Brendu's POV:
I have to hold back my smile as I watch Maki happily playing with little Rafaela—well, if training with wooden swords can really be called playing. Like every child her age, the little girl is overflowing with energy. The moment she recovered her strength, she shyly asked Maki if they could continue training.
The little girl's body moves as she searches for openings in Maki's defense, trying to find even the slightest mistake she can exploit to land a hit. Maki has started playing along with her as well, throwing feints whenever he can to force her back or see how she reacts.
He truly looks happy, and seeing that makes me happy as well. What's more, watching him play with a little girl doubles that happiness. This could very well be what I'll be looking at years from now when we have children. Just imagining it fills my stomach with butterflies.
I have to hide my smile as much as possible. Little Rafaela isn't to blame for the circumstances she's living in. She's the least responsible person for her own story.
The problem lies with Maki. He still doesn't understand his position or the influence he has. He's not stupid, but he's still far too innocent. The world of nobles is incredibly twisted. The smallest oversight can become your downfall.
Having a little "daughter" would give others one more weakness they could exploit. People can be unbelievably despicable. They wouldn't care in the slightest that she's just a little girl or that she possesses extraordinary talent. In fact, that talent makes things even more dangerous than beneficial before she reaches Diamond Rank.
No one would sit back and watch their rival or competition acquire someone with so much potential. They'd see it as letting their enemy grow another arm—one that could eventually become the very thing that destroys them or leaves them forgotten in the shadows.
Maki still doesn't understand the danger the little girl would be in. It's true she'd receive the best protection possible, but she'd also become another target people could use against him.
This idiot was a special case. His talent was displayed before the entire world during the Inter-School Tournament. By then, he'd already accumulated powerful allies and friends. Even that wasn't enough to stop him from being attacked in one of the safest cities on the continent.
The little girl would be surrounded by barriers and protection from every possible direction, but there will always be people who don't care if they have to break through those barriers and get cut in the process. Some would gladly throw away their own lives for nothing more than a handful of gold coins.
At the same time, I know we can't leave this little girl here. Her talent is so immense that it'll simply rot away in this place. She needs a proper teacher, an environment where she can grow, and opportunities to gain experience. This rapidly developing territory can give her everything she needs in the blink of an eye.
Why doesn't he simply take her as his disciple? Wait... that could become another weakness for others to exploit as well. He could simply train her at home, just as he did when he was little, until Rafaela becomes strong enough to defend herself from a surprise attack.
It's true that even at Diamond Rank your life is still in danger, but there are far fewer things capable of threatening you. At Ruby Rank, the risk is still considerable, though people think twice before making a move because hiring someone capable of harming a powerful individual isn't cheap.
I can't bring myself to shatter my big little boy's dream. He isn't doing anything wrong. Quite the opposite—he's giving a little girl an opportunity. We have no idea whether she'd eventually end up dead in some back alley because of jealous people or grow into an executioner capable of slaughtering anyone she pleased... At the very least, Maki and his family will do everything in their power to make sure that never happens.
I pull out the device Maki named a "phone." Thanks to the latest update, messages are delivered almost instantly. It consumes more monster cores, but that's a small price to pay for such an enormous benefit.
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There are still plenty of things to improve, such as the maximum communication distance, saving contacts, and countless other little details, but it's already a huge step forward.
"Guess what just happened... Seriously, there's no way you'll figure it out." I type into the group chat I have with Sol, Arisa, and Marga.
"What did Maki do this time?" Marga is the first to reply.
"How do you know it's Maki? It could be something else." Innocent Arisa responds to Marga.
"We know it's related to him. He's the only person capable of making us question what we'd normally consider impossible." Clever little Sol is one hundred percent certain this has something to do with him.
"Yes... it is about him, but this time it exceeds even my expectations. It's something impossible to believe." I look up again to see Maki smiling from ear to ear.
"Don't tell me he fought another monster a whole rank above him... He needs to recover! Don't let him do anything stupid!" I can practically feel Marga's emotions through the chat.
"That wouldn't even be surprising. We'd expect something like that from Maki. Maybe he found a new hobby? That would be good for his brain, since lately it seems to have turned into a bicep." Sol's comment makes all of us laugh.
"I hope it has something to do with a woman. Don't tell me someone showed up at the house and threw herself into his arms." Arisa comes the closest.
"That would be unexpected, yet completely expected at the same time. That man is a magnet for women. Sometimes I wish his ability to attract trouble was stronger than his ability to attract women." Marga writes a rather long message.
"I'm getting a little worried that Brendu isn't answering... Did a woman really show up?" Sol types almost immediately.
"I don't think so. The princess would've warned us the moment a woman appeared. I'm sure she'd call us just to complain the instant one tried to get close to him." Marga reaches that conclusion a few seconds later.
"I don't know why, but my instincts keep telling me it's a woman... I can just feel it." Arisa writes again.
"You're close... and yet completely off." I type after reading all their messages.
"So it really is a woman, just like Arisa guessed..." Sol seems a little concerned.
"If it's not some homewrecker, I have no idea what else it could be," Marga says.
Unable to hold it in any longer, I finally confess.
"Maki wants to adopt a little girl who's almost ten years old. Her name is Rafaela..."
Even sending that message feels strange. I can hardly believe what I just wrote myself.
"What?" is Sol's immediate response.
"Stop joking... At least come up with a better one." Marga replies.
"Adopt someone? Maki? He can't even take care of himself. If we're not around, he gets into trouble every time he breathes." Arisa is the last to answer.
The girls burst into laughter in the chat. They begin reminiscing about all the times Maki managed to get himself into trouble, bringing up old memories—most of them incredibly embarrassing for the musclehead who's currently playing with wooden swords.
"I'm not joking... He's playing with the cute little girl right in front of me." I reply.
"I honestly don't know how to react. It looks incredibly adorable and heartwarming. I never imagined watching him play with a child would be this sweet..." I confess in the chat.
None of the three responds for several seconds, as though their brains are still trying to process what they've just read. The bomb has landed right in front of them, leaving them completely frozen.
"I'll call you tonight. Take your time processing everything. Love you girls." I quickly put my phone away. I don't want to read their replies until I get home.
"Maki, I think it'd be best if we went to talk to your grandmother." I carefully walk over to him. "We should hear your family's opinion before doing anything." I know he won't change his mind, but more heads mean more possible solutions.
"Maki? Big brother's name is Maki?" a boy beside me suddenly says. With so many things happening at once, I forgot to direct my voice so only he could hear it. Every child around us heard the conversation.
"Purple eyes, reddish hair, a handsome face... and his name is Maki." A little girl on my other side comments after taking a closer look at the idiot standing in front of me.
"Sir, please forgive us for not recognizing you sooner. I hope none of us offended you or showed you any disrespect." The first boy who spoke bows deeply, and every other child immediately follows his example.
"Wait a second... If he's Maki, then the beautiful blonde lady beside him must be..." A bronze-skinned boy standing beside the first child with wavy hair trails off.
Every one of them goes pale. Their faces lose all color as if they'd just seen a ghost.
If I may say so myself, I'd have to be the cutest and sexiest ghost in history.
"It's time for us to go," I tell Maki. He slowly gets to his feet, apparently understanding the situation.
"None of you have caused either the princess or me any trouble. Relax a little—you all look way too tense." Maki ruffles the first boy's hair. "I'll come back tomorrow with some news. Behave yourselves. I'll always have an eye on all of you."
Maki starts walking, and as soon as I step beside him, he takes my hand. "I'm watching over you for your own good, kids. I want all of you to have the best life possible. I truly care about you."