Toxic Parent Reincarnation ~ When I Doted on My Daughter Destined to Become the Final Boss, She Ended Up Liking Me an Abnormal Amount ~
Aldo gulped down his saliva as he listened to the spiritโs words. If he were to bear the full brunt of the evil spiritโs magic himself, there would be no problem. However, if any stray attacks were to head towards Iris, the mere thought of what could happen was terrifying.
โWell, rest assured. Thatโs only if you take the hit directly. That little girl over there is equipped with a robe that offers resistance to the attacks of evil spirits. It can protect her to a certain extent. To a certain extent, that is.โ
โSpirit, are you saying that if Iris has good armor, the chance of her dying decreases?โ
Aldo cautiously asked the spirit, who responded with a gentle smile.
โAh, thatโs correct.โ
โAlright, Iris. Letโs get you some new armor right away. The best armor available. Youโre going to wear it.โ
โEh, what!?โ
Aldo grabbed Irisโs shoulders, his urgency causing her to flinch slightly. But she quickly realized that Aldo was genuinely concerned for her safety, and a small smile crept onto her face, her cheeks softening.
โAldo, calm down a little.โ
โAh, sorry, Clara. I got a bit carried away. But I wonโt hesitate to do whatever it takes to protect Iris. Iโll make sure sheโs safe from the evil spiritโs attacks, no matter what.โ
โDadโฆ you care about me that muchโฆโ
Iris placed her hand on her cheek, her face flushing red.
โHey, hey. I get that you want to protect the little girl, but itโs better to balance the equipment for the entire party. For example, if you strengthen your weapon and take down the enemies quickly, there wonโt be any issues. Focusing too much on armor and equipping subpar gear wonโt help.โ
โThatโs true.โ
Aldo calmed down for a moment. The thought of his daughter potentially dying had momentarily drained the color from his face, but he realized that she wasnโt in immediate danger. There were measures they could take to prevent instant death, and dungeons were inherently dangerous places. Reflecting on this, he realized that his earlier panic was a sign of insufficient preparation.
โWell, anyway, letโs head back to the village. Everyoneโs waiting for us.โ
The spirit of fertility returned to Claraโs hometown, and Aldo and the others descended the mountain to report the spiritโs release to the Diggerโs Guild.
After receiving and dividing the rewards, Aldo and his group returned to Claraโs village.
โClara! You did well!โ
Clara was greeted by her father, with the spirit of fertility standing beside him.
โThis land withers so quickly without me. Well, Iโll restore it to its former state. Once thatโs done, youโll be able to grow crops again.โ
โI see. Thatโs great.โ
Hearing that her hometown would return to normal with the spiritโs blessing, Clara breathed a sigh of relief.
โThank you, Clara. Itโs all thanks to you coming back. And Aldo, Iris, thank you for helping our village. On behalf of the village, I express my deepest gratitude.โ
Claraโs father bowed his head. While Clara was from this village, Aldo and Iris were complete outsiders. Yet, they had risked their lives to help, and he was deeply moved by their actions.
โNot at all. If a dear friendโs hometown is in trouble, itโs only natural to help. Please donโt worry about it.โ
As Aldo and Claraโs father exchanged words, Iris stood by, feeling a bit bored. To a child, the conversations between adults could often feel tedious.
โWell then, Dad, Iโm off. Say hello to everyone in the village for me.โ
โLeaving already? You could stay a bit longer.โ
โAhaha, itโs not that simple. Aldo has his own work to attend to, so we need to head back soon. And if I donโt ride the Pegasus carriage with them, the driver will have a hard time.โ
โI see. Alright, take care, Clara.โ
โOkay.โ
A somber atmosphere lingered between Clara and her father. Then, Claraโs father turned to Aldo.
โAldo, sheโs quite the daughterโฆ please take good care of her from now on.โ
โOf course!โ
With that, Aldo and the others arranged for a Pegasus carriage and returned to the city. A short journey away from home had come to a successful conclusion.
As they stepped off the Pegasus carriage and stood in the city, the three of them wore expressions of relief, having completed their task.
โClara, are you sure itโs okay? Even though we cleared the dungeon, we didnโt gather any of the materials affected by the evil spirits.โ
After clearing a dungeon, materials tainted by evil spirits usually remain for a while. Diggers who receive reports of the dungeonโs clearance often target these materialsโฆ but Claraโs hometown wasnโt an area with many Diggers. They could have easily monopolized the materials, making it a lucrative opportunity.
โHmm, itโs fine. Iโm satisfied just knowing the village is saved. As for the materials, let the scavengers have them.โ
Clara answered nonchalantly. For her, the rescue of the village was the most important thing. Obtaining materials or rewards was merely secondary, and she had no reason to obsess over such things.
โWell then, I guess Iโll head home too. Iris, Aldo, see you later.โ
โYeah, see you.โ
โBye-bye!โ
Iris waved as she watched Clara leave. Once Clara was out of sight, Aldo and Iris also headed home.
โIโm home!โ
Iris announced her return to an empty house, her excitement at being back home after the journey overshadowing any fatigue.
Watching Irisโs innocent demeanor, Aldo found himself lost in thought.
โIris.โ
โYeah?โ
โI have a strange question, butโฆ are you happy every day?โ
Aldo sometimes wondered what lay behind Irisโs smile. While Iris often smiled when she was with Aldo, there were times when her expression darkened. Even during the dungeon raid, Aldo had noticed Iris looking uneasy during the battles. However, in the heat of combat, he hadnโt been able to address her concerns.
Could it be that Irisโs smile was just an act? Such doubts occasionally crossed Aldoโs mind. Children could be surprisingly complex. While they might appear innocent, they often acted based on their own thoughts, sometimes displaying a cunning that even surpassed adults.
Iris might have learned that as long as she smiled, Aldo would be in a good mood. As long as she acted sweet, she wouldnโt be mistreated. Aldo feared that she might be behaving strategically, out of self-preservation.
While it was an unfounded worry if one knew Irisโs true feelings, Aldo couldnโt read her mind. Thatโs why he found himself pondering his daughterโs emotions.
With his heart racing, Aldo waited for Irisโs answer. And of course, the answer she gave wasโ
โYeah! Iโm happy! Iโm with you, after all.โ
โI-I see.โ
Irisโs smile was completely genuine, free of any ulterior motives. Seeing this, Aldo realized that his worries had been unfounded.
It was true that Aldo had done terrible things to Iris before losing his memory. Those actions were unforgivable, and he wouldnโt blame Iris if she held a grudge against him for life. But what Iris truly wanted wasnโt retributionโit was Aldoโs love.
After years of longing, she had finally received it. That was more than enough reason for Iris to lead a fulfilling life.
โDad, promise youโll stay with me foreverโฆ I donโt want you to disappear.โ
โAh, donโt worry. Iโm not going anywhere.โ
Irisโs words carried a deeper meaning that Aldo hadnโt fully grasped. What Iris truly feared wasnโt just Aldo physically disappearingโit was the possibility that the kind-hearted Aldo she knew now might vanish.
Just as the toxic parent Aldo had disappeared, Irisโs greatest wish was for the current Aldoโs spirit to remain unchanged. That was what she cherished most.
Please ignore this authorโs note part (itโs for siteโs technical reason)
Authorโs Note: This chapter explores the bond between Aldo and Iris, set against the backdrop of a dungeon-clearing adventure and the restoration of a cursed village. Themes of parental love, evil spirit threats, and party dynamics are central to the story. For fans of heartwarming fantasy tales and dungeon-crawling adventures, stay tuned for more!
Glossary:
- Evil Spirits: Malevolent entities that haunt dungeons, often requiring holy magic or enchanted gear to defeat.
- Pegasus Carriage: A magical mode of transportation powered by winged steeds, commonly used in medieval fantasy worlds.
- Diggerโs Guild: An organization of adventurers specializing in dungeon exploration and monster hunting.
- Spirit of Fertility: A benevolent entity that restores life to barren lands, often sought after in agricultural fantasy settings.
*If you enjoyed this chapter, you might like:
- Fantasy adventures featuring father-daughter duos overcoming supernatural threats.
- Dungeon-crawling stories with party dynamics and strategic combat.
- Tales of redemption where former villains seek to protect their loved ones.*