Several months have passed since Kousuke, Shurein, and Mitsuki returned from the past.
In the Management Layer, Colette had brought Seiya and Shia.
For the two children, an important event was about to happen.
That event was their eighth birthday.
On this day, they were brought to the Management Layer for a private celebration among family.
While the children cheered for the food Mitsuki had prepared, Kousuke’s expression suddenly turned questioning as he looked at Colette.
“Speaking of which, we should be deciding about the academy soon, shouldn’t we? Have you decided what to do?”
St. Amamiya Academy’s enrollment age is ten.
While they could start seriously preparing at nine, for Seiya and Shia, they needed to start thinking about it soon, otherwise, it would be too late.
After all, Seiya and Shia had only left the Elf Village for travel, and hadn’t interacted much with other species of their age.
To educate them in a way that wouldn’t make them out of touch with the world, it was best to get them accustomed to it from now on.
For this reason, the plan to have them live on the Fifth Floor had been proposed some time ago.
In response to Kousuke’s question, Colette glanced at the children before sighing.
“That. Their reactions haven’t been very enthusiastic, you see.”
“Hmm? If that’s the case, there’s no need to force them, is there?”
If the children didn’t want to, there was no need to force them to attend the academy.
Kousuke tilted his head, not understanding Colette’s concern.
“That’s not it. It seems they’re interested in the academy, though.”
“Ah, I see.”
Kousuke, sensing what Colette meant, wore an understanding expression.
In essence, Seiya and Shia wanted to attend the academy, but they weren’t interested in the Fifth Floor’s training life.
Certainly, the idea of building relationships with their peers from scratch through neighborhood interactions (play) was not hard to understand.
After all, once they entered the academy, such relationships would have to be rebuilt anyway, so the twins’ thinking was spot on.
However, even Colette, their mother, wasn’t sure if they were thinking that deeply.
Well, at their age, it was a bit much to expect that much.
Thus, Colette herself was still undecided about whether to move their residence before entering the academy.
“Well, if that’s the case, maybe we don’t need to move now and can just do it at the last minute?”
“Really?”
“Yeah. After all, the academy is undoubtedly a closed-off place.”
After all, children of the same age gather there, sharing the same learning environment with minimal adult interference.
Compared to ordinary environments, it could be said that there was no more special environment than this.
In that case, they could think of it as rebuilding relationships from scratch in that place.
Even so, Colette’s anxiety hadn’t completely disappeared due to her own experience as an adventurer.
She knew firsthand how strange looks were directed at elves just for being elves.
“What about that, Towa?”
Towa, who had been listening to Kousuke and Colette’s conversation while sometimes engaging in Mia’s stories, wore a thoughtful expression for a moment.
“—To be honest, I’d have to say I don’t know.”
“Hey, hey,” Kousuke couldn’t help but interject at the overly frank answer.
Towa shrugged in response.
“It can’t be helped. After all, there are no precedents for elves enrolling in the pure sense of the word.”
“Oh? Is that so?”
“Father. You might not realize it because they are so close, but you can’t underestimate the isolationism of elves.”
Hearing Towa’s words, Kousuke and Colette exchanged glances and gave a bitter smile.
Indeed, there had always been elves in the Tower, and they rarely felt that elves were a species they couldn’t easily encounter.
However, in general society, elves were still a rare sight.
“Hmm. It’s quite difficult, isn’t it?”
Because they were children, being rare meant there was a possibility of causing other major problems.
Needless to say, that was the problem of bullying.
Unfortunately, such problems could occur in any world.
“If you’re that worried, why not just make everything public and enroll them?”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
Kousuke tilted his head, not understanding what Towa had said.
“It’s simple. Inform everyone that Seiya and Shia are your biological children and then enroll them.”
“Eh? No, but that…”
Kousuke was about to continue, saying that it might cause unnecessary friction, but he quickly fell silent.
What Towa was suggesting was that if problems were going to arise the moment they enrolled, it would be better to make a big deal out of it from the start to deter any troublesome interference.
At least, he couldn’t imagine there being parents who would ostracize the biological children of an Avatar.
Rather, most people would likely insist on them having some kind of formal association.
If anyone tried to bully Seiya and Shia, their parents would likely seize upon it like a prized possession and reprimand the child’s parents.
The parents’ authority would be so overwhelming that an abnormal power dynamic among the children would be prevented.
Of course, that abnormal power dynamic was often influenced by the parents’ relationships.
Thinking that far, Kousuke replied, crossing his arms.
“…I see. That’s certainly an option.”
“Eh!? You’re okay with that?”
Seeing Colette’s surprised expression, Kousuke looked puzzled.
“No, I don’t mind at all, but is there something so surprising about it?”
“No, it’s just, I thought Kousuke hated things like that…”
Kousuke nodded, understanding Colette’s words.
Indeed, Kousuke preferred to avoid having his power as an Avatar directly influence the world.
However, that was a different issue altogether.
“You see. If it’s for my own children, I don’t mind doing something like that? Besides, the situation is different from when it was with you, Towa, and the others.”
If the Lily Shinto Shrine’s plan hadn’t been revealed, Kousuke might have hesitated a bit, but now he didn’t have much resistance to his name being spread.
Rather, he had become so much of a doting parent that he wouldn’t mind using his name at all if it benefited his children.
Of course, his ‘doting parent’ status hadn’t changed from when it was with Towa and the others, but the circumstances were very different now.
“If that’s the case, then the matter is easily settled. The status of being Kousuke-sama’s biological child is the most powerful shield.”
Sylvia, having heard Kousuke’s words, asserted this from her position as a cleric.
The name of an Avatar on the Central Continent carried such significant influence.
“Yes, well. In that case, let’s keep that as our last resort.”
With a final safety net secured, Colette’s recent worries lessened, and her expression relaxed with relief.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Colette suddenly noticed that the twins were no longer in their chairs.
Then, spotting Seiya and Shia in her line of sight, Colette’s expression became stern.
“Hey! Don’t touch Nana with hands that have touched the cake! You’re bothering Nana!!”
At their mother’s thunderous scolding, the twins, who had been hiding and playing pranks, leaped up slightly.
The surrounding onlookers, witnessing this, watched the parent-child interaction with smiles of their own.
Poor Nana.
She was later subjected to the forced shampooing punishment.
(By the way, Nana doesn’t dislike shampoo lol)
It has been decided that Seiya and Shia will enroll in the academy.
While they wouldn’t be forced to enter if they disliked it, it seemed unlikely at this point.
Miku would be the same. If anything, they might cause even more of a stir than Towa and the others did.
