Fate Online: Shadow

Chapter 534: Homecoming

"My Lord, you're back! Even Lady Tempest also came back with you!"

Despite his age, Old Buck quickly came running on top of the wall ramparts upon hearing the news that the Count and Solitary Tempest was spotted in the distance. He became vividly excited with relief the closer the couple got to the village that he even started waving at them and shouting in excitement!

"Old Buck! How are you?! How's the village while we were away?!" Shadow waved back as the village gate had slowly opened for them even when they were still tens of meters away from the village.

The old village chief didn't answer back and instead ran down the stairs under the worried gaze of the militia and villagers, but on the other hand, they couldn't hide the amused looks on their faces as they could understand why the old village chief was acting like this.

The day Shadow left, everything was still going well in the village, but everything changed with the appearance of the Monster Horde and everyone grew worried that something might have happened to Shadow since the horde came from mountains where their Lord gone to and the chance for their village to return to its former glory will be cut off again if he died.

The monster horde did bring unprecedented fear to them when it appeared, but they were once again amazed at the miraculous sight of their village being left unscathed, even the players who had arrived at the village and made it their homebase and were prepared to fight to the death did not expect this tiny village would actually survive!

The monsters acted like the village didn't exist at all and instead circled around it!

"I thought something had happened to you, My Lord!" Old Buck came running out of the gate towards them with snots and tears streaming down his face, and following behind him is his daughter, a few members of the militia and a group of curious players who were just leaving the village for somewhere.

Shadow quickly caught the old man and held him up by his shoulders, while the old man's daughter quickly caught up to him and pulled her father away from him, saying, "Father, please control yourself. Stop embarrassing yourself in front of Lord Shadow. I apologize for my father's unsightly behavior, My Lord! He was just excited to see you come back safe and sound"

His daughter quickly gave her apologies to Shadow while she gave her father a towel to wipe off his face

"This..it's fine. I appreciate your worries old chief" Shadow was clearly startled by the old man's actions as it was his first time seeing that kind of reaction coming from an NPC, and it wasn't just him, even Solitary Tempest who were standing beside him also felt the same.

'This NPC is acting too real. I've never encountered an NPC similar to him before in the game, amazing!'

"How about we take this in my abode? It seems like we all have a lot to talk about from the moment I left" Shadow said when he noticed that more players had started to gather beside the gate, probably after hearing the news of his return.

"Of course, my lord! And father, please behave yourself this time" the daughter cheerfully answered before she turned her attention to her father and berated him softly as the group made their way back inside the village.

Thud!

"My lord! Welcome back!"

"Big brother, welcome back!"

On the way to his "Lord's Mansion" the villagers all stopped whatever they were doing and greeted him and not long after, the siblings, Ant and Maya appeared from the corner and ran towards him in excitement!

Smiling, Shadow picked both of them up like they were his own children!

Solitary Tempest who was walking beside him looked at Shadow and the two kids in his arms and with a slight blush, she couldn't help but think, 'He..he really likes kids, doesn't he?! Wait, why is he glancing at me, is he hinting me with something?! Is he hinting at me that he wants to have a kid too?! No way, but..what if he really wants to and suddenly brings it up to me?!

What would I tell him then?! Should I say yes or no?!'

If Shadow knows whatever thoughts are going on in her mind right now, he would probably roll his eyes and tell her..

"I'm still too young to have kids! Stop overthinking and assuming things, woman!"

"Big bro, do you know when Mom is coming back?" Ant, who is currently being carried on Shadow's right arm, looked a little sad bringing up that question.

"This.."

Shadow didn't know how to answer that and he also saw that Maya was also eager to hear from him and it gave him the worst feeling since he doesn't know where Sonya is even at this point.

"That-"

"Just tell them that it might take a while, like a month. I heard from my mentor that she was spotted in the Isle of Skrova. It's the country where the Dragon Master, Hiccup, is said to live"

Shadow was about to make an excuse when suddenly, Solitary Tempest leaned her head towards him and whispered a crucial piece of information she had heard in his ear.

'Wait a minute!'

When Shadow heard the name of the kingdom she went to, an absurd notion suddenly hit him as he looked at the two siblings one by one.

'No way! Could it be that these two are his..no wait! I don't want to assume things, but what if?! But that would explain why these two kids look too human, they don't even have any traits of a dragon at all except maybe their abnormal strength for their age?'

'I think I need to be careful what I say from now on whenever I'm around these two. Though it's only an assumption for now, I don't want to risk offending two behemoths since Sonya had clearly hidden these two from someone'

Wild unreasonable thoughts filled Shadow's head that he didn't even notice that he had been staring at Maya for a while now and it made her a little uncomfortable.

"Big brother, are you okay?" Maya, worried, softly touched Shadow's cheek, which quickly brought the dumbfounded man back to reality.

"Ohh! Yeah, yeah, I was just thinking about something, and don't worry about your mother. She'll come back soon, she wouldn't dare leave you two this long, right!?" Shadow quickly answered while Old Buck and the rest just exchanged knowing glances and remained silent as they continued their walk.

"Really?! That's great, I really miss her!

"Hmm, me too.."