The headmaster of the greatest learning institute, a mediator for many countries, one of the strongest in the world, and most probably the strongest mage.
One who overlooks the entire sky island and one of the most annoying, stingy, strong old men in this world... was holding a gift?
A colorful box, the same as his eyes, with a red ribbon on it?
"Open it when you are alone. Really… alone." He said as he just put the box in my hands and I didn't even know just how my hand was stretched out to hold that box.
I looked at him blankly. Mom was the same, and Anna was still shocked, hugging me tightly.
But I can see the ones behind us.
Every single one of them, the dear cousins of mine, Rein, and all the adults, were looking at this in surprise.
I can say just from this much just how much they knew this character, and just how stingy he was to earn this great of a reaction from my ever-calm grandparents.
It was my first time even seeing them with those twitching smiles.
And he was still smiling after earning reactions like that.
Unbelievable...
"Ok then. Harry will deliver the letters soon, as well as some academy stuff. I have work, so I should take my leave-"
Like hell, you can go away after doing those things.
He knew that too and anyone can see that in that sudden change of expression that took one eighty-degree turn and became surprised to pissed off.
He will get away from this unscratched?
Sure. Try it if you can.
Others didn't see it, but I can see it, and I knew Rein could see that too.
The concentrated bloodlust they bombarded him with.
I could even see the unconscious, cold sweat that suddenly appeared at the back of his neck.
His smiling, confident eyes turned hesitant, and he looked at them with a difficult smile.
"I will be back... till midnight? Isn't that ok...?"
His voice carried fear, and their eyes carried fire that was ready to burn him down at this very moment.
'That's... actually scary...'
I didn't know if Rein's eyes can see these things as good as mine, but, all these people were giving enough pressure that they can crush some normal person to death.
That was almost as great as the one my 'gray eyes' can produce in normal circumstances.
This was seriously dangerous and this archmage headmaster before me just genuinely smiled at their smiling expressions.
He was strong mentally too... too strong actually.
'Even then... have a taste of hell~.'
There was nothing good to wish for me. He was better off with them than me.
At least he will live that way.
"Haaa... that was bad headmaster. But looks like your owl is outside too. Have some of the most memorable days of your life."
Not that you will forget this one…
I stored the box, and without even giving him a second look, I turned and hugged mom with my free hand.
Anna wasn't calming down anytime soon, and I didn't want to stay in this devastated place any longer.
"Mom. Let's get out of this place..."
"Yes, baby..."
She hugged me back, with a better expression than before, and everyone calmed down because of this sudden gift thing he had just given me.
But there should be a few things in the world I don't have or can't get easily.
I doubted it would be something like that, but this wasn't important, anyway.
Backing away, I looked at everyone that knew I was fine now and nodded my head.
The place we were standing on was a devastated land that can't be compared to yesterday's.
Mom was good, Anna was the same, others were ok, Zoe was smiling, Carla was the same, but... Alf was blushing while looking at me.
He also looked back at Rein some moment ago, not understanding what the hell had happened.
'Oh... he's understanding quickly? He really is a fast learner.'
Is this what my dear 'three eyes' were talking about?
The corruption?
But I did nothing here.
Well... whatever.
I nodded at grandpa and others and we all walked out of this ruined room.
The garden was the best place to have some fresh air after those things.
Celes was back too, so maybe Anna will calm down while playing with her.
The day had been difficult, and a headache for all of us.
A warm green tea would be good for everyone...
***
"Thanks, Eon. I can tell just from the smell... this is divine~." My gorgeous first aunt thanked me with a delighted smile that made her look even more beautiful.
She was a tea expert and someone who just love all kinds of tea. She was even a tea collector, and one of the biggest distributors of tea in this empire.
Though there were few places to grow tea in these parts of the empire, Rein's family's lands, some of our coastal islands, and most of the eastern continent were the producers of tea.
But… Rein's lands were the biggest producers of coffee beans as well as cocoa.
South was just the perfect place for that, and I would love to go on a farm trip to one of her coffee gardens someday.
I haven't seen much of this world even after being here for this long time in the past, so I wanted to see everything now that I was out of that great forest.
I wanted to travel to all the places I could, and in our families, Rein, her grandma, and my dad were the ones who had traveled the most, and Rein was even more experienced, as she had just roamed the world most of the time.
She had even been to the east.
Though she hadn't been to the northern continent, the continent of eternal ice, just yet, we can do that one together.
I wanted to travel to my heart's content. I even had Zoe show this whole world.
We can do that much. It will be fun~.
But for now, this special tea from our tower garden was something I wanted to enjoy, just like others.
We were sitting in the garden, and it was late afternoon and almost evening.
On the tables with two chairs each and a white umbrella, we were sitting in this wide garden with everyone sitting in a pair.
The adults were couples, so they naturally set with each other, having a sweet talk over this great tea and just forgetting about the events from a while ago.
Alf and Carla were sitting together, blankly recalling everything they can from my fight with the headmaster.
They were in deep thought and I didn't know why, but Carla had already finished three cups of that tea while Alf wasn't even halfway done to his first one.
I made a good amount and aside from those two; I had served everyone.
I even set some cookies I made yesterday while cooking brownies and they all loved it.
Of course, Carla had finished all on her table.
Zoe and Anna were sitting together with Celes, playing with Anna and talking with her, telling her some 'safe' stories about me and her.
And Rein's crow was in Zoe's lap, enjoying her gentle hand that caressed him with love.
Zoe was special, and almost every bird and other being would naturally like her because of her natural affinity with nature, which was far more than mine.
It was so high mine might just barely come close to her, or maybe even not.
Well, the crow was enjoying himself, and Zoe was even sharing the special cookies with Anna and the crow.
And the crow's master... my dear lovely friend was delighted that I was sharing my own 'special' cookies, the ones that grandma made and she tasted in the forest.
This was just especially sorry for worrying her like that, so she better not think she can have them anytime she wanted!
I only had some thousand of them. I can't share every time.
And now that she was calming down and was happily drinking her tea like that, this smile of hers… she looked lovely.
Tears and sadness truly didn't suit her at all.
She was best when smiling, cussing, smirking, and shouting in that ear-shaking voice.
Maybe when she was being thirsty for things that were a no-no for now... like the special water attribute ice cream.
Anyway, she was enjoying herself now, and I was having fun while seeing her delighted eating face.
It took a while, but everyone calmed down and the garden's calm atmosphere made it easier for everyone.
My second aunt was crying for a while just like Rein's mom but those two just looked after each other with some tea while their husbands sat together, leaving their wives to each other.
I just handed my first aunt her tea because it took her longer to calm my crying uncle down.
Mom and dad... they had changed quite a bit from what I knew.
Dad was taking care of her, and she was better than others.
Both of them had become stronger at their heart.
Grandpa Zhen looked over everyone with a teacup in his hand from some distance away.
He requested to do these things, but I just handed him a cup of tea and then he just looked over everyone from afar.
He was a fun person. I wanted to talk with him someday.
But for now, this calm garden with a soothing breeze was marvelous.
And this was just the perfect evening until the calmness broke up and dad said something weird in a surprised voice.
"Oh? Taika is here?"
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