1581 When Your Wives Are Stronger
Varian's lips trembled and no sound came out of his throat.
Yeah, how could he ask if they're fine now?
A thousand years!
Even though a normal divine ranker wouldn't mind a thousand-year seclusion, they weren't normal. They just entered their 20s and never went into a even decade old closed doors practice.
Most of all—
"You bastard!"
Varian was pulled into a hug before he could respond. And two fists kept hitting his back incessantly.
"Idiot!"
"Scoundrel!"
"A thousand years!"
"I don't know!"
"I hate you!"
His shoulder dampened with warm tears. The fists hitting him loosened and hugged his waist tight, as if they would never let go.
The snow mountains began to melt at a visible rate and it began to rain.
"Haaa~"
Varian sighed deeply, feeling both sorry and regretful.
'Huh?'
Something hit him from behind and then someone hugged him violently while biting the other shoulder.
"This is the last time."
Sia's voice was a bit too scary despite everything he'd lived through.
"If you try this once more," She brought her lips closer to his ear and said in a tone that showed no hesitation. "I'll lock you in the palace and raise you myself. Understood?"
"…"
Varian was about to nod because of the mood but quickly controlled himself.
What's this girl even planning?
Varian turned around and saw Sia.
Her face looked as beautiful as ever. She truly didn't seem to age a single day since he left.
That beautiful little face was looking at him with a smile and tears.
"Is this your millenium long plan?" Pulling her cheeks, Varian asked. "Locking me up?"
"Wrong," A soft voice rang and Varian's right was hugged.
Enigma's violet eyes looked into his eyes with such an intensity that he had to look away. Doing so, he turned to the left when Isadora hugged him.
"It's our plan." The princess said in a haughty, irrefutable tone.
Out of the four, she seemed the most fine since she had a longer life experience. Still, she too looked extremely pissed off.
"This didn't happen because I wanted it to." Varian wanted to explain the circumstances that led to his situation.
But no one bothered to pay him any heed.
All they focused was hugging him was tight as they could and feeling his existence through direct touch.
'A thousand years, this much is fine.'
Varian closed his eyes and decided to drown in the love.
…But a full day passed. And no one showed any signs of letting go.
'A thousand years passed. This much is fine.'
Varian shook his head and closed his eyes, once again.
…A week passed.
"And that's enough!"
Varian broke free from the hug and the four women woke up. They shot him resentful glares before crossing their arms, circling him like he's some criminal to be judged.
"…"
Varian's energy dissipated and he looked at them with a weak gaze. "A week's hug is enough, right?"
"…"
"…"
"…"
"…"
"Right?"
Enigma, the softest of the four despite her indifferent exterior, decided to support him. "We can't remain here hugging forever. Let's go."
Sia was a bit reluctant but nodded. Isadora had no problem with the decision but Sarah elbowed Enigma with a resentful gaze.
"We didn't go home all these years." Sarah said, sighing lightly.
"She decided not to, until you returned. All voted in favor." Sia patted her chest with a proud expression and declared.
"Home, ah." Varian had a complicated smile on his face.
In his perception, he spent only a few days in God's eye and was away only for a week or two at most. But they left home for a full millenia.
"Let's g—"
"What about my huggggg~"
A voice echoced through the melting snow and a body reached him before he could respond.
As Miss Calamity was about to hug him, Isadora held her by the back of her neck.
"B-Brother-in-law, hug! Hugs!"
Aurora waved her arms, trying to break free but Isadora's grip was too strong.
Varian didn't even know what to say.
"Lady, I'm busy with my wives. I'll meet guests later."
Aurora's face froze and her eyes widened before they started to water. "G-Guest! I am a guest? I'm your sister-in-law! I'm your guest? Guest? A gu—mfff!"
Sia closed her mouth and gave her a very peaceful smile. In a voice that Varian couldn't hear, she said in a half-threatening tone.
'Little bitch, we four reserved the four sides of the hug. There is no space left. Bug off!'
Such words might've caused antagonism between the two previously but with their grown familiarity, Miss Calamity didn't feel offended by Sia's posessiveness.
She even replied.
'If four sides are reserved, isn't the above empty? I can hug brother-in-law's head, ehehehe~'
Her words caused the other three to turn toward her and their gazes turned cold.
'E-Eh? Wha-What?'
Sarah rubbed her wrist, Enigma silently brandished a stick and Isadora took out a whip.
'Y-You! You crazy bitches!'
Miss Calamity ran away like lightning, her trace nowhere to be found.
The interaction happened at the speed of divine rankers and Varian couldn't even grasp what happened.
"Let's go home now, shall we?" Sia hugged his left arm and said in a cheerful voice, like a bird chirping.
"We have to make up for some lost time at least." Sarah grabbed his right arm and hummed.
"…There is a small list to be filled." Enigma unfolded a sheet of paper and it rolled out for at least a mile.
"…"
When Varian looked at her in disbelief, Enigma said in a calm tone. "Oh, that's Isadora's list. It's only half as long as Sarah's and Sia's. Mine is four times as long."
"It's always the silent ones." Varian lowered his head. He decided to spend a few days at home and convince them.
While the thousand year seperation was sad, he still couldn't forget the scene he witnessed beyond that door.
God Emperor…that man…
"W-Wait, my powers!"
Only when he tried to secretly practice a week later did Varian realize how naive his thoughts were.
