"I ran another intel sweep on Raul's memories, same as before—cleaned things so he won't unconsciously blurt too much about me. This time I also erased the entire thread about how I set up Ishtar. There won't be any issues."
"Good. That's fine," Loki said.
Doing this all but locked in that Raul would be of little use to the core for a long while, but Loki agreed anyway. He was still Level 4, and while everyone in the familia was clawing upward, he'd gone slack—that alone emptied out her expectations. On top of that, the woman outside was pregnant, he'd told no one in the familia, and he'd openly skimmed the rolling fund.
If he'd come to her—asked—Loki wouldn't have refused to help. They were her kids; what kind of family stands still when a child's in trouble?
But Raul chose to hide the pregnancy and even dipped into money he had no right to touch. It wasn't his; it was the familia's. The moment he took everyone's money to handle his personal business—twice—he crossed a line. There was nothing more to say. Loki couldn't muster any further expectations for a kid like that. Cold storage, then—keep him fed; the familia could afford to carry one more mouth.
"Tsunayoshi, let Finn know what Raul did—no, I'll tell him myself."
After thinking it over, Loki decided it was best if she explained. Since Raul had put his heart into the next generation, sending him on expeditions again wasn't wise. In that absent-minded state he'd only drag the team down. If he didn't want to go, let him stay on the surface.
"Mm." Tsunayoshi nodded. After tidying up the memory problem, he set Raul back just outside the banquet hall and woke him.
Raul's eyelids felt heavy as they lifted. Did I just doze off? He drew a deep breath; the drowsiness eased. A shake of the head cleared his thoughts a little.
It must be everything with Liz lately—I'm exhausted. I haven't slept properly for days.
Pushing off the wall to stand straight, Raul rubbed his forehead. He needed a real rest tonight. The "Joint Expedition" was a week away.
But thinking about it made his head throb. A thought budded in his mind.
Maybe… I could not go?
That sprout took root in the soil of his heart.
"Mm. That's enough," Tsunayoshi murmured, satisfied. With the suggestion planted, Raul wouldn't be obsessed with pushing forward; he'd put his attention on the woman and child outside. If he didn't join the core expedition team, his risk would drop to the minimum—and that was exactly the result Tsunayoshi wanted.
There were things Loki couldn't do; he could be more thorough.
"What a waste."
Raul's effort and diligence were visible to the naked eye. He had no magic and no skills, but that very effort was his brightest banner. And he had command ability—reading the field and directing at expedition scale wasn't a common talent; in fact, it was rare.
It was just a pity. With a woman outside and a child not yet born, he had neither time nor strength to spare. Maybe a few years after the birth, Raul could bring his focus back to the familia. But by then, a wave of talent would likely have risen within Loki Familia. Once adventurers hit Level 4, the gifted and hard-working could qualify to wield Dying Will Flames; even those of average talent could earn a place among the core with enough grind.
But as long as Raul's heart was outside, no amount of power would turn him back quickly. This was his first time becoming a father; in this season, he would naturally want to stay by his woman and his unborn child.
"So… getting tied down by feelings shouldn't come too early," Tsunayoshi thought. "Having kids before twenty seriously slows your climb. Build a family after your capabilities reach a certain height."
"What are you thinking?" Loki narrowed her eyes at Tsunayoshi's faraway look. Raul ending up like this—Tsunayoshi was not allowed to follow his example.
"Nothing. Just that it's a shame about Raul."
Loki sighed. "Isn't it. They call that kid the 'Extraordinary Man'—like a jab that he has no magic or skills. But it's also praise for what effort alone can achieve."
"In Orario there are countless adventurers with no talent for magic or skills. But achieving what he did despite that? Only Raul. He's the emblem of hard work. Tons of kids in the city look to him as their target—because his story fits their dream of effort and grit. The others are too far away."
Regret pressed at Loki's chest. She didn't want Raul to waste years, but there wasn't much to be done.
"He just had a child too early. Most adventurers here don't plan to start families. Day to day, they don't know if they'll see tomorrow. Rather than hope for the next generation, they want to improve their own lives first. Cases like Raul's are rare."
She ticked points off on her fingers. "Young, capable, strong, driven—and part of my familia."
"He had too many good cards. And that elf who left Ishtar Familia isn't a bad sort either. Put it together and it's easy for Raul to sink into the little world of a family."
"But…" Loki shook her head. "Forget it. Give him a few years. If he still wants to be an adventurer then, let him keep going."
She paused.
"And the money he took—forget that too. Consider it his settling-in fund."
(End of Chapter)
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