Chapter 24
"I'm home!"
When I opened the door to our house and called out, Mom and Dad came hurrying out of the kitchen.
"Leon! Thank goodness, you're safe!"
"Leon! They didn't do anything to you, did they? Thank goodness you're home."
Mom and Dad were overjoyed, tears welling up in their eyes.
They had been this worried about me? Maybe I should have come straight home instead of stopping anywhere along the way...
"I'm fine, both of you. They didn't do anything to me. I was invited to dinner, and we just talked a little while eating. They even gave me some clothes..."
"Come to think of it, you're wearing some really nice clothes... Aren't these expensive?"
"Leon, is it really all right to accept something like this? We wouldn't be able to pay if they demanded money from us later."
This time, both of them started to panic.
I felt all the tension drain out of me and couldn't help laughing. It felt like I had finally been freed from my nervousness.
"These were a gift, so it's fine."
"Really? But why would a noble give you clothes, Leon? And why were you invited to dinner in the first place?"
"Leon, you need to explain everything to your mother and me properly."
What should I do...? I didn't want to lie to them, but how much should I tell them...?
I obviously couldn't tell them that I had been reincarnated, so I should probably keep quiet about being able to read, write, and do arithmetic.
In that case, maybe I should tell them about my ability to use every attribute... But would they find it strange? It would really hurt if Mom and Dad started disliking me...
But I also had to tell them about going to the Royal Academy, so I couldn't keep hiding things from them forever.
Just as I resolved to tell Mom and Dad everything, the front door opened.
"I'm home! Oh! Big brother's back! Thank goodness!"
It seemed Marie had come home. I should have her listen to me, too.
"Welcome home, Marie. Big brother has something to tell you. Will you listen?"
"Yes! I'll listen!"
"Thanks. Mom and Dad, will you listen to me, too?"
"Of course. Let's go to the living room. We were planning to take the evening off anyway, so it won't matter if this takes a while."
"Okay. Thanks."
We moved to the living room and all sat down together.
"All right, Leon. Will you tell us what happened?"
"Yeah. The person who came to invite me to dinner yesterday is Frederick-sama. We first met completely by chance. When Frederick-sama learned that I wanted to enter the Royal Academy, he offered to lend me study materials, so I went to receive them yesterday."
When I said that, Mom and Dad looked extremely surprised.
"You want to go to the Royal Academy, Leon? Why?"
"And where did you even hear about the Royal Academy? I don't think many people around here take the entrance exam..."
He said lots of commoners took the entrance exam, but commoners around here don't? Well, I suppose I had never heard anyone around here mention the Royal Academy...
"The person I went to the central district with told me about the Royal Academy. Marcel-san is a magic-tool maker, and he showed me some of his magic tools. When I said I was interested in them, he told me that the Royal Academy had magic tools and that I could live surrounded by them if I became a government official. That's why I decided I wanted to go to the Royal Academy."
"Magic tools are those convenient devices nobles use, right?"
"That's right! They're incredibly useful and revolutionary! I think they're going to keep developing more and more!"
When I said that, Mom and Dad chuckled.
"You really do love magic tools, Leon. Your eyes are shining."
What!? Am I really that obvious? This is embarrassing...
But in such an inconvenient world, it was only natural to jump at the chance to get something convenient, right?
"I understand that you want to go to the Royal Academy, Leon. Your mother and I will support you. You can live the way you want."
"Me too! I'll support Big Brother!"
"Really!? Thank you, everyone!"
I had expected them to tell me to give up on something so reckless... It made me happy that they accepted me. I'm glad I told them...
"But can you pass the Royal Academy entrance exam? We can't teach you at home..."
"That's fine! Frederick-sama lent me study materials and taught me a little. Marcel-san can teach me, too."
"That's very kind of them, but... why would they go that far for you...? We're just commoners, and we don't have any money."
I knew they'd find that strange. I really had to tell them about my ability to use every attribute...
"There is a reason for that, but... You remember that my magic attribute was healing, right? Actually, I can use every other attribute, too. People who can use every attribute are extremely rare, so they asked me to lend them my strength. In return, they said they would help me, too."
When I finished saying that, Mom and Dad stood frozen for a while with their mouths hanging open. Then their mouths began opening and closing soundlessly.
They looked like they wanted to say something but were too shocked to get any words out.
Marie was the first to speak.
"Big Brother, does that mean you can use every kind of magic? That's amazing! So cool! I want to use them all, too!"
Instead of finding it strange, she called me cool... Marie might not understand because she was still a child, but I was happy all the same.
"Thanks, Marie. But you can't tell anyone about this. Can you keep it a secret?"
"Yes! I can!"
Marie gave me courage, and I looked Mom and Dad in the eye.
"Mom, Dad, do you think I'm scary or creepy?"
I tried to ask them while looking them in the eye, but I got scared and looked down halfway through. What if they said yes...?
"Leon, your mother and I would never think that."
"That's right. We'd never think you were creepy because of that. We were only surprised that you can use magic of every attribute."
"That's right. Your mother was surprised, too. But you're our son, after all. We're proud of you."
When Mom and Dad said that, tears began to spill from my eyes as relief and happiness washed over me.
"Mom, Dad, thank you."
I answered with a huge smile on my face.
"Of course. We won't tell anyone, and we'll support you. If a noble needs your abilities and is willing to help you, too, then there's nothing to worry about. Do your very best."
"Dad will miss you when you leave home in a little over a year, but I'll be supporting you, too."
"I'll support you too, Big Brother!"
"Everyone... thank you. I'll do my best!"
I was so happy that everyone supported me. I'm glad I was reincarnated into this family.
"Since we're not serving customers tonight, why don't we all make something special and eat together?"
"Sounds good. Marie, what do you want to eat?"
"Pancakes!"
"Hee-hee, you really do love pancakes, Marie. But let's have pancakes for dessert. What do you want for dinner?"
While everyone was having that conversation, I remembered that Anne-san had also packed souvenirs for my family in the bag with my study materials!
"Everyone, the maid at Frederick-sama's mansion gave me some souvenirs to bring home! Look!"
"Big Brother, what's this? Salt?"
"Marie, this is sugar."
"Sugar?"
"That's right. It's incredibly sweet."
"Really!? I love sweet things!"
"I'll use it to make French toast today."
"Oh my, you're going to make it, Leon? I'm looking forward to it."
"Leon's cooking is delicious, after all."
Everyone was smiling. Thank goodness...
"I'll recreate what we ate at the café in the central district, so it will definitely be delicious!"
"Really!? Yay! I love yummy, sweet things!"
"Then let's all go to the dining room."
"Yes, let's do that."
"Yeah!"
And so the whole family went to the dining room and made French toast together. The French toast we made together as a family tasted even better than what I had eaten in the central district.
The French toast was a huge hit, and Marie became completely addicted to sugar.
From then on, whenever I went to the central district, I had to buy sugar as a souvenir for the family. Well, they were always so happy to receive it that I didn't mind.