Chapter 167: The Slow Life Resumes
Uhm…
Well, what’s done is done. It can’t be helped.
For now, I’ll give my son, Adam, some appropriate education.
His ability to learn is uncanny; two weeks after being born, he had completely mastered language, and in another two weeks, he had learned to read and write.
First off, well… he doesn’t “forget” or “make mistakes,” you see.
When that’s the case, he ends up mastering everything just by having it crammed into him… right?
So, I told him, “Learn the rest yourself!” and shoved him into the mansion’s library.
Right, maybe I should write some medical texts, natural science books, and grimoires as teaching materials and give them to him.
I suspect every single one would become a forbidden heretical text, guaranteeing execution if found by those in power, but this is also for Ashin— no, for education.
However, if it’s just transferring the knowledge in my head onto paper, I can probably do it overnight. I just need to manipulate multiple pens with magic. I even have fountain pens…
What should I do about the binding… I really want to make it elaborate…
Alright, I’ve decided.
Let’s call the science book the “Arcane Codex of Stars,” the medical book the “Arcane Codex of Heart and Life,” and the grimoire the “Arcane Codex of Spells and Curses.”
Each consists of twelve volumes, for a total of thirty-six books. Each book ended up being as thick as a dictionary, about 800 pages.
For the binding, I embedded Magic Stones and attached a key, adding a locking mechanism so the books can’t be opened unless Magical Power is channeled into them.
Then, to make them look like forbidden texts, the covers are solid black, and I engraved a magic circle imbued with ‘Index’ magic on the surface, enabling word searches.
There are also colored illustrations with nearly photographic accuracy, so I think they turned out to be fun books just to look through.
I gave these to my son as a birth present.
“Thank you very much, Father!”
…He was very happy.
That’s good.
Anyway, my son, when I looked just now, already looked about six years old despite being only a month old, so I probably don’t need to look after him for the time being.
He can eat, use the toilet, and bathe by himself, so there’s no need to take care of him.
Thanks to that, I ended up having to turn away the female Servant from Count Missgancia’s place who came to be his Nanny… Since that was incredibly rude, I gave her some silver coins and a deer hide as an apology.
Right now, Rosalinde is constantly with Adam.
Apparently, she dotes on him considerably and spoils him without limit.
Well, it’s true that he completely skipped the most unpleasant parts of having a child… like dealing with diapers or the terrible twos.
It makes sense she’d grow fond of him, then.
So, that’s why Rosalinde is always with Adam.
I want kind-hearted Rosa to teach our son about morality and things like that. As for me… I don’t have any morality, you see.
The reason I do things that seem like good deeds is because I was disciplined to do so as a child. Also, because it’s more profitable that way.
It’s just a spinal reflex to be kind; it’s not actual kindness, you know.
So he doesn’t become a bad adult like me, it’s best if my son is raised by gentle Rosa.
I’ll provide him with knowledge and wealth…
Anyway, leaving my son, who no longer needs much care, to Rosa, I quickly returned to my normal life.
Thinking that I can go back to playing around and living idly, that’s something to be happy about.
Right, I haven’t been able to go out recently, so I feel like going out…
For starters, I came to the Striders Guild.
“Oi, if it ain’t Andrews! Heard ya had a kid?”
Oh, it’s Jacob, the leader of ‘The Fang of the Wolf Gang’.
…Ah, that’s right.
This guy has a wife and kids too.
He comes from a background as the third son of a wealthy farmer, basically a free peasant, and apparently, because he made it big as a Strider, he built a house near his family home.
It seems his family, despite Striders being akin to ruffians, understood the significance of his second-class skill level and his position as the leader heading a Clan, and they supposedly gave him land on the condition that he protect the family in times of crisis.
There, he has a wife introduced by his family from another farming household, and six children.
It seems that even for Striders, if you reach the upper ranks, you can obtain a proper social standing.
“Yeah, thanks, Jacob. He was born safely.”
“Then, ya gotta earn for your family now, huh?”
“I have more money than I need… More importantly, I’m currently racking my brain over what to do with my son.”
“Your son? What else is there besides makin’ him your successor? At my place, I teach all the brats how to swing a weapon and how to plow a field.”
…Well, I guess that’s the normal response if you ask someone from this world.
There aren’t really any options other than having them inherit the family business, huh?
“Are you making him a Strider?”
“Like hell I am! Who’d make their own kid do this kinda work? …Obviously, I’ll have ’em be free peasants on the land I got. Well, sure, the second and third sons might become Striders, so I am trainin’ ’em, but…”
Ooh… Harsh reality…
“Are you gonna make your kid an Apothecary too?”
“No? I’ll make him a Lord.”
“A Lord?! You mean… a noble! Right, right, your wife is a noblewoman, ain’t she…”
Yeah… That’s right.
Originally, we live in different worlds…
“Ah… If you ever really get stuck finding a place for your sons-san, let me know. I’ll hire them in the territory I give my son.”
“Really?! Thanks a lot! I’ll count on ya then!”
As we were talking like that…