It isn't dismissal time yet when Danteleon comes out of the schoolhouse.
Keeping my glance at him, I sat down to whisper to Six, "Now's your chance!" I let go of the leash and he quickly passed through the legs of the walking people undistracted up to Danteleon. His bark catches the boy's attention in a blink and Danteleon sits down to caress Six. Corgis have extraordinarily cute butts to enthrall anyone's eyes. Danteleon holds the leash and that's when Six returns to me with Danteleon.
Too bad, this means my child is easy to kidnap!
As they arrived in the shade beside the wall where I'm sheltering, Danteleon slows down but he didn't waver his gaze at me. Six spins around my legs, partially knotting the leash on me but I sat down as I approached Danteleon. I stand up again before I speak when I realize he's already taller than normal 5-year-old kids. "Danteleon... are you happy to meet Six?"
"Six?"
"His name is Six." And he barks, waggling his butt. Danteleon plays with him again.
"Hello, Six~"
"... Can I have your time? I want to talk with you."
"You? Hedwelch told me not to talk to you."
"You already are. He really despises me, huh?"
"Yes!" he says but shrugs. "You're not a bad guy, are you? Dad said we shouldn't talk to bad guys."
"I could never hurt you. You are my child."
"... How?"
"Look, we have birthmarks." I tilted my face to show him. "It's what makes us related."
He pinches his own birthmark. "Really? Then you're mom, too?"
"Yes! W-Wait... Too?"
"Ms. Hrista is white, and I am white, too! We're related!"
"Nooo, no no no! Your father is white. Your mother has a birthmark. You have both!"
"... That's..." He's calculating with his fingers. "One plus one is two? You're my mom?"
I put a piece of candy in his hand. "Close it," I said but he was tempted to unwrap the candy so I covered his hand. The candy multiplied into 5 upon opening his hand. His eyes sparkle and he hugs the candies. "Do you believe I'm your mom now?"
"Yes!"
"Would you like to stroll in the city?"
"City? Yes!"
It's his lucky day that I am the kidnapper. I let him hold Six's leash as we toured around the city near Cardozen. Squandering dough to spoil him with sweets, he's also satisfying me with his stories about his father. "Dad said she enchanted that eggplant to beat up the bad guys' balls and saved the day! then he'll smile on his own and tell us 'that was how I met your mother.'" He told the story by mimicking actions, and I can't help but laugh with him.
At lunch, outside a restaurant under its drooping lights, I finally got the chance to explain to him why I couldn't come home. The discussion took longer when he mentions Hrista again, they were told that werewolves are extinct. "That's true, my child. However, it's an incomplete truth. Werewolves are extinct in this world because they have their own world now. There, you will meet lots of werewolves like you!"
"How come Ms. Hrista is here?"
"Is she a werewolf?"
"Yes! She can transform into a white wolf~"
"From the Moon's Order pack..." I muttered.
"You're not going to leave again, are you, mom?" He pleads.
"I won't. I'll stay from now on. Before that, will you help me reconcile with Hedwelch?"
"Yes! So I can have two moms!"
"What!?"
He ignored my reaction as he came beside me for a hug, with complete excitement. It's the first time... and I savor the moment; sensation, his scent, and cuteness. I wasn't wrong when I observed him as the kindest and most devoted child. "Please don't hurt Hedwelch."
"By all means."
"And Ms. Hrista?"
"That will vary." This she-wolf has dominated my children's side! I want to cut her deceitful tongue as soon as possible!
"And take care of dad?"
"That will be certain. I love your dad as much as I love you."
He hugs me tight even more. Giving a peck of a loud kiss makes him giggle. I suddenly felt the letter that Dayana gave me, it was in my pocket this whole time and finally... it contains a message.
...
...
(Hessuel's POV)
I put on the hood of my coat before coming out of Mrs. Lanasia's old house despite being drench. This house remains the bridge between my father's world to this world. Hedwelch greets me when I come home but I prohibited him from cuddling me.
"Dad, did you swim?"
I said, "No. I accidentally fell on a river." I quickly changed my clothes upstairs.
"Daaad, I'm hungry."
"Yes, I'll be preparing the lunch."
"Where's Ms. Hrista?"
"She stays with the pishnies for now."
"Why? I want to see the pishnies, too~"
"Tomorrow."
He complains.
I made quick steps down the stairs, then made it gradual in the end. "What happened here? Did you paint the floor again?"
He shakes his head in disagreement.
"Then what?"
He shrugs.
I sharpened my eyes at him whilst he was swinging his legs under the table. Communicating to him through an eye gesture doesn't make him answer generously. Probably because of hunger. I was folding my sleeves up when I noticed another strange thing. "Where's Danteleon?"
"He's missing before dismissal. Ms. Dayana has been looking for him."
I made a loud sigh. Leaving to search for Danteleon will infuriate Hedwelch's hunger, plus, it's a bad idea to go out with the drenched coat on again. I weary myself too much, I supposed I can trust this to Dayana! Inside the kitchen, I was washing the veggies when a visitor came inside after knocking.
"Mrs. Ophelia!" he greets.
"Oh, hello, Little Devil! Where's your father?"
I didn't pay much attention to them until Ophelia came in here. "I have good news for you. A friend who can help you recover from your bite mark has arrived. Come with me to the bar! I'll introduce you."
"I need to prepare for lunch."
"Can't you have lunch outside? The bar serves meals, too."
Hedwelch excitedly intervenes, "Let's eat outside~!"
"My coat... it's drenched."
She glances at the coat on the hanger and turns around to enchant it: making it dry. "Any more reasons?"
We grab our lunch in Otakwen's Bar which is lively again. I spent more time roaming my eyes around or watching the people at the counter than eating. Apparently, Hedwelch has removed the skin of the fried chicken on my plate and consumed it.
"You have no appetite?" Ophelia asks, who's sitting in front of us. "You seem bothered. Parental fatigue, could it be?"
"I will be more concerned if I don't have that," I joked around.
"Oh, I know. About your business? Haven't you met my requirements?"
"That's exactly the problem. I don't know where to find her..."
"Find who?" Hedwelch asks.
Ophelia quickly declares that "I'll invest and take care of the kids when you're at work."
My eyes suddenly spark! "Really?"
"Under one—"
"No conditions! That's fixed!"
She purses my lips through magic. "Don't be too excited! I'm only doing this because I can see you're dedicated to your children. I might not want to be a burden to you."
"Madam Ophelia..." I could hug her instantly! Yet what truly bothers me was my confrontation with Hrista, at least I received a piece of good news before the day could end. Later on, a smoking man occupied the seat next to Ophelia.
"Look who's here," he greets, and he's looking at me with cold eyes.
"Do you know him?" Ophelia asks him.
"Do I know you?" I asked him, too. "Uh, you're the friend Ophelia was talking about...?"
"No, it's not him."
The man introduces, "I see, you can't remember me. It will not be easy as well for you to remember my name Afvshaganifs."
"Afvi...?"
"Don't utter it incorrectly unless you die," he warns Hedwelch's attempt. "We first met here. You were aggressively drunk and attacked our group a long time ago."
"I... did that!?" I was flustered. "I'm really sorry!"
He was a little surprised by my reaction. "I didn't see you're polite when sane."
"By the way," Ophelia presents her hand for Afvshaganifs, "he's also my enchanter friend."
"Hey, mister!" Hedwelch is clumping his nose. "That stinks!" He's been glaring at the cigarette, but Afvshaganifs doesn't show any clue of consideration. My words are on the edge of my tongue when Ophelia warns her friend,
"Will you put that off? It's harmful to children."
"Then why bring children here in the first place? This is a bar. A place for adults."
I dropped the spoon and fork because of this rude guy. This is probably the reason why I attacked him before! I might do it again—
"You have no manners for children!" Hedwelch exclaims.
"I like this kid. What are you gonna do? hit me on the butt with your claws? Can you howl now, huh? Show me your angry fangs~ Grrr!" He mimics a growling dog as he teases my kid. Unexpectedly, Hedwelch spits the food from his mouth!
"No, I'll bite your butt!"
"Hed!" I warned, and I lent a handkerchief for his mouth. "I'm really sorry, sir. Just... don't mind my kid over here."
Ophelia slaps Afvshaganif's pate and says, "Act your age! You cannot discipline an immature in an immature way."
"I get it," he replies, and he smashes the cigarette to turn it off on Hedwelch's plate. "I already know your identities but this feels," he whispers, "first time meeting werewolves again. The only silver wolf I encounter is Haiban."
"You know my father?" He's becoming more connected to me, and if I recall the only time I got drunk was also the first time we met Matheo—too long ago. Which means he also met Dandeline. "Then you won't be confused if I ask you... that you smell like those men who attacked me in Plandreas. Are you related to them, sir?"
"What smell?"
"The ocean."
He leans his elbows on the table without budging his serious gaze at me. "What if I am?"
"I would like to thank you for your honesty. I understand that you and your group were offended when I started a fray and I'm truly sorry for that trouble. Will let them know about my apology? I want this harassment to end and conclude peacefully."
"I won't," he answers selfishly, and he succeeds in making my words wasted! "They do whatever pleases them. Their mess is not my responsibility. Just go ahead and kill them or report them to the knights. Make sure you play with death very well."
Ophelia suggests that "Why won't you command your pirate minions? You're the captain of the ship."
"Pirate?"
"Dad, what's a pirate?"
"I don't do free favors." He shrugs.
"It's not a— Alright." I calmed myself a bit. "Perhaps it's the compensation for the fray I had done. What do you want?"
"Ten million gold!"
"You just got a whole treasure, greedy," Ophelia says.
"I cannot afford that. You won't mind if I report your pirate minions for the knights to capture them?"
"..." He slowly leans his back. How about a condition?"
"What is it?"
"Don't you think it's hot in here? Remove your coat."