New Family

I arrive at the main kitchen building. Then I see many maids are busy preparing for meals.

"Ah, Shion-sama. Good morning!"

They notice me and greet me with a delightful voice.

Ahh... maids are wonderful.

Unlike the men of this house, my mother and the maids treat me gently despite my defective trait. Looking at the maids reminds me of my female colleagues, so I just can't help but wanting to support them as well.

I don't mean to brag but I'm pretty popular with my family's maids.

Using knowledge from my previous world, I helped the maids with various things.

For example, I used empty 2 litre oil cans in warehouse to create watering cans 2 years ago. Apparently, the maids of this house use their magic to bring water and sprinkle it to the plants on the garden. Magic is used as parts of daily life in this world so the maids will have other jobs that require magic other than watering the plants.

So I made a simple watering can so that they won't have to use their mana just for watering the plants. They said that using magic is usually more exhausting than manual labour, not that I can feel it with my condition. In any case, they were extremely grateful about it even though I just gave them the simple watering cans made out of leftover oil cans.

Another example would be the bath. A bath using hot water is considered a luxury here. Therefore, only nobles and people with rank above manage to afford the price. Unfortunately, the maids in the house are not given the same privilege. They have to bear bathing with the cold water that was taken from well.

Heating the water using magic is an easy task for most people. However, it is not practical to heat the water using magic and take a bath at the same time. People will just get more tired after the bath.

Normally, a noble bathroom has a mana-powered heating device to continuously heat the water while the nobles are taking a bath. My family is not an exception.

I would like to just give them the permission to bath with the same bathroom as mine but it's hard for the maid to accept my offer because of our difference in status.

In the end, I had an idea of creating a hot bath using unused metal barrels in the warehouse last year. Our family often get gifts from other noble family, and some of them are raw meats that was preserved inside those metal barrels. Apparently it's normal to preserve food inside metal barrel in this world with the help of magic. After taking the food, we usually either throw those barrels away or store it in warehouse depending on the condition of the barrel.

I wanted to take the metal barrel from the warehouse and put it on top of 4 bricks that support them.

Putting the metal barrel on the bricks was the real struggle. I had to climb an unused wooden chair besides the metal barrel, just so I can push it and let it fall to the ground. I was lucky enough to find the chair, it was put in the warehouse because Korsch said that the chair was shaky and defected. Though I know that he just refused to admit that his own weight is mainly the reason.

The fall of the metal barrel makes a sound but it should be fine because the storage room is far from the main house. I already memorise the maids' patrol house so I chose the timing when the maid who is responsible to patrol this area is rotating her job to another maid.

I rolled the metal barrel to outside of storage house... only to see a maid with short brown hair looking at me with a confused expression. I quickly explained my intention to her, and she agreed on helping under the condition that she is the one who would take care of the labour task.

Thank goodness it was her who found me. If it's the head maid, I would have gotten scolded and taken back to the main house. After the maid put the metal barrel on top of the bricks, she put a bit of firewoods below the metal barrel.

Rather than directly heat the water using magic, the maids can just use fire magic to burn the firewood so that the fire continuously heat the water until the firewoods are completely burnt. Apparently the maids never thought about that method.

Well, it looked simple that I felt like upgrading it a little bit more. But if I made it too flashy, Korsch might notice it and makes some trouble out of jealousy so I'll just settle with this. The maids themselves can use fire magic to burn the firewoods.

Not really convenient in my standard but the maids were extremely grateful to me. They never thought that they would ever be able to bathe in hot water. They also said that the bath relieves their fatigues. Well, at least they are satisfied with it. And with my other helps from the past using little bit of knowledge from my previous world, the maids become fond of me over the last two years.

The memories and knowledge from previous world are somehow handy to have here. However, I have no intention to do anything big with this knowledge. As long as this knowledge protects the good life that I'm having right now, I'm already satisfied with it.

Less than few seconds after my arrival in the main kitchen building, a short brown-haired maid approaches me with cheerful face.

"Morning, Shion-sama! The food is almost done so could you please wait a little bit more?"

"Morning Nels. Don't worry, I don't mind waiting."

This maid is Nelsia Klanjour, one of few senior maids in this house. I say senior but it does not mean that she is old. I heard that she has been working with this family ever since she was young. This year her age should be about 20 I believe. Her cheerful personality often gives emotional support to those around her, including me.

Then a blonde maid wearing glasses and bun hairstyle also approaches me. That person is Kaina Silford, the head maid. She is the oldest maid that still work in this with Graize family (though I won't ever say the "old" part in front of the person herself).

"Good morning, Shion-sama. The food is ready. Nelsia will bring the food to the room so you two can go together."

"Morning, Kaina. How about I bring the tray this time? I would like to do bring the food to my mother at least once in my life."

"I won't allow that."

Ah... figures. On top of being born without being able to use magic, I also have weak constitution. That's why I trained my physical body over the past few years but Kaina never approve the results of my training.

Come to think of it, she was the only one who always gets angry because I exhausted myself creating the metal barrel bath, the watering can and other stuff in the past.

"Earlier, you played with Bielly right? I'm sure that your body is already tired from all that play. So just let Nelsia bring the food today."

She says that as she touches her glasses' frame as if she wants to emphasis her argument.

"You said that but you definitely won't let me do it tomorrow..."

"Don't worry, I will think about it once your health improves."

Well, no point arguing about it for now. I don't want my mother to wait any longer so I proceeds to walk to her room together with Nelsia who is bringing my mother's breakfast.

"Say, Shion-sama. Do you have any schedule of going to a barber any time soon?"

Nelsia suddenly says that while we're walking together.

"Huh? No. Why ask?"

"Well... your bangs looks quite long already. I think it's about time to at least cut those bangs. Shion-sama is cute after all. It's a waste that the bangs hide your cuteness."

"Hmm... I have no problem with it so far but..."

I say that as I fiddle a bit with my bangs. Even so, I am still a child of noble. I still need to mind my appearance so as not to ashame my family.

"Got it. I'll go to barber shop when I have the time."

"It's decide- wait, you're not calling the barber to the house?"

"That kind of thing is more for preparation towards party or formal ceremonies right? If it's just to cut the bangs, normal barber shop is more than enough."

"I see... then I will accompany you!"

"So that you can slack off in the town?"

"T- there's no way I would dare to do that!"

Nelsia gets shaken by my joke a bit but she still holds the tray properly.

"Hehe, it's just a joke. Don't worry."

"C'mon Shion-sama... don't even joke about that. If Kaina is here, she would not take it as a joke."

"Sorry about that. So, about when we should go to the barber-"

Suddenly Nelsia's face stiffens up. I immediately hear footsteps coming from the front.

I see a strong-looking blonde bearded man wearing golden knight armor with a middle-aged man wearing formal brown military clothes.

The man wearing the knight armor is my father, Graize Els Victorius. And the person besides him is his advisor, Elbehnna Orarorio. My father being in knight armor might have something to do with his job at Capital City. My father together with Millson and their knight units are busy preparing to go ever since few days ago. Not that I know the exact detail of the mission.

As Nelsia loses all her cheerfulness after seeing both of them, she nervously steps aside to let them pass us. I also do the same.

I expect both of them to immediately pass us. But both of them stop in front of us instead. Then Victorious suddenly talk.

"Is that Shino's breakfast?"

"Y- yes! We were bringing madam's breakfast right now!"

Nelsia says that while bowing towards Victorious. Despite working here, she never get used to being with my father. Well, it's not surprising. My father's stoic behaviour is one of the causes. I never see him talking about private matters even once in my life.

"I see."

Victorious says that. Then he looks at me. I just look at him back silently.

After few seconds of silence, the advisor suddenly speaks up.

"Sir..."

"I know."

As my father replies that, both of them just walk past me and Nelsia.

Well, that sums up the relationship between Graize Els Victorious and Graize Els Shion. We never really had a proper talk even once in my life. I don't know what he's thinking at all.

His behaviour is not the entire cause though. I am also part of the cause. The fact that he is my father in this world always reminds me of my father in the previous world. Even though I know that it's a family matter that I need to solve sooner or later, I just can't help but to have negative thoughts about him.

On top of rarely coming to see my mother these days, he never comes to my mother's birthday party due to his work. Even so, my mother said to me many times that she's okay with it and still loves him. That's why I never complain directly in front of him. I complained about him countless times behind his back though.

Now that he is out of the way, I need to hurry and deliver the food before it gets cold.

Upon arriving in front of my mother's room, Nelsia gently knocks the door using her right hand.

"Madam, your breakfast is here."

"Come in."

A sweet and gentle voice can be heard from behind the door of this room.

As both of us enter the room, we see a beautiful lady with black long hair sitting on her bed.

"Ah, Shion... you're here too. Mother is so happy."

"Yeah. Nelsia was about to bring your breakfast. How's your body?"

"Shion is so kind... don't worry, mother is healthy as usual."

Figures... since I'm a kid right now, she would never answer my question seriously. She doesn't want me to get worried after all.

Just like me, my mother was born with a weak constitution. Apparently her condition worsened after giving birth to me. She spent most of her daily life in her room ever since then.

It's not like my family never took action for this. We called countless doctors hoping that they can make mother's condition better. But none of them can do it. They said that my mother's body is too weak to even take the medication. Letting her rest for most of the time is the only thing they can do. However...

Suddenly, I see my mother coughing in the middle of breakfast. Nelsia hastily gives her water. My mother tries her best to act fine. But even I can tell that she just act tough.

... there is not much time left.

After my mother finishes her breakfast. I go back to my room. There is something that I must immediately do.

... I don't want to give up.

Seven years ago, I finally had a full understanding about my mother's condition.

Six years ago, I often sneaked into family's library and finally had a full understanding about what magic is.

Five years ago, I found a magic technique that does not require the usage of my own mana. It's called Alchemy. A magic technique that uses ingredients to create magical items. Apparently, some of their recipes are about creating a universal cure and the means of prolonging life.

Four years ago, I finally found a ray of hope. An alchemy recipe that might be able to cure my mother. The recipe of Graize Family's Elixir. I found it from a very old book that was placed among the books in alchemy section of the library.

Three years ago, I often sneaked out a lot in the night to gather the plant materials needed for the Elixir recipe. Apparently the materials can be gathered from Graize family's land.

Two years ago, I realized that in order to get the final material of the elixir, I need to fight a very strong monster that resides somewhere within Graize's land. The monster's unknown whereabouts is the reason why the Graize family nowadays are unable to create this elixir. Thus, begun my preparation to take down that monster, starting from physical training and magical training to pinpointing the location of that monster.

One year ago, I obtained a unique magic technique that should be able to take down the monster. The book also showed the characteristic of the monster so I'm sure that my new power will be a good match for it.

And this year, I finally mastered this unique power of mine. A power that only a defect like me can have.... Not only that, I was able to pinpoint the monster's location after gathering info and rumours from the town near my house. It is not confirmed yet but the monster is most likely there.

As I close door of my room, I lock it. Then I bring out the alchemy stuff that I hide inside the closet of my room. I certainly warned the maids to not touch my closet after all, so I'm pretty sure that no one notice this yet.

... the time has finally come.

In my previous life, I was unable to repay my mother for raising before she passed away.

However, this time will be different.

I decided. In order to live a good life, I shall never make a decision that I will regret later on. I don't care even if I have to risk my life.

Using everything at my disposal, I will definitely save mother!