Translator: Nox

Chapter 9

9

Chapter 2. Experienced Hire (4)

“I was just going to show you something simple, but I’ve made a big deal out of it…”

Mother grumbled softly. However, she didn’t seem particularly burdened; rather, she seemed excited. Dad leaned down and whispered to me,

“She’s just saying that, Shana. Don’t believe her. She’s actually the most excited.”

It looks like it….

She had a face that was contemplating what to show me that I would like the most.

“Kyle, don’t monopolize Shana too much. Let me see her.”

“Alright. We’re all looking at you. Come on, Shana. You have to cheer for Mom.”

“Mom, fighting!”

“What’s ‘fighting’?”

“Uh, fwa…”

The pronunciation got even worse. I tried to roll my half-cut tongue as much as possible.

“Fwa-ting!”

This isn’t going to work.

“Do your best!”

“Okay, Shana! Mom will do her best!”

Lloyd muttered quietly, “At this rate, a part of the mansion might be blown away.” Dad chuckled softly and said,

“Anais knows that, so she’s put up a shield to protect Shana from getting caught in the crossfire if she gets too excited.”

“I guess settling down here was the right choice.”

“Everyone else has been evacuated, right?”

…Did I hear that wrong? Evacuated?

“Don’t worry. Not even a rat can get near the Training ground.”

“Good job.”

I didn’t mishear. I turned to look at Dad in surprise. Dad smiled kindly when he met my eyes.

“Don’t worry, Shana. We’re safe.”

“…Dad, is Mom… a sca, scary person?”

“Of course not.”

Lloyd’s expression was unusual. Dad didn’t say anything after ‘of course not.’ Does that mean she is, or isn’t?

“I can’t just do a half-assed job with Shana watching. Watch closely, Shana! Your mom, believe it or not, graduated at the top of her class from the Academy’s magic department! First, Hell Fi-“

“Anais, the smoke isn’t good for Shana’s respiratory system.”

“Oh, right.”

I didn’t mishear, did I? She was about to say Hellfire, right?

‘Hellfire? She was going to summon Hellfire, just now?’

There are some spells that, even if you don’t see them, you can roughly imagine just from the name, right? I couldn’t hide my anxiety and stared at Mother. Mother smiled brightly, as if she liked me staring blankly at her.

It was just a kind smile, but somehow it sent shivers down my spine.

“Hellfire is out, and Meteor is too dangerous. Large-scale attack magic is my specialty…”

“Want to target Sir Lloyd here?”

“…It’s alright. I don’t want to show Shana anything too violent.”

“Then pick something appropriate.”

“This is easy, though… Light!”

As Mother flicked her fingers, dozens of orbs of light were born in the air. The small lights, like fireflies, emitted a clear and beautiful light, unlike my Healing Clay.

Healing Clay is usually like a slime with less glitter.

“Wow, waah! Waaah!”

I clapped my hands until they hurt. Mother seemed very happy about that.

“Ah, is that all it takes? Shana, Mom wanted to show you something more amazing! Like an attack spell that combines Fireball and Lightning Thunder.”

“No, it’s cool! Mom’s cool! Amazing!”

Who are you going to use that on? This is enough.

I wanted to give her a standing ovation, but I was quietly held in Dad’s arms.

“Ahem, ahem. That’s nice to hear. Say more.”

“Cool! Good! Shana wants to do it too!”

For the sake of my goal, I could use the third person as much as needed.

“Shana wants to learn! Wants to do it! Magic! Pretty!”

“Uuuuhm.”

“Light! Poof! Paaaah!”

“Ahaha, what is that, so cute!”

“Shana wants to do it!”

I could feel Dad laughing behind me. When I glanced back, Dad was covering his mouth with his hand and his shoulders were shaking slightly. Was I too excited? I was a little embarrassed, but that wasn’t important right now.

Mother approached and knelt down to meet my eye level.

“I’m sorry, Shana. Shana can’t learn it.”

“Eh, why! Want to!”

“How should I explain this? Look, Shana. To use magic, you need something called Mana like this…”

Isn’t that ‘ki’?

“Shana doesn’t have enough Mana to use magic.”

“No! Can do!”

“I’m sorry, Shana. I want to give Shana everything she wants, but this is impossible…”

“But…”

“If you learned, you might be able to make just this one Light.”

“Want to!”

“If Shana works hard… for about 10 years?”

“……”

“10 years is about…”

“……It’s okay….”

“Ah, Shana…”

Mother and Dad looked at me anxiously, not knowing what to do. Lloyd also looked uncomfortable.

However, I was immediately disappointed beyond words.

I was born into a world where I could use magic, but I couldn’t learn it. I was so disappointed that I couldn’t control my expression, even though I knew I was making my parents and Lloyd worry unnecessarily.

“No Mana, no magic…?”

“U, uh…”

“Nothing else….”

“Well, spiritism requires affinity, but you need Mana for basic summoning…”

There are spirits too… But I can’t use them…

“U, ugh…”

Just as a healthy spirit dwells in a healthy body, I, with the spirit of a baby in a baby’s body, bit my lip, unable to do anything about my nose that was starting to tingle.

“Waa, waaa! Sha, Shana! Look here! Kyle, what are you doing, where’s Shana’s toy…!”

“I wouldn’t have brought it out! Shana, a, are you crying? Crying…”

“Uuu, hiing…”

“Waaa! Waaack, Sha, Shana, look here! It’s an ogre! Sir Lloyd, do something, imitate it quickly!”

Lloyd, flustered, didn’t know what to do, but at Dad’s roar, he unknowingly made a sound like a gorilla and beat his chest.

“Sir Lloyd, that’s a gorilla. It’s not a Shifter, what is that?”

“I, I was suddenly told to imitate a Monster…”

“We have to make Shana happy somehow…”

Lloyd’s face, which was making sounds like ‘Uo, ooo,’ turned bright red. It was so funny that the tears that were about to burst out of disappointment disappeared.

“Sha, Shana, don’t cry. I’ll try to find a way for Shana to use magic, okay?”

“That’s right, Shana. With money and power, everything in the world can be solved somehow, so if we buy high-performance artifacts, it’ll be similar to the feeling of using magic!”

I looked back and forth between my parents, who were fidgeting, afraid that I would burst into tears, and Lloyd, who was standing awkwardly and making monster imitations.

“Shana?”

“Shana…”

My real parents… were the perfect people to spoil a child.

You shouldn’t fuss over a baby who looks like they’re about to cry and give them everything they want. It’ll only make them spoiled. You’ll end up creating a child who lies down in the store and demands toys.

Ah, I want to nag.

“It’s okay….”

But since whatever I say with this clumsy tongue will be conveyed awkwardly, I decided not to cry for the sake of the adults’ sincerity. I know very well in my head that crying won’t solve anything, but sometimes my body doesn’t follow.

However, as my emotions calmed down, I felt like laughing now.

“Mis-ter, fun-ny.”

“Heh, heh…. It’s embarrassing, but there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for Shana-nim.”

“Where did you throw away your knightly honor?”

“Are you pretending not to know when Your Excellency ordered me to do it? And adults are originally supposed to become ridiculous in front of babies. Just like how Your Excellency is making voices he’s never made before.”

Dad coughed awkwardly. He seemed to be reminded of his own appearance when he lost his composure and shouted.

As I seemed to have calmed down, Mother said with a sigh of relief,

“You know how to hold back without crying, our Shana is so admirable. So wonderful.”

“Wonde-ful! Held it in! I’m all grown up!”

I’m really all grown up… You might not believe it…

“Mom will show our wonderful daughter something cool.”

“Magic?”

“Oh, is it okay to show you magic? Won’t Shana be disappointed?”

“Don’t like not do-ing….”

I can use Healing Clay too, so what. Even if it’s disappointing, it’s bearable if I think about it. I should be satisfied with watching. When I think about it, what would I use fire, water, and lightning for?

“Mom’s do-ing is cool! Good!”

“Shana… how can you be so mature already… No, don’t grow up yet…”

“Show me fire pwaaah!”

“Okay, if Shana wants to see it, I have to show it to her! Wall of Flames!”

Following Mother’s excited gesture, crimson flames soared high. The Wall of Flames, which surrounded the wide Training ground, was like a banner made of fire. Wow, wow, wow!

“Kyaa! Kya! Coo-“

“Ah, it’s hot!”

“Hot?”

It was a child’s voice. Uh oh.