Everyday, I Fight! 6 Chapter 6: Refreshing Fred!

With dad gone and mom in such a mysterious state, I wonder what'll happen to the rest of us. Especially poor helpless little me.

"Hehehe..." Mom loses herself in imagination, giggling while mumbling, "eat lots... he's gonna... don't worry..."

What the h.e.l.l is she even doing? More importantly, how can she cut vegetables so diligently with that sharp a knife, while being lost in thought...?! Isn't that impossible?

"Mom," Helen suddenly pops up beside her, catching her off guard as mom flinches with nervousness, "are you in love?"

The knife drops from mom's hand with utter shock at what this child is saying...!

"This girl...!" I think with sheer bewilderment, "Does she have any idea what she's even suggesting...?!"

"Well you see..." Mom plays with her fingers, slightly shy, "Umm... you see," she pauses, then she chuckles a little and then clears her throat, "I-I think?"

"I see," Helen says with an expressionless face and goes to the back door to resume her training. She looks at mom one last time and then leaves with a prolonging sigh of boredom.

"Nothing new," I hear Helen mumble with a stoic face.

"Oi, can somebody here at least inform me, what the heck's going on...?!" I think with distraught. Both parent and child are so d.a.m.n unpredictable! Urgh!

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The door was knocked on with a very loud sound that echoed throughout the house like a hammer hitting a nail. So d.a.m.n annoying!

The living room clearly resounded more noise since the front door is nearest to here allowing my eardrums to sting bitterly.

I shrieked with all my voice when Carmine, who was also fed up of the noise, came running to my rescue. However, she began screaming with me, too.

Helen came to check up on us and the noise. When she arrived, she saw us and our eyes met, but then she just nodded and left with a stoned face, leaving me silent without a word. I was at my limit and so fed up that I p.o.o.ped in my underwear...

Yet, this was not the time of embarra.s.sment, rather planning.

That's when I saw Helen again who had tucked and pulled mom by the skirt, away from the kitchen and into the living room, pointing her index finger towards me and then at the door.

I could vaguely make out what Helen was saying to mom, "'Your... guest'? Hmm... 'Your guest is here...'"

I fumbled down on the cradle, on top of my p.o.o.p with a disgusting squishy sound that followed. With the top of my lungs as loud as i could, I began to wail.

"I've had enough now!" I thought to myself.

Mom, who had been brimmed with excitement earlier on, was now in befuddlement, as she came rushing towards me, panicking with a confused fake smile. Her face clearly indicated she did not know what to do. Too many things were in progress already.

The metal door flung open with a beep sound that followed. A grey silhouette stood at the middle of the door. The sun rays were far brighter, so I couldn't quite make out, our visitor's face. All I saw was the shining golden hair of the guy who seemed to be in his 20's.

"Hi, Mom!" the man cheerfully greeted with a dazzling smile, as he entered the room with the door behind him closing automatically, "Did you wait long?"

"I give up," I exclaimed to myself aimlessly.

I sighed with reluctance, as I watched his 'handsome beam' aimed at me, which I so easily pushed off. On a certain note, I was still a guy inside, so there was no way his coolness or handsomeness would affect me.

Mom and Carmine were on contrast and high in spirit.

Bingo. Right on target(s).

My suspicion got confirmed when I further saw a drool slip past Carmine's mouth although she didn't seem to mind.

I flinched awkwardly at Helen who still had the same old pocker face. Her eye brows however, changed to form a pecuular shape of either irritation, or uneasiness. She seemed somewhat gloomy altogether.

"Tch-" I heard her voice, "him again."

"So she does know him!" I reinstated my line of thoughts, "But why's she so... angry?"

I couldn't help but notice the man who had so brazenly walked in earlier, a few seconds ago, now stood right next to my cradle without notice. This was a first time for me.

"Hi little one," the man exclaimed with a gentle voice, "Ah, I mean, lady... I am Fred, your big brother!"

So... this dude's supposed to be my big brother?! How? How can that be possible?

"Hmm..." Fred exclaimed slightly unsatisfied, "you don't speak much, do you?"

Then he gasped, still staring at me with the eye of a hawk, "Ahem, I'm sorry to disturb you," he turned towards mom, "say mom, where's my room?"

"I cleaned it up for you five months ago! Why are you so late? Do you know how worried I was?? Be thankful that I even cleaned it yesterday...!" Mom said with a sulky face with half rage and half relief.

"Yes, yes," Fred admitted his guilt in a careless manner, "I'm so very sorry," he grinned foolishly, "you're the best mom in the world!"

"Go on," mom rushed him.

Now that the troublemaker was nowhere in site, Carmine regained her lost composure, but clearly she had twinkling eyes... "Who's he?" she asked.

"Sadly, THAT's our Eldest Brother, Fred." Helen spoke indifferently.

"So cool!" Carmine exclaimed with eagerness as she hummed like mom.

"Okay now," Mom said, turning towards me, "that's your first mess-up yet, Baby Glow. You know, you're usually such a cutie that I tend to forget, you're barely a few months old...! So mature~"

I get how mom feels. This is my first time making a mess this huge... she probably feels more relieved now that I have a cute child-like demeanor. Good thing, too!

Yeah, so this was my Eldest Brother, Fred Tempest Wildwood Windstorm. A very strong mage and also a military border knight.

"Stay away from him, Baby." Helen whispered to me while mom was busy explaining something to Carmine.

"He is a dangerous person. Someone who smiles like a prince, but is an expert in confusing people and a crowd pleaser too...! Be cautious," Helen rushed to finish her pep talk as mom came back.

She nodded to me and then went off out the back door with a serious look printed on her face.

Seriously, what's up with her? Ever since she discovered that I could freely manipulate mana, she's been rather fierce and distant. Her eyes are in evidently grim when she speaks to me. As if she knows that I can actually understand her...

...No way. I'm most likely overthinking the matter. That's gotta be it!

After mom had finished with the diaper, she took Carmine and went upstairs with her to Fred's room, no doubt.

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"The things I've learned about Fred are as follows: One, he is twenty years older than me. Two, he has an extreme case of charisma issue, which is pretty useful at times. Three, he has various hidden secrets that he keeps to himself, despite being a powerful dual mage..."

These thoughts kept lingering within me, while Fred had picked me up, still making a confused stare. I couldn't comprehend his thoughts, which made my blood boil in fury.

Then a certain thought rea.s.sured me, "... Four, he's very caring towards his family and cherishes them wholeheartedly."

"But why?" I seemed to question myself, "for a man who had almost all perfect points, why would he, go so far for his family...? Because they raised him? Or are there other reasons??"

I'm sure there will be answers to my questions in the future. However, what bugs me most is this book in front of me that Carmine had brought me, a few months ago.

I'm extremely grateful that Carmine is still unable to 'read' books and just s.n.a.t.c.hed this book from the barrister bookshelf due to the baby picture on the cover...!

It's stated very clearly about births and how this world has equally proportioned birth rates and death rates. No more, no less.

Some families, especially families of mages, tend to have a high birth rate. The reason being that after the core reaches the mana color, lime green, a mage's body reverts back to 21 and remain like that until death. However, since these cases are extremely rare, by law, mages are allowed to reproduce until they reach about 200 years in age.

Even in the lime green stage though, most mages last not more than a 500 year cycle. That's nature. To be more accurate, being a mage means to fight... at least almost 70% mages fight as adventurers, or knights, or as mercenaries. Only about 5% of mages think about life and have a family of their own. The rest of the percentage go to be either dark mages or they die at an early age.

An ordinary citizen becomes an adult at the age of 15 because they need to work and support their family. On the other hand, a mage becomes an adult when they are 21 years old. Cla.s.sic. They obviously made it 21 because of two things: One, it's a highlight to the fact that 21 is when you revert after the light green stage; Two, mages barely graduate from M.T.S between the ages of 18-25. Therefore, a record must form and so, the age setting of adulthood is required for B.U.C.M for further studies.

In most cases though, either people fail to graduate from school altogether and become failed mages, or they join the Adventurers Guild Of Promising Mages (A.G.P.M).

"Longevity is only for those who knows how to treasure it, huh?" I sighed with caution, "Then what about me? How will I live mine?"

It was peaceful now, though I didn't have many answers and like before, I glimpsed to my surroundings and surprisingly, Fred was there, cautiously eyeing at me. He had a smile plastered on his face, but there were hints of dissatisfaction and suspicion altogether. How long had he been standing right next to my cradle?!

Going so far as to cut through my perception was not something likable. Not to me at the vary least...!

"So you are smart," Fred said with a glare like daggers and pointed in my direction, "tell me, how can a mere child, barely able to crawl or speak..." he paused and gave me another hard stare, "possible read?!"

This was no joke. I could understand what Helen meant what she previously told me. Fred is very charming, but he's certainly not a fool, plus being powerful... are all his key points.

A bitter foe, or a trustworthy comrade. In my life he'll be any one of those. The choice was mine to make. Right now? This is bad... really bad...

"I know you know how to speak," Fred went on with an alarming smile and a face with conflicting feelings, "I became suspicious the moment mom told me about the new baby's habits... going to the Enchanted Study every night who knows how... being able to crawl with barely one day of practice, speaking suddenly, yet talking less. Smiling and crying who knows when."

This was no joke. He's really really bad news and he's really really on to me!

He took out his sword now with a very clinging sound, pointing at me and went on, "Tell me, with your life on the line here, who are you?! The mature aura you give off is not the same as that of a baby, rather, don't babies give off immature vibes...? Now," Fred's eyes turned stern, cold and looming with killer intent, "speak, or you will die more horribly than a dog's death!" his voice boomed throughout the room with echoes.

"n.o.body's here," I thought, taking a glance left and right.

Then, I sighed as I stared directly into his eyes, filled with malice. Was he even the same guy as this morning? How can someone have such misleading appearance and character...?! So unfair!

I reached my tiny little hands and touched his sword. Then, producing a sheepish smile, I spit on it.

"..."

Fred slightly gasps with disgust and his face turns bright orange. Silently, without a word, he pulls out his sword and gently puts it away from my grasp.

Now that's a laugh. The poor kid.

Crawling directly at him, like a missile, I intentionally loose my grip and fall on my tummy. Then I sulk and whine for a few seconds, until he picks me up and says, "Enough, now talk."

"... failure. Wasn't expecting that." I exclaim to myself, purely devastated.

I sighed once more, rethinking my horrible luck for the day, tried to calm myself and concentrate on one point. My mana.

I knew with all my heart that if Fred had to believe me in any other way, it'd had to be my mana. My specialty. My power.

He needed to trust me. I wanted him to realize that I had no rotten intentions.

I poured my heart out. I couldn't speak to him properly anyway... but, I had the best power, my manipulation of mana!

"Concentrate," I repeatedly told myself, "swirl and spin and focus..."

Fred, who had me in his arms for a while now, intently glanred at my direction and then towards the surroundings. He seemed to be quite freaked out. Anybody would be. I mean, I'm barely a few months old... and I'm manipulating mana! That's freaking d.a.m.n rubbish!!

He gasped and sweated. Finally, he let me go, but instead of falling, I floated back inside the cradle.

An awkward silence had ransacked the living room. For a while, everything seemed lost. Everything had fallen into death itself.

Then, I tried to use telepathy with Fred, just like Helen had previously taught me, "[h.e.l.lo, friend(?), my name is Gloria. Forgive me if I had scared you just then...]" I introduced myself.

"You can talk? You can... wait, what? Telepathy?!" Fred barely spoke in bafflement as his eyes shifted from me to the floor and vise versa.

"[Yes, I can. Helen taught me how.]" I replied to him as politely as possible. I'd not want him to know that I accidentally discovered it from a book and then tried it on Helen who had approved of it... that's not gonna go right.

"Th-then," Fred learned towards me, half in fright and half astonished, "your, your levitation ju-just now... you're already a...?" he stammered and used an awkward hand sign.

"[Indeed, I'm a mage, just like you. I barely awakened 5 months ago, so I'm hardly as excellent as you, or Helen. I'm just in Intermediate Cla.s.s, 2nd Stage. Nothing big.]" I answered him, casually.

"Are you f.u.c.kING kidding me??!" Fred yelled and the moment he realized his volume, he simmered down, "You. A Baby. A freakin' baby!"

"[Umm... yes, that's me. A baby.]"

"How can you be a... a mage? Much less in the Bottleneck! And in just 5 months!?"

"[Why, is there a problem?]" I asked him, "[Helen seemed least fazed when I last informed her. She just said to 'work harder'.]"

"That little monster!" Fred exclaimed with a clenched fist. Clearly he was angry.

He turned towards me, all of a sudden and asked, "What about your mana hue?"

I hesitated, but gave a reply, "[It-it's currently in transformation from Dark Grey to Gray color.]"

Then, Fred toppled down from his position and fell on the ground.

"H-how?"

I just nodded my head. I didn't know either.

It's impossible to go to the Gray mana colour unless the bottleneck/intermediate cla.s.s, has been broken through, granting me to Lead Cla.s.s. However, my case, obviously differed.

"Hear me clear," Fred told me in a stern and forceful voice, "do not tell anyone about this. Even in the future. Only Helen and I. Are we clear?"

I nodded back at him instinctively.

He had a huge sigh of relief and smiled back to me. "Aren't you just the cutest lil' monster then? Hahaha..." He chucked.

So he wasn't a bad guy after all! I'm glad.

In the end, we both merrily smiled at each other. I might have found the secret partner I'd been searching for... and perhaps a friend, too.

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In the dead of the night, whilst studying, I got caught by Fred.

"Okay, maybe you're really bright, talented and adorable..." he paused, "But that does not explain the fact that you can read books meant for adults! See? You're clearly reading what's beyond my age... even."

We both had a staring contest, until I gave up. So, he demanded to hear, "How and why?"

"[You won't believe me.]"

"Try me," Fred winked with an obnoxiously confident voice. The very voice that had been bugging me ever since he arrived at home a few days ago...

"[I'm an alien.]" I simply answered him.

Okay, so that was tacky, but it's technically not a lie.

"You really expect me to believe that?" Fred's eyebrows twitched as he questioned back, "You think I'd fall for the same trick Helen did?"

"[Not necessarily.]" I nodded in disagreement, "[Helen never asked me.]"

"Do not play with me on words." Fred warned me. He tries so hard... Unfortunately, his clumsy and slightly hidden embarra.s.sed face deemed otherwise.

"[It is not a lie. I'm not from here. Well, I was born here, true. Umm... How should I say this...?]" I mumbled and grumbled, being unable to explain, when Fred realized something and stared keenly on my face.

He chuckled and to my stirred up confusion, replied, "So you reincarnated, I take it?"

For a moment I was dumbfounded with utter distress and relief, that I wasn't able to fix my emotions. "What did this guy say?" I couldn't emphasize his idea.

"Don't worry," he tried to rea.s.sure me, "we're the same. You're secret's safe with me."

Lightning hit me when these words brazenly walked out of the guy's mouth...!

"[You're not ridiculing me, are you?]" I asked, slightly suspicious.

"Of course not!" Fred pouted with a bit of fury, "you might not believe me, but I reincarnated too, about 20 years ago or so..."

"It was a stormy day," Fred went on, before I got the chance to say anything, "that fateful day, when I died and left my ex-home planet, 'Earth'. I didn't have many things back in the previous world, so when I came here, I let go of the past... everything and everyone... except my brother."

"[I'm sorry to hear that. I'm sure you must have had a loving family back home.]" I replied back to him, as a single teardrop went rolling down my cheeks, "[I thought I was the only solitary person back on Earth.]" I sniffed.

"..."

"You're from the same planet?" Fred jumped at the sound of that. His long pause from beforehand, made me wonder twice, to a certain extent whether this man was completely foolish or just super cunning.

"[Oh, I guess?]" I replied him with a shrug, completely unfazed by his agitation.

"So, umm... do you know how many continents there are? How many moons and suns it has? What is the color of the planet? Who is the most wanted and youngest criminal of all time?" Fred let out several questions in one go.

"[I can't fathom how my answers might help you, but if you'd want to know, then let me answer. First, there are seven continents on Earth; Second, The Earth has only One Sun and One Moon; Third, The color of the planet is green that covers the land, blue that covers the ocean and white that covers both the ice regions and the heavily clouded atmosphere...]" I breathed exhaustingly.

"And?" Fred curiously asked.

"[Yes, yes, yes. I'm getting to that.]" I replied, barely able to keep my powers in check.

Finally, regaining my lost composure, I replied, "[The most wanted and youngest criminal currently, as far as I've heard while I was alive, is Welber Wadding. He is notorious and currently he is 17 years old.]"

"Bzzz!" Fred m.u.f.fled the sound, "incorrect on the last one."

I looked at him impatiently with a mean eye.

"I meant 20 years ago. How would I know what's happening there now? More importantly, I asked for 'all times' and not the 'current one,' remember??" Fred replied at me and questioned back.

Though I did wonder what was up with this fella, but I just sighed and corrected my answer, "[20 years ago, there were two worse of the worst villains in history, G and J. They were the youngest and best of their time, as criminals, as well as partners. Not many know who they were even now... only that they were vicious and that they were about 15 years of age when their name scattered across the Globe.]"

While I said these words, Fred's eyes sparkled in delight, leaving me slightly uneasy at his exhilarated mood.

"Well, dare you know, who you mentioned just now?" he asked me, full of valor and pride.

"[The answer to your questions...?]" I shrugged my shoulders in doubt.

"Don't freak out, but I'm one of them. Those 'notorious' fellows, I mean." Fred smiled with laziness, as well as a drool, as he uttered those words.

"Wait, so you're J?!" I unintentionally blurted out, bewildered.