Chapter 4: MagicAlmost two years have passed since I came to this world.My lower body has also become stronger, so I no longer need to crawl and can walk on my two feet.And I have also roughly understood the language of this world....Inside the study, I was lying there reading a magic textbook I had just found.After reading the contents, I obtained the basic knowledge of magic in this world.One: First of all, magic is roughly divided into three categories."Attack Magic""Healing Magic""Summoning Magic"You can tell the meaning of these three just by looking at their names.I feel like these types of magic could do much more, but the textbook records that magic originated and developed through combat, so it seems it is not often used in aspects unrelated to fighting or hunting.I don't understand the magic of this world, so I'd better stick to the textbook for now.Two: To use magic, one must have mana.As long as one has mana, anyone can use magic.There are two ways to use mana."Using the mana within one's own body""Using mana extracted from substances containing it"Three: There are two ways to cast magic."Incantation""Magic Circle"So, it's either chanting with your mouth to cast magic or drawing a Magic Circle to cast magic...Four: "An individual's mana is basically determined at birth."Determined at birth? These words really make me feel annoyed.I tore that page off, crumpled it into a paper ball, and threw it aside....In any case, I will start by challenging myself with the simplest magic.The magic textbook records both Magic Circle and incantation methods, but incantation seems to be the mainstream.Since it's the mainstream, I'll practice using the mainstream method.The larger the scale of the magic, the longer the incantation time will be. It seems that for later, larger spells, one also needs to use a Magic Circle, but since I've just started, it should be fine.I held the magic textbook in my left hand, extended my right hand forward, and began to chant."May the protection of the great Water descend upon the place you seek, let the cool shallow stream appear here --- [Water Ball]"After I finished chanting, I felt a sensation of blood concentrating in my right hand.Then, there was a feeling of blood being pushed outward, and then I saw a fist-sized water ball appear in front of my right hand."Oh, oh!"This was the first time I had cast magic on my own, so I was a little excited.But next, I didn't know what to do.How should I launch this water ball? Or is this the limit because I have too little mana?But if I reached the limit, wouldn't my body give me some kind of warning? I don't feel anything at all right now...I focused my attention and thought about what to do."Hmm... anyway, let's make this water ball disappear first."I lowered my right hand, and the water ball disappeared as a result.As long as you chant, you can use magic; this world is really convenient.The excitement hadn't faded yet, so I cast that magic again."May the protection of the great Water descend upon the place you seek..."But this time, before I finished chanting, the water ball had already appeared.The textbook said that skilled mages can shorten the number of words and the time of the incantation.Am I already a skilled mage?Such a thought is pure arrogance; think carefully about why this happened...Just now, my brain imagined it first, and the magic naturally came out...I focused my mind again, but this time I didn't chant.As I expected, that water ball appeared again; it appeared without needing an incantation...But didn't the textbook write that there were only two methods, incantation and Magic Circle?It seems that what was written in that book isn't entirely correct...To test my limits, I kept maintaining the magic, letting the water ball float in the air."Hmm... feels like this will take a long time."So, I focused my attention and made the water ball into two, three, four... and finally seven water balls.After maintaining seven water balls for nearly two hours, I felt exhausted.A very sudden exhaustion, as if my mana level reached a threshold and suddenly I became very tired.I glanced at the first floor, and after confirming no one was there, I splashed all the water balls down."Ah... let's rest for a while, so tired!"Lying on the wooden floor, I fell asleep....When I woke up again, I was already in the crib next to Zenith.And Zenith and Paul Greyrat were once again working on the project of creating a younger brother or sister for me on the side.I must speed up my magic learning and let Soundproofing Magic be born into this world...No, perhaps Soundproofing Magic already exists.Thinking this, I closed my eyes to avoid listening.After all, hearing my own mother's voice always feels a bit strange....The next day, I started magic training again.This time, even when the water balls reached 12, there was no problem."Strange."The textbook wrote that the total amount of mana does not change... but today I clearly feel that my mana has increased.That textbook... is full of errors.To think it would presumptuously say such stupid words as "An individual's mana is determined at birth."Surely many people have had their lives denied because of this kind of textbook, right? It's really annoying.Since the total mana can grow, there is only one thing I need to do.Practice desperately....From that day on, I would use up all my mana every day and then fall asleep from exhaustion.Lilia would also manage to come to the study right on time every time to carry me, who had fallen asleep, to the room to sleep.Every day I tried different magic, but I tried my best to avoid using Fire Magic; after all, my home is made of wood, and if it caught fire, it would be a big deal.I practiced Water Magic the most, mainly because it's safe, and it's also the magic I like the most.I feel like it will have many uses, because Water Magic even includes Ice Magic.According to my experience playing online games in my previous life, Water attribute and Ice attribute should be two different attributes, but in this world, they are the same one, which makes me very happy."Hmm..."At this moment, I am worried.Every time I shoot a water ball out the window, it only goes a distance of a few meters, and the speed isn't fast either.Magic like this can't hurt anyone at all...Why? The book clearly states that this is an attack-type magic.Did I get something wrong somewhere?Let's try this: after creating a water ball, keep pouring mana into it to control it.Let's give it a try; after all, I've already proven two of the four knowledge points in that book to be wrong.Since that's the case, I'll research it myself.Pouring mana into the water ball... focus attention..."Hmm?"The water ball got bigger.But it still couldn't be shot out quickly, I can feel that.Then... I used Wind Magic again, trying to push the water ball to make it faster."Launch!"I shot the water ball out, but it still only went a few meters; perhaps it's because there's a problem with my control?In any case, this is not the result I wanted..."Forget it, let's take it slow; I don't have much mana left for today."
Chapter 5: TeacherThree years old.Before I knew it, I had been in this world for three years.It was only this year that I learned my father and mother's full names.Paul Greyrat, Zenith, Lilia... I'm not sure, perhaps it's due to status? In any case, Lilia's full name was never mentioned.It could be said that it really has the feel of medieval nobility...One afternoon, I was training magic as usual.Truth be told, after training with low-rank magic for a year, I realized something.It might not be that my way of using magic was wrong, but rather that a low-rank Water Ball just has that level of power.After all, it is low-rank.So, I began to attempt Intermediate-rank Magic."For the first time, I'll start with an incantation."After I finished chanting, a huge Water Ball appeared before my eyes.I had thought it would only be slightly larger than the low-rank magic, but I didn't expect it to be this big.No... if this thing were launched, it would be incomparable to those other Water Balls.I tried hard to control myself, but my mana was being continuously drained by this huge Water Ball."Damn it..."What should I do? I, who had never made a mistake before, would surely be able to think of a solution.After thinking for a few seconds, I placed my left hand on the wooden floor and cast a spell.The wooden floor inside the room was twisted by me and wrapped around that water sphere."Just a little more..."However, that water sphere burst without warning.Like a water jet, it shot out toward the window.My initial idea to wrap the water sphere with the wooden floor of the house was clearly wrong.That water jet, along with my magic, pierced through the wall of the house.Fortunately... it was launched toward the sky."So this is... Intermediate-rank Magic..."I stared blankly at the water droplets dripping down from the edge of the large hole.Calm down, calm down.The next thing to do is to use magic to fix the wall.This isn't difficult; it's just a wooden house, so I just need to use magic of the same attribute to slowly repair it.I reached out and touched the pierced corners, letting them slowly recover.It's a good thing it's a wooden house... I sighed to myself."What happened! Whoa..."The first person to rush in was Paul.Upon seeing the large hole in the wall, he opened his mouth wide in surprise.And his son was busy using magic to repair that wall, although the speed was very slow."Huh... this... how did this... Rudy, are you okay...?"Paul is really a good man.Even though I clearly looked fine, he was still worried about me.After walking over to my side, he kept muttering, "Is it... a monster? No, there shouldn't be any around here..." and similar things, vigilantly guarding the surroundings.Well, Paul is an idiot."Oh my."Zenith also entered the room.She was much calmer than Paul.She first checked the damaged wall and the water pooling on the floor in order, and then saw me trying to repair the wall using magic.She didn't say anything; she walked straight up to me, crouched down, and looked into my eyes with a gentle expression.It was a bit scary...There was no smile in her eyes at all.Besides, your son is working hard to use magic to restore this wall, aren't you going to help, Mother?Although that was what I was thinking, I couldn't say it out loud.I should take responsibility for the mistakes I made myself.So, I didn't continue making eye contact with Zenith, but instead focused wholeheartedly on controlling the magic to restore the wall."Rudy~ You can already use magic?""Yes."I nodded in acknowledgement.Perhaps, in this world, being able to use magic isn't a very rare thing.After all, there are even textbooks for it.Paul, however, scratched his head."No, but I mean... this is Intermediate-rank Magic...""Wow! Honey, did you hear that! Our child really is a genius!"Zenith's shout drowned out Paul's comment.She clasped her hands together and seemed to be jumping around happily.She's really energetic...While she was happy, I had also almost finished repairing the wall.Mothers are optimistic creatures; no matter what their child does, even if it's something not a big deal at all, they will brag and say, "This child might be a genius."After the repairs were done, I sat down due to mana exhaustion.Listening to my mother's excited voice."Honey, let's go to the town of Roa tomorrow and post a recruitment notice! We must properly nurture the child's talent!""But you promised... if it's a boy, he should learn swordsmanship.""Honey! We need to find a tutor! We can definitely find an excellent magic teacher over in Roa!" Zenithdrowned out Paul's comment once again."But...""Honey, our child can use Intermediate-rank Magicat three years old, are you going to let such talent go to waste?""But...""Besides, it's not like magic and swordsmanship can't be practiced together. What do you think, Rudy?" Zenith turned to look at me.I nodded and said, "I want to practice both."No matter how many times I start over, I am always like this; I will always want to respond to my mother's expectations, no matter what.Nothing has really changed...Zenith hugged me directly."Look, Honey! Rudy agreed~""Alright..." Paul finally compromised.Just like that, Zenith and Paul were going to help me find a mage to be my tutor.
Chapter 6: Roxy"My name is Roxy, please treat me well."She wore a brown robe in the style of a mage, with her water-blue hair braided, giving her a petite and neat appearance.Her skin was snow-white, unblemished by the sun, her eyes were slightly closed as if she were sleepy, and her lips were pressed together in a rather cold expression.Even without glasses, she gave the impression of a literary girl who spent all her time holed up in a library.She only had a leather bag in her hand, along with a staff that looked like something a mage would carry.The three of us in the family went out to welcome her together."..."After seeing her appearance clearly, my parents seemed too surprised to speak.It was no wonder.The person before us was too different from what they had anticipated.After all, they were hiring a tutor, so they must have imagined someone with quite a few years of experience.But the person who came was so petite."Ah... uh... are you... that... person who is going to be the tutor?""Um... you look... rather..."Because my parents looked like they were having trouble speaking, I straightforwardly helped them say it."You look very young.""You have no right to call me young."She retorted without reservation.No... you probably aren't even as old as I was in my previous life, are you? A middle schooler? Can someone of that age really be a teacher?No, no... don't be so arrogant; perhaps she is the type of genius that exists in this world? After all, magic exists in this world.Yes, that must be it, otherwise she definitely wouldn't be qualified to be my teacher at her age.Thinking this, I started to feel some respect for this genius girl.Roxy sighed."Eh... so, where is the student I am to teach?"She looked around and asked."Ah, it's this child."Zenith pulled me, whom she was holding hands with, in front of her.I generously winked with one eye to greet her."Hello, Teacher."I never hesitate to show respect to a genius.But Roxy first widened her eyes before letting out a sigh."Eh... sometimes there are just these kinds of people... foolish parents who assume their child is very talented just because they grew up a little faster..."She muttered."I can hear you, Teacher Roxy," I said softly with a smile."Uh..." She showed an expression as if she had been a bit startled.But never mind, it's fine as long as my parents didn't hear.At this moment, Zenith, who was behind me, walked to my side."Is there a problem?""No, but... I don't think your son can understand the theory of magic.""It's no problem, our little Rudy is very excellent!"Zenith replied with the kind of biased remark foolish parents would make.Roxy sighed again."Eh... I understand, I will do my best."She seemed to have judged that saying any more would be a waste of effort.Just like that, I began a life of taking lessons from Roxy in the morning and learning swordsmanship from Paul Greyrat in the afternoon...."Then, let's start with this magic textbook... no, before that, let's first confirm how much magic you can use, Rudy."Rudy? That's quite an affectionate way to address me.However, this petite child was able to become a teacher at the age of fifteen or sixteen, so she must have her own extraordinary qualities; since that's the case, I will make an exception and allow this girl to address me more affectionately.I nodded with a smile.Thus, Roxy took me to the yard.It seemed she was very aware of what the consequences would be if magic were used inside the house."I will demonstrate first. May the great protection of water descend upon the place you seek, let the cool shallow stream appear here—[WaterBall]."While chanting, a blue water ball appeared in front of Roxy's palm.Then, the water ball flew at high speed toward a tree in the yard.Splat.The water ball easily snapped the tree trunk, then drenched the fence.As expected, she is a genius... no, it might also be that my previous theory was wrong.The low-rank magic she just used had much greater power than the low-rank magic I use.Thinking of this, I respected the petite girl before me even more."What do you think?""Hmm, I think you are amazing, Teacher."Saying this, I walked to the side of the tree and began to chant."Sacred power is the fragrant grain, grant the person who has lost their strength the power to stand up again..."Before the chant had even fully ended, the tree trunk had gradually restored to its original state.Immediately after, I turned back to look at the stunned Roxy and said."Teacher, this tree was carefully cultivated by my mother, I don't think she would like you using this tree for magic demonstrations.""Eh? Really?""I think so.""Uh... by the way, Rudy, you can use Healing Magic?" Roxy changed the subject somewhat clumsily."Yes, up to Intermediate-rank Magic is no problem.""Is that so... that's really amazing.""No, nowhere near as amazing as you, Teacher; I couldn't produce the Water Magic you just demonstrated."I wasn't lying; if I used low-rank magic, I truly couldn't produce the power Roxy just did."As long as you train properly, anyone can reach this level."Although her tone was somewhat cold, her mouth was already curling upwards uncontrollably, and she twitched her nose with pride, seeming to be in a very good mood.Sure enough, even though she could be a teacher, her heart was still that of a teenage girl.Ultimately, she was still a child.Holding this mindset, I walked back to her side."Then next, is Teacher going to demonstrate any other magic?""No... next, you imitate the water ball I just used, ah... no need to aim at that tree," she said, pulling down the brim of her hat and speaking in a low voice.Imitating the water ball Roxy just fired.There was no need to show off in front of my teacher, so I decided to replicate this teacher's water ball one-to-one."May the great protection of water..."Because I didn't deliberately memorize the chant, I omitted the latter part and directly fired a water ball identical to Roxy's, but I knew myself that this was already Intermediate-rank Magic.The water ball flew toward the outside of the yard.But Roxy looked at the result with a complicated expression."You omitted the chant?""Yes, can't it be omitted?"I have always been using Chantless Magic.I never felt there was anything wrong with it, but could I actually be making some important mistake?"Do you usually omit chants too?""No, I don't usually chant at all."Although I hesitated, I still told the truth.After all, this was at my house; if there was anything wrong with this, she wouldn't be able to report it immediately or anything."No chanting...?"Roxy widened her eyes and looked down at me with a suspicious expression."Is that so... you don't usually chant? Do you feel tired now?"Then, she pretended to be nonchalant."No.""I see, the size and power of the water ball are impeccable.""Thank you."Roxy finally smiled at this point.She curled her lips and then whispered."Feels like it's worth training properly."Although she thought I couldn't hear her saying this, just like when we first met, I heard it.What a scatterbrained girl."Then, let's immediately proceed to the next magic..."Just like that, I spent the whole morning trying various types of Chantless Magic.Although Roxy spoke very reasonably, I always felt she was studying me as if she were looking at some novel species.
Chapter 7: A Girl After All?In the afternoon, I trained with Paul Greyrat.Since there were no wooden swords suitable for my size, the focus was mainly on physical conditioning.For example, running, push-ups, sit-ups, and so on.Paul Greyrat seemed intent on making the idea that "you have to start by getting your body moving" the core of his training plan for me.When he went to work and couldn't supervise me, he ordered that the basic physical training must be done every day without fail.I can understand Paul Greyrat's expectations for his son as a father, but over-exercising a three-year-old child will stunt their growth.Therefore, I modified Paul Greyrat's training plan to make the exercises more reasonable.Of course, I could only use my own plan when Paul Greyrat wasn't around....One night, while I was trying to develop new magic, I immediately heard creaking, moaning, and gasping sounds coming from the next room."They really have a lot of energy..."It's not that I can't understand; after all, my parents are in their twenties, a time of peak vitality, and this world doesn't seem to have the concept of contraception.At this rate, my younger brother or sister will be born before long.I have never been able to truly see Paul Greyrat and Zenith as my real parents in my heart, and this behavior of theirs is probably the reason why.In my previous life, I came from a single-parent family, enjoying my mother's tenderness every day.In this life, although my family is also very gentle, it's hard for me to think of them as my elders...Hmm...I really don't want to hear these kinds of sounds tonight.Especially since we have a guest in the house; I didn't expect Zenith and Paul Greyrat to be so bold.Oh well, I'll just use this three-year-old child identity for once.I'll push open the door and ask naively, "Mom, Dad, what are you doing?"That should be enough; they will surely stop.After all, if I can hear it, Roxy probably can too. She only looks to be about ten years old, so it's better for her not to hear these kinds of sounds.But when I pushed open the door and quietly crept toward Paul Greyrat's battlefield, I discovered that there was already a guest at the door.That blue-haired girl was sitting in the dim hallway, peeking into the bedroom through the crack in the door.Her face was flushed, and she was suppressing her slightly rapid breathing, but her gaze was fixed firmly inside the room.The hand hidden under her robe was performing a certain suggestive action.My mouth hung open; this was a scene I could never have imagined.Just as I was preparing to turn around and return to my room, pretending nothing had happened, my eyes met Roxy's.She stared at me with wide eyes, and I looked back at her.No... I'll just pretend I'm sleepwalking.I closed my eyes, turned around completely, and walked back to my room.Oh my, Roxy is a girl in her puberty, after all.Hmm... So I'll just pretend I didn't see anything, and I'll interact with Roxy as usual tomorrow.Presumably, she won't bring this up herself...."Uh, Rudy...""Don't worry, no matter what, you are my teacher.""Mm..."The next morning, before Roxy started teaching, she seemed to want to explain something, but actually, it would be better if you just pretended nothing happened.Although she blushed slightly when she first met me, seeing that I didn't ask anything afterward, she began to teach seriously.That's good, because if she asked me, I would still have to play dumb.Roxy is a very good teacher.She doesn't stick rigidly to the lesson plan.Instead, she adapts to my level of understanding and gradually increases the difficulty of the lessons.She has a high ability to adapt to students, preparing textbooks and posing questions from them; if I can answer, she proceeds to the next step.Like this, I learn something new every day during our lessons, and this world is becoming broader and broader in my mind.
Chapter 8: Five Years OldI turned five.On my birthday, the family held a small celebration.It seems this country doesn't have the custom of celebrating birthdays every year.However, there is a different custom: family members give gifts upon reaching certain ages.These specific ages are five, ten, and fifteen.Since fifteen is considered adulthood, this age setting is easy to understand.I received two swords from Paul Greyrat: one was a wooden sword for children, and the other was a sword I couldn't even lift at my current age.Zenith gave me a book—a botanical dictionary."Rudy likes reading very much," she said, handing it to me.Roxy gave me a staff and an amulet. The staff was my favorite gift.Because after receiving the staff, I tried using magic out the window, and it definitely boosted the power of my magic.What is the principle behind this? I'm so curious..."Thank you, Teacher. I will cherish this staff."Hearing me say this, Roxy replied with a wry smile....The next afternoon, formal sword training began.It mainly consisted of swinging the sword and practicing proper form.Starting from the basics is reasonable....The heroes of this world seem to rely primarily on swords. Does that mean sword users are stronger? For instance, is there some kind of counter-relationship?Like how mages fight large monsters, while swordsmen fight small monsters and people?Hmm... I pondered, but I didn't have a real answer.Teacher Roxy is an A-rank adventurer, so she must be considered among the best of mages, but I didn't feel that her combat ability was very strong.If that's the case, are mages more of a support type?But the ability Paul Greyrat displayed was terrifying.He could split a large rock in two with a single strike. That is simply not something a human could do.The difference between humans in this world and humans on Earth is not just about magic power; looking at Paul Greyrat makes that clear.His sword doesn't contain any magic, yet it can crush rocks....Good. After several days of thinking and training, I could clearly notice something.Magic can assist swordsmanship. If I utilize this, could I create my own style?Like covering my body in magic to become invincible... Just kidding.Even if magic power is covered over the body, nothing changes. Magic power is just magic power; it has no inherent power. It must be turned into actual magic to possess real power.It's so frustrating..."Do you really hate swordsmanship?"While I was fretting, Paul Greyrat spoke up.It seems my distressed expression was misunderstood by him.Is it because I have talent for magic? But in reality, I wanted to learn both, because I am a genius.I shouldn't be unable to do it..."No, I like swordsmanship too. Or rather, I hope my swordsmanship is even stronger than my magic."Hearing this, Paul Greyrat seemed moved. He nodded happily and raised his wooden sword."Good! Then let's start sparring! Bring it on!"What a simple guy."Yes, Father. But I must warn you, I will be using magic.""Come on! If you can hit me once, you win.""Alright."I raised my sword and applied Wind Magic to my feet.The dash I imagined didn't happen; the magic pushed me, almost making me fall.However, I controlled the magic power in time and still charged toward Paul Greyrat."Oh, oh! You've got a new move!"Paul Greyrat said with great composure, easily dodging my attack.I turned around, applied magic to my sword, and slashed at Paul Greyrat. The water flow followed the sword, thrusting toward him."Whoa!" After sidestepping, Paul Greyrat swept his leg, knocking me straight to the ground."Hey, hey, hey! Do you want to kill your father?!"As expected, Paul Greyrat is strong.Even with magic, I am no match for him...No, if I could prepare more in advance, perhaps...I shook my head and cast aside the thought of defeating my own father."Father, you are truly amazing.""Hmph~ Of course I am."His personality is actually quite similar to Roxy's; he gets carried away as soon as he's praised."But Rudy, your combat talent is much greater than I thought. Perhaps it would be better if you studied that fighting method of yours a bit more.""Is that so?""But I'll say this first: you still need to learn the swordsmanship I teach! At least until you reach the intermediate level.""Understood, Father."Paul Greyrat smiled and patted my head."Then, let's go another round!""Alright, Father!"
Chapter 9: Graduation"The graduation exam will be held outside the village."Hearing the word "graduation," I froze for a moment.Graduation, huh?I had assumed Roxy would stay until I was seven or eight before leaving.It would be a lie to say I wasn't sad; Roxy is a wonderful teacher.In terms of magical mastery, she is clearly far superior to me."Rudy, get on.""Okay."Roxy and I rode the horse Paul raised, heading toward an open area.We weren't moving fast, giving me enough time to think about what I should say when we part ways.Only now did I realize that I had never truly considered the possibility of Roxy separating from me.Even though we had only lived together for two years, I had already come to regard her as family.When did I become so sensitive?Along the way, many villagers watched us; I suppose it was because of Roxy's hair.No... there was nothing strange in their gazes. Roxymust have helped them often, so they were just greeting her out of goodwill.Before us lay endless farmland, with a few houses scattered here and there.A standard rural scene.I leaned against Roxy's chest, feeling a sense of pure tranquility.We remained silent. While the silence wasn't awkward, I still decided to speak up."Teacher, why is your hair blue?"I had assumed this world was just like that, with all sorts of hair colors, but in reality, blue or green hair is quite rare.Teacher once told me that green hair is cursed hair, but what about blue?I never asked before, but now that it's come to this, I want to learn at least a little bit more about Roxy."Because I am a Demon.""A Demon?""Didn't Paul and Zenith tell you?""No, I only just found out that Teacher is a Demon."I remained calmly leaning against Roxy's chest. Is this the privilege of a five-year-old?But I had no thoughts in my mind; I was just feeling the breeze."Rudy, are you disappointed?""Hm? Disappointed about what?""About the fact that your teacher is a Demon..." Roxy's voice grew a little quieter."How could I be? Regardless of anything, Teacher is my teacher, and that will never change.""Is that so... Then I'm relieved."Demons, huh...Eh?I seem to have overlooked a very important question.Could it be that Roxy isn't a teenage girl??Better not to think about it. Speculating about a woman's age is very impolite, even if she is so petite....From my feet to the edge of the horizon, it was all grassland.No, I could faintly see mountain ranges in the distance.At the very least, this is probably a view I couldn't see in my previous life."This should be close enough, right?"Roxy stopped by a solitary tree, dismounted, and tied the reins to the tree.Then, she lifted me down.And then she faced me and said,"Next, I will cast the Saint-level Magic[Cumulonimbus], which creates a large-scale downpour accompanied by lightning.""Yes.""Please imitate me and try to cast this magic."Saint-level Magic—is this the graduation exam?The magic Roxy is about to cast will be the most powerful magic she is capable of, so if I can cast it too, it means she has nothing left to teach me."Since I'm just demonstrating, I will let the magic dissipate after one minute. As for Rudy... if you can make the magic last for three minutes, you'll pass.""Okay.""Then."Roxy raised her hands toward the sky."Majestic Water Spirit, Prince of the Thunder Emperor who ascends the sky!Grant my wish, bring forth your fierce favor, and let these lowly beings witness your power!Strike the anvil with the hammer of the gods, reveal your terror, and let the flood submerge the entire land.Oh, rain! Wash everything away, drive everything out!Cumulonimbus!"She chanted every word of the incantation clearly and slowly.It took over a minute.The moment the chant ended, the surroundings darkened all at once.After a few seconds of delay, a downpour began, so heavy it felt like a whole basin of water being dumped down.An astonishing storm swept through the surroundings, with lightning flashing within the pitch-black clouds.In the torrential rain, which felt like a waterfall, purple light flashed across the clouds, making a sound.Then it expanded more and more, as if the light itself had weight.Finally, it struck down.BOOM!My eardrums were ringing, and my eyes were stinging from the light.This is... Saint-level Magic.After lasting for one minute, the magic stopped.But when I turned my head, the horse that had been under the tree had already collapsed.It seemed like it had been struck by lightning..."A-awawa..."She ran over in a panic and cast Healing Magic on the horse.It seemed the horse hadn't died outright..."Geez... phew... that was close."Having lived with us for two years, Roxy certainly knew this was Paul's most important horse.Although it wasn't a famous horse, Paul was truly very good to it.He even publicly declared that his love for this horse was second only to his love for Zenith."You... you have to help me keep this a secret..."Roxy said with tears in her eyes.She was a bit clumsy.She often made mistakes by accident.However, she was a very hardworking person; she was both a genius and very diligent.I respected this young lady deeply, and I knew she worried about being looked down upon for being too young, so she always tried her best to appear dignified."Please rest assured, I won't say anything.""Wuwu... please."How cute. Even with the memories of my previous life, I couldn't help but sigh.In my past life, I never experienced love, but if I could have met a person like Teacher Roxy back then, I think I definitely would have fallen in love with her."Mm..."Roxy pulled down the brim of her hat, then pulled herself together and spoke to me."Alright, you give it a try. I'll help look after Caravaggio.""Okay, please watch my growth.""Yeah!"I walked toward the center of the grassland.Alright, let's do this.Roxy was leaving; in my heart, she was already truly family.Since that was the case, I would show my full strength to put the person about to leave home at ease.I spoke slowly."Majestic Water Spirit, Prince of the Thunder Emperor who ascends the sky...Grant my wish, bring forth your fierce favor, and let these lowly beings witness your power!Strike the anvil with the hammer of the gods, reveal your terror, and let the flood submerge the entire land.Oh, rain! Wash everything away, drive everything out!Cumulonimbus!"Imagine it clearly, use everything I have.Pour in more magic power.I had never felt my magic power to be as abundant as it was at this moment.Sustain...To let Roxy understand that I can hold my own.Concentrate...To let Roxy know that I respect her.Use all my strength...To let Roxy know clearly that she is a good teacher!The magic in the sky was even more terrifying than when Roxy cast it.The sky was no longer just dark; it was completely night.Come on, try to control the lightning, make it strike wherever I want.BOOM!!The lightning struck right in the center, right beside me, but it didn't hurt me in the slightest.After it had lasted for five minutes, I stopped.My whole body was soaked, and so was Roxy's.At the same time, I used my remaining magic power to completely disperse the dark clouds in the sky.At this moment, Roxy walked toward me."Congratulations, you have graduated, and you have also become a Saint-level mage.""Thank you, Teacher.""You are even more excellent than I imagined. You have truly mastered controlling magic—perfect, precise, and flawless.""This is all thanks to Teacher's excellent guidance.""Rudy, you are already stronger than me."I froze for a moment, not knowing what Teacher meant by that sentence."Teacher, regardless of anything...""I know, regardless of anything, I am still your teacher, right?" Roxy reached out and tapped my forehead.I shook my head.Roxy showed a stunned expression, which then turned into sadness."Is that so... After all, you are already stronger than me. You must be unhappy calling someone weaker than you 'Teacher'..."Her expression was very endearing.It was really hard to watch."Teacher, regardless of anything... you are my family. You are both my teacher and my family.""Eh?!""That's exactly it."Roxy blushed, lowered her head, and muttered."Uh... well, okay then. Then I guess I'll be Rudy's big sister and teacher."I shook my head."Not big sister, but family and teacher.""Uh? Which one is it? I... I mean... uh...""I don't know either.""Alright... anyway, congratulations on successfully graduating."
Chapter 10: Roxy 2Roxy's Perspective:PartingSaying goodbye to my cute student.Claiming I wouldn't be sad would definitely be a lie; after all, I really wanted to stay by his side and watch him grow.But ultimately, I am an outsider to that family, and... at only five years old, he has already surpassed me in magic control.Thinking of this makes me feel a bit afraid.Because I myself started to disrespect my teacher after I surpassed her."How childish and arrogant..."But my cute student doesn't seem to think that way.Even though he has already surpassed me in magical attainments, he doesn't have any arrogant thoughts.Or is it that his arrogance just never manifests?Either way, it's better than me bragging to my teacher before leaving, only to be defeated by reality.After the graduation exam ended, I walked towards Rudy."Congratulations on graduating, you've also become a Water Saint-level Mage.""Thank you, Teacher.""You are even more excellent than I imagined. You have truly mastered magic control, perfectly and accurately.""This is all thanks to Teacher's good guidance."I gave a bitter smile.No matter how I praise him, he always attributes the credit to me.But, only I know in my heart that even if I weren't Rudy's teacher, he would definitely be able to reach Water Saint-level Mage before the age of ten.His talent is so powerful that it's a bit frightening...Thinking this, I spoke up."Rudy, you are already stronger than me."There was a bit of pouting in that sentence, but that can't be helped, right?Surpassing me at only five years old, and I've lived for nearly 40 years...A little... no, very frustrated.But, thinking that the first teacher of someone with such talent is me, I also feel a bit happy.Will he remember me forever? For example, when he grows up and others ask who his teacher was, will he be able to mention me first...If that's really the case, I would smile even in my dreams."Teacher, no matter what..."Here it comes again, this phrase again.I impatiently interrupted him, then reached out and tapped his forehead."I know, no matter what, I am still your teacher, right?"But Rudy shook his head.Eh?Does this mean he's going to deny me as his teacher?Even though he just surpassed me?Ah... I don't want to see my cute student say things like "You want to be my teacher? You're two hundred years too early!"If he really said that, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to bear it and would commit suicide.Out of fear, I spoke first."Is that so... after all, you are already stronger than me... hmm, that's right... you must be very unhappy calling someone weaker than yourself 'Teacher'..."I don't know what my expression is like right now, but it definitely won't look good.But the statement I imagined didn't appear; Rudysaid gently,"Teacher, no matter what... you are my family. You are both my teacher and my family.""Eh!?""That's how it is."What is that supposed to mean!?Uh... regardless, he is just a five-year-old child; I'm afraid he just sees me as an older sister figure.After all, I am so petite, and he doesn't know my age..."Uh... hmm, alright, then I'll be Rudy's older sister and teacher, okay?""Not an older sister, but family and teacher.""Uh? Which one? I... I mean... uh...""I don't know either."My head is a mess; I don't understand what my student is saying at all.Does he really understand the meaning of family!?No... he has always behaved very maturely... Ahhhh!Forget it."Alright... in any case, congratulations on successfully graduating."Thus, my first student, Rudeus, graduated.Possessing extraordinary talent, ability, and working harder than the average person, smarter than the average person, and more mature than the average person.I'm afraid when I teach the next student, I will feel a huge gap...
Chapter 11: Friend"Father, may I go outside to play?""Ah... Oh, of course you can."I didn't expect him to answer so readily.After all, children of this age might disappear if you take your eyes off them for a second.Although I didn't have much desire to go out, Zenithseemed to think it was strange for a child of this age to stay home reading books every day; she was even worried about my psychological well-being.Fine then, I'll do something appropriate for a child of this age.Go out and play."Thinking about it carefully, we haven't given you much free time. Although as parents we felt you must study both magic and swordsmanship, for a child, play is indeed necessary.""I am very grateful that you allowed me to meet such a good teacher."I thought Paul would have something to say, but I didn't expect his way of thinking to be quite flexible."Go on then, remember to make some friends and bring them back.""I will do my best."After saying that, I left the courtyard.Come to think of it, I've rarely stepped foot outside the house.Two years ago, I went to the village with Zenith to buy things, and since then, the only time I went out was for Roxy's graduation exam.After all, going out to play as a child was far less interesting than researching magic at home.Recently, my magic research has made great progress: Soundproofing.Originally, my plan was Silent Magic, to make myself unable to hear sound.But I couldn't do it, so instead I used Earth Magic to cover the walls of the room, achieving a Soundproofing effect.Since my control over magic is decent, using this kind of magic doesn't make the house dirty; at most, it leaves a bit of dust on the floor."Mm, life will be even better from now on!"After I could no longer hear the sounds of Paul and Zenith making a baby, my sleep quality has been improving every day.I'll stop thinking about that nonsense. Since I'm out, I should do something meaningful.For example, the monsters Paul has been complaining about to Zenith lately.The number of monsters deep in the forest is increasing, which is quite interesting.Since I haven't seen a monster yet, I couldn't help but feel curious.So, I walked slowly to the entrance of the forest and set up some magic there.It's a type of Magic Circle; as long as a creature passes through, I'll be able to detect it. Of course, the circle itself has no offensive capabilities.I just want to see what monsters actually look like, not hunt them. After all, I'm only five years old.I went a little deeper into the forest, set up circles in different places, and then backed out.If any monsters show up, I'll tell Paul; he's strong."That went pretty smoothly."While thinking about what monsters look like, I left the forest and headed toward a small hill.There was a solitary large tree on the hill, which might be the largest tree in the area.It was the perfect spot to check the village's terrain; it's always good to head for high ground.Just then—"Demon race, stay out of our village!"The wind carried such a shout."Get lost!""Take this!""Nice, a direct hit!"Clearly, these were the sounds of a crowd bullying the weak.I turned to look and saw three kids covered in mud in a field, throwing mud at a boy walking on the road beside them."Ten points for hitting the head!""Alright!""I hit him! I hit him!"I hate seeing scenes like this.Bullying. Although I never experienced it during my school days, I've seen what victims of bullying look like.Victim-blaming is detestable, but at this moment, I was indeed feeling angry at the child being bullied.I hate compromise, and I hate people who don't try to resist.But on second thought, he's just a child.Oh well..."Hey! Bullying someone just because you have more people isn't very manly, you know."Saying this, I walked toward them."Who are you? Are you going to take the demon's side?""Get lost!" another boy said, throwing a stone at me.A stone...Can I consider this an attempt on my life?After blocking it with Wind Magic, I walked toward them."When you bully the weak, have you prepared yourselves to be bullied by someone stronger?""What are you talking about?""Who do you think you're acting cool for?""You're that kid from the knight's family, right? The young noble master has come to play knight?"My identity was exposed, but it didn't matter."I'm going to tell everyone that the knight is an accomplice of the demon race!""Go get big brother and the others!"The children called for their companions, but no one appeared.Whatever, hitting kids isn't my hobby."Aren't you going to scram? A kid from a knight's family is much better at fighting than you guys," I shouted."The knight... can the knight's kid do this kind of thing?""Of course. I train every day, you know. If you want to fight, you can try. I don't mind if you all come at me at once.""Tch, you... you demon race ally!"With just that bit of bluffing, those little brats ran away.They're just kids after all; bullying others is probably because their parents keep saying nonsense.I walked toward the child.He was still hanging his head, seemingly crying."Are you okay?"The child in front of me raised his head.He had long eyelashes for a child, a straight bridge of the nose, thin lips, and a jawline so graceful it made one's heart skip a beat.That skin, comparable to white porcelain, combined with an expression like a startled rabbit, created an indescribable beauty."Ah... um... I... I'm fine..."Truly weak.For a boy, he didn't have a shred of manly spirit.How did his parents raise him?"Squat down by the irrigation canal.""Eh...? Huh...?"The boy was completely confused, but he still obediently did as he was told.What an annoying personality; does he have no spirit of resistance at all?"Close your eyes."I used Fire Magic to adjust the water to an appropriate temperature.I poured the warm water over the boy's head."Wah!"The boy seemed startled and tried to flee, but I grabbed him by the back of his collar and washed the mud off.Though he wanted to run at first, he settled down once he got used to the water temperature."Okay, that's about it."Since the mud had been washed away, elf-like long ears appeared, along with a head of extremely beautiful emerald-green hair.Emerald-green hair and long elven ears... no wonder he was mistaken for the demon race.I lifted the hair at the front of his head and found no ruby-like object.It seems he's not from the Superd Tribe. My teacher told me that tribe is very dangerous."Th... thank you..."Hearing his thanks, I snapped back to reality."Learn to fight back. Next time, no one might come to save you.""But... I can't win...""The point is to have the will to resist. Also, don't let me see your tears again. Boys shouldn't cry so easily.""Uu..."But...Thinking about it, did I speak too harshly?He's only a few years old..."Forget it, pretend I didn't say that. You've had it rough too, being bullied just because of your hair color.""Do... do you not mind... it?""My teacher is also from the demon race. I won't have any prejudice against you.""Th... thank you... but... I'm not from the demon race...""I know. An elf?""I'm not sure either..."He looked like he was about to cry again.But as if remembering what I said, he held it in."Let's go?""Wher... where are we going?""I'll go wherever you're going. Weren't you supposed to deliver something?""Um... I have to... bring lunch to Papa...""Then let's set off."I picked up his basket."Um... why... did you protect me?"The boy made a gesture that would trigger one's protective instincts and asked timidly."An ally of the weak... or something like that. Would that answer satisfy you?""But... you might be hated by others too...""You, listen well."I tapped the boy's forehead with my finger."If you go against your own heart just because you're afraid of being hated by others, you don't deserve to be called a man.""Uu...""From today on, you are my friend.""Eh!?""What, you don't want to?""N-no... uh... thank you.""Rudeus. That's my name. And yours?""Syl... phie."His voice was very small, but I barely managed to hear it."Sylphie? Mm... a nice name."Even though it sounds a lot like a girl's name."Mm!"When I said that, Sylphie nodded with a flushed face....After returning home, I found Paul standing at the door with a somewhat complicated expression.But when he saw me, he tried to make his expression look serious."Father, I'm back.""Rudy, what did you do today?"I thought about it and couldn't think of anything special I'd done."I made a friend.""And?""That's it.""Just now, Mrs. Ette came by and said you used your status as a knight to threaten their Somar?"Ette? Somar? Who are they?But speaking of threats, I remembered something.Those little brats probably exaggerated the facts to complain... I must give them a beating next time we meet."Father, I did not threaten them. I simply used my status to protect someone weak.""Is that so?""Yes. Their children were bullying a boy named Sylphie. They were throwing mud and stones at him. I couldn't bear to watch, but I remembered your teachings and didn't use magic to attack them. So, I declared I was the child of a knight and intimidated them by saying they could never win against me.""Was it... like that...?""Yes, Father. Do you think I did something wrong?""No..." Paul gave an awkward laugh and scratched the back of his head."You did well, Rudy.""It's all thanks to your good teaching, Father."My father is only in his twenties; he probably hasn't had the real feeling of being a father because I've never made a mistake, right?It's no wonder, but I don't know how to be a father's son properly; I didn't have a father in my previous life.In my previous life, no matter what I did, my mother always praised me. Even when I look back and see that what I did was wrong, she still encouraged me.Anyway, let's let this misunderstanding pass."Father, aren't you going inside to eat?""Ah... yes, okay."
Chapter 12: GeniusEver since then, my childhood had gained a new playmate.Sitting under the big tree on the hill, I flipped through the book my mother gave me for my birthday.How should I put it? It really was an exquisite book...But that was all I could think of, because I had no interest in the plants it described.Before long, Sylphie arrived.We hadn't made any plans to meet on the hill; it was just that whenever I sat here, she would appear, and I had gotten used to it."So, what should we play today?"I asked Sylphie with a smile."I... I don't know..."She answered as she always did.I thought for a moment and decided that the childish games of house we'd been playing lately should come to an end.She needed to learn to become stronger; it wouldn't do for her to keep relying on me like this.If things continued this way, she would grow up to be useless."Then, shall I teach you magic?"If we were talking about sword skills, I certainly wasn't anything special, but when it came to magic, I should be qualified to be her teacher."Hmm... Is it the kind of stuff Rudy uses often? Like making the weather clear up...?""Yes, but you'll have to work hard to reach my level.""O-okay! I... I'll do my best!""Good, then let's start special training today! Of course, you'll have to do special training in the afternoon, too! Physical training with me.""I-is it... the same exercises Rudy does in his yard often...?""What? Are you unwilling?""I... uh... I'm not really brave enough... to talk to Mr. Paul Greyrat."Even as dense as I was, I could tell she probably didn't want to do physical training.Oh well, I was already used to her weak-willed nature."Then let's train magic all day today!""Oh... oh!"...After teaching Sylphie for the entire afternoon, I discovered that she seemed to be a genius when it came to magic!Her comprehension was extremely high; she learned everything as soon as I taught it... she even learned Chantless Magic.I was surprised by this, because even Roxy couldn't use it back then."Rudy! I did it!""Well done. Next, you need to learn to slowly control the magic.""Control...?""Yes, control. Magic isn't something you can just cast and ignore. That's what low-level mages do. You need to learn to feel the flow of mana and master the magic, just like this."I reached out and touched the Ice Magic Sylphie had just cast, changing its shape so it could move freely before the mana dissipated."So... so amazing...""You try it too. I don't think it will be too hard for you.""Oh... oh!"Sylphie practiced on the side, while I opened my book and started reading again.This kind of childhood... it didn't seem so bad, at least not to me.An hour later, Sylphie succeeded.I knew it; she was a genius."Rudy, I... I did it..."As she spoke, she sat down directly and leaned against my side.It seemed she was a bit tired from overusing her mana. From what I could see now, her mana pool was almost on par with Roxy-sensei's."Rudy... aren't you going to praise me...?""Yeah, that's amazing."I took her words as a child's desire for attention.In my previous life, I didn't have any younger brothers or sisters, so I actually didn't quite know how to treat Sylphie.In the blueprints I had once fantasized about, if I had a younger brother, I would definitely teach him everything I knew, just like how I was teaching Sylphie now.But something felt off. The sense of accomplishment blooming in my heart wasn't like an older brother acknowledging a younger brother, but more like a teacher having taught a student."Was this what Roxy was thinking back then..." I muttered to myself."Roxy... who is that?"Sylphie, leaning on my shoulder, asked in a low voice."My teacher, the person I respect the most right now. She taught me quite a lot of things.""She must be a very amazing person, right?""That's right, she is very amazing."It hadn't even been a year since Roxy left, and I was already starting to miss her a little.Suddenly, Sylphie beside me stood up with a burst of energy."Ru... Rudy...!""Wha... what's wrong?"I was a little startled."Continue... continue teaching me! I'm fine!""Very good, that's more like a man!""Ugh..."
Chapter 13: UnexpectedI am seven years old.My daily routine remains the same: researching magic and training my body.Recently, my magic research seems to have hit a bottleneck.It seems this world does not possess magic that can influence the mind, but I definitely want to research this kind of magic.The process of starting from scratch is always difficult, and the problem is that I do not have any subjects for experimentation.Using controlled mana to form threads to invade someone's brain is a magic I imagined, but I stopped because I have no test subjects."Forget it... no rush."...One night.The room next door was very quiet.After all, Zenith is pregnant, so I haven't heard those sounds for a while."It seems Soundproofing Magic hasn't been needed lately."Saying this, I opened my room door and walked out, intending to go to the bathroom.But when I was halfway there, I heard a sound.It was different from Zenith's voice, but equally filled with lust.And in this house, besides Zenith, there is only Lilia..."I really am unlucky..."Just as I was about to turn back to my room, I heard other movements.That didn't belong to Lilia; it was a male voice, a voice I was somewhat familiar with."Don't... don't joke around..."Could it be... that guy Paul...To confirm, I walked quietly to the door of Lilia's room and peeked in through the crack.Lilia... Paul...Honestly, I really wanted to push the door open and make them stop.But after calming down, I retreated to my own room.Paul cheated... the person he cheated with was Zenith's good friend, Lilia... and it was even during her pregnancy...Am I in some bizarre movie? It's truly disgusting...."Take that, take that~ Why are you so distracted today?"Paul swung his wooden sword, and I struggled to parry.Distracted?I looked around and confirmed that neither Lilia nor Zenith were present."Father, is there nothing you want to say to Mother?""Hmm? I said 'I love you' today, so I shouldn't have missed it, right?"How should I put this?To be so composed after cheating, Paul is more impressive than I imagined.I sighed."You have done something to betray Mother."Hearing my words, Paul froze."Ru... Rudy... are you saying...""Yes, I saw it. You and Lilia, Father."Paul was silent for a long time, his words squeezed out one by one like toothpaste."Uh... can you... keep it a secret for me? I..."Scum.That was the first thought in my mind.Complete and utter scum.Just thinking that such scum is my father makes me annoyed!"Father, pick up your sword. Let's go another round. If you win, I will keep this secret for you.""Oh... oh!"The moment Paul picked up the sword, I cast magic.Ice Magic instantly froze the wooden sword and Paul's feet, and at the same time, I cast Earth Magicto turn the ground into a quagmire.After Paul reacted, he used some unknown power to shatter my Ice Magic and rushed toward me.But..."Father, you lost.""Eh?"Beneath Paul's feet, a Magic Circle activated.This was a Magic Circle I had set up in advance, imbued with a large amount of mana; its effect was controllable vines.Paul was bound. As expected, after imbuing it with a large amount of mana, even Paul couldn't break free."Father.""Rudy... uh... can we do it again?" Paul said with an awkward laugh."You are truly complete scum.""Uh..."Paul was choked and couldn't speak.I sighed."Father, regardless of anything else, you should take responsibility and apologize to Mother.""Bu... but... your mother is from Millis...""I don't care about that! Whether it's Lilia or Zenith, they both raised me! No matter what, you must obtain their forgiveness and then accept Lilia!"After dropping this, I attacked the bound Paul with water bullets, making him look even more disheveled....That night, I heard countless arguments.Mostly it was Zenith getting angry or crying, while Lilia stood to the side, looking ready to leave at any moment.I walked downstairs, and their gazes turned to me.It seems Paul didn't handle things very well.However, he did go to admit his mistake."Mother..."I walked up and hugged Zenith, acting like a well-behaved child.Honestly, I don't know what to do.Zenith stroked my head and pulled me into her embrace, a hint of crying in her voice."Paul... I am so disappointed... Was I never able to satisfy you...""Dear... it's not like that, I really love you! That day...""Don't say any more. Let's get a divorce after the child is born...""Dear!"Paul knelt in front of Zenith.Zenith pursed her lips.It seems...I buried my head in Zenith's chest and spoke with a crying voice."Mother... can you give Father another chance...? I don't want to lose Father...""Rudy... do you understand what your father has done?""I don't know... I just hope... Mother can stop being angry...""Rudy..."I know this is very unreasonable.For Zenith, these words must hurt her, right? It could even be called a betrayal, as even her own child is deceiving her.But... to me, even if Paul is such scum, he is still my family.Zenith closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and seemed to have made up her mind about something."Paul, I will ask you a question. If you answer correctly, I will forgive you this time...""You... ask.""What do you intend to do about Lilia?"This question silenced the house; one could even hear the sound of the candle burning.In the silence, Lilia broke the quiet."Master, Madam... this matter was...""You shut up first! Paul, answer my question!"Zenith was angry.At least since I was born, this is the first time I've seen Zenith so angry at Lilia.And the kneeling Paul took a deep breath and knocked his head on the floor."I... I will... I will take responsibility!! But... I really do love you too! Dear..."Zenith stood up from her seat, held me, and walked toward the second floor."Only this once... remember what you said, take responsibility.""Dear... you... forgave me...?""I am not like you; I won't break my word. For Rudy's sake, I will only forgive you this time.""Dear...""Alright, I am going upstairs to sleep with my cute son. You figure out where you're going to sleep yourself."After saying that, Zenith held me and came into the room on the second floor.She put me on the bed and then lay down herself.After a while, Zenith started crying.Surely there are countless grievances in her heart.I climbed up and hugged Zenith from behind.But since my body is only seven years old, I could only hold onto Zenith's clothes to show I was hugging her."Rudy...""Mother, I love you."I said the words I had never said in my previous life.In my past life, I clearly loved my mother, so why was I unable to say these words?Was it pride? Shame? Or some other kind of emotion?I am certain that my love for my mother in my past life definitely exceeded that for Zenith, but why couldn't I say it in my past life?In this life, it seems because I am a child, I mustered the courage to say it.Although I understand that these aren't words that require courage to say, but... saying them now might just be for the sake of my past self.For... my mother in my past life.Zenith cried even harder and hugged me."I love you too, my good Rudy..."As a son, I never want to see my mother crying...I used magic to knock on the wooden door. Zeniththought it was a knock from outside, so she let go of me and got out of bed to open the door.Paul was sitting outside the door.This was also within my expectations. No... if Paul hadn't been sitting outside the door at this time, tomorrow I would have set up more magic traps to truly punish him once.Seeing Zenith open the door, he laughed foolishly."Dear... can I come in...?""Heh... I will allow you to come in and sleep, but you can only sleep on the floor. Rudy and I will sleep on the bed."Tears were still lingering at the corners of Zenith's eyes.Even scum like Paul felt heartache seeing that.He hugged Zenith."Dear, I promise you, I will absolutely never make this mistake again...""Heh... does your promise still have any credibility? I will never again..."Paul didn't wait for Zenith to finish and kissed her directly.Zenith resisted for a while but then gave up.After the deep kiss ended, Zenith pushed Paul aside."Sleep on the floor! I am sleeping with Rudy today.""Yes! Dear.""Hmph, don't think I've calmed down just because of this."Paul, I can only help you this much.Although you are complete scum, you are still my family.
Chapter 14: FamilyThe next day, Paul Greyrat and I were practicing swordsmanship as usual.This time, he was expressionless, attacking me without holding back a single bit.How should I put this? Perhaps he was a little grumpy?"Father, are you in a bad mood?"I parried his attacks, and after I couldn't take it anymore, I spoke up.Hearing my words, Paul Greyrat stopped."I am not in a bad mood with you.""Then please stop attacking me with such a blank expression.""I am just... just angry at myself."Paul Greyrat sighed."Why? Father.""Rudy... you are absolutely right... No matter what, I should have taken responsibility. But at the time, my first thought was to escape. I am so disappointed in myself."Indeed, an irresponsible man is the most detestable.However, if one can admit their mistakes and grow, perhaps there is still hope."Do you look down on me? After all, you are very mature... and... I lost to you."Has the son's excellence wounded the father's self-esteem...If it were a mother, she would surely only feel proud no matter how excellent her son was... Is this the difference between a father and a mother?A father hopes to be surpassed by his son, yet he doesn't want to be surpassed so soon."Father, I do look down on you.""Uh..." Paul Greyrat looked like he was about to cry."However, when you said you would take responsibility for Lilia, that was acceptable, so it offset my negative opinion of you.""Is that so...?""Yes. That day, I only defeated you because I had set traps in advance, and I was only able to win because your mind was elsewhere.""Rudy... you really are a good son!!"Paul Greyrat put down his sword and hugged me.He hugged me very tightly, making it hard for me to breathe."Father... can't... breathe...""Oh... oh."Paul Greyrat let go.Just then, Sylphie appeared at the courtyard gate.She watched the interaction between Paul Greyrat and me without making a sound.Paul Greyrat noticed her and nudged me with his elbow."Oh, oh~ your good friend has arrived.""Indeed, she only has me as a friend.""What kind of way is that to put it? Don't you only have her as a friend as well?""Hmm? Father, I simply do not want to make friends with those idiots."Paul Greyrat seemed startled by my statement and wanted to correct something, but after thinking for a long time, he didn't utter any rebuttal, as if he also recalled how annoying those children in the village were.Hmm... those mischievous children in the village were just as annoying as those bratty kids from my previous life.Although Sylphie is weak, she is very obedient.Whatever I say, she does; I don't dislike a friend like this.However, this is somewhat unequal; it's a bit different from a friend, more like a sidekick."Hey... Rudy... I want to ask you something.""Father, please go ahead.""Do you know if Sylphie is a boy or a girl?"It seems Paul Greyrat also thinks Sylphie is too cute to be a boy."Father, although Sylphie is very cute, she is indeed a boy.""Uh... is that so...?""Yes, I will raise her into a qualified man.""I don't think she would want to become a man...""What do you mean?""Never mind, it's fine as you are. Go play with her.""Alright, Father."And so, I took Sylphie and headed to that hill again to practice magic.