Ruiās expression loosened with some slack as he gazed at his godson with an expression of amazement.
The young boy had plump cheeks despite his small body. He dozed off soundly in his motherās arms, entirely unperturbed by their flight and sky-walking thanks to the care that Fae had taken.
"Meet my son, Runark." Kane gestured to the baby. "We named him after you."
Rui stepped closer to get a closer look at the baby. "...Iām honored."
"Heās so adorable," Amare cooed as she drew closer to him to get a closer look at him, while Kane walked up to Rui with a smile. "Iām glad you could come, man."
"Iām sorry I wasnāt there when he was born," Ruiās tone was apologetic. "Congratulations on becoming a father, you already feel like a different person."
"Yeah, well, responsibility and all that," Kane heaved a deep breath. "Itās not as glamorous as you might imagine but..."
His tone softened. "Itās worth every minute."
He turned towards his son in the hands of two cooing women. "It really changes you. Makes you feel like your life up until now wasnāt all that important. Makes you more concerned about what kind of future will unfold."
"...I see," Rui remarked, unsure of what to say. "As long as youāre enjoying it, Iām happy for you. You definitely look more... certain, even if exhausted. Have you been getting sleep?"
"No," Kane admitted. "Neither of us has, but it has been meaningful and satisfying at a level that Iāve never really experienced before. Even the satisfaction of Martial progress doesnāt really compare to taking care of your own son."
Rui studied Kane with a knowing expression. He could tell with his mind sense that Kane was quite different from before. He had changed on almost a temperamental level, growing calmer and patient, traits that were not native to him as an evasive maneuverer.
Fae had changed, too.
She had grown more expressive and more loose, when she had been rather formal even with her friends the entire time Rui knew her, conducting herself in a manner befitting her Martial Family.
Now, it felt like all those tethers had fallen from her, allowing her to express the joy she felt at holding her baby and proudly showing her son to her friends.
"Here..." she walked towards Rui, slowly offering him baby Runark. "Why donāt you hold him?"
Rui inhaled deeply, staring at his godson for a moment, before nodding.
He rarely felt nervous, and yet what not even the top ten could make him feel, Runark had succeeded at as Rui gently held him, gazing at his face with an amazed expression.
The baby smelled like milk, as babies did.
A little tuft of silver hair was growing on his little head. Perhaps sensing that he was away from his motherās loving hold, the baby boy slowly woke up, opening his big eyes with a curious expression as he gazed at Rui with a curious expression.
His arms and legs began waving around as he gurgled with baby babble.
"Heās sooo cute~" Amare couldnāt help herself as she drew closer. "Whoās a good boy~"
Rui handed her the baby as she indulged in speaking to Runark with a baby voice, earning laughter from baby Runark.
"Not good with babies, huh?" Kane grinned at Rui. "Rather unexpected from you, who grew up in an orphanage."
Rui heaved a sigh. "I never partook in baby-care because I was only twelve years old and spent most of my time trying to hone my physicality and refine my Martial Art. And when I got accepted into the Martial Academy, I was gone before I could undertake any responsibilities."
"Makes sense," Kane mused.
Amare heaved a satisfied sigh before returning to Runark to his rightful mother, before turning towards Rui with a pointed gaze.
Rui averted his gaze from her with a wry smile.
Kane grinned, smelling blood. "So you guys are planning on getting married or... starting your own family?"
He emphasized the last part.
"We havenāt made any plans." Amare drew closer to Rui, brushing her shoulder against his. "Itās not a good time in our lives."
Rui nodded. "Iām especially concerned that I wonāt be able to make any time for family. Especially, you know, with my Martial Drive and all that."
"Yeah, tell me about it." Kane huffed with an incredulous gaze directed at Rui. "Iām curious, how close are you to fulfilling Project Water?"
The question stumped Rui.
He had never actually been asked that before, now that he thought about it.
"Well, in the past, I never bothered asking you because you were obviously way too far from even thinking about finally putting an end to it," Kane remarked. "But now..."
He turned to Rui with an expression of admiration. "Youāre a big guy, my man. Youāre the strongest Martial Sage by far. One of the top ten most powerful pathwalkers in the entire world. And youāre only, what, eighty years old? And you retain your youth, so your rate of growth is high? I think itās time to finally achieve the darn goal and wrap things up buddy."
Rui couldnāt even fathom that, for some reason.
His entire life. His entire lives in this world and Earth had been about Project Water.
What did it mean for this project to end? To be achieved.
He couldnāt even fathom that for some reason.
Who was he if not a man pursuing Project Water?
"Well, you donāt need to have an answer to everything, Rui," Fae wisely noted, sensing his bewilderment. "For now, why donāt we go inside? It would be rude of us to keep our friends standing outside our homes."
Rui nodded. "That would be nice."
The five of them relocated within the Dullahan Manor. Rui admired the Martially-oriented architecture. With decor and decorations that had a vibe and theme to it centered around Martial Art, something that was to be expected from a Martial home.
They even had a whole training arena and wing where the many members of the family trained to become worthy of the name of Dullahan.