After tending to the plants, Leonard checked the time and realized more than an hour had already passed.
Over by the giant Venomous Tentacula, Midgard was still whispering with little Claudia. The two of them leaned together, chatting happily.
Claudia no longer looked afraid. Instead, she sat obediently in Midgard's arms, listening intently. The sight made Leonard curious about what they were talking about. Had the lesson already started? Was Midgard teaching her something?
With that question in mind, Leonard walked over, wanting to hear what Midgard was telling Claudia. But just as he approached, the two of them suddenly fell silent at the exact same time, as if on cue.
"…What were you talking about? I'm not allowed to know?" Leonard asked, confused.
Something felt wrong. Why did it feel like he was about to be ambushed?
"Obviously, we were talking about girl things. What are you trying to pry into as a boy?" Midgard said with complete seriousness. "A gentleman should step aside at a moment like this!"
"Mhm!" Claudia nodded earnestly. "Teacher said it's girl stuff. We can't tell Leonard."
How had she betrayed him after only a few minutes?
Leonard stared at little Claudia, his expression growing stern.
"B-but that's what Teacher said!" Claudia jolted, instantly throwing Midgard under the bus. Then she dove into Leonard's arms, turning her little head away from his face, squirming around…
It hurt a little—her small horn wasn't subtle—but he could endure it…
"So now I'm 'teacher,' am I? I didn't expect you to be so normal after all—you're actually pretty good with kids," Leonard said, enduring Claudia's little "drill attack." "I thought you'd just sit there holding her and giggling like an idiot."
"That's because little Claudia is just too adorable. Whether she's a Unicorn or like this, she's cute either way." Midgard beamed. "Alright, Claudia, go play for a bit. I need to talk to Leonard."
"Okay." Claudia lifted her head from Leonard's arms, then suddenly leaned forward and kissed his cheek before turning and running back toward the unicorn herd to find her mother.
Leonard froze, instinctively touching his cheek. He glanced at Midgard, who was smirking, then swept away the snow with a spell and sat opposite her.
"What is it? Seems pretty (bgbb) important."
Midgard looked at the boy in front of her and couldn't help sighing inwardly.
In terms of appearance, Leonard and Claudia were about the same size. Girls developed earlier, so Claudia was even slightly taller than him. But when Midgard looked at Claudia, it felt like she was looking at a child. When she looked at Leonard, it felt like facing a peer—maybe even an elder.
His expression and demeanor were far too mature. There was no comparing him to ordinary eleven-year-olds.
And because of that, there were things she had to say to him. He wasn't an ordinary child, and she couldn't treat him like one.
"It's nothing major," Midgard said. "You're very good to Claudia."
"Mhm." Leonard responded with a short hum through his nose.
Wasn't that obvious?
"Then it seems you really care about her," Midgard said seriously. "If that's the case, you should start preparing yourself."
"Preparing? For what?" Leonard asked.
"Preparing for the danger she'll face because of you," Midgard said. "Your life won't be ordinary, and with your personality, you'll never become a great white wizard like Dumbledore. If anything, I think you're more likely to become a Dark Lord even scarier than the Dark Lord."
"So?" Leonard looked at her calmly, without the slightest ripple in his eyes.
"You're strong. When people can't deal with you, they'll threaten you through others. Little Claudia will be your weak point." Midgard's tone was firm.
"And Claudia… her race ensures she'll never become someone like you. Her kindness is instinctive and pure, which makes her easy to exploit."
"Hold on…" Leonard suddenly interrupted. "This 'nature' you're talking about… how exactly did you come to that conclusion?"
"It's simple. Her kindness won't be changed by others, and her innocence won't either. So she won't become a scumbag like you, but she'll trust people too easily," Midgard said seriously. "If someone manipulates her into opposing you…"
"Let's put that conspiracy theory aside for a moment." Leonard paused for two seconds. "What exactly did you teach Claudia that made you so sure her innocence won't change?"
Midgard fell silent.
The sudden quiet made the air awkward.
Her gaze darted everywhere, refusing to meet Leonard's eyes.
"So what exactly did you tell her about those 'girl things'?" Leonard asked, his expression growing heavier as he stared at her.
"Ahem! That… isn't important. It wasn't anything bad," Midgard said, coughing lightly. "But what I said still stands. It's something you need to pay attention to."
"Don't worry," Leonard replied.
"Huh?" Midgard asked, meeting Leonard's unwavering gaze. "Aren't you being a bit overconfident?"
"It's not about confidence. I'm stating a fact. Like you said, Claudia's nature means she won't do bad things or align herself with evil."
Leonard's tone was calm. "You're right—if someone manipulated her into opposing me, it would be troublesome."
"So what's your solution?" Midgard asked, but the moment she spoke, she felt her hairs stand on end.
Leonard's gaze deepened, and a surge of killing intent burst from him. It vanished quickly, but not before cold sweat formed on Midgard's back.
It was the exact same feeling as when she faced Fenrir's attack—that suffocating savagery that felt ready to tear everything apart.
The cold wind only made her shiver more.
"Just make her obedient," Leonard said. "Tie her to me emotionally. She's a well-behaved, lovable little thing. Her emotions guide her decisions. If I shape her perspective early, she'll naturally assume she's on my side."
"I thought you planned to kill her," Midgard said, her expression heavy. "From the way your emotions spiked, I wouldn't have guessed you'd choose such a gentle method."
"That negativity wasn't directed at Claudia. Didn't you say it yourself? If someone is manipulating her…"
Leonard stood, his voice cold.
"Then kill the gossipmongers. If a problem can't be solved, eliminate the ones who create it."
...
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