The Kingmaker System
Chapter 308 - 307. A Father’s Pride (1)

Chapter 308: 307. A Father’s Pride (1)

Lyall, I and Dad then started walking towards the bakery and I looked at Dad.

"Are you all right from all the walking?" I asked him.

"I’m fine, I’m not that old to be huffing and puffing after a little walk." Dad responded and I chuckled.

"Sorry, my bad."

I walked inside the bakery followed by Dad and Lyall.

"Is this Eldarf?" Dad asked and I shook my head.

"No, we’re here to pick some sweets for the ones at Eldarf." I clarified and saw Sally who was bringing out a fresh batch of cupcakes.

"Master!" She beamed before she put down the tray and rushed to me but before she could jump on me Lyall stepped ahead blocking me from her view.

"Eh? Mr Lyall, why are you hiding Master?" She pouted and I heard a sigh from Dad.

"You and your sisters have a bad habit of jumping on Master. Quit it." He spoke sternly and she scoffed.

"You can’t keep being like this Mr Lyall, what are you going to do the day when a girl who’s head over heels for Master tries to jump him?"

Lyall and Dad both flinched at that and I sighed.

"I saw Viny at hospital." I spoke up and she looked at me.

"Oh, you were at the hospital."

"Yes," I said as I patted Lyall’s arm making him step aside and Sally smiled.

"Well, Viny ended up tripping over while she was fixing the shelf and fell down breaking her leg." She explained and I nodded.

Just then Randall stepped in the bakery and looked at me, he bowed as he greeted.

"Good day, Master."

"Good day, Randall." I said and stole a glance at Dad.

Dad didn’t know about Randall, nor the fact that he was the leader of the bandit gang who had tried to hurt us two years ago.

Randall straightened up and looked at Dad before he bowed to him. Dad looked at me and I cleared my throat.

"I’m taking some sweets for the kids." I told Randall and he nodded.

"I’ll pack them right away, Sally, come give me a hand." He called and Sally walked back.

Dad looked at Randall and then at me, "He doesn’t look like someone who could be running a bakery."

"He is a ex-bandit gang leader, Father." I whispered, "Remember the time when we were under attack while we were going to Mage’s Tower?"

Dad’s eyebrows furrowed as if he was trying to recall it and then his eyes went wide in an instant.

"Wait, he-" he gasped loudly and I nodded.

"That night I went and showed them their place but since they had no other livelihood so, I allowed them to stay at Oasis and start a decent life."

Dad stared at me and I smiled.

"There are a lot of such people here, Father."

Randall returned with the stacks of sweets and Lyall helped him carry them.

"Sally, take care of the bakery, I’ll be back soon." Randall told Sally who grinned.

"Yes, Father. Don’t worry, see you soon, Master!" She hollered as we left the bakery with Lyall and Randall walking behind us.

Dad walked beside me as I led the way, it was uphill so, I was occasionally looking at Dad to make sure he wasn’t feeling tired or overexerting himself. He noticed my glances and then sighed.

"I told you, I’m not that weak, Lord Ocean. I can walk for a couple more hours, if that puts you at ease." He said and I blinked before I chuckled.

"Is that so? My apologies."

After a couple of minutes, we crossed the barrier and Dad flinched slightly looking around and I told him about the barrier.

"A barrier?" He questioned and I nodded.

"You’ll know once you see them."

"Wait, isn’t this Eldarf the place where you brought Rune and His Hi-" Dad caught himself and then looked back at Randall.

"Yes, this is the place where I brought the boys for training,"

"So, that means that this place is the one where you’re keeping those kids." He summarised and I nodded.

"Yes,"

After a while, we were entering the clearing where a lot of flowers were in full bloom. The kids came outside but instead of jumping on me like they do, they stood in a line and welcomed me. The four adult Dwarves were also in that line.

"Good," Kent nodded in satisfaction and I smiled.

Dad stared at the elves and Dwarves who were standing in front of us with smiles on their faces.

"They’re really as Rune had told me." Dad spoke and I smiled.

We all walked inside the manor and the kids hovered around looking at Dad curiously. The Dwarves looked up at me and I smiled back at them.

"Are you settling well? The kids aren’t a bit too much to handle, are they?" I asked and the oldest Dwarf Warth smiled.

"Yes, Master. We had never imagined to be in such a happy place, it’s all thanks to you."

I smiled, "I’m happy to hear that,"

The other Dwarves also seemed to be opening up a little bit more to the kids around. The kids kept looking at Dad who stood beside Lyall silently staring back at them and then at me.

"I’ve brought a special guest today," I announced as I gestured at Dad.

"This is His Grace the Duke of Aurelia," I said and then added with a smile, "He’s Rune’s father."

The kids brightened up in an instant and rushed to Dad within a blink.

"Big Brother Rune’s Father!"

"Wow, no wonder they looked alike!"

"How are you Uncle?"

"You look and smell just like Big Brother Rune!"

I watched Dad get flustered as the kids asked him questions and poured all of their hyperactive energy onto him. I chuckled as he felt like he was having a hard time but he started answering the kids as properly as he could.

"W-Well, Rune is at the war, right now so, I just live with my daughter Reina."

"Young Lady Reina!" Sylvia grinned.

"We’ve heard of her too!" Rowan said and I tilted my head to one side.

They knew about me? Did Rune tell them?

"Big Brother Eric and Big Brother Rune said she’s the most beautiful girl in the world and she’s extremely smart as well!"

I almost choked on my saliva as I heard the kids throwing out praises about me.

"She is!" Dad also equipped, "She looks like the winter fairy when she is wearing blue and like a beautiful sunflower when she’s wearing yellow."

I turned away to hide my embarrassed face and caught Lyall eyeing them as if listening intently.

"Uncle! Uncle, can we meet Lady Reina! We asked Big Brother Rune too but he said that she’s always busy so, she doesn’t leave her house."

The kids said and Dad looked at me before he said, "We-Well, you should ask your Master about that."

"Master, why?" The kids turned to me.

"If he asks her then she will come here."

The kids’ eyes started glowing and I averted my eyes as I felt their unspoken words being hurled at me.

Lyall cleared his throat and then gestured at the sweets.

"Don’t you all want to eat these sweets? Master brought them especially for you all." He said and the kids’ eyes at once went to the delicacies.

Nice one, Lyall!

The kids started taking their seats at the dining table and I also walked over, I patted Lyall’s arm mouthing the words, Thank you, to him.

He simply smiled with a light now of his head before he served me a strawberry cake.

The kids started telling Dad about how they met me and how they liked being in this place. They also told him about how they learned how to read and write and how they were skilled in fighting and so strong that no one except for me and Lady Dahlia had ever won against them.

"Lady Dahlia?" Dad frowned and then looked at me.

"I showed her this place while she was staying at Ryujin mansion. She loves the kids." I said as I reached out and wiped the cream from Viella’s cheek as she was sitting the closest to me.

Her cheeks went red and I looked at Dad.

"They’re really great kids," the kids turned red simultaneously.

"Y-You flatter us, Master."

"Ye-Yes! I-It’s you who ta-taught us all."

"Hey!" Kent snapped.

"R-Right, Master. If-If not for you we-we would still be slaves."

The kids tried to hide their embarrassment as they spoke while stuttering and I smiled as I found it cute.

Kent sighed, "Whatever I do, they still love their Father the best."

Dad choked on his bite hearing this, Lyall quickly handed Dad a glass of water and I cleared my throat.

"Master is not our Father, Big Brother." Sylvia spoke up making Kent look at her.

"She’s right, Master is not our Father."

"R-Right, he’s too young." Dad spoke as he smiled and the kids smiled.

"No, it’s because he’s our God." The kids said.

"Master is our God!" They announced proudly and I sighed looking at their glowing eyes.

Dad looked at the kids and I saw a smile grace his features, he met my gaze and I felt as if his eyes were telling me that he was proud of me.