The Sleeping Devil

As I was having tea with Didier, I started feeling a little sleepy when Noah and Hermes returned.

"Sheriel, from now on, you shall be learning magic from Noah."

Hermes, looking a bit pale, sighed reluctantly.

I wonder what they were talking about earlier. Regardless, I am quite satisfied that Noah has been acknowledged and allowed to teach me magic.

I guess this is what they call "making the best of a bad situation."

"Thank you very much, Grandfather! And thank you too, Noah! But are you sure it's okay?"

"Heh, it's just perfect for me too. Shall we begin the lessons starting tomorrow?"

Noah responded with a slight smile that didn't falter. It seems like he's still shy around people he doesn't know well.

"Oh, this is my brother. Please get along with Noah, brother."

Didier stood up and slowly walked over to Noah. I watched their interaction closely, hoping they wouldn't get into a fight.

"I am Didier Beriard, the eldest son of the Marquis Beriard."

"Let's just call me Noah."

Phew, that was close. I need to teach Noah a bit more about human society. At least, I should warn him about the Beriard family's sensitivities in advance. Noah's impertinent attitude might provoke Didier unintentionally.

"No matter who you are, as long as you don't reveal your identity, I won't show any respect to you."

"Didier! Be more mature."

Hermes raised his voice unusually. Indeed, Didier might still have a childish side, after all, to get worked up with a cat as his opponent.

"That's enough, Didier. Although you aren't friends, from now on, you are in a position to ask for lessons. Mind your words."

"Oh, yes, you're right. Understood. Well then, please teach me, Professor Noah."

Noah's faint smile remained unchanged, and he just nodded slightly. It seems he's still feeling uncomfortable around strangers.

"It's alright, Grandfather. I'm sure he wants the same thing. Right, Noah?"

"Yeah, I don't mind, Didier."

Somehow, it seems like a bond of friendship has formed between the two. Now that I think about it, Noah is a boy, so playing with Didier might be more fun for him than lazing around with me on the bed.

"Noah, it's good that you'll have more friends now. Oh, I mean, Professor Noah."

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"Hehe... Yeah, you're right. You two are my first human friends."

Hermes seemed to have given up, as he didn't say anything further and silently moved to the side of the wall. I had hoped for Hermes to become friends with Noah as well, but it seems that it won't happen so easily.

"By the way, there's something I need to tell you. Can I have a moment?"

"Yes, what is it?"

"In about three years, you might die. Just be prepared for that."

"What?"

Time seemed to stop as I stood frozen, trying to digest Noah's words. It felt like he was casually talking about the weather, making a life and death announcement devoid of any unnecessary emotions.

Not just me, but Didier and Hermes didn't say anything either. Looking at Hermes, who was looking down with a calm expression, I could sense that Noah wasn't lying.

"Um, what do you mean? Me? I might die in three years?"

Wait, wasn't it supposed to be nine years later? Did my death come sooner or something?

"It's just a prediction."

"You! What do you mean by this? Explain yourself!"

Even though Didier grabbed Noah's collar, he didn't show any change in expression. Now that I think about it, it was the first time I've seen Didier angry, and all sorts of unrelated thoughts crossed my mind.

"This child originally has an abundant amount of magical power. Normally, as the body grows, magical power increases along with it. However, the rate of body growth and magical power increase is not in sync. I initially thought this body would last for another ten years or so, but..."

"The ritual from yesterday accelerated it, didn't it?"

"You catch on fast; you're a good kid."

So, whether I can use magic or not, I'll die soon anyway. I might as well have lived longer by not doing anything.

Isn't this a bug in the system? I mean, if you have a lot of magical power, you would expect the body to be prepared accordingly. What kind of incompetent god is behind all this?

"Why... why did you perform such a ritual! If that's the case, there was no need for a blessing! You knew about it, didn't you?"

"I had a hunch, but you never really know until you try it, right? Isn't that how magic works?"

"Are you insane? Sherry is supposed to... in three years... It can't be true..."

While I was slighted by the gods, Didier's eyes seemed vacant.

"Don't worry, big brother. We made a promise before, didn't we? I won't die before you. I'm sure everything will be fine. Right, Professor Noah?"

"Well, it's not impossible. I'll just say that it's theoretically possible."

"Do whatever it takes! If Sherry dies, I'll kill you!"

"Now, now, big brother!"

Though I was shaken, looking at Didier somehow calmed me down. If Noah, who was able to bless me with sheer strength, was here, he might be able to do something. That baseless trust in him existed.

"I've already informed your parents. If you're concerned, I'll give you a detailed explanation during our first lesson."

"Yes... please, and thank you."

How could I not be concerned? Perhaps there's a difference in perception between magical beasts and humans. It's complicated to start feeling a bit of that Beriard attitude in that adorable cat. First, the failure of the blessing, and now the matter of a three-year lifespan... I just want to live peacefully.

"By the way, can I set up a teleportation array here?"

"Teleportation? You mean that instant movement thing? Please make sure it's outside the room, not inside. Otherwise, it could be troublesome, like when I'm changing clothes."

Even though he's a cat, him having the ability to transform into a human and speak makes me feel like he should avoid suddenly appearing when I'm in the middle of changing.

"Mmm, that's true. Well then, I'll take my leave for tonight. See you tomorrow, Sheriel."

With those parting words, he didn't even need a farewell gesture, just raised his hand and left the room. Soon after, light leaked through the gap in the door, indicating that Noah had left.

I had only seen life magic before, such as conjuring water or adjusting fire, so I thought it would have been nice if I could have seen teleportation while he was here.

"Heh... Sheriel always manages to cause one problem after another. It's never boring, but I wish she'd stop getting herself into life-threatening situations."

"I'm not doing it on purpose, you know..."

Following the commotion of last night, it had become another restless night. I had thought my sleepiness was gone, but as soon as I lay down, I dozed off.

The next morning, before breakfast, as I was getting ready to invite the priest for a walk, Sergio's chief advisor, Zaris, visited my room.

"I apologize for the suddenness, but Lord Sergio is calling for you."

"My father? Alright, I'll go right away."

When I entered the discussion room, not only Sergio, but also Dior and Didier were present. Hermes had some other business and was absent.

After exchanging simple morning greetings, we immediately got to the main topic.

"Sheriel, the blessing has been successfully performed, and now we need to go to the royal palace to report it. So, I thought we should have a brief meeting first."

I see, I hadn't thought that there would be any kind of registration or management, but it seems like a report has to be made after the baptism ceremony.

"So, first, what will be Sheriel's status? Will she be recognized as your biological child or adopted? Initially, I was planning to register her as your biological child, but it seems Didier has taken quite a liking to her."

"Does Didier have some kind of connection to this decision?"

I turned my head slightly toward Didier, but he seemed to be unsure as well. Sergio looked slightly surprised and then turned towards Didier.

"Um, if Didier wants to marry Sheriel, then we need to register her as adopted. So, Didier, what do you think?"

"Marry Sheriel... I don't want that. It's better to have her officially recorded as my little sister."

Marry? Didier and me? Certainly, we were only distant cousins, so it would be permissible, but I had never even considered it. Besides, now he just casually turned me down.

"Oh, that's surprising. Could you tell me the reason, though? Won't you be jealous if Sheriel marries someone else?"

"Of course, I won't allow it unless it's someone I approve of. But I believe the bond between siblings, who support each other unconditionally, is more beautiful than any vow that can be dissolved. After all, wouldn't my blood relation make our bond stronger than with a mere husband? Ah, I might feel jealous of Sheriel's child, as they would have stronger blood ties with her than me."

Is that how it works? Even though I got rejected, it's a bit embarrassing that Didier cares about me so much.

"Well, I can understand that somewhat since Dior and I are also distant cousins. I think I made the right choice marrying Dior."

"It's a bit strange to have your sights set on Sheriel..."

A somewhat awkward silence fell upon the room.

"I see, fine then. If that's the case, Didier, you should start looking for a partner soon. It's difficult for the Beriards to find compatible matches."

"Sigh... Do I really have to get married? Oh, I know, how about we adopt Sheriel's child? That way, there won't be any issue with the successor, and I can cherish them even more than my own child."

Wait, wait, how did we end up here? Brother?

I had heard that the Beriard family encouraged love marriages. The reason being that political marriages could lead to killing one's partner if there was no affection involved. That's why they probably sought Didier's opinion at this moment.

"Yeah, that's a good idea too. If Didier can't find a partner, then Sheriel can do her best to find one."

Huh? Shouldn't you, as the parent, caution him instead? I'm completely left out of the conversation, and it puts enormous pressure on me, not knowing how many years I have left to live.

"Then Sheriel will go through the procedure as my biological child. From now on, Sheriel will truly be my daughter. Let's celebrate a day late tonight."

"Y-Yes! Thank you very much."

Carrying the pressure of marriage but also feeling joy in the words "true family," Sheriel nodded with a gentle smile.

"So, about the registration of your attribute, what should we do? According to Noah, it's 'zen,' but if we submit the registration as it is, it might cause some trouble."

I hadn't really thought that far ahead about the attribute registration. But if Sergio finds it troublesome, then it means there will be more problems for the Beriards to handle.

"How about Water as my attribute? You know, water is colorless and transparent, right? I think it would explain my hair as well."

"Sherry...! Just because water is transparent... That's such a foolish excuse..."

For some reason, Didier seemed to have hit a weird nerve again. While we might have become close, I still don't understand Didier's triggers, but I decided to ignore it, thinking that geniuses have their own sensitivities.

"That's fine, isn't it? Water would also match with Didier. Well, the attribute color isn't something you choose, but it's a good way to make it sound plausible."

Isn't it? I vaguely remember that in my previous life, when people talked about magic, water attributes were associated with the color blue. But in reality, it seems water attributes are more of a watercolor shade, closer to a natural color. I'll ask Noah about this later, as it seems to be something they learn in magic class.

And so, our arrangement regarding my false identity was settled, and I was informed about the rest of today's schedule. The magic class with Noah had apparently been arranged last night, and it would take place in the late afternoon. I had only the time after breakfast to speak with the priest.

Surprisingly, there was no mention of the matter regarding my three-year lifespan, which gave me some relief. For now, I had plenty of things to do, and I didn't want to think about my remaining time for the next half-day or so.

I was worried that I wouldn't be able to talk to the priest today, but I found him at the breakfast table, and that relieved me. At the same time, Marcel urged me for a response to his proposal from yesterday.