Chapter 77 – Through the Night

Back in Brighton, late in the evening and around 11 PM.

The moment they got back, Lee tucked Evandel into bed in her room along with her plushies.

Nayun went to the guest bedroom and showered before winding down for the night.

And as for Lee and Rachel...

Lee slid a cup of green tea over to Rachel before sitting down with his own cup. "It's been a while since it's been just us, hasn't it?"

Rachel smiled as she took the tea and nodded. "It has..." She chuckled and said, "Is this what it's like to be parents? I have to say, it's a novel experience."

"Right?" Lee chuckled too and said, "It's weird, isn't it? Like Eva matters more than anything else."

"Mmhm..." Rachel smiled. "But that's because she's our daughter. And I mean *really* our daughter."

"Oh, I know." Lee looked smug and said, "I saw you reading those paternity results."

Rachel froze mid-sip and then pouted. "...I was going to surprise you with them."

Lee chuckled and said, "I didn't need them. The moment Eva called me Daddy, I knew she was mine."

It was a weird feeling that Lee couldn't put into words. Only that, when he saw Evandel, there was just certainty. 'This girl is my daughter.' That sort of feeling.

Rachel let out a soft smile and said, "It's the same for me. Though, I must admit, I did not think that flirting with the attractive American student at Cube would lead to this..."

Lee blinked. "...You were flirting with me?"

Rachel set her cup down and gave Lee an exasperated look. "...The princess of the Kingdom of Britain does not randomly approach just anyone, Lee..."

"I thought you were just curious since I sat next to you." Lee looked amused. "Wow... so I"m that charming, huh?"

Rachel rolled her eyes. "Don't get too full of yourself." She smiled and said, "You might be attractive, but there is only one woman who can keep up with you. Me."

Lee's eyes softened as he looked at Rachel. "You know, it's really not fair. I already fell for you when you were demure and sweet." He reached out to lift up Rachel's chin to look into his eyes and said, "You being this confident and just like a proper Queen is dangerous for my heart."

"Oh?" Rachel looked amused and reached up to cup Lee's cheek, caressing it. "How dangerous, Lee?"

"Dangerously~"

Rachel burst into giggles and then leaned back, rolling her eyes. "You can't just DO that, Lee. There was a nice atmosphere going..."

Lee laughed. "Well, as much as I'd like to cross that line, it's still a bit too soon for that. Plus, Eva's here."

Rachel composed herself and nodded. "That's true... And thank you." She blushed and fidgeted a bit. "...I do love you. But, um. I think I would like to save that for marriage, if it is okay...?"

"More than okay." Lee smiled. "You tell me where and when, Wifey. I'm not a horndog like Hajin."

Rachel snorted. "You really never miss a chance to throw shade upon our friend, do you?"

"He's the sort of guy who needs his ego checked, so no."

Rachel looked amused. "Says the audacious man who swept me off my feet, trapped me with a cute child, and stole my heart so well I proposed?"

Lee chuckled and sipped his tea. "I'm confident and self-assured. I'm not delusional and arrogant. Hajin is the latter, not the former. At least, he can fall into that trap."

It was Hajin's fatal flaw as a character, from what Lee could tell.

Because that guy wrote The Returnee Hero, Hajin... at least, The Novel's Extra Hajin. That guy thought that he knew absolutely everything about the world. So, when something seemed impossible, he wrote it off because he thought he exhausted every option.

...He definitely also had a God Complex, with capital letters too.

The Hajin that Lee knew was better though. Mostly because Lee had made sure to treat him like a proper person... and also because Lee was just (not to tout his own horn) more intelligent than Hajin.

Rachel sipped on her tea and said, "Even if that is true, you have quite a large flaw as well, Lee."

Lee blinked. "I do?"

"Yes." Rachel let out a soft smile and said, "Have you not noticed? You always let others shine instead of yourself. The only time you go out of your way to show your capabilities is when it is necessary."

"That's just commonsense, Wifey."

Rachel placed her cup back down and rolled her eyes. "I agree that it is rational to hold *some* things back. But Hubby... Mm." Rachel paused. "...I like that. Hubby..." She giggled, sounding it out a bit more. But then she focused again and said, "...As I was saying, Hubby. You realize that you do not have to be so humble, yes?"

Lee tilted his head. "What do you mean?"

"Oh come now." Rachel crossed her arms and said, "No one is fooled anymore. Virtually every one of our peers, their families, and the various Guilds all believe that you deliberately withheld your abilities to protect Eva and to get the chance to meet me. While it is not entirely true... I do know that you are still holding things back."

Lee paused. Then he chuckled. "...Does it make you feel better to know that it's not intentional?" Lee shrugged. "I just haven't had a need to use my full abilities yet."

Unlike most of the people in this world, Lee was a proper practitioner of martial arts. He didn't rely on equipment, Gifts, Arts, or even magic to fight.

For him, they were just tools to add into the mix.

And up until now, he didn't really need to use them... at least, not against people.

Lee definitely used his Gifts and Arts against monsters, but that was just for farming efficiency. It wasn't 'necessary' for him, like it was for other people.

All of that to say...

"Huh." Lee placed his hand on his chin. "...Am I a lot stronger than I thought I was?"

Rachel chuckled. "Yes, Hubby. You are very, very, VERY strong. Did you forget the fact that you defeated Suho in a contest of pure skill? And Shin Jonghak as well?"

"Well, Shin Jonghak was a freebie since he has anger issues. Suho though... I guess so. I wasn't even fighting like I usually would, so I guess that's true, huh?"

In a fight, Lee always fought with advantages. That was why he had a halberd, spear, and now a spare sword while being trained in unarmed as well.

Instead of 'fighting to win' he made it 'impossible to lose' by taking away the opponent's advantages.

Opponent has speed? Create distance.

Opponent has more skill? Destroy the weapon or change the battlefield.

Opponent has more strength? Abuse timing and induce attack patterns.

Although Lee didn't have cookiecutter solutions to problems in battles, he always made sure that he was at an advantage, either by opening with it or by creating an advantage by destroying the opponent's.

But because of that...

"Hm." Lee tapped his chin. "...I wonder what even would require me to fight seriously?"

Humans were predictable and usually relied on their weapons, so Lee would always win the moment he forced the fight into unarmed combat. And that was something he would always be able to do since Mana Manipulation would allow him to shatter weapons, and since his Physique disrupted magic unless he actively restrained it.

Monsters... Well, since his Physique disrupted magic, if the monsters biology wasn't supported by normal physics, they'd basically just get fact-checked by existence and either be crippled or die outright.

Rachel gave Lee a blank stare and said, "...I am not sure whether to be proud or terrified that you are seriously considering this question and seriously cannot find an answer..."

"Oh, I got it." Lee snapped his fingers. "I guess the only thing that would be a good match for me would be pure tech. Like, a Terminator style robot. But it would have to be purely electrical. Mana would make it just deadweight since my Physique breaks it. And it'd have to be pretty sturdy too."

If Lee thought about it... That was probably the only hard counter he had.

A Terminator style robot running on pure science, a droid army... basically sci-fi stuff.

Rachel looked amused and said, "In other words, what humanity gave up on since it cannot work in Dungeons or Towers."

"Pretty much." Lee laughed. "So it's all good. Even then, I have a few countermeasures for that."

Like the (totally not) Force powers he had.

Rachel chuckled and then sipped her tea, now a comfortable warm temperature. "Well, I expect you to show off more then when the final exams come along. I want a summer wedding, after all."

Lee smiled and said, "I'll work on it. Mm... I think number 2 is fine, right? Nayun won't mind losing it to me, will she?"

Rachel smiled back and said, "Well, if she wants to be my bridesmaid, she should yield it. That's what a good friend would do, right?"

Lee laughed.

Rachel laughed with him.

After that, Lee sipped on his tea and said, "Yesterday, you slept with Eva. But tonight... do you want to sleep together?"

Rachel's cheeks turned red. "...W-We cannot do any of... that..."

"I know. But I think it'd be nice to fall asleep holding each other, right?"

Rachel's blue eyes softened as she looked at Lee. "...I would like that."

"Alright. Then..." Lee checked his watch. "It's getting late. So... shall we?"

Rachel smiled and finished her tea. "Well, we should brush our teeth first. We cannot set a poor example for our daughter..."

"Oh, right. I should do that more often."

Rachel blinked. "...Have you... not been brushing your teeth?"

"Nah. I've just been using mana to clean it."

"..."

"What?"

"...You are a terrible father."

"Terribly effective father~"

Rachel snorted. "Well, us mere mortals have to brush our teeth normally. So wait for me in bed then."

"Oh, freshening up before sleeping with me, Wifey~"

Rachel blushed. "M-Mind your tongue!"

"I can show you exactly how-"

"LEE!"

Lee laughed. "Fine, fine~" He got up and pulled Rachel in for a soft kiss. "Love you. Don't take too long."

Rachel let out a content sigh after the kiss and said, "...I won't."