Chapter 103: Side Story – Daughters Who Run Through Time (1)

The Empire is home to many shining figures.

Listing them all would require endless pages, so let us choose only the most notable among them:

The Wise King, Kain Barba.

The Red-Eyed Chancellor, Bernstein.

And the Hero of the West――

Ascal Erindale.

He earned countless achievements as the Minister of the Evaluation Department for the Empire, slew a dragon as a champion, and ultimately chose a life of hardship in the barren lands of his own volition.

Yet people couldn’t help but wonder.

Why did he reject the promised honor and wealth to leave for the remote Erindale territory?

For a time, the capital buzzed with speculation.

One of the most popular theories was:

“He chose a difficult path to help others. He’s a hero without greed.”

Someone else remarked:

“No, he left the capital because his growing influence might have threatened the new emperor. He’s a loyalist, through and through.”

And then there were those who said:

“Didn’t they say the Count of Erindale died?”

“……?”

“They say he choked to death on a sausage.”

Breaking news: Ascal Erindale is dead.

****

At the Funeral Hall.

“Oh, my lord! How could you leave us so soon? What about the gem frog I just bought?!”

“Please, name my child before you go!”

“You promised to recommend a stock to me today!”

The residents of the territory clung to the coffin, wailing.

“Ahem, everyone, please step back a little.”

Eileen waved her hand.

The crowd hesitated and took a step back, looking sheepish.

“Was that too much?”

“We understand your sincerity.”

Eileen recited the final eulogy and gently touched the coffin.

Thud, thud.

The coffin began to shake.

And then—

The lid opened, revealing a man with black hair sitting up from within.

Eileen asked, “How are you feeling today?”

“My neck hurts. Next time, be more careful when putting me in the coffin.”

Ascal looked around.

Despite the dead man rising from the coffin, no one seemed surprised.

They had grown used to it.

“Thank you all for gathering here despite being busy.”

“Oh, it’s nothing. How could we not attend your resurrection? Isn’t this what churches are for?”

“Thank you for the positive energy today.”

The people shook hands with Ascal and left the funeral hall (church).

The first time Ascal choked on a sausage and died, the church overflowed with mourners inside and out. But after repeated resurrections, only about ten people came this time.

It seemed even resurrections could grow tedious after a while.

“What did the deity say today?”

“They told me not to come too often, or they’d start getting attached to me.”

It made sense—this was his tenth resurrection.

Ascal dusted off his clothes and stepped outside.

Lia would be waiting in the office.

****

Anyone who has experienced being reincarnated into another world would understand.

After spending decades rolling around in this world, you start to forget what the original world was even like.

‘Was it the butterfly dreaming of being human, or the human dreaming of being a butterfly? But honestly, if I were a butterfly, wouldn’t that mean no work?’

“Welcome back, my dear.”

“Lia.”

Lia approached Ascal and embraced him tightly.

Her soft hair tickled Ascal’s neck. Today’s scent was Milk Baobab.

Life is truly unpredictable.

Who would’ve thought the once-tyrannical Yulia Barba would end up as his fiancée?

“Dying must have been exhausting, right? Let me help you relax.”

Lia gently pushed Ascal down onto the soft carpeted floor.

Then, she pressed her body against his, her movements fluid and natural, as if merging into him. Her long, pale fingers slipped into the gaps of his clothing.

“N-no, not there.”

“What do you mean, not there?”

The dynamics of power felt reversed.

Or had they ever been different?

Ascal half-heartedly resisted—appropriate resistance could strengthen the relationship, after all—while secretly enjoying her touch.

And then, he locked eyes with someone.

Eyes like amethyst.

It was Serena.

“Ahem. I didn’t realize you were here, Serena.”

Ascal, flustered, tried to get up.

“Hm? Oh, don’t mind me. Just carry on.”

Serena, leaning casually on a chair with one arm draped over it, was watching them with clear amusement.

Sweat trickled down Ascal’s face.

“She says to continue.”

Let it be clear:

Having two girlfriends is never a good idea.

A girlfriend isn’t someone you can swap out at will. Whether you like it or not, they become an integral part of your life, influencing it in ways big and small…

“What are you doing, Ascal?”

Lia looked down at Ascal as if nothing was amiss.

With a mischievous smile, she smeared cream onto her bare skin.

“Lick it.”

Ascal found himself in a dilemma.

Serena, gazing at him with a cat-like curiosity, and Lia, deliberately flaunting their intimacy in front of her.

To lick or not to lick?

That was the question.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Click!

“My lord, my lord! Something incredible has happened!”

“I knew I could count on you, Sushia!”

‘How I’d missed this interruption.’

Though Sushia, who had evolved from an evaluation department employee to a diplomat, mostly stopped by to steal snacks before wandering off, she was more dependable now than ever.

A true mood-breaker.

That’s what Sushia was.

“Ahem. Since we have a guest, let’s call it a day…”

Ascal heaved a sigh of relief.

Using Sushia as an excuse, he hoped to escape this precarious situation.

But then.

“She’s your daughter, my lord!”

What?

What did I just hear?

Ascal, still lying in an awkward position, slowly lifted his head.

Standing there was a young girl, maybe four or five years old, holding Sushia’s hand.

“Daddy!”

The little girl with black hair beamed at him with a radiant smile.

Yulia smiled.

Serena smiled.

Ascal wanted to die again.

‘But my resurrection cooldown hasn’t reset yet...’

****

Let’s break this down.

Lia had deliberately shown affection to Ascal right in front of Serena.

In the midst of this chaos, Sushia barged into the office, and while it seemed like she was here to save the day, she brought along a child who claimed to be Ascal’s daughter.

…Obviously an absurd claim.

No one would believe it.

“She does look like you, darling,” Lia commented.

If only the girl’s face didn’t bear such an uncanny resemblance to his own.

Naturally, the wheels in the minds of the two women started turning.

Hidden child. Affair. Illegitimate child.

Imprisonment. Execution.

“I am innocent!”

Ascal protested.

Because he truly was innocent.

But don’t worry.

Even when dragged off by a tiger, if you keep your wits about you…

“Daddy!”

…You can experience what it feels like to be devoured alive.

“Sushia, where did you find this child?”

“She got lost in the territory, so I brought her here. When I asked where her parents were, she said they were here.”

“Oh, that’s all it is? Just a simple misunderstanding. Little one, what’s your name?”

The girl answered energetically.

“Isolet!”

“Alright. And what’s your father’s name?”

“Ascal Erindale!”

“……”

At that moment, the girl clung tightly to Ascal’s leg.

The gazes of the two women grew colder by the second.

“It seems we need to have a serious conversation.”

“For once, I agree.”

Then.

Isolet tilted her head as she looked at Yulia and suddenly exclaimed loudly.

“Mommy!”

“……Mommy?”

Serena shot Yulia a suspicious look.

And then Isolet turned to Serena with a bright smile.

“Another mommy!”

“…What?”

Yulia and Serena were both baffled.

“This can’t be. She just called me mommy earlier! Isolet, what’s going on?”

“Yup! You’re mommy. You’re all mommies!”

Having three mothers must be wonderful, Ascal thought, swallowing his words.

“…Don’t tell me she calls every woman she sees ‘mommy’?”

“Nope! There are only three mommies in the world!”

“Can you name all of your mommies?”

“Yulia, Serena, Sushia!”

Good heavens.

​

Everyone in the office was at a loss for words.

But… why was Sushia included in this?

‘It doesn’t seem like she’s lying.’

Considering the girl’s striking resemblance to him and everything that had transpired so far, there was only one conclusion.

“This child… must have come from the future.”

And this child is indeed my daughter.

****

After a long interrogation and much explanation, the three women reluctantly accepted that the girl, Isolet, was their daughter.

After all, it was impossible not to believe when everything from her sleeping habits to the placement of a mole on her skin matched perfectly.

“...Fine, let’s accept that for now. But who’s the ‘birth mother’ of this child?”

Lia asked.

Serena, who had been fidgeting for a while, finally spoke up.

“It’s probably me.”

“And your reasoning?”

“Her name is Isolet. That’s the name of the heroine in my favorite play.”

At that moment, Sushia jumped in.

“No, no! She’s been nibbling on her pinky finger since earlier—that was my childhood habit! There’s no doubt this child is mine!”

“What nonsense, I said I’m her mother!”

“I could be her mother, too, you know!”

In an instant, an absurd scene unfolded, with all three women vying to claim they had given birth to the girl.

Ascal, now feeling like King Solomon, decided against splitting the child into three. Instead, he asked one question.

“Isolet, in the future you came from, what do you call your father?”

“Duke of the West!”

Phew.

Duke of the West was tolerable.

With a satisfied expression, Ascal lifted Isolet onto his shoulders.

Isolet squealed with delight, laughing and cheering.

Then.

“My lord! You must come outside! There’s another girl causing a commotion, claiming her father is here!”

What now?

It didn’t take long for Ascal to meet the instigator.

A blonde-haired girl who appeared to be in her early teens stood before him.

The moment she saw Ascal, she flashed a bright smile.

“Father!”

Now it’s complete chaos.

– – The End of The Chapter – –

 

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