Fate\/World Novel Chapter 44

Chapter 44: Chapter 44

I quietly stared at the white ceiling of the apartnt that had beco my new ho, hands crossed under my head and one leg folded up over the other. Weak sunlight filtered through the open blinds of the window opposite the bed along with the chill early winter air. The two combined were a rather pleasant sensation.

There was no sll of frying oil, no hustle bustle from early custors looking for a quick breakfast on their way to work and no blaring honks and cursing from the usual chafed Londoner.

Honestly, I didn’t miss all of that either.

But no, being thankful for all of that was not the reason I’d been staring at the ceiling for well over an hour since I’d woken up. It was sothing else entirely.

You see, after a heated discussion with the professor that went late into the afternoon yesterday, I’d finally managed to learn my affinity through a series of tests and... tarot fortune-telling for so reason.

It was sothing quite rare and the man had expectedly grilled

about keeping it under wraps. Sotis, I doubted he placed any trust in my ability to keep my mouth shut. Then, I rembered just who I was and realised that he was completely right about the mistrust.

That did not stop

from being grumpy about it anyway.

My Elental Affinity wasn’t one of the natural Five Great Elents of Fire, Wind, Earth, Air or the Mage’s Association own entry, Void. No, it was one of two illusive Imaginary Elents. Hollow.

Now, as much as I wished that ant I could form a white demonic mask, start howling and firing off beams of pure destruction, it didn’t. What it did allow, at least according to Waver, was interaction with a place called the Imaginary Numbers Space.

In theory, this place was supposed to be a void, an ’imaginary’ place that was technically not real yet surely existed, where everything and nothing was possible in tandem. It was the opposite of the Real Numbers Space which was supposed to be our reality as we knew it.

Admittedly, that was the extent of my knowledge about this particular subject... and it didn’t really help

understand anything. But, the very words ’imaginary numbers’ and ’unreal space’ did bring up a rather interesting thought.

Licking my dry lips, I took my aviators in my hands and tilted them at a certain angle so as to create a reflection. A reflection of my eyes. A majestic blue sky that seed fantastical, stuffed into two orbs.

Yes, it did bring up so very interesting thoughts indeed, thoughts I was going to put so ti into and bring into reality. If anyone could do it, it was . I could do the necessary calculations in the back of my head as I went about my day. I was literally him after all. There were definitely going to be spectacular failures but each failure would bring

infinitely closer to my newfound goal of employing this ability to interact with the imaginary numbers space towards... well, that was a secret~.

Snorting, I slid my aviators back on and threw myself up. My body groaned, not wanting to leave the comfort of the soft bed... but I wasn’t going to give in. Or rather, there was a reason to get up.

The second I pushed down my newfound obsession with magecraft, another train of thoughts ca ramming into my mind at breakneck speeds. That was...

"Man, I miss Luvia."

Neither of us was very experienced... and I got the distinct feeling things were getting a little too passionate than they were supposed to but... well, I didn’t care. My feelings were real. Hers were too, I knew.

I wanted to be with her, help her, get coddled by her and most importantly, to bother her over little things like usual.

That was all that really mattered to .

With a huff, I rose to my feet and stumbled into the bathroom. After washing my face with the cold water and tying up my hair in a man bun that would make pre-Hitler era Geto proud, I picked out a navy tracksuit that Luvia bought

the last ti we were at Carnac and a white shirt.

When I was finally done preparing for the day, I shuffled out into the living room.

"Did you get taller?"

My mother greeted

from the attached kitchen, a green apron tied around her waist and her dark hair done in a bun that put mine to sha.

"I hope so."

A man could always be taller... well, up till a certain point. I didn’t want to beco a titan or sothing. If anything, I wanted another inch or two and that would be enough.

With another groan, I plopped down at the square dining table and rested my chin on my palm. "Did you quit that stupid job yet?"

Instead of the stubborn denial I would expect from a woman of her age, Louise Smith just gave

a thumbs up.

"Yesterday. The manager was pretty shaken. Oh, and, he told

to give you his congratulations." She said idly, fiddling with a thermos. "Are... are you really sure though?"

I sighed. "I’m not having this discussion again, ma’am. There’s no need for you to work anymore."

The average weekly inco in this day and age was sothing like 500 pounds a week or sothing for a full-grown adult, I brought ho double that. There really was no need. Even then, that was the extent of what I could bring ho without her getting suspicious.

She still thought Waver was a prestigious professor paying ... the truth was wholly different. The Professor was even more broke than I was. The money ca from odd jobs and my shares in Carnac... and now from the inherited businesses of the Ashborn family.

"Alright, big man." She laughed. I couldn’t help but smile at that.

The older woman was becoming a bit more livelier as ti passed. For the kind of spartan lifestyle she’d led to properly raise Henry and Ellie, she deserved all the comfort in the world.

I could distinctly recall her listening to Henry drone about his day like an idiot kid while barely conscious from exhaustion... yet, sohow, she still expressed interested instead of telling him to fuck off in favour of a nap.

Yeah, she really did deserve it.

"Are you thinking about that girl again?"

"...What? No. Where’d that even co from?"

"Well, you were smiling and all." She said confusedly as she walked out of the kitchen with about a dozen pancakes stacked on top of one another in a ceramic plate.

"It was cause I was happy you don’t have to run yourself into the ground anymore."

This ti, she didn’t answer. She just put a hand on my head and ruffled my hair... or at least tried to, my manbun was of immaculate structural design and withstood her onslaught like a true hero, with not even a single strand of hair bothered by her savagery.

"You don’t need to think about that stuff. It’s what any mother would do."

Yeah... if only that were true.

I could definitively na one mother that straight up ditched her own kid for not eting expectations despite having a significantly easier life. Ugh. I pushed away the sour mories by unceremoniously biting into a pancake.

Shit was bland-

"Here’s the maple syrup. Your next words will be, ’how’d she know’ right?"

How’d she know-... What the fuck?

"Don’t swear." She softly hand chopped my shoulder. "Also, I’m your mother, rember?"

What in the actual fu-... How?! There was... Was she so kind of psychic? Were those even a thing in this world?

Before I could ask her, Ellie waddled in dressed in her banana-patterned pajamas. She rcilessly dragged her teddy bear along the floor with one hand, and used the other small one to rub her face as she yawned.

Without a word, she stepped up to us, and began looking between

and the chair beside , tiny brows furrowed. After about a minute of deliberation of so topic clearly too complicated for re mortals, she just held up both of her hands.

I was... confused.

"Your lap." My mother laughed softly.

I could only comply. When she settled on my lap, she opened her mouth. "Hal. Bite."

Awwwwww-

My heart was unable to handle the level of cuteness. In fact, I refused to believe there was a man out there who would NOT lt at this sight. If there was indeed such a man, he was one of the opps now, and it was going to be on sight.

I spoiled my cute little sister as much as she wanted.

And yet, as I fed her, a terribly distasteful realisation hit . The sort that killed my appetite and ruined my mood fully.

The incident with Adra Castle had really run ho just how detached magi were willing to be in their efforts towards their research and one-upping one another. Now that I was a New Ager who’d sohow managed the rank of Cause, those nasty gazes were no doubt going to fall on

as well.

As I continued to improve, they would increase, and beco nastier and more predatory.

At that point, it wouldn’t be out of question that these people were going to want to target my family. No, it was definitely going to happen, beyond any doubt. It didn’t matter that Mystic Eyes could be a spontaneous phenonon, they...

I pursed my lips, and fed Ellie another bite before glancing at my mother sipping her coffee.

An application of the mory alteration spells the magi employed to cover up their tracks could make them forget my existence and-... No, I didn’t want to do that. Even if it was the most optimal option, I just didn’t.

The only option left then was to beco untouchable. Soone so feared within the ranks of magi that they wouldn’t dare to even think of doing sothing to my family.

The decision was an unexpectedly easy one. If I could realise my plans for the imaginary numbers space, it’d be very well within my reach to do sothing like that.

Until then, maybe it was safer to move them?

"Hmm, maybe Luvia would..."

She was the only person trustworthy enough. Well, Waver was an option but the guy was likely to snap a bone or sothing from a strong wind so... yeah.

"You’re using nicknas now?" My mother broke my thoughts. "Hal... I... Just be careful, okay?"

"You know, if you’re that worried," I started, holding a spoon to Ellie’s lips. "You should really et Luviagelita."

"Maybe I should-"

Both of us were distracted by Ellie gripping my shoulder with both hands as hard as she could, brows furrowed in so kind of... anger.

"Hal is going to stay with . I’m not giving him to anyone."

"..."

Awwwwww-

"What about when you grow up?" My mother humored her, smiling amusedly.

"Then I take him with . And he takes care of !"

AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW-

"Ellie, I think you’re going to give your brother a stroke."

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You can find 7 chonky Chapters ahead at patre0n/Bleap