After the pregnancy matter was settled, though Hina didn't like how it happened, she still allowed Philip to take Lina as his second wife.
Meanwhile, Free was thrilled and overjoyed that he will get two new siblings in a few months.
He sat in the garden with arms extended toward the root tree, his lips moved as particles began forming in front of his hand.
'now!.'
Fiw...
Thuk!.
The Root Tree shook as sharp edged rocks pierced its bark, their smooth white surface gleaming in the sunlight.
He slowly supported himself on his feet and examined the mana-generated rock on the tree.
"Wow, quite the attack you got there."
Philip praised, advancing in the garden.
Free, startled by the sudden approach of his father, quickly pulled the spiked rock out of the tree and stood in front of the Root Tree, shielding the scar his spell left behind.
"Dad, i-it's, Don't look here."
He requested, sticking his body to the tree.
"No need to be afraid. That tree will heal it in a few days."
He shrugged it off, with a faint smile on his face.
"O-okay."
Free replied, letting out a breath of relief.
"Anyway, why are you here? shouldn't you be at duty?."
He asked, changing the topic while his gaze stayed on Philip.
"Chief hemire gave me a day off."
Philip bluntly informed, hands clasped behind his neck.
"He said, 'Philip you should go and take care of your wives'."
He mimicked Hemire, using his sword as a cane, while coughing between sentences with his back bent.
"That is why i'm here."
Free scrutinized him with suspicious eyes, circling around before giving a nod, and opened his book to perform some more spell.
But before he could even open the second page, Philip snatched the book from his hands.
Free quickly jumped retrieve his book, but Philip raised it up with his left hand and pressed him down with the other.
"Dad, give that back!."
Free yelled, trying to jump to reach for the spell book despite his father pressing him down without trouble.
"Let's learn some new things today"
Philip suggested...and tossed the book to the second floor inside the house.
"Ahh!"
Free screamed, and bolted toward the house. But, Philip caught him by the collar and yanked him back to where he stood before he bolted.
"Enough mana play."
He said, Free tilted his head in utter confusion, but then Philip flexed his biceps.
"Time for some man training!."
He declared, Free walked away with a deapanned face, only to be held by the collar.
"Dad, let me go."
Free tried to fight back but his tiny hands didn't reach anywhere near Philip's chest.
"You will train with me today."
He insisted, lifting Free by the collar until he dangled from a tree branch.
"We'll learn and train about a thing similar to mana."
He clasped his hands together.
"Okayyy... I'll learn it"
Free nodded, his head low in defeat.
Philip flashed a grin and turned his back, advancing to the veranda to put his shirt there. Free seeing Philip's back turned to his, cracked a faint smile and prepared a chantless spell.
"Okay, let's get—"
Philip turned back and saw Free's hand pointing toward him with fragments hovering in front of the finger.
"I'll learn, if you can beat me."
He confidently launched the attack at extreme speed, the rock didn't have spikes, it was round and smooth, only intended to hurt him.
The rock pierced the air, moving toward Philip at speed no normal person could dodge, but Philip's expression remained the same as his hand moved up, two fingers firmly held together against each other.
Flick.
The rock split in half, in just a single flick of his finger.
Free's mouth fell open, seeing the rock split cleanly in half with just a casual flick.
"H-how?..."
He questioned, only for Philip to respond with a mocking laugh.
"Hahahaha! A normal person would die from that, but i'm not normal, son."
He laughed, picking up the smooth rock from the ground.
Free's eye twitched, and he prepared a spell more deadly than the one he used earlier.
"That arrogance..."
He growled, wind around him started to swirl, slowly taking a round sphere shape, Philip raised and eyebrow seeing the spell.
"...needs to be disciplined."
He calmly finished, and launched the round ball of air towards Philip.
[Wind sphere].
The invisible force moved, cutting the grass in it's path.
"Okay then!."
Philip shouted with a delighted grin, feet sinking into the ground as the spell made contact with him
Fiiiiiiwwwww!.
The spell landed on him with the wind violently quivering, cutting through even some parts of the veranda.
Dust exploded up on the sky, birds fllew away from the tree and Free covered his eye, unable to see anything due to the dust.
After the dust cleared, Free opened his eyes, but to his surprise, the only thing scratched wasn't Philip, but it was his pants.
"H-how?."
He froze, seeing him standing there unscathed from the intermediate-class spell he learned.
"I won, soo..."
Philip smirked, his moving toward Free, who was trying to reach the branch of tree he was getting hanged by.
"Let's train!."
He declared.
"I'm screwed."
6 minutes later....
Free stood shirtless beside his father, who was grinning ear to ear beside him. While shirtless himself.
"Okay. Today, we will learn about physical pressure."
Philip told, and sat down on the grass.
"Sit down Free."
He ordered, Free sat down and crossed his legs, and glanced up to the second floor.
"Now feel it in your body, a faint tremble... search it."
Philip advised and gradually closed his eyes before falling into a deep meditation, Free observed him for a while and mirrored how Philip was doing. he took a deep breath and tried to search for that faint tremble.
Minutes passed, but he couldn't seem to find that so called faint tremble.
"...I'm bored"
He yawned, slightly turning his head toward Philip who was deep in his meditation.
Free studied him for a minute and after confirming he couldn't hear him, he sneaked out of the garden and strided into the house, tucking his shirt back on.
Inside Hina and Lina were sitting in the dining room sewing some clothes.
Free marched to the second floor and searched for his book in the room, but it wasn't there where it should have landed.
"Mom, where's my spell book?."
After seeing no other option, he asked.
"It's here."
She replied, she had picked it up earlier when she went to take Lina's uniform.
Hearing that, Free rushed downstairs, and seized the book from the table.
"Thank you mom!"
He thanked her, and took a seat there to read some spells.
"Young master, you're quite the bookworm, aren't you"
Lina teased, sewing a sock the size of an infant.
"No i'm not."
He gave a flat reply, his eyes fixed on the pages of spells.
"Says the friendless bookworm"
Hina added, chuckling softly. Free puffed his cheeks hearing her statement.
"I'm not a bookworm, and I don't have friends because... Other kids are stupid"
He protested, trying to deny the truth his mother just spouted.
"Aww sweetie, you look so cute!."
She fawned, poking his cheeks, Free stopped pouting soon after because Hina's poking was bothersome.
"Also mom, will the baby be a girl or a boy?."
He quickly changed the topic, trying to make them forget the earlier conversation.
Hina thought for a moment, placing a finger to her lips.
"I don't know, but if i coould hoose?...hmmm
..I want a girl this time."
She concluded.
Free's eye lit up slightly.
"Really?."
He remarked, looking at Hina.
"Yes, really."
She clarified, while Lina giggled seeing Free's joyful expression.
"Can i name it, if it's a girl. Pleaseee."
He requested, Hina chuckled and gave a nod before pulling him to her chest and tightly squeezed him.
'Seeing him like this sometimes isn't bad'
She thought, her palm covering her smile.
"What about you, Lina?."
He turned to her, and fixed his gaze on her belly.
"W-well if it's a boy, then you can name it Young master."
She said, smiling gently as she ruffled his hair.
"Oh really. Yes!."
Free celebrated, and smirked faintly before advancing to the doorway and headed to the garden, after reaching the garden, he poked Philip's head, who was still in his meditation, and whispered.
"Dad! Mom said, that if she had a baby girl , i will name her, and Lina said, if she had a boy i can name him"
He whispered with a mocking giggle, Philip choked on his breath hearing the news.
"W-WHAT?!"
He screamd, tucking his shirt back on and stormed inside the house, and made his way to the dining room.
"Hi-Hina, is it true what Free said?!?"
He question, his voice was too loud. Hina replied with a nod, a smile clinging on her lips.
"He is more capable than you when it comes to naming."
She said, flaring him a sharp fierce stare that never left Philip.
"B-but i was the one naming Free. I should name our childrens too!!"
He insisted, falling dramatically on the floor.
Hina sighed and stood up, walking to the dining room's doorway and stopped before calling Free.
"Sweetie! let's practice magic together."
She called out.
"Yes mom."
He stood up from his chair and had already deactivate the spell he chanted during their conversation after Hina called, she blinked seeing him deactivate the spell so casually.
"Sweetie, you already learned how to deactivate it."
She muttered, astonishment visible on her face.
"Yes."
Free answered, padding over to her side.
Hina gave him a tight hug, and picked him up from the floor.
"Ohhh... my sweet son already know how to use magic. I'm proud of you!"
She wiped a tear off her cheeks, pacing him around the room.
"Ah....Mmmmh.... M....mom.. You're choking me."
Free pleaded, lightly tapping her back but he didn't pushed her back.
"AHHHH. So cute!"
She fawned, and released him.
"Your siblings will be proud of you."
She praised, patting his head.
"Yeah i can't wait for them to be born too."
He smiled happily, and strolled to the garden with her, meanwhile inside the house Philip sobbed like a spoiled child on the floor.
"Why did she chose Free to name our child."
He questioned, biting his nails
"Because you named young master like a market testing product, and he is smarter than you."
She added, she stood up and went to clean the living room.
"Atleast you can let me name it."
He looked up to Lina from the floor, hope in his eyes.
"No. Young master already had that responsibility."
She stated, taking the mop that she put outside the room.
"Please set aside lord philip, i need to clean the house"
"Okay....."
He murmured, staggering to the kitchen to continue his sobs.
And just like that, Free got the responsibility to name his upcoming siblings from Hina's side if a girl and from Lina's side if a boy, and poor Philip? He just sobbed quietly in the kitchen.
8 months later....
"Waaah...Waaah waah!."
Cries echoed in the house, loud and tiny, a baby girl was born, dark shiny hair like Hina, and eyes like Philip.
"Look, it's a baby girl..."
Hina uttered, sweat rolling down her temple as she laid on the bed with her energy completely drained by the birth.
"Congratulations on your second child, Hina!."
Elder Rael congratulated, laughing as she poked the newborn's soft cheeks.
"S-So soft!."
She clutched her chest.
"Congratulations, lady Hina."
Lina smiled, her hand on her swollen belly, looking like she can give birth anytime, she turned her gaze toward the new born child.
"Young miss is very cute."
"Thank you Lina, and where is Philip?"
She asked, Lina chuckled and turned her head back.
Outside, Philip shook Free's shoulder non–stop due to nervousness.
"What if she didn't breathe like you Free, w-what if she doesn't like me, say something!!"
He screamed, shaking Free's shoulder violently.
"D-dad stop sha-king....me, you'll..... Dislocated my shoulder"
Free pleaded, trying to push him back but Philip's grip was too strong for him.
"Let him go philip!! You'll really dislocate his shoulder"
Hina scolded from inside her room.
"O-Okay."
Philip calmed himself down and finally let go of Free's shoulder.
"Now"
Hina said, looking towards Free who was flat on the floor.
"Sweetie, just like i said, you can name her"
She added, a gentle smile clung to her lips.
"Yes."
Free muttered, taking the baby in his arms and thought for a while.
'Now, what will be her name, Hina.....Hina? Oh yes i got it.'
He thought.
"Her name will be..."
He paused, poking his hand in the baby's finger and the baby fingers closed on his finger with its tiny palm.
"...Hinata"
He finished.
"You just added extra letters in my name"
Hina commented, looking at Hinata then at Free.
"But still, that is quite the cute name."
She added, a smile gradually appeared on her face seeing Free holding his little sister with such affection.
"yes it is."
Lina chuckled.
"NOW THEN, IT'S LINA'S TURN."
Rael announced, clapping as she turned to Lina.
Lina flinched, her heart race spreading a hot sensation all around her body.
She looked down on the floor, biting her lip, and fidgeting her fingers.
"What happen Lina?."
Hina asked, noticing her nervous movement.
"I-it's just that it's my first time."
She answered, her hands shaking intensely. Rael grabbed her hand and gently squeezed them.
"It will be fine."
She reassured, giving Lina and warm, gentle smile.
"Y-yeah, i think so"
Lina mumbled, uneasiness crept in her eyes.
"It will be! Just relax yourself and think positively."
Philip placed a hand on her shoulder, comforting her unease and her doubt.
'I will.'
She smiled, clenching her hand with determined eyes.
To be continued...