Chapter 49 – talk with mom
Amy rested her chin on one hand and looked at me with an amused smile.
"Oh, really?"
She tapped the table thoughtfully.
"Then why do I remember someone falling asleep in the middle of the training ground?"
I immediately pointed at her.
"That only happened twice!"
"I was waiting for your training to finish!"
"I just accidentally fell asleep!"
I huffed indignantly.
"Stop bringing it up already!"
Amy couldn’t hold back her laughter.
Even Mother covered her mouth as a quiet laugh escaped her lips.
Watching the two of them laugh together made me pause.
I suddenly realized something.
Mother had never once praised me simply because I was talented.
Nor had she ever pushed me to become stronger.
She wasn’t worried about whether I would surpass everyone else.
She was worried about something much simpler.
Whether Amy and I were happy.
Whether we were safe.
Whether we were enjoying our lives.
She had already climbed to the very top of the world.
Not because she wanted glory.
Not because she desired power.
But so that her children could grow up without carrying those burdens.
She never wanted us to become stronger because we had to.
She wanted us to become stronger only because we wanted to.
If Amy and I couldn’t even enjoy our childhood...
Then everything she had worked so hard to achieve would lose its meaning.
A warm feeling spread through my chest.
I smiled quietly.
"...Thanks, Mom."
Mother blinked in surprise.
"Hm?"
I shook my head with a small smile.
"It’s nothing."
"I just..."
"I’m really happy."
For a brief moment, silence filled the dining room.
Then Mother’s expression softened even further.
She reached over and gently ruffled my hair.
"I’m glad."
Amy smiled warmly as she watched us.
Then, unable to resist ruining the touching atmosphere, she grinned mischievously.
"He’s definitely getting sleepy."
I looked at her in disbelief.
"...How did we go from an emotional family moment to you teasing me again?"
Amy shrugged innocently.
"I have a reputation to maintain."
Mother chuckled.
"And what reputation would that be?"
Amy puffed out her chest proudly.
"The loving big sister who keeps her little brother humble."
I immediately snorted.
"More like the bully who enjoys tormenting her little brother."
Amy gasped dramatically.
"Mom!"
"Did you hear that?"
"Gray just slandered his wonderful sister!"
Mother smiled helplessly.
"I believe the two of you are equally guilty."
Neither of us could argue with that.
Soon, laughter once again filled the dining room.
Warm.
Peaceful.
Comfortable.
By the time dinner came to an end, all thoughts of training had disappeared.
For those few hours...
We were simply a family enjoying each other’s company.
After clearing the table, I stood up and stretched.
"Good night, Mom."
Then I looked toward Amy.
"Good night, Sis."
Mother smiled warmly.
"Good night, son."
Amy waved lazily.
"Good night, lazy little brother."
I rolled my eyes.
"I’m still not lazy."
She only giggled in response.
Shaking my head helplessly, I headed back to my room.
Tomorrow would bring another day of training.
Another day of learning.
Another day of growing stronger.
But for now...
A good night’s sleep sounded far more appealing.
The Next Morning
I woke up at exactly 5:45 a.m.
Still lying in bed, I blinked sleepily before glancing at the clock beside me.
"...I have fifteen extra minutes today."
Usually, after making my bed, I would head straight to the bathroom.
Today, however...
I had a little spare time.
After neatly making my bed, I looked around my room.
Ever since coming to this world, I had always told the maids not to move my belongings unless I specifically asked them to.
Whenever someone reorganized my things, I would end up wasting time searching for them afterward.
Because of that, I preferred cleaning my room myself.
"...Let’s tidy things up a little."
I walked over to the shelf where several framed photographs rested.
One by one, I carefully dusted each frame before arranging them neatly.
A smile naturally appeared on my face.
One picture showed Mother holding me when I was still a baby.
Another showed Amy standing proudly beside me, smiling so brightly that it almost seemed like the picture itself radiated warmth.
There were several family portraits taken over the years.
Some formal.
Some casual.
Some where Amy was making funny faces behind Mother’s back while I laughed beside her.
Looking at them somehow made the room feel... warmer.
Like this wasn’t merely a bedroom.
It was home.
After finishing with the photographs, I moved on to everything else.
The books scattered across my desk returned neatly to their shelves.
My training notes were stacked in order.
The clothes I had left lying around yesterday were folded properly.
Anything out of place was returned to where it belonged.
By the time I finished, the room looked much cleaner than before.
I folded my arms and admired my work.
"...Perfect."
Satisfied, I headed toward the bathroom.
A refreshing shower quickly washed away the last traces of sleep.
After changing into my training clothes, I left my room and made my way toward the dining hall.
As usual...
Mother and Amy were already waiting.
"Good morning."
Mother smiled warmly.
"Morning, Gray."
Amy waved without looking up from her drink.
"Morning, little brother."
I took my usual seat beside Mother, and before long, the three of us were chatting over breakfast.
The conversation wandered from small family matters to Amy’s complaints about training and my endless ideas for Space Affinity.
It wasn’t anything important.
Just ordinary conversation.
Yet somehow...
Those ordinary moments had become my favorite part of every day.
After breakfast, Amy and I headed toward the training grounds together.
The morning air was cool and refreshing, making the walk feel especially pleasant.
As expected, Astrid was already waiting for us.
She stood in her usual spot with her hands folded behind her back, quietly watching the training grounds.
The moment we arrived, Amy waved toward us before heading to her usual practice area to continue training her swordsmanship and elemental control.
I walked toward the center of the training field, preparing to begin today’s training.
Just as I was about to gather my mana, Astrid approached.
She studied me for a moment before asking,
"So, Young Master..."
A small smile appeared on her lips.
"What’s your plan for today?"
She tilted her head slightly.
"Are you finally going to create your Space Blink spell?"
I smiled and shook my head.
"No."
"I’ve decided not to attempt it yet."
Astrid raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?"
I nodded.
"When I teleported the wooden sword..."
"And later my Ice Spears..."
"I noticed something."
I tapped the side of my head.
"Whenever I teleported an object, I always had a clear image of its destination in my mind."
"I knew exactly where it would appear."
"And that image remained stable until the spell was complete."
I paused for a moment.
"But if I teleport myself..."
I looked down thoughtfully.
"The moment my body disappears..."
"I’ll lose sight of my destination."
"I don’t know what happens after that."
"What if I lose my sense of direction halfway through?"
"What if I appear somewhere I never intended?"
"What if I materialize inside solid rock?"
"...Or become trapped inside unstable space?"
I slowly shook my head.
"There are simply too many unknowns."
"So I decided to postpone Blink."
Astrid remained silent, allowing me to continue.
"I want to create a perception skill first."
"If I can perceive the surrounding space itself..."
"I’ll always know exactly where I’m teleporting."
"It removes the biggest weakness of the spell."
Then I smiled slightly.
"And besides..."
"I should test teleportation on living creatures before ever trying it on myself."
"I already know it works on objects."
"But I don’t know whether teleporting a living being causes any side effects."
"I need to confirm that first."
"My mother told me to prioritize my safety above everything else."
"So if there’s a safer path..."
"I’ll always choose that one."
Silence settled over the training ground.
Astrid looked at me quietly for several seconds.
Then...
A faint smile appeared on her face.
"...That’s an excellent approach."
There was unmistakable approval in her voice.
"You aren’t allowing your excitement to cloud your judgment."
She folded her arms.
"Many talented young mages make exactly that mistake."
"They discover a powerful spell..."
"Become overconfident..."
"And rush into something far more dangerous."
"They see one success..."
"And immediately believe they can accomplish anything."
Her crimson eyes met mine.
"But you did the opposite."
"You analyzed the spell."
"You identified its greatest weakness."
"And instead of forcing your way through it..."
"You searched for a solution."
She gently placed a hand on my shoulder.
"A powerful mage isn’t someone with the greatest amount of mana."
"It’s someone who understands both the strengths and the limitations of their own abilities."
Her smile grew slightly warmer.
"And from what I’ve seen today..."
"You’re already beginning to think like one."
Hearing such sincere praise made me scratch my cheek awkwardly.
"I don’t think it’s anything special."
I laughed sheepishly.
"I just don’t want to accidentally teleport myself into a mountain."
Astrid stared at me for a moment.
Then a quiet laugh escaped her lips.
"...That’s certainly a reasonable concern."
I grinned.
"So today’s objective is simple."
"First, I’ll create a perception skill."
"Once I can accurately sense the surrounding space..."
"I’ll begin experimenting with teleportation on living creatures."
"And only after I’m absolutely certain it’s safe..."
"I’ll finally attempt Space Blink on myself."
Astrid nodded with satisfaction.
"Good."
"That sounds like a proper training plan."
She stepped back and gestured toward the center of the training field.
"Go ahead, Young Master."
"I’ll be watching."
Taking a deep breath, I stepped into the middle of the training ground.
Today’s objective had already been decided.
Before I could master teleportation...
I first needed eyes that could perceive space itself