CHAPTER 116: CHAPTER 116: RETURN

Inside the room, a cup of clear tea steamed gently.

Beside the table, the Big Hammer struggled to move, its movements hampered by the restrictive baby clothes.

Dressed in garments meant for an infant, it found its movements severely restricted.

After taking a few awkward steps, the Big Hammer couldn’t bear the discomfort any longer. It began thrashing violently against the clothes, rolling across the tatami mats and biting at the fabric as if it were a mortal enemy.

However, its weak teeth proved no match for the durable fabric. Eventually, it wisely abandoned its attempts to tear the clothes apart and tilted its head to observe the group seated around the table.

Shinobu was deeply embarrassed, having made a colossal blunder.

The clothes she had intended for her nephew were now on Big Hammer.

Though her efforts hadn’t been entirely wasted, the situation still felt incredibly awkward.

"So, do you understand now?" Kanae asked, noticing Shinobu’s distracted expression. She couldn’t help but feel a mix of amusement and exasperation.

What is even happening here?

"Huh?" Shinobu glanced at her sister and nodded. "So, nothing happened at all?"

She eyed Kanae suspiciously. "As a man, can he really restrain himself? Sister, I’ve been reading a lot lately, and it seems that when a man and a woman live alone together, they usually can’t resist each other. If he truly managed to hold back, you need to be careful—there might be some hidden issues."

"...Ahem!" Sosuke cleared his throat loudly, feeling like Shinobu was about to declare him dead if he didn’t make some noise.

"What’s with the coughing? Go outside if you need to cough," Shinobu glared at him.

Sosuke stared in disbelief. ’As a delinquent girl who’s being lectured, how dare you give me the side-eye? You’re the one being reprimanded here, you know! Show some self-awareness, you jerk!’

Kanae’s face flushed crimson, and she shot her younger sister a reproachful glance. "Stop reading such nonsense!"

"Oh," Shinobu mumbled, lowering her head. But she couldn’t resist adding, "Just be careful, okay, Sister?"

"...I don’t need you to remind me!"

Even Kanae, with her gentle nature, couldn’t help but snap. She stood up in a huff, grabbed Shinobu by the collar, and tossed her out the door.

Returning to her seat, Kanae felt the world finally quiet down. She picked up her teacup, took a sip, and let the warmth spread through her body, gradually calming her.

When she looked up, she noticed Sosuke staring at her. She instinctively touched her cheek. "What is it?"

"To rule out any hidden... issues I might have, should we... test things out?" Sosuke asked, propping his elbow on the table and barely suppressing a laugh.

Kanae’s face instantly turned scarlet. She bit her lip and said, "You’re teasing me too."

"How could I?" Sosuke chuckled, pulling her into his arms. "I just think Shinobu is... well, she worries about you way too much."

"Ah..." Kanae sighed, a hint of helplessness in her voice. "When I hadn’t seen her, I desperately wanted to. But now that she’s here, why do I suddenly feel this urge to strangle her?"

Of course, she was only joking, her words tinged with more resignation than malice.

Sosuke couldn’t help but chuckle. Looking down, he saw Big Hammer struggling to waddle toward them. Its four legs seemed stronger than yesterday, though its gait remained unsteady.

With a quick flick of his hand, Sosuke nudged the little creature onto its side.

Big Hammer strained to right itself, but each time it nearly succeeded, Sosuke nudged it back down.

Finally, in a fit of pique, it bit Sosuke’s little finger with all its might.

Sosuke couldn’t help but laugh. "That actually stings a bit."

"You’re teasing it," Kanae chided, rolling her eyes. "What did you expect? Has it grown a little?"

"Has it?" Sosuke picked up Big Hammer, the little creature’s four legs dangling limply as it stared up at him.

After a moment of mutual gazing, Sosuke hefted it again. "It does seem a bit heavier."

Finally, he grabbed Big Hammer by the scruff of its neck and carried it to the door. As he opened it, he found Shinobu eavesdropping outside. Sosuke shoved Big Hammer into her arms. "Play with your little niece for a while."

"Huh?" Shinobu was utterly bewildered. How had she suddenly become a wolf’s aunt?

After studying the little creature for a moment, she cradled it in her arms, gently squeezing the plump pads on its paws and nuzzling its white fur. Then she frowned. "This smells so strange. How many days has it been since you bathed?"

Clutching Big Hammer, she marched outside to heat water for a bath.

Only now did Sosuke finally find peace in the room. With his sister-in-law playing with Big Hammer and him spending time with Kanae, this was the normal rhythm he craved.

The only flaw was the brevity of the moment. At Butterfly Mansion, meals were served on time, and before he knew it, it was already dinner time.

When Big Hammer reappeared before the two of them, it was freshly bathed and fragrant, curled up in Shinobu’s arms as if already familiar with her.

Sosuke glanced at them in surprise, only to be met with Shinobu’s fierce glare. "What are you looking at? I’ve decided to get along with Big Hammer. If you ever mistreat my sister again, I’ll let it bite you to death."

"You’re amazing! Keep it up!" Sosuke cheered, while Shinobu seethed with fury.

Dinner was lively. Sosuke and Kanae had been away from home for far too long, missing the entire winter. Their return after such a long absence naturally made the atmosphere even more festive.

The kitchen had prepared a feast, and Sosuke devoured several bowls of rice, feeling utterly satisfied. In fact, everyone seemed to be eating more than usual tonight, even Kanao had an extra bowl.

After dinner, Shinobu once again demonstrated her clingy nature, sticking to Kanae like glue and giving Sosuke no chance to get close.

Sosuke rolled his eyes at her. "Child."

With that, he bolted, returning to his courtyard in a flash.

The courtyard was spotless, clearly regularly maintained. The Swordsmith’s Shed felt somewhat empty now, many tools missing. After a quick glance, Sosuke went inside to write letters.

There were many tasks ahead.

With the Hammer-Sword broken, Sosuke naturally needed to forge a new hammer. Since the Butterfly Mansion lacked the necessary materials, he wrote a letter to someone knowledgeable to request them.

Next, he wrote another letter to Kagaya.

This letter concerned the continued development of the Automaton. Sosuke believed it was crucial not to abandon the project and urged Kagaya to explore alternative approaches to keep it alive.

After finishing the letters, Sosuke let out a long sigh.

Bathing in the moonlight streaming through the window, he felt an immense sense of relaxation wash over him.

"Ah, this must be what it feels like to be home."