At the Northern Fort V3C35: Spirit Families (2)
“Father and everyone, wait for me for a bit!”
As I transformed into a small blizzard, Woodbaum and the knights, who were about to be left behind with Father, went-
“M-Milfiria, wait……!”
“Oi, what’re you gonna do with your da-……your father, hey!”
And started to speak panickedly, one after the other.
“I’ll be back soon!”
I said that quickly just before fully disappearing and then flew to Mother’s side.
After things went black for a moment, I arrived at our nest on Snowlea Mountain. However, in our den, there was another person other than Mother.
It was Daphine-san.
“Oh, welcome back, Milfiria.”
“That was fast. Come to Mother.”
The two of them were in their humanoid forms, sitting atop our hay bed while drinking alcohol. The alcohol was probably from offerings that Mother received from the humans that lived at the base of the mountain.
However, seeing two beautiful women sitting on the ground of a cave like this, drinking alcohol was a peculiar sight. Were they doing some kind of gather for spirit mums?
I tottered over to Mother, whose face was red.
Huh? Speaking of Mother, her white ears and tail were like, like mine did when I transformed into my human form.
“Um, Mother.”
“Do you want to drink as well, Milfiria? It’s delicious.”
Mother stroked my head as she brought the cup to my mouth. I didn’t really like the smell of alcohol, so my nose scrunched up as I furrowed my brow.
“You’re drunk, Snowlea. It’s still too early for Milfiria.”
Daphine-san remonstrated Mother, but-
“Milfiria, my darling child~”
*Squeeeze*, she hugged me up and started rubbing her face against mine. Just how much did she drink? It looks like her ears and tail came out because she was drunk.
“W-What are the two of you doing?”
I asked Daphine-san as Mother squeezed me tightly, her tail swinging cheerfully.
“We weren’t talking about much. Just using stories of how our children are the cutest as side dishes to our drinking. After doing that, it seems like Snowlea ended up drinking a bit too much.”
“Milfiria~ my cute child~”
Mother was dead drunk, and had started repeating the same words over and over again.
“Mother, it hurts……”
The person in question had been doing it unintentionally, but Mother’s arms that were wrapped around my neck had started to strangle me.
However, in the next instant those arms released me as Mother raised up my body as though presenting me to Daphine-san.
“Look, Daphine! My child! Isn’t she cute!”
“Yes, I’m looking. I already knew that she was cute.”
“Look more carefully. She’s a hundred times cuter than you think.”
Mother was vigorously pushing me forward, to the point where my nose and Daphine-san’s nose were touching. Daphine-san made a troubled expression as she turned her face to the side and patted the tip of my nose.
“Geez. Snowlea’s quite troublesome when she’s drunk. Now that I think of it Milfiria, what happened to the matter you came to consult me about the other day?”
“Why is my child this cute? I just want to eat her up…….”
She once again began to squeeze me tightly, and I was buried in Mother’s arms.
“Ah, that’s already been settled. Thanks! The two are doing well. But right now there’s another troubling matter……ugh…Mother……”
“Snowlea, Milfiria looks like she’s in pain.”
“What!? What’s wrong, Milfiria!”
As she shook me violently, I wondered what I should do about this situation while gazing at the ceiling of our den with distant eyes.
But if I give up here, then it’ll be a real disaster for the Northern Fort. Thus, I gave up on Mother and explained the situation to Daphine-san.
“Um, right now…Father is at the Northern Fort.”
“Oh, how rare for Waterust to leave his lake dwelling. Did something happen?”
“About that, it seems like Father intends on staying at the Northern Fort.”
Hearing that, Daphine-san made a perplexed expression.
“He wants to move his dwelling to the fort?”
“Yup, he said he wants to be near me.”
When I explained how lately, I hadn’t been going to Father’s place to play as often, and that Father came because he was lonely, Daphine’s eyebrows drooped even further as she gave a wry smile.
“Waterust really is an unmanageable spirit. Even though he’s far older than us.”
“Damn that Waterust. He’s trying to steal Milfiria away from me!”
“N-Nobody said anything like that!”
“I won’t let him!”
“Wait, Mother.”
Without giving me any time to calm her down, Mother used the transfer technique and tried flying off somewhere. Probably to where Father was.
“Wahhh! You come too, Daphine-san!”
I can’t handle both Father and a drunk Mother! -I gazed pleadingly, and Daphine-san made an exhausted expression before saying-
“Yes, I understand.”
And then, she put down the cup that still had some alcohol left in it.
Umm, sorry for causing so much trouble, parent and child alike.
After returning to the Northern Fort, there were an unexpected number of knights that had approached Father and were in the midst of speaking with him.
“So, whenever that Kugalg brat comes to play, he sticks all over your daughter.”
“I do think that it’s too early for Mil to have a boyfriend.”
“So that’s why, as her father, please tell Kugalg off.”
The heck are you trying to say to Father when he looks so sleepy!
When I yelped ‘kyan kyan!’, everyone appeared to notice that I had returned.
They also noticed Mother, whose eyes were glazed over as she sat with her tail swinging belligerently, and the dark-skinned beauty next to her.
“Ohh……there are two beauties.”
“I must burn this sight into my eyes.”
The knights, who were starving for women other than Tina-san and Rekka-san, stared unblinkingly with wide open eyes.
On the other hand, Branch Captain-san seemed disappointed at their appearances, making an obviously vexed expression. Branch Captain-san’s love of fluff never wavers.
The knights stepped back, and Mother walked up briskly towards Father, still hugging me in her arms.
“Waterust! What are you doing here!? This area is my domain!”
“Snowlea…is it……you stink of alcohol……”
Father stuck out his red tongue and said.
Apparently, snakes sense scent through their tongues.
“Answer my question! Are you planning on stealing my Milfiria away!?”
As she said that, a blizzard rose up and slammed against Father.
Father’s face began to freeze over, and *snore*……he closed his eyes peacefully.
“Wahh, Mother! Father’s gonna hibernate!”
Stop, stop!
“Snowlea, calm down a bit. You should resist a bit too, Waterust.”
After Daphine-san’s rebuke, Mother stopped the blizzard, even as her eyes remained glazed over. Father reacted to my crying voice as I went ‘kyun kyun’, and raised his eyelids. The snow that had frozen onto his scales fell off in crispy chunks.
Daphine-san crossed her arms and placed one hand on her chin as she made a troubled expression.
“My goodness, what shall I do? Do you not plan on returning to your original domicile, Waterust?”
“……who…are you?”
Father stared at Daphine-san and said that so-
“I’m Daphine! The Earth Spirit! We’ve met several times!”
Even the mild-mannered Daphine-san raised her voice. They also met in spring as well. Father truly has no interest in the matters of things around him.
“Is that so……”
Hearing Father say that in a monotone voice, Daphine-san began tapping on her temple with one hand.
Don’t give up! Hang in there!
Kiriko Translations 
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