A Father's Duty

After eating, I cleaned up the table as Irene helped me. This time though, learning from her mistakes, she enchanted the floor to make it a soft one so that if she ever dropped the plates, it wouldn't break.

While we are cleaning, we are talking with each other as Irene asked a question to me.

"If I remember correctly, the sword you use is not the same one, what happened to it?" She asked.

"I sold it. Since the money I earned from doing odd jobs didn't earn as much, I sold it and it lasted us for weeks, and the price is low since its simple looking." I said to her as she is surprised and self-blame arises to her once more. For her husband to part with his partner, it's all because of her fault.

Sensing her crisis I immediately put a stop to it.

"Irene. Look at me. Do I blame you for all the things that happened to us? Did you see Erza, your daughter, blame you for leaving her? No, right? You are a general of an army, be confident, no one's blaming you. So stop blaming yourself. We experienced hardship, true, but its not enough for us to put the blame on you. Instead of blaming yourself, blame the lizard who destroyed our peaceful life." I said to Irene as she finally regained the confidence and the pride of a Spriggan.

Irene steeled her resolve and asked me a serious question.

"Why don't you follow me to Alvares Kingdom maybe with the help..." She said as I immediately cut her off and refused.

"No, you know as much as I do, that it will only tarnish your reputation to have a husband that is a cripple. Besides I like the peace this place provides." I said as she reluctantly nodded. Its true that the peace this place provides is different from the bustling Kingdom.

"Are you going back?" I asked her as she didn't answer.

"I see, you owe one to Alvares' King for saving your life, after all. Do return home every night for dinner." I said with a smile to Irene as complicated emotions rose in her heart. Although I know that she could just retire since Zeref's spies didn't manage to find us and she was the one who managed to find us, she did owe Zeref one for saving her life and is now using the resources of Alvares Kingdom to get stronger and repay Acnologia back.

"I... promise, I'll be back. I will send Julia and Heine to protect you and my daughters." She said to me before giving me a light kiss on my cheek.

"You don't have to." I said

"I insist." she replied.

I know how stubborn Irene can be that's why I let her go back. She always repaid those that she owes, specially debts concerning her life. If Zeref's plans didn't work, and Irene haven't repaid the debt, I will personally take and offer Acnologia's head to repay her debts and take her back with me.

I know I will overpower Acnologia in the future with the help of the system. I am kind of glad that my system is not a slave driver and lets me earn points in a my own terms in a simple way. No forced quests, no immediate quests, no b*llshit punishments, I earn points whenever someone pays me or if my daughters deemed me as a cool father. My system is a means to reach the top, not work me to death, just to reach the top.

Irene talked with her daughters as she told them that she is going back to work and will return for dinner.

Erza seemed reluctant to see her mother leave again but she knows that everything her parents did is for their sake. Irene kissed them goodbye as she flew back to Alvares Empire and report back to the King.

Seeing their somber mood, I sat beside them and told them a story to take their mind off of Irene's work.

"Father, mother will go back right?" Asked Erza

"She will. If someone makes it hard for her to go home then I will personally get her back. After all Father is strong." I said to them as I flexed my bisceps as they giggled and regained their joyful attitude.

[Gained 20 Cool Father points]

'Well that was unexpected' I thought.

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3 days have passed since then. Gildarts is still asleep and an unexpected visitor came to my tavern.

"How are you doing this days, brother?" Jura said as I smiled.

"As you can see, I'm still alive and kicking." I said as Jura laughed.

"Looks like your magic is related to building? To renovate this place into something like this in less than a week... is simply amazing." Jura said as he inspected the tavern hall.

"Haha, you flatter me." I said. Well, of course it was with the help of the renovation tool from the system.

"So? You didn't come here in this wasteland just to ask how I'm doing no?" I asked him.

"What? Can't a brother visit you?" Jura chuckled but his face turned serious.

"But I indeed came here for different purpose. I came here to give you a warning." Said Jura.

"About what?" I asked.

"The Principality of Veronica is gathering a small army and will move in 3 days time to subdue the Wolf King. And from what I heard, they are not a friendly bunch. So they might come here to trouble you. I suggest you leave this place temporarily and return when they left." Jura said.

"Veronica? That country built from the ruins of the fire village?" I asked to confirm.

"Yes." Jura nodded solemnly.

'Looks like I need to pay the Wolf King a visit.' I thought

"Don't worry about me. If they do come here with bad intentions..." A glint flashed in my eye as killing intent surrounded the Hall.

"They might not return to their country." I said.

Jura hesitated when he felt my killing intent. He saw first hand how I knocked the Bandit King with just a touch. But still he's worried for his friend, since there are not many who disregarded his fame and treated him as a genuine friend and not curry favor to him just to kiss his a.s.s.

"I see. Then do be careful brother." Jura said as we talked about what happened to the beast tide and stuff.

Jura was about to leave when I invited him for dinner.

Irene came home from her work and was surprised to see a visitor and by the looks of it, its her husband's friend.

When Jura saw Irene, he was surprised to see the mother of Erza, he deemed her the mother because of her scarlet hair. He thought that my wife died, considering that I was travelling with my daughters and raising them alone.

He was also surprised to see another addition to the chipmunks and saw that she was a half-breed because of her cat-ears and tail.

Irene greeted me with a light kiss as she helped me with cooking. Although she still needs my supervision whenever she cooks, she is improving at a steady pace.

I served the food for dinner. Our dinner for tonight consists of meatballs simmered in tomato sauce, Spicy fish, piping hot rice and vegetables.

"What is this white glistening food brother?" Asked Jura.

"Its rice." I said which surprised Jura as he never thought that rice could actually be this beautiful as all he saw the glistening grain and his stomach rumbled, eager to put it in his stomach.

He didn't mind it being the food of a slave, because, before he became a respected mage, he lived in poverty. Only when he joined Lamia Scale, brought him to fame, but he never forgot his origin and always live a simple life.

He followed the chipmunks example of pouring soup over the piping hot rice as he smelled the food, and cut the meatballs into pieces and he smelled it he immediately knew he was in for a good food.

When he put the food in his mouth, he was dazed as sounds of trumpet resounded in his mind and a mirage of angels with the body of tomatoes appeared and c.a.r.e.s.sed his body and they grabbed his body and brought into heaven where the people there are the shape of a meatball and grain of rice.

Seeing his reaction, Irene was filled with pride as it is her husband's cooking and those who don't have such reactions, doesn't appreciate my food or has a problem with their tongue.

Jura thought he died because he saw heaven but soon returned to reality and exclaimed.

"Brother! Its so delicious! Looks like you toned down your skill when you cooked for our caravan." joked Jura.

"Haha, I'm still improving, you know?" I said with a smile.

"I never knew rice could taste this good! You're simply a genius! I would surely visit you for good food!" Jura continued.

"You'll have to pay for the next time though." I said as we laughed.

We continued eating and Jura spent the night at the guest room in the 2nd floor.

The next day, Jura had breakfast with us was about to leave after eating when I stopped him .

"Before you leave, I need you to bring someone with you." I said.

Jura's curiosity was piqued as I motioned for him to follow me.

When he entered the room, he was shocked to see Gildarts wrapped in bandages and have lost an arm.

"What happened to him?" Asked Jura, still reeling in shock.

"Acnologia." A single word and Jura immediately knew what happened.

"Bring him with you back to Fiore and tell him to pay me when he heals. This is a tavern, not a hospital." I said as Jura nodded and went out and made a casket without a lid from a rock and put Gildarts in there as he carried him and returned back to Fiore.

I let Gildarts return with Jura since Fairy Tail had Porlyusica and was a better doctor than me.

Seeing Jura's departing back. I returned home to prepare.

'Looks like a visit with the Wolf King is in need.' I thought before preparing to meet the Wolf King in his territory.