Laws and Debbie were not discussing abandoning him.
That was nonsense.
But after returning to this “home,” that was indeed Gawain’s first thought.
After he led Sylphiette inside, what he saw was Laws and Debbie affectionately interacting, working together to prepare dinner.
The topic they were discussing was merely the allocation of their stored firewood.
This was a scene Gawain had never seen before.
Seeing the children return home hand in hand with a good relationship, Laws and Debbie couldn’t help but smile at each other, clearly very happy and satisfied.
As the head of the household, Laws appropriately spoke up to arrange things:
“Gawain, I’ll take you to your room.
Sorry, since the snow season is coming soon, the house expansion will have to wait until spring after the snow melts.
For these few months, you’ll have to sleep with Sylphy, alright?”
Gawain picked up his luggage and followed.
He released Sylphiette’s hand, but his newly acknowledged younger sister stubbornly grabbed it again.
Considering that he would be occupying her living space next, Gawain complied.
Sylphiette’s room was the one further inside.
Likely for safety and warmth, Laws and his wife had given the best location in the house to their daughter—now also including their son.
Of course, Sylphiette was only a little over three years old.
The not-spacious room was rather empty, and unlike wealthy households, there was no wardrobe installed, since they simply didn’t have that many clothes.
Various corners of the room were piled with boxes of miscellaneous items, clearly without much distinction between personal space and shared family space.
Laws seemed to realize the issue:
“In Mother’s previous letters, she said Gawain, you can read and write, right?
Tomorrow I’ll help clear out the extra stuff in the room, then move the bed.
After that, how about we go to the town market together and pick out a desk to place by the window?
Oh, and we’ll buy more wooden boards.
During the snow season when we have to stay inside, I’ll make two storage cabinets for you and Sylphy.”
Hearing this, Sylphiette’s eyes practically lit up.
She jumped up and down, cheering:
“Yay!
Dad is amazing!”
Gawain looked at Laws with slightly more regard.
By this world’s standards of civilization, a man just over twenty possessing this level of various skills was considered decent—at least among pure mortals.
Of course, no matter what, he was still just a native mortal.
There was no real difference between a king and a beggar.
Gawain simply set down his luggage and lowered his head to check his belongings:
“I’ll listen to you.”
Laws seemed to realize that Gawain wasn’t particularly talkative.
He scratched his head and smiled, intending to say more, but then saw Gawain take out a large bag and a letter from his luggage and hand them over.
Laws said in surprise:
“What is this?
And… a letter?”
Gawain thought for a moment, led his younger sister and Laws back to the living room, then gently placed the letter and cloth bag on the table.
He first slid the letter in front of Laws and explained:
“Written by Elinalise to you.
I haven’t read it.
According to what she asked me to convey, it contains things she thinks you shouldn’t know before deciding to adopt me.
Simply put, it’s probably something like [Gawain’s instruction manual]?”
Laws blankly picked up the envelope.
It wasn’t sealed with wax and was very thick—clearly the contents were quite extensive.
Just as he was eager to take the letter out and read it, Gawain casually untied the string of the cloth bag.
The golden shimmer instantly drew everyone’s attention.
Gawain grabbed the contents of the bag and let them spill out.
Amid the crisp and pleasant clinking sounds, he continued:
“This part, according to what Elinalise asked me to convey, is my living expenses until I turn fifteen.”
A full bag, all of it Asura gold coins.
The two adults and two children present had, in fact, never seen this much money.
Until dinner officially began, the atmosphere in the house remained somewhat dazed.
“Laws, honestly, why didn’t you have Mother stay for dinner and the night?”
The black-haired Debbie distributed the stew into everyone’s bowls.
It was some kind of forest tuber stewed with the meat of a low-tier rabbit-type monster, with some cheap local spices added.
It smelled very good.
The staple food was the coarse bread from earlier, which could be softened in the broth and eaten together.
Gawain took a bite and judged that this dish would be of a quality fit to be served in an adventurers’ tavern—about fifty times better than Elinalise’s wilderness barbecue.
Laws said helplessly:
“Debbie, you know Mother’s relationship with Paul is very bad, right?
She was probably worried that if she stayed longer, she might run into Paul, so she left in a hurry.”
He glanced toward the basement, where he had just buried the money in a corner and covered the traces with a water bucket, then sighed:
“And she was probably worried that we would return the money.”
Laws looked at Gawain and made a serious promise:
“Since Mother said it’s for your living expenses, then we won’t use even a single copper coin of it.
Gawain, if you want to buy anything, just tell me.
As your father, I’ll supervise how you use this money, and when you come of age, I’ll return whatever remains to you.”
Debbie also smiled lightly and patted Gawain’s head, joking:
“Little Gawain, Mommy will help you keep an eye on this idiot Laws, so he doesn’t use the money to buy alcohol.”
Laws protested:
“Debbie!
I’ve told you, I don’t like drinking.
Last time was just because everyone caught something good and forced me to celebrate!”
Debbie, who looked not even twenty yet, snorted dissatisfiedly:
“And you still came home drunk?”
Laws hurriedly explained.
The atmosphere quickly became chaotic.
Meanwhile, Gawain simply ate his portion calmly, occasionally taking care of Sylphiette, who had only recently learned to eat by herself.
The parents’ playful bickering had no effect on him at all.
In Laws and Debbie’s eyes, this was clearly a sign that Gawain was integrating into the family.
But what they didn’t know was that, in Gawain’s view, this planet would eventually fall under his rule.
Every inch of land, every living being, would become his private property.
Naturally, there was no need to feel fear in any place or situation.
(T/N: The scene was so wholesome I nearly forgot he was a Viltrumite)
After refilling his stew twice and eating until he was about eighty percent full, Gawain explained to Laws:
“Please feel free to use that money.
At the very least, use more of it on Sylphiette.
As for the reason, Uncle Laws, you’ll understand after reading that letter.”
After thinking briefly, he added:
“It’s probably something like compensation for emotional damages?”
Gawain had always felt that Elinalise regarded him as some kind of troublesome, dangerous existence.
In fact, he was.
Entrusting him to Laws’s family was likely because she believed she no longer had the ability to restrain him.
Naturally, aside from the portion Elinalise genuinely wanted to give to her son, a large part of that money was likely out of so-called “guilt”—a kind of compensation for failing to control him and passing the responsibility onto others.
Before Laws could respond, Debbie raised her hand to stop what she considered unimportant topics and looked at Gawain with concern, asking what she thought was more important:
“Little Gawain, did dinner suit your taste today?”
Gawain nodded and spoke truthfully:
“Very delicious.”
Debbie smiled happily and asked again:
“Then after resting a bit, do you want to take a bath?”
“Yes.”
(Author’s notes: While revising, I inexplicably felt that Gawain is somewhat like a Primarch.
Indeed, compared to Superman, his experience resembles that more.)
(T/N: The author’s notes and translator’s notes are different, don’t mistake me for the author.)