The day before, Derek had contacted them in advance, informing them that they would go to the Mage Tower early the next day.

There was no need for anyone to be nervous about Derek’s return to the Mage Tower, but it was different when it came to the people who would come with him.

“What? Master is returning tomorrow? Right here? I thought he would go to the mansion or to see His Highness first…! W-What about Miss Kalia? Is Miss Kalia coming here too? Alert the knights as well!”

Thanks to that, the Mage Tower was thrown into chaos.

Of course, there was no one who didn’t know about Simon’s return.

The problem was that he arrived a little earlier than scheduled.

And to arrive directly at the Mage Tower…!

Currently, there were about 10 teleportation spots in the capital, but he chose this place out of all those options!

Of course, this was his main base, so it was right for him to come here, but the wizards felt unjustly treated.

Most of the wizards hadn’t yet solved the assignments given by Simon.

“Oh, God of magic, please have mercy on us…!”

They all began to break out in cold sweat and show signs of anxiety.

At one point, they even considered pretending to commit suicide, but it was a futile endeavor.

There was no intention of actually dying, but if they pretended to hold their breath, there was no doubt that Simon, with his icy demeanor, would personally demonstrate 101 effective ways to commit suicide until their last breath.

No, he might even watch you until you actually die.

“Hey, when exactly is he coming? This is a big problem. The research isn’t finished yet…!”

“Same here! No, he even told me to find a way to reconcile magical power and divine power. Does that make any sense?”

“This guy! He told me to bring him all the research books on black magic that have already been destroyed! He even told me to conduct experimental research as long as there are no casualties! How much, how much mental suffering…!”

“Come on, everyone, get yourselves together! He will arrive in 10 minutes!”

“Uh, ahhhh!”

It was utter chaos.

Just 10 minutes before the return of the master, who could be described as a lazy genius or even a zealous leader, everything was in chaos.

During his absence, the masters who had been enjoying peace were trembling with fear, some were biting their nails, and some were even searching for a magic that could transform them into objects.

The rookie wizards at the Mage Tower, while wondering if it was usual for the Archmage’s return to cause such panic, also began to feel restless.

At that moment, the doors of the Mage Tower swung open, and the Crown Prince rushed in.

“Ugh, ugh. Have they arrived?”

The sweat was dripping down the Crown Prince’s forehead as he ran here in a hurry.

Louismond, who always had a calm smile on his face and exuded a serene atmosphere, couldn’t hide his faint excitement at this moment.

“Your Highness! Why did you rush here when we were supposed to inform you as soon as they arrived?”

“Hu-u, ughu-u! So, are they not here yet?”

Louismond gasped for breath, bent over, and grabbed his knees.

Unlike the wizards, who were eagerly waiting for them, he abandoned his position in the middle of the morning tea time and rushed here as soon as he heard they had arrived.

Although he trained his stamina regularly, not getting enough sleep or proper meals for the past few days made his head dizzy from even this slight sprint.

“Yes, the two of them haven’t arrived yet. Please come this way. I’ll bring you lukewarm water.”

Henry, who was temporarily in charge of the Mage Tower, quickly made way for Louismond and lowered the ambient temperature.

The wizards around also discreetly conjured a gentle breeze to cool Louismond’s sweaty body.

“Phew, these people… They don’t even think about the people waiting for you, and you’re late.”

He slumped into the chair Henry provided and took a deep breath, loosening his tense body.

Although he grumbled under his breath, the thought of finally seeing the two of them made his heart race.

He had lived calmly, but the past year had been incredibly harsh for Louismond.

An ailing Emperor, demons wreaking havoc from all directions, and an aggressive international situation.

And even the public sentiment had become sharper.

It was a lonely battle where it felt like there was no one on his side.

Without the two people who had always been his pillars, the past year had felt even more cruel.

That’s why, just hearing that they were returning brought him relief.

Despite knowing what a great weakness it was to trust someone so much as a Crown Prince, Louismond dared to trust them.

He trusted them as much as he liked them.

Oh, what is this?

Is it just because he heard the news of their return that he feels so at ease?“Your, Your Highness!”

At that moment, attendants and aides hurriedly followed him, trying to catch up with his swift pace.

It was difficult for the palace officials, who were bureaucrats, to keep up with the Crown Prince’s fast strides.

Of course, the knights guarding Louismond had also rushed over, but they stood by his side without any disarray.

They were all soldiers specially trained by Kalia.

Louismond, who was about to take a sip of lukewarm water, hadn’t even put down the glass yet.

“A magical energy wave has been detected. They are about to arrive!”

Magical energy surged over the teleportation spot of the Mage Tower.

Those who were waiting all rose from their seats in unison.

Wooooong—

Along with the vibrating air, shadows flickered above the magic circle.

Eyes filled with tension focused on the enormous teleportation spot.

And at that moment, two giant carriages appeared consecutively in the air.

“…!”

The carriages silently descended onto the ground, and everyone held their breath, watching intently.

Soon…

Click.

The doors of the carriages opened, revealing the long-awaited figures of people.

The first to step out was Simon, with his beautiful silver hair that could rival the morning sunlight and mysterious golden ornaments.

With a light skip outside the carriage, he looked at Louismond, who was a few steps away, and smiled.

“It’s been a while, Louismond.”

“You, you…!”

Unable to contain himself, Louismond, who had been pointing his finger at Simon in that spot, ran towards his long-time friend and embraced him tightly.

“You’re so late! You should expect to be charged with deception, blasphemy, and laziness.”

“I apologize, Your Highness. There were circumstances I couldn’t explain during that time.”

Simon hugged Louismond’s shoulders as they faced each other and suppressed his laughter.

Then, another person stepped out from behind him.

“Kalia!”

“Your Highness, the Crown Prince. I apologize for being late.”

As Kalia greeted him warmly, Louismond let go of Simon, whom he had been holding, and was about to run towards Kalia.

Abruptly, Simon grabbed his wrist.

And he shook his head as if it wasn’t allowed.

Well, fine…

Louismond thought that this could happen.

He knew about Simon’s obsessive and fervent feelings towards Kalia.

So, feeling somewhat disappointed, he stopped his steps and watched Kalia get off the carriage.

But…

“…Abuu?”

“Kyaoooo!!”

What in the world were those young and unfamiliar creatures inside the basket that Kalia carried out of the carriage…

As the babies protruded their heads outside, everyone gathered at the teleportation spot held their breath.

The nine Masters who were waiting, the twelve young wizards, the Crown Prince, his attendants, and even his hidden escort.

They all froze.

Through the tense air, Kalia walked towards Louismond with a perplexed expression on her face.

“Ahahaha.”

Ah… of course, there were some people who were laughing alone amidst that atmosphere.

A man with eyes full of love looked at Kalia with a face filled with joy, as if he possessed the entire world.

“Ahem, well, everyone, greet them.”Simon cleared his throat with a face unable to hide his excitement.

In the freezing air that seemed to be encased in ice magic, Simon’s excited voice resonated.

If asked whether Louismond had ever seen Simon laugh so brightly during the past 20 years they had known each other, he could confidently answer no.

With a face and smile so bright that it was unprecedented, Simon embraced the black-haired baby.

“Here, this child. This baby who possesses unmatched talent, beauty, personality, and even luck…”

For some reason, Louismond found himself swallowing a dry gulp as he observed the two people who looked so eerily similar.

And as always, this unsettling premonition always came true…

“Right here is my son, Sasha. No, our son with Kalia, Sasha. Now, Sasha, shake hands with His Highness.”

Simon gently held the baby’s hand, lifting it up towards Louismond and shaking it with the most affectionate tone in the world.

In response, Sasha made a cooing sound and smiled brightly at Louismond.

Apart from the difference in hair color, the two laughing father and son looked incredibly similar to say they were the same.

Louismond felt his head spinning.

Was it because he rushed here too quickly, or did the world suddenly start spinning around…

“…Louismond?”

“Your Highness? …Your Highness!”

“Oh my, Your… Your Highness!”

Louismond collapsed right there.

* * *

“So… so you went to give birth without giving any explanation?”

“Yes, Your Highness. I can only apologize for not being able to explain the situation.”

Kalia tried to smile as she placed a patch with ice magic on Louismond’s forehead.

“I really wanted to give birth to this child.”

“Kalia. Kalia… If you wanted to give birth, you should have just told me. Even if that wicked wizard had planned something, I would have stopped him. No matter what!”

“Both of you, your words are strange. It’s as if you thought I was going to do something.”

Kalia nudged Simon’s side with her elbow as he played with Sasha, spinning him around in the air.

It was a signal for him to be quiet, and fortunately, it seemed to work well.

Although Simon turned pale and muttered ‘Heal, heal, heal…’ in a low voice, Kalia pretended not to notice.

She turned to Louismond again with an apologetic expression and said.

“I didn’t have any intention of deceiving Your Highness. There were reasons I couldn’t explain…”

“Can’t I hear those reasons, General? Just once?”

Louismond spoke with a face that couldn’t show anger, laughter, or tears.

Kalia had nothing to say, so she remained silent for a moment.

“Well, fine. I understand that there must be reasons. I know that you wouldn’t do something without a reason.”

In the end, Louismond surrendered, shaking his head.

With his usual gentle smile, Louismond sighed and said.

“No matter how much you surprised me, I’m glad that both of you have returned. It’s also a blessing to have a new life.”

Finally, Kalia’s rigid shoulders relaxed slightly.

She smiled warmly and bowed to Louismond.

“Thank you, Your Highness.”

“I… I should be the one to thank you for coming back, General.”

An awkward silence followed.

Whether the healing was complete or Simon’s complexion had returned, he intervened and stood up.

“Now that it’s come to this, wouldn’t it be nice if Your Highness could hold our son for a moment?”

“Simon, you…”

“Please.”

Simon chuckled and passed Sasha, who had been playing in the air, into Louismond’s arms.

“Kyaaa~!”

Caught off guard, Louismond awkwardly held Sasha in his trembling arms.

“…!”

In that moment, something wriggled on the baby’s back, and wings spread out.

And Louismond felt like he was about to faint once again.

‘Oh my God.’

…Why on earth does Kalia’s baby have wings on his back?