Reincarnated Devil's Strongest Hero Training Plan ~The baby he picked up has grown up so well that his father is confused~ - Chapter 18
- Home
- All
- Reincarnated Devil's Strongest Hero Training Plan ~The baby he picked up has grown up so well that his father is confused~
- Chapter 18 - A son who admires his father
Reincarnated Devil’s Strongest Hero Training Plan ~The baby he picked up has grown up so well that his father is confused~
Chapter 18 A son who admires his father
“Look, Ars, this is your old man’s true form! Devil Mode!”
“Wow! Dad, you’re amazing! So cool!!”
“Hahaha! That’s right! That’s right!”
After finishing Elsa-mama’s etiquette lessons with flying colors in the morning, I was all fired up for the afternoon outdoor class, where I engaged a group of Snow Dragons in battle.
In this form, I sprouted jet-black wings from my back, two twisted horns on my forehead, and a devil’s tail. This was my true form, my Devil Mode.
I had never used this Devil Mode in front of my family before, so this was its debut.
I was sure Ars would accept it, and as expected, my beloved son was cheering me on with sparkling eyes when he saw me in this form. Yes, Dad was thoroughly satisfied!
By the way, there was hardly any need for me to go all out just to deal with a mere group of Snow Dragons. Although they were the strongest creatures, surpassing even S-rank monsters for humans, they were still just apex predators in the food chain.
The threat level of a single Snow Dragon could be compared to mid-level SS in human ranks, if such a rank as SS existed in this world, which it doesn’t, so it’s just a temporary estimate.
And yet, even when faced with such monsters forming a group, there are creatures like demons that can’t even stand up to them.
If we were to rank Devil Mode, it might surpass even SSS and reach an immeasurable EX level, perhaps? Well, once it goes to that extent, ranking becomes meaningless.
The higher the rank, the more factors like compatibility come into play, after all.
With such thoughts in mind, I continued the battle for a while and eventually drove away the group of Snow Dragons, taking a breather.
While it’s possible to wipe them all out, I don’t subscribe to the idea of needlessly slaughtering creatures, so I only engaged the dragons as much as necessary after collecting the materials required.
What I collected was just a single Snow Dragon fang and a few scales. Still, considering they’re attribute dragons, they’re quite large, and it’s enough to make a greatsword and armor.
“Phew, is it over? They were surprisingly persistent.”
“Dad, you’re amazing! So amazing! Hahaha! Yay!”
“Haha. I’m glad Ars is happy, but remember, they’re still too strong for you to fight alone, okay?”
It’s heartwarming to see Ars getting so excited and ecstatic over my fatherly heroics, but if he decides to try it himself, it could be problematic. Maybe in the future, when he’s grown up, he’ll be able to handle it with ease.
For now, it might be a bit too much for him.
As I finished up the tasks at hand and checked the materials on the battlefield, Ars, who had been ecstatic just a moment ago, fell silent and gazed up at the sky, murmuring as if lost in thought.
“I wonder if… someday, I can be like Dad too…”
It was a very small murmur, barely audible to normal human ears. However, with my Devil Ears, a standard accessory for demons, it reached me clearly, and as I turned around, I could even see the emotions behind it.
Those emotions were longing and hope for the future. And at the same time, there was a slight hint of anxiety about that future.
A tiny bit of anxiety within great expectations… I see, then let me alleviate that anxiety for you, Ars.
“So, Ars, you want to be like Dad?”
“Yeah. Can I?”
“Yeah, I’m sure you can. After all, you’re my son.”
As I replied, Ars’s expression blossomed into a smile, and his inner worries seemed to vanish completely.
I may not be wise enough to know how to parent properly, or what the right answer is in every situation. However, as a demon who has lived for two thousand years in hell, I have a certain instinct for understanding human hearts and filling their gaps with words. It’s a skill that can be considered one of the innate abilities of demons.
This time, I used that skill to simply dispel Ars’s anxiety. It’s often referred to as the whispers of a demon, a technique for mastering people’s hearts. But like any power, it all depends on how it’s used.
Even this seemingly superficial and easily wielded power has value if it can be used to dispel Ars’s anxiety.
“Really!?”
“Yeah, really.”
“Hehe… Then, someday, I’ll be able to have wings, horns, and a tail like Dad too, right? I can’t wait to be able to do it.”
“Yeah, well… Huh!?”
Ehhh!?
No, wait, that way!?
You’re talking about being cool like Dad, not about strength, but about appearance!?
That’s impossible, Ars!
Humans don’t grow those things!
Oops, I completely misinterpreted the innocence of a child!
Yeah, that’s right… Ars probably thinks he can do the same thing since he considers himself my real son. He probably thinks he can do it because he’s inheriting my blood. He probably doesn’t have much knowledge about demons yet, so it wouldn’t be strange for him to think that everyone can do this when they grow up…
Oh nooo!
“N-no…”
“What’s wrong, Dad?”
“N-nothing at all! Hahaha!”
“Hehe…”
No way!
He’s believing it with such a happy face; I can’t just say “It’s impossible”!
Ars, you’re terrifying, cornering me with just a casual conversation like this!
Surely, in the future, he’ll possess powers even more terrifying than demons.
But since I can’t deny it here, I have no choice but to play along for now.
He’ll probably forget about it when he grows up. Yeah, that’s it, he’ll definitely forget.
“But, uh, this has to stay between us, okay? It’s Dad’s secret move. It’s cooler to keep it hidden.”
“Got it! I won’t tell anyone!”
Alright!
If I just keep quiet and don’t bring it up, eventually even the fact that I kept quiet will be forgotten. If it never comes up in conversation, childhood dreams are just that.
Haha, I got a little flustered there.
“Well then, shall we head back?”
“Yes!”
After that, with a very cheerful Ars in tow, we returned to the base in the southern continent. While Elsa seemed suspicious about what happened, we continued our daily activities: preparing Gaius’s equipment, dealing with Lord Futon’s failed attempt at a nap, going shopping as a family, and so on.
And then, about a year and a half later…
Finally, as Ars approached his fifth birthday, preparations for Gaius’s revenge were fully underway.