CHAPTER 44: HIS CHILDREN’S DESTINY

"’Answer their destiny’? Like hell I’d let my children go anywhere near danger!"

Gara’s maternal instincts suddenly flared up.

Even if this whole thing had started as a mission—even if he didn’t love the fathers of his children—he was determined to raise them well and protect them from harm.

"Their very existence is enough to save this world. You don’t have to worry about their safety," said Freya.

"Really?" Gara was still skeptical.

"Yes. They are children I personally blessed," the goddess replied, growing impatient. Dealing with a mother was proving to be unexpectedly difficult.

"In that case, you’re now my children’s godmother. You have to protect them like I will. Got it?"

Goddess Freya: "--__--"

"Hurry up and say it!"

"Yes, yes," she grumbled.

"A goddess never lies. You better keep your promise." Gara grinned widely.

"But... if this world is destroyed, what happens to my soul? Will I be reincarnated again?"

The question made Goddess Freya freeze, realizing she had just been tricked again.

Because the truth was: even if the world fell apart and Gara died, he would be forced to repeat the mission from the very beginning.

Which meant, neither Gara nor his children truly needed the goddess’s protection. Everything would reset anyway.

At that, Goddess Freya exploded in rage, shouting that Gara would never be allowed to die.

If he failed to save the world, he would be forced to experience its destruction over and over again...

Until he succeeded.

Gara’s entire body shivered at the thought.

Just imagine raising his child with care for four years, becoming a top-tier liner and a successful businessman,

Only for everything to start over from the beginning because the world was destroyed.

He didn’t even want to imagine it.

Fortunately, he had already tricked Goddess Freya into becoming his child’s godmother. After interacting with her for about two months, he knew that the goddess had a far greater sense of sympathy than he did.

She would definitely help him if something bad ever happened.

He let out a sigh of relief. Meanwhile, Goddess Freya was still ranting, which only made her rant longer.

That day, Gara could only hold his head, which felt like it was about to burst from the goddess’s scolding.

He promised he wouldn’t trick her again... at least not anytime soon.

...

The white squirrel had never regained consciousness since being rescued, and Gara had only managed to force it to drink his water.

The next morning, when Gara woke up, he felt something soft, fluffy, and warm resting on his forehead.

He sat up abruptly—whatever it was flew forward.

What he thought had been a pillow turned out to be the white squirrel. Fortunately, it was good at jumping from high places, so it landed safely on the bed.

"Are you feeling better?" Gara reached his hand out to the squirrel.

It didn’t shy away; instead, it lifted its leg, the one wrapped in cloth.

"Smart little one. Let me check your leg first."

The squirrel seemed to understand and lay down on the bed obediently.

Seeing its adorable behavior, Gara gently stroked its cheek, and the squirrel nuzzled its head against his hand.

Gara let out a soft giggle.

He then began to unwrap the cloth. His eyes widened.

There was a clear patch where the fur had come off, but there were no open wounds—only a dry, healing scar.

"How did your wound heal this fast? Just yesterday it was really bad."

The squirrel tilted its head in response, making it even cuter.

"Well, never mind. It’s good that your leg healed quickly. That way, you can make sure your babies are safe in your belly."

Gara gently rubbed the squirrel’s belly and dripped a little of his water onto the old wound, making sure it wouldn’t reopen.

The squirrel placed its little hands and head in Gara’s palm.

So cute!

Gara held back the urge to squeeze the fluffy ball of fur.

He could feel the squirrel silently thanking him.

"You need to stay healthy, okay? Don’t go back to the village again. I’ll take you to the mountain next time I go to the field."

Gara stood up from the bed, planning to place the squirrel gently down—but it suddenly leapt toward the window, pushing it open.

It glanced back at Gara one more time, then jumped out through the window.

Gara didn’t chase after it. He knew the squirrel had chosen to leave on its own.

Meanwhile, he thought about how the squirrel’s wound had healed in just one day.

He checked the drawer beside his bed and found a box of needles. Swallowing hard, he pricked the tip of his index finger. "Ack!"

Blood dripped from the puncture. He immediately wrapped the wound with his water. His hand felt cold, and strangely, there was no pain.

"Don’t tell me... my water has pain-relieving properties?"

As his mind raced through the possibilities, the prick on his finger—still wrapped in water—slowly closed up as if it had never been injured.

Gara covered his mouth in shock. He had discovered something incredible. His water could heal wounds and maybe even numb pain.

Did that mean his experiment with the herbs had been pointless?

He quickly shook his head. Nothing in this world was pointless. I still need to study my water more carefully.

Whatever the result, at least now he had a natural anesthetic from the herbs.

Gara was brimming with energy that day. He went about his routine with a bright smile on his face.

After returning from the river, he continued tending to his plants. The Nerthalis was growing beautifully, with several blossoms dangling gracefully from its branches.

It was thriving so well that the center of the flowers—where the poison was concentrated—looked larger than usual, making Wina visibly uneasy every time she saw Gara tending to it.

The poppy seeds would be ready for harvest next week. As for the Belladonna, which naturally took longer to grow, its leaves might be ready in one or two months.

...