Chapter 239: A Family Decision

Lydia remained thoughtful, her arms crossed as she looked at her husband.

"So, all of Ace of Spades' squads will be sent to Antarctica?" she asked.

"That's what James confirmed. They're also considering conducting a reconnaissance raid before the main operation."

"I see."

Liam glanced at her.

"You don't have to make a decision right now. If that dungeon really evolves into an SSS-Rank one, it could be far more dangerous than any other we've explored."

Lydia remained silent for a few seconds.

"And what would happen if I decided to go with you?"

Liam sighed. He had expected that question, although a part of him wished his wife wouldn't bring it up.

"I told you I don't want to force you into anything. If you decide to participate, I won't stop you. But I also don't want you to feel obligated to go just because your abilities might be useful."

"I know."

Lydia moved a little closer and placed her hand over his.

"Liam, I'm not just your wife or the mother of our children. I'm also a hunter. I've spent all this time developing my abilities and facing dangers alongside you."

"I understand."

"Besides, I don't want our children to grow up in a world where everyone has to live in fear of a dungeon becoming an uncontrollable threat. If there's a chance to prevent that, I want to help."

Liam lowered his gaze to their intertwined hands.

He knew Lydia was right. She had never been the kind of person who was content to remain protected while others risked their lives. Even before they got married, she had demonstrated a determination that he deeply admired.

However, they had two children now.

And that made every decision much more difficult.

"I knew you were going to say something like that," he finally remarked.

Lydia smiled.

"Does that mean I have a wonderful husband who understands my decisions?"

"I suppose so."

"What an unromantic answer!"

Liam let out a small laugh.

"It also means I don't intend to argue with you when I already know I'm not going to win."

"Much better!"

They exchanged smiles before Liam turned his gaze toward the other side of the room.

Lionel and Liana were lying on a blanket, playing with several toys.

Lionel was shaking a rattle while Liana tried to put another toy in her mouth.

Liam watched them for a few seconds.

"There's something else we need to figure out."

"What is it?"

"The children."

Lydia followed his gaze and smiled tenderly.

"What about them?"

"If we both participate in the operation, we'll be quite far from home. We don't know how long we'll have to stay in Antarctica or how complicated things might get."

Liam leaned back against the sofa and ran a hand through his hair.

"Your Split Slime could stay with them, but I don't know if that would be enough for the entire operation. I wouldn't want us to rely on that alone."

Lydia's copy could easily look after the little ones while she was away. However, there was one limitation they both knew about: if Lydia exhausted too much of her energy, the copy could disappear.

It wasn't something that happened easily, but Liam didn't want to leave any important details to chance.

"What if we found someone who could help us?" Lydia suggested.

"Someone?"

"A nanny."

Liam blinked.

"A nanny?"

"Yes. Someone we can trust to stay with the children while we're away. My copy could help her too, so she wouldn't have to handle everything on her own."

Liam fell silent, considering the idea.

It made quite a bit of sense. Having someone who could look after the little ones during the day and help with their basic needs would considerably reduce the burden on Lydia and her copy.

"But finding someone suitable won't be easy," he commented.

"I've already taken care of that."

Lydia picked up her phone from the table and began searching through her posts.

"What are you talking about?"

"This."

She handed him the device.

On the screen was a social media post Lydia had shared recently.

The announcement explained that a family was looking for a nanny to care for two six-month-old babies. It also mentioned that the job would be temporary, although it could be extended depending on the circumstances, and offered a fairly generous salary.

Liam read the post once.

"You've already posted an ad?"

"Of course. I didn't want to wait until the last minute to start looking."

"And when were you planning to tell me?"

"When I had some interested candidates."

Liam looked up at her.

"Are there already candidates?"

Lydia smiled and nodded.

"Several people have messaged me over the past few hours. It seems the offer caught quite a bit of attention."

"I suppose the salary helps."

"Of course! I'm not going to hire someone to look after our children and then pay them next to nothing."

Liam looked over the post again.

The announcement was fairly simple, but it included all the necessary information for interested applicants to contact Lydia. She had even clarified that previous experience caring for hunters' children wasn't required, although responsibility and patience would certainly be valued.

"Have you checked the messages yet?" he asked.

"Some of them. There are women of different ages interested in the position. One of them even has many years of experience caring for babies."

"That sounds promising."

"There's also a woman who worked as a caregiver at a daycare center, and another who seems quite young but says she loves children."

Liam nodded slowly.

He wasn't sure what kind of person would be the best fit, but at least they already had a few options.

"And when are you planning to interview them?"

"I could meet the first candidates tomorrow. If any of them seem suitable, we can move forward with the process."

Liam looked at his children again.

Lionel had put down his rattle and was now trying to reach one of his toys. Liana, meanwhile, seemed much more interested in watching her brother than playing by herself.

"I hope we find someone responsible," he murmured.

"Me too. But don't worry too much. I'm not going to leave our little ones with just anyone."

"I know."

Lydia leaned over and kissed his cheek.

"Besides, my copy will be with them. They won't be alone at any point."

Liam smiled faintly.

Although he was still worried, knowing that Lydia had already started making arrangements lifted a weight off his shoulders.

He had been so focused on preparing for the mission that he had barely considered how difficult it would be to leave their home for an extended period.

Now, at least, they had a starting plan.

"All right. Tomorrow we'll meet the candidates and see how things go."

"Exactly."

Lydia took her phone back and began checking the messages she had received. Meanwhile, Liam got up from the sofa and walked over to the blanket to spend some time playing with his children.

Lionel waved his arms when he saw his father, while Liana gave him a little smile.

Liam gently picked them up, one at a time.

'Looks like our next mission will be finding a good nanny,' he thought.

After all, facing an SSS-Rank dungeon was something they could prepare for with training, coordination, and skilled hunters.

But finding someone capable of looking after their two little ones while he and Lydia were away...

That could turn out to be an entirely different challenge.