By Zephyria 
Several days passed like that, and the sun of June set.
July arrived with a slightly hotter sun.
With only about five days left until July 13, the day set for the start of the camp… I finished preparing to return to the Valentasia family’s mansion for the first time in a long time today. Since the camp was quite a long time, about three weeks, the period from today until the start of the camp was treated as a holiday, so I decided to go back this time because I was being criticized by the family of this body for not showing my face.
During this holiday period, most of the students returned to their families, and I was in a situation where I had to go back because the family of this body was complaining that I should show my face.
Using the School Transportation Portal, I arrived in front of the mansion in an instant. I quickly looked around the area. I had arrived properly.
‘It’s certainly convenient.’
When returning, I could use the Return Magic that came with the location record and Transportation Portal registered on my student ID.
After putting my student ID in my pocket, I knocked on the front gate, and the head butler, who had been waiting, confirmed that it was me and opened the gate. I followed the head butler and looked around the front yard of the mansion as I walked along the path leading from the gate to the mansion.
The gorgeous and delicate embroidered flower beds were symmetrical on both sides. The scent of freshly cut grass and the faint scent of flowers mixed with the evening breeze brushed my nose. I closed my eyes at the light breeze that tickled my cheeks.
I don’t know how many months it had been since I left the school.
But since it was a place I had stayed for several months after becoming this body, I felt familiar and nostalgic after a long time.
“Young Master. You seem to have grown a lot in the meantime.”
It was then. The head butler, who had been walking ahead, spoke to me in a friendly manner.
I quietly looked at the head butler.
He was an elderly man with gray hair. His deep eyes, which made me feel the passage of time, had a soft charisma that made him seem approachable.
He seemed to have a close relationship with this body, and he took care of me like a blood-related family member when I stayed at the mansion for a while. Of course, it wasn’t just me. The head butler took care of this body’s brothers like his own flesh and blood.
When I was Mephisto, I was abandoned as soon as I was born, so I didn’t know much about the concept of family, but if I had a grandfather, I would have felt like this.
“I have grown remarkably compared to before.”
I said, nodding my head.
A few days ago, I had finally achieved the 4-Star level. This meant that I had stored nearly 2-Star worth of Mana since leaving the school, so the expression ‘remarkable’ was appropriate.
“Yes. You seem to have grown taller too.”
“…I don’t know about that.”
“Hehe. Trust my eyes.”
The head butler smiled, wrinkling his eyes. It was a smile with a kind color. However, it was just an uncomfortable smile for me.
When I turned my head without answering further, the head butler guided me to the mansion and didn’t bother me anymore.
Before long, the head butler, who had reached the front of the mansion, opened the front door and stepped aside so that I could enter. When I entered the lobby, I first heard the voice of Luciel, this body’s mother.
“Ray! Welcome!”
She seemed to have come out to greet me after my call. Behind Luciel, who was running towards me in one step, I could see the figures of this body’s brothers and father, Maximun.
“My son, your mother missed you so much.”
Luciel hugged me and whispered affectionate words. The temperature of her hand, which gently stroked my hair, was as warm as the dazzling sunlight of a clear spring.
“Hey. Isn’t it too long since we’ve seen you?”
“How could you not show your face even once in the meantime?”
Behind her, this body’s brothers threw out complaints one by one. The tone seemed to be criticizing, but the voices and expressions were not, so it seemed that they were not really angry.
They were probably showing their disappointment.
“Have you eaten?”
I turned my head at the following voice. The dignified figure of the person looking at me kindly at the very back was standing. It was Maximun, this body’s father.
When I shook my head, he turned towards the dining room and continued.
“It’s dinner time, so I’ll have them prepare it. Wash up and come to the dining room. Let’s have a conversation while filling our stomachs.”
“Yay! I’m so hungry, I feel like I’m going to collapse soon.”
“Oh, Dad. By the way, did you ask the chef to prepare Ray’s favorite dishes?”
“Of course.”
This body’s family members chattered among themselves and followed Maximun, who was leading the way, to the dining room one by one.
I briefly followed their footsteps with my eyes, sighed softly, and went up the stairs to Raymond’s room. When I opened the door, a gentle breeze that had come through the open window touched my cheek.
It was a room that was always cleaned even when it wasn’t used, so there wasn’t a speck of dust.
After quickly looking around the room, I roughly took off the Hyperspace pocket and coat that were hanging on my waist and threw them on the bed. I only washed my hands and went down to the dining room. Passing through the arched entrance with luxurious gold decorations, I could see the servants busily moving and carrying food from the kitchen.
“Ah. He’s here, he’s here.”
“Ray! Sit here.”
When I approached the table, my brothers, who were sitting facing each other, discovered me and gestured. When I headed towards Esili, who was patting the empty seat next to her, Leshnold, who was across from her, leaned forward and spoke to me.
“Wow. You look much better than the last time I saw you?”
“Why are you suddenly like this? Your tone is like an old man.”
“Huh? Shouldn’t you be saying that?”
What’s wrong with my tone?
Even so, everyone liked that I had the dignity of someone sitting on top of other beings in my tone. It was different from the old man’s tone, which had no weight at all, as if he was being spiteful.
Those who stand above others should not be frivolous in their demeanor or tone.
That way, they couldn’t be a role model.
It was the same reason why human nobles used vocabulary and tones that matched their position and learned etiquette as nobles.
Around that time, the servants who had been serving food stepped back. It meant that all the food from the kitchen had come out.
Maximun, who was sitting in the center seat, looked around at us once, closed his eyes, and put his hands together. Luciel, who was sitting next to Leshnold, followed suit, and Esili and Leshnold, who had been chattering, quickly followed.
They were offering a prayer to the God of Earth before the meal.
“Oh God of Earth, who has planted abundance in this land, we pray that you will bestow blessings upon us and grant us rest. Amen.”
The others answered with Amen, following Maximun’s conclusion. No one blamed me for not following along.
Well. It would be more accurate to say that they couldn’t see because everyone had their eyes closed.
A moment later, Maximun opened his eyes and released his clasped hands, smiled softly, turned to me, and said.
“Now, Ray. I’ve prepared things that you like, so eat as much as you want.”
At that, my brothers also picked up forks and knives and began to take as much meat as they wanted to their plates. Just as Luciel added that I should eat well, I slowly picked up the cutlery. Maximun, who had been concentrating on cutting the meat for a while, savored a piece of meat that he had cut into bite-sized pieces and opened his mouth.
“So. Ray, how is school life?”
It seemed like he was about to start a full-fledged chat.
“I’m satisfied.”
“Is it really okay about the Fiends attacking?”
“That’s right! Do you know how surprised we were when we heard that you were seriously injured at that time? We thought our hearts were going to drop in case something happened to you.”
Leshnold, who had been listening to Maximun’s words, raised his head sharply, agreed, and looked at me. Esili, who had been calmly concentrating on eating, added a word as if she had been waiting.
“That’s right. Even if we contacted you and asked you something, you wouldn’t tell us in detail, and you would just say you were okay and cut off contact, so we were so worried.”
I quietly swallowed a sigh and wiped my mouth with a napkin. It was that question again. They had already contacted me with the Video Orb and made a fuss, and it seemed that they still intended to continue the story from that time.
“As I said before, I recovered without any problems with the help of the Elixir. I’m now healthier than ever and full of energy. There’s nothing left for you to worry about, so don’t worry about anything.”
Then, the faces of those who had been scolding me like they were nagging showed a sullen look. Luciel, who had been quietly watching the situation, suddenly burst into laughter.
“Your father is too upset. It’s good to be mature, but please act a little spoiled at times like this.”
“Ahem. Luciel….”
Maximun rolled his eyes, looking somewhat embarrassed. As I stared at him, he seemed to notice my gaze and cleared his throat a couple of times before changing the subject.
“Come to think of it, your achievement level has risen in the meantime.”
“Yeah. I guess it’s about 4-star now?”
“Oh, really?! When did it go up that much?”
Esili, realizing it belatedly, turned around in surprise. She must not have even considered checking my status, assuming that my achievement level couldn’t have risen in such a short time.
“Is it… because of the Black Mana Heart’s properties?”
“There’s nothing else we can think of, I guess.”
“Mm-hmm. It’s an abnormally fast pace to be at 4-star already.”
They continued their meal, chatting about my achievement level. Their eyes and voices were filled with the warmth of freshly brewed black tea as they looked at each other.
I was the only one who wasn’t.
After the meal, feeling somewhat stuffy, I headed to the terrace for some fresh air. I took a deep breath of the night air. The Jade Disk shone brightly in the clear night sky.
Leaning gently against the railing, I stared blankly down at the mansion below.
Suddenly, I sensed someone approaching and pulled my wandering thoughts back. Someone came up beside me and rested his arms on the railing.
It was Maximun.
He glanced down at me and curved his lips.
“Is something troubling you?”