Magic Maker - How to make magic in another world - - Chapter 36

Magic Maker – How to make magic in another world –

Chapter 36   What is a mother?

We said goodbye to Glast and returned home.

It was evening.

The nightfall would soon descend.

I looked down at my body.

I was covered in dirt, with several scars.

While there were no deep wounds, there were numerous scratches, cuts, and bruises.

Both Marie and I were in the same state.

Dad and Glast, on the other hand, were unharmed.

I wanted to get home quickly and wash my body.

Dad took the horse to the stable and returned promptly.

As we tried to open the front door and go inside, I suddenly turned around, and Dad had stopped in his tracks.

“What’s wrong? Aren’t we going inside?” I asked.

“Dad? You don’t look well,” Marie added.

“N-no, it’s, it’s nothing,” stammered Dad.

It was clear that something was wrong.

Rather, the level of agitation was so high that it wouldn’t be surprising no matter what had happened.

I wondered what could be the matter.

It was the first time I had seen Dad with such a face.

He was usually stern and reliable, but his current appearance reminded me of a frightened small animal.

“Let’s go in,” Dad said.

“Huh? Oh, yeah.”

Dad’s voice was hoarse and trembling. My sister and I exchanged glances and entered the house.

“We’re home.”

“Mother, we just got back.”

From the entrance, we could see the living room and the kitchen in the back.

It seemed like Mom was preparing dinner.

She noticed our return and hurriedly came towards us.

“Oh my, welcome ba—”

Mom’s expression froze.

What could be wrong?

She always showed us a smiling face, but the current smile was clearly strange.

It lacked warmth and had a hint of fear.

I looked at my sister with confusion in my eyes.

However, my sister seemed to share the same sentiments and only shook her head.

Behind us, I sensed Dad’s presence.

When I turned around, Dad’s eyes were watery.

Could it be…?

Just before the cause became apparent, Mom’s low voice echoed.

“You, wait a moment.”

Mom still had a smiling face, but it was clear that she was angry.

Scary. This fear was a first for me.

Marie and I sensed the uneasy atmosphere and recoiled.

Dad, clearly feeling the fear more than us, obediently moved forward as instructed by Mom.

Then, the two of them disappeared into the inner guest room.

Just as I was about to voice my confusion,

“Aaaah! S-stop! Calm down, Emma!”

Dad’s scream echoed. At the same time, a banging sound reached my eardrums. Vibrations spread through the room, and Dad’s voice was heard again.

“I-I was wrong! So, please, spare the candlestick, just spare the corner of the candlestick! Stop it! Calm down! It’s not too late! Aaaah!”

Afterward, for several minutes, cries of anguish resounded incessantly. Then suddenly, the screams ceased. Silence. Like in a horror movie, the abrupt silence made my eardrums ring sharply with fear.

In the midst of this, Marie and I stared at the door of the room where the two had entered, speechless. The next moment, the door creaked open. Mom stood there with a smile. What we saw behind her left us speechless. Dad was on the floor. He was twitching, so he was undoubtedly alive. However, he was not unharmed. As Mom closed the door behind her, Marie and I felt our bodies stiffen. Are we going to experience something like that too?

“W-We went too far, just because Mom is lenient, we, we selfishly went too far!”

“A-Are we going to be killed… us…!?”

No way. However, in my current state, I didn’t have the composure to think rationally. It’s incredibly frightening when someone who doesn’t usually get angry suddenly does.

“Sit there.”

Despite wearing a gentle smile, Mom’s eyes didn’t reflect the smile. Even though her voice was calm, we felt a chill and sat in the chairs as instructed. It happened in an instant.

As Mom sat in front of us, she let out a small sigh.

“I heard about the situation. You two went to subjugate monsters, didn’t you?”

“Y-Yeah.”

Mom sighed again. She didn’t usually react like this. She would either laugh in a troubled way or smile and say everything’s fine. Dad might say something, but Mom rarely did.

Of course, we would get scolded if we did something too selfish, but when Mom got angry, it was in a gentle manner, like saying, “That’s not good, you know?” or “You shouldn’t do that, dear!” So, the current reaction from Mom left us bewildered, and simultaneously, a deep sense of guilt for having done something very wrong weighed on our hearts.

“I’m not trying to blame you. So, you don’t have to be so scared, okay?”

While forcing a smile, Mom maintained her usual gentle demeanor. With those words, Marie and I inwardly sighed in relief. It seemed she wasn’t angry, at least not with us.

“Originally, I heard from your father. I didn’t know if it was monster subjugation, but I had a feeling you were up to something dangerous. That’s why your father went to check on you. It’s okay. It’s not uncommon for children your age to go on monster subjugation. Your father was with you, and that’s fine.”

“Then, um, why do that to Dad?”

Why did she do something like that? It’s scary. Unable to express my fear, I spoke with hesitation.

“Coming back covered in bruises and exhausted all over your body is not normal. I know that Marie-chan wants to become stronger, and Shion-chan wants to study magic. Maybe you needed to fight monsters for that. But you two are still children. Even if you’re talented, mature, and have good judgment, you’re still children. So, adults, parents, have to look out for you properly.”

Marie and I glanced at each other, reconfirming each other’s condition. Certainly, we didn’t return home looking like we had played outside all day covered in mud. Our clothes were tattered, our bodies marked with bruises and signs of impact. There was a heavy color of fatigue on our faces. This couldn’t be considered normal for children.

“When your father gets obsessed, there are times when he loses sight of his surroundings. Maybe he tried to let you have as much experience fighting monsters as possible while the opportunity was there?”

Hit the nail on the head. Glast mentioned something similar as if he had given up. I can’t really say anything about others.

“This was the first time for both of you in monster subjugation. Despite that, he made you do something reckless. That’s why Mom got angry. Your father probably thought both of you could fight well, and I think so too. However, like I said earlier, both of you are still children. We have to draw clear boundaries. Don’t misunderstand. Mom wants to support whatever you want to do as much as possible. There are things that are absolutely not allowed, but just because it’s not ordinary doesn’t mean it’s denied. Your lives belong to you. Even as a parent, there shouldn’t be coercion.”

After a moment, Mom looked at my sister and me slowly.

“As long as you don’t harm or degrade others recklessly, you can do as you please. Just because you’re children doesn’t mean you have to hold back. Whether it’s magic or swordsmanship, feel free to learn. Mom has only one request—take care of yourselves. No matter what happens, don’t do anything that would risk your lives. I absolutely want you to value your own lives.”

Mom moved to our side and hugged us.

“If you two are alive, Mom is happy. If you two are happy, I’m even happier. So, ‘live’ as you like.”

I see. Mom was worried. She must have been thinking about what would happen if something happened to us. And seeing us return, she sensed that we had faced danger. While there are things necessary to become stronger, perhaps it didn’t have to be today.

“Mom… sorry for making you worry.”

“Mother… sorry for going out without saying anything.”

“Hehe, it’s okay. It’s a relief as a parent when you understand and protect everything we say. But, both of you have your own thoughts. They might be different from mine or your father’s. That doesn’t mean it’s wrong. So, next time, I’d like you to talk about it, okay?”

“Yeah, we’ll make sure to talk next time.”

“I-I will too! I’ll talk to Mom!”

“Thank you, both of you. But don’t hesitate. If it’s important to you, even if it seems wrong, we can cooperate. Just don’t forget this. Your father and I are on your side. No matter what happens, at any time, we’ll always be on your side.”

Feeling the warmth from Mom, I felt calm. The fatigue I had just felt seemed to disappear like a lie. To feel such a warm sentiment. Back in Japan, my heart was never at ease. I thought coming here was a good decision.

“Alright! The story’s over. Shall we take a bath before dinner?

Actually, I asked the villagers to prepare the hot water, and it’s already ready.”

“Yeah, let’s do it!”

Sister stood up with a happy expression.

Baths exist in this world too.

However, they are not common, and since there’s no plumbing, water must be carried.

So, basically, only the wealthy, like nobles, can use them.

Since we don’t have servants at home, it’s the villagers who prepare hot water for bathing.

Of course, we pay them each time.

We bathe every few days.

If I had been born in an ordinary household, I wouldn’t have been able to afford such luxury.

By the way, I’ve been bathing alone or with my father since I can remember.

Why?

You can guess the reason, right?

“Shall Shion join us today?”

Mom said with a gentle smile.

At her exceedingly kind expression, I averted my gaze.

What should I do?

I’ve rarely taken a bath with my mom.

Even as a baby, we didn’t bathe together.

Mom is my biological mother.

We share the same blood.

So, I don’t think there’s a need to worry.

But my mental age is higher than mom’s.

She’s my real mother, younger, and of the opposite sex.

It’s a complex feeling, and frankly, I resist seeing each other naked.

That’s why I’ve been avoiding it.

Uh, what should I do? She’s really looking at me.

“Um, well, I…”

I tried to refuse, but my mother looked sad.

“Shion, let’s go in. We’re always separate, so it’s okay today, right?”

“B-But…”

“But there’s nothing to worry about! We’re going in! You’re all sticky all over, after all. Let’s just get in quickly.”

I wish she wouldn’t say it so easily. But Marie has a point. I want to wash off the dirt as soon as possible. Besides, my mother doesn’t ask me for anything often. Because she doesn’t usually interfere, it’s hard to refuse at times like this.

“…Okay, I got it.”

“Yay! Alright, let’s go!”

My mother smiled happily at my response. Oh, come on, I can’t say anything if you look like that. I jumped up and down a little to express my happiness. If she’s that happy, I don’t know how to react. Marie and I held hands with my mother and went to the bathroom.