Who is that?!
The two arrived home and opened the door to find a peerless beauty seated in the living room. The butler was quietly serving her tea, while Count Sonnenfall sat across from her.
Her legs were crossed elegantly, and something about her presence made the air around feel heavier. It was almost hard to breathe, especially for the baby Azrael.
He noticed something. Her hair was white as snow, and on her head sat a pointed cap. Not something he'd ever seen in real life, but it reminded him of the witches and wizards from the books and fantasy games of his old world.
"You two are home! Come on, buddy, come meet your Aunt Persephone!"
So this is my mom's sister?…Maybe Mom's white hair isn't from an illness after all.
"Ow! Hot! Hot! Hot!"
His dad winced mid-sip, trying to talk and drink at the same time like a complete amateur. Unsurprisingly, he burned his lips on the tea. Classic.
The woman motioned for Toma to come closer, then gently patted her lap, as if signaling for Azrael to crawl over and rest there.
Tch. Who would've thought, being a baby actually has its perks.
After giving it a moment's thought, Azrael wriggled out of Toma's arms, climbed onto the couch, and then over to the woman. His back came to rest against her thighs comfortably as he finally settled in.
"James, this is your son? My nephew?"
James and Josephine Sonnenfall. My parents. I Dodged a bullet not being named Jasper or something. That would've been cruel.
The cold, asphyxiating aura around her melted away in an instant. Her eyes lit up the moment they landed on Azrael, hands rising to cradle her cheeks, trying to hold back a burst of pure excitement.
"Thank goodness he takes after my sister and not you. Honestly, a gorilla like you raising a cute baby? What a mismatch."
The tea burst from his mouth in a spray, but none of it reached her. As if the air itself bent to her will, weaving together into an invisible shield. The droplets hit, then dropped harmlessly to the ground without so much as grazing her or Azrael.
That was magic… C-Cool… way too cool…
"Oi! You cheeky brat! Who're you calling a gorilla?!"
"You big ape! You don't even look where you're spitting, do you?!"
Are these two seriously adults?
How noisy. Maybe it's time I put an end to their foolishness. Ehehehe… all for the greater good, of course.
Their argument died instantly. He had somehow sat himself up on her lap, small hands covering his eyes as a flurry of tears streamed down his cheeks.
I'm such a good actor. There's no way they won't fall for this.
Witness, mortals. The art of deception!
"Ahhh~ you're dangerously cute! Seriously, how are you this adorable? You cheeky little baby?"
She squealed with delight, eyes sparkling as she swooped in and seized Azrael's cheeks with both hands. There was no escape.
Cold! Cold! Her hands are freezing! Unhand me, woman! This is assault!
"Have you checked if he has any potential as a mage yet?"
She turned toward the count, curiosity gleaming in her eyes.
"I'd rather see him grow up to be an honorable knight, like his old man!"
James puffed out his chest with pride, striking a pose as he flexed his muscles for no reason whatsoever.
I want to use magic… But how do I tell her? This damned baby body… it won't even let me talk properly!
He turned to her and opened his mouth, trying his best to form words, anything that could hint he wanted to use magic.
"Mahh… maaa… m-magga…"
Just kill me now. Seriously. Right here would be fine. This is so embarrassing.
"Ah! Did you hear that? I think he wants to use magic! You don't mind if I check his mana veins, right?"
"Go ahead, but you should know that checking the mana veins of a baby won't do anything. The mana heart doesn't start developing in kids until they're around seven years old at the earliest."
"Mine developed at five since I'm a super genius, but that's beside the point. You should understand that, considering you're the headmaster of the Royal Magic Academy."
His father said, his voice a touch more serious than usual.
Hmm, I see… I remember reading that the quality of a person's mana heart is inherited from both of their parents. Wait and my aunt's the headmaster of a magic academy?
That would mean this body of mine should have quite the strong mana heart in the future...Wait. Is that also why nobles in-marry? Yeah. Best not to think too hard about that.
What are you doing to my poor, defenseless body?! You Witch!
Persephone gently pulled his tiny shirt over his head and set it aside on the couch. Then, with a soft smile, she placed her hand on the baby's smooth, delicate back.
Ahh! C-cold! I really can't get used to this.
"Alright, I'm starting now! So be a good boy, try not to wiggle too much, and close your eyes, okay?"
Okay… I just have to close my eyes right? Easy.
I can feel something… it's spreading through my body. Is this… mana?
Slowly, it spread throughout his body, filling him with a sensation he had never felt before, something that could only be described as an euphoric warmth, while mana wriggled through his veins like it was alive, guiding him from within.
His vision synced with the mana, as if he were seeing inside his own body, watching through a slow-moving microscope drifting steadily toward his heart.
It seemed that after a short journey, they had finally arrived. He could see a collection of veins sprouting outward, like the roots of a massive tree, with mana flowing through them in a pure, glowing blue.
The mana that had been guiding him now dove inward, sinking deeper into the center of his chest, toward the core of blue.
"What is this? This is… outrageous!"
Persephone's voice rang out, disbelief written all over her face.
It seemed, six-week-old Azrael truly did possess a mana heart.