Chapter 16

I stood there, speechless, at the sight of the beautiful woman who had come to the mansion. Her abundant hair, which spilled out from under her dark brown leather helmet, was a golden color tinged with a light green, like the ears of wheat before the harvest, and it sparkled in the sunlight. Her ears, peeking through her hair, were long and pointed.

Her face, slightly glistening with sweat, had a faint blush on her fair skin, as if from the heat, turning a rosy hue. Her eyes, a deep emerald green like the reflection of a dense forest in a lake, looked at me curiously.

Her body, clad in leather armor, was probably around 170 cm tall. While she might be considered petite in this world, her slender waist made her appear tall and slender.

As I stood there, frozen in place, she approached me gracefully, crouched down, and met my gaze. Still, I couldn't say a word, as if time had stopped, and remained frozen.

Her deep green eyes seemed to see through everything, and I couldn't help but think that she didn't seem like a creature of this world. Cliché as it was, she looked like a fairy or an angel.

Amused by my state, she tilted her head and smiled. I felt embarrassed despite my age and couldn't help but look away.

Perhaps thinking I was beyond help, she spoke to me.

"Is Gowith here? No, is Grandpa here? Can you tell him that Lydia has arrived?"

Her voice was a pleasant mezzo-soprano, slightly lower than a soprano, and I thought it was beautiful, but I couldn't say anything, just nodded and ran to my grandfather.

(Is this Lydia? She's incredibly beautiful... and she's exactly my type...)

I seemed more excited than I realized, not even noticing that my face was turning red.

My grandfather, noticing my red face, asked, "Why are you so red?" with a curious look. Embarrassed, I told him that Lydia had arrived.

My grandfather, understanding the cause of my redness, walked away with a knowing smile.

(That red, huh? But what's the relationship between Grandpa and Lydia?)

I knew that Lydia was a long-lived elf, but she looked like she was in her early to mid-twenties, with flawless white skin.

As I followed my grandfather, he approached Lydia.

"Thank you for coming! I thought you'd contact us first!"

He hugged her and patted her back. It was more like a sportsman's embrace than a lover's, but she had a slightly bashful expression.

"You're still the same, Gowith. But it's been a long time. How many years has it been?"

My father and others soon joined in, exchanging greetings. Even Walt, the usually quiet and expressionless head of the guards, was smiling.

When Walt led the horse to the stable, my grandfather said, "This isn't a place to talk, let's move to the dining room," and everyone followed.

I felt a bit left out but followed along.

Lydia, formally welcomed by my parents, returned the gesture with an elegant bow that didn't seem to match her equipment.

"I'll be in your care for a while. Please take care of me."

My brother Rod, who had appeared, was also blushing as he saw her.

I wondered if I had been that red and couldn't take my eyes off her graceful movements.

My grandfather introduced my brother and me.

"This is Matt's eldest son, Rodrick. Call him Rod."

My brother, blushing, said, "I'm Rodrick. Welcome to our home," in a thin voice.

The adults all smiled at his reaction, but I didn't have the luxury of doing so.

"This is Zacharias. He's the one I want you to teach."

I took a deep breath and managed to say, "I'm Zacharias. Call me Zack." I was a bit disappointed that my voice was trembling.

"Rod, Zack. This is Lydia. Nice to meet you."

My brother, who was already red, turned even redder, as if steam was coming out of his head.

(With this reaction from my brother, I can calm down a bit. Thank you, brother.)

I smiled and extended my hand. "Nice to meet you."

She was surprised but bent down and took my hand.

(I feel a bit down about being a child at times like this. But, given how tall my father and grandfather are, I should grow tall in the future, so I'm not too worried.)

After that, the older people started a status update meeting with Lydia at the center.

I tried to listen, but much of it was beyond me and a bit boring.

Mell and the others, who had finished their nap, greeted Lydia, and I was dragged out of the room by Mell and Sharon.

(I was bored anyway, so this is good. Still, is this jealousy at this age? Who should I ask about this kind of psychology?)

With that thought, I went to play in the eastern forest with the three of them.

That night, after dinner, I was called by my grandfather.

Lydia, out of her travel clothes and in a loose shirt, was also there.

"Let's talk about your magic training. Lydia, would you like to explain?"

She nodded at my grandfather and began speaking to me.

"I've heard about your 'secret.' About the magical talent given to you by the gods. To be honest, I'm still trying to process it. Of course, I don't think Gowith is lying..."

She trailed off, unsure of how to finish.

I continued, "Grandpa believes it, but it's such an unbelievable story that it's hard to accept right away. I think that's a normal reaction."

Hearing my words, she opened her eyes wide.

"It's true! A four-year-old can't talk like that. I understand. I believe you."

She nodded firmly and continued.

"About teaching magic, I think it's too early for a four-year-old. Children have less magical power..."

According to her, children with less magical power can quickly deplete their reserves when using magic. Magical power is essential for life, providing the energy needed for organs to function, including the heart.

If this energy is depleted, one first loses consciousness, then the organs stop functioning, and in the worst case, it can lead to death.

Therefore, even in families of mages, formal training doesn't start until around seven years old, and before that, they focus on sensing and manipulating magical power within the body.

"Given that, we'll start with the theory of magic and training to sense magical power tomorrow. Any questions?"

"I can measure my magical power in numbers, so I won't run out. Please plan the training without worrying about my body."

She almost gasped but quickly turned to my grandfather, saying, "Your grandson is really extraordinary," with a look of exasperation, then apologized to me, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it badly."

I smiled, showing I wasn't offended, but quickly returned to a serious expression.

"Grandpa might have told you, but I can use all attributes. I think it will take more time to master each one. So..."

Seeing my serious expression, she smiled reassuringly.

"Don't worry. Magic is different from martial arts. Once you master one attribute, you can easily use others. I'll explain more tomorrow."

As she said, I had thought I needed to train for each attribute. Realizing it was a misconception, I felt a bit relieved.

"In the morning, you have sword training with Gowith, so we'll do magic in the afternoon. Since I heard you can read, we'll start with magic theory."

I nodded and bowed politely. "Understood, Lydia."

She raised the corners of her mouth and made a mischievous face, "Is that how you usually talk? I don't like formal language."

(She is older, even if she looks in her twenties and calls Grandpa Gowith. She's going to be my teacher...)

Feeling a bit stuck, I got some help from my grandfather.

"Treat her like Mell and the others. She's old in years, but her mental age is similar. Right, hehehe!"

My grandfather, finding his own words amusing, bent over laughing.

Lydia made a slightly hurt face, "Old in years... that's harsh," pretending to cry.

(I'll ignore the part about mental age. Maybe it's an act. Given her cool appearance, it might be hard for her to socialize without this. Maybe I should try to get along with her.)

Feeling a bit more relaxed, I tried an approach I wouldn't have in my previous life.

"Got it, I'll stop with the formal language. So, Lydia... no, can I call you Lidi? How about making this my special nickname for you?"

She was surprised by the sudden change in atmosphere and stopped pretending to cry. When I said "Lidi," she froze.

Thinking I had made a mistake, I was about to apologize, but I noticed her expression had turned into a happy smile and held back.

"Yes, that's fine. Lidi... yes, this will be your special nickname. I'll never let anyone else call me that. Lidi..."

Her reaction was unexpected, and I was a bit panicked.

(I thought she'd say, "What do you mean by 'special'?" What is this reaction? Grandpa is laughing, so he might know the reason, but I can't ask now...)

She smiled and said, "So, see you tomorrow, Zack," and I, more confused, could only manage, "Yeah, see you, Lidi."

The next morning, before training, I asked my grandfather about Lydia's reaction from the previous day.

"What was Lydia's reaction yesterday?"

My grandfather, taken aback by the sudden topic, burst out laughing and asked, "What did you think when you first saw Lydia?"

I didn't understand the question but answered honestly.

"I thought she was incredibly beautiful. My mother and Claire are also beautiful, but my first impression was, 'There's such a beautiful person in the world.'"

My mother Tanya and Sharon's mother Claire were beautiful enough to be actresses or models in my previous world, but Lydia was on a different level.

My grandfather agreed.

"That's right. Lydia, with her beautiful face, had few friends. Think about it. How often do men approach such a beautiful woman? Women don't either. They avoid someone who is far more beautiful and hard to approach. There were some light-hearted men who tried, but they wouldn't meet Lydia's standards."

(She's right. I couldn't speak at first... But once you start talking, you can get along quickly, right?)

"But I thought she was approachable. I think she could become popular once she starts talking."

My grandfather shook his head, as if I didn't understand.

"She's timid when it comes to socializing. Yesterday was different. Everyone here is an old acquaintance..."

My grandfather explained that Lydia had attended the magic academy in Doctus and had trouble making friends, possibly developing a mild social phobia.

"She came from a small village in Sartus with no acquaintances. For five years, from the age of thirteen, she had no close friends. She must have felt very lonely, even in the dorm..."

Then, the story of how my grandfather and Lydia met began.

"Shortly after Lydia graduated, when she was still taking on jobs alone and looking lonely, I met her. I thought the same thing, that there was such a beautiful woman in the world..."

"Did you approach her, Grandpa?"

My grandfather closed his eyes, reminiscing, and nodded. Then, with a distant look,

"I was around eighteen or nineteen. I was taking on solo jobs in the forest when I met her. She was also solo. I was hunting wild dogs, and she was gathering herbs... She saved me when I was surrounded by wild dogs..."

He seemed to be lost in the past, even his tone returning to his younger days.

(But, for a fateful encounter, it seems a bit pitiful. Usually, the knight saves the beautiful woman, not the other way around... Well, if it's a beautiful memory for him, that's fine...)

My grandfather talked about the past for about five minutes. From his story, I learned that he had formed a party and taken on jobs for five years from around the age of eighteen.

(If he was eighteen and did this for five years, he was twenty-three? My father was born when Grandpa was twenty-three, so he was married and still an adventurer. He must have been quite the troublemaker.)

"Only I and my family can call Lydia by her nickname, Lydia, outside her village. Her old friends, who are now gone, also called her that. So, being given the nickname 'Lidi' must have made her very happy."

I decided that if a beautiful woman was happy, that was a good thing.

Around three in the afternoon, after our nap, it was time for Lydia's magic lesson.

We used a cool, shady spot under a tree as our classroom.

Initially, I planned to take the lesson alone, but Sharon unexpectedly said she wanted to learn too.

Inspired by her, Mell and Dan also said they wanted to join.

Lydia looked a bit troubled and asked, "That's a problem. Can the three of you read?" When I said I had taught them, her expression darkened even more.

It seemed she wanted to say it was no good if they couldn't read.

"Alright. It won't be a waste to know, and if you have talent, it's a bonus."

In the end, we decided to act as a group as usual.