Chapter 25 Papa Jolthar - 2
Words : 417
Updated : Sep 20th, 2025
Katerina couldn't help but chuckle despite their dire situation. "She's not wrong, you know. You've been quite the guardian angel."
Jolthar's face flushed red, a stark contrast to his usual stoic demeanour. "I... that's not... I mean..."
His flustered response only made Yanna giggle, her earlier distress forgotten. "Funny papa," she declared, snuggling closer to him.
Katerina's laughter joined her niece's. "Well, it seems you've been drafted into the family, 'Papa' Jolthar."
Jolthar felt flustered hearing a grown woman call her papa.
Jolthar grumbled good-naturedly but couldn't help the small smile that tugged at his lips. It had been a long time since he'd felt such simple, uncomplicated affection.
As they neared Stormholme Keep, Jolthar's expression grew serious once more. "Katerina, you and Yanna will be safe here for now."
Katerina nodded, her own expression filled with gratitude. "Thank you; we won't stay for much longer, and I will leave as soon as I hear from my sister."
From a nearby bench, Katerina watched the scene with a mixture of amusement and melancholy.
"She's never had a father figure before," she said softly. "It's good to see her so happy, especially after everything that's happened."
Jolthar, now resigned to being a human jungle gym, nodded thoughtfully. "She's a remarkable child. I've never seen anyone so resilient."
As if to prove his point, Yanna chose that moment to attempt a somersault off Jolthar's shoulders.
He caught her just in time, swinging her around and eliciting peals of delighted laughter.
"Papa strong!" Yanna declared, hugging Jolthar tightly around the neck.
Jolthar felt a warmth bloom in his chest, a feeling so foreign and yet so welcome that it almost scared him. He had spent so long focused solely on honing his skills, on becoming the perfect warrior, that he had forgotten what it felt like to simply be... human.
The feeling that little one's life depended on him made him terrified, yet at the same time, he felt a sense of purpose and fulfilment that he had never experienced before. Seeing Yanna giggle around him raised a question in his mind: Will he be able to have a family of his own in this world?
Right from the moment when he decided to live as Jolthar, he abandoned the thought of family and feelings; he solely focused on the sword and the training, and it helped him tremendously.
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