"That was great teamwork, I was genuinely impressed." Shun praised them with a smile. "Did you guys practice while I was gone?"
"Well… sort of. With your insurance as an S-Class mage, we were able to take on some missions to earn money," Ur answered.
—
"Welcome." Another scene of a fairy greeting three people unfolded at Shun's house.
Shun, who had brought two different girls home on consecutive days, was now caught by his mother figure…
It was an awkward situation, but no one mentioned it.
"Hello, First Guild Master." They knew she was Shun's mother figure, but between her tiny stature and playful demeanor, it felt too strange to address her as such. Everyone had settled on using her title instead.
"Hello, come in. Make yourselves comfortable on the sofa," Mavis said. Shun's house wasn't very large.
Guess I'll have to buy a bigger place with the earnings from SHFC, Shun thought.
"Well, I'll go cook something. Mavis, introduce them to a new world," Shun requested, leaving both mother and daughter slightly confused.
"Of course," Mavis replied, turning on Doraemon. This would be her third time rewatching the early episodes—first with Yukino, then Sorano, and now with these two—but she still enjoyed it.
Half an hour later, it was clear Shun hadn't been exaggerating. What played out on screen felt like a glimpse into an entirely different world.
"H-How did you come up with something like this?" Ultear stammered, her excitement palpable.
"I thought of it while I was away. I visited many new places, then used my 'Arc of Embodiment' to bring it to life," Shun explained, mixing a little truth with the necessary lie. He would never reveal he was from another world.
"I see," Ur murmured quietly. Since the last time she'd seen Shun, he had grown even more impressive—or rather, he had truly grown into a man…
Soon, Shun brought dinner in, and they all watched a few episodes together. The sofa wasn't very big, so Shun offered to sit on the floor, but Mavis insisted he could sit on her lap instead…
Is she serious or just teasing? Hard to tell… Shun sighed and tried, but it was impossible for two reasons: she was too small, blocking his view of the screen, and her tiny lap quickly grew uncomfortable.
"Pfft—cough, let's just swap places," Shun said, scooping Mavis up and placing her on his own lap instead.
"I'm the mother, though…" Mavis mumbled, but Shun just fed her a snack and she quieted down. Problem solved.
—
After six episodes, Shun had to forcibly stop the playback—otherwise, the three of them would have stayed up all night. It was supposed to be just three episodes, but each of them kept begging for "one more."
I'm glad I didn't pick anything too intense, Shun thought, sighing with an amused smile.
"Well, it's quite late. You two are welcome to stay the night," Mavis offered.
"No, I have an early meeting tomorrow. I should head back," Ultear said. She'd become quite the career woman since her infiltration work began.
Shun offered to teleport her, but she declined.
Guess she wants some time alone after everything that's happened, Shun figured.
"Then I'll go, too—" Ur began, but Ultear cut her off.
"No! You stay here."
What is she planning? Shun wondered, watching as Ur obediently listened to her daughter.
He couldn't help but feel amused. Neither of these mothers really acts like a typical mother, huh?
"Well, see you later," Ultear said, a faint, knowing glint in her eyes that Shun couldn't quite read. Then she left.
"Let's get some sleep, then. I've been using the guest room, but you can have it tonight. I'll take the sofa," Mavis told Ur.
"No, I'll sleep on the sofa," Ur offered.
"It's fine, really. The sofa is perfect for my… size," Mavis muttered, her tone dipping slightly.
"Pfft—cough, cough! Time to sleep," Shun interjected, barely keeping a straight face as he made his escape.
Only Mavis and Ur remained in the living room. Sensing the shift in mood, Ur decided not to press further.
—
Night settled in. Only Mavis fell asleep quickly. The other two were restless—one nervous, the other curious.
Why did Ultear set things up so obviously? Is she expecting something to happen? Shun pondered.
Eventually, he decided not to let Ultear's efforts go to waste and quietly slipped into Ur's room.
"Hello… are you asleep?" Shun whispered.
Ur almost yelped in surprise but held it in, pretending to be asleep.
Shun continued softly, deciding to be direct. "Why do you think your daughter arranged things like this?"
Ur stayed silent, though she'd been wondering the same thing.
"Did she notice you avoiding me? Maybe she's trying to help mend things between us," Shun suggested. It made sense.
Still, Ur didn't respond.
"Or… is she giving permission for something more?" Shun said, startling her.
What kind of relationship does he think we have, this brat? she thought, but kept her eyes closed.
"I think it's both," Shun murmured, slowly leaning closer to her face. "If you don't want this, just push me away."
He gave her the choice, then gently pressed his lips to hers.
It's all so Ultear's effort isn't wasted! Shun told himself.
The moment their lips touched, Ur could no longer keep up the act and tried to pull back—but Shun cupped her face gently and continued.
Had it not been for a certain notification from the system months earlier—back when it still chimed in from time to time—Shun might not have been so decisive.
Once the fire was lit, there was no stopping it.
When the final moment came, Shun covered Ur's mouth with his hand to keep from waking Mavis—making it feel almost like a secret crime…
Which, if he was honest, excited him even more.
—
Meanwhile, a certain tiny fairy had been awake for some time, watching everything through the slightly cracked door…