Kuzu Inou【Ondo wo Kaeru Mono】 no Ore ga Musou suru made Chapter 85

85 Kirishima Family 3  Kirishima Family's dining table 

「It's been a long while since I last ate Satsuki's home cooking」


Upon seeing the eldest daughter, Satsuki scooping the handmade stew, Kirishima Masamune said that while leaking a moved smile.

「I thought that once you get a job in the army, you wouldn't have the time for that, but unexpectedly, you have the time for it」

「That's right. The army is not that black as you thought, you know?」

「After all, Otou-san, no matter how much time passes, you won't come back. The worst was when you didn't come back for 19 months, you know? It can't be helped if I come to think that way」

「Well, don't say that. When you're high up, you have many things to do. I really feel bad, you know?」

「Yes, I think that it's thankful that you can come back like this. It's really been a while since the 4 of us gathered」

「Ah, I had the maids rest today. I don't want an outsider present in our family gathering」

Saying that, Kirishima Masamune looks around the dining table with a smile.
Kaname and Setsuna took the seats in front and they ate their older sister's stew.
It is actually been two years since the 4 of them gather in a dining table.

「How is the taste?」
「Yeah, it's good. Nee-san, your skill improved」

Setsuna says the thoughts of the food honestly.

「Fufu, after I started to live alone, I had many chances to cook. Well, that's only when I can do it」
「Really delicious」

Kaname is also eating the food in satisfaction.
While staring at such daughters, the father, Masamune speaks.

「Kaname, how's school? Although I ask that, it looks like there were various unexpected incidents」
「Yes. But it is fun. I made friends and the teachers are interesting」

「Certainly, there are many interesting ones」
「Right」

「Eh? Why do Onee-chans know about them?」

Kaname looks at her sisters with a curious look.

「I see, you two have met the teachers over there」

「Yes. There are only excellent teachers there」
「Though there are some unique ones」

「What……I am the only one who don't know again?」

Kaname becomes slightly timid.
She is feeling lonely somewhere as if she is being left out by her family again.
Sensing such little sister's state, the eldest daughter, Satsuki calls out to her while smiling.

「Of course, I plan to tell you afterwards. But it's not something enjoyable, you know?」
「Still, I want to know. I am not the weak me anymore……」

Saying that, Kaname casts her eyes down slightly.

「Ah, you're right. It's not like we left you out up until now」
「I know. But……」

「Oh yeah, Kaname is quite amazing now. It's like "Seriously, who is this?". She progressed that much」

When the mood started to get heavy. Setsuna slips in the topic of today's happening.

「Come to think of it, you said that you were having a mock battle」
「What? Mock battle? You mean, Setsuna and Kaname?」

Masamune looks at the two with a surprised look. As an information, he heard that 「Kaname obtained a strong Talent」.
But he couldn't understand it in real that Setsuna and Kaname did a mock fight.

「Right. She's amazing. She took one round out of three against me. Well, I was careless at first sight, though」
「But a win is a win. Even though it is just a round」

Kaname brags a little about her win.

「Against Setsuna? That's amazing」

Masamune said his honest thoughts. Even though her second daughter is still a third year in the Talent high school, if speaking only on the combat ability, she is powerful to the extent that she was decided to be enlisted into the army as a recommendation. Even if you search this whole country, you can't find much Talent Users who can take a round against Setsuna in a mock battle.
Upon hearing her father's words, Kaname smiles embarrassingly.

「In addition……there's another progress. There's a really great progress」

「Another one? What is it?」
「Hee, I'm curious. I wonder what it is」

「Wait! Onee-chan!?」

「…………Ah」

Setsuna covers her mouth with the face as if saying "Oops!", and Satsuki and Masamune look at her.

「……Nn?」
「……About what?」

「Sorry! I didn't do it on purpose……okay?」

Kaname glared at Setsuna with a sullen look, and Setsuna asked for forgiveness.

「Fufu, that kind of story? You shouldn't do that, Setsuna」

Satsuki who guessed it somehow, says such suggestive word, but their father, Masamune still look at his daughters without having an idea of what is it about.

「What, even Satsuki? I'm the only one being left out?」

While smiling brightly, the father looks at his daughters.
That is indeed like a father of a family with only daughters, and it looked like he is enjoying the casual talk to his heart's content.

「……Onee-chan? For sure, you did it on purpose, right?」

「No. I swear I didn't. Really sorry. Please forgive me」

Then, the older sister, Satsuki soothes the angry little sister.

「Well, isn't it fine? Sooner or later, everyone will know, right? ……The other party is that Serizawa-kun, right?」

While soothing, Satsuki prods on the core of the problem.
Masamune finally understood the topic. Twitching his face slightly, he showed a stiffen smile.

「And so, how far did you go? Fufu, did you kiss?」

And while smiling, the eldest sister, Satsuki continues questioning her.
Seeing that she poke her nose into the topic in a quite acute angle, it seems that she is also interested in her little sister's progress on that way.

「…………」

Upon hearing that, Kaname casts her eyes down silently with a flushed face.

「……Eeeeeeeeeeh!? Really!?」

The one who is the most surprised upon seeing the reaction was the person who started the talk, Setsuna.
No matter who looks at the silence, it is a silent affirmation. It was a manner of saying yes to the question.

「…………Eh, really?」

Satsuki continues next.
Even the person who threw the question didn't expect her to go that far. She planned to bring the talk to an peaceful end by pulling out a denial reaction, but it became even worst than what the second daughter did in a certain meaning.

And following that……

「……Hou」

The next moment, the pleasant dining table's mood changed completely.

「Haha, I see. Kaname's already at such age, huh. Well, very well」

Contrary to the words, Satsuki calls out to her father who is distorting the surroundings with his aura.

「O-Otou-san?」

「Nn? What is it?」

When he was called, he turned towards Satsuki while smiling.

His eyes are certainly smiling.
His mouth too.
His whole face is smiling brightly.

But his mood is not smiling at all.

「Nnn? What's wrong? Is there something on my face?」

「No, it's not that, but……」

The eldest daughter, Satsuki couldn't say a word due to the different kind of pressure that she had not seen before from her father.

「Haha, Serizawa-kun, was it? I heard about what he did. I heard that he was the hero who saved Kaname in the assault the other day. I heard he's a boy with splendid ability」

「Yes, that is right. He saved me many times」

Hearing her father praising the person in her heart unexpectedly, Kaname didn't feel dissatisfied at all.
Apparently, she doesn't understood the meaning of the pressure as much as her older sisters.

「The reason why I can use my power is mostly……no. All because of him」

「I see, I see. That's nice to hear. I'm expecting much of Serizawa-kun. I would like to meet him once by all means」

Persistent with his smile, Masamune listens to Kaname's story while nodding. It looks like only the two elder sisters realized about the strangeness, and Kaname continues to talk happily.

「You see, Serizawa-kun is really amazing. Even the Level 4, Hikawa-kun didn't stand a chance against him. He even dealt with the large rock in the air during the assault……He always save me when I am in trouble. Even during the time when I was kidnapped. He is really kind」

「I see, I see. That's amazing. He's really wonderful」

「In addition, there is another girl he saved. I became good friends with her. She is called Kagura-san……She was also saved by Serizawa-kun when she was in trouble」

「Hou, I see, I see」

「He is really amazing. At that time, he should be the same Level 1 as me, but he defeated all the Talent Users involved in the kidnapping」

Facing her father, Kaname talks happily while blushing slightly.
Masamune listens to her story while nodding like a robot.
The two elder sisters are looking at them while holding their breath.

「……Otou-san?」

Unable to just watch, Satsuki calls out to her father, but her father suddenly changed the topic.

「Ah, come to think of it, I heard that Meria-san is creating a 『Reserve Corps』 of the Talent Police」

「Talent Police?」
「Reserve Corps?」

"Why are you bringing up such topic now?", Satsuki and Kaname have such expression, and they look at their father, Masamune.
Their father still has an unnatural smile.

「Ah, it's about systematic implementation of increasing the number of apprentice members just like what Setsuna is doing right now. Did you get the news of it, Satsuki?」

「Yes, the topic came up during the departmental meeting this week. I know about the outline of it」

「I heard that at first, they are going to assign the students from Teihen High School as a test case. Serizawa-kun is also among them. They have already came in contact with the 『Variant』 during the assault. The reason seems to be that the first years this year are very excellent」

「Hee……」

Satsuki listens to her father's talk with a puzzled expression. She still can't grasp the true motive of his talk.

「I heard the training will start soon. That's why, Satsuki, why don't you go there and give him a direct coaching?」

And there, Satsuki finally understood her father's true motive, or rather, his direct motive.

「I'm okay with it, but……is that okay for the army?」

Satsuki confirms just in case. Because that is an abuse of authority.

「Haha, what are you saying? Serizawa-kun is the person who will carry the next generation, no, he's the person who will carry the country from now on. Isn't it natural as the army to put efforts into his training?」

Without breaking his eerie smile, father, Masamune said that. The unnaturalness is not fully concealed at all from his way of talking, but for some reason, Kaname laughs embarrassingly as if she is being praised.
The two elder sisters look at them in amaze.

「That's why, I want you to coach him plentifully as the senior. Can you, Satsuki?」

「……I understand. I'm also interested in him after all」

「I see, you will accept it, huh. Serizawa-kun is an important personnel who will carry the future. Please be courteous」

「Haa……」

Satsuki sighs softly.

(Satsuki POV)

Because I had been devoting in her studies and trainings so far, I didn't have the chance to experience such thing, but apparently, my father has no immunity towards his daughters' love matters.

I thought before that what would happen if Setsuna brings her lover one day. I didn't expect Kaname to the first……

「Well, I'm happy to hear such report today. That Kaname is already at that age. And the other party is Serizawa-kun, huh. Well, very well」

Our father brought us up preciously.
Especially the youngest daughter, Kaname. Even from my perspective as her sister, our father loves her dearly. Compared to the two of us who were strictly brought up to serve the army in the future, he was overprotective on Kaname.
He might intent to be treating her strictly, but somehow, he listened to all of her wishes except things related to combat.

In fact, he's too soft. You can say that he's doting her.

(End of Satsuki POV)

「Satsuki, he's the person who will carry the future of the country. It's not an exaggeration to say that his ability will determine the trend of the world in the future. That's why, make sure his training is……」

Father, Masamune approaches Satsuki with an unnatural smile……

「Harsh」

And said that with a low voice.

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