The shadow hummed a strange sound, and I felt its gaze pierce through my body, sending a deep chill within. It stared at me for a moment before drifting upward toward the ceiling.
Within moments, it completely disappeared, passing through the ceiling.
What the hell was that sudden shift? What was that black shadow? Isn't my mother supposed to be an ordinary human? She's usually calm and cheerful, but now she's completely different!
Her eyes were vacant, her brows furrowed into a sharp frown, and her grip on my hand tightened.
My mother began murmuring some strange words.
"…Kazahara… I will never forgive you…"
"Wait! This language…!" It was a language I could never forget.
Isn't this… Japanese? A Japanese name and now these words… I knew something was off!
But that doesn't matter now as much as the fact that my hand is about to break! This hurts like hell—Mother, you're crushing my hand with your grip!
As soon as she uttered those words, my mother collapsed. I quickly threw myself to the ground, managing to catch her before she hit the floor.
"Just in time." I sighed in relief, having caught her before she fell.
Sitting on the ground, I rested her on my lap, as my size wasn't enough to carry her fully.
"But this hurts…" My arm throbbed as if it had a heartbeat. Damn it! This is excruciating!
My wrist was turning a shade between purple and green. The bone wasn't broken, but I ended up with a significant bruise.
Kazahara, I won't forgive you, huh? Hmm, my earlier theory wasn't wrong. It seems Mother does have memory loss.
I only suspected it as a possibility before, but now it seems I've confirmed it.
I looked at my sleeping mother, feeling a bit uneasy. This woman told me she was an ordinary human, yet she just used that black energy in front of me! Don't tell me this world has two energy systems, right? Because I can't sense any mana coming from her, and I can confirm that this black energy isn't mana (because it's not familiar).
How do I call someone now? I can't leave Mother here alone after all.
"Woosh!"
Just as I was thinking of a solution, I saw a faint golden glow at the far end of the corridor. When I blinked and opened my eyes again, Verdi was standing in front of me.
I was stunned.
Did he just cross more than ten meters in less than a second? That's not logical at all.
"Arai, what happened just now?" he asked with concern.
I gathered myself and truthfully told him everything that had happened, except for the part about her speaking Japanese and the black shadow.
After all, I couldn't explain why I understood the language, and this might turn out to be a bad thing.
Hiding things was sometimes the smart move. I'd tell them in the future if necessary.
After hearing what I said, Verdi fell silent for a while. He looked shocked, confused, and perplexed.
Hmm, it seems he doesn't understand what's wrong with her either.
Without giving me another glance, he picked my mother up onto his shoulder and disappeared in another flash of light.
"Father! Wait…!"
This man was so focused on the situation that he didn't even notice the bruise on my hand!
How could you leave a 2.5-year-old kid alone at such a time? Back, please.
Everything that had just happened was strange. Does my mother have some sort of problem?
I've noticed this for some time, her behavior has been odd. Always distracted, often asleep. Despite hearing she's weak-bodied, I don't believe it.
First, my mother managed to give birth to two children, me and Mizuki.
Second, the strength she used in her grip earlier nearly broke my arm.
Could someone weak-bodied possibly do that? I don't think so; it's impossible.
Something is wrong with Mother.
What is it? Even Verdi himself doesn't seem to know the reason. I have a bad feeling about the future. I just hope she'll be safe.
I pushed these thoughts aside and continued on my way to the library.
But first, I needed to do something about my hand! It hurt so much that I felt like crying.
No, I am crying.
Verdi's Perspective
Having a family is a challenging responsibility, much more exhausting than I had imagined. But as a man, it's something I must bear and fulfill.
I was born into the estate and lived the life of a pampered noble. If I wanted something, all I had to do was ask, and many would prepare it for me willingly. No one dared to disobey or reject me, and I lived in luxury.
In return, I had to uphold the family's responsibilities and ensure its name was never tarnished.
Over time, I grew tired of that way of living. When I learned I was betrothed to a girl I didn't even know, I decided to run away. To hell with nobility! I was fifteen at the time, and I thought I could live on my own.
Or so I naively believed.
I can't even recall what I was thinking back then, but…tsk, I must have been full of myself.
I was like a prince fallen from grace, dirtied in the mud.
Luckily, I was a mid-second-tier mage at that time, or I don't know what corner of the world I would've died in.
I lived as an adventurer for a long time - ten years, maybe more.
At first, life was extremely tough for a pampered noble-turned-vagabond. I had no servants to care for me, no proper meals, not even shelter; I was truly spoiled. There were times when I couldn't even find food for days.
But that rugged life as an adventurer and mercenary made me a man.
I saw so much and broadened my horizons. I experienced a lot and was no longer that pampered noble.
When the old man died, the news snapped me back to my senses and made me realize the importance of responsibility. Without anyone prompting me, I returned swiftly to take up the family's duties after my long absence.
Shortly after my return, I married Kuyomi, and we had Mizuki.
It was my wife who suggested her name. I didn't know its meaning or even what language it came from, but somehow, it felt fitting.
Mizuki behaved childishly, much like any other child. She loved games and always acted her age.
This didn't worry me because she was perfectly normal. I didn't know what normal children's behavior was since I'd never seen or raised a child. Watching Mizuki laugh and smile happily was enough to bring a smile to my face.
Unfortunately, I couldn't spend much time with her, being preoccupied with the duchy's affairs. So much work had piled up during my absence, and the old man hadn't bothered to handle any of it—his way of punishing me, perhaps.
Maybe she doesn't see me as a good father because of that.
The responsibilities are exhausting, you must be a good father and an ideal noble simultaneously.
Most nobles I know have forsaken the "good father" part and kept only the "ideal noble" aspect.
But I won't do that.
Nobility is nonsense! They're just a bunch of spoiled brats relying on their ancestors' achievements, having never seen blood or the world. Seeing them disgusts me, and it's even more revolting that I have to humor them in their nonsense.
Nobles care about only one thing: the continuity of their lineage.
Their mindset is as follows:
"Your lineage is good; you're my family."Your lineage is garbage; get out of my sight!"
Yes, being born a noble is a source of pride, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't have your character.
Anyway, Arai was born later.
He was our second child, but he died immediately after birth!
At that moment, I panicked and didn't know what to do.
A whirlpool of grim emotions flooded my mind, and I had no idea what the right course of action was. Not even when I was in the dungeon of the Smiling Beast years ago had I felt such terror.
Kuyomi was in a much worse state than me, but she didn't faint. She cried but remained calm…as always.
But then…a miracle happened.
He came back to life! I didn't understand how this miracle occurred, but oh, dear heavens, I didn't care about the how or why. His survival was enough for me.
Arai…this child…he's so peculiar.
Instead of playing, he loves reading books. Even when Mizuki plays with him, he just watches her. I once tried to make him laugh by pulling silly faces.
The result? He gave me a look as if I were a fool.
Or maybe I was imagining it, but it genuinely felt like he was judging me.
Instead of behaving like a child and laughing, he's strangely quiet.
"Is he even a child?"
That question crosses my mind sometimes. When I look into his eyes, all I see is raw curiosity and indifference, as if nothing truly matters to him. He watches us from a distance, interacts only minimally, and speaks only when someone prompts him to.
Like an observer.
The most shocking thing I've seen from him was his attempt to use magic.
Good heavens! A child of two and a half years trying to cast magic!
It's something I've never heard of, even during my time in the Western Continent. I was speechless when I found out. It gave me a sense of unease.
I stopped him immediately!