The Patriarch's Headache

His name was Adam Hunt, and he was the patriarch of what he stubbornly called the last tribe in this vast region.

Well, calling it a tribe was a bit far-fetched. A tribe consisted of several clans gathered together. What he had now was a large clan at most.

But even so… he kept lying to himself and stubbornly called it a tribe. Otherwise, he would have to accept that those fool monstrosities had won and annihilated every last tribe here.

“Haah…”

Today was supposed to be a joyous one. He had talked to his dear children about mankind’s inheritance, passed on the torch to them, and all he had to do was eagerly wait for them to grow up and help him survive this hellish environment.

His anticipation was especially strong for this generation, all because of the existence of Ashen, his prodigy of a son.

But all that enthusiasm was dampened when said son showed him the Thema he had chosen.

“A nurturer of all things? Why? I would have been satisfied even if it was a plain warrior. But a nurturer… is my son planning to stay at home as a househusband?”

“Hey, stop sulking now… The choice has already been made. I’m sure our son has his own ideas. Why don’t we trust him for now?”

Adam looked sideways at his wife. She also sported a helpless smile as she tried to comfort him.

“You also said before that his spear techniques alone would put him at the forefront of our warriors, no? It’s not like he will be helpless now.”

Sadly, whenever he looked at her now, he was reminded of the other headache that had popped up alongside his son.

“Anastasia… let’s forget about Ashen for a moment. What is this about Lapis choosing a warrior-oriented Thema? Are we supposed to allow a woman to pick up a blade and join the men now?”

His wife, Anastasia, froze at his words.

“Couldn’t you have tried to persuade her better? Now what am I going to do with this? Haaah…”

He tousled his white hair with a frustrated sigh, only to hold back a wince as he felt a pinch at his side.

Looking down at his wife, he found a pouting face.

“Is this only my fault now? Who was it that allowed her to run around with a blade alongside the boys, huh? Is that also my fault?”

Now it was Adam’s turn to freeze.

“Ah… now that you mention it, I also shoulder a part of the blame.” He smiled sheepishly.

“Hmph. As long as you know. As I said before, what’s done is done now. Let’s focus on the future, shall we?”

“Indeed…”

The pouting and sulking gradually receded in favor of a more intimate atmosphere as the husband-and-wife pair began getting handsy with each other.

Unfortunately, they had to stop when a knock sounded at the door.

“Mom… Dad…? It’s Cain. Can I come in?”

“Yes, son. Come inside,” Adam answered helplessly, watching as his son entered the bedroom with a determined expression.

‘Why am I feeling like there’s another headache incoming?’

“What is it, sweetie?” Anastasia looked at her son curiously before sneaking a glance at her husband.

‘What’s wrong with him?’

‘No idea…’

“Dad… today, I became a Brave Warrior…” Cain started speaking the moment he got closer, then trailed off.

“Yes, I already know, and I’m really proud of you. Is there something you still don’t understand? Is it your skills, perhaps? Tell your father. Don’t worry, I’ll help you.” Adam spoke with a mild smile.

He wasn’t just humoring his son here. ‘Brave Warrior’ was genuinely a good Thema in his opinion, and Cain entirely deserved it after showcasing his bravery time and time again during training.

Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

“Well… Big Brother Ashen became a nurturer, didn’t he?”

“Yes…?”

“And a nurturer… isn’t that the stuff the big sisters do? Is Big Brother going to become like them?”

Finally, Cain lifted his head and looked at his parents questioningly. The two adults noticed a flash of glee behind his curiosity, however.

“No, Cain. Your big brother is a strong warrior, no matter which Thema he picked. That will not change his role in the tribe.”

It was his mother who answered his questions, gently trying to make him understand that a Thema had little bearing on the traditions governing their roles.

“But he is always spending his free time on the farm, isn’t he?” Cain grumbled. Then, before either of his listeners could retort, he added in a stronger voice:

“Dad! Please, let me marry Lapis!”

“...Did I not make everything clear already?” Adam shook his head in exasperation.

‘So it was about this after all?’

“But Dad! I’m better than him now! Why can’t I pick the one I like?!”

The patriarch simply glanced at his wife.

‘You do it…’

The latter responded with a stink eye before turning to her son with the same gentle expression. One could see that it was just a tiny bit more strained, though.

“Son, why are you so fixated on Lapis? Is Misty really that bad?”

As if waiting for someone to finally give him the green light, Cain nodded repeatedly, making a face that seemed to say: You have no idea!

“She’s always sleepy! She doesn’t do much. She doesn’t talk much. She’s boring! Lapis is prettier; she’s funny and strong! I want her!”

Anastasia tilted her head and began genuinely contemplating his words, refusing to dismiss them as mere childish whining. And when she was done, she found that most of it was, in fact, childish whining anyway.

“Cain, is it really as you say, or is it that you never even tried to get to know Misty? Did you perhaps try to find out what she likes? Did you speak to her to see if she’s really boring?”

She knew for a fact that he had done none of that. Cain had devoted all his attention to Lapis and figuring out how to steal her attention away from Ashen, even resorting to childish pranks and making a nuisance of himself.

“And what is this about strength? Misty will be a great woman one day, someone who supports you wholeheartedly and greets you warmly whenever you return home… That is another kind of strength, one just as important as physical might!”

The mother’s golden eyes grew sterner for the first time since the conversation began, but alas, her son did not seem to understand.

Or perhaps he did, but simply chose not to care. Stubbornness was one of a child’s most defining traits, after all, and Cain seemed to possess it in spades.

So he shifted his gaze from his mother to his father.

“Dad… I remember you said before that power is the most understood language of all. If I beat Big Brother, will you understand me? I want Lapis as my wife!”

Adam palmed his forehead in exhaustion.

To tell the truth, the rule that twins could not marry each other, but had to marry a member of the next set of twins, had been nothing more than a foolish attempt on his part to preserve some semblance of normality within the family.

Perhaps, by following it, the children would grow up to recognize a line that should never be crossed. He wanted them to treat their own twins as real siblings. Maybe that way, they could have the best of both worlds; forging a familial bond while also being able to form romantic relationships within the same family.

The trick had worked surprisingly well. As the previous children grew up, they treated their own twins as real brothers and sisters, never allowing lust or romantic love to enter their interactions.

But now… here was Cain, trying to cross that line and potentially break something that had been held together so precariously all along.

He wanted to dismiss his son’s request outright, perhaps even sternly reprimand him, but that look stopped him. It was a look he knew all too well.

After all, it was the same stubborn look he had carried in his youth. That brand of stubbornness was what had allowed him to survive, and keep surviving no matter what life threw his way. And now, that same stubbornness had clearly been inherited by his son in full.

Alas, it was now being used to get his way in such a meaningless matter.

Cain kept his eyes trained on his father despite the prolonged silence. The latter paid him little attention, nor did he answer, remaining lost in thought instead.

‘How should I deal with this, I wonder?’

If he ignored his son, he felt as though something between them would change forever. He had already begun to sense it… those occasional flashes of resentment directed his way. He had thought it was merely a phase that would eventually pass, but clearly, that was not the case.

‘He will probably start hating me, and more importantly, his own brother.’

Ashen would grow up to become a leader among the warriors; Adam was sure of it, despite his non-combatant Thema. But so would Cain.

‘If the resentment keeps festering, these childish pranks and kiddy fights will most likely turn into schemes and bloody conflicts once they grow up.’

And one thing that had kept the tribe alive until now was a household free of internal strife.

‘On the other hand, if I grant his wish, I break a rule I set myself, establish a precedent, giving the others a bad example. Also, I have no idea how the other children would react.’

‘Misty, for sure, would develop self-esteem issues if I follow this route.’

His wife had already told him that Cain’s antics were getting to her. She had started wondering whether something was genuinely wrong with her for him to dislike the idea of marrying her so much.

‘Hmm… what to do, what to do…’

Adam was leaning toward the first choice, but the way the brat looked at him, throwing his own words about power being the ‘most understood language’ right back at him, kept him from opening his mouth and ending the matter once and for all.

“…”

Cain waited with bated breath as his father finally opened his eyes, which had somehow closed while he was deep in thought.

“Bring your own twin, along with the other two, and come back.”

“Y-yes!!”

Cain practically leaped with happiness before bolting out of the room, leaving behind one distressed wife and a husband still deep in contemplation.

“…Are you really going to do it?”

“…”

Adam did not answer. But Anastasia knew him well enough that she didn't need him to.

“It’s been hard on you, husband… I’ll be sure to help you relax later~”

“Whether you want to or not, I’m not leaving this bed until you make me ‘relax’ in the first place. Don’t worry.”

“Hng… are you going to be rough? …I can’t wait~”