadness take hold. This was just going back to how things were before, after all.

Several days passed, and the weekend finally arrived.

From early morning, there was an endless procession of carriages carrying knights returning to their families.

Watching from the Order’s building, I eventually turned away. I thought about heading to train but instead retreated to my dorm room.

Training in the nearly empty Order didn’t feel appealing.

But I couldn’t just waste time like this, could I?

I sprang up.

If staying at the Order was unsettling, I could train somewhere else.

Determined, I packed my things and used a teleportation ticket.

Soon, I arrived at a familiar lakeside.

I had remembered this spot because of its beautiful scenery during my last visit.

If the Duke of Dimensions hadn’t abducted me, I could’ve enjoyed the morning view here too.

It was even better in daylight.

The lake’s surface shimmered like transparent glass.

Sitting down to watch, I felt my restless thoughts gradually dissipate.

It’s beautiful.

As I got lost in the jewel-like sparkle of the ripples, a thought struck me.

Ah, I need to set up camp. I don’t have a home anymore, so camping it is.

From my inventory, I pulled out a tent, a pillow, and some blankets.

The tent, provided by the Order, was something I had set up so many times during outdoor training that I could do it with my eyes closed.

In no time, I had it pitched. Then, I laid out my sword and other weapons.

Since I’d been using my sword exclusively, I wondered which weapon to train with today.

Pinkie, or maybe Grace....

Sigh.

I couldn’t help but let out a sigh.

Pinkie was the Pluto household’s treasured weapon, and Grace was a gift from that bastard Cyrillote.

I didn’t want to use either of them.

They only made my heart ache.

Forget it.

I shoved both Pinkie and Grace back into my inventory.

The motivation to train had completely vanished.

I flopped onto the grass.

The blue sky above me was scattered with white clouds, drifting leisurely as if they had no cares.

"If you ever develop feelings for Metty, could you let me know?"

"If I can’t be your mother, I’d at least like to be your mother-in-law...."

Rearwin’s words floated through my mind, dissolving like the clouds above.

"Argh! My ears! They feel like they’re rotting! Agh!"

"Haha! Hahaha! Hahahaha! I love you, Crescent!"

The voices of the Demon King and my father drifted away with the wind.

"Come find me if you ever want to lay the stars beneath your feet."

The clouds seemed to carry away all my thoughts.

Before I knew it, my eyes closed.

"If you ever develop feelings for Metty, could you let me know?"

The words I thought had disappeared resurfaced.

Why had they come back?

“Crescent.”

It had nothing to do with me.

“Wake up, Crescent.”

Now I was hearing things.

Groggily, I opened my eyes. The surroundings were bathed in pink hues of the sunset.

Huh?

Wasn’t it bright midday just moments ago?

As I sat up, confused, a voice broke the silence.

“You’re finally awake.”

A faint click of the tongue followed.

Turning toward the voice, I saw silver hair reflecting the fading sunlight. The pink of the sunset glided over each strand, making it shimmer.

His perfect features caught the light, his sharp nose gleaming like a sculpture.

For a moment, I was mesmerized.

“Crescent.”

“...Huh? Huh?”

It wasn’t a hallucination?

He approached me, holding my rolled-up tent in one arm.

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“Get up. We have somewhere to go.”

“Meteor?”

“Yes.”

Meteor sighed lightly as his emotionless gaze fell on me.

No matter how many times I saw that expression, I couldn’t get used to it.

Awkwardly, I pushed myself off the ground.

“Wait, did you come looking for me? How did you know I was here?”

“What are you doing here?”

“Just camping.”

“Camping?”

“Yes, you know, spending time outdoors.”

“....”

Does he not know what camping is?

It seemed like he didn’t.

“Come on. I’ve packed your things.”

I glanced at where my tent had been, and sure enough, it was gone.

Apparently, the tent he was holding was mine.

“Where are we going?”

“You’ll see when we get there.”

Hmm.

So he wasn’t planning to tell me.

I reluctantly followed him, figuring I’d find out soon enough.

After walking for a while, a white horse came into view. Meteor loaded my belongings onto its saddle.

It must have been his horse.

It’d be easier to store that in my inventory.

Debating for a moment, I walked over, unpacked the tent, and stored it back in my inventory.

Meteor looked puzzled, but I ignored him.

“What was that?”

He finally broke the silence, his eyes showing the faintest glimmer of emotion for the first time.

He’s probably never seen anything like it before.

Taking a breath, I exhaled slowly, almost like a sigh.

“I figured there’s no point hiding it anymore. I stored it in my inventory. Think of it as an invisible personal storage space.”

“Inventory?”

Meteor furrowed his brows slightly.

Yeah, that’s probably incomprehensible to him.

“It’s a method I have to keep things out of sight. I can take them out whenever I need, or store them like I just did.”

“....”

He stared at me silently, his expression more curious than surprised.

“Is that some kind of demonic power?”

“No. I’m not a demon, so I don’t have any demonic powers. It’s an ability I gained after receiving holy power.”

It wasn’t a lie.

The system had granted me the ability when I gained my holy powers.

“A secondary ability, then. Makes sense, considering you can also understand monsters and animals.”

Satisfied with his explanation, Meteor turned away without further comment.

He mounted the horse and extended a hand toward me.

“Get on.”

“Huh?”

Oh, right. There was ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ only one horse.

Wait... does that mean we’re riding together?

My lips parted in surprise.