“Wooooow, this is amaaazing!” Fila exclaimed with sparkling eyes.

“What is this cold, fluffy, white stuff?!” Onelri asked in shock, holding a piece of said concoction on a fork in front of her.

“I have never had anything like this at my home! Soar, you must give me the recipe for my cooks to prepare!” Agnes demanded, her noble side leaking out.

“Even now, you never cease to amaze me,” Claire said, her praise contrasted by her monotonous tone.

The ‘cold, fluffy white stuff’ was a big hit with the girls, as well as all the older women with a sweet tooth. Even men like Darida, Weiss, and Sam, who prided themselves on looking respectful, dignified, and masculine, could barely keep their public appearances from breaking due to my creation’s sweetness. My special surprise was home-made whipped cream from scratch. While it usually takes time for milk to settle and for the heavy cream to separate from the liquid, I sped up that process by applying Water Magic to do the separation myself. After that, I held a regular metal whisk with levitation magic and turned it into a magic beater. I then beat the heavy cream in a bowl, with both the container and utensil chilled with Ice Magic, until it became the fluffy whipped cream loved by many on Earth.

The people here know how to make and use the heavy cream to flavor their coffee and tea, as well as for some desserts and pastries, but I surprisingly had yet to see whipped cream in any of the sweeter delicacies, at least in Lunargrove, anyway. People’s reactions like Agnes’, who aren’t from here, proved however that this wasn’t a common thing elsewhere either. Not to mention, heavy cream was expensive. I figured this was a good opportunity to wow everyone here who had the privilege of eating it first. Best of all, I did it for the price of regular milk, some mana, and a little ‘magical elbow grease,’ which was practically a steal. On another note, Levitation Magic is the best ‘spatula’ a cook could ask for, flipping the pancakes perfectly and balancing the beautiful golden-brown color on both sides. Agnes practically begged me for the whipped cream recipe, as well as the pancakes, so I went ahead and told her the gist of it, promising to write it all down in detail later.

“Watching Master Soar cook was like a theater production! And the taste, I feel like I am in Zaleese all over again!” Melody praised before inhaling more of her pancakes, further proving my theory of Zaleese being a parallel to Earth’s heaven, of sorts.

“Master Soar has once again proven his greatness as a Magician. I am truly blessed to be chosen as his Zaleckian Familiar,” Sarise added before taking a sip of coffee.

Surprisingly, her helpings were as large as Melody’s, with even a bit of extra. If she hadn't told me about how she could move or burn fat with magic, I’d have wondered how she managed to maintain her figure.

I then remembered our ‘milking incident’ earlier in my room this morning. I didn’t know how much I drank in my sleep, but Sarise made quite a bit for the second time around to the point where we had to store the leftovers in jars. It made me realize that Sarise couldn’t just magically make an infinite amount of milk without paying some kind of cost, and mana by itself just wouldn’t cut it. Maybe she had to use up the nutrients already stored in her body to make the milk, and now she needed to eat enough afterward to make up for what she lost? If it was like that, then I had to be mindful of how much milk Fila and I were drinking, or at least make sure Sarise had enough to eat the night before if we were doing this everyday. I asked Mona in my mind to make a mental note about that for next time.

On a side note, the coffee Sarise was drinking was something she brewed herself, sweetened by the same cream I prepared from the milk earlier. She also brewed tea for those like myself who weren’t into coffee, and even prepared juice with some of the fruits I bought. If she thought my ‘kitchen performance’ was amazing, I should be the one impressed by her skills in drink making. Everyone who was enjoying her liquid concoctions would agree with me on how talented she was in that department. I wondered just what kind of training she went through if she felt this was also expected of what she dubbed a ‘Proper Noble’s Familiar.’

Wonder how different all this would taste with her milk? No, I probably shouldn’t risk it. It’d be too bothersome to save for ‘special occasions,’ and who knows if someone might drink it on accident? Then again, we do have a jar of Sarise’s ‘leftovers’ from earlier stored in her ‘Dark Space’ when I need it. They’ll still be just as fresh as when we put them in, and I can chill them with Ice Magic too. Yeah, that ought to do it. Aside from Fila, I’m keeping Sarise’s milk and any of her other special dairy-foods for myself, and that’s final, I resolved in my mind before glancing at Sarise’s direction. I don’t know if Familiars can read their masters’ thoughts along with their emotions, at least, not without using Telepathy Magic, but I felt that my naughty Devil maid caught some of my intentions. Her eyes giving a knowing smile as she looked my way while drinking her coffee seemed to indicate as much. Since she seemed aware of my thoughts, I boldly reached down under the table and stroked Sarise’s bare thigh closest to me. Judging by how her tail was wagging, she was totally enjoying our secretive play.

Suddenly, a few clinks from a mug directed everyone’s attention to Dad, Mom, and Seal, who were standing on the small stage in the corner of the lobby. My home was previously an inn, but I sometimes even I forgot the stage was even there, with how out of the way it was.

“If I may have everyone’s attention, please, we have an announcement to make. Soar, Sarise, Melody, get on up here,” Dad said.

“Lady Agnes, please come on up here as well,” Seal added.

My Familiars and Agnes looked at me. I had no idea what was going on if Agnes was going up as well, and they were looking at me with as much uncertainty. With no reason to refuse, I only nodded before we all stood up and walked over to the stage in the corner of the lobby facing everyone. When we got there, we were instructed to face everyone as well, which we did. Agnes and Dhalia were on my right, while my Familiars were on my left.

A pair of large, burly hands rested on my shoulders, who I could only recognize to be Dad’s, “These kids have pulled off many feats within only a day. Clearing Myron Dungeon on their first try, becoming C Rank Hunters, gaining great powers, and making pacts with extraordinary Familiars.

“While all of these feats are great, Carol, Seal, and I agreed that none of this would have happened if we hadn’t pushed Soar into revealing his capabilities, using Agnes, the daughter of our kingdom’s knight general, as a catalyst to force his hand,” Dad said as he slightly strengthened his grip on my shoulders, tense, but careful like I was a fragile object.

Dad then released his hold on one of my shoulders, only for his hand to be replaced by another that was gentle, yet firm, which I recognized to be Mom’s. Off in my periphery, I saw Seal had his own hand on Agnes’ shoulder. On a side note, as Agnes stood next to me, I noticed something slightly different about her from yesterday. Did Agnes’ mana capacity grow last night? I wondered.

“We were only concerned with seeing these kids grow into healthy adults, and that made us push them into this, without considering how they might feel about it,” Dad continued, “This wasn’t very responsible of us, as guardians, parents, teachers, and adults. After thinking about it harder, things could have gone far worse for either of you two, and for this, we must apologize for overstepping boundaries.”

Dad …

“If I may say something,” Agnes interrupted, “If things had stayed as they were when I first got here, I will be honest, I might … no, would, have pressured my father to find some way to strip Mr. Galveston of his position as a noble, maybe his whole family, as well.”

Seal’s complexion paled. He may be a noble, but I knew he was different from others the moment I first met him, even though he was one of the few nobles I knew personally. I’ve seen how much he values Dad as a friend and comrade over the years, and he has voiced things about his social position while being a little tipsy that would leave other nobles fainting on the floor. I was sure he took part in this scheme more for his own personal curiosity than anything else. His regret also seemed sincere, and judging by his reaction, I wondered if he actually forgot about his social standing for a moment. He might have been able to shrug off the worst repercussions due to his rank as a Hunter, but he likely wouldn’t hear the end of it from his family if Agnes’ father attempted to bring them down as well.

“Furthermore, I would have also reported to Father about a serious potential threat to this kingdom, a great power a certain someone holds that we could not afford to overlook,” Agnes continued, “That would have been more to get back at Soar for humiliating me, and it pains me to admit that the thought did cross my mind for a moment. I surmise Soar would not have been seen again in this town within a week had I gone through with it.”

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Yeaaaah, depending on the person, nobles do tend to blow things out of proportion if they are wronged in the slightest way, I agreed mentally, Making Agnes, the only daughter of the kingdom’s knight general, pee her pants in fright while everyone watched would likely have me sentenced to death. I’d have hightailed it out of the country long before that happened, though.

Agnes then placed a hand on her chest, “But in the end, my encounter with Soar opened my eyes, and for the first time, in this large world of ours, I came to realize how small I really am. How, no matter what height I stand at as a noble, my strength, magic, talents, and capabilities will be challenged by others, no matter where they stand in social class, be they man or woman, young or old.

“Despite my mishaps and regrets, I have made new friends I want to get to know more of, learned how wondrous it is to be a Hunter, and have gained even greater power than I could ever imagined,” Agnes said before demonstrating this last bit.

Holding out a hand and repeating the same trick I did at my birthday party, she produced a small, blue flame from her palm powerful enough to torch anything it touched. Everyone in the dining lobby gasped in awe and amazement.

“Within these few days, taking all of this into consideration, I have come to understand that there are still many things to learn about this land and this world, as a noble, Magician, and a person,” Agnes continued before turning to me with a warm smile, “And I would not have come to this epiphany if I had not stepped out of the comforts of my home, and challenged Soar to a duel. I pray that we can do it again under better circumstances, and that we can get closer, more as equals than noble and commoner.”

“For you, Agnes, I’m open for a spar at any time,” I said.

“As for you three,” Agnes said as she turned to the three adults behind us and bowed, “I, too, apologize for my abrupt arrival and prior behavior, but I must thank you above all for giving me this memorable experience in the short time we’ve had together. I hope that we may continue with the current relations we have in the times to come, Mr. Galveston, Mr. and Mrs. Osmis.”

“It would be my honor and pleasure, Lady Agnes,” Seal answered while returning the bow with a smile.

“You’re welcome to stop by at any time. We’d love to have ya,” Dad added while Mom nodded in agreement.

Off in the audience behind me, I heard some gross sobbing in the background.

“Milady is growing up so quickly!” Agnes’s personal maid Melissa said while wiping away tears, “To have grown so much as a Magician, and to have already snagged herself a powerful husband, I am without words!”

“MELISSA!” Agnes hissed through gritted teeth and very reddened cheeks, “Stop spouting such nonsense and get a hold of yourself, or leave!”

Agnes wasn’t the only one who wished her maid had truly been ‘without words’. I felt both embarrassed and appalled, Just because my body is young didn’t mean that I’m at all interested in girls my physical age. That’s just...wrong!

Nor was I alone, as both my parents and Ms. Renne looked shocked and embarrassed as well. Zalena, of course, just smirked, and Fila seemed genuinely happy and excited for Agnes and I. What am I going to do with that silly rabbit? She’ll be the death of me, I’m certain of it! I thought. Onelri seemed more than a bit annoyed at the maid, but I carefully didn’t pay any attention to that. Everyone else just seemed to pretend as if Melissa hadn’t spoken.

An awkward silence fell, and I felt the need to say something to break it, but couldn't think of what to say. Fortunately, my father came to my rescue.

“Soar, your mother and I must apologize to you, especially,” Dad said, turning to me and directing all attention back to the stage, “In the beginning, when we found how special you were when you first came into this world, our first worry was about people wanting to take advantage of you, and how we could prevent that. Before we even realized it, you had grown so much in such a short time, and you were so reserved, not asking for a lot, not saying a lot, like other kids around your age would. We were worried we did something wrong when we felt you were distancing yourself from us, and we worried how far away you might get as we fretted about it over and over. It may be due to this panic, especially when we found out about your new brother or sister, that we did things that went against our original desire to protect you.”

Mom then lowered herself to my level with a sad smile, “We hope that you can forgive us for not considering your feelings. We want you to know that we will always love you, and we can’t say enough how proud we are to be parents of such a brilliant young man like yourself.”

I scratched my head awkwardly, feeling especially uncomfortable with everyone watching, “Well … I’m also to blame for keeping so much from you guys. I’ve known for a while how worried you both were about word of my talent for magic and other things spreading, but I still wanted to learn so many things. I mostly held back up until now so as to not worry the both of you, because … I love you both too. I’m sorry if I ended up worrying you anyways.”

Granted, there were a ton of things I couldn’t say and will take to my grave, like my reincarnation to this world, mainly because of what my parents would think of me after knowing of my past life, let alone how unbelievable it is. That aside, there was still the matter of what happened that night when I saved Fila’s and Onelri’s families from the bandits, which ended with me killing said bastards. I don’t regret doing it, but how my parents would react if they found out what happened that night is what worries me the most. I really hope I’ll rouse the courage to open up this much to them, one day.

At my apology, my parents’ faces brightened, their smiles widening.

“We still a family?” Mom asked.

“Obviously.”

The three of us hugged it out, which caused the people in the lobby to give us a round of applause. I even heard some sniffles from some.

“Now that that’s settled, let’s talk about your Familiars,” Mom then said.

Dad quieted the applause so everyone could hear. The both then turned to my Familiars, Sarise and Melody, who were all smiles over our familial affection, only to stiffen when they were mentioned. Watching them stand there in those questionable maid outfits, even if they were protected by their Auras, made me worry that the worst was yet to come.

Mom stood up and sighed in, hopefully, faux exasperation before crossing her arms, “Really, Soar, to not only bring a Devil home, but leave and come back with an Angel right afterwards? Just what are we going to do with you?”

“Um … I’m sorry?” I didn’t know where she was going with this act, if it was one, so I had no idea how to respond.

“Now, now, honey, let’s not be rash,” Dad intervened, “If you think about it, Soar went out of his way to summon an Angel immediately after bringing a Devil here, knowing the rep they both have. This is the most, if not the first time, he’s ever acted so brashly and selfishly like a normal kid should. He really wants to keep his Devil Familiar here, I can understand that much.”

“True, but having two Familiars means double the care and responsibility, and let’s not forget about all his Fairies, either,” Mom added before rubbing her stomach, “We already have a lot of work on our hands, what with one more coming our way and a bunch of people moving in with us. It certainly would be helpful if we had a few extra pairs of hands to tend to some chores when we need it.”

“Which is why, Soar, even if you’re a Hunter now, as long as you’re living under this roof with your family, you have to take your share of the workload and contribute to this household,” Dad said before he turned to Sarise and Melody, “That goes for your Familiars, too.”

Both my Familiars’ eyes widened and they turned to each other, silently asking each other if they heard correctly, before looking back to Dad.

“You mean …” Melody said.

“… that we can …” Sarise added.

“As long as you’re living here, you’re a part of our family,” Carol said, “And as part of the family, you’ll have to contribute in some way, whether it’s helping Soar on his quests, or helping out around the house. Are both of you okay with these conditions?”

“A-Absolutely!” Sarise exclaimed.

“We’ll do anything!” Melody added.

“Son,” Dad then said, turning to me, “Since they’re your Familiars, it’s up to you to keep them in line and make sure they’re doing their part. We won’t have you slacking off, however, especially by passing off all your duties to them. Besides caring for them, you also have to look after your Fairies, work hard under Zalena’s tutelage, and tutor Fila and Onelri in magic and maybe some other subjects from school. You think you can handle all that?”

“O-Of course! I’ll do anything if they both can stay!” I exclaimed excitedly.

Dad nodded in confirmation and turned to my Familiars, “In that case, Sarise, Melody, if you’re all right with these arrangements, then we would love to have you both live with us.”

Sarise and Melody were on the brink of tears as they nodded enthusiastically. Unable to hold themselves back, they assaulted me with hugs on both sides that I, who was also tearing up, happily welcomed. My home went wild as everyone gave a round of applause, congratulating my Familiars for their acceptance. Fila, Agnes, and even Onelri, despite her awkwardness, joined in on the hugging action, too. If there were more at that point, I likely wouldn’t have noticed, but I couldn’t help but feel I was being stared at with uncertainty and suspicion. The surrounding activity prevented me from locating where it was coming from, so I didn’t pay it much mind. What mattered was that I got to keep my Familiars, and while things may get hectic from this moment forward, the hardest part of this ordeal was finally behind us.

And so, I anticipated what might lie ahead with curiosity and excitement.