After the Round Table Conference, which had lasted for over a month, finally came to an end, the country gradually settled back into a normal rhythm. However, after such a prolonged war, nearly every region and profession across Britannia had to be rebuilt from the ground up. Many people returned to their territories one after another to prepare supplies for the coming winter.
As a result, the number of troublemakers running rampant through Camelot's streets and alleys dropped sharply, and public order gradually improved.
As the lord of Orkney, the land at the edge of the world, Morgan also departed with the general tide of returning nobles. Using the spatial leap of [Mirror] and the teleportation anchor established in her territory, she left Camelot for more than a month.
For some reason, however, she came and went in considerable haste, acting rather mysteriously, and refused to let anyone accompany her.
Samael therefore had no choice but to shoulder the arduous task of looking after the children. On one hand, he taught the fairies the basic knowledge they needed to live in human society. On the other, he instructed them in Magecraft and combat so that their extraordinary talents would not go to waste.
Meanwhile, things at the royal palace were equally peaceful now that the machinery of state was running smoothly.
There were, however, two people who showed up every single day without fail to freeload off his meals, making Samael feel as though his home was about to become a public dining hall.
Kai was tolerable. At least he usually brought some sort of gift. The Lion King, on the other hand, had absolutely no such awareness. She ate and drank for free every day, and her appetite was frankly absurd.
Samael did not particularly care about the expense. Kai would always discreetly slip him some money afterward to subsidize the suffering household. The real problem was that every time Artoria came over, simply preparing enough food kept the entire house busy for hours, and Freya could not possibly manage everything by herself.
Such a hectic lifestyle was fundamentally incompatible with the Ancient Serpent's philosophy of taking it easy.
So Samael decided to exercise some initiative... by teaching Barghest how to cook.
Unexpectedly, the Fang Clan fairy whom her unscrupulous guardian had thrown into the kitchen turned out to possess remarkable culinary talent.
She was especially skilled at cooking meat.
Not long ago, Samael had casually mentioned Beef Wellington on a whim.
After experimenting in the kitchen with Freya, Barghest somehow managed to recreate something seventy or eighty percent similar. It tasted quite good, leaving Samael genuinely impressed.
Who would have thought that this combat oriented fairy possessed such a domestic side?
More importantly, Barghest herself was a tremendous eater, so every dish she made came in enormous portions. That substantially eased the kitchen's current supply problems and finally gave Samael some peace and quiet.
"Father, please try this dish and tell me what you think."
A respectful yet expectant voice interrupted Samael's thoughts.
It was Barghest.
Ever since taking up work in the kitchen, the Black Dog Duke had moved beyond the childish pastime of roughhousing with the others. Instead, she had become obsessed with bringing Samael whatever new dishes she and Freya developed each day for him to sample.
The Ancient Serpent was currently sprawled across a bench basking in the sun. Ever since Morgan left, he had embraced the spirit of laziness to the fullest.
When the aroma of grilled meat drifted through the air, he made a tremendous effort... to roll over.
He went from lying completely flat to sitting halfway upright. He did not even bother reaching out. All he had to do was open his mouth and leisurely accept the small steak Barghest held out to him.
"Mm. The browning on the outside is even, the inside is juicy, and the flavor is very good."
Samael gave an objective evaluation, though naturally, encouragement and praise made up most of it.
Children were easy to coax.
Besides, if he crushed their enthusiasm, who was going to do the work for him?
Receiving the answer she had hoped for, Barghest became even more delighted. Her eyes shimmered as she looked at Samael, filled with anticipation and a hint of nervousness.
"Then may I make this for you often from now on? To me, doing this feels very joyful and very fulfilling."
"Of course. I was worried I might not get to eat it again."
Samael smiled and instinctively reached up to pat the little one on the head.
After stretching out his arm a few times, however, the Ancient Serpent fell silent.
Without anyone noticing, Barghest had already grown to nearly two meters tall. Even if Samael stood up, it would be difficult to touch the top of her head as easily as before, much less while he was still sitting.
Before the situation could become awkward, however, the towering dog demon obediently crouched down and lowered her head toward her foster father.
Even when Samael parted Barghest's golden hair and brushed his fingers across the pair of tiny, almost taboo antennae on her head, Barghest merely clenched her teeth, suppressed a soft whimper, and stayed perfectly still, like a hunting dog crouched obediently beside its master.
Samael examined the growth of the antennae and the seal placed upon them, then nodded slightly before asking Barghest patiently,
"Mm. The suppression seems to be working well. There haven't been any unusual problems lately, have there?"
Unusual problems? There shouldn't be.
Barghest looked up at the guardian before her. Her pink tongue instinctively swept across her dry lips, and before she realized it, saliva had begun gathering in her mouth.
"That's good. These are Sub-Bell's antennae. You could also think of them as your second soul. If they ever disappear, your rationality will fade with them. You will cease to be yourself, and your sense of self will no longer be able to survive. So you must protect these horns carefully and never let anyone touch them casually."
Samael withdrew his hand from her golden hair and gave her a serious warning.
"Don't worry, Father. I remember your teachings clearly. Only Father and, um, Mother are allowed to touch these horns. No one else gets the chance. Not even Melusine!"
The Fairy Knight laughed heartily and thumped her chest as she answered.
The completely unconscious gesture sent an exaggerated wave across her chest, stretching the thin fabric to its absolute limit.
It had to be said that Habetrot's clothes were very fashionable.
And very provocative.
Samael froze for a moment, then instinctively looked away while repeatedly reminding himself.
One year old!
She's one year old!
That's a prison sentence waiting to happen!
Just as the Ancient Serpent's thoughts began veering badly off course, Barghest raised a hand to touch the ticking time bomb atop her head, her gaze filled with resolve.
"Besides, I still have you, Father. You're the strongest warrior I've ever seen. If that day truly comes... then please grant me death yourself. Whether you tear open the wound or seal it shut, I don't care what method you use."
"I want you to be the one to end me. I would rather die in your arms holding on to beautiful memories than destroy myself after losing my mind and forgetting who I am!"
Smack!
Before the Fairy Knight could finish her impassioned declaration, Samael flicked her hard on the forehead.
"What are you talking about, dying this and dying that? Stop saying stupid things! There's wine to drink and good food to eat. Isn't being alive better?"
Samael snorted and scolded her.
Barghest obediently closed her mouth, picked up the tray, and turned toward the kitchen. A faint smile still lingered on her sunlit face.
Watching Barghest walk away, the Ancient Serpent shook his head helplessly before rubbing his chin in thought.
At present, he still had no particularly good solution for the problem of fairies losing control.
But one thing was certain. Redirecting the problem was better than merely suppressing it.
Maybe he should simply find something else for the girl to do?
Samael narrowed his eyes, and a sinister smile slowly spread across his face.
He seemed to recall that the Knights of the Round Table had been rather idle lately.
And he certainly had not forgotten the score from that banquet, when they had all ganged up on him.