(Five years later)
Artoria was in an office, overseeing basic updates and approvals for any major decision. Now, she was only back on a limited basis. She would only work for a few hours and then would leave. She wouldn't stay a minute late, no matter what needed to be done. The only ones who would remember she worked late were Shuna and her kids. And besides, she could leave everything to Rimuru.
"Hey, Artoria, are you going to that school thing? The parent visiting thing?"
"Rimuru, of course I am. Which is why, I'm leaving a lot earlier today. And by earlier, I mean now." Artoria got up and shoved a stack of papers at Rimuru.
"Huh? Wait, hold on! You can't just do this!" Rimuru shouted as he saw the stack of papers in front of him.
"Well, I just did. See ya…whenever I decide to come back here. You know focused I am." Artoria waved her hand at Rimuru dismissively as she made her way to the door.
"But you don't come here much. Not much after you children were born, at least."
"Well, Rimuru, they're a handful, and Shuna can't do it alone. I need to be there. And besides, I'm really trying my best to set boundaries for them, but it has to be the hardest thing in the world."
"Is it?"
"Rimuru, you'd understand if you had kids, but you still don't have a girlfriend."
"What? Hey! I'm trying here!"
"Rimuru, if you were to die, your gravestone would read 'He never married.'"
"What does that mean?"
"It means…well, it would be true, but it's also a euphemism for someone being a homosexual without actually saying it."
"What?"
"So, yeah, I'm heading out. I need to see how my kids are doing in school."
"Wait, hold on, we need to talk about what you just said!"
"Rimuru, just get a girlfriend. It should be so easy for you, and yet…" Artoria left her sentence unfinished, but the silence at the end told more than what was needed.
"It's not that easy!"
"It actually is, Rimuru."
"Look, whatever, so, how excited are you for the school thing? I heard Morgan got places ahead of the others?"
"Yeah, she's really smart. I wouldn't be surprised if she got a Unique Skill earlier than others. I mean, not that I'm comparing, but each of them has its own strengths."
"Also, about Souji. That wouldn't happen to be, uh, you know, who I think it is?"
"Rimuru, it's exactly who you think it is."
"What? No. No. How? You can't be serious. Are you saying you named her after Oktia Souji? But he was man, not a woman."
"No, Okita Souji was a woman. Trust me, I get my historical knowledge from only the most trustworthy and dependable sources."
"And these 'trustworthy and dependable' sources tell you that Okita Souji was a woman?"
"Yup. See, you got it, Rimuru. Anyway, I'm gonna get going. See ya."
Artoria left Rimuru with questions and confusion, but he would have time to think about it with all the paperwork in front of him.
/\\//\\//\
(At the school)
"Father!"
"Mordred!"
Artoria embraced Mordred as she kneeled to her level. She ruffled her hair. "How is it going? Learn anything interesting? Also, where are the others?"
"It's going kinda good, but it's boring. The others are in different classes."
"I see. If it's boring, then your currently in your language class?"
"Yeah! We learned about an…anto…antonyms! Yeah, that."
Artoria did a little quiz on Mordred. "What's an antonym, Mordred?"
"Words that mean the opposite of each other."
"Good. Give me an example."
"Pro and con."
"Also good. You seem to be doing just fine, Mordred. Keep it up."
"But, Morgan is way ahead of everyone else. I don't want to be behind."
"Mordred, everyone goes at their pace. Morgan may be ahead, but that doesn'y mean you won't reach her level."
"But I want you to be proud of me." Mordred looked up at Artoria with eyes filled with doubt. She had a fear that she couldn't compare.
"Mordred, listen to me. What I care about is the effort and determination you put in to achieving your goals. And never compare yourself to others, just focus on yourself. Even if there's no one watching, it doesn't matter, because your progress is what's most important. As long as you make an effort to be the best in what you decide to do you'll not only make yourself proud, but also me and Shuna."
"Really?"
"Yes, Mordred, really. Now, go back to class, your little break is almost up." Artoria hugged Mordred one last time before getting back up so she could go back to class. But Mordred stopped before she went back.
"Oh, can you help me? The teacher wants us to come up with antoynms that are different from the examples she showed us."
"Sure, how can I help?"
"So, I was thinking, if pro and con are opposites, then does that mean the opposite of progress is congress?"
Artoria took in a deep breath and closed her eyes. She was holding in her laugh. 'Wow. Yeah, I am getting old if I find this funny.' Arotoria let out a breath and then cleared her throat.
"Mordred, try advantage and disadvantage instead."
"Okay, thank you, father!"
Artoria saw Mordred go back and then left to see the others. Everyone, with the exception of Morgan, was in basic and core classes. They would be until a few years later, when they could start learning the things they wanted to. Foundation first, after all. Morgan, of course, was ahead thanks to her magic abilities.
Artoria went through the school, greeting each of her kids and seeing what they were up to. It was a wonderful sight. While they were still a handful, it was nothing like they were when they were toddlers. Artoria could actually get a full night's sleep at times. Gone were the days when she felt tired and sleepy. Yes, somehow she would feel tired and sleepy, even when she literally shouldn't be able to feel that way.
Yes, they might have been gremlins who only knew how to eat, sleep, and cry, and they also might have destroyed a few things in the house, caused some trouble outside the house, and… anyway, they could do no wrong in Artoria's eyes. Yes, the challenge of raising them is the hardest thing she's ever done, and yes, she thought that fighting against the Eastern Empire, Guy, and Velzard was a lot easier. In fact, she thinks fighting against two Eastern Empires would've been a more feasible task.
But despite all of this, she wouldn't have it any other way. She would enjoy this phase of raising children as long as she could.
And if anyone tried to cause any trouble, well, she had a lance and a sword she could unleash at any time she wanted.
(A/N: Well, my friends, this is the end. Anything after this would just be side stories. I'm happy that you stuck around for this journey, and if you made it this far, then that should mean you liked it. How this got 2 million views, I don't know, but that's amazing for this being my first time writing a fan-fiction. I don't know what else to say, but thank you, and I hope you enjoyed it. I'll be back with another fan-fic. I'm not too sure yet, but I've been playing Azur Lane lately, so that might influence my thoughts. All I have so far is stuff with drones. If you want to leave anything here, feel free to do so. It can be something simple, like your favorite moment, or something. Anyway, have a good rest of your day.)