[Seraph's POV.]
I managed to send a water ball flying without much problems.
I remember that it took Rudeus quite some time to figure out the method to do it. Something like 2 weeks or 2 months?
For this, I relied on Rudeus's experiences and what I remembered from the novel. That was all.
Once I kept what I needed to do in mind and focused, it wasn't hard to pull it off. Whether it was due to my training or not, I guess my magical affinity and talent are still pretty good!
On the other hand, Rudeus seemed to be depressed due to his low mana.
Well…
Unlike me, he didn't practice with mana before, so of course his mana reserves would be very little at this age.
I said all I wanted and could in regards to it at that time.
If he wants to improve, he only needs to keep training and in the next few days he'll realize that he can grow his mana pool.
Hopefully, I could still have more mana though, or at least just as much.
In fact, if I could at least have as much mana as the original Laplace thanks to beginning my training 2 years earlier, half of what Rudeus's potential, but I could also use Battle Aura instead, then that would really be quite the optimal route.
Right now, I let out a breath and opened the door of the study room.
After entering the corridor, I soon ran into the kitchen while wearing an excited smile.
Inside the kitchen, Lilia was preparing dinner and Zenith was helping her.
Zenith seemed to enjoy cooking and trying out various recipes with Lilia. She really was into the housewife's ordinary lifestyle.
"Oh, Seraph. What are you doing here? Are you hungry?" Zenith greeted me with a beautiful loving smile.
Lilia also turned to look at me. Her expression remained reserved, but I could see her eyes smiling.
I shook my head at Zenith's question. Then I excitedly stretched out my hand and called out, "Mom, look what I can do!"
Then I formed a sphere of water in front of my palm.
"..." Zenith was frozen for a moment as she stared at it, and then shouted out: "Voiceless magic?!!!"
She was so loud that I was genuinely startled.
I dropped the water bullet to the ground.
Splat.
Very quickly, her expression changed into a very intense smile and she slowly asked me, "Seraph… How did you learn to do that?"
Unaware to me, Rudeus stood in the corridor and saw our mother's exaggerated reaction. 'Crap. What's with that creepy smile?'
But I knew that Zenith's shocked face was not due to anger. I muttered, "Um, I learned it from the book…"
"The book on magic?" Zenith asked while smiling brightly.
"... I'm sorry," I muttered quietly while casting my gaze downwards.
"Yaaaaah!" Zenith let out a high-pitched scream, then kneeled down and started hugging me tightly. "I knew my Seraph was a genius!"
Lilia: "..."
"What happened? I heard a shout." Paul bursted into the kitchen at that moment.
Zenith let go of me and said, "Our boy is a magical genius! Seraph just cast his first magic. Without a chant!"
"What? First magic? Without a chant?"
But Zenith ignored Paul's surprise and continued, "Let's hire a magic tutor right away! This child will become a remarkable magician in the future!"
Paul was still confused, while Zenith was completely delighted.
Paul said, "A magic tutor? But he's only two. No, wait. You said he can do voiceless magic?"
"Mmm. Seraph, show papa what you can do," Zenith said as he looked at me with expectations.
After a moment's lag, I faintly nodded my head at her. Then I momentarily looked up at Paul with a bit of childish anxiety, and then stretched out my hand.
"Mmm…" I let out a humming sound as I showed an expression of concentration.
Then I formed a water ball in front of my palm just like before.
"Yaaah! Did you see that, dear? Seraph is a magical genius!" Zenith ran up to Paul, grasped his hands and started jumping in exhilaration. "Yay! Dear, go out to Roa tomorrow and put up a job request! This talent must be properly trained!"
…
Zenith wanted to hire a magic tutor right away.
Paul did not object to the idea after seeing what I could do.
But I personally shot it down and said that just learning from the book for now was enough.
In the original, Roxy was hired only when Rudeus was 3 years old.
If my parents tried to look for a magic tutor right now, then there is a chance that it would not be Roxy.
Apart from other things, Roxy was said to be a good teacher in the novel.
If the theoretical side of magic was concerned, I think it was true. It would be extremely difficult to find a better tutor that would come to this rural village to tutor a kid of a low-ranked knight.
For the time being, I felt that experimenting by myself just with the magic guide book would be just right.
Through this year I can learn the spells in the book by myself and develop my own understanding of magic without being influenced by someone else.
In the future, I can supplement it with Roxy's lessons to fill in any holes.
It seemed like a good enough plan.
Luckily, my parents didn't object to the idea of delaying to recruit a tutor.
It was very likely because I was still way too young and also didn't yet master reading.
Unfortunately, I was forbidden from using magic unless someone was watching over me. Zenith and Paul should be worried that I might hurt myself or someone else.
And it was not strange since a misfired spell could potentially blow myself up, perhaps even along with someone else.
After all, once again, I was only 2 years old.
However, the advantage was that I could try all kinds of spells in the courtyard without hiding and holding back! This was my main reason for revealing my talent.
…
[Rudeus's POV.]
After witnessing my brother cast magic voicelessly, our parents did not scold him, but were instead delighted.
It seemed that I worried unnecessarily.
Zenith proclaimed Seraph as a genius and wanted to immediately hire a tutor.
In the past, the same thing happened when my younger brother was born.
He grew up fast, and did everything faster than me and my older brother. Saying words out, walking on his own feet.
My parents praised my younger brother's talent, and let him learn all kinds of things.
Zenith and Paul were similar.
Is being able to cast magic voicelessly a huge deal? Or is it just the fact that he managed to cast magic?
I was also able to cast magic voicelessly, but with my pitiful mana reserves, I guess it was probably useless.
In the present, as Seraph grabbed the magic book and walked outside to practice, I stayed in the study room and expressionlessly watched him from the window.
I neither had any mana left nor did I want to leave the house.
The ice armory my new brother created in the room was completely ignored.
Outside, I could see Zenith watching over Seraph as the latter was squatted over the magic guidebook.
And then my brother started casting all kinds of spells.
A gust of wind, a whirlwind, a fireball, a water wall, an earth spike…
He continued at it without stopping and Zenith excitedly cheered him on.
He really did have amazing mana reserves.
It made me feel really jealous.
Damn it.
"Hey, Rudi! Over here!" I heard Paul's shout as he waved toward me.
I turned my head to look at him.
Around this time, Paul was also training in the courtyard, practicing swordsmanship without a shirt, his body brimming with muscles.
Paul smiled. "Magic is good, but firstly a man needs to be… *strong*!"
Letting out a 'Ha!' shout, he then swung out his sword at unperceivable speed and slashed at a huge boulder, causing it to break apart in a straight line almost as if cut by a blade.
I then saw Paul slightly smirking with a proud look as he placed his sword over his muscular shoulders and looked at me. He smugly asked, "What do you think, son? Of the beauty of the sword."
I smirked.
Did he bring that heavy boulder into the courtyard just to show off his two year old son how he slices it in half?
It was quite impressive though.
I'm not sure how he did that, but it should be an application of magic power, right?
Otherwise it would be impossible to cut the boulder in half so cleanly.
With my mana reserves, could I still learn to do it?
As I was thinking this, my brother called out downstairs, "Dad, you're amazing!"
"Haha!" Paul grinned a bit foolishly as he looked at Seraph, looking satisfied with himself.
He's really easy to handle, huh?
…
[Seraph's POV.]
After slicing the boulder in half, Paul returned to his sword training, and I inadvertently took a peek.
"Ha! Yah!"
He seemed to be especially flexing that day, doing all kinds of flashy movements while letting out loud shouts.
I felt that he was probably trying hard to get Rudeus interested in swordsmanship by showing off. Showing him that the sword wasn't any worse than magic.
I found it to be somewhat cute.
Paul was quite inconsiderate and childish, but he did try hard to be a respected father.
And in truth, his movements with the swords really did look attractive. His speed, power and grace as he handled the sword were mesmerizing.
As a man, I still had to admit it. He was sexy.
And Zenith seemed to be reflecting my thoughts as I saw her looking at him with love in her eyes.
I let out a breath.
Hopefully I have inherited Paul's physique.
His talent for the sword, or even better.
And his stamina.
I shook my head off unnecessary thoughts and focused back on the magic guidebook.