-  There’s been a massive alien airstrike in southwest Africa. The federal government dispatched several senior mercenaries but failed to prevent civilian casualties…


  beep-

  The woman turned off the TV, which repeated similar news every day like a parrot, with the remote control and shouted while lying on the sofa.

  “Son!”


  “Yes?”


  “Nothing.”


  “… Okay.”


  He grumbled out of sight. Since her first child had disappeared without a word, she grew a habit of calling her second every now and then.

  Of course, she now knew where he was wandering.

  Fantasy.

  He lived like a king in a world where he didn’t need to study.

  “Did I upset him…?”


  Considering most missing persons returned within three years, yet he still didn’t, even though more than ten years had already passed, he certainly had a problem.

  Was he incompetent?

  She didn’t raise him like that.

  In other words, there was no way he failed to defeat the Demon Lord. If so, then the only logical conclusion was that he didn’t want to return home.

  Ding- dong-

  Someone rang the doorbell.

  Aside from frequently checking if her second child was still around, she also refrained from tasking him to answer the front door.

  He had to study, after all!

  “Honey!”


  “Cooking.”


  “Huh…”


  Her husband, wearing her apron, sent a brief rejection from the kitchen.

  Reluctantly, she stood up from the sofa.

  “Who’s there?”


  An answer came through the front door.

  “I’m here to hand out some canned carrots today.”


  “Ah! Coach.”


  He taught her the ‘right’ way to play tennis.

  It wasn’t that she hadn’t played before, but she had improved a lot since learning from him, whom she met through her tennis club.

  His hobby was carrot farming.

  … It often seemed like his profession, but his tennis skills were great enough for her to believe him if he were to say he was part of the national team.

  “Come in!”


  “No, it’s fine. I just stopped by to hand out carrots… See you on the tennis court on Tuesday.”


  “I see. If you’re busy, then it can’t be helped.”


  “… Are you worried about your missing first child?”


  “Not really. It’s just… Does he refuse to come back because I did something wrong? This thought keeps running around.”


  “I don’t think that’s the case.”


  “Thank you.”


  “I’m not trying to console you but telling the truth. I can tell that much just by looking at your innocent tennis racket swings.”


  “… Hoho! How I wish raising a child is as refreshing as a tennis match.”


  “He’s probably running late due to unavoidable circumstances. So, don’t worry too much. Eat these carrots to cheer you up.”


  “Thank you as always, coach.”


  “Bye, now.”


  Creak—


  Not long ago, he looked like a mercenary who had just come from a fierce battlefield riddled with missiles and bullets, but he had a deep soul.

  As she thought so, she took the box of carrots and headed to the kitchen.

  Tap tap tap.

  Her husband, chopping through ingredients with a kitchen knife, glanced over at her.

  “Carrots again?”


  “Yes.”


  “At this point, I might surpass my 20-20 vision…”


  “Is there anything I can do to help you?”


  “No.”


  “Don’t be like that…”


  “I know my wife’s cooking skills are no less than that of a first-class chef, but I would be very grateful if you leave this to me so you can rest in the living room.”


  “You sound strange.”


  “That’s just your imagination.”


  “Hmm… Fine.”


  She quietly walked out of the kitchen without hesitation.

  As he said, her cooking skills were exceptional, but she often slipped and made mistakes.

  “I can try stir-frying the carrots I just received, but we don’t have enough oil. Go to the supermarket and buy some.”


  “Okay!”


  Very bored, she eagerly accepted the assignment her husband had given her.

  And as a bonus…


  “Are you busy studying, son?”


  She called her second child, who was locked up in a dark room.

  “… Even if you’re busy, you have to follow along.”


  “If it bothers you, you don’t have to come along. I’m fine. From now on, I’ll also play tennis by myself.”


  “Please let me follow you…”


  “Okay!”


  Since he asked so sincerely, she decided she couldn’t just leave him behind. Grabbing his hand, she took him to the supermarket with her!

  *****

  “Um… Should I buy perilla oil?”


  “It’s not that I don’t know the deeper meaning behind your intentions, mom, but I think there might be a reason why dad specifically said he needed sesame oil…”


  “You’re too naive, son. I’m a bit disappointed.”


  “Well, that’s why I got you, mom.”


  “Of course!”


  “…”


  After shopping passionately, they immediately headed home.

  At that moment, the cry of the citizens drenched in fear could be heard from all directions.

  “It’s an air raid!”


  “Oh, God!”


  “Run!”


  Wooooong—


  A siren wailed a beat later, and the city that had been peaceful until now was instantly engulfed in chaos.

  After ten years of warfare, one would think they’d already be used to their new reality, but few people would be able to calm down when their lives were at stake.

  Of course, not everyone hated alien invasions.

  “Citizens! Please rest easy! Narotto, the Hero of Shinan, has arrived!”


  “I, Hanwoo, the jet-black Hero, is also here!”


  “Leave this to Fiora, the Hero dispatched by Factoria!”


  …


  Unlike the civilians, the Heroes were eagerly waiting for alien invasions to occur.

  They shouted their names diligently to promote themselves and charged at the androids ran by the extraterrestrial beings.

  Bang! Boom! Pow!

  Asphalt roads were destroyed, and concrete buildings that had been intact until now crumbled into ruins.

  “Go away! I was here first!”


  “What? Did you call dibs, though?”


  “The first person to come is Imja!”


  They generously exerted their powers to restore world peace.

  … But that was just an excuse.

  It was quite rare for them to have a chance to freely use their Fantasy-given skills, considering they were closely monitored and restricted by law.

  On average, they could only use it once every ten days, which frustrated them since they could use it as frequently as they breathed in Fantasy.

  As a result…


  Boom!

  “Aaaahhhh!”


  Crack!

  Oversuppression.

  The aliens, whose purpose was to occupy the planet, not destroy it, only focused on politicians, military facilities, and transportation hubs.

  For them, power was just a means to an end.

  It wasn’t because they couldn’t use it like Earth’s Heroes.

  “We need to get out of here before we get caught up in it, mom.”


  “I will protect my son!”


  “You don’t have to…”


  Since alien invasions had become a common occurrence, shelters and bunkers had changed a lot.

  They wasted the people’s taxes in the past, but they boasted practicality in their own way now.

  The same went for the citizens.

  Until ten years ago, most people didn’t even know the shelters’ existences in their vicinities, let alone their locations, but now even a 5-year-old child was aware of them.

  Bang!

  Boom!

  They’d be caught up in the war and die otherwise.

  But even if they knew where such havens were, people could still die if they were unlucky.

  … Unless they had the Demon Lord working for them.

  “… Blocked it.”


  “What?”


  “Cough cough! Oh, nothing. Let’s go to the shelter, Mom!”


  “Okay.”


  Humanoids with black wings appeared behind the two as they ran hand-in-hand.

  Crack!

  Clang!

  Though he pretended to be an ordinary civilian, he destroyed the android, made with materials harder than steel, with his bare hands.

  “…”


  “…”


  He wasn’t even worried about the surveillance cameras everywhere since the one who managed them was also his accomplice.

  “What are you going to do with that tennis racket, mom? No, where did that even come from?”


  “I’m going to use it to protect my son!”


  “Sure, but where did you get…”


  About to be dragged away by his mother, he abruptly stopped midsentence and kept his mouth shut when he found a man in an anachronistic attire blocking his way.

  Cosplay?

  That could’ve been the case ten years ago, but not now.

  “I’m the prince—”


  “Move!”


  “… How dare a pathetic female of a solar system about to be colonized order me— Kuek?!”


  Boooowiiiing!

  He was immediately sent flying by her tennis racket, however.

  “Come on, son! There’s no time to deal with psychopaths like that guy!”


  “… What?”


  “Let’s go to the shelter now!”


  “I don’t think we even need to at this point… no, okay. Let’s go!”


  “Don’t worry! I will protect you at all costs!”


  To reassure her terrified son, she smiled brightly.

  “…”


  But it had no effect.

  Instead, his fear only seemed to grow, considering he now remained silent until they reached the shelter.

  However, by the time they did…
-

  Citizens! The Heroes have defeated the aliens! Rescue teams will be dispatched soon, so if you see any missing family members, please do not seek them out! Report them immediately to the authorities instead!

  The commotion had already ended.

  “Hey, mom?”


  “What is it?”


  “Where did you put the tennis racket that smashed the… Psychopath’s head a while ago?”


  “I threw it away since I just picked it up along the way.”


  “…”


  “Why?”


  “Nothing. Hahaha…”


  The two returned home with the oil they bought at the supermarket.

  *****

  “So that’s what happened. Are you hurt anywhere?”


  “Um… Pride? My husband scolded me for mistaking perilla oil for sesame oil.”


  “I’m glad you weren’t hurt.”


  “You look fine as well.”


  Meeting a college junior for the first time in a long while, she immediately told her her most recent experience.

  Although the two treated each other as junior and senior, they were of the same age and had completely different majors.

  She majored in Physical Education.

  Her junior majored in Education.

  Nevertheless, the two’s relationship became so close it transcended time and space since they were in the same university club.

  “You look like you didn’t grow older at all.”


  “Fufu! Do I? I’ve been taking supplements proven to be great for my body lately. You don’t look much different from when we were still in college, either. Do we take the same medicine?”


  “I… um… I’ve always been told I look young since before.”


  “Are you married now?”


  “Ah, not yet…”


  “That’s a shame! If my first son hadn’t gone missing, I would have introduced him to you.”


  “There’s no need to.”


  “Oh, do you already have a boyfriend?”


  “Yes…” She replied shyly while fiddling with her coffee mug, which caused her eyes to widen.

  “Are you still looking for the boy you met briefly during our field trip?”


  “…”


  “Oh! Oh! You’re such an amazing and pure person. I’m envious. If my husband hadn’t gotten down on his knees and begged, I would’ve been chasing after love like you.”


  “You married the right guy, senior. Where else can you find such a handsome man?”


  “The only person that thinks my husband, who looks like a murderer, is handsome is you. You’ll be surprised by how many times he was taken to the police station during our honeymoon.”


  “To protect a beauty like you, a man needs to be strong and reliable~”


  “Haha… the more I think about it, the sadder it gets. My first boyfriend ended up being my husband.”


  “You should be happy.”


  “You’re really thick-headed, aren’t you?”


  The two beauties conversed until the sun began to set, at which point her junior stood up.

  “I should get going.”


  “You’re leaving early today. Oh! Do you still have a student to teach?”


  “Yes.”


  “What a really bad school! I can’t believe they’re letting my beautiful and wonderful daughter-in-law rot in there as a teacher!”


  “Haha… Your words give me strength, but it’s okay. I’m in charge of a really cool student~”


  “Handsome?”


  “Yes.”


  “That must mean he’s incredibly ugly. My junior’s taste in men is really strange, after all.”


  “…”


  “What’s wrong?”


  “I don’t think that’s something a senior who married a slim man should say. You’re so full of yourself.”


  “Oh, my! Did I upset you?”


  “I’m going! Hmph!”


  “Whew! Okay, see you next time!”


  The two beauties who unintentionally raised the sales of the cafe they visited went their own ways.

  And what would happen from there…


  ã??A certain innocent goddess who is too naive is looking at a scene with interest.ã??

  ã??A certain restless demonic god is hoping for quick progress.ã??

  Only the gods would know.