"So, you like it gently?" Christina asked with a smile, staring at .
"When did you co back?" I asked, ignoring her question as I walked toward her.
"Just today," she replied, her hand reaching out to pinch my face. "I couldn't miss the festival with you, after all. It's been so long since we could stay together."
"I see," I replied, nodding in response. "Avril didn't co with you?"
Her hand stopped pinching my cheek as she looked at .
"She didn't," Christina replied, shaking her head. "...I don't think she will co back now."
"So, she chose to run away, huh?" I replied with a light shrug.
"I'm not the right person to tell you," she replied cryptically, looking at . "When you see her again, calmly listen to what she has to say."
"..."
Without replying, I just looked at her, and she didn't shy away from my gaze.
A few seconds passed as she changed the topic. "Anyway, how do I look?"
She twirled around once to show her lavender off-shoulder gown that lightly clung to her body.
Seriously, is it just , or does she get more beautiful every ti I see her?
"You look ridiculous," I replied, and her expectant face crumbled.
Without replying, she started pinching my arm.
I smiled at her just to irritate her more.
"Papa!"
Our heads turned as Iffa started running toward .
Bending slightly, I picked her up as she giggled softly.
"What have you done to your face?" Grumbling, I took out my handkerchief as I wiped her face, which had traces of sweets.
"Your daughter?" Christina asked as she walked closer.
"Yep, you haven't t her," I replied, turning to let Iffa look at her. "She's Iffa."
Christina smiled as she stretched her hands wide.
"Christy?" Iffa asked, turning her head toward .
"Yeah, she's the one I talk about," I replied with a light smile as I passed her to Christina.
"How many daughters you gonna have?" Christina asked with a bright smile as she hugged Iffa.
"As many as I can," I replied, shrugging as Olivia also walked toward , gently holding my hand.
Willis also arrived beside , holding a bowl of ice cream.
"Noted," she replied, pressing Iffa's cheek with hers, making her giggle.
...Noted, what exactly?
I kept those words to myself as I looked.
A bell rang, making her look toward the exit of the place.
"Let's go," she said, grabbing my hand.
"Where?" I asked, confused.
"To the commoners' festival," she replied with a bright smile, dragging away. "And change your hair."
I sighed as I looked at her blue hair turning into black.
I did the sa, forming a small magic circle in my hand before touching my hair.
"Is it fine now?" I asked, making her glance back.
"Why green?" she asked, looking at weirdly.
"It's easy to use wind affinity for ," I replied, not explaining too much.
Exiting the academy festival grounds, we moved toward the left, where the commoners' festival was happening.
Unlike before, we were t with a far larger crowd with the voices of people drowning everything out.
Grabbing both Olivia and Willis, I held them on either side of my hand as we navigated through the crowd.
"Where are we going?" I asked, raising my voice to make sure she heard it.
"Wait a second!" she replied, dragging toward a more open area.
The crowd slowly thinned, giving us a lot more room to walk.
...And now I could only see couples roaming around.
"What is this?" I whispered softly, looking at sothing that looked like a starting line with a wooden staircase in front of us with no endpoint.
Squinting my eyes, I placed both Olivia and Willis down while I observed the stairs, only to notice small runes engraved on it.
"Have you heard about the Stairs of Blessing?" she asked, making look at her.
"I vaguely rember it, why?" I replied, tilting my head.
"See, there is a story about a man that's quite famous among commoners," Christina said, looking at the stairs.
"How he climbed a mountain to visit Goddess Anastasia's shrine carrying his sick wife in his arms."
...Ah, right.
I rember it now.
"Every year during the festival, a competition is held," she continued, pointing at the end of the staircase.
"...Carry your bride to the top of the mountain to prove your love and get Anastasia's blessings to always remain together."
"That's easy."
"You can't use mana."
"I have a strong body."
"The gravity increases with every step."
"...Still doable."
"There are only twelve hundred steps."
"..."
I turned to look at her with an absurd expression on my face.
"...Twelve hundred?"
"Yes."
"Won't we reach heaven at a thousand?" I grumbled, looking up at the winding staircase.
"Don't worry," she consoled while gently patting my back. "I'll be happy if you don't drop before a hundred."
"...That's so confidence you have in ," I grumbled, looking around as couples slowly started to stand in front of the staircase.
She smiled. "Just don't stress yourself."
"Children, get back," I said as I glanced at the three children quietly listening to us.
"No."
They all replied simultaneously.
"But—"
"No."
"...Fine, I'll drop you all together," I grumbled, picking up Willis and placing him on my shoulder while giving Olivia to Christina.
She took her along with Iffa.
"Huff..."
Drawing in a deep breath, I gently placed my hand around her waist and behind her knees as I picked her up, carrying her like a princess.
Her body felt fragile and abnormally soft, like it would lt away; my fingers dug deeply into her waist, making her squirm.
Olivia and Iffa sat on Christina's stomach while Willis sat on my shoulder, his legs touching my chest.
...Hmm.
"You're lighter than I expected," I complinted, looking at her.
"What's that supposed to an?" she replied, her voice laced with annoyance.
"No, I an you look... healthy," I replied while she wrapped her hand around my neck.
"Are you calling fat?"
"No, you're fat in the right places."
"..."
She blinked innocently before her face turned rosy with embarrassnt.
...Maybe I shouldn't have said that.
"Are you guys ready?" an old man standing beside the staircase said with a gentle smile.
"Yes."
"Then begin."
Everyone started to step on the stairs, including .
...Hmm, not too much pressure.
I thought as I felt a minute increase in the gravity.
I started ascending without much problem while glancing around.
"There are a lot fewer participants than I expected," I mumbled, noticing only ten or so pairs along with us.
"People don't usually take part in it," she replied, looking at .
"...So are afraid of not reaching the end, while most just want to tie down together."
"...I see," I mumbled with a slight nod. "...How many have even reached the end?"
"Last ti soone reached the end was thirty years ago," she replied, taking by surprise.
But on second thought, it's reasonable as the gravity slowly started to increase.
"Papa!"
"Daughter."
"When will we reach the top?" Iffa asked, gently slapping my face.
"We just started; wait for a while," I replied as I looked up.
A thick forest was weirdly arranged around the stairs, making it hard for to see further up.
The stairs were made to loop around the hill.
"By the way, we need to return before two hours," Christina inford, making glance at her.
"...Right, the Academic Festival," I mumbled in reply, nodding my head.
"Hmm~."
As I adjusted Christina a little, she let out a weird noise.
"Keep your hands in control, mister," she whined, grabbing my hand around her waist and guiding it lower.
...Wait, that wasn't her waist.
I muttered to myself, looking away from her.
"Anyone counting the steps?" I asked, trying to change the topic.
"Fifty," Willis exclaid.
"It's sixty, idiot brother," Olivia corrected him while she looked at . "Sixty-two, father."
I nodded gently as I focused on reaching the top.
At the hundredth step, we had already lost all the other people who were participating.
And up to this point, I had no problem moving while carrying all of them.
But the main problem ca at the five hundredth step as my body started to take a toll.
Sweat poured down my back and face.
Willis and Iffa had already returned because they felt too sleepy.
"...What?" I asked, glancing down at Christina.
"Nothing," Christina replied as she gently wiped sweat from my face. "I'm just admiring you."
"...I see," I whispered as I looked up.
Without wasting much ti, I continued to ascend further up.
"Oh, we reached heaven," Christina comnted, leaning her head on my shoulder.
"Two hundred more."
I sighed as I steeled myself, my body already drained.
"Aren't you going to sleep as well?" Christina asked, looking at Olivia.
"I would like to stay with my father," she replied, her voice monotone.
Christina silently looked at her while pinching her cheek. "I sotis forget we aren't on the sa team."
I ignored them as I moved.
And after a half hour of struggle and a drained body, I finally reached the top.
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