When the Villainous Flame User Trapped in a Time Loop Starts Living Earnestly, Every Female Party Member Turns into a Pervert and Now the World Is in Danger!? - 7

Chapter 7: The Flame Kid Who Can Do It If He Tries

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“Father… Big Brother…”

When I called out, the two at the entrance turned around.

“…Habiri…? What is it?”

My father, Engou, was the Supreme Commander who oversaw the entire Imperial Army and had created countless heroic legends. His face was engraved with scars, and his eyes burned like living flames. He was a rugged, battle-hardened man.

“Hey, Habiri. It’s been a while.” 

Said my brother.

Unlike our father, my older brother Retsuka was slender and refined. He was a gentle-looking man who always wore a calm smile that made him seem harmless. But despite his mild appearance, he was a young hero recognized by both foreign nations and even the Demon Lord’s army as one of the strongest warriors in the Empire. He was five years older than me.

“Perfect timing that you’re here too, Big Brother. I wanted to talk about something…”

Father almost never came home, and we hardly ever met or talked. Big Brother had already married and lived elsewhere with his wife and daughter, so he rarely came by anymore. Both of them were busy, and more than that, they never really interfered with me.

“Talk? Do you need money?”

“It’s rare for you to come to me for anything, Habiri… Wait, who are those women behind you?”

Ah, right—Sword and Magina had followed me out from behind. Well, since they were going to live here from now on, I couldn’t avoid introducing them.

“…I just heard at the palace that you spent a fortune at an auction to buy slaves…”

“Y-Yeah… These are Sword and Magina. They’ll be living here starting today.”

“I see…”

Sword and Magina gave polite bows, but neither Father nor Big Brother seemed particularly interested. If anything, Father looked at me with eyes full of contempt—no, with the kind of disgust one reserved for garbage.

“Well, if it was at a registered auction, then they’re officially recorded slaves. Legally speaking, there’s no problem. Do as you please—just be prepared to take responsibility for them.”

“R-Right…”

“If you’re out of allowance, just withdraw what you need from the bank.”

He said that in a tone of weary dismissal, clearly not intending to involve himself any further. And that made sense. Father already thought I was a lost cause. My big brother was the capable, exceptional son—the pride of the family—so Father had long since given up on me and simply let me do whatever I wanted.

“Habiri… It’s true there’s no legal problem, but I’m still against slavery. So at the very least, don’t do anything that would disgrace their human dignity.” 

Big Brother said gently. Big Brother had always been kind. When I was little, he used to dote on me. But after our mother died, I became bitter and resentful. Father and Big Brother got busier and had less time for me, and eventually, I turned into a selfish idiot who did whatever he wanted… But still..

“Is that all you wanted to say? Then we’ll be going.”

“See you, Habiri.”

They turned on their heels as if the conversation were over and started to leave—but my story wasn’t finished yet.

“…The reason we ended up like this is because of me. Ever since Mother died of illness… I sulked, I threw tantrums, and because I was alone, I went wild and became a selfish, worthless bastard…”

““Huh?””

“But… I don’t want to be that kind of scum anymore.”

When I said that, both Father and Big Brother stopped in their tracks and turned to face me again. They looked slightly surprised at my words.

(What… So it was Mother-dono’s death that drove Bocchama down this path… No wonder he sometimes clings to my breasts like a baby. Poor boy… If you’re lonely, Bocchama, you can always have mine! With the right medicine, I can even produce milk! Magina, start developing a lactation potion immediately!)

(I see… I didn’t know that before. So Goshujin-sama missed his mother’s breasts, but since that’s no longer possible… Well, my breasts are always open for business! I can recreate that lactation potion you had me make before in seconds♥)

It wasn’t so much a “reason” as it was the trigger. The real cause was simply that I’d been a scum and that was exactly why—

“Father… Big Brother… I want to change. After seeing Sword and Magina—slaves who still carry their pride no matter what—I realized how hopeless I’ve been! I want to change!”

““-!?””

^[1]Wait, did he just say “proud”? We were just thinking about enjoying our filthy (sow)life again, though!?

“But I don’t know how to become a better person on my own. That’s why I want your advice!”

It wasn’t just about Sword and Magina.

『Onii-chan, hang in there!』

『Young Boy, you’re one of the village men now!』

The people who called out to me when I was dying by the roadside and others too. That was why…

“Words are easy. If you’re going to rely on me or Retsuka, prove you can act first. Earn the top grades at the Magic Academy, for instance.”

Father clearly thought my sudden resolve was just all talk and honestly, he wasn’t wrong. I hadn’t done anything yet.

“That’s right. Even if you say you want to be a better person, I don’t know what that means for you. Smarter? Stronger? Kinder? What’s your goal?”

“I…”

“So why not start small? Do your best in your daily life, like Father said. Once you manage that, you can move on to the next step… Let’s see… Habiri, try producing your fire magic.”

Even though his tone was gentle, maybe deep down he felt the same as Father. Still, he asked me to show him my fire…

“Uh, sure… Here goes! How’s this!?”

“No good. Not like that.”

I conjured a flame in my palm as he asked, but Big Brother immediately rejected it. What was wrong with it? Then Brother said…

“Watch closely. This is the true pinnacle of our family’s flame… The Blue Flame!”

“Whoa!?”

The fire that appeared in Big Brother’s hand was different from my red flame—it burned with a dazzling blue light.

“Blue… Flame?”

“Yes. This is the fully combusted flame attainable only by our bloodline. Through perfect oxygen flow and complete chemical reaction, it becomes a higher, purer form of fire.”

It was my first time seeing it—honestly, I hadn’t even known such a thing existed. Unlike the so-called “Golden Generation” who once crushed me, this was a different kind of power altogether.

“Don’t show that so casually, Retsuka. That power is only to be revealed to and taught among adults of our family. It’s a secret art.”

“It’s fine, Father. It’ll give Habiri something to aim for.”

“Fool. The Blue Flame burns from the very core of the soul, stabilizing fire’s inherently violent nature. Even elite knights can’t achieve it. It’s unique to our bloodline, but awakening it takes immense effort and innate talent. It took me two years to master it. Even you, the so-called prodigy, needed six months.”

Burning from the core of the soul… Stabilizing it… Blue flame… Blue Flame…

“…Oh, I did it.”

““Wha—!?””

“No way?! Bocchama!?”

“Go-Goshujin-sama actually did it!?”

Huh? I actually managed to pull it off. Maybe I’d just never known it was possible before. Wait—did I really do it right? But both Father and Big Brother were staring at me in shock.

(Come to think of it, Bocchama always skipped training and classes… I was always guarding him, and since he kept getting beaten up by the Golden Generation, I never noticed, but…)

(Could it be… Goshujin-sama wasn’t lacking in talent, just effort? Considering his lineage, it makes perfect sense! So Goshujin-sama is actually a “can-do-if-he-tries” kind of guy!?)

Even Sword and Magina looked stunned.

“Try again, Habiri. This time, shape the flame differently.”

“Eh? Shape?”

For the first time ever, Father—who had never shown any interest in me—stepped closer and gave me direct instruction.

“Magic isn’t just about releasing power. If you refine and polish it, you can give it form. Like this—Blue Flame Ball.”

“Whoa, a fireball…”

“Don’t just release it. Mold it gradually…”

“O-Okay… Like this… Nngh… There! How’s that?”

“Yes, that’s—wait, how did you do that so easily!?”

Apparently, I could do that too.

“Amazing! That’s amazing, Habiri! Do you know how long it took me to get there!? Come on, let’s go out to the garden—we’re testing everything right now!”

“Uh, okay, Big Brother…”

“I can’t believe it! To think you had such talent, Habiri—your brother’s so happy I could cry!”

Beaming, Big Brother grabbed my hand and started pulling me outside.

“Wait, Retsuka! What about today’s meeting—!”

“Oh, right, the strategy meeting…”

Yeah, there was no way they’d—

“I’ll send a notice of absence!”

“Good idea, Father! There’s no time for meetings right now!”

“W-Wait, seriously!?”

“Habiri, let’s keep going! Show me again!”

“We’re going to push your potential to its absolute limit, Habiri! Come on!”

And just like that, both Father and Big Brother—grinning like excited kids—announced they were skipping work and dragged me out to the garden.

“Bo-Bocchama…”

“Goshujin-sama…”

Sword and Magina just stared blankly at us. But that day—for the first time in years—I spent hours talking with my father and big brother.

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