Two years after the final crusade against the Will of Honkai, I finally stepped down from the position of Captain.
It was a heavy mantle to lay down, especially since I had inherited the command following Major Himeko's passing. Yet, more than the lingering regret, a desperate desire to leave had taken hold of me.
In those two years, the world—once fractured by the Honkai—had finally begun to stabilize. In a world where there are no enemies left to vanquish, a hero becomes nothing more than a spark for future conflict.
Whether that hero desires it or not is irrelevant.
I loathe admitting it, but the foundations Otto Apocalypse built over centuries actually proved useful. Theresa-san, having inherited that legacy, managed to navigate the transition smoothly.
The Will of Honkai might be defeated, but as long as the remnants of its energy linger, the Valkyries will not vanish entirely.
That being said, the researchers at Anti-Entropy estimated that at the current rate of neutralization, the Honkai threat would be completely eradicated within a century.
Regardless, the day I submitted my resignation, all hell broke loose.
Theresa-san literally clung to my legs, wailing that she'd never let me go. It took hours of negotiation to convince her; I agreed to work for one more year and remain on the roster as a reservist just to get her to let go.
Her nieces looked on with cold, dead eyes as their aunt made a public spectacle of herself, but the Overseer didn't care for optics—she just kept bawling and hanging on for dear life.
After a grueling year of tying up loose ends, I was finally able to retire.
I organized a retirement ceremony and invited the people who mattered most.
I called upon the comrades who had fought by my side and, more importantly, their parents.
Because I had a major announcement to make.
"...Ugh."
And now, for some reason, I found myself kneeling on the floor before three formidable adults.
Two fathers were glaring at me with eyes that could burn through steel, while one 'aunt' sighed, looking back at them as if they were being utterly pathetic.
Wait, I thought I was hosting a retirement party. Why did I feel like a criminal awaiting sentencing?
"So. What is this 'major announcement'?"
Siegfried Kaslana, the father of two daughters, spoke up as the representative. He was grinding his teeth so loudly it sounded like a tectonic shift; if looks could kill, I would have been shredded into atoms by now.
I briefly wondered how human teeth were capable of such durability before glancing around for help. It was a futile effort.
The very people who should have been keeping the peace—Kiana and Mei—were both flushed bright red and completely losing their composure. Bianca, Rita, the Class Monitor, and her disciple could only manage pained smiles and sympathetic headshakes.
As for the others... they were just watching the spectacle with rapt interest. No salvation there.
The orphanage kids? They were blissfully unaware of the tension.
"Ah, wait, Captain! I just felt a presence that felt like you were looking down on us!"
"Calm down, Rozaliya. Even if we step in, there's nothing we can do."
"Mmpf! Mmmph!"
Thanks to the younger sister stuffing the older twin's mouth with food to keep her quiet, the noise level stayed manageable.
In a corner, Seele was making sure Cocolia didn't feel awkward, chatting with her while the woman quietly sampled the catering.
Then, I felt a gentle pat on my shoulder from behind. It was Bronya.
That silent gesture of support gave me the courage to take a deep breath and raise my head.
The fear that had gripped me moments ago began to dissipate. Whether it was the knowledge that someone had my back or simply the power of love, I felt a surge of resolve.
Facing those predatory glares, I bowed my head with dignity and spoke the words aloud.
"Please! Please, give me your daughter's hand in marriage!"
""Who would give their daughter to the likes of you—!""
"Lady Cocolia!"
""Give... what?""
The two men who had started to roar suddenly froze mid-sentence.
Actually, it wasn't just them. Kiana, Mei, Bianca, Rita, the Class Monitor, her disciple, the twins, Seele, and even the staff from Anti-Entropy—everyone froze like ice. Drinks were spilled and forks were dropped as every eye in the room turned toward Cocolia.
"...Eh? Me?"
Under the sudden spotlight, Cocolia—or rather, my soon-to-be mother-in-law—looked as though she had a sudden stomach ache. She pointed at herself with her fork, and I nodded firmly.
"Um, should I say congratulations?"
Clap. Clap. Clap.
Raven, who had arrived late and clearly lacked any context, started to applaud, and that's when the chaos truly erupted.
For the record, I faced immense opposition. Interestingly, the pushback didn't come from Cocolia, Bronya's adoptive mother, but from Kiana, Mei, and Seele.
If it had just been Kiana, Bronya could have ignored her with her trademark cool indifference, but when even Mei-senpai joined the protest, Bronya hesitated. Though, Mei-senpai seemed to be doing it half-jokingly.
Seele, on the other hand, would burst into tears every time she saw Bronya, begging her not to get married. Bronya told me she would try to convince them somehow.
But as time went on, their behavior only grew more extreme. Finally, Bronya's patience snapped, and she... well, she pounced on me.
I was completely overwhelmed by her calculated assault. And apparently, my virility was no joke, because she fell pregnant after just that one encounter. Faced with a grandchild on the way, they finally consented to the marriage.
Strictly speaking, it was absurd that people who weren't even the bride's parents were interfering so much, but I suppose it showed how much everyone respected Bronya's wishes. They all shared precious bonds, and I'm sure Bronya wanted a wedding where everyone felt truly blessed.
"Yo, you coming back from the grocery store?"
As I walked home holding my daughter's hand, lost in these sudden memories, a familiar face approached.
"Ah, yes. Siegfried-san."
"And hello to little Bronie-chan too~"
"Hello, Mr. Siegfried," my daughter replied, bowing politely. Honestly, I don't know who she took after to be this adorable.
"Are you out grocery shopping as well, Siegfried-san?"
"Nah, my daughters have banned me from even entering a grocery store, let alone trying to cook. Since both my wife and daughter are out today, I figured I'd take a stroll and grab a bite somewhere."
"In that case, would you like to join us for dinner? My wife said she'd be late today too."
"Oh! I'd appreciate that."
Accepting the offer, Siegfried followed us to our door. I entered the code into the digital lock and pushed the door open.
"Please, take off your shoes. You can use these indoor slippers—"
"Welcome back~! Do you want a bath first? Or maybe dinner? Or... maybe... ME?"
Slam!
Hmm. Have I been overworking myself lately?
There was no other logical explanation for why my former comrade and best friend was standing in my foyer wearing nothing but a kitchen apron. Hahaha.
Yes, clearly a hallucination.
Or perhaps meeting Siegfried-san caused me to unconsciously walk to the Kaslana household instead.
I checked the nameplate. It clearly said 'Zaychik.' (I wasn't particularly attached to my family name, so I took my wife's.)
Beneath the names of my wife, daughter, and myself... was a new piece of paper I'd never seen before. It had 'Kiana' written on it.
I moved to rip it off, but my shoulder was suddenly seized by a grip that didn't feel human.
Creeaaak. Crack.
"Hey, you bastard. If my eyes weren't deceiving me, my daughter was just in that house in a naked apron. And I think I saw her name on the door... Surely, I'm just dreaming, right?"
"Ha... haha! Of course! It has to be a hallucination, right?"
Was that sound coming from my shoulder being crushed? Or was it the sound of Siegfried-san's neck cracking as he turned his head?
I desperately hoped for the latter, but the agonizing pain in my shoulder confirmed the former.
No, looking at the way Siegfried was shedding tears of blood while glaring at me as if he wanted to leave nothing but bone, I realized with a dawning horror that it was both.
"Geez! Closing the door like that really hurts my feelings... Eh? Dad? Why are you here?"
I believe that is my line.
I watched as Siegfried-san's jaw dropped so far it looked unhinged. I barely managed to catch him as he clutched his neck and collapsed, letting out a long, weary sigh.