And there's nothing I can do about that.
I quickly gave up.
"What happened! ?"
Whoa.
At first, it was Paul who rushed in.
And then he stared at the wall with his mouth agape.
Are you alright.....?
"Wai-hey, what the....."
Rudi, are Paul's really a nice guy.
No matter how anyone looked at it, I'm definitely the one who did this.
However, he's worried about my body.
"Monsters... ?"
But in this vicinity?
Even now, he's mumbling stuff like that, while looking around warily.
"Oh my.."
And Zenith followed him into the room.
She was calmer than Father.
After looking at the ruined wall and the puddles of water on the ground, "Oh... ?"
Her eyes sharpened as she stared at the page of the magic textbook where I had left it open.
After looking at me and the book, she crouched down in front of me, and stared at my eyes with a gentle expression.
Scary.
There's no smile in her eyes.
And I continue to focus my faltering eyes on Zenith with all my might.
I learned something when I was a NEET.
When you did something wrong, a stubborn attitude will only make things worse.
Therefore, I can't avoid her eyes.
This is a moment when a sincere attitude is needed.
I can't avert from the person's eyes, and I have to meet them face on.
This alone will make me look more sincere.
It doesn't matter what one thinks.
The main aim is to appear sincere.
"Rudi, did you read out loud what is written on this book?"
"I'm sorry."
I nodded, and apologized.
When something wrong was done, it's best to simply apologize.
After all, only I, nobody else, could have done this.
If I'm to come up with a shoddy lie, my trustworthiness will decrease.
I lied as much as I wanted in the past, and became untrustworthy as a result.
I will not make the same mistake again.
"No, wait, this is an intermediate."
"Kyaa! Did you hear that, darling!?"
"Our child's a genius after all!!"
Paul's words were overpowered by Zenith's scream.
She grabbed Paul's hands and jumped around in exhilaration.
How energetic.
Was my apology ignored?
"No, you, erm, I haven't taught him any words anyway!"
"Let's hire a home tutor right now!!"
"This child will become a remarkable magician in the future!!"
Paul was still perturbed, while Zenith was completely delighted.
It looks like Zenith's exuberant over the fact that I used magic.
And maybe I was worrying too much, thinking that children shouldn't be using magic.
Lilia remained calm as she quietly cleaned the room.
This maid probably knew that I was using magic for quite some time, or she already had a feeling that I was somehow doing it.
Perhaps she didn't think it was a bad thing, so she didn't take it to heart.
Or maybe she just wanted to see the happy faces of my parents.
"Hey dear, go out to Roa tomorrow and put up a job request!!"
"This talent must be properly trained!!"
Zenith was getting excited by herself, making a ruckus about genius, talent.
Am I considered a genius for being able to suddenly cast magic?
Is it my parents' doting on me too much?
Or that using intermediate magic spells is considered amazing?
I'm unable to tell.
No, perhaps it's really my parents doting on me.
I never used magic in front of Zenith before, I guess it's true.
But since she did say those words, maybe she already thought I was a genius.
It's baseless...
Ah, no.
I suddenly remembered.
Because I was always alone.
When I was reading, I would occasionally read or repeat phrases that I liked.
And ever since I came to this world, I would mumble to myself while reading books.
At first it was Japanese, but after I learned how to talk, I would subconsciously use this world's language.
And then, when I mumbled to myself, 'Rudi, that is--"
Zenith would teach me the meanings of those words.
Because of that, I remembered quite a lot about the fixed terms of this world.
Well, never mind about that.
I never said anything to anyone, but I learned the letters of this world by myself.
My parents didn't even teach me how to talk.
From my parents' viewpoint, it would seem that "Our child can read words we never taught him, and read out loud the contents of a book.
That's definitely a genius.
If it's my child, I'll also think that he's a genius.
In the past, the same thing happened when my younger brother was born.
He grew up fast, and did everything faster than me and my older brother.
Saying words out, walking on his own feet...
My parents were also optimistic; whenever their kids did something, even if it's nothing too big, they'll go 'That kid's definitely a genius'.
Well, I'm a damned NEET who dropped out in High School, and my mental age is more than 30 years old.
Without that much experience, I'll be a miserable wretch.
That's 10 times!
10 times!
"Darling, get a tutor!!"
"We'll definitely find a good magic teacher in Roa!!"
And then, when they find someone with talent, the one thing all parents would do would be to get the best education for him.
In my previous life, my parents praised my younger brother's talent, and let him learn all kinds of things.
And so, Zenith suggested to hire a magician to be the home tutor.
But Paul objected to this idea.
"Wait, didn't we decide that if he's a boy, we'll make him a swordsman instead?"
"If it's a guy, he'll take up a sword.
If it's a girl, she'll learn magic.
It seemed that was decided before I was born.
"But he can activate intermediate spells at this age!!"
"If he starts training now, he will become an amazing magician!!"
"But a promise is a promise, right!?"
"What promise!?"
"Don't you always break your promises!?"
"My matters have nothing to do with this now, right!?"
And so, a couple's quarrel began at that moment.
Lilia calmly cleaned up the room.
"Let him learn magic in the morning, and learn swordsmanship in the afternoon.
Isn't that fine?"
After the quarrel persisted for a while, Lilia finished up her cleaning, sighed, and suggested that, ending the argument.