Harvey, still riding his momentum, continued his tirade with exaggerated gestures.
"The position of Headmaster is certainly an honorable one! The joy of nurturing so many students and the rewarding work of magical research are wonderful! But all of that... is worthless compared to Liz-chan! I want to just dump everything on my son, retreat to a villa deep in the mountains, and spend all day cuddling with my wife!"
“You’re being way too honest!! I mean, I’m the last person to say this, but what the hell do you think your son is!?”
“Why, my adorable son, of course. Which is precisely why I think it’s about time you met your new little sister or brother~.”
“Stop, that’s way too vivid…!”
The pair screamed at each other, almost on the verge of grabbing each other by the collar.
Three years ago, they got into a similar argument, and it turned into a three-day, three-night battle to the death.
This time, with Charlotte and Liselotte nearby, they avoided using magic and focused solely on arguing.
Watching her husband and son bicker, Lieselotte let out a small sigh as she sipped her tea.
“I’m so sorry, Charlotte-chan. Our family’s rather noisy, aren’t we? Did we frighten you?”
“N-not at all. I think it’s wonderful how close your family is. I’m envious!”
“Ufufu, thank you. But Charlotte-chan, you’re already like a daughter to us, you know?”
Lieselotte stood and gently stroked Charlotte’s head.
"You've been through a lot too, haven't you? I'd be happy if you could rely on me and think of me as a second mother."
"Mother..."
『Luu, Luu too! Liz mama’s cookies are delicious!』
“But of course, you’re one of my children too~. Eat as much as you like, dear.”
As Luu snuggled up to her, Liselotte's smile grew even broader. Though she looked childlike, she had raised both Allen and Eruca, her heart was that of a firm, dependable mother.
Ugly father-son quarrel on one side, heartwarming women’s bonding on the other.
Surrounded by such contrasting scenes, Gousetsu groaned.
『As expected of Lord Allen’s household. One might call it a bargain sale of eccentrics.』
“Ahaha, sorry about my papa and mama getting carried away.”
『Oh! Lady Eruca, you’ve returned.』
Eruca, having come back, surveyed the state of the living room and sighed.
Beside her stood a large object she had apparently carried over herself, draped with a white cloth.
She cast a sidelong glance at her father and shrugged with weary resignation.
“Honestly, Papa. You’re bringing that up again? I thought you gave up after the big fight three years ago.”
“Ugh… Well, yes, that battle was a lesson to me too.”
Harvey looked away awkwardly.
It was true ever since that quarrel, he had never pressed the issue seriously again. In his letters, at most he would lightly slip in a line like, ‘I hope you’ve changed your mind by now~.’
“Then why the sudden push now?”
“The truth is… lately, our academy has been plagued with a number of problems.”
Harvey sank onto the sofa with a heavy sigh, burying his face in his hands. He looked utterly dejected, clearly worn down.
“Some of the students have started what is essentially a faction war. Worse still, the ringleaders are the top-ranking elites of the academy… and the faculty are at their wits’ end.”
"Hmm, like a turf war? That sort of thing happened when I was there too, didn't it?"
“Back then it was still cute. Now, the big factions have swelled to nearly a hundred members apiece. Imagine such groups clashing across the island every day. Anyone would lose their patience.”
“That sounds dangerous. Don’t tell me the ones causing trouble at the port…”
“Yes, they were likely among them.”
Harvey nodded wearily.
In a closed environment like a school, factions were inevitable.
Skirmishes between them weren’t unusual either.
But when the numbers reached into the hundreds, the scale changed entirely.
The students at this academy are all top notch. And with one of the top students leading the charge, this can hardly be called a student skirmish, it could almost be called a gang war.
Indeed, the incidents that Harvey listed with dismay were quite large-scale.
An entire academy building was partially destroyed, the sea parted, dragons summoned by students filled the sky... and so on.
Apparently, they've also been receiving a constant stream of complaints from tourists.
Harvey raised his head after talking this much.
His appeal, with such deep despair in it, was...
“As a result, I’m buried in dealing with these crises, and I’ve had even less time to dote on Lise! Do you understand my suffering!? Do you understand how painful this is!? You understand right! Allen, you just got your long-awaited first girlfriend! Damn, being under the same roof with your girlfriend 24/7 means you can do whatever you want! I want some of that time too...!"
“…You really want me to beat you to a pulp, don’t you? Wait. Hold on.”
Allen clenched his fist but then paused, stroking his chin thoughtfully.
“You said the academy’s in turmoil. Could this… have something to do with Charlotte’s little sister?”
“N-Natalia?”
"Hmm... your intuition is as sharp as ever.”