Three days without sleep.
Not by choice. The Darkwoods didn't allow sleep — not real sleep, not the kind that recharged anything. Every few hours, something hit the camp's barriers. Wolves, insects, things that screamed in the fog and never showed themselves. Yuki's detection web pinged so frequently he started triaging — anything below a certain threat threshold got ignored, which was a sentence he never thought he'd think.
The guards rotated shifts. The merchants huddled in their wagons. Lira slept in bursts with her bow within arm's reach. Kana and Hana slept because children could sleep through anything when they felt safe, and they felt safe because Yuki was there.
Yuki didn't sleep at all. His parallel minds ran the barrier system, tracked threats, and maintained camp defences while his primary consciousness walked the perimeter. Three days. Seventy-two hours. His mana-sustained body could handle it. His mood could not.
When the trees thinned on the morning of the fourth day and the canopy opened and the road widened and daylight — real, full, unfiltered daylight — hit his face, he almost cried.
Then he saw the river.
It was wide. Fifty metres bank to bank, deep and dark, running south through open grassland. The water caught the sun and threw it back in sheets of white. The air smelled like clean water and grass instead of rot and fog.
The entire caravan stopped at the tree line. Nobody moved for a full minute. Then someone cheered. Then everyone cheered. Hana and Kana scrambled to the front of the wagon and stared at the water with saucer eyes.
"The Verant River," Lira said, slumping against the wagon bench with the boneless relief of someone who'd been clenching every muscle for three days. "Follow it south. A few days to the capital."
They made camp on the riverbank. Early — it was barely past noon — but nobody argued. The Darkwoods was behind them. The river was in front of them. And Yuki had an idea.
"A bath?"
"A bath."
Lira looked at the river. Looked at him. "You're going to build a bath. Right now. On a riverbank. In the middle of a caravan stop."
"I haven't bathed properly in three days. Neither have you. Neither has anyone."
"Cleaning spells—"
"Are not baths."
She couldn't argue with that. The cleaning spells he'd been casting in the Darkwoods — warm water conjured into a basin, enough to scrub off the worst of it — were functional but miserable. A warzone sponge bath. Not the same as hot water up to your neck.
He'd wanted to teleport everyone to the homestead, but Lira had refused. "I'm not leaving my father in the Darkwoods," she'd said, and that was that.
But now they were out. And there was a river. And Yuki had earth magic.
He walked to the bank and got to work.
Walls first — stone, rising from the ground, enclosing a section of riverbank about six metres square. High enough for privacy, angled to block the wind. Kana and Hana watched every spell with wide eyes, ears tracking the movement of stone like it was the most fascinating thing they'd ever seen. They had been enraptured with magic ever since Yuki had rescued them and they had seen his magic heal and clean their bodies.
"Teach us magic!" Kana said for what was likely the hundredth time.
"Me too," Hana whispered.
Yuki's hands stopped. Hana spoke. Not a full sentence — two words, barely audible. But voluntary speech. The first he'd heard from her that wasn't a whimper or a whisper to Kana.
She spoke! This is huge, what do I do? I shouldn't overreact or I will scare her. And what is up with how cute her voice was just now. Guhhh.
He kept his reaction small. Didn't want to make it a thing. "I'll teach you, Hana. I promise. As soon as I figure out how."
"What about me??!", Kana yelled indignantly.
"Yes, you too Kana." Yuki responsed while rustling the top of her head.
How do you teach magic to beastkin children?Wait, how do you teach magic in general?
The tub was a large depression carved into the ground, stone-lined, smooth-bottomed. Big enough for six people comfortably. He built an intake channel connecting to the river — a gated pipe that could fill the tub from the current. An outtake on the opposite side to drain dirty water back downstream.
He opened the intake. River water flooded in — cold, dark, fresh. When the tub was full, he closed the gate and placed his hand on the surface.
Heat spell. Gradual, even, bringing the entire volume from river-cold to perfect-soak temperature over about two minutes. Steam began to rise.
A few of the caravan members wandered over. Saw the stone walls. Saw the steam. Put two and two together.
"Is that — can we—"
"Girls first," Yuki said. "Then everyone gets a turn."
No complaints. The promise of a hot bath after three days in the Darkwoods bought more goodwill than gold.
Inside the bathing area, Yuki laid down the rules.
"First — you don't get in dirty. Grab a basin, fill it from the tub, and scrub off outside the bath first."
Kana and Hana stood in their towels, watching him demonstrate. He filled a wooden basin with warm water, grabbed the soap — Lira had taught him the recipe weeks ago, animal fat and lye and dried herbs — and scrubbed his arms.
"Soap everywhere. Hair too. Rinse off. Then — and only then — you get in the clean water."
He helped wash their backs. Kana squirmed. Hana held still, her black tail curled tight — not fear, just unfamiliarity. When the warm water ran over her ears, she shivered once and then leaned into it.
Once clean, the three of them got in. The hot water hit Yuki's shoulders and three days of accumulated tension dissolved in an instant. He sank to his chin and made a sound that was definitely not dignified.
Kana immediately started laughing and splashing around.
Hana stood in the shallows — he'd built most of the tub at a depth the girls could stand in safely — and watched the steam rise with quiet fascination. Then Kana splashed her. Then Hana splashed back. Then it was war.
Yuki leaned against the tub wall and let them go. Splashing. Shrieking. Kana dunking under the surface and coming up with her silver hair plastered flat. Hana chasing her through the shallows with a determination that belied her usual quietness. She let out a giggle, then another, soon enough she was laughing with Kana and Yuki watching the smile on sweet Hana's face felt his heart warm.
He glanced back toward the privacy wall. On the other side — a smaller section he'd been forced to construct with very specific instructions — Lira was scrubbing down.
He couldn't see anything. The wall was solid stone, shoulder height, completely opaque. But he could hear the splash of water and the soft sound of humming.
He maybe looked in that direction a fraction longer than was strictly necessary.
"Why are you looking at Lira?" Kana's voice was loud. Very loud. Projecting-to-the-entire-camp loud. "She's still scrubbing herself off!"
Yuki lunged and clapped a hand over Kana's mouth. Too late.
"YUUUUKIIIII."
Lira's voice, from behind the wall. Sharp. Dangerous.
"I was just wondering what you were up to!" he called back, voice cracking, body beginning to tremble.
"You were LOOKING?"
"There's a wall! I can't see anything! I was just — turning my head — in a general direction—"
"I swear to—"
"I'm sorry!"
Kana removed his hand from her mouth and grinned up at him. Zero remorse. Maximum chaos energy. Her silver tail wagged.
Traitor.
Lira emerged a few minutes later, towel wrapped tight, face flushed from heat and residual indignation. She stepped into the tub with the dignity of someone making a point about boundaries.
Yuki kept his eyes on the far wall. Very deliberately. Very obviously.
"You can look at me, Yuki. I'm in a towel. I'm in the water."
He turned. She was up to her shoulders, dark hair floating on the surface, the blue stone glowing against the water's reflection. Her expression was caught between annoyance, amusement, and embarrassment.
Kana chose this moment to launch a splash attack at both of them. Hana flanked from the other side. The next five minutes were pure chaos — water everywhere, Kana laughing, Hana giggling, Yuki trying to shield his face while Lira abandoned all dignity and joined the offensive.
Twenty minutes of soaking. Yuki got out first — towel, dry ground, work to do.
He dried Kana's hair with a warm wind spell — gentle, directed, fluffing the silver strands until they floated around her ears like a cloud. Lira dried Hana by hand, working through the black hair with careful fingers.
Then clothes.
He pulled new outfits from dimensional storage — crafted in spare moments on the road, mana-woven to his usual standard. Big cozy hoodies, soft and warm. Fitted leggings. Long knee-high socks. Furry boots lined with insulating material.
Kana's set was pale blue. Hana's was soft lavender. Their usual colours.
The girls changed. Kana did a twirl — her default response to new clothes, complete with tail flourish. Hana stood still and looked down at herself. Then she ran her hands over the hoodie's sleeves. Pressed the fur-lined boots into the ground. Looked up at Yuki with eyes that said more than words could.
"One more," Yuki said. He pulled a third outfit from storage and held it out.
Lira blinked. "You made me one?"
"While I was at it."
Same design. Warm hoodie — dark green, to match her eyes. Matching leggings, socks, boots. Mana-woven, soft, durable.
She took it. Held it against herself. Her cheeks went pink.
"I'm only wearing this because it looks comfortable," she said. "Especially after a bath."
"Of course."
She changed behind the privacy wall. When she came out, Yuki, Kana, and Hana were standing in a row in their matching outfits. Lira joined the lineup.
Four people in matching cozy hoodies. One seventeen-year-old with godlike magic. One eighteen-year-old archer. Two fox-kin children.
They looked ridiculous. They looked like a family.
The caravan took turns bathing after them. Varlen had passed down Yuki's bathing etiquette instructions with the authority of a man issuing military orders, and every single member followed the protocol — wash outside first, then soak.
By evening, the entire caravan was clean, warm, and in the best mood they'd been in since the Darkwoods.
Fishing.
Yuki had never actually fished before — not in this world and not in his old one. But the concept was universal and the river was right there.
He crafted poles from ironwood — four of them, one for each member of his ridiculous little hoodie-matching family. Mana-woven line, thin and nearly unbreakable. Hooks shaped from iron scrap. Worms dug from the riverbank as bait.
Kana took to it immediately. She cast her line with the same aggressive enthusiasm she brought to everything, whipping the rod forward so hard the bait nearly reached the far bank.
Hana was more patient. She lowered her bait gently into the water and sat very still, watching the surface with those dark, focused eyes. Her black ears rotated slowly, tracking sounds beneath the water.
Lira fished like she did everything — competently, calmly, and with mild commentary on everyone else's technique.
Yuki caught nothing for twenty minutes and began to suspect the fish were avoiding him specifically.
Then Hana's line went taut. She grabbed the rod with both hands, ears pinned back, and pulled. The fish fought. Hana fought harder. A silver-scaled thing the length of her forearm broke the surface, thrashing, and Hana hauled it onto the bank with a grunt of effort.
She looked at the fish. Looked at Yuki.
"We have a winner! The first fish caught by none other than Princess Hana!!" , shouted Yuki as he began clapping energetically.
The faintest giggle could be heard escaping her lips, and a smile plastered across her face.
Gosh, she is such a cutie
By the end of the hour, they had dozens. Kana had caught the most through sheer volume of casting. Hana had caught the biggest — a thick, dark-bodied fish that took both hands to lift. Lira had caught a steady, respectable number. Yuki had caught none.
He salted and roasted them over the fire. The smell drew the camp in — that particular magic of wood smoke and cooking fish that made people gravitate toward warmth without being asked. Yuki had compromised by lending out the fishing poles to anyone who wanted to try their hand at it
Varlen joined them for dinner.
He sat across the fire, eating fish and bread, watching Kana gnaw on a roasted fillet with the focus of a predator. Hana ate in her usual spot beside Yuki, so close she may as well just sit on his lap, working through her food with small, methodical bites.
"The capital's three days south," Varlen said. "Four if the road's soft from rain."
"What should I expect?"
"Veldara's the largest city in the Confederation. Population of around eighty thousand. Royalty, nobles, parliament, academies, guilds, markets — everything. It's noisy, crowded, and expensive." He paused. "There are good orphanages there. Well-run places. The Church of Light operates several. For the girls."
Kana's head snapped up. Her hand shot out and grabbed Yuki's arm. Her amber eyes locked onto Varlen with an intensity that made the merchant lean back slightly.
"No, we are staying with Yuki," Kana said. Flat. Final.
Varlen blinked.
"NO! We stay with Yuki!!" Her grip on Yuki's arm tightened. Her silver tail bristled. She tried her best to be fierce and d,ominant but the tears welling up in her eyes said otherwise.
Yuki put his hand on her head and let out a light chuckle. "Don't worry, Kana. We're a family now. Families stick together."
Kana's grip relaxed. She looked up at him — searching, verifying, making sure.
"You two are my family. You both will stay with me from now on," he said. "I promise."
Hana's small hand found his other arm. She didn't look up. Didn't speak. But her fingers held tight and her black tail uncurled and swayed once.
Kana's eyes glowed. She pressed her face against his arm and her ears quivered. Hana's hands pressed together in her lap, her whole body radiating a quiet, trembling happiness.
Varlen watched all of this. His expression was complicated — the practical merchant warring with the father who understood what family meant to orphaned children.
He nodded once and let it go.
"I understand. My humble apologies, lass." Varlen said. "What are your plans for Veldara?"
Yuki picked fish bones from his plate. "Stay a while. A few months at least. There's a lot I want to learn — the academies, the libraries, the guild headquarters. I want to understand how this country works before I make any big decisions."
"And the girls?"
"They will stay with me. I will need to find a house. I don't want to stay at an inn for too long. Something with space."
Lira spoke up from beside him, her tone crisp and business-like. "I'll handle that. The capital's real estate market is complicated, but I have contacts through the family business. I can find something suitable."
Yuki chuckled. Lira was already managing his domestic affairs with the same efficiency she brought to trade negotiations. He didn't mind. She was better at it than him and they both knew it.
"What do you two want in a house?" he asked, looking down at Kana and Hana.
Kana answered immediately. "A big kitchen. With lots of food."
Hana nodded. Emphatically. Several times.
Yuki, Lira, and Varlen all laughed. The fire crackled. The river murmured.
"Big kitchen," Yuki agreed. "That's priority number one then. Also a yard — a nice big one. And a place with lots of rooms." He paused, looking at the fire.
Lira glanced at him. Something flickered in her expression — surprise, warmth, the faintest blush.
Varlen looked at Yuki with the expression of a man recalculating a ledger. "Big house. Big kitchen. Lots of rooms." He nodded slowly. "I know a few properties."
"I thought I was handling that," Lira said.
"You are. I'm supervising."
"Dad—"
"Eat your fish."
The fire burned down. The river slid past, dark and steady. Stars came out — the ones Lira had been teaching him, constellation by constellation.
Yuki sat with fish bones on his plate and two fox-kin children leaning against him and a girl whose shoulder touched his and a merchant who was already pricing houses, and thought: This is my life now.
A house in a capital city. A family that didn't exist three weeks ago. A war on the horizon. A world he was still learning.
He had no idea what came next. But for the first time, that didn't scare him.