Year 20xx, 1st of August.
A full month has passed ever since Shin buried himself into a pile of books. He never stopped reading books ever since, as he goes back and forth from the library to return books, only to come back with almost double the amount of books that he returned.
Despite his personality of being a clean freak, Shin's room is now full of papers with some weird designs and intricate details written on it. These papers were some of the designs that are written on the books he read. He copied it so that he will have some reference as to how professionals make their designs.
Ever since the day he started learning more knowledge about MagiTech, Shin's progress in it has been nothing but astonishing. If in the past month, Shin totally have no knowledge about MagiTech, he's now at the beginner stages of learning how to build stuffs using technology and magic.
However, Shin didn't just focus completely in learning things about MagiTech. He never forgot to visit his system to get his daily log-in bonus even once. He would also go inside his realm everyday to continue tempering his body and refreshing his knowledge about the techniques that he learned.
Of course, Shin also spent most of his time inside the realm to meditate and gather mana. He already consolidated his Perfect Lightning Elemental Bead before leaving the ninja village so after he cane back to Heaven, he focused on creating his third tail. By the end of this month, Shin will be able to make his third tail.
"Uhmm... Is it supposed to be here? No, it should be here, right? Wait... Why does it feel like the circuit I'm drawing is wrong?" Shin said.
Right now, he is in the middle of drawing another design. This time, it was a circuit board that is installed on a cellular device to make it work. In particular, this is the most basic circuit board of a mobile phone that the Angels used on their low end products. This circuit board contains some magical circuits that conducts mana so that it could function even without charging it.
Even though it's the very basic model, Shin is struggling to understand some of the information written in it. Even with his smarts, it is still an undeniable fact that hard work and experience is still needed in order to master a specific craft. Even if he can understand it faster than anyone, he lacks the experience and hands on knowledge to make a headway in this particular craft.
"Mmm, I think it's time to do some experiments. I can't progress like this. I need some hands on experience," Shin murmured while looking at the paper on the table.
He had been trying to complete this basic circuit board but he just can't seem to perfect it. The book did say that theoretical knowledge will get anyone nowhere as, in the end, it's just theoretical knowledge. To learn this craft, or any other craft for that matter, you need to experience the real thing.
"There's just one problem. Although I do have enough money to fund my research for a while, I can't just make a research base here without my parent's approval. And, I won't be able to explain where my money came from if I just nonchalantly blurted out that I have the money to make a research lab for myself," Shin murmured.
『You can always go to the Shiraha House and ask Raphiel's mother to help you with publishing your manga or publishing some kind of song, right? That way, your parents wouldn't suspect you if you were to say that you have a lot of money on hand,』 Yuki suggested.
Well, what she's saying is indeed right. Shin can just go to the Shiraha house and ask Anne Ainsworth Shiraha to help him with the publishing and patenting of his works. Even though he would need to share some of his earnings to the Shiraha house, he can't possibly publish it himself. Besides, Shiraha Family is really close to their family so it's really not a problem for Shin if he were to share a percentage of his earnings to the Shiraha house.
Aside from that, Anne Ainsworth Shiraha is a well-known business woman in all of First Heaven. She is an extremely great investor and she's said to be also good at negotiating. Maybe, if Shin were to make her read his manga, he will be able to get a good contract. 30,000-40,000 ria per pages in his manga would net him a good sum of money. There's also the royalty payments that he will receive from publishing his book.
『Even though it looks profitable, it's not as simple as it sounds. You don't need assistants so paying them is out of the question and as for having an editor, I think Anne Ainsworth Shiraha wouldn't agree on that if it isn't an Angel. After all, normal people can't enter Heaven and you can't always go down from Heaven to talk to them,』 Yuki said.
『You seem like you're someone knowledgeable about these subjects. I thought you never bothered learning the things that humans do?』 Shin asked out of curiosity.
He didn't expect this Dragon God-sama to learn about some 'trivial' things like royalty payments and other things. She also seems to know about how contracts for mangakas work so he's quite curious as to where she learned about all this. He learned all the knowledge he knew about how mangakas earn from Yuki, too.
『Hmph, who do you think I am? I was just curious about how the mangakas of my favo... e-hem, how the mangakas earn so I researched and reach some articles in mother's phone,』 Yuki said.
『Heee~. So mom lent you her phone. Well, she doesn't use it that much so I guess she was okay with it breaking,』 Shin commented.
『W-Well, I did break about 6 mobile phones by now,』 Yuki said, sounding a bit embarrassed.
However, her embarrassment was hidden due to her normally monotonous tone.
『Eh? You broke that many already? Well, considering your power, I'm actually more surprised that you broke too little of them,』 Shin said.
『Hey! My control over my power is improving by the day, you know!?』 Yuki shouted.
『Yes, yes. I know. Yuki is a hardworking girl so I know that she improves everyday,』 Shin said, mainly to try and pacify the agitated Dragon God.
『Hmpf! It's good that you understand,』 Yuki said.
Some might be wondering why Yuki is calling Murielle as mother. Well, somehow, Murielle managed to convince this haughty Dragon God to call her mother. Even though Murielle is quite powerful, Yuki is much more powerful than her. So, he asked his mother how she did it.
When he did ask her, all she said was,
"Ara? Yuki-chan is such a good girl so mother just asked her to call her that from now on. And besides... Fufufufu."
While looking at Shin with a warm smile, Murielle no longer continued her words. Shin was quite puzzled by this so he tried to ask her for more information but was savagely denied by her while smiling in a motherly way at him. Feeling defeated, Shin no longer asked her about it. Since then, Yuki has been addressing Murielle as 'mother'.
"I guess I'm gonna first ask Mom and Dad if I could somehow build a research lab here," Shin said while arranging the papers that was strewn all over his room.
He first needs to clean this up before he leaves his room to look for his parents.
◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆
"Phew, I think that should do it. Ugh, there's a lot of paper that I needed to clean. Well, it's not like I can complain. It's my fault, anyway," Shin murmured.
After dusting his hands off, Shin went towards the kitchen's sink and washed his hands. Then, he went outside to find his mother, Murielle. However, on his way outside, he encountered a wild little girl that appeared out of his field of vision.
"Onii-tama! Han found you~!" Haniel said while clinging on his waist.
She isn't with Lilian today as Lilian is currently resting inside the realm. It seems like she is quite tired from running around all day yesterday that she spent a lot of her energy.
Shin just smiled at his little sister's antics and picked her up, intending to carry her in his arms. After fixing her posture and making herself comfortable, Haniel excitedly asked him about where he will be going.
"Onii-tama, Onii-tama! Whewe will Onii-tama go? Can Han go with you? Pleeeaaaasseee~?" Haniel said while giving him the deadly upturned eyes attack.
It didn't even took a second before Shin said,
"Of course Onii-sama will take Haniel-chan with him. How can Onii-sama leave his cute baby sister?" Shin said after lightly pecking on Haniel's cheeks.
Even though Haniel would sometimes come inside his room, he would rarely entertain her by playing so she would just end up jumping and rolling around on his bed while he would occasionally talk with her. He would sometimes cuddle with her to relax but that didn't happen as often as before.
Shin already saw the bad effects of his pampering and he is now being careful not to overdo it again. Thus, he tried to - as much as possible - minimize his pampering sessions. Surprisingly or unsurprisingly, the girls didn't complain about it.
In fact, it looks like they were happier than normal when he's pampering them these days. It's probably because it doesn't happen as often as before or it's also probably just his imagination.
"Yayy! Then, then, whewe will Han and Onii-tama go!?" Haniel asked energetically.
"We will go find Mom. Onii-sama wanted to ask something to Mom," Shin replied.
"Okay! Then, go Onii-tama! Take Han to mother~!" Haniel said, pretending to look smug while pointing her index finger forward.
"Hahaha, okay okay. Onii-sama will bring pilot Haniel for a ride!" Shin said while running off.
"Kyaaaa! Hahahah! Faster! Run faster, Onii-tama!" Haniel shouted merrily.
The both of them - with Shin carrying Haniel - ran around their house while looking for Murielle. Shin already knew where Murielle is but he deliberately avoided that place until they completely made a full tour around their relatively humble abode.
As their last stop, Shin ran towards the back of their house. There, Shin and Haniel saw their mother planting some vegetables on the ground. Around her, there are some Pastel Rabbits with different colors who are hopping from one place to another. When the rabbits perceived the pair's arrival, instead of running away from them, the rabbits ran towards them and began to frolic below Shin's feet.
"Uwaaaa! So many usagi-chans! Onii-tama! Let Han go down! Han will play with the usagi-chans!" Haniel said.
"Alright. Here," Shin said before letting her down.
"Come here usagi-chans~. Han will play with you~," Haniel said after crouching down.
Seeing that Haniel is already busy playing with the rabbits, Shin approached his mother and said,
"Mom, I have something to ask you."
"Hmm? What is it, my dear? Is it something about your studies?" Murielle asked after stopping her actions and looking at Shin.
"Yes. want to ask for your permission. I want to have a research laboratory like Tap-chan's where I can apply those theories that I learned from those books I've read," Shin replied.
"Fufufu. I and your father actually thought that it's about time you will ask us about something like this. We already asked a friend of ours to build you your own research lab under our house. I think it will be built by tomorrow," Murielle said nonchalantly with a smile on her face.
Due to how nonchalant she sounded when Murielle said it, it took Shin some time before he can process what his mother just said.
"Eh? You already predicted that this would happen? But then, where will you get the money for making a research lab?" Shin asked.
"Fufufu, me and your father have a big salary, you know? Michael-sama is paying us just for staying in First Heaven. Mother doesn't even know where to put the money we have now, you know? I asked your father about it, too, but even him don't have an idea on how we can use that much money," Murielle said.
"Huh?" Shin said.
This is the very first time he's hearing about this. Well, he did know that his father and mother is strong. He does. However, this is the first time he ever heard that his parents have too much money that they didn't even know where to spend it all.
"Ah! So, Mama weally knows who is the wichest family in Heaven!?" Haniel interjected.
She has been very curious about this subject ever since she asked her mother about it in the past. Even now, she still remember that her mother told her that it was a secret.
"Fufufu, I wonder~. Han-chan can guess, you know?" Murielle teased.
"Uuuu... Mama is so unfaiw!" Haniel complained.
'The richest family... huh?' Shin thought to himself.
Upon hearing Haniel's and Murielle's conversation, Shin had an inkling that he pretty much knew the answer to that question.
◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆
A few days later, an Angel wearing what seems to be an overall came to their house. He said that he is the one who was tasked to build the research lab of Shin so Murielle, Shin, and Haniel gathered around to talk to him. Daniel and Zelel already left to do their jobs while Gabrielle have school today.
After talking to him for a few minutes and finalizing the most intricate details about the research lab, the man left. When he came back after a few minutes, he is followed by a dozen of people carrying some materials.
Knowing that it would be a bad idea to disturb them in their work, Shin, Murielle, and Haniel went outside to go to the market. They have nothing to do in their house so they might as well go shopping.
While on the market, Murielle kept on dumping loads of items on their basket. The items weren't paid yet so Shin still can't put it inside his inventory. Because of this, Shin had to run all over the place to pay for the items using his mother's black card and putting those paid items inside his inventory. He had to repeat this multiple times, leaving him breathless by the end of the day.
On their way home, Murielle said,
"Fufufu, this was a very fruitful day. Next time, let's go to the department store so that we have a larger selection of items."
Upon hearing her words, Shin almost fainted.
'Girls and shopping... They are a dangerous pair, aren't they?' Shin thought.
◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆
A/N:
• More Slice of Life and time skips. We will be doing more of this until Shin reaches 14 or so years old. There will be some chapters where there's a lot more months that would be skipped, though.
• Now, it is somehow revealed who the richest family in First Heaven is. They're the most low profile rich family if there is one.
• If you want to know how I computed the amount of mana he gathered, then you can multiply 6,000,000(The strands of fur that Shin can fill up every month.) by 7(The number of months he stayed inside the ninja village. From first week of October to the first week of May). The product will then be divided by 10,000,000. (6M×7=42M). (42M÷10M=4.2).
• Shin needed 40M to create a Perfect Elemental Bead. Oh, and, the same formula wouldn't be used once he started to do his research.