By Zephyria 
It was a rather sudden question.
…Did I look like I had a problem?
I slowly shook my head.
Maximun stared at me thoughtfully, humming meaningfully before turning his gaze to the sky.
“Did you read the magic books I sent you?”
“Yes.”
“What did you think of them?”
“They weren’t difficult, and I quickly mastered even the advanced sections.”
“Hoh. Then can you show me the results?”
It wasn’t impossible.
I nodded, and Maximun smiled.
“For reference, now that your achievement level has reached 4-star, you should be able to use ‘Netherworld Summoning’ without a medium.”
At that, I immediately reached out and created the Magic Circle of Netherworld Summoning without a medium. As he said, the Magic Circle was generated without one. Also, unlike last time, when I couldn’t maintain the summoning and it quickly disappeared… this time was different.
Crack.
The skeleton, summoned in its complete form, approached me and bowed to Maximun with a polite attitude.
This was the Netherworld Spirit I had summoned as a test when I had just reached 3-star, while competing with Herman.
After studying Netherworld Summoning in particular, I had discovered that there were Netherworld Spirits that resonated well with me, and that with increased proficiency, I could summon specific Netherworld Spirits. That was how this was possible.
“Oh-ho… your proficiency has really improved.”
Maximun’s eyes widened.
Well. It had only been a few months since I left the mansion, and I had achieved this much growth. It was only possible because I was an unusual being, so it was a natural reaction from an ordinary person’s perspective.
“Besides that, there were many interesting Magic such as Knight’s Blight and Flesh and Bone Blessing. The Magic closer to curses seem to require special materials, so I haven’t tried them yet, but they were fun.”
Maximun’s face gradually softened. A smile with an incomparably warm hue spread across his face.
For some reason, I felt a growing sense of discomfort, and I trailed off, eventually falling silent. Just as the stronger the light, the darker the shadow, my mood sank coldly in the face of the warmth.
“Ray. I am truly… proud of you. But don’t overdo it.”
He reached out to me.
His large, rough hand approached me like he was dealing with a child, patting and stroking my head. I considered it rude, but given the relationship between this body and Maximun, it was something I couldn’t refuse, so I endured it this time. Since I was also someone who had received his favor… I could gladly tolerate this much.
After a moment, Maximun lowered his hand and added.
“No matter how you’ve changed, you are our son.”
“……”
“You can slowly regain your memories. What’s important is now. So, don’t be too impatient or uncomfortable. Always prioritize your health.”
“……”
I didn’t know why he suddenly said that. However, I felt even more uncomfortable, so I simply nodded without saying anything and returned to my room.
‘Ha. How tiring.’
It was a problem I hadn’t thought much about at first. Living a new life in someone else’s body, that is. But as time passed, more and more inconveniences arose.
The inexplicable acts of kindness directed at a me who wasn’t me.
The relationships surrounding this body that I didn’t know about.
It wasn’t this uncomfortable when I was at the academy. After all, except for Herman, who was said to be this body’s childhood friend, everyone else was someone I had met for the first time as ‘me.’
The problem was when I was with this body’s family.
Perhaps it was because the discomfort I had forgotten after leaving the mansion had resurfaced, but I felt even more uncomfortable with them than before. I couldn’t accurately explain why I was paying attention to things that I could just ignore and disregard, so I couldn’t answer….
Anyway, there was that strange feeling. And when I thought about why I had to be so swayed by humans, I got angry and everything felt wrong.
‘I shouldn’t get any closer than this, after all.’
Of course, they were grateful humans in many ways, but I didn’t want them to constantly influence me any more than this.
‘I have to stay for about four more days, right?’
It was a situation that made me sigh involuntarily.
But I didn’t know the geography around here, so wandering around after leaving the mansion recklessly would be burdensome, and if I said I would return to the academy early, I felt like I would have to listen to their complaints again.
Either way, it was uncomfortable.
I shook my head. Since it was evening, I thought I should read a book for a while and go to bed early.
But my plans were not to be.
“Ray! Let’s hang out all night tonight!”
This body’s siblings had suddenly come to visit.
The two humans came in grinning, and I stared at them with half-closed eyes. Leshnold proudly pulled out a deck of cards he had been hiding behind his back.
Of course, no kind words came out of my mouth.
“No. Go back.”
“Ehh? If you say that, your sister will be sad!”
Esili, who had been approaching with an excited face, drooped her lips and whined as she plopped down next to me. I frowned at her closeness and leaned back, and Leshnold chuckled as he sat down on the carpeted floor. He had already scattered the cards and was shuffling them.
Then Esili also sat opposite him and began to shuffle the cards together.
How could they be so shameless?
Eventually, I sighed softly and closed the book I had been reading. With them already chattering loudly, there was no way I could focus on the words.
As I sat on the bed, looking down at them, Esili dealt a card to Leshnold and me. The way she handled the cards was not the work of someone who had only done it once or twice.
“Ray, do you know how to play poker?”
“…I know.”
“You remember that, I see? Good!”
Soon, starting with Esili, they took turns opening their cards. During the game, Leshnold and Esili continued to talk. I had no intention of joining in the conversation, so I just listened to them.
“Ray! What do you think?”
Of course, they kept bothering me and wouldn’t leave me alone, so I often got caught up in the conversation.
When I reluctantly answered, the two siblings would get excited for some reason and continue the conversation. I don’t know why, but the two of them seemed to be in a very good mood today.
After that, I only played a couple more rounds and quit. I made an excuse that I was tired, and they didn’t force me any further.
As I lay on the bed, watching the two of them play poker, an hour had already passed.
‘They’re not even tired and they’re having so much fun.’
Were they really planning to stay up all night?
I couldn’t know the ending.
When I couldn’t resist my heavy eyelids any longer and closed my eyes… my mind melted into the darkness as it was.
☠
One round ended with Esili’s victory… and it was around the time the two were stretching their bodies to take a break. Leshnold, who discovered Raymond, chuckled softly.
“Look at him. He’s finally asleep.”
Esili also looked at Raymond and smiled helplessly. She pulled the blanket and covered Raymond’s body so he wouldn’t catch a cold.
As Leshnold was roughly organizing the cards, Esili, who had sat back down on the carpet, looked at Raymond with a gentle gaze and said in a low voice.
“Ray… he’s definitely changed a bit since the fever.”
“Yeah.”
“Don’t you think he seems to have become more wary of us?”
Leshnold, who had twisted his lips at Esili’s quiet question, nodded in agreement. Esili, who had been watching Raymond’s peaceful face as he slept soundly, lowered her eyes.
“Sometimes I get scared because I feel like he’s not the Ray I knew. But then when I spend time with him, he’s not that different from before… so I also think, ‘Even if he lost his memories, Ray is still Ray.’”
“That’s right.”
Leshnold chuckled as if he had remembered something. After a moment of silence, the two continued their conversation.
“Is the Mana Ray has… really okay?”
“Hmm.”
“I’m worried. I’m afraid there might be a big problem later if we leave it alone. Fortunately, it doesn’t seem like Ray has any problems handling Black Mana yet….”
“I’m also worried because it seems like there are enemies targeting him.”
“That’s right.”
“Wasn’t Balkan’s attack also because they were targeting him?”
“That’s possible. I was really surprised then…. This guy didn’t seem to care at all, and he didn’t even acknowledge our worries! Anyway, he’s become so aloof.”
Suddenly, Leshnold’s eyes sparkled and he said.
“Come to think of it, wasn’t he like this when he was young?”
Esili, who had been reflecting on her childhood memories, agreed.
“Ah, yeah. It’s like he’s gone back to being a child.”
The two looked at Raymond.
It was Leshnold who broke the silence first, hesitatingly.
“I’m only saying this now, but I was actually a little scared of Ray when I was young. Sometimes he seemed like an ‘emotionless doll.’ It’s too much to say he didn’t seem human….”
“Me too.”
Leshnold glanced back at Esili. Esili twisted her lips before smiling brightly.
“But he got better as he grew up, right?”
“That’s true.”
“Even now… it’s okay to this extent, right?”
“Yeah. That’s right.”
No matter what, Raymond was their one and only precious younger brother. That’s why they were even more worried.
About the difficult future their younger brother might face.
Esili murmured as if drifting away, her voice filled with worry.
“Nothing should happen to Ray….”