Chapter 94: The Path Home and a Shared Family

The path back to the orphanage was intimately familiar to Wade.

In his youth, he had always traversed this very path. This was because his adoptive grandfather, the previous Pope, had always resided there, overseeing various duties, which meant Wade had to stay by his side.

It was during that time that he learned to skip classes, to climb out of windows, and to navigate this shortcut all the way to the orphanage.

Wade’s character was not inherently bad; he simply held no interest whatsoever in those troublesome, tedious rituals.

He believed that rather than spending time listening to theoretical lectures, it was far better to use that time to enhance his personal abilities.

Though it was an orphanage, it was remarkably well-equipped, boasting almost every amenity imaginable.

A prime example was the training ground, one of Wade’s favorite spots.

Wade hadn’t been proficient in swordsmanship since childhood. Despite spending a few years as a street brawler and taking the blame for others in his youth, most of his combat skills stemmed from street fighting.

To become a knight, mastering proper swordsmanship was absolutely essential.

The orphanage employed instructors for swordsmanship classes. These teachers were predominantly active knights, either working part-time, hired directly by the orphanage, or volunteering their time.

They would impart fundamental sword techniques to the children. This basic training served as a pathway for those who might struggle to find suitable work later, allowing them to join the Knight Order as ordinary, low-ranking knights.

While these positions offered minimal benefits, they provided the children with a means to earn a living and a chance at a stable future.

Wade applied himself to these lessons with the utmost seriousness. He completely disregarded theoretical knowledge, focusing solely on the combat experience that would truly allow his body to move and react.

He couldn’t be called a combat prodigy; at most, he was a rather clever child.

However, his aptitude for magic was truly exceptional, a rarity among humans.

Humans inherently possessed magical energy, though in such negligible quantities that it was insufficient to form even basic magic circles. This made magic almost exclusively the domain of demons.

Wade, however, was an anomaly. He was born with an innate, potent magical ability.

Ordinary humans might not have perceived it directly, perhaps only noticing his unusual strength for a child his age. Yet, Osias Parama recognized the boy’s extraordinary nature.

It wasn’t merely brute strength; rather, he was instinctively channeling that magical energy to fortify his own body.

The human magical pathways imposed certain limitations on their use of magic. Unlike demons, who were born with the innate ability to wield a myriad of spells, humans lacked such natural aptitude.

Consequently, Wade wasn’t capable of precise magical manipulation. Instead, he simply channeled his power to reinforce his physical form, granting him greater strength and enhanced speed.

This was akin to a personal enchantment or a protective blessing upon his own body.

It was this very potential that Osias Parama recognized, leading him to choose Wade. However, Osias also understood that a child with such immense power, if lacking in character, would undoubtedly become a grave threat.

Therefore, he kept Wade by his side, watching him mature gradually. He observed as the boy’s worldview solidified and ensured he walked a righteous path, ultimately guiding him to become the “White Knight.”

And this orphanage was the very place where he had forged his identity as the White Knight.

****

“Whoa! Slow down!”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa…! Look what I caught! The biggest beetle!”

“Check this out! A new comic book another old grandpa gave me!”

“Can you even read? And you’re looking at it!”

“None of your business! Just look!”

Several half-grown children burst forth from the tall grass beside the path, playfully scrambling towards the orphanage, kicking up a cloud of dust and joyous laughter.

One boy, holding his hand high, proudly displayed a large, shiny black beetle clasped between his fingers, eliciting gasps of astonishment and playful grabs from his companions.

Wade paused, his gaze following the children’s receding figures, a faint, almost imperceptible smile unconsciously gracing his lips.

“See? I told you. Watching children laugh and play always brightens one’s mood considerably.”

Wade’s smile held a mix of nostalgia, perhaps even a trace of envy for a childhood long past.

Adults were always like this. Upon seeing children, they would instinctively halt their steps, their eyes drawn to the smiles on their faces, their ears catching the innocent words that tumbled from their lips.

Unbidden, their feet would stop, and their minds would drift, carried away by distant thoughts.

In their youth, children often wondered why adults simply sat and watched, saying nothing, doing nothing, yet smiling at their antics and occasionally sighing at their words.

Perhaps they would understand once they grew up—understand the adults’ longing for their own lost childhoods.

As children, they constantly wished they could grow up quickly, to reach adulthood sooner, believing it would free them from the constraints of others.

Yet, upon reaching adulthood, burdened by the myriad rules that governed their lives, they often lamented, ‘If only I could return to childhood, to that carefree, genuine era…’

[Are these the so-called younglings? They certainly appear far more fragile than demons… No wonder a dedicated facility is needed to protect them.]

Lamia stood beside Wade, her gaze fixed on the children. Her expression softened, imbued with a profound tenderness.

“This must be your first time at a place like an orphanage, right? This facility is specifically for caring for children. Some lose their parents or families for various reasons, and they all end up here.”

“…”

Lamia remained silent, simply watching Wade.

[Parents… Now that I think about it, I don’t have those either.]

Then, her next thought made Wade pause.

[I seem to be… the Demon Lord… Parents…? I was born from the Tower, born from the Abyss… So it seems I truly have no parents. Can I stay in this orphanage then?]

Wade looked at Lamia in surprise, and hearing her thoughts, he belatedly realized that Lamia indeed had no true family either.

Her so-called sister and brother were merely other demons in disguise, and her uncle was no different—in fact, he was an irritating demon masquerading as family.

She truly had no family at all, just a solitary being born from some ley line…

“What about you?”

But before Wade could formulate any words of comfort, Lamia’s gaze had already fallen upon him.

“Me?”

“Yes, Wade, do you… do you have family?”

Wade’s lips thinned again, his hand still tightly clasping Lamia’s cool, soft one.

“Yes, I do.”

He smiled, gently pulling Lamia closer to him.

“I have my grandfather… and I have you.”

In a way, the two of them were quite similar.

They had no biological parents, no true siblings. There was an elder, but not by blood.

Beyond that, they only had each other, as husband and wife.

“You are my family, and I am yours.”

As he spoke, he leaned down, taking Lamia’s hands and placing them over his cheeks, allowing her to feel the warmth of his smile through her palms.

Then, he lowered his head slightly, pressing his forehead against hers.

“So… we both have family, Lamia.”

“We have each other.”

Lamia blinked, her eyelashes seemingly brushing against Wade’s. The ticklish sensation made her draw a deep breath.

Then, she smiled.

“Mm.”

Her hands, cradling Wade’s face, pressed a little more firmly.

“We… have each other.”

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