In Orphans' office, inside the majestic royal palace of Palettia.
"Leon-chan! You finally came back~!" Anis's sweet and vibrant voice was the first to echo, filled with uncontainable joy.
"Leon... you really came back!" Sylphine added, her emotion so evident that her eyes were already brimming with tears.
Leon barely had time to react before both of them threw themselves at him, hugging him with a desperate strength, as if they feared he might vanish again.
Orphans, standing at the front, couldn't help but look at Leon with an expression that mixed envy, resignation, and, deep down, a hint of silent admiration.
Behind Leon, three beautiful girls stood quietly: Alice, Asuna, and Jean — silent witnesses to the scene overflowing with affection, while his wife and daughter clung to him as if the entire world was contained within that embrace.
(Well…) thought Orphans, letting out a silent sigh, (any man in my place would feel exactly the same, seeing his own wife and daughter hugging another man with such devotion…)
But he knew: this wasn't "any man." This was Leon — his prodigious son and heir to the throne.
"Father... Sylphine… sister…" Leon said, with a tired but deeply sincere smile.
"I'm back."
"Welcome back~!" Anis and Sylphine responded in unison, their voices overlapping in perfect harmony, as if even that reflected the unbreakable bond between them.
Leon found himself enveloped, perplexed yet at the same time surrendering to the moment, now seated on the comfortable sofa of the imposing study. To his right, Anis wrapped her delicate arms around his neck, squeezing him so tightly it felt like she wanted to fuse with him. Without any hesitation, she rubbed her cheek softly against his, like a spoiled cat finally reunited with its owner.
He couldn't help but remember…
("If you don't come back home, Leon, I'll build a flying magic tool myself and come get you!") she had threatened, with a determined tone and an indomitable sparkle in her eyes.
Leon smiled at the memory of those words; he knew all too well his sister's determination.
To his left, Sylphine was no less intense. She held him tightly against her chest, as if wanting to shield him from all the evils of the world, caressing his hair with infinite tenderness.
She too had made it clear before he left for Midgar:
("If you don't come back… I swear I'll go to Midgar myself. And I'll tell everyone it's a diplomatic visit… but I'll be going only to bring you back.")
The image of her, formally dressed in the attire of a royal ambassador just to conceal her true intention of dragging him back from wherever he was, made Leon let out a silent chuckle. That woman could be calm on the outside, but when it came to him… there were no limits.
(Father… help me out here…) Leon said mentally, a silent plea conveyed through his eyes to Orphans, while giving him a slight nod.
As uncomfortable as it was to have his movements so restricted, Leon couldn't deny it: he felt absolutely content with that affection, with that pure and unconditional love they had for him. No matter how many kingdoms he conquered, how many battles he won… nothing could ever surpass the warmth of that embrace.
Orphans cleared his throat lightly, trying to ease the tension, but also, perhaps, to dispel some of the discomfort he felt at witnessing such a display of affection.
Envy? Perhaps.
But above all, he knew: those two women, his daughter and his wife, were… simply unstoppable. No one could hold them back when it came to Leon.
To interrupt them now would be signing his own death sentence: more stomach medicine, more sleepless nights, more stress. He chose instead to simply avert his gaze and ignore the situation.
"Ha-ha… it's rare… to see you with such a… such a helpless expression, Leon," Orphans said with a half-smile, appreciating the scene.
"Father… you…" Leon began, wanting to retort, maybe explain… but he didn't get the chance.
The delicate yet firm hands of Anis and Sylphine soon blocked his mouth, silencing any word he dared to utter. Leon could only cast them a resigned look, raising his eyebrows slightly as if to say: "Forget it… it's fine… you can keep going…"
"Hehehe~!" the two of them giggled together, satisfied, triumphant, like children who had just claimed the most coveted prize in the world.
Orphans, seeing his son in such a state of total surrender, couldn't hold back a sincere smile of joy and, above all, pride.
(My son is exactly the kind of man every woman desires…
Handsome, intelligent, strong, confident, and even at such a young age, he's already accomplished feats that few would even dare to dream of.) he thought.
His gaze then shifted to the three women who still stood behind Leon: Alice, Asuna, and Jean. During Palettia's heir's absence, those three young women hadn't wasted a single day. On the contrary, they had strengthened themselves, honed their skills, and, through tireless effort, founded three battalions that now formed the backbone of the royal army.
Orphans's eyes shone with pride and respect as he thought about what each of them had built:
"Knights of Integrity": An unparalleled elite, composed solely of individuals whose personal strength was legendary. Each member was, in their own right, a hero. Though it was the smallest battalion in terms of numbers, it was by far the most powerful in brute strength and skill.
"Alliance of the Blood Knights": The most disciplined and organized cavalry, gathering elite knights who had faithfully served the kingdom over the years. Medium in size, but its cohesion and tactical efficiency were unquestionable.
"Knights of the Western Wind": A colossal force, the result of a complete reorganization of the kingdom's old knights and the incorporation of new civilian recruits. Though individually average, their sheer number and diversity made this the largest and most versatile of the battalions.
And above all… the military power of Palettia was now virtually under Leon's command.
The powerful and feared Esdeath supervised all the armed forces, but the true authority was his.
And even absent, even away from the kingdom, Leon hadn't been idle.
In just over a month, he had conquered Midgar, a kingdom with power equivalent to Palettia's. Although such a conquest had to remain a state secret, the undeniable truth was that Palettia had effectively doubled in size.
Orphans took a deep breath, letting the pride swell in his chest.
Meanwhile, Anis and Sylphine remained clinging to Leon, as if they would never let him go, as if all the time he had been away was an unbearable void, and now they needed to make up for every second with the warmth of their bodies and the love in their hearts.
An unconditional love. An absolute love.
Nothing, and no one, would ever come between them and Leon.
And he, sitting there, surrendered to that overwhelming affection, knew this better than anyone.
---
(End of Chapter)
I am back my loyal subjects, I was on a trip to literally the other side of the country to solve some issues and I forgot to let you know here hahaha
"Hmph. If you really want to be useful, then entertain me, try to throw those pathetic power stones at me. Let's see if even your insolence can amuse a king."