"Could you help me please?"
"Huh?"
I could see an expression of surprise flash in her eyes before going back to normal.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean what I said, I need your help. Be it in training or in manners."
Mamako, who was currently holding a large black book in her office, closed it before looking at me with a serious expression.
"Why now? Why me? I am sure Yuko had proposed to train you when she created the training program for you. Your research should have told you what kind of woman she is."
Indeed, even in this world, black label still existed, though it seemed that only ampoule zero was active. If I wasn't wrong, the members of ampoule 1 should still be middle schoolers like me.
In this world, a system called guild existed. Those guilds reunited same minded people and could have diverse goals. The most popular one being the exploration of dungeons in Yggdrasil or exploring the world.
Between all those guilds, few ones were known to be at another level. Black label was one of those. A mercenary type guild and Yuko, was a famous hunter known as the white Valkyrie.
I had no concrete information about Mamako, and from what I knew in the anime, even though she was extremely overpowered, she wasn't really teacher materials. Rather she was a lucky genius.
But…
"You are now our mother right? Shouldn't I at least ask you first before anyone else?"
Yes, this wasn't some form of manipulation(not fully), Mamako was now my caretaker and officially my mother.
It was one thing to ask someone else to teach him, but the least I could do was to ask for permission first. Otherwise, even if she didn't say anything, I knew it would be hurtful.
+30 affection for recognizing her as a mother and respecting her authority.
…Welp, so it's really a dating Sim game.
Still, seeing her flustered look, it seemed like those words were really what she wanted to hear.
"*Ahem* I see. For your training, I must admit that I am not really suitable as a teacher."
"So aunt Yuko is stronger than you?"
"NO!!!"
Silence settled after her outburst, her face flushed a little as she coughed a little,
"I mean. Yuko is without a doubt a better teacher than me. But in term of pure power I am far superior to her."
"Ohh!"
*Clap* *Clap* *Clap*
"*Ahem* enough playing around. I can't really train you in technique and such, but I can train your mana control if you wish. Like me, you were born with a very high amount of mana. It's necessary for you to have a better control of it. The sooner you learn the better. Otherwise once it grows larger, any control would become close to impossible."
I nodded at her words. One of the things I understood in my world was, when you don't understand, ask those who do. But only ask after trying everything you could by yourself.
"Okay. I will let myself in your care."
The smile she gave me was the first genuine one I got from her since awakening in this world.
----
Three weeks later
What happens when a genius tries to teach you?
The first time she showed me her mana control she told me in those words.
"You feel it in your gut, like a dam, you slowly regulate the flow of water and then you close the dam after leaving a little opening."
Yeah, not really the clearest. Thankfully as I said, I was also a genius. I guess having a perfect body was helpful. Mana control was in no way complicated for me.
I was really embarrassed when I learned that everyone aside from Shuka already knew that I had awakened some abilities.
Though I did not tell them much about my observation skills (I told everything aside from being able to see affection and secrets), the rest of my skills were now known to them.
I still remember how shocked they were when they learned of my skills. Seemed that they were breaking all rules.
During those three weeks, I could say that I was living between heaven and hell.
Heaven because of all the beautiful women who were going around in this house, and hell because I realizing how fucked up this house was.
For my first ability, Mamako decided that since Yuko specialized in swords, she wouldn't be the ideal teacher for me. Still she decided that learning the sword at first wouldn't be bad.
As if it wasn't enough, in order to teach me magic, the one she found was Ram.
Despite having lost her horn, Ram was a true genius in terms of magic. So much that it was scary. She wasn't just a genius in practice like Mamako. Be it practice or theory she was perfect. Well in practice not so much anymore.
So yeah, each day I learned how large this world was and each day I wondered when will the creator of this world stop fucking around.
Those three weeks weren't enough to learn anything particularly new, but it was good enough to place some foundations. What more, everyday, I fought against Rem. Well, fought was a big world. Rather everyday I was trashed like a bitch.
Nothing like being punched around by a little cute girl to understand your place in this world. And god, do those punches hurt.
At least I managed to keep my dignity and didn't cry. I guess years of being under the scalpel used me to pain.
Still, even though it was painful, even though I wanted to cry sometimes, even though I nearly broke down once. I must admit one thing. I was really happy.
The feeling of being able to breath normally. My body slowly becoming stronger and stronger. Being able to use mana, something I could have only dreamed of in my past life.
The first time I casted a spell, I laughed hard in happiness. It was just a basic spell, not even at the elementary rank. Something so weak any young child trained in magic could have been able to cast it.
But for me?
It was the most beautiful thing in the world. Even using my innate abilities didn't give birth to such a feeling. After all those things were gifted to me by Asmodeus and not really things I obtained by myself.
Well, not everything was perfect. I learned that I sucked at elemental magic(for now). Too much mana to have proper control and create a stable matrix.
Now I understood what Naruto must have felt when he was unable to learn the basic bunshin no jutsu and could only use the Kage no bunshin. Though in my situation it was the opposite. I could only learn basic elemental spells. Not even at the elementary rank.
Magic and pretty much all skills were divided as follows.
Elementary
Intermediate
Advanced
Saint
King
Emperor
God
Yeah. Seemed like Mushoku tensei was also part of this world. At least the magic system was. Let's just pray that there is no Hitogami. That Human god was a godly prick. Lol. Yeah not really funny.
Manipulative and insidious Godly being aside, training as a noble was boring as fuck. Walking, talking, eating, even standing or sitting.
I had my commoner way beaten out of me and still had many things to learn. Thankfully I knew enough to not humiliate myself during my party, I Also learned how to dance.
My training wasn't the only thing that progressed. My relationship with the others also did. Rem was still a little distrustful of me, but it seemed that hitting me every few days calmed her suspicion.
I guess it's hard to be wary of someone you can beat with one hand.
Ram and me were now what you could call friends. I didn't feel particularly attracted to her. I was more into Rem(and no, I wasn't a masochist). But it didn't stop me from getting her friendship.
My sister was still a bro con. Her affection has already reached 99. But weirdly, no matter what I did, I could never go reach 100. Seems like I needed to do something really important for it to break.
As for Mamako? Well, I never thought it would be so easy.
Name: Mamako Oosuki
Alias: Hero, Sword Saint, Dual swords demon, Son-con, Never aging, Crazy mother
Race: Human
Affiliation: Herself
Age: 32
Affection: 90
Specialties: Swords, Reinforcement magic.
Abilities: Mother's power *Sealed*
Thought about you: Worried, thankful, family
Minor Secret: She is a glutton
Major Secret: Her son died because of a betrayal from the kingdom
Most guarded secret: She had begun to sprouts feelings for her son before his death.