Chapter 24

Two years have passed since then.

What I learned is that, as expected, the experience points gained from using level 1 and level 3 magic are different.

And no matter how much I tried, the magic level wouldn't increase. It seems that to go from level 3 to level 4, I needed to use level 3 magic at least once.

The moment I secretly used the level 3 water magic, Heal, at midnight, my level instantly went up to 4, and I couldn't help but mutter,

"O! Oohhh..."

Since then, Sukuna has reached level 10, and her fire magic is at level 3. As expected, or rather, her growth rate is much worse than mine. Sukuna was raised to be well-versed in both literature and martial arts by "Mother and the maid," and recently, she has been looking at me from a step back, which makes me feel quite isolated.

I really didn't notice until it was too late. I thought, "Was I this insensitive?"

At first, it was, "Huh? Something feels different?"

Then it gradually became,

"No, no, no, what's with that way of speaking!?"

And finally,

"Who are you?"

Why "who"? The atmosphere is completely different from the Sukuna I knew before. She's always so composed, standing one step behind me with a perfectly straight posture.

And I thought,

"I've been had."

And that was it.

It's hopeless. No matter which side she's on, she can't be replaced. Any level 3 fire mage could be replaced, but she's different. She has received education specifically for me.

To put it simply, without my knowledge, she has become an all-rounder capable of both frontline and rear support. And she can coordinate with me. I hinted to Father and Mother early on that I was interested in archery, so she has received magic training to work with a bow.

It's not just that. You can tell just by looking at her. She is burning with a sense of mission. I finally checked with my divine eye, and to my surprise, Mother was bowing her head.

That's cheating. For example, imagine someone who was bullied at school and then kicked out of their home. If the president of a certain superpower came to them and said, "Only you can do this job! I can only rely on you!" and bowed earnestly, wouldn't they probably jump into the fire, even if they realized they were being manipulated halfway through?

There's no going back. And I can't treat her rudely. She's my first slave, and I have a fondness for her. Besides, when I think about what will happen to her if I just disappear, I have no choice but to give up.

(That's what nobles are like...)

I didn't realize this until much later.

I bought three more slaves, but they all seem to have received similar education. You might think I should have learned, but there's nothing I can do.

"I was told that anyone who enters and lives on this duke's estate must receive a minimum level of education."

There's nothing I can do. It's embarrassing to complain when I'm being supported. As a result, I keep having my slaves taken away, and every time they come back, their faces have changed.

What have I done to these people? I know they're bowing, but I don't have lip-reading skills, so I don't know what they're talking about.

I used to think a lot about trust issues. But there's nothing I can do about this. When I casually said, "I can't really trust you guys," the last slave I bought, an 8-year-old water attribute solo mage named Aina, suddenly said, "If I offer my life, will you trust the other slaves?"

I don't find it endearing when an 8-year-old girl says that. I panicked and said, "No, no, no, wait, wait, calm down! I understand! I trust you!"

I lost. I completely lost. These people are serious.

So, I gave up. Even if it's not perfect, I decided (or was made to decide) that they are worthy of trust.

(Sigh... Lately, I keep saying things like 'there's nothing I can do'...)

It's no use complaining about giving up, but I can't help feeling a complex mix of emotions.

And the family is expected to grow by four more members. The first wife is pregnant, the second wife is having a boy, the third wife is having a girl, and the fourth wife is having a boy.

The second wife's eldest son, about two weeks ago, said to me,

"Hey, you there! I'm talking to you, Rain!"

I hit him in the face with my ultimate move, Knuckle Fire (just a right straight), and he cried and ran off. I used my divine eye to see that he went to the second wife, then to Father, and when he wasn't taken seriously, he went to Mother. I followed him and peeked through the door to hear them arguing:

"Your education—"

"No, I am Rain—"

"No, then my important eldest son—"

"In this house, the eldest son of the first wife, Rain—"

"No, as a duke and a count—"

"This is the Orion dukedom—"

It's a really annoying argument. Mother seems to be passionate about this one point and is speaking fervently.

I had no choice but to call Father to stop them.

In short, the conclusion is: Don't interfere in children's fights!

As a result, the second wife looks at me like I'm her enemy.

One day, my Knuckle Fire will roar at both of them. I'm already dreading it.

Another year has passed, and my water magic level is now 8.

My level is in the 50s, and I'm almost on par with top-tier adventurers (at least in terms of level).

At 5 years old, I am to participate in the traditional face-to-face meetings with other children in this country.

This involves things like marking the child you like with saliva or meeting your betrothed for the first time. I have one too, and when I asked Father, he grinned and said, "It's still a secret! But don't worry! She's quite a beauty! Though she can't match Sophie."

(No, a beauty is still just a plan, right?)

I thought, so I said,

"The last part is unnecessary."

How does it connect? It doesn't connect at all, I just felt annoyed.

With a "thud" behind me, my divine speed is as sharp as ever today.

Tomorrow is my first outing outside the castle walls.