The Substitution of the Shield Hero

"Papa! Morning!"

"G-Good morning, Father!"

A pair of cheerful voices woke me from my slumber. Young girls.

For a second, I was confused. But then I opened my eyes and saw both Mina and Nina in cute penguin overalls, sitting on me and poking my cheeks.

I chuckled and sat up, scooping both into my arms. "You really are like little kids, huh?"

Mina giggled, her blue hair shifting as she did.

Nina giggled too, but when she did, her face turned red with embarrassment and she hid behind her blonde bangs.

I smiled and looked at them closer. And then I noticed something I hadn't before. "Huh. You look like me."

Mina tilted her head, confused. "I look like Papa?"

Nina on the other hand looked excited and quickly smiled. "Yay~! We look like Father!"

Even the way Mina tilted her head was similar to how I did it...

Considering that they were hatched, I thought it was just imprinting that made them call me Papa and Father.

But...

Mina definitely had my eyes... Well, technically my Mom's eyes since people always said I had her eyes.

Nina, on the other hand... her jaw and nose were like mine. Well, like my Dad's.

It was weird.

The hair color had thrown me off from noticing, but since they were so close and huddled up like this...

"You really are my kids, huh?"

Mina looked like she didn't understand the question. But she still smiled and hugged my face. "Papa!"

In contrast, Nina nodded and pointed at herself, then at me before saying, "Nina! Father!" Then she crossed her arms and held her head up high, looking proud of herself. As if that explained everything.

And it definitely did, because that was the exact pose I took after getting accepted into my first choice of college in the picture Mom snapped of me.

There was a knock at the door before it opened, revealing Bahamut.

I glanced over, still hugging Nina and Mina. Then I said, "Morning, Bahamut... Son? Eh, let's full send it. Morning, Son."

Bahamut's blue eyes twinkled and he let out a happy smile. But then he tried playing cool and straightened, clearly trying to imitate me. "Father. Good morning. Miss Rishia says food is ready."

It was cute.

...Which made me realize that whenever I managed to make my way back home, I was going to never live this down from either of my parents.

But that was a problem for future me.

"Thanks, Son." I slid out of my bed, placing Nina and Mina over my shoulders.

Both of them giggled, kicking their little feet as I stood up.

The sleep must have helped, since I remembered that I was still wearing just a hoodie and jeans, making me stick out like a sore thumb. So, both to fit the part as the current leader of Libertas (name still pending revote), and to have some proper gravitas, I opened up <Parallel System> to synthesize some fancy clothes.

Since I had an excess of human remains- I mean, of 'reclaimed carbon' in my inventory... and for the shock factor later if anyone asked what I was wearing, I used an entire stack of it (255 units) to create a new attire.

A flowing black robe with blue highlights along the hem and sleeves. Underneath, a bone white shirt and matching pants, along with a leather belt.

Because Fragarach was still orbiting me... which reminded me that I didn't get a chance to show off with it in Zeltoble.

Darn.

Well, Four Bray still existed.

For now.

But anyway, since Fragrach was still orbiting me, I decided to go for a full archmage cosplay and kept a copy of Legemeton on me, the heavy leather-bound grimoire with a certain magic circle inscribed on its cover.

Not sure if it actually worked in this world, but you never knew.

If stuff like ghosts showed up or demons, it might have some effect.

And it'd be funny if I could like, devour souls or something with it.

...Hm.

Okay, maybe Dad was right about me. I was definitely a person who shouldn't be granted access to unlimited power.

...Oh, was THAT why Uncle Chris wanted me to babysit Rose? To teach me responsibility?

...Ah. That was probably why they made me stop too, huh? I guess it WAS a bit excessive to bankrupt the parents of her bullies and use that money to sneak her out on a trip to Disneyland...

Well. Either way, while I hadn't planned on being a father, I at least had some form of paternal experience.

Better than my own parents at least.

Which reminded me.

I synthesized a grape popsicle for Bahamut and handed it over to him. "Good job on not blowing up anything today, Son."

Bahamut blinked, confused. But he took the popsicle with a solemn nod. "Thank you, Father. I will be careful."

Positive reinforcement, success.

Probably.

Nina leaned forward to look at me and said, "Father? Snacks?"

Mina leaned forward too and said, "Papa? Do we get snacks?"

I started walking down the hall with them and said, "Your brother gets a treat because he was careful and responsible. Since you two were responsible and woke me up today..." I hummed and then synthesized a pair of gummy worms.

Toddlers like things with a lot of texture and colors, right?

After the rainbow gummy worms appeared in my hands, I handed one each to Mina and then Nina.

Mina giggled playing with the gummy worm. "It's a worm! Wow!"

Nina looked hesitant. Then she nibbled it. And when she did, her eyes widened and she happily kept nibbling on it. Almost like a bird-

Oh.

Right.

Hm...

Okay, maybe the sleep debt couldn't be made up with just one good night of sleep.

I was functional though. And I think I was at least more level-headed than that first month.

Maybe.

Probably...

...Screw it, we ball.

I just have to make sure I don't get Dad's habit of corny one-liners.

===

"Sir- I mean, Lord Naofumi!" Rishia waved at me, wearing a maid uniform. "Good morning! I made food for everyone!"

I blinked and then said, "You know, when I suggested a maid cafe, I didn't mean I wanted you to literally be a maid."

Rishia giggled and then twirled, showing off her uniform. "Well, it looks good on me, doesn't it? Besides, it means I'm helping!"

"I... guess so?"

It was the kitchen in my mansion.

Bahamut, my responsible and level-headed son... who I definitely wasn't praying to every deity that listened remained that way since he definitely looked like he had the power to glass the continent if he had a bad day.

But anyway, my responsible son led the way to the kitchen, where Rishia was serving out food on the table, and where Mein was sitting at the table sipping on some tea.

Speaking of Mein...

I looked over at her and said, "You look like you slept terrible."

Mein's crimson hair was messed up and frizzy while her emerald eyes were rimmed with dark circles. Her clothes, a white blouse and dark green skirt along with the Seven Star Staff stuck on her waist, looked impeccable... but she didn't.

I sat down at the table, Nina and Mina immediately scrambling down into my lap.

As they did that, Mein finally looked over and said, "Good morning, Master Naofumi. And it'll be a while before I can sleep well." She let out a bitter laugh. "Someone here made sure that I'm in the best health of my life. Which means that my memory is crystal clear, you see."

"Mmhm." I pulled over some muffins that Rishia had baked for breakfast and handed one to Mina and Nina. Then, after Bahamut pulled up a chair to my left, I handed him one too. "You aren't that person anymore... but you do have to live with the fact that you WERE that person."

"Ugh. You're a terrible person." Mein feigned being upset, but the soft smile on her face showed her true feelings. "...But you must be a softie on the inside still. You didn't kill me."

I grabbed a muffin for myself and said, "That'd be teaching a bad lesson to Lia and Sylvia. If your default is just killing people because they tried to smear your name, you'll end up killing everyone in the world at some point."

Mein blinked. "I... don't think that logic is quite right, Master Naofumi... And didn't you default to killing all of the slave owners and people who abused them in Melromarc? And Zeltoble?"

"That's different." I finished buttering my muffin and pointed my knife at Mein. "Killing people for a cause is different from killing people because they pissed you off."

Bahamut chimed in and nodded. "Father is correct. Net positive."

"Right?" I paused. "Wait, no. I mean, that's technically correct, Son, but the nuance matters. No absolute rules."

Bahamut blinked. Then he furrowed his brow, causing his green bangs to shift. "...Difficult."

"You'll get used to it. I had to learn the hard way, but I'll make sure you kids learn the nuance from the start."

Mein blinked and said, "Do... I want to know what the 'hard way' is in how you learned about morals?"

"Morals?" I blinked. "Who's talking about morals? I'm talking about the difference between killing people for a cause versus for personal reasons."

Mein opened her mouth. Then she shut it and said, "You know what? I'll just accept that we accidentally summoned a megalomaniac mastermind from another world because we broke the rules and leave it at that."

I took a bite from my muffin and said, "Hey. I resent that statement. I'm not a megalomaniac. I want what's best for humanity. Like us reaching beyond the stars and becoming the dominant species in the universe."

"...I don't even know what to say in response to that, Master Naofumi."

Rishia walked over and set down an omelet in front of everyone, perfectly balanced on a tray. After that, she sat down to the left of Bahamut and said, "Well, I think that's amazing, Lord Naofumi! Looking beyond this world and to even the stars... you have incredible ambition!"

"Ambition? Please, it's a done deal. The moment I reached a world with a malleable energy source that corresponds to my thoughts is the moment that we reached checkmate. I'm just taking the long way around to make sure annoying things don't pop up."

Mein gave me a blank stare. "...You ARE a Maou-sama."

"I resent that statement. I'm not a Demon Lord. I'm... new management."

Mina looked up from devouring her muffin and then pumped a fist in the air. "Papa! People leader!"

Nina nodded, delicately wiping her mouth with a napkin. "Father is the bestest human."

As for Bahamut...

He looked at me and gave a thumbs up. "I approve."

I looked back at Mein and said, "See? If kids say I'm fine, then I'm fine."

Mein looked at me. Then she looked at the Seven Star Staff stuck to her waist. After that, she looked up at me and said, "The staff says that if this world wasn't already screwed because the Shield is gone, you would be number one priority to eliminate. But since it is... you're our best shot."

I nodded to the staff and said, "Smart weapon. Since I like you, I won't steal you from Mein and synthesize you to Laevatein as upgrade material."

The Seven Star Staff suddenly started vibrating, as if viscerally offended. But then it stopped and tilted a bit, almost as if it was sighing.

Mein looked concerned. But she shook her head and focused on me. "I didn't see Lia or Sylvia this morning. Are they out training, Master Naofumi?"

I paused, suddenly remembering the 'homework'... or rather 'extra credit' I gave the two last night.

"...You could say that."

And then, as if on cue, the door to the kitchen opened.

Lia walked in, looking completely refreshed and even more bubbly than usual. "Naofumi-dono~! Good morning!"

Her red tunic was suspiciously clean and smelled like perfume. Almost as if trying to hide something.

Meanwhile, she had two swords sheathed at her side. The first was a normal steel sword, but the other was the fancy [False Mercy] I made yesterday.

Sylvia walked in next, looking incredibly serene. Like someone who had achieved enlightenment. Smiling at me, she nodded and said, "Good morning Master. And good morning, Mina, Nina, Bahamut."

Her blue tunic was suspiciously clean too. It also smelled like perfume... and her rapier was conspicuously missing.

I noticed and said, "What happened to your rapier?"

"Ah." Sylvia paused, considering how to answer it. Then she said, "...It became a lost cause."

Lia giggled.

Mein slowly blinked, missing the context. But she clearly understood the implications as her face immediately turned green. "...Ew. Like, mega ew. Oh Spirits, did you... No. I do NOT want to know."

Sylvia gave a solemn nod. "...It's better that you don't."