6 Chapter 6: Refreshing Fred! (1/2)

Mom has been in a cheerful mood these past few months. She giggles and then sighs. She mutters something and then just gets lost in thoughts. She squeals for-God-knows-why, and then she becomes like a zombie without a brain...

With dad gone and mom in such a mysterious state, I wonder what'll happen to the rest of us. Especially poor helpless little me.

”Hehehe...” Mom loses herself in imagination, giggling while mumbling, ”eat lots... he's gonna... don't worry...”

What the hell is she even doing? More importantly, how can she cut vegetables so diligently with that sharp a knife, while being lost in thought...?! Isn't that impossible?

”Mom,” Helen suddenly pops up beside her, catching her off guard as mom flinches with nervousness, ”are you in love?”

The knife drops from mom's hand with utter shock at what this child is saying...!

”This girl...!” I think with sheer bewilderment, ”Does she have any idea what she's even suggesting...?!”

”Well you see...” Mom plays with her fingers, slightly shy, ”Umm... you see,” she pauses, then she chuckles a little and then clears her throat, ”I-I think?”

”I see,” Helen says with an expressionless face and goes to the back door to resume her training. She looks at mom one last time and then leaves with a prolonging sigh of boredom.

”Nothing new,” I hear Helen mumble with a stoic face.

”Oi, can somebody here at least inform me, what the heck's going on...?!” I think with distraught. Both parent and child are so damn unpredictable! Urgh!

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The door was knocked on with a very loud sound that echoed throughout the house like a hammer hitting a nail. So damn annoying!

The living room clearly resounded more noise since the front door is nearest to here allowing my eardrums to sting bitterly.

I shrieked with all my voice when Carmine, who was also fed up of the noise, came running to my rescue. However, she began screaming with me, too.

Helen came to check up on us and the noise. When she arrived, she saw us and our eyes met, but then she just nodded and left with a stoned face, leaving me silent without a word. I was at my limit and so fed up that I pooped in my underwear...

Yet, this was not the time of embarrassment, rather planning.

That's when I saw Helen again who had tucked and pulled mom by the skirt, away from the kitchen and into the living room, pointing her index finger towards me and then at the door.

I could vaguely make out what Helen was saying to mom, ”'Your... guest'? Hmm... 'Your guest is here...'”

I fumbled down on the cradle, on top of my poop with a disgusting squishy sound that followed. With the top of my lungs as loud as i could, I began to wail.

”I've had enough now!” I thought to myself.

Mom, who had been brimmed with excitement earlier on, was now in befuddlement, as she came rushing towards me, panicking with a confused fake smile. Her face clearly indicated she did not know what to do. Too many things were in progress already.

The metal door flung open with a beep sound that followed. A grey silhouette stood at the middle of the door. The sun rays were far brighter, so I couldn't quite make out, our visitor's face. All I saw was the shining golden hair of the guy who seemed to be in his 20's.

”Hi, Mom!” the man cheerfully greeted with a dazzling smile, as he entered the room with the door behind him closing automatically, ”Did you wait long?”

”I give up,” I exclaimed to myself aimlessly.

I sighed with reluctance, as I watched his 'handsome beam' aimed at me, which I so easily pushed off. On a certain note, I was still a guy inside, so there was no way his coolness or handsomeness would affect me.

Mom and Carmine were on contrast and high in spirit.

Bingo. Right on target(s).

My suspicion got confirmed when I further saw a drool slip past Carmine's mouth although she didn't seem to mind.

I flinched awkwardly at Helen who still had the same old pocker face. Her eye brows however, changed to form a pecuular shape of either irritation, or uneasiness. She seemed somewhat gloomy altogether.

”Tch-” I heard her voice, ”him again.”

”So she does know him!” I reinstated my line of thoughts, ”But why's she so... angry?”

I couldn't help but notice the man who had so brazenly walked in earlier, a few seconds ago, now stood right next to my cradle without notice. This was a first time for me.

”Hi little one,” the man exclaimed with a gentle voice, ”Ah, I mean, lady... I am Fred, your big brother!”

So... this dude's supposed to be my big brother?! How? How can that be possible?

”Hmm...” Fred exclaimed slightly unsatisfied, ”you don't speak much, do you?”

Then he gasped, still staring at me with the eye of a hawk, ”Ahem, I'm sorry to disturb you,” he turned towards mom, ”say mom, where's my room?”

”I cleaned it up for you five months ago! Why are you so late? Do you know how worried I was?? Be thankful that I even cleaned it yesterday...!” Mom said with a sulky face with half rage and half relief.

”Yes, yes,” Fred admitted his guilt in a careless manner, ”I'm so very sorry,” he grinned foolishly, ”you're the best mom in the world!”

”Go on,” mom rushed him.

Now that the troublemaker was nowhere in site, Carmine regained her lost composure, but clearly she had twinkling eyes... ”Who's he?” she asked.

”Sadly, THAT's our Eldest Brother, Fred.” Helen spoke indifferently.

”So cool!” Carmine exclaimed with eagerness as she hummed like mom.

”Okay now,” Mom said, turning towards me, ”that's your first mess-up yet, Baby Glow. You know, you're usually such a cutie that I tend to forget, you're barely a few months old...! So mature~”

I get how mom feels. This is my first time making a mess this huge... she probably feels more relieved now that I have a cute child-like demeanor. Good thing, too!

Yeah, so this was my Eldest Brother, Fred Tempest Wildwood Windstorm. A very strong mage and also a military border knight.

”Stay away from him, Baby.” Helen whispered to me while mom was busy explaining something to Carmine.

”He is a dangerous person. Someone who smiles like a prince, but is an expert in confusing people and a crowd pleaser too...! Be cautious,” Helen rushed to finish her pep talk as mom came back.

She nodded to me and then went off out the back door with a serious look printed on her face.

Seriously, what's up with her? Ever since she discovered that I could freely manipulate mana, she's been rather fierce and distant. Her eyes are in evidently grim when she speaks to me. As if she knows that I can actually understand her...

...No way. I'm most likely overthinking the matter. That's gotta be it!

After mom had finished with the diaper, she took Carmine and went upstairs with her to Fred's room, no doubt.

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”The things I've learned about Fred are as follows: One, he is twenty years older than me. Two, he has an extreme case of charisma issue, which is pretty useful at times. Three, he has various hidden secrets that he keeps to himself, despite being a powerful dual mage...”

These thoughts kept lingering within me, while Fred had picked me up, still making a confused stare. I couldn't comprehend his thoughts, which made my blood boil in fury.

Then a certain thought reassured me, ”... Four, he's very caring towards his family and cherishes them wholeheartedly.”

”But why?” I seemed to question myself, ”for a man who had almost all perfect points, why would he, go so far for his family...? Because they raised him? Or are there other reasons??”

I'm sure there will be answers to my questions in the future. However, what bugs me most is this book in front of me that Carmine had brought me, a few months ago.

I'm extremely grateful that Carmine is still unable to 'read' books and just snatched this book from the barrister bookshelf due to the baby picture on the cover...!

It's stated very clearly about births and how this world has equally proportioned birth rates and death rates. No more, no less.

Some families, especially families of mages, tend to have a high birth rate. The reason being that after the core reaches the mana color, lime green, a mage's body reverts back to 21 and remain like that until death. However, since these cases are extremely rare, by law, mages are allowed to reproduce until they reach about 200 years in age.

Even in the lime green stage though, most mages last not more than a 500 year cycle. That's nature. To be more accurate, being a mage means to fight... at least almost 70% mages fight as adventurers, or knights, or as mercenaries. Only about 5% of mages think about life and have a family of their own. The rest of the percentage go to be either dark mages or they die at an early age.

An ordinary citizen becomes an adult at the age of 15 because they need to work and support their family. On the other hand, a mage becomes an adult when they are 21 years old. Classic. They obviously made it 21 because of two things: One, it's a highlight to the fact that 21 is when you revert after the light green stage; Two, mages barely graduate from M.T.S between the ages of 18-25. Therefore, a record must form and so, the age setting of adulthood is required forB.U.C.M for further studies.

In most cases though, either people fail to graduate from school altogether and become failed mages, or they join the Adventurers Guild Of Promising Mages (A.G.P.M).

”Longevity is only for those who knows how to treasure it, huh?” I sighed with caution, ”Then what about me? How will I live mine?”

It was peaceful now, though I didn't have many answers and like before, I glimpsed to my surroundings and surprisingly, Fred was there, cautiously eyeing at me. He had a smile plastered on his face, but there were hints of dissatisfaction and suspicion altogether. How long had he been standing right next to my cradle?!

Going so far as to cut through my perception was not something likable. Not to me at the vary least...!

”So you are smart,” Fred said with a glare like daggers and pointed in my direction, ”tell me, how can a mere child, barely able to crawl or speak...” he paused and gave me another hard stare, ”possible read?!”

This was no joke. I could understand what Helen meant what she previously told me. Fred is very charming, but he's certainly not a fool, plus being powerful... are all his key points.

A bitter foe, or a trustworthy comrade. In my life he'll be any one of those. The choice was mine to make. Right now? This is bad... really bad...

”I know you know how to speak,” Fred went on with an alarming smile and a face with conflicting feelings, ”I became suspicious the moment mom told me about the new baby's habits... going to the Enchanted Study every night who knows how... being able to crawl with barely one day of practice, speaking suddenly, yet talking less. Smiling and crying who knows when.”

This was no joke. He's really really bad news and he's really really on to me!

He took out his sword now with a very clinging sound, pointing at me and went on, ”Tell me, with your life on the line here, who are you?! The mature aura you give off is not the same as that of a baby, rather, don't babies give off immature vibes...? Now,” Fred's eyes turned stern, cold and looming with killer intent, ”speak, or you will die more horribly than a dog's death!” his voice boomed throughout the room with echoes.