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「Hein, you’ve been pushing yourself too hard lately. It seems like you’re studying magic and swordsmanship day and night without rest…」
「Mother, that’s not all. I’m also studying the knowledge necessary to be a proper noble. Of course, I haven’t been indulging in idle sleep either!」
I said it proudly.
Maybe that would have been excusable when I was a small child, but at my current age, going without sleep for a while doesn’t affect me much.
Even so, I was hoping to be praised—but Mother just…
「Sigh…」
…let out a long breath.
「M-Mother?」
I panicked.
I thought she’d be pleased…
「You know, Hein… or no, hmm… yes, lately I’ve been thinking that I need to reconsider how we interact as mother and son. As the acting regent of the ducal house, I have to manage our affairs until you come of age, but that’s made it harder to spend time with you. So—」
Mother looked at me and smiled as she spoke.
「I thought… maybe, at least when we sleep, we could be more like a normal mother and son again. If you’d like, Hein, shall we start sleeping together like we used to?」
There was only one possible answer I could give to such a wonderful suggestion.
「Yes! I would love to, Mother!」
Saying that, I threw myself into her arms.
.
.
「Mother, please don’t move」
I carefully traced magic runes onto her back as she squirmed from the ticklish sensation.
「Ara, how sweet you are, Hein」
「My kindness is for you alone, Mother」
That was my reply.
It was nothing but the truth.
Nothing else in this world has any value besides Mother.
「Oh, that’s right, Hein. You’ll start going to the academy tomorrow, don’t you? Be sure to study properly」
「Of course. I’ll endure the senseless chatter of those worthless fools」
「Hey! Really… your language is far too harsh」
Mother scolded me.
「Y-Yes… I’m sorry. Now, with this, I’ve successfully infused my magic」
I placed my palm on Mother’s back and activated the spell.
It was a defensive membrane that maintained a constant internal temperature. While it couldn’t withstand every possible attack, it would not so much as scratch even if some muscle-brained brute struck it with all their might.
Originally, I had wanted to surround her with a defensive barrier strong enough to endure tactical-class ritual sorcery, but Mother seemed to dislike flashy magic.
I cried and begged her to let me protect her, but in the end, she refused. Eventually, I had no choice but to compromise with this single protective membrane.
「Ara, how lovely」
Mother smiled.
And then—something blazed into being inside my chest, like a burning flame!
I can say it with certainty.
This is love.
I must never let that smile fade.
For that, I would even call those foolish, worthless inferiors my friends if I had to.
◆◆◆
In the central region of the Serendia continent lies a great nation known as the Guynes Empire.
Within the Guynes Empire, there exist twelve noble houses known as the Twelve Ducal Houses. Among them is the distinguished Aster Ducal House.
Those who carry the blood of Aster possess exceptional magical talent, and none more so than Hein Sera Aster—a prodigy with the greatest magical power in the history of the Aster lineage.
However, in the o.r.i.g.i.n.a.l. h.i.s.t.o.r.y, he grew arrogant with that power, sought to seize control of the Guynes Empire—and eventually the entire world—only to have his body taken over by the resurrected Demon King, and in the end, he was defeated by the Hero in a tragic demise.
But—is the so-called original history truly the only one that exists across all space and time?
There are also parallel worlds.
A parallel world is a separate world that branched off from another, existing alongside it. And t.h.i.s. w.o.r.l.d. was one of those.
Moreover, the Hein of this world also differs in a significant way from the Hein of the o.r.i.g.i.n.a.l. h.i.s.t.o.r.y.
That is—he is an extreme motherlover.
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