home 3

Ed slowly opened his eyes, taking in his surroundings. The room was modest but warm, with the curtains drawn to create a cozy atmosphere. Despite the comfort, he hadn't slept much—an old habit from his years of missions, where resting fully around strangers was a luxury he couldn't afford. His thoughts drifted back to the events of the previous day, a whirlwind of emotions and uncertainty that left him feeling unmoored.

As he lay there, the door creaked open slightly, and a small fox leaped onto the bed, curling up beside him.

"What did you find?" Ed asked quietly, not wanting to disturb the morning's stillness.

"Not much, I'm sorry," the fox replied, its voice tinged with sadness.

"It's okay, Bobo. Just tell me everything you know. We need as much information as we can get," Ed reassured him, his voice gentle.

Bobo perked up at Ed's encouragement, his tone becoming more animated. "So, this world seems like a fantasy one, with different creatures living together in various kingdoms—elves, beastkin, dragons, and even mermaids! Oh, I love mermaids! Remember when you became a merman on our 25th mission, and the targets fell in love with you instead? That was such a mess!" Bobo giggled, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Bobo, focus," Ed sighed, trying to keep the conversation on track.

"Right, sorry! So, a great war happened long ago, but I'm not sure about the exact reason. What I do know is that all the creatures suddenly started fighting against each other, and somehow, the human kingdom, which used to be the weakest, won. That was thanks to the first king who united the humans. It seems even the humans were divided—mages, necromancers, swordsmen—all fighting among themselves, each thinking they were better than the others. After they won, the first king established the kingdom of today, 'The Bayard Kingdom.' After the war, all the other kingdoms signed a peace treaty. Diplomatic relations aren't bad, but they aren't great either."

Bobo paused to catch his breath before continuing. "Right now, we're at the borders of The Bayard Kingdom. The village doesn't have a name; it's just referred to as 'the village closest to the Forbidden Forest.' That's where we landed. The forest has a significant impact on the kingdom; it's mysterious and dangerous, and it was left alone for centuries as part of a deal between the humans. I'm not sure why exactly."

"Is that why they were suspicious of us at first?" Ed asked.

"No, I don't think that's the only reason. A couple of days ago, they detected strange signs from the forest. I'm not sure if that's because of us or not, but when that group came to investigate, they found us. They also found Madam Margret, so now they assume the signs were because someone disturbed the creature territory in the forest, which triggered the tower's detection."

"The tower?" Ed inquired.

"A place where the mages and astronomers reside and conduct their experiments," Bobo explained.

"What about the one who took me?" Ed asked, his eyes scanning the room again, noting the small details—a picture of a man and woman, both smiling, their happiness masking a long, sad past. The man, with his strong build and red hair, and the woman, with her warm smile and beautiful face, seemed content in their life together.

"They're famous in this village. They came here 20 years ago with no luggage, just their clothes and some money, and bought the land surrounding this place in one go. People were suspicious at first, thinking they might be criminals or hiding from something, but after hearing no news of wanted posters, they just assumed the couple wanted to start fresh. The man, Theodore Sun, has impressive red hair, which is usually specific to nobles, while commoners typically have brown or black hair. That's why people eventually forgot about them."

"They assumed because a noble married a commoner, they came here," Ed said, piecing together the story.

"Exactly. They were called 'lovebirds' for a long time, but no one knows which noble family Theodore belongs to. Anyway, his power is 'master swordsman.'"

"Power?" Ed interrupted.

"Yeah, everyone here awakens their power at five years old, and that power determines their future," Bobo continued. "So, Mr. Theodore is a swordsman, which is why he works as an adventurer. Adventurers take on various missions for rewards. We were adventurers once in a previous mission, remember?"

"Yeah, I remember. Continue," Ed replied calmly.

"His wife, Sarah, doesn't have much information available about her, except that she loves gardening, and her power is 'flowering,' which made her famous. She owns a flower shop and is well-known for it. She's quiet and kind to everyone. They've been married for a long time but don't have any kids yet. Theodore's group, which includes Fill, Dean, and John—who are also swordsmen—are the number one adventurers in this place. You met them yesterday, right?"

"Yes, I did," Ed confirmed.

"Elly, the only woman in the group and John's wife, is a herbalist. Her power allows her to detect any plants, whether toxic or not, so she works as the group's doctor. She's also Sarah's friend. Mac, the logistician in the group, has the 'calculations' power, which isn't just about numbers but also possibilities. He's famous for being smart since he was young and even worked for the soldiers, managing their budget. Then there are the twins, Dan and Araan. Dan has the 'assassin' power, and Araan has 'danger sense.'"

"Bobo, you're amazing, finding out all this information so quickly," Ed said, trying to cheer him up. "How's your power? Still locked?"

"Yes, only the basic shop and navigator are working, but I can feel the other options unlocking with time. It just needs time."

"Same here," Ed said. "Any news from the headquarters?"

Bobo fell silent for a moment before replying, "No, I can't contact them."

"It's okay. Since we came here for a vacation, let's just enjoy our time," Ed reassured him.

Just then, Sarah entered the room, gently picking Ed up as if he were fragile. "My baby is already awake?  were you scared when you woke up alone," she said, carrying him downstairs to the front door where Theodore was practicing his sword a few meters away. "Look, daddy is practicing, and mommy will make you some milk."

Ed smiled at her in thanks.

"How can you be so angelic? I'm going to eat you!" she said playfully, as if his smile was the most precious gift. Ed noticed Theodore behind her, who had come over to give her a kiss.

She handed Ed to Theodore and went to the kitchen to prepare lunch and a milk formula. After preparing the bottle, she gave it to Theodore, who fed Ed while they both admired him.

"What's his name?" she asked.

"Now you remember," Ed thought to himself.

"I don't know. We can't keep calling him 'baby,'" Theodore replied.

Just then, Bobo, who had been upstairs, came running down as if he had heard the question, ready to answer. But no one could understand him.

"Host, they don't understand me," Bobo whined to Ed, while Theodore and Sarah tried to interpret his behavior. Suddenly, Bobo sprinted back upstairs.

"So, he has a name?" Sarah asked, curious.

"Well, we can't expect an animal to answer us," Theodore said. "Maybe we just need to think up a new name."

"No, he has a name. We can't change it," Sarah insisted. Before they could discuss further, Bobo returned, carrying the scarf that had been wrapped around Ed in the forest. He handed it to Theodore and looked at them expectantly.

"What does it want us to do?" Theodore asked, puzzled. Sarah, seemingly understanding, took the scarf and examined it. She found a small tag embroidered with the name "Edmond."

"Edmond," she said softly, looking at Bobo. "Is his name Edmond?" she asked, seeking confirmation.

Bobo made a noise, agreeing with her.

"So, your name is Edmond," Theodore said, examining the scarf further. He found another embroidery with a small fox face and the name "Bobo."

"And you, you're called Bobo?" Sarah said with a chuckle. "What a cute name."

Bobo started jumping excitedly at being called cute. He really was a silly little system. And so, Ed's life as their son began.

Hello, sunshines! 🌞

Here's a new chapter for you! I'll be doing my best to update as quickly as I can. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thank you for your support!