Chapter 44: I’m a Mother, After All. I Can See Right Through My Son’s Secrets.
Kazuma and the others hurried back to the classroom. Inside, it was just as crowded as before they’d left for their break, but one customer stood out conspicuously.
“K-Kaasan!”
“”Eh?!””
At the end of Kazuma’s astonished gaze, a woman wearing an apron like a nursery school teacher was elegantly sipping tea.
Hearing Kazuma’s voice, the woman shifted her eyes. Kazuma couldn’t help but tremble under her sharp, almost glaring gaze.
“Kazuma, come here.”
“Y-Yes…”
Seeing Kazuma, who usually joked around even with the Witch or the Holy Maiden’s escort, being so incredibly obedient, his classmates were astonished, wondering if she truly was his mother. At the same time, knowing she was Kazuma’s parent made them a little worried.
They rudely thought that since she was the parent of the outrageous Kazuma, she must be many times more dangerous than they could imagine.
“It’s not ‘Kaasan,’ it’s ‘my beautiful Okaasama’! You fool!!!”
A sound like an iron ball crashing down with a thud echoed. Kazuma’s mother, who had been elegantly sipping tea just moments before, had brought her fist down on his head, and the impact was immeasurable.
“O-Okaatama, forgive me.”
“I told you, it’s Okaasama!”
Again, a fist exploded on Kazuma’s head with a thud. Kazuma rubbed his battered head, his eyes tearing up.
“O-Okaasama. What brings you here today?”
“Can’t I come to see my son’s face without a reason?”
“No, that’s not it at all.”
“Well, it’s not a big deal. Your mother is here.”
“…Eh? By mother, do you mean my birth mother?”
“Who else would it be?”
“Ah, I see. But why now, of all times?”
“How would I know something like that? But it’s certain she’s become a decent person now.”
“Eh? Is it true? The sugar-dating mama managed to become a decent person?”
“That’s right. She’s job-changed from being a tax-evading, good-for-nothing sugar-dating woman.”
She was saying whatever she pleased. It was indeed true, but not something to be said in public.
“(I feel like I’ve caught a glimpse of Satsuki-kun’s roots.)”
“(No doubt about it, that’s Kazuma’s old lady.)”
“(A chance to get closer to my mother-in-law!)”
“(So, both parent and child have sharp tongues, huh…)”
“(I’ve seen her in the documents before… It’s almost strange they’re not blood-related.)”
Only Momoko knew that Kazuma had grown up in an orphanage. She knew about Kazuma from the documents she had been given, but she only knew of the existence of his adoptive mother, Honoka Satsuki.
However, watching the parent-child conversation unfolding before her eyes, she was made to understand that this person was indeed the one who had shaped Kazuma’s foundation.
“But why didn’t she come to me directly?”
“Because it’s awkward, obviously. That’s why she used me as a cushion.”
“But Okaasama, you’re less of a cushion and more like Ama-no-Iwato…”
Sparks flew before Kazuma’s eyes as a sharp thwack echoed through the classroom.
“Can’t you even understand a metaphor? This idiot son of mine.”
“What’ll I do if I get any dumber, ‘ey!”
“I’ve told you countless times not to use that fake Kansai dialect!”
“Oof!”
Kazuma, who took an Iron Fist of Love to the bridge of his nose, was sent flying with great force.
Everyone gasped at the unexpected sight. They were frozen, thinking she had gone too far, but Kazuma stood up calmly.
“Owowow… Okaasama, wasn’t that a bit much, even for you?”
“It’s because you use that fake Kansai dialect. Reflect on your actions.”
“What if my nose is broken?”
“You didn’t die when you were hit by a truck, so you’ll be fine.”
“Well, that’s true, but…”
They were surprised to see Kazuma checking if his nose was broken, but Honoka’s impact was even stronger. She really was like a grown-up, female version of Kazuma.
“Ah, um, Satsuki-kun. Sorry to interrupt your family reunion, but… we still have customers, you know?”
Reminded by Kureha, Kazuma finally realized. He had forgotten with his mother’s appearance, but they were right in the middle of the school festival. Many customers had come to the classroom and were watching the exchange between Kazuma and Honoka with wide eyes.
“Okaasama! Apologize!”
“Ohohoho. I do apologize for the trouble my foolish son has caused you all.”
Kazuma, whose head was struck by Honoka, forcing him to bow, and Honoka, who laughed elegantly but couldn’t hide her ferocity, quickly tucked her son under her arm and left the classroom.
The classmates, who had been frozen for a moment by the storm-like departure of the two, remembered that Kazuma had been taken away and flew into a panic.
“Oh no! Satsuki-kun’s been taken!”
“W-We have to save Kazuma!”
“Hey, Char! We’re going after them!”
“Eh, w-wait, Alicia!”
Alicia and Charlotte, who had just returned, chased after the pair and left the classroom. That storm-like duo, to think they’d even draw away the Witch and the Holy Maiden, their main fighting force!
Kosuke and Kureha, who remained, calmed down the chaotic classroom and somehow managed to get through the situation.
Kazuma, escorted away by Honoka, had been brought to a deserted spot by the back gate.
“We can talk here.”
“Okaasama. Was it really necessary to abduct me?”
“I brought you here because there’s still more to discuss. Can’t you even understand that?”
“More to discuss…?”
“You’ve been up to all sorts of things lately, haven’t you?”
“…Yes.”
She wouldn’t ask for prying details, but if it reached a point where harm came to the orphanage where Honoka worked, she couldn’t not talk about it. That was why she had come this far.
“I’m not particularly angry. Wherever you are, whatever you’re doing, as long as you’re well, that’s all that matters. Though you’ve always been a bit mischievous.”
“Ossu!”
“That wasn’t a compliment.”
The Iron Fist of Love, also known as a knuckle sandwich, exploded on Kazuma’s head. Sparks flew from Kazuma’s eyes as he let out a cry of anguish.
“Anyway, to get back to the topic, some unfamiliar people have been loitering around us lately… Does anything come to mind?”
“So many things come to mind, I don’t know where to start.”
“It’s related to the Crimson Knight, isn’t it?”
“How much do you know?”
“Who was it that took care of you until you were discharged from the hospital?”
“My beautiful Okaasama-dechu…”
“I understand why you’d want to hide it. However… your foolishness is causing trouble for the children.”
“Alright! I’m gonna destroy the government~!”
Rolling up his sleeves, Kazuma enthusiastically declared something dangerous. He looked like he might actually follow through on his word, so Honoka grabbed him by the scruff of his neck to stop him.
“Stop it.”
“Aye…”
“Haaah~. You really are short-tempered, simple-minded, and a fool…”
“My apologies. It’s in my blood.”
“I don’t think my upbringing was mistaken, though…?”
“Rest assured, I haven’t strayed from the path of humanity!”
“If you had strayed, then rest assured, whether you were the Crimson Knight or the Silver Knight wouldn’t matter—I’d drag you down to hell with my own two hands.”
Kazuma, trembling uncontrollably, understood his mother’s strength. He probably got the message that, no joking aside, she would come to kill him even if it meant taking him down with her.
“Getting back to the subject, your mother came to visit.”
“She wants to meet me?”
“Yes. She wants to meet you and apologize.”
“Eeeh~… I don’t really have any memories of her, I don’t know her face, and even though we’re blood-related, she’s practically a stranger, y’know…”
“To tell you the truth, we’ve been receiving donations from your mother.”
“Whoa!? Seriously!?”
“Seriously. It’s a small amount each month, but it’s been continuous ever since you were born.”
“And yet she abandoned me?! What the heck!”
“It’s probably for atonement. Besides, say what you will, you’re the child she bore in pain. Even if there were things to resent, it means she loved you.”
He didn’t know the truth. Kazuma had been abandoned in front of the orphanage. He wouldn’t know whether it was out of conscience or for self-preservation unless he asked.
However, at least from what Honoka said, it might not be a lie that she didn’t entirely resent Kazuma.
“Also, you have a younger sister and brother from a different pecker.”
“Your wording! Okaasama, that’s vulgar!”
“Oh, excuse me. Your mother remarried and has a family. And she’s been blessed with two children.”
“Shocking truth! I have a blood-related younger sister and brother?!”
“They’re still small, though.”
“How old are they?”
“Your sister is six, and your brother is three.”
“Hmm, hmm… How old is Mama, then?”
“She was seventeen when she had you, so she’s thirty-three now.”
“Oooh! If there was a parents’ day at school, people would totally say, ‘Your mom’s so young!'”
“Are you implying I’m not young?”
“Adadadadada! My beautiful Okaasama always looks young whenever I see her!”
Kazuma, his head grabbed and lifted, flailed his legs about as he desperately tried to get back into Honoka’s good graces.
“Phew… So, what will you do?”
“What do you mean, ‘what will I do’?”
“Will you meet her? Or not?”
“Umm…”
Kazuma, now free, was pressed about whether or not he would meet his biological mother. To be honest, Kazuma’s true feeling was that he didn’t really care. He was already a high school student, and on top of that, having spent three years in another world, it was hard to say if his mind had matured, but he was different from ordinary people. Because of that, his thinking had become detached, and he felt no need to meet her at all.
“To tell you the truth, she’s asked me many times to let her meet you.”
“Eh? Could it be, since a long time ago?”
“Yes. When you were still little, I refused… but you’re a high school student now, aren’t you? So, I came to see you today because I wanted to hear your opinion.”
“Ah, I was wondering why it wasn’t over the phone, but so that’s why.”
“Yes, that’s right. You’ve gotten good at lying before I knew it, so I thought it would be better to talk to you in person.”
“So, you’re saying you can see through my lies, huh?”
“Isn’t that obvious? How many years do you think I’ve been your parent?”
“You have a point. So, back to the topic, will I be meeting my biological mother, just the two of us?”
“That’s right. If you decide to meet her, I’ll make the arrangements.”
“I see…”
He hesitated for a moment, but Kazuma thought it might be a good idea to meet her and told Honoka.
“Alright. I’ll try meeting her.”
“Then, I’ll let her know.”
“Please do.”
“Well then, my business here is done, so I’ll be going home.”
As Honoka said that and turned on her heel, about to show her back, Kazuma called out to stop her.
“Mom.”
Kazuma’s serious voice, a little lower in tone than before. Hearing that voice, Honoka turned her face to Kazuma and waited for his next words.
“If you’re ever in trouble, call me anytime. I’ll come flying, ignoring all shame, reputation, and appearances.”
Seeing Kazuma grin broadly like a child, Honoka thought deeply. His unchanging smile. But Honoka, feeling just a little sad that he had grown up, laughed to cover it up.
“Fufu. You’re right. In that case, I’ll call for a hero.”
“I don’t know if I’m a hero, but your beloved son will come to help!”
They weren’t related by blood, but they had still been together for sixteen years. There was a definite parent-child bond between them.
On her way home, Honoka, walking with souvenirs for the children in both hands, muttered to herself.
“He’s grown up so much… That little brat…”
And so, the tumultuous school festival came to an end.
On this day, at the Seventh Esper Academy, Kazuma’s class achieved the highest sales in history, but they received major complaints that calling the Holy Maiden, the Witch, and the Knights of the Round Table was against the rules. However, they were silenced by Kazuma’s single remark.
“Shut up! Just like they say luck is part of your skill, my connections and charisma are my power too! If you’ve got a complaint, then try calling them yourselves!”
When told that, the students who had been complaining couldn’t argue back strongly and had no choice but to fall silent.
Incidentally, the Witch, the Holy Maiden, and the Knights of the Round Table came to the after-party, causing the classmates to panic. But since it was a party for that night only, they thoroughly enjoyed themselves.