The second chance of the uncrowned king - (Isekai)

The return trip was quite peaceful. I enjoyed the scenery and relaxed as much as possible. When we were attacked by some monsters, the security team handled it easily. At night, I only went out for a couple of hours to chat with all of them and enjoy dinner, then went back to my carriage. They all seem to be good people and haven't taken my slightly distant behavior during this short day of travel the wrong way.

"I hope we get to see each other again someday, young lord Maki." The head of the transport—a rather old Ruby rank, around sixty, tall and broad like a bear, with his head completely shaved—said goodbye. He seems to be one of the Baron Solar's longest-serving men.

"I hope so too, take care of yourselves, and good luck, Brun." The bald man turned around, lifted his thick arm in farewell, gave some orders, and the carriage left, first heading to Mancor and then on to its other destinations.

I turned on my heels and saw my house—it hasn't changed at all in these weeks. "It feels like I've been gone for months or even years…" In just a few short weeks, so much has happened. Everything is moving so quickly, and I'm still a child… even if I don't look like one anymore.

All the household staff greeted me as I entered. When I saw the head butler, he let me know where my parents and grandmother were—they had already been notified and were waiting for me. I headed to the courtyard, where a small tent with tables and chairs had been set up for my welcome and celebration.

As soon as she saw me, my grandmother was the first to notice. She tapped my mother on the shoulder and pointed in my direction. My mother screamed with joy and ran toward me. My father watched her move, then turned to give me a wide smile. When my mother reached me, she didn't hug me—she just looked at me for a moment. "I'm dying to hug you, but since we know about your condition, it's better not to cause you pain." I gave her a guilty smile.

"Thank you, mother. I want to hug you too." We held hands and walked together to where my father and grandmother were waiting.

We sat at the table, and immediately the greetings began—the congratulations for winning the tournament. My mother started flooding me with questions about the party, my father about the tournament, and my grandmother about all sorts of things. My mind nearly collapsed from so much noise and questioning.

"One moment." I raised my hands to calm them. They went silent when they saw how overwhelmed I was. "I'll explain everything slowly, from the first day of the party until the last day before I came back. I won't leave out a single detail." They calmed down, gave me a few seconds to organize my thoughts, and then I began—remembering every detail of the party, the tournament, and the dungeon wasn't going to be easy, but I would do my best.

I told them how the first day of the party went—meeting Bush again, dancing with the three girls while being the center of attention, meeting Susan, training with her during part of the celebration, and my most embarrassing moment when I got a little drunk. I almost skipped the last part, but I wanted to make them laugh.

"I didn't expect you to meet an Obsidian rank so soon… From what you've said, she's quite fond of you, but don't forget to be respectful. A single word from Lady Susan could wipe us out in an instant." My mother looked worried. My father kept his usual smile, and my grandmother seemed thoughtful.

"Don't worry, mother, everything's fine. I'm her protégé now." They looked a little confused at my words, but before they could ask, I began telling them about the second day of the party—covering the matter of Patt Zumis and his son, how I helped Matt against his bullies, and the training with Susan afterward.

"By the way, he should have arrived already. How is he adapting?" According to the marquis, everything had gone well with Patt and his family—they should already be settled in my village, and the matter with the Moko family was progressing too. Possibly, their whole village would join before I left the territory.

My father was the first to reply. "Wonderfully. He's adapted very well to the territory. We took several precautions to prevent future problems of rebellion or information leaks. Matt accepted the restrictions without issue." That made me feel relieved. "Now I have someone to spar with when I feel rusty." He grinned widely.

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"So far, he's proven to be diligent and hardworking. He's been placed as second-in-command in Puntsal. I hope to retire in a few years and leave him in charge." My grandmother added. So Matt had been sent to the new town and was under her tutelage.

We talked more about Matt and his family, then returned to my story. After the party, the most noteworthy events were the bracelets and training with them. I showed them the artifact strapped to each limb. I wanted to give them a demonstration, but it wasn't possible at the moment.

I continued, telling them how I moved into a training room with Camux and how the girls began living with me after a few days. My mother's and grandmother's faces turned into pure smiles every time I mentioned their names. They already had me married to all three—or at least with children. My father… well, he seemed to still be thinking about the bracelets.

"As for the tournament… it was mediocre at best at the beginning." I tried to explain each opponent, but I couldn't remember most of them—nothing remarkable about them. I skipped unimportant parts, filling in with interesting conversations with the girls in the balcony until I reached the more serious duels.

I described each one in detail until the final. My father was nearly jumping with excitement at every detail. I've gotten better at telling my stories, improving them every time I return. It's normal—I want to make them more engaging and emotional.

Finally, I reached the tournament final. Jefran hadn't been an easy opponent at all. I went over every part of the duel. Fortunately, my memory had improved a lot after ascending in rank, and I could recall nearly every detail until I finished with how I defeated him.

"Jefran… We've heard that name in this town as well. He's the brightest star of a kingdom, and it's impossible not to know who he is." My grandmother smiled playfully. "But it seems we have a star of our own that shines even brighter." Her praise made me smile. Truly, he was a star, though one overshadowed by a greater one.

"Congratulations on winning the tournament, son." My mother smiled at me.

"That's my boy! You've brought honor to the family name." My father beamed. I couldn't feel his emotions through his Imra, but his body language was lively.

"Thank you all." I bowed my head. "I only did what I had to do. It wasn't that hard to defeat him." The irony of my words made them laugh. I had missed enjoying such moments with them.

"Now comes the most interesting part of the whole trip." They all looked at me with expectation. "The dungeon and the rewards." Before I could continue, the cooks interrupted us with the third course. I glanced at the sky—it was getting dark. Hours had passed as I told my story, but I hadn't noticed time slipping away.

We enjoyed the food while I told them about the new friendships I had made during the tournament. According to my mother, the marquis had already contacted our family a few days ago, and they had agreed to accept all the people from the Moko family's village. It was only a matter of time before everything was finalized and they were transferred.

When we finished eating, I finally began describing the dungeon. I explained floor by floor, with every small detail—the terrain, climate, monsters, their abilities, and how I defeated each one. Hours passed as I told the tale. My family kept asking questions, dragging the story out even longer.

"Incredible… You've accomplished in a few weeks what others can't in years—completing a hero's dungeon, winning an important tournament, and strengthening the territory. You truly are special, son." My mother's words made me blush. My grandmother and father had similar praise at the end.

"So… Do you want to advance to the next rank tomorrow?" My grandmother asked. My father and mother looked at me seriously, waiting for my answer.

"Yes. I need to finish strengthening my cube to heal it fully—I don't want to be left with any sequelae." I confirmed. It was better to do it as soon as possible.

"We'll have everything ready tomorrow. You'll do it in your room where no one can interrupt." My mother agreed. I needed to solve this—I was practically dead weight in my current condition.

"Will you be as strong as a Ruby rank when you ascend to Sapphire? I'm dying to know…" My father was still thinking about strength and fighting, leaving the delicate matters to my mother and grandmother.

"I doubt it… I spoke with the marquis about it. The difference is huge between those two ranks. Maybe I'll be on par with a basic Ruby rank once I get used to it." My skills are already at Ruby rank level; my Laws as well. The issue is mana and Imra control, which are close, but they need a push. And then there's the power granted to Sapphire ranks, which I still don't understand until I reach it.

"I doubt I'll be able to train before reaching the academy. After ascending, I'll dedicate all my time to healing my cube and adapting to my new rank." I could already see the excitement in my father's face, but it faded quickly when I explained my situation. My mother and grandmother each cast two spells at his forehead.

Since it was late, we decided to leave everything for tomorrow before my advancement. "We're so happy to have you back, son." My mother said, her eyes shining with love.

The three of them spoke in unison. "Welcome back, Maki!" All I could do was smile and thank them. Seeing them again filled me with joy. Yes… I was back home, with my beloved family.