Chapter 6

Well, a lot of things happened. I guess I needed to explain the history, right? But my mom is amazing. She completed a new theory from the hints in my mischief writing and even came up with a new type of nuclear fusion reactor from the power suit I drew, and designed a new aircraft, showing her talent in various fields.

Soon, I think people will start calling her the mother of inventions, not just the mother of new quantum mechanics. But you know, the most amazing thing is that she does all this while basically staying at home... Dad, on the other hand, is rarely home. The last time he said he was going to Africa and left. I wish he would learn from Mom and stay home more. The last time I asked Mom,

"Does Dad not stay home much?"

She just smiled wryly. I wonder if they'll get divorced eventually. Anyway, Mom isn't home today either. She said something about an important meeting, but I was too sleepy to really listen, sorry Mom. But it's so boring... Since I was a kid, there's been a rule in our house that someone has to be home because we never know when Dad will come back.

Honestly, it's a hassle, but when Mom is out, I have to be home... Not that it matters much since I don't have any friends. ...It doesn't matter. Ah, I feel like crying.

I've finished cleaning the house, so maybe I'll do some weeding in the garden? It's so big that if I don't do it bit by bit, the weeds will grow quickly. Once, I made a homemade weed killer I saw online and spread it, but it killed all the plants in the garden, not just the weeds. After that, I started pulling them by hand. Mom called a professional to replace the soil in the garden, and that was the first time Dad got mad at me.

"Your talent is recognized, but don't do such things in residential areas!"

He said. What talent? It's just a sarcastic comment that I can only make failures! That musclehead, if he comes home when Mom isn't around, I'll get my revenge by feeding him laxatives.

Anyway, our garden is huge. It's really huge. Imagine the garden of an old samurai residence. The house is also quite big, of course, because of Mom's earnings. She has over 200 patents and is in high demand by various research institutions, even crying to get her name on their rosters. Just being affiliated with her increases funding by more than three times, so of course they cry. By the way, Dad's earnings are apparently not so great, according to Mom.

"Dad doesn't earn much money, but he does important work for the United Nations."

I was moved by that kindness! Really, Mom deserves better than that musclehead. I bet he's just a low-level worker for the UN, carrying luggage or something. He said he was going to Africa, so he's probably just a meat shield for VIPs.

Oh, I got off topic. Let's get to the weeding. Right! I'll try the work power suit Mom and I made together. Recently, such labor-saving power suits are becoming more common in households. Of course, this type is Mom's all-purpose design. It's so versatile that you can even cook and do fine work while wearing it. I think Mom made it as a prototype to eventually make power suits usable by anyone. Yes, the fit is perfect! Alright, weeds, are you ready?

"Beep! Beep!"

I was happily weeding when a communication came through on my personal terminal. Oh, it's from Mom...

"Kou-kun... What are you doing now?"

She asked in a slightly troubled voice. I honestly told her I was weeding the garden.

"Umm... Yes. Weeding is good, but you can watch TV inside. There's a nature documentary you like that's supposed to be on today."

Really!? The nature in this world is different from the one I came from, with extinct animals still living. I love those animals, and there are also creatures I've never seen before due to the different environment. I've always loved documentaries that feature such creatures. Mom is telling me to watch it instead of helping with the housework. She's so kind! I thanked her and ended the call, then put away the power suit and went inside. Suddenly, I noticed a rare bird in the corner of the garden. I tried to get closer to observe it, but it flew away. I shrugged and went inside.

---

**Lewis Coleman's Perspective**

I've been assigned to guard and monitor the captain's son, or rather, our captain's son, for about four years now. The trigger was an incident caused by the son. He spread a highly toxic herbicide in the garden just because he didn't like the weeds. And he made it using commercial chemicals from a home center.

When the wife saw it, she immediately contacted the captain. The captain quickly mobilized a team equipped for chemical warfare. We thought it was a drill, but when we arrived at the scene disguised as a civilian truck, we saw hell. The garden had turned brown in just a few hours, and the pollution level was so high that touching it would cause instant death. Yet, the son looked as if he had just been caught in a prank. Can you understand? This young child, if he wanted to, could create a weapon capable of destroying a city and use it.

This incident was reported to the upper echelons of the UN by the captain and was likely covered up for political reasons. However, we were given the task of guarding the son and preventing such incidents from happening again. Officially, we are guarding the wife, who is known as the discoverer of the mother of new quantum mechanics, Arakawa Mikki.

The son is now outside in the garden, apparently doing some weeding. After the incident, the captain strictly told him to use only physical labor for weeding, not chemicals. It seems he is following that order today...

I thought... I wanted to think that...

The son came out of the shed wearing a power suit. A regular power suit wouldn't be a problem; they are becoming common in households for labor. But that one...

"Sixth-generation military suit..."

I felt dizzy. A suit capable of destroying a main battle tank with a single punch, surviving a direct missile hit, and fighting an entire combat division alone. It's not something you use for weeding a garden. How did such a thing end up in a regular household? No, this isn't a regular household, but that suit belongs in a research facility. I contacted the captain... This is beyond my control.

"Captain... It's me."

I called out in a weak voice. There was some static, then the captain's voice came through.

"Hey? What's up?"

He answered with an annoyingly cheerful voice. Of course, he's on a "vacation" in Africa, supposedly guarding a VIP. He won't be at the scene.

"The son is weeding the garden. In a power suit."

The captain laughed and asked what the problem was, then started boasting about his son. But he won't be able to stay so carefree after hearing this...

"The son is wearing a military suit, specifically a prototype of the sixth-generation suit."

The captain stopped laughing instantly, said he would contact his wife, and ended the call. He told me to stop the son if he leaves the house, no matter what. What am I supposed to do? How can I stop someone who can easily destroy a tank with my bare hands? As I was desperately trying to think of a solution, the son took off the suit. It seems he received a call from his mother. He was about to go inside when he stopped and...

He stared at me.

My heart almost stopped from fear. He might be a good boy who listens to his mother, but he's the type who uses military-grade weapons in his own garden without hesitation. What will he do if I try to stop him? Will he kill me...?

No, I'm using optical camouflage, so he can't see me. He shouldn't know I contacted the captain.

But is that really true? Could the military suit have a function to intercept communications? No, that's impossible... My mind was racing, trying to figure out the best course of action. Then the son took a step forward!

I'm going to be killed...

I gave up on everything. But nothing happened. I slowly opened my eyes and saw the son shrugging and going inside. I survived. Even though it wasn't a battlefield, my chest was filled with the feeling of surviving. The son probably just wanted to scare me a little. But I was so scared. I've been through many battles in the UN special forces, but... The son probably thought, "Is that all you've got?"

But it's okay. I'm alive. I felt the sun, which was so clear it made me angry, and savored the feeling of being alive.

March 1st, editing complete.