Caron's journey through the Southern Great Forest was nothing short of delightful.
The elves, much like every other race they'd encountered, treated Caron's group with great warmth and hospitality. The food was delicious, and Caron made sure to fill his pouch of dimensional space with bottle upon bottle of the fruit wine he loved so much.
He, Aqua, Hugo, and Kerra wandered freely through the forest without anyone disturbing them. During their travels, they visited Aqua's lair—or rather, what remained of the lair her mother had left behind for her daughter.
It was called a lair, but in reality, it was more like a playground. Guardians were tending fields alongside monsters, and even a few elves and humans were living there peacefully.
Caron had never received a report about any of this.
New monsters were being born in the lair's incubation chambers, and what surprised him even more than their birth was how they were being used.
"Whose idea was this?" Caron asked, blinking.
"Grandpa's!" Aqua answered proudly. "He said they could be helpful!"
"...Wow. Now that's some impressive business sense," Caron said, half-laughing.
"Truly a creative idea," Kerra added with a grin. "I'll give them that."
The place that should have been a symbol of terror had transformed into something else entirely.
"Essential for frontier development! Rent a mighty werewolf for an affordable price! Please remember, they're intelligent—no mistreatment!"
"Specially modified armadillos engineered by a dragon for large-scale construction! Limited supply!"
The scene looked like a bustling labor market. Workers wearing the Ducal Family of Leston's crest were negotiating energetically with clients, while visitors walked around inspecting the monsters' conditions.
It was, in essence, a monster rental service.
All the monsters born in the lair were naturally bound to Aqua. Unless Aqua herself issued an attack order, they wouldn't harm anyone.
"Aqua's really helping the elves," Caron said with a smile.
What had once been a place of dread had become a vital source of labor for the elves. When the elves of the Eastern Great Forest migrated southward, massive construction projects began everywhere, but labor shortages soon followed. The solution had turned out to be Aqua's monsters.
According to Aqua, it had been Fayle's idea. And of course, since it was her grandfather's suggestion, she'd happily gone along with it.
"Better to put them to work than have them just lazing around and eating," Caron said. "And it helps the elves, too."
"Seems even the southern kingdoms send quite a few clients," Kerra remarked.
"Well, these creatures are stronger than humans, and as long as they're fed properly, they're perfect workers," Caron replied, impressed. "A solid business, really. Aqua, your grandpa's managing the money, right?"
"Of course! We signed a contract! I get eighty percent of the profits!" Aqua replied excitedly.
"Eighty percent? Ha! Such a smart kid. Whoever taught you that deserves praise. Family or not, money's money. Speaking of which..." Caron said, then leaned down. "You wouldn't happen to be willing to give your dear father an allowance, would you?"
"Dad," Aqua called.
"Yes?" Caron responded.
"It's my money," Aqua said firmly.
"...Ahem," Caron coughed.
Whomever Aqua took after, she was certainly sharp.
Caron nodded approvingly, then said, "You'll never starve, that's for sure."
"I just didn't want them to feel stuck here all the time," Aqua said, beaming.
"Guardians act like housekeepers, your subordinates earn you money, and you just oversee it all, huh? My Aqua's turning into a fine dragon," Caron said with a grin.
At least Aqua wasn't using all that power for destruction. If she ever did harbor wicked thoughts, it could spell disaster, but Caron knew that would never happen. She wasn't the kind of dragon who'd do something evil. And if anyone dared to force her to, he'd personally track them down and destroy them.
"Shall we go see Uncle Leo now?" Caron asked, patting her head.
"Yeah! I miss Uncle Leo," Aqua said brightly.
"Yeah, it's been kind of boring without him, hasn't it?" Caron chuckled.
"Is Uncle Leo getting married too?" Aqua asked.
"He is," Caron answered.
"What about you, Dad?" Aqua asked.
"...Ahem. The weather's nice today, isn't it, Kerra?" Caron changed the topic quickly, dodging the question in response to Aqua's urging.
Leaving Aqua for a moment in Kerra's care, Caron quietly looked around. In the past, he could never have imagined such a sight—elves developing the Southern Great Forest with the help of monsters. It was something no one would have expected, yet somehow it felt... right.
I wonder if Leo got the approval for his marriage, Caron thought.
Leon, now the empress, was living well under the emperor's devoted care. Soon, Caron would have a niece or nephew. He wondered how to treat them.
It would be the first newborn he'd ever meet in this lifetime. Since it would be his very first nephew or niece in all three of his lives, he wanted to give them the best.
I'll do anything I can, and give them everything I can, Caron thought.
That was why he'd been traveling the world, collecting rare and precious things along the way.
I'll make the cradle from the World Tree's branches... Ah, I'll have to ask the dwarves to craft it, Caron continued thinking.
There was still so much to do once he returned home.
The only difference now was that he no longer had to think about war, vengeance, or survival. He finally understood what happiness felt like.
"Daddy! Uncle Kerra's bullying me!" Aqua suddenly shouted.
"Wha—No, Commander! I didn't—Ugo! Say something!" Kerra said, panicking.
"Hmm... Bullying children is wrong," Caron said gravely.
This was happiness. These lighthearted days spent joking with people he found comfortable, this peace where doing nothing at all still felt fulfilling.
If this wasn't happiness, he didn't know what else it could be.
And so, Caron let himself bask in the laughter and sunlight of the Southern Great Forest. He thought it had been the right decision to come on this journey.
It absolutely was.
***
Caron's journey through the Southern Great Forest soon came to an end, and his next destination awaited. Without delay, he set out for Leston Port, located at the southern edge of the vast woods. From there, he would take a ship bound for the Eastern Great Forest.
The voyage was peaceful. The winds were gentle, the waves calm, and not a single pirate dared approach their vessel. That was thanks to the Queen's pirate fleet, which had been sweeping the surrounding sea routes clean of rival bands.
Caron spent his days fishing off the deck and napping beneath the sun. Time flowed easily—before long, the ship reached the Eastern Great Forest.
Their stay there was pleasant. Waiting to greet them at the harbor was Aas, the child of the World Tree with whom Caron had once shared a fateful encounter. Since the World Tree's revival, Aas had grown remarkably and now wielded its sacred power to restore the Eastern Great Forest.
Watching new life sprout from desolate earth and seeing the ecosystem knit itself back together was nothing short of breathtaking. Aqua, in particular, was enchanted by the place.
"This is a gift for you, Aqua," Aas said, smiling. "It's a crown of blossoms that will never wither."
"Thank you!" Aqua exclaimed, eyes shining.
When it was finally time to part, Aas gifted her a radiant wreath that shimmered with the overflowing mana of the World Tree. Aqua adored it instantly.
"Come back anytime, Caron Leston," Aas said softly. "You'll always be welcome here."
"When the Eastern Great Forest fully recovers, will the elves return to settle here?" Caron asked.
"Not just the elves," Aas replied. "Mother wishes this land to be open to all."
With that gentle farewell, their time in the Eastern Great Forest came to a close.
At last, they crossed the forest and entered the Plains of Rest—a land belonging to the beastkin. Waiting just beyond the forest's edge were several wolf-mounted beastkin, and none other than Leo himself.
Leo's joy upon seeing them couldn't be contained.
"Aqua! Didn't you miss your uncle?" Leo shouted, eyes welling with tears as he rushed forward.
Caron chuckled when his gaze fell upon the ring gleaming on Leo's left hand. He asked, "So, you got permission?"
Leo let out a long sigh, then answered, "Don't even start. To win their blessing, I had to fight half the village in duels for two whole weeks."
"You look surprisingly fine for that," Caron said with a grin.
"I healed up. Hey, I may have been forced into becoming an 8-Star, but I'm not someone who would get beaten up, you know!" Leo said.
"That's funny. Then how'd you end up with a black eye like that?" Caron asked, smirking.
Leo's right eye was bruised. When Caron pointed that out, Leo avoided his gaze and muttered, "...My father-in-law is certainly..."
"Chieftain Tauga? Oh, I've seen him fight. His punches are better than mine," Caron said, laughing.
Leo sighed.
"How's Adina?" Caron asked.
"Getting ready. This time they have to go to the empire as a family, right? She's busy packing because there's a lot she needs to bring for the wedding," Leo explained.
"She could come empty-handed for all I care," Caron said.
"It's their tradition," Leo replied.
It was, indeed, an extraordinary marriage. A union between a beastkin chieftain's daughter and the heir of the Ducal Family of Leston. It was a match that would be remembered across the continent.
"It seems like every one of my cousins ends up in some grand, dramatic marriage," Caron remarked.
"You'll have to follow suit," Leo replied with a grin.
"I would if there were someone to marry," Caron said.
"Oh, there is someone," Leo said.
"Who?" Caron asked.
"The fact that you don't know makes it worse. You're hopeless, Caron. Anyway—Aqua! Want to ride a wolf with Uncle Leo?" Leo replied.
"Yes!" Aqua cried.
Leo lifted Aqua onto the massive wolf before him and pulled the reins. The huge creatures—a gift from the elves—had become the primary mounts for the beastkin.
While the tribes had begun constructing railways between their cities, they still relied on wolves for fast travel. Only a few years ago, humans would have been killed on sight here. But after the great campaign, the beastkin had chosen to open their lands instead. Imperial engineers now worked diligently to map and construct the new rail lines across the plains—terrain that, unlike mountains, posed little resistance.
"How's the atmosphere among the beastkin lately?" Caron asked casually.
Leo shrugged, then answered, "There's a bit of a dispute with the Free Cities Union."
"Dispute?" Caron repeated.
"They're demanding that all beastkin slaves be freed immediately. You know how many beastkin were enslaved there."
"I do," Caron said grimly.
"Well, it seems like some of their nobles are refusing, and tensions are rising. A few tribes are even talking about war," Leo continued.
The Free City Union—a strange confederation of independent city-states—had played an important role in the great expedition. Without their naval support, the campaign could never have launched so swiftly. Politically, the issue was delicate—but Caron didn't seem particularly concerned.
"I'll take care of it on my way back," he said.
"How?" Leo asked warily.
"I'll go there myself and start a rebellion," Caron answered.
Leo groaned, then asked, "Do you ever think about diplomacy?"
"Why should I?" Caron shot back, dead serious.
Leo opened his mouth, but no answer came. He eventually asked, "Wouldn't it be a problem if you sided too openly with the beastkin?"
"Leo, why do you care about that? It seems like you've finally learned to think like the future head. I'm proud of you," Caron said with a grin.
Leo had previously been really oblivious about these matters, but now he had gotten a pretty good sense of political calculations. So, Caron decided to teach Leo one important truth.
"War is an extension of politics. A famous scholar once said that war is the card you play at the very end. It's also a good card for intimidation. But, Leo, do you know what can render all those political calculations useless?" Caron asked.
"I'm not sure," Leo replied.
"You just beat the hell out of them. Overwhelming force solves everything. If I say I'll lead a rebellion, who's going to stop me? You just sit back and look respectable. I'll handle the dirty work—I'm used to playing the villain," Caron said.
"Please don't smile like that while saying terrifying things," Leo said. "You're going to give me nightmares."
"Hey, we're practically family with the beastkin now. I can't let my dear cousin lose face, can I?" Caron said.
As the cousins bickered, Kerra, who had been quietly listening, interjected dryly, "Translation: He just wants to destroy everything again. Filter his words, Leo."
By the time their lively conversation ended, they had reached the village of Yurth—the capital of the beastkin union and village of the tiger clan.
The welcome was extravagant. A festival was held in Caron's honor, complete with food, dance, and a grand martial tournament. Aqua delighted in every new custom of the tiger clan, while Caron simply smiled, content to watch her joy.
That evening, Caron shared drinks with Tauga, the chieftain himself. He said lightly, "I'll be counting on you to take good care of my foolish cousin."
Tauga burst into hearty laughter, slamming his cup down, then said, "And you—stay away from my son-in-law!"
"Usually it's the mother-in-law who favors the son-in-law, but here, is it the father-in-law who favors the son-in-law?" Caron asked with a smile.
"And don't even think about corrupting my grandchild!" Tauga added.
"They don't even have a child yet," Caron protested.
"Doesn't matter. You're still banned," Tauga insisted.
"Why?" Caron asked.
"You're harmful," Tauga answered.
It was an enjoyable drinking gathering. Caron used stories about Tauga and Rael as drinking tales while raising his glass.
The long journey was finally drawing to an end.
***
One day, urgent news reached them—Leon was close to giving birth.
"Shall we head back, Aqua?" Caron asked.
"Yes! I'm going to have a little sibling now, right?" Aqua replied excitedly.
"Ha! I can't wait to see the little one," Caron said.
Without hesitation, Caron and his companions began their return journey.
It was time to meet the newest member of the family.