———
Erina’s Struggle
———
I, Sirius, had turned three years old.
My body has become more and more bigger, and has developed to the extent that I can even run around without incident.
It’s a cycle of: running at a constant pace which is set to place a burden on the body, resting when I pass my limits, and starting to run again.
“Fuu, that’s it for today.”
I reach today’s quota and break into the finishing cooling down exercises.
“Although one of the reasons is your lower physical strength, it’s because you didn’t run at your own pace.”
Although, what you ran was about half of what I ran, was it that arduous?
At the same time, Erina-san offered me a towel and a drink.
“Thank you for your hard work, Sirius-sama.”
These two have opposite personalities but they appear to have good chemistry between them, there’s also the fact that they’re close in age as well; they get along fairly well.
“Don’t strain yourself.”
The well water had already been drawn. When I place that water in front of me, my new face comes into sight. Having already reached three years of age, my facial features have become easily distinguishable; personally, I think it’s not a bad face. The hair is black and the expression of the eyes also gives off a gentle impression. My outward looks are more in the direction of ‘cute’ rather than ‘handsome’. I suppose that there’s not that much of a difference even if you tried comparing it to the faces of the other three people; it’s a face without any unusual features: an average face. At least it doesn’t appear that it was a ‘miss’, it’s the kind of thing where only after I ascertained that could I feel at ease. Only, the strength of my powers of observation is lacking. As things like being able to intimidate others is also somewhat influenced by one’s appearance, this gentle face is probably a minus. It’s something to be worked on.
Incidentally, using the opportunity of being three years old, I had showed the three of them that I could use magic. En masse, their eyes became dot-like, and they became unable to move, as if time had stopped; it was a quite a sight.
“Sirius-sama, as it’s about time for lunch, Dee and I are going back.”
Also, the duration of continuous [Light] was just short of ten seconds, but nowadays I could sustain it for up to a minute. Using simple math, it’s six times longer. If it truly is as it’s written in the book, then isn’t this growth capability abnormal? There are various reasons that I can come up with to account for it, including: I have got the knack of it; practicing since I was one years old, i.e. at an early stage of my life; etc.
There is a low number of no-attribute magic spells to begin with, so including [Light], there were only three spells listed in the book. Just how unrecognized is it?!
You collect the maryoku in one place, let it fly, and then it hits its target. It’s questionable as to whether you could call it ‘magic’, but unfortunately it’s power is also questionable.
You can extend the maryoku strings, and wrap them around things and pull them towards you. You could think of it as a person that fires spider webs. Speaking of spiders, what about doing something like I saw in a movie in my previous life: shooting out my maryoku strings and flying around between trees? That’s what I looked forward to, but it’s impossible. Maintaining its form is difficult, and its strength per unit area is also weak. At best, it’s limited to pulling down twigs or fruits, and it’d swiftly snap if you tried to support something like a person.
For that reason, I used them in earnest, and had continued to persevere with raising my maryoku. I’m now focusing on raising my physical strength rather than my maryoku, but I eventually also want to do some magic modification or magic research.
Now then, let’s get it all done without stopping until lunch has been prepared, shall we? I aim my hand towards a target I had hung up on a tree and shoot out an [Impact].
“Slumbering truth from the depths, evil spirits that wheeze at me; the devil’s bombardment that is released from the origin of power, [Impact]!”
A baseball sized, colourless and transparent ball of maryoku shakes the target. If a stranger saw it, then they’d probably just see it as: ‘the target is merely swaying by itself’. The size of the maryoku ball can be adjusted, but naturally, the bigger I make it, the greater its maryoku consumption and the more difficult it is to maintain. As I am now, if I used this about ten times, I’d reach my limit. I shake the target precisely ten times and stop. Aa—, no matter how many times I do it, this lassitude is intense.
“No, I was just thinking ‘to be able to use [Impact] that well is amazing~’.”
“The fact that you are able to use it this quickly is too amazing. Are you really three years old? You are not lying about your age?”
“Eh? Then it’s thanks to me, isn’t it?! The shishou of a future great magician-sama eh? That’s me!”
Noel-san, you’re so easy to handle.
Taking Noel, who is banzai-ing in spite of being tired, with me, I returned to the house.
Three years since I was born.
Being watched over by Erina-san, doing stupid things together with Noel, eating Dee’s cooking.
The safe and happy days.
Sooner or later, the end will come for even this closed paradise that is isolated from the outside world.
Its footsteps are definitely drawing nearer.
Several days later.
“ “ “Good morning.” ” ”
At my greeting, the three of them cleanly replied all together. I had just sat in the chair when I notice it. Noel and Dee’s attire is different from usual. They aren’t maid clothes nor work clothes, but clothes for going out, or rather, garments that are easy to move in. This is the appearance of people who are going to go out shopping.
“Are, are the two of you heading out today? You went out shopping just the other day, didn’t you?”
It’s a mystery why we’re living in such a remote place, but I’m personally not experiencing any inconveniences from it, so I’ve just been ignoring it.
“If fire-attribute Noel is going at the same time, then won’t we be unable to light any fires? Erina-san is of the water-attribute right?”
“Nothing in particular. As long as you both return safely, that’s enough for me.”
“……Please leave it to me.”
It appears that Dee was formerly an adventurer, and his knowledge of things related to travelling is plentiful. He has gone shopping scores of times before, so I’m not actually that worried for them. Having finished eating their rye bread and soup that consisted of meat and vegetables boiled together, the pair promptly departed.
“Yeah. Let’s do that, shall we? ”
Per Erina-san’s suggestion, I’m having a midday meal on a table in the yard.
It looks exactly like an apple, but it’s a tad bit smaller and the flavour is closer to a strawberry.
“Certainly. As there were some in the kitchen, I’ll go bring some over.”
Floating a smile, Erina-san disappeared into the kitchen.
However, it’s incomprehensible. To what ends would someone ever want to try to force me to sleep? To be able to sell me off? No, that’s not likely. I can’t imagine that the people who have thrown that much affection at me would do that. Although I have no clue as to what their intention is, in this situation I’ll pretend that I drank it. Although it was only a small quantity, the mucous membrane of my tongue likely absorbed it; but perhaps it’s supposed to have a delayed effect, I don’t feel any sleepiness yet.
“Are you tired? Shall I prepare your bed for you?”
“Understood. I’ll have it ready soon, so please wait in the living room.”
From just yawning, to preparing the bed……is it? Isn’t it nearly assured that the line of reasoning that ‘Erina-san is the person who put in the soporific’ is right? It’s fine if it’s just my imagination. However, there’s Noel and Dee’s abrupt shopping trip, and Erina-san’s behaviour somehow gives me an uncomfortable feeling. There’s no way that I can run away, so for now let’s just go with the flow.
Lying down on the bed in my room, with my eyes closed, I raise my maryoku.
A few minutes after that, a light knock was audible from the door. When I wait without replying, the door opens without a sound. Naturally, the person who appeared was Erina-san, probably here to confirm whether I was asleep or not.
The sound of the horse’s footsteps, a horse’s neigh, and a males voice that isn’t Dee’s. Even though there hasn’t been any visitors at all during these past three years, what’s going on? At any rate, is this the reason for Erina-san’s suspicious behavior?
And now, my eyes are naturally drawn towards the lone man who is disembarking from the carriage. He is indeed an ossan with the looks of a noble. He was noble-like, but he is a bit plump and looks unreliable. Also, compared to Dee’s face, his is at a pitiable-level. Around the time a bad feeling starts to form in my mind, the man had stepped into the entranceway.
“Hmph, good grief. For what reason did I have to come to such a remote place?”
I was just in time to hear the start of the conversation.
By some chance……no, let’s concentrate on the pair’s conversation for now.
——— Erina ———
This day had arrived after all.
“Hmph, good grief. For what reason did I have to come to such a remote place?”
For the person who shut us up here to say that, are there perhaps defects in your memory?
“By the way, where has the unsociable man and subhuman gone? Not giving their greetings even though their master has arrived, what’s the meaning of this?”
“Then it’s fine. Since even just seeing their appearance makes me feel disgusted.”
Even though you don’t even want to see them, you insist that they greet you. Are you even aware that you’re contradicting yourself? To make matters worse, you settled on calling beast-kin Noel with the contemptful utterance of ‘subhuman’. As usual, a narrow-minded man, aren’t you.
“Sirius-sama is currently resting. As he has a slight fever, I’ve isolated him.”
I saw him violate ojou-sama in order to satisfy his own personal lust, and he is even insulting Sirius-sama who was born from that.
“……what do you mean?”
“!? C-congratulations.”
No way……this is bad, very bad.
I don’t want to be concerned by this man’s heir nor succession, but as long as Sirius-sama grows up safely, that’s all that matters. That is a promise between ojou-sama and myself. My own wish.
Probably from a stranger’s point of view, that gentleman’s rate of development is surely seen as an abnormality. However, I get happy whenever I see his figure that grows larger with every passing day. Through thick and thin, no matter how limitless his growth continues to be, I want to watch over that gentleman forever.
That’s right, Sirius-sama is two times different to those people over there. 12 years……no, when he’s 10 years old, for sure. What I can do is show them that I’ll do anything.
“That is, a promising future. I’ve also seen various children in my time, but I think that’s a rarely seen development.”
“It’s presumptuous of me, but how is the physical condition of your son doing? I heard rumours of a recent epidemic.”
“Sirius-sama is not sick but just fatigued. But a baby is probably susceptible to an epidemic.”
“……Precisely that.”
The fact is that there is no guarantee that this man’s second son will grow up in good health.
“That girl’s child will? Other than it’s looks, that was a disappointing young girl.”
What do you know about ojou-sama!
Without an outlet, I stifle my anger, and I continued to wear my facade.
“I will definitely educate him to not disobey you. So I beg of you, please support him until he reaches twelve years of age.”
“That’s just…! Won’t he still be a child in five years?”
“……I understand.”
How powerless…….am I?
“Here is the this time’s money. There will be absolutely no amendments, so remember the arrangement.”
I take the money bag tossed onto the table and confirm its contents.
“If that’s the case, wouldn’t it be fine to send a subordinate as a messenger?”
Besides, I know. That you go and mess around with the town’s prostitutes on your way here.
“It’s about time I leave. Properly take care of the that’s education.”
This paradise has…….five years.
Once he wakes up, without knowing that I served him medicine, nor about his father, I wonder if he’ll smile for me? For me, who would be healed by that smile, I’d be both happy and sad.
Ojou-sama, I am…….
——— Sirius ———
The pair’s conversation ends and while I wouldn’t be discovered, I returned to my own room.
The same way that children can’t choose their parents, parents also can’t choose their children. As far as that guy is concerned, I’m not worth worrying about. I don’t believe that we want to meet each other, and it’s fine like that.
I’m a child born from a noble who was ‘messing around’, but considering my father’s behaviour, I think it’s better to not be regarded as a ‘noble’. Incidentally, this safe place also closes in five years. If I practice for another five years, I don’t think that there’ll be any issues with my true strength, but there’ll probably be a large number of problems that will come with my much too young outward appearance.
It’s no good, considering hypothetical is endless. In this situation, let’s think about this simply. There are two things that need to be done.
First, for me to do nothing but train.
The three of them are indubitably my allies. I’d like to know in advance as to what they would do if I was driven out.
I get up from my bed, and while I’m stretching, I notice it.
Since it’s also about time to make arrangements for the evening meal, she should’ve dropped by and shown her face by now. Is she perhaps seized with a guilty conscience and doesn’t want to show her face? If that’s the case, then she’s gotten the wrong idea. I have nothing but gratitude towards Erina-san.
I work myself up with a ‘if she’s feeling down then let’s use all our power to cheer her up!’ and descend down to the first floor.
I immediately found Erina-san.
The figure of her collapsed in the kitchen.