Piece 9 (part 1)

Finally, the weekend is here!!

Yesterday, school ended just plainly. After school ended, I tried looking for Roy, but the guy had already gone home without even coming back to his class. At the very least, I know what class he was put into, and I'll be able to find him again once school starts.

Nile tried asking me to join her with her parents on a short trip to a neighboring city, but I refused. I have gone with her a few times in the past, but I have prior engagements this weekend.

And that is… to spend it all with Mom and Dad.

"Actually, you'll just be spending time with me. Remember?" Mom said to me early in the morning during breakfast, and I looked rather surprised. I thought for sure Dad is going to come along, but it seems like I forgot what happened yesterday.

The rock papers scissors to decide who gets to hang out with me, and who gets to stay and help Grandma with the diner. Although, I think the situation goes deeper than that.

Dad had his first ever construction work yesterday, and it seems like it was taking a toll on him. He is still in his bedroom. His whole body was aching from all the construction work he got himself into, and certainly it was nothing like he expected.

"Can you imagine an office worker like him suddenly being put into construction work? He is strong, but I bet he didn't expect the workload to be so heavy." Mom pointed out what's wrong with Dad, and I can only imagine how tough it was.

As a result, the plan for today is simply just me and Mom doing stuff that we wanted. Because Dad will be at home, he will be the one to help Grandma with the diner instead of Mom.

"Well, glad to have someone competent. Seriously, why didn't they just switch places?" Grandma said so sourly while cooking more breakfast for us, and Mom pointed her tongue out to Grandma despite her not looking this way.

"You two really get along so well…" I commented after seeing Mom's reaction, and Mom laughed a little before eating some more of Grandma's cooking.

"Do you have any plans on where you want to go with me, Milly?" Mom asked with a spoon full of rice in her mouth, but I just pondered deeply.

Truthfully… there's nothing much that came to mind. But, there is indeed something that I wanted to do with her the most.

"Teach me… how to use magic!" I said cheerfully to her, and Mom opened her eyes widely. She then turned her gaze to the kitchen, where Grandma is currently cooking some more eggs.

"You didn't get her a magic teacher, Estella?" Mom asked Grandma, and I noticed she didn't use any prefix or anything to address her.

"I got her a sword teacher if that's what you're concerned about."

"Eh? So, you're good with swords, Milly?" Mom turned to me quite surprised, and I just chuckled while shaking my shoulder.

"Uncle Althorn taught me a little…" I told her about who my teacher was, and Mom looked even more surprised.

"R-Really? How is that guy as your teacher?"

"He wasn't really strict. He kept complimenting me, telling me I was talented. But, I can't really beat him, so I think he's going easy on me."

"As he should. If he bullies my daughter, god knows what I would've done to him." Mom said with such a cold glare, and I only now remembered her relationship with Uncle Althorn.

Mom got acquainted with Uncle Althorn long before she met Dad. After escaping from the tyrannical king's grasp, Mom escaped to the west side of the empire where she grew her own rebellion force. There, she met Uncle Althorn and various other powerful figures who eventually became key characters in the Veldonia government after her ruling began.

After two years since she rose to the throne, Mom disappeared, which turned the empire void of leadership. Dad rose to take on the mantle, and Uncle Althorn stepped forward as well, turning himself from a knight general to be a prime minister, a position that previously never existed.

I found out about all this only yesterday, when Dad told me about it on our walk after school. Dad and Uncle Althorn grew rather close during his ruling as the emperor, during the time Mom disappeared.

And Mom… she disappeared for three years. Dad had to rule the entire empire for those three whole years without Mom.

I guess I can find a chance to ask her about it later in our training session together. Or should I consider this… girls date?

" 'Fireball.' "

With ease, Mom lifted her hand forward and casted a powerful ball of flames. The ball of flames appeared in front of her palms, facing exactly where Mom wants it to be.

BOOMMM!!!!!!

BAAARRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yeah… this doesn't look like a girls date at all.

In less than two seconds, the fireball was fired and exploded on a hill quite far from us. I was covering my face from how terrifying that was, but I realized that was just a simple fireball, a tier one magic.

Magic is split into many different tiers and many different types. The fireball Mom just made was part of the beginner level, a tier one magic. It is an explosive type that focuses more on destruction, while also a heat type that causes things to melt, which is the nature of fire magic in general.

And she… wants me to replicate something that dangerous??? With just my bare hands?

We are now outside the city, far in the wilderness to the south. Surrounding us are a bunch of trees as well as hills. It's a very empty area with nobody around, so it should be good for some training and testing like this.

"Most beginners don't usually start with a fireball. However, I'd like to see what you can do." Mom said with a wide grin on her face, and I realized she is simply putting a challenge for me.

In that case, I must pass that challenge!

"I'll make a fireball! Just tell me how!"

"First, you need to enchant your hand with magic energy. Just pour a ton of it into your hand until you feel ticklish." Mom explained the methods to me, and I closed my eyes as I focused.

I can feel something moving on my skin, but I don't exactly know what it is. I tried moving them to my hand, and I couldn't exactly tell if they had moved yet.

"You did it. Now, try lighting it up into a ball of flames in front of your palms." Mom suddenly said, and I became widely confused.

I-I thought I haven't done anything… How can she tell??

Either way, I only have to follow her suggestions. And so, I tried imagining a ball of fire in front of my palms. I wasn't exactly sure how it can be--

VWOOMMM!!!!!

Without realizing, a fireball appeared in front of my open hands. Seeing how quick it was, Mom clapped her hands.

"You're extremely talented. As I expected." Mom said with a big smile while clapping her hands, but I only turned my widely confused face to her.

What the heck just happened? M-Magic just came out like that?

"You're talented, Milly. There's no other explanation, and there's no need to be so surprised. Most people don't exactly create a fireball minutes after they start learning, so your talent is on the extreme side as well." Mom continued explaining, but that really did not help.

"W-Wait, hang on. So, I can just lift my hand forward and suddenly cast a fireball?? Isn't that really dangerous?" I asked exactly what my concerned mind was thinking, and Mom laughed a little.

"That is exactly why you need to learn self consciousness. A magician needs to be able to know when and where is the right time to use magic. It's the same as a very muscular man who is capable of crushing metal. Obviously, he wouldn't crush a glass cup when he was drinking, right? Even though he very easily could.

It is how it's like to become stronger, Milly. You just have to accept it and control it. If things do get out of control…"

Mom lifted her hand, and I can tell she is about to snap her fingers. In that instant, I can sense a ton of energy rising intensely in the air, but the cold smirk on her face tells me all that I needed to know.

Oh my god---

BOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Far in the distance, a powerful atomic explosion occurred very easily. I covered my eyes from simply how blinding it was, but Mom only ignored it and calmly walked towards me.

"Do you see how easy it was for me to create such an explosion? Now, think about all the things I've done in my daily life. When I was cleaning the dishes, did you see me blowing the entire city like that?" Mom asked while keeping her body close to me so I could hear her, but I'm so concerned because such a godly explosion occurred out of nowhere.

It's certainly godlike… she is just a devil in an angel's body. It's unnatural for beings like her to just walk this planet. It's very wrong.

"You don't have to look so surprised, Milly. Given time, you can do an even stronger explosion. You are my daughter and your Dad's daughter." Mom said with such a bright smile despite causing an atomic bomb only a minute ago, and I kept my terrified stare at her.

"I don't want to learn magic anymore--"

"Nonsense! Now, if you are your daddy's daughter, then you must've inherited his ability to use shadow magic. Why don't we give that a try?"

Oh… my god. Yeah, literal gods. Why?

Why are they my parents? Why can't they just be normal people?

Nevertheless, I made this decision, and I will have to follow through. Mom's teaching was always very straightforward, and it was very easy for me to follow her commands. It's either her ability to teach was very good or my talent is just too unreal. At this rate, I'm starting to think it was both, because I learned five elements of magic in just a single day.

About ten hours have passed since we started training, and my head feels like it's about to explode like a fireball. On our way back, we got ourselves a little bit of snacks, and we also made sure to get Dad some as well.

"Oh? Out on a mother daughter date?" A manly voice was heard right after we arrived at the diner, and I noticed the bulky office man that was sitting on one of the tables at the diner.

"Uncle Althorn, good afternoon. I just had a little practice with Mom." I greeted the man who was once a prime minister of an empire, and he looked rather terrified by that news.

Uncle Althorn turned his concerned gaze to Mom who was behind me, but the lady only folded her arms at him.

"What?"

"N-Nothing… I don't recall you ever teaching your things to anyone."

"She's my daughter. If there's anyone who's an exception, it's her." Mom said rather coldly to Uncle Althorn, and the office man only laughs hearing that.

I'm not sure if Mom was simply cold towards Uncle Althorn, because she doesn't usually act that firmly towards anyone. It's certainly different.