Retired S-rank father becomes a teacher

When Silas parked his pick up-truck in the driveway of the mansion. Usually he’d park it in his garage which was connected to the house, but another car blocked the entrance. The ignition of the azure SUV turned off and a woman got out of it, her blonde hair blowing in the wind.

Silas turned to Victoria, watching her reaction. She had fallen asleep on their way home and was rubbing her eyes awake now. Her crown of leaves was still intact and a little crooked, she looked adorable. But he wanted to know how she’d handle this situation.

“Evelyn?” Victoria said, her voice was a bit sleepy. She rubbed her eyes again.

He nodded, getting out of the car. Evelyn was already walking towards him with a smile on her lips. Victoria followed behind, stretching a bit, her back cracking slightly.

“Hello Silas...Victoria.” The S-ranked water mage greeted them both.

A small frown formed on his daughter’s lips as she mumbled her hello back. The tension in her body was obvious.

Squeezing Victoria’s shoulder, he reassured her that everything was okay.

“Hey Evelyn. What brings you here?” he asked with his casual tone, his hand moving from Victoria shoulder to her waist, keeping her close.

The blonde woman looked at them with a happy look.

“Elizabeth said she needed me for something urgent...didn’t say what it was,” she answered, looking past him and to the pickup truck.

His knees weakened slightly at Elizabeth’s mischief.

“Right it’s very important,” he said and pointed to the pick up truck, “Could you help me unload the supplies? We got them for her garden,” Silas finished.

Evelyn raised her eyebrow.

“Just use your magic to do it...”

Victoria perked up, “It’s no magic day. We are back to being cavemen.”

Evelyn blinked twice, her mouth opening but no words coming out. He had to hold back a laugh. She was clearly struggling to understand what the hell they were talking about.

“You’re joking right?” She asked as Silas opened the trunk.

He shook his head and started pulling the bags of dirt out, placing them in her hands. His princess joined him, taking out the bags of tools and placing them in Evelyn’s hands too. Then more and more things until her hands were overflowing and she was left speechless.

Victoria had a small triumphant smile on her face.

Silas was about to help but Victoria stopped him with a hand on his chest.

“She’s an S-rank papa. Strong and independent. Let her carry those things.”

His daughter was having way too much fun with this.

A sigh escaped him but he glanced at Evelyn who was dumbfounded by the situation. He just shrugged. She didn’t ask for help as they went inside together, leaving him to close the trunk and grab the last of the things.

Kathy was lying stomach first on the couch in the living room, watching TV with a bored expression.

“Look who decided to return from the castle...” she drawled out, not even bothering to look.

He walked past her and put the stuff down near the kitchen entrance. He could hear Elizabeth in the backyard.

“Kathy are you going to speak like that in front of your bff?” Victoria said in an admonishing tone as she passed Kathy and followed him into the kitchen.

Her twin turned her head to look at her with a confused expression. It took her a second to process what was happening until the blonde water mage came through the door with the bags in her hand.

“Evelyn!?” Katherine shrieked and ran to her, a big smile on her face as she helped her with the bags.

Evelyn chuckled. “Yes it’s me. Hello to you too Kathy.”

His daughter giggled and shook Evelyn’s shoulders a bit.

And so Kathy was dragged into the backyard by the hip of her idol to help in the garden and Victoria went with them too. A part of him felt that this was going to be chaotic.

Behind the kitchen, was the garden, Elizabeth’s sanctuary. A huge space with fruit trees and flowers and grass everywhere. The sun was hitting the apple tree in the middle, casting a shadow. in the shadow of the tree, Liz was sitting in a chair and drinking some tea. The birds were chirping and the grass was soft under his feet.

Silas walked up to his wife and kissed her on the lips. The familiar taste of vanilla hit his tongue, mixed with the sweetness of tea.

“What are you planning my lovely wife?” he asked after he pulled back, a smile on his face.

Her green eyes were full of love as she gazed at him.

“I am just managing my garden...” she paused when she saw what was in his hand and clapped happily. “Chocolate!” She snatched it from his grip, her eyes shining like a kid in a candy store.

His heart hammered as he sat down on her chair, pulling her to his lap. His arms around her as she ate her chocolate.

Kathy, Victoria and Evelyn were setting down the supplies on the grass, in no particular order. Just randomly dropping the bags and Evelyn looked confused as to what she was doing in this garden.

“You’re not going to direct them?” he asked Liz while taking a bite of her chocolate too. She whined and slapped his hand.

“This chocolate is mine,” she huffed, her lips in a cute pout.

A laugh came from him, seeing her puffed up like that.

“And it doesn’t matter where they place it. Everything will find its place,” she said.

After eating her chocolate until there was one small piece left, Elizabeth offered it to her husband. He took it and ate it. The sweetness melting in his mouth.

Then she stood up, kissing him on the cheek.

“Okay Ladies! Time to get to gardening,” she announced and Victoria glanced at her father with a pleading expression. He knew exactly what she was thinking. He waved his hand for her to follow Elizabeth. Her frown turned into a reluctant smile as she followed her mom like an obedient daughter.

He leaned back and took a deep breath of air, letting the smell of dirt, flowers and sunlight calm him down. His body felt lighter after the busy week he had. Evelyn and Katherine were working on planting seeds in the ground far away from the apple tree, while Victoria stood awkwardly near her mom who was making new flower arrangements. The flowers were close to the kitchen.

This was perfect. But he felt something was missing, something nagging in his mind as he looked at the garden. Something was off. He couldn't place it.

Silas didn’t know what was missing but he thought it was the perfect time for a phone call. Berlin picked up on the third ring.

“Kid it’s a fuckin’ holiday,” his gruff voice was loud in the phone.

Putting his feet up on the garden table, he chuckled. His eyes on his princess as she accidentally pricked her finger on a thorn and Elizabeth brought a bandage and placed it on her thumb.

“Yes but the world doesn’t stop on holidays old man.” The smile on his face never left even after saying those words. “Do you remember the incident in that Russian archipelago?”

Berlin hummed, probably remembering.

“Anzhu?” he asked.

The name was familiar so Silas continued. “Yes, I want to read the files on the experiments.”

The old man sighed.

“I remember you telling me you didn’t care for magic science stuff back then,” Berlin said.

Silas didn't. And he still doesn’t care much but he needs to know for the sake of his family.

“Can you bring it?” he asked.

Another sigh. The sound of a chair scraping the floor and then a paper rustled. Then the call got disconnected.

“Papa! I need help,” his daughter’s voice pulled him out of his thoughts. Victoria was holding a shovel and had dug out a hole in the ground, her small frame sweating a bit from the exertion.

Putting his phone away, he went over to her with a grin and started digging with her, taking the shovel and doing it much faster.

After the hole was big enough, Victoria put the cherry seeds into it. Her hands were covered in dirt and sweat was dripping down her brow. He took out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat away.

“Thank you papa,” she said with a big smile.

A kiss on her forehead was his reward for her.

They continued with a few more holes and the other ladies joined in. It was fun and his body felt good after doing some work. The smell of the earth was in his nose and his hands were covered in dirt too.

While the sun started to set in the distance, the group gathered at a table under the apple tree for some freshly squeezed lemonade and sandwiches that Elizabeth prepared for dinner.

The sound of cutlery and chatter filled the air as they all sat around the round table.

A beep came from the front gate of the estate.

“Who is that?” Evelyn asked, taking a sip from her glass.

Silas smirked and leaned back on his chair, taking a bite of his ham sandwich. They couldn’t see it yet, but he could. His space awareness gave him the advantage. The gates opened slowly, a car driving through.

“Dad why are you smirking like that? You are scaring me,” Kathy said.

“Papa isn’t scary. He is handsome and perfect,” Victoria refuted and looked at him with admiration.

Elizabeth giggled next to him, her hand holding his under the table. She knew who it was.

The smoke came before the man. Cigarette smoke that he recognized. He didn't knock. He never knocked.

Then the figure walked out from around the corner and the chatter stopped.

Silas raised his hand in a half wave as the man approached.

“Uncle B? I thought you quit smoking. Or died. Whichever came first,” Kathy asked, not believing what she saw.

“I thought you died from cancer already,” Victoria bluntly said.

Silas watched Berlin chuckle and said nothing.

A flick of ash on the grass as Berlin approached. His grey beard and short hair had a bit more white than last time and his brown eyes looked tired but that was it. A file under his armpit.

He sat down on an empty seat, taking the cigarette out of his mouth.

“Christ. You two are his pups alright. Same foul mouth,” the old man laughed.

Katherine snorted. “Yeah right...that would be hell,” she said while gulping down the lemonade.

Berlin burst out into laughter at the comment.

Handing Berlin a lemonade and his sandwich, Elizabeth greeted him like nothing weird was happening. Berlin took the sandwich without looking at it, already taking a bite.

“Hello Berlin, it’s been a while, how are you?” she asked sweetly.

He slid the file to Silas on the table in front of everyone.

The folder had the defunct Russian Hunter Association symbol on it, a snake. Silas didn’t reach for it. His focus was on the people around him. His family.

Silas grabbed his glass, the dirt under his nails still there as he waited for the old man to answer.

“Couldn't be better E,” Berlin said.