The Monster Knight wants Parental Leave

“Well, I’ll be off. It won’t take more than an hour.”

“Right, Hiss is nearby, so don’t worry and wait. Little leader!”

Gilliana and Vernon waved from the carriage as they headed out of the lodging. Unbeknownst to the coachman, who curiously observed the scene, a shy child peeked from behind the curtained window.

Gilliana had hurriedly departed due to some household matters, while Vernon had gone to shop for dinner. They were both occupied and had entrusted Hiss to the care of the child. However, the boy seemed engrossed in reading a book in a corner of the lodging and did not reveal himself.

Nia was left alone for a moment.

After their departure, the child surveyed the now quiet lodging.

A dollhouse, a wooden horse, blocks, and an unpacked toy box.

The new toys, which Nia had only glanced at for a few days, still felt unfamiliar to her.

With nowhere else to direct her attention, Nia shifted her gaze to her attire.

She wore a lovely outfit adorned with a small sky-blue ribbon.

The child toyed with the small ribbon attached to her dress.

Though the fancy attire remained unfamiliar, there was one aspect that piqued her curiosity.

-Crisp.

The sensation of the ribbon was crisp, and Nia, likening it to the rustling of sparkling fairy wings, giggled.

Thus, the child stood in place, engrossed in playing with the ribbon, before suddenly heading straight to the bedroom, as if inspired by something delightful.

Upon reaching the bedroom, she climbed onto the bed with a small grunt, surveying the laid-out pillows.

Then, she rubbed her face against one of the pillows.

“This one Nia’s.”

Though no one had inquired, she murmured as if speaking to someone, shyly lifting the corner of her mouth as she glanced at the remaining pillow.

Swiftly tidying up the bedding, as if anxious about being caught, the child made her way to the bathroom.

In the bathroom, Nia arrived with her small steps, intently observing the two toothbrushes placed side by side.

She picked up her own tiny toothbrush and mimicked brushing her teeth while gazing at herself in the mirror.

“This one is also Nia’s. And this one is…”

Suppressing her laughter at her own actions, she carefully placed the toothbrush back next to Lucia’s.

“Lucia’s.”

Resting her chin on the sink, the child gazed at the larger toothbrush next to her own, beaming.

And then…

“Hi, my name is Nia. Lucia gave me that name. Lucia is…”

The previously giggling child began to babble in front of the mirror but was unable to complete her sentence, her cheeks turning red.

She burst into laughter again, repeating her name once more.

The child seemed to be fond of the new name that Lucia had bestowed upon her. Having been given names consecutively at the orphanage, she did not feel a strong attachment to those names. Discovering that another child would follow after her departure, Nia was thrilled to have a name of her own.

For some unknown reason, Nia, who rarely expressed her preferences in front of others, found immense joy in secretly admiring the numerous gifts sent by Leon, especially those that matched her mother’s belongings.

This radiant demeanor was unlike her usual self when in the presence of others, revealing the innocence of a five-year-old child.

Filled with energy, Nia embarked on another journey.

She made her way to the kitchen window.

Under the scorching sunlight, Nia reached out with her toes, gently pulling a small piece of cloth towards her.

With a firm grip on the cloth, she ventured to the bathroom to dampen it.

Carrying the moistened cloth, the child entered the living room, her eyes widening at the sight that greeted her.

From Nia’s perspective, she hadn’t been able to fulfill her duties properly due to Gilliana and Vernon’s interference. Therefore, the moments when nobody was home presented the perfect opportunity.

Envisioning the best version of herself, she began cleaning with fervor.

The glass cabinet, beneath the sofa, under the table— the little one diligently tackled every nook and cranny, her forehead turning pink from exertion.

As a gentle breeze caressed her forehead, Nia absentmindedly lifted her head and closed her eyes, relishing the fragrance of the wind.

When she opened her eyes again, she noticed a plate precariously positioned on the open window, from where the breeze originated.

It was a plate with a gold rim that Gilliana was planning to discard.

Staring at the plate, Nia proclaimed,

“…The plate belongs in the kitchen!”

In a daring attempt to restore order, she tiptoed and picked up the plate.

-Clunk.

However, Nia was startled by the sudden sound of someone entering.

Could it be Gilliana and Vernon returning already?

The person who stepped into the room was Hiss.

His eyes, weary and parched, fixated on something in Nia’s hand.

The child slowly glanced at her hand under Hiss’s gaze.

“…!”

Indeed, it was the broken plate.

Though they shared the same physical space, the atmosphere between them couldn’t be more different—one filled with despair, the other with indifference.

“…Nia clean, ah…”

Hiss’s indifferent gaze showed no trace of compassion, no willingness to listen to Nia’s words.

“Broken. Plate…! Now Nia… chased…! Whaaa…!”

The child began to babble incoherently, tears streaming down her face.

“…”

Watching the scene unfold, Hiss briefly contemplated whether he should heed the child’s words and send her away.

But knowing that Lucia would never cast her aside over a broken plate, he dismissed the thought.

And then…

He noticed a radiant aura emanating from the weeping child’s body.

Witnessing the luminous holy power, Hiss’s expression underwent a profound change.

The immense and potent holy power, coupled with her jet-black hair— these were the unmistakable attributes of the Saint being sought across the entire continent, not just within the confines of the temples.

Had anyone noticed, they would have prostrated themselves before the saint, eyes brimming with reverence.

However, Hiss was different.

His countenance, cold and unyielding, harbored the notion that if he left the child at the temple’s doorstep, he could rid Lucia of her presence.

The child would be gone.

That meant he could once again wander freely, living a blissful life alongside Lucia, just as they had before.

With his mind made up, Hiss raised his hand without a trace of hesitation.

To open a portal and dispatch the child to the temple’s entrance.

Yet, in that very moment, the holy power swirling around the child began to flicker restlessly.

In perfect sync with the anxious tears streaming down the child’s face, its movements shifted with every passing second.

The sight of it teetering on the brink of turmoil blurred Hiss’s vision.

Had this been mana, its aggressive nature would have laid waste to the surroundings. However, the benign holy power had no impact on its environment.

Nevertheless, witnessing the uneasy fluctuations that disturbed his sight, memories from his past flooded Hiss’s mind.

Hiss was the worthless son of a con artist.

His father would travel to various villages, peddling dubious remedies. When news of their schemes reached the capital, they were forced to hide in a secluded village nestled deep in the mountains.

However, when a monster descended upon their humble abode, his father exploited Hiss, a fledgling wizard, demanding payment for protecting the village.

Young Hiss was terrified, unable to even meet the creature’s gaze, yet he felt a modicum of happiness.

Why? Because he had found friendship for the first time in the village they had settled in.

However, that joy proved ephemeral when an overpowering monster, beyond the young wizard’s capabilities, attacked, leaving young Hiss gravely wounded.

Even so, the villagers, including his own family and newfound friends, callously thrust the injured boy towards the terrifying beast.

The cruelty inflicted upon a mere ten-year-old shattered his spirit, triggering a rampage of his mana.

Much like the restless holy power before him now.

Would this child suffer the same fate?

Echoes of screams and monstrous roars from that time resurfaced in Hiss’s mind.

Recalling the flickering of his own mana, Hiss remained unfazed by Nia’s turbulent power.

Silently, he quelled the violently fluctuating holy energy with his own mana.

And as her body suddenly stabilized, the child ceased her tears and locked eyes with the boy.

Hiss let out a faint sigh, surmising that her expression of stony resolve likely mirrored his own countenance after Lucia had subdued his own rampage.

“Do you… want to stay here?” Hiss inquired, addressing Nia.

Nia, her face stained with tears and mucus, sniffled once more, responding to Hiss’s question after what felt like an eternity.

“…Yes.”

It was a small yet resolute answer.

Observing her for a while, he employed his magic to mend the broken plate.

“…Wo-wow!”

The child’s astonishment was fleeting, and she gingerly placed the repaired plate on the table, vowing to handle it with care from that moment forward.

“Engaging in such acts draws attention. It’s better to live an ordinary life. That goes for you too.”

“You too.”

Those words likely encompassed himself as well.

The reason why Hiss, possessing prodigious mana akin to Nia’s immense holy power, chose to conceal most of his abilities and abstain from joining the ranks of the mages was because he wished to remain by Lucia’s side. More importantly, it stemmed from his lack of trust in the avarice of others, save for Lucia.

Hiss believed that this child, whom Lucia had taken under her wing, was no exception.

“Ordinary…? What’s that?” Nia queried, fixating on the word that resonated most from Hiss’s utterance.

“I don’t know.”

“……”

Nia appeared crestfallen.

Witnessing Nia’s demeanor, Hiss involuntarily contemplated the term ‘ordinary’ that he had casually thrown out.

Recollections of his first friend in the village surfaced in his mind.

Despite that friend exposing him to peril, he was the first person Hiss thought of when considering what it meant to be ordinary.

Hiss retraced his memories alongside that friend.

“…Laughing well. Eating well. Having many friends.”

The fact that such memories persisted as memories was likely owed to Lucia and his fellow knights.

“Friends…?”

As Nia pondered his murmurs, the door to the lodging swung open.

As anticipated, it was Gilliana, returning as promised.

However, she was not alone.

A little child nestled in Gilliana’s arms.

The red-haired child blinked her round eyes, boldly surveying the room as if claiming it as her own territory.

“Hmm. This place seems suitable.”

Before the central library of the royal palace, nobles, attired for an outing, exchanged hushed conversations in small groups.

“Look over there. I can’t believe it.”

“That’s right, she asked for a parenting book!”

“My goodness… It seems she really does have a child…!”

As Lucia turned her head towards the hushed whispers, everyone pretended not to notice and scattered, their brows glistening with perspiration.

As they remarked, she was making her way out of the library, having borrowed a parenting book since she was already in the palace.

“It’s been a while. Such attention.”

Having spent her recent days secluded in the mountains, Lucia couldn’t help but be reminded of her youth as people actively avoided her gaze. She surveyed her surroundings.

Eyes brimming with trepidation, gazes unable to avert even if tinged with curiosity, and hushed conversations spilling from pursed lips.

Rather than disappointment, the spectacle evoked a sense of curiosity, as if her past self had materialized before her through this regression.

Then, she caught sight of a cluster of people gathered at a short distance from her.

Lucia surmised who might be at the center of the commotion.

Light and darkness.

Among those people, there stood someone hailing from a realm of radiance vastly distinct from her own.

And just as she anticipated, a man emerged from the throng, striding towards her with purposeful steps.

He appeared shrouded in an ethereal light, untainted by a single speck of dust. He spoke,

“Lucia, it seems you’ve come to borrow a book.”

That was Leon Ruins, who, despite his seemingly nonchalant and casual demeanor, had actually hurriedly made his way over, pretending their encounter was mere happenstance.

Lucia nodded, abstaining from offering a response.

Finally, Leon’s eyes, previously preoccupied with the book in her hand, settled down.

“Ah, a parenting book… I see.”

Upon beholding the image of a child on the book’s cover, it seemed he had finally comprehended that she had a child.

As Lucia gazed at him, standing in silence, she raised the book once more, preparing to continue on her way.

Suddenly, he exclaimed, a blend of surprise and urgency evident in his voice.

“…Ah! That book over there…!”

When Lucia turned around, she found him blushing, fixated on the back cover of the book.